The Potter and His Earthen Vessels

By Dan Corcoran

There has never been a more vulnerable time for priests in the Catholic Church. Although the Catholic religion continues to play an important role in peoples lives around the world, the role of the priest has become publically scrutinized and questioned.

In The Potter and His Earthen Vessels, author Dan Corcoran provides an objective, unadulterated perspective on the history of the role of the priest in the Catholic Church. Beginning with a historical look at the role of church leaders in the early Christian church, Corcoran expands on the characteristics that modern-day priests need to embody in order to effectively lead and minister to their churchesand honor God. The Potter and His Earthen Vessels also explores the inherent humanity of these men of God, all of whom are imperfectbut in whom God has entrusted his Word, endowing them with special gifts and talents.

Priests from all time are Gods earthen vessels, and these servants of God can help make a difference in the lives of believers. Even though the priesthood is changing and has experienced difficulties in the past, a fresh and personal perspective on the lives of men who form the priesthood can offer us a way to understand the necessity of the priesthood for Gods kingdom and our eternal salvation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jul 17, 2018
• ISBN: 9781532038846

Dan Corcoran

Dan Corcoran lives in Thomaston, Maine, and although his devout interest in Catholicism led him to seminary, an illness landed him in the hospital, where his interest in a certain nurse steered him away from that career. Now married to that nurse and with five children, he would receive his masters degree at Loyola College in Baltimore and become an elementary school principal with the Maryland school system. Today Dan is retired and works with the Catholic diocese in the parish outreach program, coordinating activities for Catholic charities in local churches. He is active in his local church, writing regularly in the parish bulletin, and The Potter and His Earthen Vessels is the culmination of twenty-five years of his research on the history of the Catholic priesthood.

Book preview

Chapter 1: The Place of the Prophet

History repeats itself. Ahaz was an impious king whose only real claim to fame may have been that he was the grandson of the great King Uzziah and the father of Hezekiah, the greatest of all the Judaen kings. It was during his reign that Isaiah prophesied the birth of Emmanuel, the Savior of God’s people. It was at a time when Judah was threatened by an invasion from Israel and Damascus. In a tragic hour for Jerusalem, Isaiah described the qualities of this Messiah as he attempted to bring hope to the people. We are shown a Servant who possessed all the virtues, that glorified His ancestors; the wisdom of Solomon, the prudence and heroic bravery of David and a knowledge of Yahweh. This Messiah alone would have the power to bring the peace intoned by Isaiah in verses 6-8, Ch.11. It described peaceful relations among the wild beasts as they took over the land. The thought resurfaces over and over again in the Scriptures and in history as hate continues in the land designated by God to be holy. In verse 5 there is unity between creation and the actions of all men. The Messiah, first presented by the prophets, was eventually seen by the people as the ‘Anointed One’ chosen by Yahweh, as Servant, the One through whom God would eventually carry out His plan. Israel might have been tempted to apply the promise in Genesis, the Book of Numbers and the promise around the year 1000 B.C. to David himself. But Yahweh pointed to the future and spoke to David through the prophet Nathan, underscoring the promise to come.

Isaiah spoke of Emmanuel and the thrust of his message—bold, concise, vigorous and clear—focused on the singleness of Yahweh as Creator of the world and Master of the course of history.

He challenged Israel to rely on Yahweh for deliverance rather than on political alliances. Isaiah also abhorred the oppression of the poor, demanding social justice consistent with the Covenant agreement. Isaiah’s prophecy emphasized salvation through a Messiah who would begin a reign of peace and justice. He was the foremost prophet of the Messiah. Events in history would seem to contradict these prophecies and we would need a Church to guide us.

The Old Testament prophets, at the time of Samuel, the era of kings, were referred to as the sons of prophets. They were likened to the inspired ones of other religions, Greek diviners, the magi from Persia or the Tibetan lamas. They were charged with preserving the traditions of the people of God and were perhaps the first editors of the Bible.

Jeremiah dictated his discourses to his disciple, Baruch, who probably wrote them down on an ancient scroll. On one occasion Baruch was called before a palace court that heard the document reported to the king and had it burned. Jeremiah, undaunted, dictated the whole thing over again with amplification.

The role of the prophet was limited. But however we believe God chose to reveal Himself, the prophet spoke His words clearly and effectively. They also had their impersonators. But the role was very specific for the legitimate prophet. A temptation among some who called themselves prophets—dramatically focusing on their slight of hand skills—was to exploit and beguile their listeners who often became their followers.

To speak in the name of the Lord! To divine the future! To mesmerize a crowd! The legitimate prophet rose up primarily to speak in the name of the Lord, not to play tricks. At times his prophetic utterances, words given to him by God, came to be realized—but often not in the way people expected. The false prophet, like the fake evangelist, the one who came to serve only himself, did not speak for God. He spoke for himself, and money, by fortune telling, false promises and speaking about events of the future in the lives of the people he had entranced.

False prophecy was a problem not only for the true prophet but also for people unable to discern the difference. The professional prophet made it difficult for those truly called by God, like Jeremiah or Ezekial, neither of whom looked for it, and gave them a reputation that would plague the just Prophet, and Priest, in the Old Testament. The credibility of the legitimate Prophet was weakened by those who foretold future events in the name of prophecy.

Jeremiah was a Prophet who protested his call. Saint Augustine at a later time would answer the call to the Priesthood of Christ reluctantly.

But if it went against Jeremiah’s grain at the time, he nevertheless knew he was chosen by God to be His Prophet—as Augustine knew he had been chosen to be a Priest of Christ. Neither of them knew why, at least in the beginning. Both might have said, I’d rather not do it at this time, Lord! But Jeremiah saw that it was not his choice. He had been called aside. He could have refused but he responded to the mission given him—to speak to all the people on behalf of the God of all nations. He hesitated, knowing that ridicule and persecution were conditions to this way of life.

Prophets were the spokesmen for God. They proclaimed what He had done in the past. They made known and interpreted His demands of the present. The messages they delivered carried risk and they suffered for it. The credibility of the Prophet was often diminished by the work of the false Prophet. The essentials of true prophecy are difficult to discern. Some of the same qualities must be present in the one who hears prophecy as those who proclaim it. There is really no litnus test to distinguish the false Prophet from the real McCoy. It seems to be based on a personal intuitive insight into the mind of God. What came from the lips of Isaiah, Jeremiah and the others came from God. If some relied on experiences with visions and dreams, Jeremiah, for example, knew that what truly came from God through the Prophets would be recognized by the discerning witness by its inherent truth.

Prophets did not envision themselves as having been designated to proclaim anything new about God. They came to bring the revolting Israelites back to God, reminding them of past events and the convictions of all Israel.

Prophecy really ended with Christ because He was the fulfillment of all prophecy. Priests in the New Testament are not Prophets but they continue the work of the Prophets as they too recall for people the words of God, reminding them of what God has called them to do. What is from God and what is from Satan?

Fundamentalists seem unable to comprehend the meaning of God’s words in Scripture and their literal interpretations put them at odds with others. The need for Prophets and Priests is crisply seen. As the psychiatric sciences provide answers to the mysteries of homosexuality, we learn that this psychosexual orientation is the result of causes for which the person is not responsible. Most who are confronted with it have struggled—and suffered. Some accept who they are and find ways to avoid the sin that has always been associated with homosexual acts. At the same time we must refrain from assessing personal guilt—our responsibility as Christians in any case. Sin is always objective unless there is full knowledge and consent of the will. Sexual activity has only one object and that is procreation. The pleasure that surrounds the sex act is sacred. But a fundamentalist claim that God does not make mistakes does not ipso facto make the homosexual guilty of sin. He is that way through no fault of his own. But God’s law applies objectively the same way it does to any other sin. One has to find a way to deal with his or her sexuality so that it does not conflict with God’s law. We are called to search for truth according to what has been given us. Priests and Prophets both are called to interpret God’s word. The true Prophet had his own inner experience of God’s call to assure and strengthen him. He was recognized by his integrity, holiness and conformity of his teaching with Mosaic doctrine. Rarely did the Prophet’s own prophecies occur in his own time—or were they of any personal benefit to him in worldly terms. The Prophet was not always fully conscious of the divine influence under which he preached and spoke. From a human point of view, Jeremiah was a failure. He was put to death by some to whom he came to preach. But for Jeremiah, however, the mystical side of man’s nature and the incomprehensible capacity of the human heart for unselfish suffering was dormant until the coming of Christ Himself. What he lived was probably more important than what he preached. The psalmists and the wisdom writers who came after him penetrated the heart of Jeremiah, who he was and what he said. History testified to his credibility. His teaching raised up the bones of Israel and helped pave the way for Him Who was to come.

The Prophet was unlike the mystic who withdrew from the world in order to persevere towards his own salvation. The Prophet was a witness to the action of God among His people. The Priest would repeat the action of Christ for the people in a Sacrifice continued by Christ through him.

The actions of the Prophet in the Old Testament were implanted into the life and history of the people. He had a mission to fulfill. His commission included being a witness to the action of God among the Israelites chosen to be an instrument of salvation. As one who ceaselessly called for loyalty to the Covenant, the Prophet often upset the status quo as he denounced the superstitious worship of many gods by Priests, kings and influential people. He challenged burnt offerings, outward signs of their religion, the extravagances of the rich and social justice abuse in every form.

Ahijah met Jeroboam in the fields, the leader of a revolt against Solomon, admonishing him over ten pieces of a new cloak he had torn into twelve, pronouncing the words from God that He was about to tear away the kingdom from Solomon. Isaiah walked through Jerusalem like a prisoner and Jeremiah broke a jug before a crowd gathered at the gates of the city. Ezekial was an actor who performed pantomimes and told stories before the elders of Israel.

The Prophet’s role was clear. Unlike the Priest of the Old Testament who offered formal and burnt offerings to Yahweh, the Prophet was concerned with a change of heart or lifestyle among the people. The primary purpose of the Priest of Christ is to offer the Sacrifice of the Mass. By his membership in the Priesthood of the People he is also involved in the Christian Ministry of the entire Priesthood of God—to visit the poor, the sick or being involved in any social act which is a Christian act for all the people of God. When a Priest, even a Bishop, participates in peaceful demonstrations for just cause he is not usually the leader—often only one of the crowd, a visible and credible witness among the many or few. But he is a significant presence. In a recent general audience, Pope John Paul II emphasized the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the Church as people come together to pray and break bread. He reminded us that from the very beginning the identity of the Church is expressed in the Eucharist through the action of the Holy Spirit. The important role of the Priest can neither be underestimated nor overshadowed by any other role thrust upon him. The prayer life of the Priest is, therefore, most important. The Pastor in a Church recently announced that after a certain program had begun and all the mechanics had been worked out with all the human resources in place, things had not panned out quite as everyone expected. He admitted that what they should have done first was to call upon the prayer resources of everyone in the parish. Nothing should cause the Priest to sacrifice prayer time in his life.

Perhaps the biggest message that is being sent to us at this time when there is a critical shortage of ordained Priests is our own inactivity as members of the royal Priesthood of God. Our equality dates far back into the Old Testament when God promised that we would be a Kingdom of Priests. The role of the ordained Priest in the New Covenant is a blend of the Old Testament Priest, Prophet and the new Sacrifice of Christ.

Jeremiah was instrumental in the formation of some concepts that would eventually be part of the Christian ordained Priesthood. Celibacy and moral isolation were forced upon Jeremiah so that he was compelled to interiorize his own life and evaluate his weaknesses. The Prophet, however unwillingly, possessed some characteristics that would seem at a later time as necessary components for a leavening of the Priesthood of Christ. The prayer of Jeremiah included the words: Well you know, Yahweh, the course of man is not in his control, nor is it in man’s power as he goes his way to guide his steps. (Ch. 10:23). Religion in the Old Testament had become routine, subject to a law often violated but strictly interpreted.

The Prophet nourished his religious sense. He condemned the wrathful manifestation of God’s power by unjust men who intimidated the people. Jeremiah discovered a just, merciful and loving God. The Prophet perceived the universality of sin and developed in the people a sense of sin and its impact on man’s relationship with God. The Prophet had the gift of God’s Spirit by which he envisioned hope as he began to speak about redemption, salvation and a Messiah who could only come from Yahweh. He spoke only in fragments about the Divine Plan, using images and symbols. These were often seen only in the present, a characteristic of present day fundamentalism. The Prophet saw the direction of history holding a message quite contradictory to what prevailed among the people. Jeremiah was a man of action, a Prophet needed to ready the people for the Messiah.

The Prophets taught values we still live by, giving us spiritual concepts of God in holiness, unity and universality by interiorizing religion. They got away from external sacrifices, expressed our own transgressions against God clearly and charted the role of the Chosen People in the plan for salvation. They developed a concept of the goodness of God and His promise of hope,

While Abraham and Moses had prophetic roles in a broad sense, prophecy truly began with Samuel. David had some prophetic experience and close upon him were Nathan and Gad. On the other hand, while Abraham, Moses, Jeremiah, Isaiah and others might be called Priests, the Priesthood was an entirely separate and ceremonial function in their time. It had its unique beginning with Christ Who combined an authentic sacrifice with the dynamic and prophetic qualities of the prophet making the Priesthood a mystical union between Himself and His people.

When Prophets proclaimed the words given them by God, they were not always understood thoroughly, even by themselves. When Jeremiah spoke about the New Covenant in Chapter 31, verses 31-43, he understood that there were qualities about it that were different from the old one. It would last forever, chiseled in stone, a sign that it was also engraved on the hearts of men. Knowledge about God would come forth through the life of the people of God rather than through the written law. Jeremiah probably did not fully understand the implications bound up in the New Covenant. Its fulfillment would be through the life and work of Jesus Christ some 600 years to come. A typical example of this is seen in the announcement that the Prophet Nathan made to David who was about to build another kind of house, a human monument. Nathan spoke about the eternal house that Yahweh would build, a connecting link between the Messianic Kingdom and the person of David. Twelve hundred years after Christ, another man heard God say, Rebuild my Church.

Again a man understood the words to mean, mortar and stone. The real words aimed at an internal rebuilding and conversion in the hearts of men, to love God and serve one another. Saint Francis of Assisi was soon to learn the real meaning of God’s message in his own time.

The main body of revelation ceased with Jesus and the last Apostle. Interpretation and new understanding continues to be revealed and passed on through the Paraclete. The Priest in the New Testament could not be the Prophet in the strict sense of the word. Jeremiah was born of a Priestly family, but he could not, precisely, be called a Priest. Although Prophets ceased to be after Malachi until John the Baptist who became more than a Prophet, the Priest in the New Testament would participate in a new prophetic experience. Revelation continues in history as it unfurls in each generation, seen in greater depth and perspective and in growing dimensions with the maturing of civilization. What is fresh about revelation in each generation is our growing understanding of it, even if there is nothing really new.

A change took place at Pentecost when Jesus sent the Spirit to fulfill Joel’s prophecy that the prophetic spirit would overtake the people in the New Covenant. But not all at once! The spirit of prophecy, the promise of the Spirit, was fulfilled as we are told by Peter in Acts, Chapter 2, when he addressed the crowd on a hillside.

Moses also prayed (Numbers 11:12-15) as his people murmured. They complained that all would-be Prophets displayed the same zealousness as Eldad and Medad, accused by Joshua and others of prophesying. At this time Moses chose the seventy elders to help control his people.

The power was visible as Jesus entered the lives of the Apostles and others in the early Church, and later saints like Athanasius, Augustine, Bernard or Francis. A role of the Priest became one of guarding the spirit of true prophecy by faithfulness to the Gospel, through the Church and her teaching authority.

The Priest in the New Testament leads us by his own example to a bold and prophetic Christianity that helps us discover for ourselves the hope of the earlier promise, its fulfillment on the Cross, the struggle for justice and the strength to turn ourselves inward towards God. The real prophetic role was not easy—nor is the role of the authentic Priest of Christ. Both are vital however. The Prophets did not conceive new ideas about God. They came as messengers with a well defined charge—to redirect a rebellious people, the Israelites, back to their God, Yahweh, Who had chosen them. Neither does the Priest of Christ come with a new and different sacrifice. He comes with the same Sacrifice.

Sirach, for example, the author of Ecclesiasticus, was a man of culture and wisdom, an observer of life who took advantage of the wisdom of Ezra and the gifts of the sages to become tall in stature among the elite of his time around 180 BC. He was a trusted member of the Jewish faith who personified wisdom in the Law of Moses and underlined the importance of Priests.

He was part of a people who lived at a time when as a nation they recognized who they were, what they had and the promise that was theirs. Ben Sirach expressed the Messianic hope, looking for a renewal of Exodus and a fulfillment of the prophecies in Ecclesiasticus, Chapter 36. In Chapter 50 he spoke his most eloquent praise of the high Priest Simon. The role of the high Priest was detailed in Leviticus as the consecrated leader of worship, the one who came before the people in the name of Yahweh with the serious charge of performing his functions in a particularly sacred way. The rite of imposing hands dates back to these times.

Simon, after the long struggle that took place following the Babylonian exile to gain Jewish independence, came back to excel as a religious and political leader. Sirach tells about the great accomplishments of Moses, his ministry on the Day of Atonement, his encounter with God and his blessing to the people, similar to the blessing by the Priest at the end of the Eucharistic Celebration. Sirach had a great deal of respect for the Priesthood of Aaron in the Old Testament and spoke about the perpetual office of that priesthood which had come through Aaron’s son, Eleazar. The Levites, from Aaron’s youngest son Ithamar, were a smaller group and they were eventually relegated to mere temple servants. The Priesthood of Christ replaced these ancient orders of Priests.

Although we don’t hear Christ referring to either His Apostles or His people as priests, its origins can be traced back to patriarchal Priests and beyond. The time of the Prophets had passed and the era was well defined. They had served God’s purpose having said what they had come to say. The time for the new High Priest was about to come.

Chapter 2: The Roots of the Priesthood

During the time of Christ, the office of priest was perceived as degenerate, at least by Christians. Avoiding the use of the title in reference to His Apostles was reasonable assurance that they and their successors were not confused with the priests of the times.

Exodus 19:5-6 highlighted a covenant relationship—one in which Yahweh, in an act of pure grace, selected Israel to become a Chosen People, a Kingdom of Priests. The Covenant was enacted fully on Sinai when Moses became the chief lawgiver and his brother Aaron and his male heirs were chosen for the priesthood. This was important for the preservation of the religious character of the Law. That Yahweh chose to confer an official priesthood at the precise time of the Covenant speaks to its importance then and in the future when a new covenant would be made.

It also underscores the lengths to which Christ would go to establish a New Priesthood in the New Covenant—one protected from the defilements of the old. The priesthood was not above the law! This was perhaps one of the contributing causes to the downfall of the old priesthood. The priest was bound by the Law and was expected to lead the people, especially by his own example.

There were holy priests in the Old Testament. But often they were eclipsed by the example of the bad.

The Book of Leviticus, contrary to a common perception that makes it appear to be of interest only to theologians, is a book to which Saint Paul alluded many times. It reflects a profound religious spirit in speaking about the nature and attributes of God in a meaningful way for his people. We get a sense of the holiness of God and what it should mean to us. It distinguishes the one apart from us and spotlights the way that Christians must look towards the Fatherhood of God. The book tells us how we share in the holiness of God without profaning it by claiming for ourselves what belongs to God. The life of the people must center on God. In the community given to us by Jesus, the Church lives up to the ideal in the Book of Leviticus. The priest by his consecration enjoys a special, but not exclusive, relationship with God. He is called by God and is provided with special graces needed to protect him from the urgings of the world, to which he must respond if they are to assist him in his vocation. He becomes a mediator able to recognize the holiness of God and the realties of God’s life, and ours, interceding for all people.

In those patriarchal times, the head of the family was often the family priest who offered sacrifice. On Sinai, however, Yahweh set the priesthood apart from that which was impure in the world, consecrated to a unique relationship with God and committed to giving the full witness of God to all people.

Yahweh did this through Moses with the appointment of Aaron and his descendants in a totally unmerited act. Yahweh at this time chose Israel making the priesthood hereditary for the descendants of Aaron. This was a special gift to this family and served its purpose at that time. But even though it was conferred on these special individuals, it was meant to be a gift to all people. The function of the priesthood and the priest’s portion from Yahweh is described in the Book of Numbers, Chapter 18. Priests should not have forgotten this. But in time they did. Prophets and priests alike owed their calling to Yahweh; each one was called to strengthen and maintain the faith of the people of God. The prophet was called in an hour of crisis. The priest descendant of Aaron was ever present to lead the people towards God primarily through the offering of sacrifice.

The Deuteronomist characterized God as a loving Father, proclaiming a religion from within—accenting God’s holiness, a sense of remorse for sin, the hope for salvation, a law rooted in love and supremacy of the spirit over the law. It parallels the words later spoken by Christ in the New Testament. The Deuteronomist, Chapter 33:8-11, extended the task of the priest to teaching others in the Law and consulting the Urim and the Thummim. This provided for the casting of lots by the priest in order to determine God’s decision in doubtful situations. Since the oracle provided only yes and no answers the counsel of the priest was needed to interpret them. Recourse to Urim and Thummim seemed to cease after David and was non-existent after the exile. As time passed, some Israelite origins could not be located in the ancestral registers. This precluded those unable to prove their Israelite ancestry from the priesthood and barred them from eating the sacred foods. (Ezra 2:63). The function of the priest is emphasized by numerous references in Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Chronicles, Maccabees, Jeremiah, Ezekial and Malachi. The Law had been entrusted with the priests. Their legal knowledge qualified them to act as judges which, combined with the role of teacher, brought opportunities to apply the law to new and changing conditions and problems. Their interests went beyond questions of cult—which usually focused on the choice between the old worship, as embodied in the sacrifices of animals on the altar, and the new religion, that centered on man’s behavior. The Israelites were advised, You are a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. Before the ratification of the Covenant, these words reminded priests of their obligation to live lives that edified people. Leviticus, Ch.27:1, implies that priests should have been mindful of these words as they offered sacrifices. In many cases there was more emphasis on ritual than behavior.

Leviticus, Ch. 21:16-24, again emphasized the duty of holiness through misconceived precepts that restricted the celebration of sacred functions by priests with physical handicaps, the Levitical defilements spoken of in Ch. 22:19 and the legal impediments referred to in 10:1-11 and 21:1-15. A problem in Jerusalem was resolved with a more disciplined Levitical priesthood governed by a strict code, that limited membership and defined activities. As a result, the erection of idol images in the Temple of Jerusalem was prevented. Similarly, in smaller temples, the priests performed services more worthily. This curbed the rise of images of Yahweh, that often led to idol worship, and suppressed religious prostitution and excessive peace offerings. Scurrilous attacks against Yahweh took place in Judah in the form of the Bull Collossus representing Yahweh in the temples of Bethel and Dan. The image of Yahweh in the spirit of Mosaic religion was so great that it was sacrilegious to dwarf His mystery with graven images. The Levites and the priests who left the Northern Kingdom of Juda were leavened in the Mosaic spirit. The Chronicler (Chapter 11:10-47) later listed many of the champions of David—a long army of warriors including Ishbaal who slew three hundred of the enemy and Eleazer who kept the barley in the land of Pasdammin safe from the Philistines—who supported and assured him of his kingship. Priests in the Old Testament continued in substantial roles in the reforms of Ezechias and Josias. In 2 Kings 11:4, we are told how Jehoida, the high priest in Jerusalem, had overthrown Athalia when she attempted to introduce the cult of the Tyre’s Baal. Athalia had murdered the children of her son, King Ahasiah, and seized his throne during the nineteenth century B.C. Jehoida had hidden the young Prince Joash; when the young boy was seven, he brought him forth to be crowned. Upon this, Ahaziah was captured and put to death. When Jehoida died in his old age, he was honored with burial in the city of David because of the good he had accomplished in his lifetime. The roots of the priesthood are entrenched deeply in the history of the Old Testament. Our Jewish heritage forms the trunk of our Christian Faith. It was important to reconcile the Old Testament and the New. In the beginning, there were questions of great import that are irrelevant now. One of them, must a Christian first become a Jew, may seem trivial. But at the time, it was the price—a token that was the sign of the covenant with God. The uncircumcised were cut off from God.

Paul points to the heart of the question (Rom. 11:29) when he said that the religion of Israel was given to the Jews by God. God would not take back what He had already given, but He had brought and given a new gift and the two had to be reconciled. God had given the Jews a revelation containing permanent truth. Part of that truth was in the expectation and hope of a Messiah. That part that came with Christ, some believed, completed the original body of truth. Part of what protected this body of truth was the status of Israel as a nation and the customs that isolated the Jews from the pagans. The other part was the fact that God had made known to the Jews that fulfillment would come with the Messiah, including prophecies and sacrifices. The Jews had lost nothing, but many rejected Christ.

The early Apostles did not always respond quickly to Jesus’ intent. The extent to which they preached His message may have been limited by the way our Lord opened their eyes in stages for fear of overwhelming them. The human relations between groups—for example, the Samaritans and the real Jews—helped to slowly loosen the prejudices that eventually made it easier to evangelize the rest of the world. But the extent to which many non-Jews could become Christian was at that time a problem that had to be worked out. This is what led to a disagreement between Peter and Paul over the need for circumcision by non-Jews wishing to enter the Church.

But this, among other things, posed a political question. The Jews enjoyed recognition from the government of Rome that found them politically useful and wished to keep them friendly. This relationship enabled the Jews to put pressure on Pontius Pilate. It was a problem for the Christians who, if they lost the favor of Judaism, would lose the protection of the law. The Christians argued that it was they who were really true to the Jewish religion because they recognized the fulfillment of the prophecy in its entirety. A legal decision would enable them to go on without fear from the government. But until 61 A.D. this question had yet to be decided.

The Jewish people had long been in the ready for the moment of the Messiah in history. They had believed in a resurrection of the dead, the power of prayer, the intercession of saints and some kind of purgatory. But many Jews refused to recognize the Messiah in Christ when He came. In their religion, they held the highest truth yet given by God and their defense of that truth against the pagans was found in their national customs. But these customs barred others from entering and the trust that had been theirs—the treasure for all mankind—was lodged in their tradition. Pride gobbled them up and when the moment of recognition came, they failed. There was a strong link between Judaism and early Christianity. But the Jews made the mistake of denying their future and the Christians failed by denying their past.

Chapter 3: Daniel: Priest, Prophet or King

The work of the priest in the Old Testament was often very political and frequently marked with intrigue.

Enter Daniel! Was he a priest? He was a dreamer whose faith sustained those who suffered, a hero for those persecuted. But he was not a priest. If he was not a priest, was he a prophet? He dreamed dreams said to have come from God about the causes of evil. He was a prophet! Was he also a king! He is depicted by others as an ancient patriarch. Stories circulated about his great deeds of heroism, worthy of a king. But he was not a king!

The author of the Book of Daniel, a wise but unknown sage who lived and wrote during the last two hundred years before Christ, illustrated the limitations of image worship by raising up the legendary character of Daniel, projected throughout history as a saint, a heroic example to those who needed to see how God would come to them. In Daniel, we get a glimpse of a period of persecution and sacrilege as Antiochus replaced God’s altar with an idol. Liberation seemed to come at his death in 162 B.C. as the Messianic era was ushered in, bringing the hope and promise of salvation nearer.

Daniel embodied all the characteristics of priest, prophet and king. He was a man of many visions. The stories attributed to him—the story of his experience in a den of lions from which he escaped uninjured, for example—were written down centuries after the sixth century in which Daniel, whoever he was, lived. The stories reassured those in Judea in the second century during the Maccabean revolt and bore out a message that God was more powerful than the enemy rulers and would take care of His faithful people. The sage who wrote the Book of Daniel was charged with a twofold mission. First he was to announce to his people the end of their trial and, more importantly, what it meant in their lives.

His tact was to appeal to the patriotism of the people by using his character, Daniel, as an heroic figure of strength and faith. Although not a priest, Daniel possessed characteristics continually sought out in the Old Testament priesthood but often found lacking. He was a courageous spokesman for faith. His embrace of an exile symbolized what was for the Jews a most difficult test of their faith. His life was a model for those who sought sustenance from God. The author of the Book of Daniel proposed three distinct phases to bring about the realization of the Kingdom: the restoration of religious freedom for the Jewish people through the death of Antiochus; his prophecy of the Messiah;a universal Church and the consummation of the Kingdom in the final resurrection and Last Judgment.

While there were many priests in the Old Testament who performed well, others failed. Even Aaron himself allowed the erection of the golden bull idol in Exodus 32:15.

It would be the transgressions of priests, many who were not legitimate heirs to Aaron’s priesthood, that would end in moral depravity and sacrileges condemned by Amos and Hosea. In the same way, Josephat found it necessary to remind priests that they had a duty to instruct the people. (Chronicles 17:7-9). The gradual deterioration of the old priesthood was described by Isaiah in Chapter 28:7; He spoke about drunken priests and false prophets reeling as they performed their official duties. Both Jeremiah (7:8-12, 26:1-19) and Ezekial (22:20 and 44:6-14) were critical of priestly behavior; Many even plotted against the life of the prophet Jeremiah. It was this crisis that brought about the exile and an opportunity to reform.

Time inspired a holy enthusiasm among them. The priests during this time studied the Law, interpreted it to the people and reformed after the Edict of Freedom issued by Cyrus, only to fall from grace again. Isaiah, in Chapter 66:21, told how Yahweh decided to choose priests from a gentile world. Malachi, in Chapter 1:10-11, prophesied the destruction of the Aaronic priesthood. Their example led to disrespect by the people and the work of the priest was curtailed as their spiritual leadership role was gradually assumed by wisdom teachers and scribes. By the time of Christ, in Matthew 21:12 and John 2:13-25, we are told that the role of the priest was strictly ceremonial and often he had no idea about holiness or piety. The example in the temple when Jesus went into a rage with the buyers and sellers indicated how Jesus Himself felt about the situation that existed in the priesthood of the Old Testament. It was reason enough not to use the title of priest on the early Apostles and disciples. That did not happen for at least one hundred years after Christianity had begun to flourish. The fact that others, too, the authors of the apocrypha, for example, complained about the priests did not seem to mean that there were not many holy and enthusiastic priests during the waning years of Old Testament history. Simon II and Simon III are mentioned in Ecclesiasticus—or Sirach—as a pair who deeply impressed people. The same book contains an exhortation to revere the priest. There was also Mathias and his sons, Zachary and Simeon, who were mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as being priests of great faith. The fact that many who accepted Jesus and the Apostolic message were priests of the Old Testament is important to the historical origins of the Roman Priesthood.

It appeared that a priesthood made up of men might not succeed. It had a long, savory and shaky history. It could not be the basis for a religion founded on love, polarizing the power that men found and many wanted. But God did choose men.

The argument might be used and not easily denied that He failed every time. He chose Adam. He picked Noah, an unlikely one for the role he was selected to play. He picked Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He picked a whole nation through which He would complete His plan for salvation. There were frustrations, always obstacles, all placed there by men. He chose Moses, Aaron, Solomon and David. He singled out Nathan, Isaiah and Jeremiah. If we know anything for sure about Daniel, his message at the brink of Messiahship gave a panoramic view of what was to come. God had also called Daniel, the inspired mystery man. He selected John the Baptist. Before that He chose Mary!

All this was part of His plan to slowly, through a purified people, reveal Himself through Jesus, His Son, and make a perfect Covenant with a perfect Priesthood, one that could not be tainted no matter what men did to it. Jesus would be the Priest, the only Priest, by becoming one with us. We would be a priestly people, sharing in the one Priesthood with all our weaknesses and strengths. Our weakness would be a part of what would make a strong Priesthood because the only purpose of Sacrifice in the Priesthood is our weakness, our sin. He would hold it up as He held up the good thief on the cross beside Him, the power coming through a perfect Man Who was God making the perfect Sacrifice. The Priesthood of Christ would remain perfect even if the men in it could not.

Chapter 4: The Holiness of Priests

Holiness, from the word ‘gadad’ which means to be separated from, signifies a removal from anything not clean. Holiness is associated with God; Anything connected with God is clean and holy. Wherever God revealed Himself became a holy place. Jacob, however imperfect, was a leader chosen by God. God seemed to surround Jacob’s life with events where people saw and felt the presence of God. God’s presence was recorded in the Book of Exodus Ch. 3:5, where Moses heard a voice in a burning bush. He was present to the people on the holy mountain of Jerusalem in Isaiah 27:13, or in a tent in Genesis 18:1. In this way, most priests of the Old Testament became holy. They were scrupulous about the holy places of God—as described in Exodus Chapter 26, where the author spoke about the tent cloth, wooden walls and veils. The priests were truly consecrated for God’s service, made holy. Even their clothing was holy.

By God’s power, He is present even where there is evil. His presence at the Eucharist transcends the sins of the priest and the people present, making the place holy.

The doctrine of the holiness of God is important because from it comes the duty of man to give himself completely to God by his own holy life. I will count you a Kingdom of Priests, a consecrated nation. (Exodus 19:6). This promise was predicted in an argument with the people. It was more of a polite reminder, a flea in the ear, a word to the wise, an admonition based on His expectation for a committed, collective agreement. The terms of that bond were stipulated in the Law He gave on Mt. Sinai. He did not envision a promise that would be easy. In this instance of faith, the people agreed to a contract they did not fully comprehend. But one thing they did understand was the power and presence of God. His condition was that they be obedient to His voice and conform to His Covenant.

In Leviticus 11:44, and also in Chapter 9, God imposed this duty of holiness on the Israelites. You have been sanctified and have become holy because I am holy . . . In Isaiah 5:1-7, God proved His holiness through justice. We are also told elsewhere that the closer one comes to God, the more holy we must be. Nothing more clearly reveals this than when Moses descended from the mountain after seeing God.

This is particularly true of the priest who comes close to God. For one such as he to stumble is a particular hurt to God. But God in His justice, allows this humanness in the process of purifying those He loves.

The young priest, Father Gerry, goes before his people as Pastor for the first time, placing himself at their service, to lead them to greater holiness. He humbly admits that first he must be holy if he expects others to follow. And as the Monsignor said of the Bishop-Elect: He is so well liked, he has no one to dislike him. He has tact,diplomacy, caring dignity, love for the Church and its people. In a word, he is a holy man of God.

Thomas Merton, a paradigm of a beloved priest in our own times who surely met God on the mountain top, was tested unsparingly and proved himself worthy. In Israel, unlike the God Shumash, honored as the god of justice whose image was never quite distinct from the sun, God’s demands were quite clear. If at times His Commandments were violated, there was no doubt about their existence, meaning and one’s obligation to them. The priests were often enemies to the prophets, but never did they accuse the prophets of going beyond the sanctions of God in their demands from the people.

In Christian history, priorities were often tucked away in the scholar’s inner sanctum where he performed his intellectual pursuits and exegetics. Liturgical eloquence often became the focal point at the expense of changing one’s life. Punctuation, pronunciation and grammatical structure were of great importance. As a result, the real purpose of the ritual, to give honor and praise, to elevate the moral life of the people, was often lost in punctiliousness.

Two instances come to mind when the Church denied certain priestly functions to two young priests because of a ‘perceived’ inability to grasp theological doctrines as defined in Latin textbooks. John Vianney, who had avoided armed service, was sent to an obscure village in France where his superiors felt he could do little harm to the peasant parishioners he would serve. His ministry as a confessor gained much renown, however, and he won his people to the extent that later he was canonized—the patron of parish priests. In a later century, in our own country, Father Solanus Casey, OFM (Cap), was denied the role of preacher and confessor because of perceived inadequacies by his teachers and superiors. He went on to be one of the greatest spiritual counselors and healers through the Lord Jesus. People followed him wherever he was sent. He is now being considered for sainthood because of his complete commitment to the Lord and his resignation to what was called a limited priestly role. In truth, he was the least limited.

The love God had for Israel is passed on to us through the words addressed to the prophet Micah, Chapter 2:12-13, in the promise of restoration, in Jeremiah 23:3 and 31:1-6, as he renews his promise or in Isaiah 40:11 and 49:9—10 in the figure of a shepherd with his flock. Matthew, Luke and John each used the same analogies in their gospels. Our God is compassionate and cares for those who stray; He will search them out, rejoicing in the return of even one of them. The fruit of a priest’s labor may not be visible, at times. Ripening is a time consuming process, that takes care, and maturing; it may even result in blemishes on the fruit. But it is the quality of the harvest that is important and reaps its reward. The greatest blessing in the Messianic Age is God’s intense and intimate love.

Chapter 5: The Mind of Jesus in His Early Ministry

Jesus knew He need not be involved in bricks and mortar, Church rules or defining doctrine in academic language. Instead He laid a Foundation. In time, as men surrendered to their super egos, there would surely emerge those specialists in the Church whose job would be ‘Future Development’. They would be efficiency experts whose agenda would, at times, obscure the basic message of the Gospel by building walls around it. Methods for procuring Church support would be assumed by professional groups, eager to share the wealth, who would arrive on the scene with appealing packages making it all look easier. The cream off the top, which was theirs, was always whisked out of Parish hands and gone into the night. Saint Francis, ever the one to beg for his daily needs, would have dug deeper into his cave. Jesus proclaimed His message without a script. Left to their own devices, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, missionaries found ways consistent with what he said to the Apostles to ‘Go and teach all nations’. But the inevitable politics impaled itself on Church walls and botched the works periodically.

Both Jesus and Francis begged for alms as they went about their mission to give example, expressing in very bold terms their opposition to an economic conduct that some religious leaders in both eras had become embroiled in. That conduct basically meant the acquisition of large fortunes at the expense of others. The examples in the time of Francis were those merchants forming rings, buying up corn, meat or wine and outselling the merchants who could not afford to buy in such large quantities. In the twentieth century, small businesses face the competition of corporate powerhouses able to buy and store everything, forcing the little man to raise his prices or go out of business. Saint Francis came at a time when even the Church was amassing vast wealth, often at the expense of the poor. For this reason, he adopted the rule of evangelical poverty and passed it on to his followers. The Church did indeed become a large vested interest involved with the rich economic fabric of the times through agricultural and land tenure. Competitive agriculture was a breeder of evil sometimes difficult to perceive. Most of the population was suppressed in serfdom or literally slaves to rich landowners. It was Francis’ aim to exaggerate what Christians must do to combat this evil and bring reform. Francis knew that in order for reform to take place, it had to begin right in the religious communities and the hierarchy itself. Some Church leaders who had personal interests in this economy opposed movements such as the one Francis had begun. Fortunately, Francis had some sympathetic popes who helped promote his movement. He was not the simple bird lover or impoverished beggar that some thought him to be. He was a mover, an activist, a civil rights leader of his times.

Successful evangelizers and missionaries were those who went to the Gospel first for their models to carry into the missions. They did as Jesus and the Apostles did. It was the social message that opened the hearts of people and made them comprehend the words of pagans and others who said, Look at those Christians! See how they love one another! Jesus was a role model, a glimpse at what God is like and how each one of us could come to know God. Jesus was the example of what men and women should do who dare to be builders of His Church. He challenged those 8888888888who followed Him not to be caught up in statistics and rhetoric but in the action of His Word. It was not long before dialecticians and logicians brought a presumptuous but necessary role in the missionary effort to the great synod meetings in Rome. Jesus might be heard to murmur at these events as He hovered over them. But He would move with the wind and tides. There would always be someone to cast out the anchor. This is the way it would be. Peter and Paul took care of each other. They did not always agree, one checkmating the other. Then there was Augustine, Bernard, Francis, Gregory, Thomas, Leo, John or John Paul in every century to look after the world’s needs, circumvent excessive verbiage and strive to model the Church to meet the changing needs of people while remaining consistent with the Gospel of Jesus. There would always be those able to make the position of Christ in the Gospel and the teaching of the Church visible enough to stand clear of the prevailing, strong winds that countered wisdom, creating hostility and confusion. There were those among Church scholastics who challenged and rebuked the Church, but remained loyal. They raised issues needing clarification or even reformation. It took time. Theologians have their important and legitimate roles to play in the development of the Church.

But there would always be others unwilling to change, standing in the way of growth in the Church, as well as those who pushed for changes inconsistent with the strong traditions of the Church.

Jesus knew that if He spent His life getting involved in these secondary issues that were probably present even in His own time, it would not have been long after His death on the Cross that He would be forgotten and His Church dead. But attendance at any Christian Church on Easter or Christmas, if not regularly on Sunday, attests to the remarkable staying power of this one Man who lived so short a time with so many enemies and with such a divisive message.

Jesus spent His few years on earth living as one of us, developing as a person and creating a spiritual atmosphere for The Twelve Apostles and their followers. This allowed the Holy Spirit to act freely through them for all times, communicating about the Persons of God, who He was, and making clear the promise that had encouraged people for so long in the Old Testament.

An early image of Jesus was that of a Jewish Rabbi, a wandering teacher who had convinced a few of His followers that He had a close relationship with God, had communicated with Him and was on a special mission. The mission was to preach the coming Kingdom signifying the end of the present world as people knew it. He also preached that the Kingdom of which He spoke was present, here and now, through Him. As He spoke about His presence, He spoke about forgiveness, judgment and salvation. In short, it was a call for people to transform their lives. Unlike the other prophets, He spoke with authority and conviction. He did not retreat because of opposition, persecution or His eventual death which were to be the larger part of His human life. Jesus, in His lifetime, focused on the foundation of the Church, but He did not provide a structure for the Church as it was to become. He did not outline a system of Sacraments—although He instituted each one of them—nor did He enunciate a defined body of doctrine as it came to be in