My dear Parishioners,
Peace! While the “Year for Priests” has ended it is still timely to go over the various In Brief passages in the Catechism of the Catholic Church regarding Holy Orders. We will then resume with Article Two (2) of the Creed. There are eleven (11) of these passages which will help us to appreciate this sign of grace entrusted to the Church by Christ Himself, the Great High Priest. The following is a reflection on article 1597.
One of the Seven Sacraments is Holy Orders. It presupposes the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist as well as regular reception of Penance (as we are all in need of God’s healing mercy). There are some followers of Christ who do not accept that Christ the Lord instituted Seven Sacraments. We need to pray and work for the unity of Christians as Jesus did at the Last Supper (Jn 17) and as has been a part of Ecumenical Councils throughout the years.
There is in the conferral of the Sacrament of Holy Orders the imposition of hands. The technical term for this is “epicletic gesture” a visible sign of the calling down of the Holy Spirit. In the three (3) rites (bishops, priests, and deacons) the impostion of hand occurs on the head of the man to be ordained. In priestly and episcopal ordination all those having the same grade of Orders likewise impose hands as a sign of the fraternal bond. Each of the Seven Sacraments includes a calling down of the Holy Spirit: over the waters in Baptism, over the bread and wine in Eucharist, over those to be Confirmed, over the repentant in Penance, over the sick person in Anointing, over the husband and wife in Marriage, and over the bishops, priests, and deacons in Holy Orders.
The prayer of consecration asks God to give particular graces to the man being ordained. T he consecratory prayer asks God to help bishops be bishops and priests to be priests and deacons to be deacons. We need to all storm Heaven, not only on the day of ordination but always, that these graces will not be lacking, nor will they be spurned (tragically, we know only too well what the spurning of these graces looks like).
When a man has been ordained a Deacon, a Priest, or a Bishop there is a permanent “mark” made on his soul. This mark can never be taken away. For better (Heaven) or worse (Hell) the mark accompanies him, even as all who have been baptized and confirmed likewise receive indelible marks setting them apart for divine worship and service. Let us live so as to not be ashamed of the graces given us by Christ the Lord, so as to live with Him and all His Saints forever in Heaven.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr