If you are a baptized Catholic, you were anointed with blessed chrism (perfumed oil) and initiated into God’s family as a priest, prophet, and king (CCC 1241).
Supernatural initiation
For Catholics, this isn’t just a symbolic ceremony that shows we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior but a Sacrament–a supernatural initiation–a visible sign pointing to an invisible reality.
As I’ve mentioned in other posts, (a valid)1 Baptism leaves an indelible mark (character) on the soul, which means that it cannot be erased or repeated. It “marks us” for God.
It is God’s work, not ours.
However, our sins can prevent Baptism “from bearing the fruits of salvation” in our souls (CCC 1272).
The divine charisms
When we’re baptized, we become sharers in the divine charisms of Christ Himself: that of His High Priesthood,2 His prophetic office, and His kingship as “King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Tim 6:15).
This “trinitarian power” reflects the divine nature of God Himself.
Of course, being partakers of the divine nature (1 Peter 1:4) does not make us a priest, prophet, and king of objective reality.
Only God can do that because He is Reality. Like the sun, Divine Law is immovable.
Unlike the sun, it is immutable–since one day, this world will pass away (1 John 2:17).
That’s why we cannot produce supernatural charisms; Christ deigns to allow us to share in His.
Priestly office
Sharing in Christ’s priestly office enables us to intercede on others’ behalf and bring them to God through our sacrifices.
The laity are called to sacrifice selfish wants every day for the good of their loved ones, spouses, families, and those who reject God.
The ministerial priests (validly ordained with the Sacrament of Holy Orders) are set apart for the sacred task of re-presenting the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ while interceding for the secular world through their ordination, and serving the Bride of Christ, the Catholic Church.
Prophetic office
Sharing in Christ’s prophetic office gives us the ability to recognize the truth, proclaim it “from the housetops“, and live it courageously.
That means Christians are called to be saints by living counterculturally–to be “salt” and “light” in a world full of darkness, injustice, and indifference.
Kingly office
But what about His kingly office? Christ reigns even now, and His divine kingship will be revealed for all to see at the end of time when He rides in victory on a white warhorse, casting the devil and his disciples into the lake of fire (Rev 19: 11-16; Rev 20: 14-15; Rev 21:8).
Instead of the great Flood (a prefigurement to baptism) the earth and its inhabitants will be judged by fire (2 Peter 3: 5-13).
We were not made to be slaves but sons of daughters of the Most High God, endowed with the dignity of kings.
That means, Christians are invited to share in Christ’s kingship through His Cross and ultimately, victory, over sin and death.
The three Ages
Interestingly, these three supernatural charisms–priesthood, prophethood, and kingship–are enfolded into Salvation History after the Flood, proving that the passage of time is not just cyclical (repeating itself) but also linear (going someplace).
Age of priests
During the Age of Priests, God established a holy priesthood beginning with Melchizedek in Genesis 14–who blessed Abram and offered a sacrifice of bread and wine–by establishing the Levitical Priesthood (Levites) from the line of Levi (a descendent of Abraham).
The Levites’ job was to guard and serve the Tabernacle and the Holy of Holies. Some were also assigned to offer sacrifices on behalf of themselves and the people (Num 1: 47-53; Deut 18: 6-8).
The Psalmist (Psalm 110:4) prophesied the coming Messiah would be a priest of the “Order of Melchizedek”.
He would be a high priest who would not issue from bloodlines but would be divinely appointed–a priesthood that transcends nations and genealogy (Heb chs. 5-9).
Christ is the fulfillment of the Levitical Priesthood, which was incomplete.
Age of prophets
During the Age of Prophets, God sent certain men and women to call his people to repentance: to turn from evil and back to Himself.
The Old Testament prophets were disregarded and ridiculed. Some were even martyred by their own people (such as Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Zechariah). All were unsuccessful in enacting permanent change.
Yet their primary role was prophesying the coming Messiah that would fulfill all prophesies –beginning with God’s prophesy to Satan of the triumph of the Blessed Virgin Mary (the “woman”) and His Beloved Son in Genesis 3:15:
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.
Christ is the fulfillment of the all the prophets and their prophesies, which were incomplete.
Age of kings
During the Age of Kings, after the fall of Pagan Rome, an unprecedented Christianization of the Roman Empire arose out of the ashes and established law and order, forming what was known as “Christendom.”
From King David to Louis XVI, kings mirror the divine Kingship of Christ.
The Age of Kings culminated in an open revolt against the monarchy, exchanging it for the “will of the people.”
Why?
Bad kings, corruption in the Church, the Protestant Revolt, the French Revolution, and the Enlightenment divided and weakened Christendom, subverting God’s divine authority over mankind, proving Christ’s reign is not temporary like the kingdoms of this earth.
Christ is the fulfillment of earthly monarchies, which were imperfect and incomplete.
“My kingdom reigns.”
Although it may not appear so from the political and cultural landscape, I firmly believe we still live in the “Age of Kings.“
We are not kings of old with their respective kingdoms, but rather rule as individual kings. We determine good and evil, declaring ourselves to have sole authority.
Today, Christ’s kingship is trampled more still as Divine and Natural Law are replaced with “do what’s right for you”.
Rather than, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,” (Mt 6:10) we declare, “My kingdom reigns, my will be done”.
The trouble is, this is a lie; we do not form our own reality. We either reject it or conform to it.
There is no kingly authority but God, Who bestows the Kingship of Christ as the supreme Ruler and, at the end of all things, will rule all the nations with an “iron rod” (Rev 2:27).
Another way
Thankfully, God gave us another way: the opportunity to partake in the three-fold office of His Divine Son.
As priests, we offer our sacrifices–indeed our very lives–back to Him out of love.
As prophets, we persevere in telling and living the truth despite pressure from false prophets and leaders, recognize evil for what it is, and sound the alarm.
As kings, we boldly live out our faith, refuse to be manipulated, have the discipline and self-control to order our lives, and submit our will to His will out of love.
And it is only when we choose to exercise these supernatural charisms that we can live fearlessly in authentic peace–the peace that the world cannot give (John 14:27).
"The Lord is King for ever and ever." Psalm 10:16
Footnotes:
1 To be considered valid, Christian Baptism must have the proper matter (water), form (the Trinitarian Formula, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”), and intention (washing away Original Sin and restoring the soul to Christ). See https://fatima.org/news-views/catholic-apologetics-140/.
2 The baptismal priesthood of the laity differs from the ministerial priesthood in degree and kind, as the Sacrament of Holy Orders enables the charism of persona Christi that empowers ordained priests with the authority, mission, and faculty to operate in the person of Christ through their priestly office.