During the holy season of Advent, the lectionary gives us many prophecies of the Messianic Era. Vibrant imagery is used of overflowing abundance, peace, healing, and an end to the sorrows of the past. Such is the prophecy spoken by the prophet Isaiah in the first reading,
O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem, no more will you weep; […] The Lord will give you the bread you need and the water for which you thirst. (Isa 30:19-20)
Isaiah’s holy words also predict the coming of a visible Messiah Who shall tenderly guide the people,
No longer will your Teacher hide himself, but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher, While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears: “This is the way; walk in it,” when you would turn to the right or to the left.” (Isa 30:20)
Fulfillment
The fulfillment of this great expectation is found in today’s Gospel as Jesus physically journeys around Israel proclaiming the Kingdom of God and performing miraculous healings. We see the depths of His tenderness in these moving words, “At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Mat. 9:36) The great compassion of His Sacred Heart overflows as He speaks to His disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few; so, ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” (Mat 9:37-38)
‘Alter Christus’
Our Lord then sends out the Twelve with authority to do what He was just doing, namely, healing the sick, raising the dead, exercising demons, and proclaiming the Kingdom of God. This makes them ‘alter Christus’ (‘another Christ’) to the people. Those words are how we describe the priest acting when he is celebrating the sacraments. By virtue of his ordination in the sacrament of Holy Orders, the priest is given the authority to act as an alter Christus and do those things that Jesus did, for example, forgive sins. Just as with the Twelve, it is really them acting, but they act under Jesus’ authority and He is working through them.
The priesthood was given to the Church as an overflowing of the compassion of the Sacred Heart, as Jesus knew that we would need visible teachers that lead us towards Him. No saint has arrived at the heavenly gates without a guide and most of the time it was through the spiritual direction of a holy priest that they found the narrow road. As we prepare to celebrate the coming of Jesus in the flesh, let us remember and pray for those men who are Christ among us in their very person.
