03-27-2022
The Sacrament of Holy Orders
n CCC 1536
n The sacrament of Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission
entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church
until the end of time.
Introduction
For
the social needs of the Church and the civil community, Jesus Christ instituted
the Priestly Order and Matrimony, ordered to the salvation of
others; That is why they are known as sacraments at the service of the
community. Let's start with the sacrament of Holy Orders.
Main Ideas:
1. 1 - All Christians participate, in different ways, in the priesthood
of Christ
The Lord wanted to communicate to
the Church a participation in his priesthood, which is achieved through the
sacrament of Holy Orders. This unique participation is known as ministerial
priesthood, which enables bishops and priests to act in the person of Christ,
Head of the Church.
But it must be said that the
entire Church, founded by Christ, is a priestly people, so that - through
baptism - all the faithful participate in the priesthood of Christ. This other
participation is called the common priesthood of the faithful.
2. 2 - The common and ministerial priesthood are essentially different
The ministerial priesthood differs
essentially, and not only in degree, from the common priesthood of the
faithful, because it confers a sacred power for the service of his brothers.
Those who have received the
sacrament of Holy Orders are ministers of Christ, instruments that he uses to
continue his work of salvation in the world. And they carry it out through
teaching, divine worship, and pastoral governance.
3. 3 - The institution of the sacrament of Holy Orders
Christ chose his Apostles, and at
the Last Supper he instituted the priesthood of the New Covenant. He commanded
the Apostles and their successors in the priesthood to renew the sacrifice of
the cross in the Mass; and with these words: "Do this in memory of
me" (Luke 22:19), he instituted them as priests of the New Testament. On
the day of Resurrection, he also conferred on them the power to forgive or
retain sins.
Since the Apostles knew that the
priesthood should continue in the Church when they died, after evangelizing a
city and before leaving it, they laid hands on others, communicating the
priesthood to them (cf. 2 Timothy 1:6; Acts 14:23).
4 - The three degrees of the sacrament of Holy
Orders
The
sacrament of Holy Orders consists of three degrees subordinate one to the
other.
The
episcopate and the presbyterate are forms of ministerial participation in the
priesthood of Christ;
the
diaconate, on the other hand, is destined to help and serve them.
For
this reason, the term priest designates bishops and presbyters, but not
deacons. However, all
three
degrees are conferred by the sacrament of Holy Orders.
Normally,
when speaking of priests, it is understood that one speaks of presbyters.
5 - The priest is a man consecrated to God forever
By virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, the
priest is a minister of Christ, a mediator between God and men to worship God -
adoration, thanksgiving, satisfaction, and impetration - and to communicate
grace to men.
People who receive this sacrament receive an
indelible character and are priests forever. Along with the character, he
receives other graces in the priestly consecration to resemble Christ, so that
every priest can say that he is another Christ.
This sacrament can only be received by
baptized men who meet the due conditions.
6 - Ministry of priests
The main
manifestations of the ministry of priests are:
Preach the word
of God.
Administer the
sacraments and especially celebrate the Holy Mass.
Guide the
Christian people towards holiness.
Direct the
official prayer of the Church to the Lord.
7 - The spiritual mission of the priest
The mission of the priest in the world is
fundamentally spiritual: to lead men to God, educating them in the faith and
giving them the grace of Christ contained in the sacraments.
The priest is a servant of the entire
Christian community and an element of unity. It is logical that he be
distinguished, even in his external appearance, as ordered by the Church, and
that his day be completely filled with his priestly activity, without time to
dedicate himself to other things, much less interfering with the tasks of the
lay faithful.
8 - Duties of the faithful towards priests
Since the dignity of the priest is so great
and his role in the Church so essential, it is logical that parents leave their
children in full freedom to follow their vocation, if God called them to the
priesthood.
The faithful must pray that God deigns to
grant his Church good shepherds and zealous ministers.
They must profess great respect, veneration,
and love for priests, considering them for what they are: ministers of Christ,
fathers and shepherds of souls. That is why you should also generously help
them with their material needs.
A purpose to move forward
Ask for many holy priests, and joyfully
receive the vocation to the priesthood, if God calls.
Treat with love and respect all known priests
of the parish, school...
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