Becoming Modern Prophets
The scene in the first reading takes  place after Moses is instructed by  God to bring “seventy of the elders of Israel” to the “tent of meeting” so that God could bestow some  of the spirit that he gave to Moses on those men (Numbers 11:16). Joshua is  concerned about the two men, Eldad and Medad, who received some of the spirit that God gave to  the seventy elders. These two men remained in the camp with the rest of the Israelites and were not present at the meeting tent with Moses and the seventy elders. Joshua does not think the two men worthy of receiving the same spirit as Moses. Thus, Moses responds to Joshua by saying, “Are you jealous for my sake? If only all the people of the LORD were prophets! If  only the LORD would bestow  his spirit on them!”

 These words of Moses ring true in  the present day.  Did you know that when you were baptized that you received a prophetic office? That is right;  when we are baptized we become prophets. What does this mean exactly?  The Church explains  our prophetic office as baptized Christians in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) by saying, “The holy people of God shares also in Christ’s prophetic office” (Lumen Gentium  12). All baptized Christians receive the prophetic office through Jesus Christ, but the laity  of the Church, those who are not  clergy or consecrated religious, are called to live out the prophetic  office particularly in the secular world of everyday life. The Church in  Lumen Gentium  says that the laity exercise  their prophetic office in the world by  allowing the Gospel message to “shine forth in  their daily social and family life” (Lumen Gentium  35). The document continues by explaining, “In connection with the prophetic function is  that state of life which is sanctified by a special sacrament obviously of great importance,  namely, married and family life” (Lumen Gentium  35).  

All the laity of the Church, whether  single or married, are called to go out into the world as prophets and share the Good News of the Gospel through their lives. Married couples are prophets by showing the world what it means for two people to love each other and become one flesh. Parents are prophets by teaching their children  about the faith and showing their  children what a faithful marriage looks like.  

The faithful people of God who come to Mass  on Sundays are called to  become modern prophets and to go out into the world to share what they  have heard in the Gospel message. Hence, one of the dismissals at the end of Mass says, “Go  and announce the Gospel of  the Lord.” The laity are called to go out into the world and announce the Gospel of the Lord not only  with their mouths but also with their actions. As a layperson, you are called to be a prophet by being  a teacher of the faith in the world. This means teaching through word and example.

 Pope Saint Paul VI once said, “Modern man listens  more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it  is because they are witnesses” (Evangelii Nutiandi  41). When we exercise  our prophetic office we  act as teachers and witnesses of Jesus Christ. Become a modern prophet and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.