I am aware that when we talk about Pastoral Care, we need to talk the whys of being called to serve. That is, we are called to serve basically because of the fact that we have our threefold munera or function which was given to us on Baptism. As a baptized Christian, we become Priest, Prophet, and King which entails responsibilities given to us by Jesus Christ.
As Priest (i.e., the common priesthood), I have the duty to sanctify. As a Christian, I have the duty to lead the people to God. In today’s time, the world is living in sinful acts. People are involved in violence, abortion, divorce, fornication, intolerance, among others. It’s very rampant today which seems like it’s part of the growing culture and it seems like it’s natural for the people since almost everyone are doing this. In matters of divorce, according to the National Directory for Catechesis, “Almost half of the U.S. marriages will end in divorce; about one third of marriages between two Catholics end in divorce.” And the primary victims of these sinful acts are the young ones because they experience a broken family and ended up misguided since they are left by their parents. The NDC of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops added, “About half the children born today are expected to experience their parents’ divorce by the time they reach age eighteen.” Just this summer, I was assigned in a parish and I was able to know an 11 year old pregnant girl who has a broken home. It’s a sad fact for our society today. But even so, we need to accept the challenge of today’s world; the challenge to be an agent of God to sanctify them by bringing them to God.
As Prophet, I am called to teach. This is one of the big tasks of a baptized person. It’s also a great opportunity for me as a person to share my religious experiences of God to give hope and realization to people that God is faithful to his people and God is merciful to those who repent. This mission is most commonly recognized when I meet people from other religion who want to come back to the Church. Just this summer, I was able to join “Why Catholic” sessions every week. There, I met non-Catholics like Baptists and Lutherans with their pastor, who are hungry to become closer to God. I was able to exercise this mission when I encounter some of their questions. It was fulfilling to be with them and they made me realize how vast is my mission as a Prophet of God who teaches what He wants to bring them back to the Church. This mission is not only bound to people outside our religion but also for those people in the community.
As King, I am given the task to rule. This task doesn’t mean to be a dictator or ruler but ultimately, to be a wise guide. It’s a challenge to guide the people in line with what God wants me to do. As King, to be an effective guide is to be a good example by work. Last summer, I became a guide of people by my work. I help the Knights of Columbus to sell burgers, fajitas, etc. in order to raise money to use for charity works of the Knights. I also helped the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to give goods to the needy.
These threefold munera gives me a realization of who I am, who I should become, and how I should spend my life, all for the greater glory of God. Through these, I would be able to share the work of God through serving His people. I must always put this in mind and act for it as a commitment of myself to God. I must consider this as a challenge not only today, but for the rest of my life.
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