Transcript of the Video Above

Daily reflections for Lenten Easter, written by Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI.

One of the responsibilities of being an adult is that of praying for the world, like the high priests of old. Indeed, we are all priests, ordained by the oils of baptism, consecrated by the burdens of life that have given us wrinkles and gray hair. All of us, lay and cleric alike, need to offer up priestly prayer each day.

How do we pray priestly prayer? By praying the prayer of the church, namely the Eucharist. This kind of prayer, called liturgy, is what keeps incarnate the priestly prayer of Christ.

In essence, we’re saying, lord God, I stand before you as a microcosm of the earth itself.

See in my openness, the world’s openness, in my infidelity, the world’s infidelity, in my generosity, the world’s generosity, in my selfishness, the world’s selfishness, and in my desire to praise you, the world’s desire to praise you. For I am of the earth, a piece of earth, and the earth opens or closes to you through my body, my soul, and my voice. I am your priest on earth, and what I hold up for you today is all that is in this world both of joy and of suffering.

To pray like this is to pray liturgically, as a priest. We take on a universal voice, offering prayers and entreaties aloud and in silent tears to God for the sake of the world.