Christian: A Savior of the People of God
It is possible for anyone to merit the name ‘the savior of the people,’ if he constantly uses all the means necessary to promote in a real way the glory of God and the salvation of souls. (OOCC, II, p. 16)
According to St. Vincent Pallotti, the vocation of a Christian is to be the savior of the people of God. Every Christian is called to be an instrument of God’s grace in the context of his situation. The loving concern of God reaches out to every human person in and through the everyday life of a Christian. Thus, as a savior of the people of God, every Christian is called to be an apostle in his life. This vocation is common to all Christians by virtue of their baptism. Despite the state of life a Christian has chosen to live, his vocation is to be a savior. A Christian may choose to accept the priestly ministry, or give his life in special consecration to God in the consecrated life, or live in the world as a layperson. In living each of these lifestyles, a Christian’s vocation to be the savior of God’s people is lived out. A priest, religious, or layperson lives out his/her apostolic vocation to be the savior of God’s people in different ways. Though the manner of living is different, the apostolic goals are the same. St. Vincent Pallotti proposed three apostolic goals for each Christian to accomplish as the savior of the people of God whether he is a priest, religious or a layperson. They are the destruction of sin, the salvation of people, and the glory of God. Every Christian, whatever the state of life he lives, is called to accomplish these three apostolic goals. When he gives himself in fulfilling these three goals in the context of his life, he truly becomes an instrument of God’s grace and love, thereby becoming a savior of the people.
Do I acknowledge my vocation to be the savior of the people of God? Am I a mediator of the grace and love of God in the lives of God’s people? Do I wholeheartedly work for the destruction of sin, the salvation of people, and the glory of God?
Yet if one suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but under that name let him glorify God. (I Pet. 4: 16)