The Baptism of Jesus, a pivotal event, is also a pivotal event in our lives. We have been Baptized into the very priesthood of Jesus. "The whole community of believers is, as such, priestly. ...Through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation the faithful are 'consecrated to be ... a holy priesthood'" [CCC 1546].

What does it mean to be a priest? First of all, the job of the priest is to offer up a sacrifice. Each of us is to offer up the sacrifice of our lives, our efforts, our thoughts, our love, our involvement in our work, etc. Each of us can make holy our lives.

When a mother is cooking, washing clothes, going to work, she can exercise her priesthood received at Baptism. When a father is mowing the lawn, putting the kids to bed, sitting at his desk, he can exercise his priesthood received at Baptism.

We can live our baptismal promises every day in how we speak to one another, how we minister our civic and business life, our religious life, etc. Sometimes these require a sacrifice, a holy offering of our wills and hearts. Jesus, the High Priest, will join us to Himself on the cross and in the Resurrection.

A case could be made that the most important area for this sacrifice is in the fight against abortion. No more graphic image assails us than that of dead infants in a trash can waiting for disposal.
The most important element in a democracy is not choice [i.e. "I am personally opposed, but ...]. For a democracy to work, we must have virtue more than choice, after all the Germans chose Hitler.

Our Baptism invites us to take up the life of Jesus. We know what He asks of us. Let us not be afraid to take up the priesthood of Jesus and lay our lives before the culture of death.