By Archimandrite Cyprian (Kern)
What defines a “prophet” in the context of pastoral care?
It’s not the Church’s recognized and canonized figure. While the term originates from the Bible, it holds a meaning closer to early Christianity’s monuments. Here, a prophet isn’t someone who predicts the future but embodies a creative spirit, seeking constant communion with the Source of Truth and resisting the ingrained evil and injustice in the world, regardless of worldly authority. These shepherds see themselves as priests of the Living God, alive with bold faith, feeling the tragedy of Christianity and their calling.
The Old Testament prophet was seldom a priest, with priesthood and prophecy being parallel institutions. The New Testament priest, however, must embody the prophetic spirit in their ministry. Unlike the hereditary Old Testament Levite priesthood, prophets were directly called by God, not by lineage or heritage.
Old Testament prophets, through fiery discourses and lifestyles, denounced the failings of priests, kings, and society. They were divine correctives for flawed priesthood examples. New Testament priests, as prophets, must similarly heed the divine voice within and continually correct themselves.
Old Testament prophets hailed from diverse social backgrounds, driven by the Holy Spirit. Similarly, through ordination, Christ’s shepherds receive the Holy Spirit’s grace, filling gaps and healing weaknesses. Just as ancient prophets communed with God, New Testament priest-prophets connect with the Lord through the Eucharist and must embrace God’s truth, no matter how daunting.
Old Testament prophets advocated moral renewal and condemned societal evils, stirring their people and priests towards righteousness. Shouldn’t New Testament priest-prophets do the same, aiming for the world’s mystical transformation?
In Israel, God established the priesthood and sacrificial code through Moses, with Levites as custodians. Prophets, however, criticized these Levites not for ritual, but for flawed practice. The New Testament shepherd must cultivate a prophetic view towards Church institutions rather than a traditional Levitical stance.
Old Testament prophets served their people with a national-religious revelation focus. Some transcended national borders, like Jonah, and glimpsed broader horizons. Today’s Christian shepherds must transcend national confines, prioritizing universal over national aims, and subjugating patriotism to evangelical goals, avoiding Levitical atavism.
Bishop Porphyry noted Europe’s spiritual famine, the mediocrity replacing spiritual vigor, and Russia’s spiritual poverty. Where are the prophets to fill this void, inspiring with spiritual fervor and advocating freedom and justice?
The prophetic spirit contrasts starkly with spiritual complacency, often dismissed as utopian. Is it still possible today, or is it a relic of the past?
Viewing religious life as static and rigid, prophetic fervor seems anachronistic. Yet, if Christianity and the Church remain vibrant, if grace within priests still transforms, then faith cannot be stagnant. Pastors must draw inspiration from prophets and apostles, rejecting complacency and confronting human challenges.
Without the apostolic and prophetic spirit, priests become mere Levites. The Thessalonian exhortation to cherish prophecies underscores this spirit as central to true ministry, a warning against spiritual decline.
Amidst today’s turbulent era, apocalyptic yet vibrant, the Lord denounces lukewarm faith. The modern Church faces challenges and opportunities, fulfilling the prophetic vision of a spiritual hunger for God’s word.
Today’s priests must embody a prophetic spirit, adapting to contemporary needs while rejecting past complacencies, embracing the challenges of their time.
Ultimately, they must nurture their spiritual fire, defying routine and aestheticism for spirituality. Let them, inspired, not fear seeming out of place in a conformist world, following Nazianzus’s advice to serve with spiritual strength, not delirium.
“Do not quench the spirit. Do not despise prophecies.” This article seeks to clarify the prophetic spirit’s role in pastoral care and the distinction between being a shepherd-prophet and a Levite.
Notes:
[8] Ezek. 1:3; Jer. 1:1; 2 Par. 24:20.
[9] From the sequence of the sacrament Priesthood.
[10] Cited in the original, pp. 238-239.
[11] 1 Thess. 5:19-20.
Source in Russian: Cyprian (Kern), archim. “Leviticus and Prophecy as Types of Pastoral Care” – In: Vestnik RSHD, 3, 1938, pp. 10-24.
Illustrative photo: Gutenberg_bible_Old_Testament_Epistle_of_St_Jerome
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