Second Wednesday of Ordinary Time

Without father, mother, or ancestry, without beginning of days or end of life, thus made to resemble the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. It is even more obvious if another priest is raised up after the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become so, not by a law expressed in a commandment concerning physical descent but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. For it is testified: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

We are all called to be a priestly people. This means living holy and righteous lives oriented toward God and bringing others to Him through our thoughts, words, and works. This means not only participating in the sacraments, but internalizing them, embodying their significance, and bearing fruits through them. In order to be raised in the order of Melchizedek, we are asked to make our lives a living sacrifice to God and to imitate Christ, who was the perfect High Priest. It is Jesus' example that shows us what it means to be filled with the power of life that cannot be destroyed and to testify to it with our whole being.

How can we answer the call for us to be a priestly people? Is celebrating the sacraments a central action of our faith lives? Are we full of the power of life and willing to testify to its importance?

O Lord, make us a priestly people.

Amen.