You may not think about it. You may not pray about it. You may not even know about it. But like it or not, if you’ve been baptized, God is calling you to be a prophet!
Just because you cannot predict the future, it does not mean that you are not a prophet. When you were baptized, the Holy Trinty called you and gave you the grace to be priest, prophet, and king. That prophetic calling given to you means that you were, and will continue to be, an instrument of communicating the Almighty’s will.
You are called to speak for God in a courageous, confident way like the great biblical prophets: “Thus says the Lord!” But speaking with bold confidence must be tempered with deep humility. For all gifts, including the baptismal gift of prophecy, are not of our own making–they come from our gracious God.
It is essential to remember that speaking the words of God’s truth are empty unless they are accompanied by sacrificial, selfless acts of love. Jesus said, “By their fruits you will know them. Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”
As true prophets, we are always called to both speak and act as Jesus would. To be imitators of Christ Jesus. But how do we imitate Jesus? Pray with the Gospel every day! The Gospel contains the life, teachings, lived example, miracles, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
As you reflect on the Lord Jesus, reflect on the concerns of your personal life, of our suffering brothers and sisters, and of our wounded earth. Ask yourself “WWJD”–“What Would Jesus Do?”
Then prayerfully ask yourself what Jesus is inspiring you to do to make a difference, and then…do it! In a letter to St. Francis Xavier, St. Ignatius of Loyola famously used the Latin phrase “Ite, inflammate omnia”– “Go, set the world on fire!”
And St. Francis did exactly that. He set the world on fire! And we too can set the world on fire for love of God, for love of neighbor– especially the poor and vulnerable – and for our earth-home. God is calling you to higher heights. Don’t be daunted by the long journey. Think of the Chinese proverb: “A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.”
So don’t be afraid. God doesn’t call us to be prophets without giving us his prophetic grace. Take one step forward, and occasionally look back on how far you’ve gone.
And that’s what a prophet is called to do.
