Priests are called to be like Christ the Servant. As ordained ministers, we are summoned to wash the feet of others, to serve with humility, and to be God's abundant mercy. Priests pray with, for, and on behalf of God's People. Ordained priests also serve by celebrating the sacraments, with special devotion to the Eucharist.
The Eucharist is indeed the source and summit of the Christian life. In the Eucharist, we receive the very Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. In this sacrifice, we experience forgiveness and reconciliation with God. In this memorial, we remember the selfless love of Christ. In this sacrament, we continuously become united as one with the Lord.
It is very heartbreaking, then, that we cannot currently gather together as the Church in order to celebrate these two gifts of priesthood and Eucharist on this Holy Thursday.
Yet, we believe God can always transform moments of darkness into light. Perhaps God is using this time to remind all of us something fundamental about our own Christian identities: all of us are priests; all of us are Eucharist.
By virtue of our baptism, we have become a "chosen race, a royal priesthood, a people set apart." As royal priests of Christ, each of us prays for the needs of our families, our Church, and our world. We offer our way of life - whether single, married, parent, ordained, or widowed - as an acceptable offering to God. We sacrifice for others. We serve the needs of all by washing their feet.
And like the bread that is offered on the altar, we are also broken and blessed. Like the wine, we are poured out and shared. If we follow Jesus the Lord with integrity and authenticity, others will then look to us and be fortified by our example. They can feed upon our living relationship with the Lord. They can drink in our words of faith and hope. In turn, we are strengthened for mission by other disciples, who with us, form the Body of Christ.
Certainly, we look forward to the day when we can all be reunited at the altar where we will praise God with great joy for the gifts of the ordained priesthood and the Eucharist. As that glorious day approaches, let us also continue to grow in our own baptismal identity. We use this time to remember that in Christ Jesus, we are priests and Eucharist.
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