Homily for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

This week I preached off of an outline instead of a full script. Here’s the outline for the week:

• Do we understand what it means to be a prophet?
  • Guy standing with “End is near” sign
  • Prophetic speech
    • Idea that prophesy is telling the future

  • Prophet appears throughout our readings
    • Jeremiah’s call
    • St. Paul “prophesying partially”
    • Our Lord “prophet without honor in his native place”

• 2 purposes in the OT for prophesy
  • Call to conversion
    • Israel kept falling away from God the Father
    • Prophets called them back

  • Point to future coming of Jesus
    • Show fulfillment of covenant
    • “Partial will pass away”
      • Revelation in Jewish Covenant was partial
      • Jesus is the fullness of revelation
        • “The perfect”

• We are called to be prophets
  • Through baptism we share in Christ’s ministry
    • CCC 436: “Jesus fulfilled the messianic hope of Israel in His threefold office of priest, prophet, and king.”

  • What does it look like to be a prophet?
    • Not foretelling the future
    • 2 purposes
      • Call to conversion
        • Need to do this first in our lives
          • Lead others by example

      • Point to Jesus
        • We need to live our lives by following Christ
        • Allow our witness and example to bring others to Him

      • Priest assembly
        • Example of priests = vocations
        • Example of dedicated Christians = more followers of Christ

• We are all called to be prophets through our baptisms. Are we willing to answer that call?