Day 110: The People of God

Jesus Christ is the one whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit and established as priest, prophet, and king. the whole People of God participates in these three offices of Christ and bears the responsibilities for mission and service that flow from them. CCC 783

In today's reading, the Catechism speaks of how we are the People of God, both the characteristics of this and the responsibilities. The characteristics are spelled out in today's reading from the Catechism, summed up nicely in the Catechism Compendium:

One becomes a member of this people through faith in Christ and Baptism. This people has for its origin God the Father; for its head Jesus Christ; for its hallmark the dignity and freedom of the sons of God; for its law the new commandment of love; for its mission to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world; and for its destiny the Kingdom of God, already begun on earth. (#154)

The People of God are "priestly, prophetic, and royal people," sharing in the very characteristics of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This means that in His priestly office, we are called to offer spiritual sacrifices, in His prophetic office to adhere to the faith and give witness to Him, and in His royal office to give service to those in need as our Lord did (#155). It is our hearts as individuals that God wants, as well as in communion with the rest of His flock. I like how the Catechism Companion, Vol I puts it:

God wants us to give our hearts individually to him, but he also wants us to give our hearts to him in communion with our brothers and sisters in faith - as a people, not just individuals... We have a mission to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, as we have been brought into the mission of Jesus. (p. 224)