Slide Show Orders 2009

Orders

Introduction

Jesus Christ: The only mediator between God and humanity (I Tim 2.5)

Possesses a unique and absolute priesthood

Fulfils, Surpasses & Abolishes the Old Testament Priesthood (Hebrews).

He exercised his priesthood as Prophet by revealing the Father,asShepherd by gathering God’s scattered people, and as Priest by his self-offering on the cross in the Paschal Mystery.

The Church is established by Him as a ‘Kingdom of Priests’ (I Pet 2:9). All Christians share in Christ’s priesthood.

However, Christ entrusted a special function to the apostles. They passed on their ministry to their successors, who in turn shared it with others in various degrees through the Sacrament of Order.
The ministerial priesthood represents Christ’s function as Head in the Church and the Sacrament of Order is intimately linked with the other sacraments and impinges directly on the life and the nature of the Church.

Unique & Absolute Priesthood of Christ - Common Priesthood of the Faithful - Ministerial Priesthood

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Donald Cozzins,The Changing Face of the Priesthood, Liturgical Press, Collegeville, 2000.

Jean Galot, Theology of the Priesthood, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 1986.Kenan B Osborne, Orders and Ministry, Orbis, New York, 2006.

Len Sperry, Sex, Priestly Ministry, & the Church, Collegeville, Liturgical Press, 2003.

The Documents of Vatican II: Lumen Gentium, Presbyterorum Ordinis.
Congregation for the Clergy: The Priest and the 3rd Christian Millennium, 1999,
The Priest, Pastor and Leader 2002

Class Requirements. Participation in Class. Reading related material. Mid term exam on Orders: 30 Marks. End of Semester Exam on Marriage + One question on Orders: 50 Marks.

http://sacramentology2009.blogspot.com

Chapter One

THE OLD TESTAMENT

Early Israel
No distinct priesthood – Head of clan functions as priest.

After Exodus

Clan of Aaron and the tribe of Levi (Ex 28-29; 32:25-29).Priests to lead holy and exemplary lives (Lev 19:2; 21:8).
Whole nation was considered a “kingdom of priests”, a chosen people, called to holiness.(Lev 19, 21).
Discerning will of God (1 Sam 14:41).Teaching and interpreting the Mosaic Law, the Torah (Dt 33:10).Offering Sacrifices (Dt 33:10).Priest - Intermediary
Prophets replace priests as spokespeople for God.Scribes and rabbis assume tasks of preserving and teaching the traditions of Judaism.
Priests - Temple Ministry.EldersGroups of elders organised and governed the Jewish communities.


Chapter Two

JESUS CHRIST

Pattern for Ministry

1. Call from God:Lk 4:16-22. Jn 4.34 – My food is to do the will of the one who sent me.

2. Servant The Son of man came not to be served but to serve, & to give his life as a ransom for many – Mk 10:45. Paul urges the same notion of service in Phil 2:5-8.
Jesus is remembered by his disciples in the washing of feet as giving them an example to serve others (Jn 13:12-17). A Christian in any ministry is a servant.

3. Priest Jesus loved us to the very end, that he gave his life for us; he offered himself as a sacrifice so that we may have life.
Jesus was a priestly person because he acted as mediator for those who believed in him interceding for them with the Father and because he offered his life for all.
Ministry in the pattern of Jesus is bound to demand self-giving and sacrifice. Note Mk 10.45 (ransom for many), Jn 10.15 (laying down his life), Ph 1.29 (suffer for his sake).

4. Shepherd 'I am the good shepherd; I know my own..., I lay down my life for the sheep' (Jn 10:14-15). His attitude of shepherding is seen especially in his leadership & compassionate care.
As a leader, he gathered a group of disciples and formed them into an intimate community through his preaching and table fellowship (Mt 10) and he spoke out for justice for poor people, seeing justice as a higher goal than stability.

5. Prophet Jesus was a prophet, proclaiming the will and message of Yahweh for his people.
He taught and interpreted the scriptures with an impressive authority: 'They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one that had authority’ (Mk 1:22).
He revised the Law of Moses (Mt 5.21-22).He criticised the religious leaders (Mt 23.27). He cast the money changers out of the Temple (Mk 12.15-17).


Transmission of Ministry
The Call of the Twelve Disciples (Mk 3:13-19, Mt 10.1-4, Lk 6.13-16).
Jesus chose 'those he wanted' (Mk 3.13)

The Apostles: The leaders of the early Christian community.
Peter (Mt 16.18, Lk 22.32, Jn 21.15-19). Exercises Primacy (Acts 1.15, 2.14, 37, 3.6)
The Seventy-Two (Lk 10.1-12)
The Mandate and the Holy Spirit – Jn 20:21-22.

Chapter Three

NEW TESTAMENT

The Twelve
Elders in a Jewish Christian Community, continuing ministry of Jesus.
Peter, James and Consensus Leadership.
Twelve: Representing the New Israel and Universality of Church.So need to complete group & continue ministry of 12 leads to the Election of Matthias (Acts 1:15-26).
The retention of apostolic ministry must be regarded as the essence of early Christianity. So, it is a question not of whether there was a transmission of the apostolic authority to the episcopate of the 2nd Century, but only when and how it took place.
The Church is Apostolic because she has kept the connection with the original Apostles and because her faith is based on the faith of the Apostles. Apostolic Succession: The link of Bishops with the Apostles and Fidelity to Apostolic Faith.

Acts: Chapter Six
Development of ministry: Seven men chosen for ministry.
1. Sense need. 2. Propose solution. 3. Gain community approval.4. Let community implement.5. Community present plans.6. Confirm them. 7. Word spreads.

Missionary Apostles Besides the Twelve, there were other “apostles”, bringing the words of Jesus Christ to the world.

Paul claims to be an apostle (Rom11.13, I Cor 15.9) & uses the term for Silvanus, Timothy (I Th 2.7) & Barnabas (I Cor 9.5); it seems that after a certain development the name of apostle was reserved in a privileged way for the restricted circle of the Twelve.

Flexible Structures & Variety of Ministries
The disappearance of the twelve, the seventy-two and the seven meant that no structure was carved in stone.

Each makes his or her contribution to the progress of the whole. Each utilise his/her charisms, so that the community is built & grows in love. The Spirit is given to each for the good of all.

Apostles and disciples are gradually being replaced by apostles, prophets & teachers (I Cor 12.28)

Presbyters
The Elders, the presbyteroi,derived from Judaism’s traditional category, were men of distinction appointed by the laying on of hands to oversee local affairs.

Note I Peter 5.2 and Acts 20.17-36. Presbyteros does not imply a liturgical functionary. Elders exercise the presidency, preach and teach (I Tim 5.17) and anoint the sick oil (Jms 5.14).

Titles: The names of activities became titles in a more organised Church.Apostoloi means “emissaries”.Deacon is from diakonia, meaning “ministry” or “service”. The titles bishops & priests come from the activities of overseeing, episkopoi, and being elders, presbyteroi, respectively.
The Pastoral EpistlesWords for Elder & Episkopos interchangeable – Acts 14.23. Later Episcopos: Designates the presiding elder or council president.

To perform their administrative task well, supervisors and elders were supposed to have the same qualities as a good head of a family (I Tim 3:1-7, Tit 1:6-9).

Deacons and deaconesses served the internal needs of the community – I Tim 3:8-13.Inducted into leadership with approval of community by being prayed over and laying on of hands – Acts 6.1-6,, 13.1-3, I Tim 4.14, 5.22

Apostles & Disciples → apostles, prophets, & teachers → presbyter-bishops & deacons.
The structured leadership of a supervising committee of presbyter-bishops assisted by deacons evolved.

Priesthood
Nowhere in the NT is the word priest used of a Christian individual, even of any of the apostles.
1. Pagan Priesthood 2. Temple Priests 3. Legacy from Jesus

High Priest of the order of Melchisedek – Heb 5.6, 6.20, 7.1, 10, 15. Melchisedek, Gen 14.17-20 – eternal priesthood, superior to levitical priesthood, King of Jerusalem, offers bread & wine.Ps 110.4 represents him as a figure of the Messiah.

In a spiritual sense all believers were part of a priestly people called to honour Godby praise and self-sacrifice, (I Pet 1:2; 2:10, Rev 1:6; 5:10; 20:6).

Source of Sacrament: Heb 5 (Jesus the Compassionate High Priest of the Order of Melchizedek). Foundation: Lk 6:12-16 (Choice of 12). Institution: Lk 22:19 (Do this in memory of me), Lk 9:1-6 (Mission of 12), Jn 20:21-22 (Mandate & Spirit). Practice: 2 Tim 1:6 (Fan into a flame the gift God gave you, when I laid my hands on you).

Chapter Four

EARLY DEVELOPMENT

The Second Century

Early Christianity very seculardidn't look like a religion no temples, no altars, no priestsLeaders – overseers, elders, servants
Monarchical Episcopate: Around 110 AD we find evidence for the so-called monarchical episcopate, a local Church presided over by one bishop, in the writings of Ignatius of Antioch.
He presents the bishop as the one in charge with deacons as his assistants and presbyters as his advisors and as having responsibility for one parish towns. Slow evolution – Rome ruled by presbyterate with presiding elder.
Pope – Papa, Greek for Father.In East, Reserved for Bishop of Alexandria. In West, Used for important bishops. By 11th Century it comes to be limited to the Bishop of Rome
Presbyters also served as overseers (I Pet 5.1-3).Presbyter-Bishops and Monarchical Bishops seen as 'successors of the Apostles', but not successors in the sense that they were duly appointed and ordained by an Apostle.

Bishop’s emergence: Apostles died + Persecution + No Second Coming + Internal strife & Heresies => Need for a firm, solid, stable leadership.
Clement of Rome, 96,clear line of authority.Didache called for appointment of bishops & deacons.

The tripartite ministry of bishop, presbyter, and deacon emerges and becomes universal in the Church by the end of the second century.
Other Ministries: “Subdeacons” helped the deacons in their practical ministries.
“Exorcists” assisted at rituals of initiation and repentance, “lectors” were appointed to read the scriptures loud & clear during worship, “porters” were assigned janitorial and guard duties, “acolytes” accompanied the bishop and acted as secretaries and messengers.

President. The one who presides over the community presides over the Eucharist. One is ordained to gather, build, and celebrate the Christian community, and flowing from this to preside at that community’s Eucharist. This principle was so strong in the early Church that the Council of Chalcedon in 451 forbade the ordination of anyone unless a local community was assigned to him. One is not ordained to preside at the Eucharist and then, as a side effect, to preside over the community. What seems to have been the operative principle was that whoever was recognised as the community’s leader was accepted as the presider at Eucharist, whether that was an apostle, a prophet, a teacher, or a bishop. This principle reminds us that the early Church saw no separation between its worship and its daily life. Worship was the expression of the Church’s life, and so the leader of the community was the leader of worship. By the second century two roles that were probably once separated are joined together: the role of the presbyter-bishop and the role of the presiding minister of the Eucharist. Presiding eventually became the exclusive privilege of bishops and presbyters. Significantly, not until the year 1208 is there an official declaration that priestly ordination is necessary to celebrate the Eucharist (Pope Innocent III) (CF, n. 1703, p. 720).


Third To Tenth Centuries

Order & Ordination.

In the Greco-Roman political & social world, there were indeed well-defined orders, the order of senators, the order of decurions, & the order of knights.

In the view of Christians, the term "order" indicated the exact opposite of service. Order indicated power and prestige; service, however, reflected Jesus himself.

Hippolytus (d. 235)The Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus sketches a picture of the third-century Church and contains a detailed description of an ordination liturgy.

For centuries the approval of two groups was required for this ordination: the community & the pastoral group he was joining. 'Let him be ordained as bishop who has been chosen by all the people' – Apostolic Tradition. 'He who has to preside over all must be elected by all' – Pope Leo.

In Early Church, an avoidance of priestly language. Now Eucharist linked to sacrifice of Jesus, Jesus seen as great high priest, community as priestly people and highly sacral culture leads to bishop be seen as a priest, especially in Didache, & writings of Clement, Ignatius & Hippolytus.

Cyprian (210-258), Bishop of Carthage.
Cyprian repeatedly calls the bishop a high priest and applies the priestly language of the OT to the Church order of his day.

These presbyters took over the eucharistic presidency in the outlying districts.

More Development
Moreover, the diaconate as a separate ministry was gradually disappearing. Bishops needed assistants who could officiate at the liturgy & deacons were not empowered to do this.

The humble origin of the priest as basically an inferior cleric from the countryside remained intact throughout the centuries. Priests remained largely uneducated & from a lower social strata than the bishops, who were educated, often aristocratic & from the ruling class.

The clergy gradually took over the various ministries that had been relatively autonomous in earlier decades, absorbing them all into “the pastoral office,” which was possessed fully only by the bishops.

Finally, these bishops, presbyters and deacons, came to be viewed as “sacred.” Ordination made these ministers members of a distinct “order” within the Church.

Celibacy & Clerical Dress
If the Christian priesthood were a newer & greater priesthood than that of the Jewish priests & Levites, then it seemed logical that Christian clerics would be called to a greater holiness than the priests of the old covenant.

In the 5th Century clerics took to wearing a long robe as a sign of their status in society rather than the short tunic that was worn by ordinary people. (The priest should always conform to the clerical garb since it is a sign of his limitless dedication to the faithful in his service to Jesus – The Priest & 3rd M, Ch 4, No 3)

The Middle Ages
Most Christians in the early Middle Ages were probably served by married clergy, and they were probably unaware of the canons which forbade priests to have intercourse with their wives.

The eleventh century was an important period of reform. With Gregory VII in 1073, celibacy became a condition for entering the presbyteral ministry. The monk became an ideal.

The Lateran Councils
The First Lateran Council prohibited those in holy orders from marrying at all & ordered all married priests to renounce their wives & do penance.


The Fourth Lateran Council asserted that no one could preside at the Eucharist except a priest or bishop who had been validly ordained.

Priests and people: ‘ex opere operato sacraments’.Priests: Poorly educated, low credibility, great burden.
Popes, Cardinals, Bishops:Princes - eager to increase wealth & maintain power.

Council of Florence, 1439Ordination a sacrament, whose matter is the handing over of symbol of order conferred & whose form relates to the power linked to the order.

Chapter Five

THE COUNCIL OF TRENT

The Reformers

Reacting excessively against a one-sided stress on the ministerial priesthood which did not do full justice to the common priesthood of all (I Pet 2:5) and the increasing alienation of the clergy from the rest of the Church, the Reformers were led to deny the existence of a Sacrament of Order instituted by Christ, and considered the ministry as a function delegated by the Christian community to some of its members. They stressed the priesthood of all believers. Since the Eucharist is not a sacrifice (Calvary cannot, and need not, be repeated), there is no need for a cultic priesthood in the Church. They discounted the notion that authority in the Church was funnelled from Christ through the pope to the bishops to the priests, and they rejected the claim that this was divinely ordained. They found little evidence in the Scriptures that ranks of holy orders existed in the early Church, and they objected to the way that men were ordained to ministries (such as the diaconate) that they never really performed. They observed that the law of celibacy was more often a cause of scandal than edification in the Church, and since they abandoned the idea of the Eucharist as a priestly sacrifice they saw no grounds for applying the OT rules of ritual purity to Christian ministers.
In place of the priestly ministry of cult and ritual, the reformers substituted a pastoral ministry of preaching and teaching, because they conceived salvation as coming through conversion and faith in God’s word. So Christians had a right to hear the scriptures and ministers had a duty to explain them. In a way, then, the Bible was introduced as a verbal sacrament replacing the ritual sacraments of traditional Christianity. Through it, the Holy Spirit entered one’s heart and enlightened one’s mind. Preaching itself was expected to be sacramentally inspiring and uplifting. Explaining God’s teachings was a means of deepening faith and commitment, and exhorting people to follow his commandments was supposed to be an effective protection against sin.
Protestants did not do away with sacramental ordination but they changed the form and meaning of ordination to fit their new interpretation of ministry. They recognised the need for some sort of ceremonial initiation into the ministry and for a ritual to express and symbolise the meaning of the office and service.

So, the Reformers were led to deny the existence of a Sacrament of Order instituted by Christ, and considered the ministry as a function delegated by the Christian community to some of its members.

They observed that the law of celibacy was more often a cause of scandal than edification in the Church, and since they abandoned the idea of the Eucharist as a priestly sacrifice they saw no grounds for applying the OT rules of ritual purity to Christian ministers.

Explaining God’s teachings was a means of deepening faith and commitment, and exhorting people to follow his commandments was supposed to be an effective protection against sin.
Protestants did not do away with sacramental ordination but they changed the form and meaning of ordination to fit their new interpretation of ministry.

Lutherans – Priests and Bishops
Presbyterians – Elders with authority over clusters of Churches.
Congregationalists – Their elders + Scripture & the Spirit.
Anglicans – Episcopalian but defect of intention (transubstantiation) & form (Edwardine Ordinal)

The Council of TrentTrent rejected these views of the Reformers, declaring that the or­dained priesthood, separate from and superior to the priesthood of all believers, is conferred through one of the seven sacraments,

In the succeeding period, the ideal priestly life-style was portrayed as a very monastic one, even when priests had to live alone in country parishes and was seen as one that revolved around the mass and the sacraments.


Chapter Six

RECENT TIMES
Pope Pius XII Episcopalis Consecrationis, 1944

Second Vatican Council
The ministerial priesthood in the context of the Church.Christ’s unique priesthood is communicated by Him to the Church & is shared by the entire people of God (LG 10-13).

It consists of three degrees: the episcopate conferred on the bishops as successors of the apostles (LG 20-27), the presbyterate (LG 28) and the diaconate (LG 29).

Bishops “enjoy the fullness of the sacrament of orders,” whereas priests and deacons are dependent upon them in the exercise of authority (CD 15).

Collaborators with the bishop, constitute a college with him (LG 28; CD 29-30) and are his helpers and counsellors (PC 7). Make the bishop present in the local congregations entrusted to their care (LG 28).

Deacons are ordained for service and ministry to the People of God (CD 15). Council recommends the restoration of the permanent diaconate in the Church (LG 29).

Consecration and Mission are integrated (PO 3).Christ is at once Teacher, Priest and Shepherd.

The same three functions are indissolubly linked in the ministerial priesthood and exercised in various degrees by bishops, presbyters and deacons.

Priesthood of the Baptised
The Council puts new emphasis on the Church as being the entire people, encourages the “universal call to holiness,” reversing the previous view that only those with a special vocation are called to holiness
So the Council opens the door to fuller participation of lay people in the activity of the Church’s life.

Change of Emphasis
Vatican II depicts the priest as a proclaimer of the gospel of God and builder of Christian community.
Revision of RitesThe Council ordered that the ceremonies and the texts of the ordination rites be revised.
Reform of Structure
In 1972, Pope Paul VI reformed the structure of ministry in the Church.
Lector and acolyte were no longer considered ordained ministries, but rather lay ministries into which people could be installed by the bishop.

Consequences of the Council
For many who had been ordained to the old minor orders, it came as a bit of a shock that those orders could simply be suppressed by decree.

Still this historical overview shows that the Church can and must shape her ministries according to contemporary needs of the Church community.

A growing awareness of the community base of ordained ministry.
Diversity: The restoration of the diaconate and a virtual explosion of lay ministries.
Bishops – Pastors.
Priests – Preachers and Community Builders.Priests – Loss of Identity


Chapter Seven

Ordained Ministry & Priesthood of the Faithful In virtue of their baptism, all the faithful participate in the priesthood of Christ.


In NT times, there seems to have been a special stress on offering ones life as a sacrifice for those who have not yet heard of Christ, so that they could see Christian dedication as an invitation to believe.


And so, worshipping everywhere by their holy actions, the laity consecrates the world itself to God” (LG 34). Their loving acts of ministry, generosity, justice, and compassion are the visible expression of the living Christ, animating his mystical body.
The CCC asserts that: “While common priesthood of the faithful is exercised by the unfolding of baptismal grace – a life of faith, hope and charity, a life according to the spirit – the ministerial priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood” (1547).


We have been so cautioned to remember that the priesthood of the faithful & the ministerial priesthood “differ essentially & not only in degree” (LG10) that we have tended to lose the missionary focus of the Church & deprive the faithful of any awareness of their priestly identity.





Two key texts can help us in our understanding of this relationship, namely, Gen 2:7 and Ezek 37. The images of body, shape and bones represent the ministerial priesthood, while the images of breath and flesh signify the common priesthood.

Priesthood in the Church OrdainedPriest Presiding & Administering the Sacraments, Prayer
Faithful Priest Romans 12:1 – Offering their lives as living sacrifices, Participating in the Sacraments, Prayer
Prophet Ordained – Preaching, Teaching Faithful – Example, Witness, Reading the Signs of the Times
King Ordained – Pastor, Leader Faithful – Compassion, Work, Engagement in the World
Vobis sum episcopus, vobiscum Christianus – St Augustine. Pope John Paul II warns against the clericalisation of lay elites (Chistifideles Laici, 23)
He is concerned that the talent and enthusiasms of the most gifted lay faithful are drawn into liturgical ministries. He fears that this may be to the detriment of their lay witness and committed political action in the world.

Chapter Eight

CHARACTER & PERSONAL IDENTITY

CHARACTER: Jesus is said to be the 'express image of God's person’, the 'very stamp of his nature' (Heb 1:3).

Then we can say he has a priestly character that is effective in his personal life and is truly indelible.

PERSONAL IDENTITY:Disciple – Call & Total Response, Cross, HopeApostle – Sent.

Chapter Nine

Community

Priesthood is essentially related to the community.

A Presence in the Community

Model of Human Authenticity.

B. Active in the Community

Preacher, Prophet, Herald of God’s Kingdom, Evangeliser, Proclaimer of God’s word and justice.

Leader:
Public Figure representing the Church. Administrator.
Forms, Organises and builds up the Christian community (requires gift of discernment, dialogue ability, & leadership to stabilise)
Connects
President of Eucharist – he effects the Church’s most powerful expression of unity. Mystagogue.

Servant – Pastor and Agent for Development, Care for the Earth, Justice and Peace.

Definition: Ordination, then, can be defined as a “recognition of the gift of leadership, and at the same time a sacramental commissioning that empowers priests to govern the community in the name of Christ.”

Chapter Ten
Characteristics of Leadership

Courage — I Tim 1:6-7.
No resentment – ‘There is no limit to what you can achieve provided you don't mind who gets the credit.’
Passionate
Openness
Service
Confidence
Inner Authority
Transparency
Presence
Self-awarenessSpirituality
(From ‘Courageous Conversations’ by Daniel O’Leary, Furrow, Feb 2006, Vol 57, No 2).

Chapter Eleven

CELIBACY

The image of the Church official in Apostolic times is that of a married person, who is a good parent.

The Encratic Influence.
Elvira, c295-302 - Imposes celibacy on bishops, priests and deacons, but has not universal application.
Nicaea, 325 - Forbids marriage after receiving orders.
Popes Innocent I in 401 & Pope Leo I, 440-461, allow married priests to live with their wives ‘as brothers and sisters’.
Trullo, 692 - Forbids marriage after receiving orders.
Pope Nicholas II forbade the faithful from attending Mass said by a priest who was not celibate in 1059.
With Gregory VII in 1073, celibacy became a condition for entering the presbyteral ministry.
The First Lateran Council (1123) prohibited those in holy orders from marrying and ordered all married priests to renounce their wives and do penance.

Candidates for the priesthood who were already married might not receive any higher orders unless they severed all relations with their wives.Trent confirms the discipline.

Motives for the Law.
Divine Intimacy
Cultic Purity
Attraction of the Kingdom (Mt 19.12)
Social Motives
Evangelically Inspired

Pope Paul VI: Christ, Church & Eschaton
Pope John Paul II: Freedom for Service & Sign of Fidelity

Conclusion Richard Sipe says: ‘Celibacy is a freely chosen dynamic state, usually vowed, that involves an honest and sustained attempt to live without direct sexual gratification in order to serve others productively for a spiritual motive’.

Therefore, she permits only those who feel themselves called to celibacy to enter the ranks of her ministerial priesthood.

Chapter 12

Inter Insigniores
Reasons for not ordaining women as priests.
1. Jesus Christ did not call any woman to be part of the twelve apostles.
2. The Apostles did not include any women in the apostolic group.
3. From the earliest centuries, the constant practice of the Church has been not to ordain women to the priesthood.
4. No natural resemblance to act in the name of Jesus.
5. Not a human rights issue.
6. Church has not got the authority.

Reasons given for showing that women can minister as priests.
1. Jesus liberates women.
2. During the Last Supper, Jesus empowered women to preside at the Eucharist.
3. Church is called to be Liberated from Prejudice.
4. Affirmed in latent tradition.
5. Women were Ordained as Deacons.
6. Supported by developments in other Christian Churches.
7. Called by the Holy Spirit

SUMMARY Basis of Sacrament: Heb 5 (Jesus the compassionate High Priest of the Order of Melchizedek).
Institution: Lk 22:19 (Do this in memory of me).
Practice: 2 Tim 1:6 (Fan into a flame the gift God gave you, when I laid my hands on you).
Prophetic Act: Lk 6:12-16 (Choice of 12); 9:1-6 (Mission of 12).
Doctrine: The sacrament of Order was instituted by Christ and is conferred through the imposition of hands and the prayer of ordination.
The minister of the sacrament is the bishop. The sacrament confers the Holy Spirit & grace for the exercise of the ministry. It imprints a sacramental character which conforms the recipient to Christ the Priest. Some ministries can be conferred on lay people by installation.

TEN PRINCIPLES FOR A PRIEST’S LIFE PATTERNHow I live as a priest is more important than what I do as a priest.What Christ does through me is more important that what I do by myself.
It is more important for me to live in union with the presbyterium than to be alone and absorbed in my work.The ministry of prayer and the word is more important than serving at tables.
It is more important to work united with my fellow workers than to do the maximum number of jobs all by myself.
It is more important to concentrate on a few points and to influence others than to be hurried and incomplete in everything.
Joint action is more important than isolated action, no matter how perfect.The cross is more important than efficiency; it is more fruitful.
Openness to the whole (community, diocese, Church throughout the world) is more important than a particular interest, no matter how important that may be.
It is more important that the faith be witnessed to all than that all ‘traditional’ demands be satisfied. (From ‘The meaning of Christian Priesthood’ by Gisbert Greshake).