The Church has the task of doing what Jesus did. And Jesus was a prophet of his time. But what is a prophet? The Greek word prophets can mean "one who speaks" or "advocates". A prophet is a person who speaks God's truth to others on contemporary issues.
Some, moreover, at the same time reveal details about the future. Isaiah, for example, touched both the present and the future; he boldly denounced against corruption in his day (Is 1:4) and delivered great visions of Israel's future (Is 25:8).
The Bible names more than 133, among them 16 women. The first to appear is Abraham (Gen 20:7). Then, in the New Testament, John the Baptist (Mt 3:1) who announced the coming of Jesus as prophet, priest, king and messiah. The early church also had its prophets (Acts 21:9). And at the end of time, Revelation 11 says that there will be two "witnesses" who will prophesy from Jerusalem.
The Mission of the Church is, therefore, prophetic. It comprises evangelization (proclamation) and social responsibility (denunciation). The prophet denounces: Claiming above all exclusivity in the love of God; denouncing social injustice, defending the rights of the poor and underprivileged; and, in politics, intervening when political leaders neglect what God wants for his people. The prophet announces: He generates hope; he opens history and the horizons of the people towards a future of salvation and fulfillment.
We cannot be authentic Christians if we are not prophets. But the prophet is persecuted, rejected and humiliated. If his proclamation and denunciation are not of God, he does not resist. Therefore, he must be filled with the Holy Spirit. The powerful of this world will want to eliminate him in many ways because the truth that comes from God is too uncomfortable for them.
