Recently, someone asked me about the practice of praying the St. Michael Prayer after some Masses. Is it something we should be doing? Is it part of the Mass? With the Feast of the Archangels—Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael—coming at the end of the month, it seems like a good time to reflect a little on this prayer and its relationship to the Mass.

Over the past several weeks, we have reflected on the identity and mission of the laity: who they are, where their mission is lived, and how the baptized share in Christ’s threefold mission as Priest, Prophet, and King. This week, as we conclude the series, we turn to the kingly office.

We have been reflecting on the vocation of the laity. We began with who the laity are: baptized members of Christ’s Body. We then considered where their mission is lived: in the vineyard of family life, work, culture, and the wider world. Last week, we reflected on the baptismal priesthood or how the faithful bring the world to God by offering their ordinary lives through the one sacrifice of Christ. This week, we turn to the second dimension of Christ’s threefold mission: the prophetic.

Over the past several weeks, we have been reflecting on the vocation of the laity. We began with who the laity are: baptized members of Christ’s Body. Last week, we considered where their mission is lived: in the vineyard of family life, work, culture, and the wider world. Through Baptism, the faithful share in the threefold mission of Christ as Priest, Prophet, and King. This week, let us focus on what it means to share in His priesthood.

Last week, we reflected on who the laity are. Through Baptism, lay men and women are incorporated into Christ and share in His priestly, prophetic, and kingly mission. They are not simply Catholics who are “not priests,” nor merely assistants to the clergy. They have their own indispensable part in the Church’s mission. This week, we ask where that mission is ordinarily lived.