My Dear People,

Congratulations to all the graduates. May God bless you in your future. 

We read from Exodus where Moses goes up the mountain to converse with God. This is an extremely important moment in the history of salvation. At the foot of Sinai, God promises the Tribes of Israel if they keep the covenant, they shall be a kingdom of priests.” Hebrews refers to: “a kingship of priests.” What is “kingship”?   It could be a collection of kings.  If so, then “kingship of priests” would mean “a group of kings who are also priests,” or more succinctly, “a royal priesthood. “Kingship” could also just be a synonym for “kingdom.” Thus, our Mass translation, “kingdom of priests.” We see that the phrase was interpreted both ways in the New Testament. Peter uses “royal priesthood” in 1 Peter 2:9, and John uses a “kingdom of priests” in Revelation 1:6.

“Royal priesthood” is theologically richer and more pertinent to the context of Exodus 19:5-6 because here God is offering to the people of Israel a restoration to the privileges of Adam, who was both king and priest. We see Adam’s kingship as he was given “dominion” (a royal term) over the earth in genesis 1:26, and his priesthood as he is commissioned to “work and guard.”

Of course, Adam lost his royalty and priesthood by rebelling against God in Genesis 3. But Israel, gathered at Sinai, is now offered a chance to regain the Adamic privileges. If they keep God’s covenant, they will be a new “humanity” and be restored to humanity’s original vocation as corporate king and priest. 

But if the Israelites all became kings and priests, who would be subjects and lay people? A little thought provides the answer--the Gentiles! And so, the original “Plan A” of salvation history dawns on us. God intended the Israelites to spread out over the earth to rule and sanctify the Gentiles, bringing them back to God. Sadly, though, the Israelites preferred the sensuality of Egyptian paganism to the demanding call of the covenant. And the plan of salvation was derailed and re-routed some chapters later after the Golden Calf Incident (Exodus 32).

Then we go to the time of Jesus, who observed that the people of Israel in His own day were “like sheep without a shepherd.”  They were still God’s sheep, as we saw in Psalm 100, but the “shepherds” were unfaithful. The Herodian kings were imposters, and the chief priests were political appointees without the proper pedigree. So, Jesus responded by providing “shepherds” for a reconstituted people of Israel. These “shepherds” are the Apostles. 

There are twelve of them, representative of the Twelve Tribes gathered at Sinai. Furthermore, the Apostles are granted the status of priests and kings. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI pointed out that the priestly status is clearer in Mark’s account of this event, which says that Jesus “made twelve,” taking up the terminology of the Old Testament for the appointment of priests, who were “made” (1 Kings 12:31; 13:33).

Jesus appoints twelve new “officers” and sends them out to the “lost sheep of the House of Israel” to declare, “the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” (which could be translated, “the kingdom has arrived.”) The Apostles are the royal officers proclaiming the restoration of the kingdom of David, which is the kingdom of God (see 1 Chr 28:5; 13:8).

Jesus gives them “authority” over “unclean spirits” and to “cure every disease.” In other words, He authorizes them to heal both soul and body. The Church has been doing this ever since, through the Sacraments and her corporal works of mercy, expressed now in hospitals and the Catholic health care system. 

The Apostles are both priest and kings. This royal priesthood extends also to their successors, the Bishops, who obviously perform a priestly role by celebrating the holy sacrifice, (the Eucharist in the Mass), but also have the trappings of royalty in their miters and their cathedras. Bishops, as successors of the Apostles, both rule and sanctify the royal-priestly people of God.  

But we, too, who have been baptized with Christ, share in his royal priesthood, and to us are restored the privileges of Adam, since Christ is the New Adam, as described by the Catechist in regard to our priestly and royal status (CCC ph. 900-909).

What Israel failed to receive at the root of Sinai because they broke the covenant with the Golden calf and dozens of times afterwards has now been granted to the Church, which Peter calls a “Royal Priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9). Our Royalty is expressed in governing our circumstances according to the Law of God and extending the rule of Christ to the extent of our circle of personal influence. Our Priesthood is expressed in offering to God “our bodies” as Paul describes it (Rom 12:1), that is, the substance of our lives; all the “prayers, works, joys and sufferings” of each day according to a traditional prayer. 

Yours in Christ,

Fr Vincent Clemente