WE have to remind ourselves of our
role as prophets these
days. We have to understand that to be a prophet is an integral part
of our Christian identity.
We all share in different ways in the prophetic mission of Christ and
the Church, because we are made in God’s image and likeness, and
somehow commissioned also by Christ to go “preach to all nations….”
It is not just for a few who have some talent and knack
for it. Of course, different people have different ways of doing and
living it, and there can be a kind of hierarchy involved among them.
Thus, prophecy is something done all the time. It covers
all aspects of our life, and not just confined or focused on certain
fields like business and politics, much less, on some controversial
issues only.
What makes this whole business more exciting these days is
that it seems that to be prophetic involves only the bishops and
priests and that they do so when concerned almost exclusively about
politics.
We get the impression that prophesying is reduced to
things political. Some bishops, priests and religious talk about being
prophets only when they want to say something about political issues.
Not that they can’t. In fact, they should in some
opportune moments. To be sure, to be a real prophet in politics can be
considered as one of the highest, if most difficult, way of exercising
the prophetic mission. It’s just that being a prophet involves a lot
more than what they so far are showing in public.
It requires not only the sacraments, but also the doctrine
well assimilated and lived. It requires a living union with God, a
real sanctity and genuine integrity, and not just put-on patina of
righteousness.
It requires a lot of patience, broadness of mind,
prudence, flexibility, capacity to integrate varying and often
competing factors. It requires discretion, fortitude, rectitude of
intention, good manners and even cheerfulness, and, of course,
charity.
It also involves a constant effort to evangelize, not only
in the big things like business, politics and other social concerns,
but also and mainly in the little and ordinary things that are with us
always.
To be a prophet in politics is actually a must. We just
need also to know how to respect the nature and character of politics,
just like any other temporal and earthly affairs we have.
There is a certain autonomy in politics that needs to be
understood and handled well. It’s this autonomy that precludes easy
dogmatization of views and positions that in itself are open to
opinion. It attracts pluralism of views that should be respected.
The clergy’s role of prophet in politics is in preaching
Christ and infusing the spirit of Christ in our political life and
discourse. It’s not in ramming our views on others just because we
think they are the right ones. That would be a kind of tyranny and
dictatorship, of unhealthy clericalism. Christ preferred to die on the
cross rather than fall to these practices.
days. We have to understand that to be a prophet is an integral part
of our Christian identity.
We all share in different ways in the prophetic mission of Christ and
the Church, because we are made in God’s image and likeness, and
somehow commissioned also by Christ to go “preach to all nations….”
It is not just for a few who have some talent and knack
for it. Of course, different people have different ways of doing and
living it, and there can be a kind of hierarchy involved among them.
Thus, prophecy is something done all the time. It covers
all aspects of our life, and not just confined or focused on certain
fields like business and politics, much less, on some controversial
issues only.
What makes this whole business more exciting these days is
that it seems that to be prophetic involves only the bishops and
priests and that they do so when concerned almost exclusively about
politics.
We get the impression that prophesying is reduced to
things political. Some bishops, priests and religious talk about being
prophets only when they want to say something about political issues.
Not that they can’t. In fact, they should in some
opportune moments. To be sure, to be a real prophet in politics can be
considered as one of the highest, if most difficult, way of exercising
the prophetic mission. It’s just that being a prophet involves a lot
more than what they so far are showing in public.
It requires not only the sacraments, but also the doctrine
well assimilated and lived. It requires a living union with God, a
real sanctity and genuine integrity, and not just put-on patina of
righteousness.
It requires a lot of patience, broadness of mind,
prudence, flexibility, capacity to integrate varying and often
competing factors. It requires discretion, fortitude, rectitude of
intention, good manners and even cheerfulness, and, of course,
charity.
It also involves a constant effort to evangelize, not only
in the big things like business, politics and other social concerns,
but also and mainly in the little and ordinary things that are with us
always.
To be a prophet in politics is actually a must. We just
need also to know how to respect the nature and character of politics,
just like any other temporal and earthly affairs we have.
There is a certain autonomy in politics that needs to be
understood and handled well. It’s this autonomy that precludes easy
dogmatization of views and positions that in itself are open to
opinion. It attracts pluralism of views that should be respected.
The clergy’s role of prophet in politics is in preaching
Christ and infusing the spirit of Christ in our political life and
discourse. It’s not in ramming our views on others just because we
think they are the right ones. That would be a kind of tyranny and
dictatorship, of unhealthy clericalism. Christ preferred to die on the
cross rather than fall to these practices.
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