Being A Prophet

The Church is celebrating the Word Day for Consecrated Life today to heighten our awareness of this special calling in the Church to the sisterhood, brotherhood and religious community priesthood (as opposed to diocesan).  By publicly professing the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, consecrated religious make a prophetic statement that they will imitate Jesus, follow in his footsteps, and like him, be witnesses or prophets to truths that can often get lost and need to be reaffirmed.  They stand out as guideposts, challengers, comforters, leaders, and often as reformers, when even within the Church, things get off course.
In post-revolutionary France, several such prophets arose to rebuild the church on the blood of the thousands of martyrs who were executed during the Reign of Terror, St. Marcellin being one of them. However, the current surge in the numbers of Lay Marists is an indication that being a prophet does not necessarily lie with consecrated religious only..
A friend of mine called the other night on the way home from a short, prayerful vigil in front of an abortion clinic where he quietly and solitarily prayed the rosary for the mothers and unborn children who would pass through those doors.  He invited me to do the same locally once a month.  I agreed. No fanfare, no organizing, just a prophetic presence and trust in the power of prayer.  I invite those who partake of this daily bread to see if you can find the time to do this yourselves on your own time once a month.
One final example:  I attended the funeral of a classmate yesterday, whose life of quiet witness drew a large number of family and friends to the Mass.  I remember him as being a quiet,, unassuming boy in high school, and  he evidently remained that way throughout his life. But what power was in that life!
So, we can be prophets by loving, even our enemies, forgiving, and living according to Jesus, who does not forget those who love. Living a life of love is being a prophet.
Bro. Rene