“For I know the plans I have for you… plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.” ~ Jeremiah 28:10
What are those plans?
God lays them out in our Baptism. When we are baptized, we are baptized to join in Christ’s mission as “priest, prophet and king.” We’re going to focus on the prophet part today.
What is a prophet?
A prophet is a person who speaks truth as inspired by the Holy Spirit. The messages come from God, but they are given through the person. These messages do not re-write the Law that God has given His people. Instead, the messages show us how to better live that Law (Isaiah, Jeremiah). They also, at times, reveal what is going to happen (Daniel, John the Baptist, Revelation) or what might happen (Jonah).
“No prophecy ever came through human will; but rather human beings moved by the Holy Spirit spoke under the influence of God.” 2 Peter 1:21
Who are the prophets?
According to the Bible, anyone can be a prophet, as long as they are spiritually prepared to hear the voice of God.
In Hebrew, “navi” means prophet.
נביא
There are three women who are called “navi” in Scripture:
- Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron (Exodus 15:20)
- Deborah, the only woman judge (Judges 4:4)
- Chulda, a prophetess who prophesied during the time of Jeremiah (2 Kings 22:14)
According to Jewish tradition, there are an additional four women prophetesses:
- Sarah, the mother of God’s Chosen People (Genesis 12-23)
- Hannah, the mother of Samuel (1 Samuel 1-2)
- Abigail, the wife of David (1 Samuel 25)
- Esther, the woman who saved the Jewish people from destruction (Esther)
The Catechism lists an additional four women as keeping “alive the hope of Israel’s salvation.” (CCC 64)
- Rebecca, the wife of Isaac (Genesis 24)
- Rachel, the wife of Jacob (Genesis 29-31)
- Judith, the woman who beheaded Holofernes to save her people (Judith)
- Mary of Nazareth, the Mother of Jesus (Luke 1-2)
The Church teaches that the last pre-Messianic prophet was St. John the Baptist, and the last prophecy of Scripture was the book of Revelation.
However, since we are all baptized “priest, prophet and king,” we are all called to be prophets.
Which means that we are all called to make ourselves spiritually prepared to hear the voice of God.
How do we get ready to hear God’s voice?
In ancient Israel, they had “prophet schools.” This is a bit of a misnomer, because the Jewish people always recognized that prophecy was a gift from God. However, they also knew that you could develop your own spirituality such that you could be better prepared to hear God’s voice, if He chose to give you a message for His people. These “prophet schools” were places where the faithful would pray, meditate and live a spiritually challenging lifestyle- similar to convents or monasteries. The idea was to create in yourself a fertile spiritual ground so that, if God gives you a message, you can hear it and be prepared to share it.
What does God want for you?
Just like in the ancient “prophet schools,” God wants you to nurture your ground, your soul. He wants you to create holy ground so that He can come and grow in it. He wants you to speak the truth. He wants you to be a prophet, first to yourself, then your family, and then to the world. He wants you to be a prophet through your actions and your words. “Preach the Gospel always. When necessary, use words” said St. Francis of Assisi.
God is always reaching out to speak to us. He is always trying to touch our hearts. But, all too often, we don’t see His hands, or hear His words. Why? Because we cannot understand the language of God. We have ground that is overgrown with weeds. No amount of sun and rain can break through.
That is the mission of each person- to clear the ground, remove the rocks and roots and weeds. To nurture the ground and feed it and make it ready for new seeds. We are the farmers. We must prepare the soil, so that God can send down the rain and the sun and grow His kingdom in us. Because we are also the kingdom.
This should give us incredible hope.
God has chosen you to be His mouthpiece.
God has chosen you to bring His truth into the world.
God has chosen you to grow His kingdom.
He has anointed you and empowered you to do the job.
You just have to get your hands a little dirty.
But the divine gardener, who planted the Garden of Eden and made humanity from dirt, has given you everything you need.
Let’s get digging!
Works Cited
Calès, Jean Marie. “Prophecy, Prophet, and Prophetess.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 12. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 10 Nov. 2019 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12477a.htm>.
