28 September 2021 - Tuesday of the 26th week in Ordinary Time - Zechariah 8:20-23

      For a few days last week we heard from the prophet Haggai, who lived around the time of the Jews coming back to Jerusalem in the 6th century BC after they had been in exile in Babylon.  They returned to Jerusalem with the task of rebuilding the Temple, which had been destroyed. The prophet Zechariah, whom we hear from today, lived in the same era as Haggai.   In fact, the message of these books are strongly connected.  In addition to the need to rebuilding the Temple, Zechariah is also concerned with Israel reclaiming her identity after her time in exile and with the morals and values they would live by as individuals and as a nation.  The priesthood in the Temple would play a large role in restoring the nation and in bringing forth a messianic era.  

       Just this past weekend, in the Carmelite secular group’s monthly gathering of which I am a part, we who are in the aspirant phase of formation read a section from the Vatican Two Document Lumen Gentium, on the universal call to holiness.  Lumen Gentium is the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church.  In Latin, it means, “Light of the World.”  For us Christians, that light is Christ.  One section stood out to me that specifically mentioned the context of the call to holiness for Diocesan priests, stating:  “All priests, and especially those who are called diocesan priests,’ due to the special title of their ordination, should keep continually before their minds the fact that their faithful loyalty toward and their generous cooperation with their bishop is of the greatest value in their growth in holiness” (LG 41).  I always think of the direct and essential link that my ministry as a Diocesan priest has with the Bishop, of how my ministry flows directly from him.  This quote addresses the “faithful loyalty” and “generous cooperation” I should have with the Bishop as a Diocesan priest - yes, without a doubt.  May each one of us feel the call to holiness we have as people of God according to our status in life.  And each day in our journey of faith, let us pray for our Bishop and unite our prayers with his prayers in his special role in our faith journey as Catholics.