Mark Shea on the Roles of Prophets and Priests in the Church

"One of the greatest aspects of our Church is that, while it certainly makes room for the office of prophet, it primarily relies on the office of priest on a day to day basis.  The reason that's good is because we have a culture that is all agog for prophets and almost wholly ignorant of the need for priests.

"What I mean is this:  our culture puts great emphasis on the charismatic individual with the story of personal inspiration and revelation.  That's good as far as it goes.  We need to hear from people who have had an encounter with the living God.  Such people are, says St. Paul, letters from God with the word of God written on their hearts.  A Mother Teresa or a St. Francis or any other member of the communion of saints makes the gospel credible to us because see them living it and realize it's possible for us to live it too."

In a recent commentary, writer Mark Shea reflects on how Catholicism, and the gospel it preaches, does not stand or fall with charismatic celebrity types. He reminds us that we do not own the gospel it belongs to Jesus and we belong to Him. Our role is to pass the Gospel message along, and our priests play an invaluable role as part of the process.

To access Mark Shea's complete post, please visit:

National Catholic Register: Mark Shea: Prophets and Priests (27 JUN 11)