SACRAMENT OF
HOLY ORDER
Brief Description
Holy Order is the sacrament of
apostolic ministry. It
configures the ordained to
Christ by a special grace of the
Holy Spirit, in view of serving
as an instrument of Christ for
his Church. Through it, the
mission entrusted by Christ to
his apostles continues to be
exercised in the church to the
end of time.
Order in Church usage
simply means the group
or body of those who
carry on certain function
such as teaching,
sanctifying and
governing.
Grounded in the Trinity:
By virtue of consecration he
receives in the Sacrament of
Orders, the priest is sent
forth by the Father, through
the mediatorship of Jesus
Christ… in order to live and
work by the power of the
Holy Spirit in the service of
the Church.
Ordination
The sacramental act by which one
is integrated into the orders of
bishops, of priests and of
deacons.
It confers a gift of the Holy Spirit
enabling the exercise of a sacred
power which can only come from
Christ himself, through his church.
Thus, it goes beyond a simple
designation, delegation or
institution.
Ordination
confers an indelible
spiritual character as a
mark made in the depths
of the priest’s being, with
its own personalistic
dynamism for priestly
personality.
PRIESTHOOD IN OLD
TESTAMENT
Someone appointed to act on
behalf of the people “as their
representative before God, to
offer gifts and sacrifices for
sins.”
Was powerless to effect
definitive salvation.
PRIESTHOOD IN THE NEW
TESTAMENT
Is a disciple, called to “follow
Jesus” in total commitment,
undeterred even by family
ties, life itself, hardship, or
death and with no looking
back to what was left
behind.
PRIESTHOOD IN THE NEW
TESTAMENT
Is an apostle, sent to serve in the
mission of Jesus and of the Church.
Is a presbyter, an elder, one
responsible to the pastoral care of
the Church members. He represents
an institution with authority not to
dominate but to serve.
PRIESTHOOD IN THE NEW
TESTAMENT
Is a presider at the Eucharist
as he offers the holy sacrifice
of the Mass in person
Christi, this is obviously
daily function of a priest.
Configured to Christ
Jesus is the unique
Mediator of the New
Covenant between God
and humankind for he is
not just the spokesman
of God but a God-made-
man, Emmanuel, God
among us, in whose very
being, the new covenant,
the perfect union of God
and man – is fully
realized.
Configured to Christ
Jesus is uniquely
priest not only by
reason of his very
being, but also by his
actions. Thus, he
surpassed all priestly
offerings and
sacrifices of the past.
His whole life was a
priestly act.
Configured to Christ
Jesus called and
appointed with a specific
and authoritative
mandate the Twelve as
his companions whom he
would send to preach the
Good News. They were
likewise to have
authority to expel
demons.
Ministerial Priesthood
Priests are appointed ministers among
the faithful in order to put them
together in the one body.
Priests are to hold in the community of
the faithful the sacred power of order,
that of offering sacrifice and forgiveness
of sins.
They would exercise their priestly office
publicly on behalf of the Church in the
name of Christ.
To preach the Gospel
Shepherd the faithful
Celebrate divine worship.
Models of Ministerial
Priesthood.
Sacral – emphasize the special
powers of the priest – powers
exercised principally in the
administration of the
sacraments, particularly the
Mass and Confession.
Ministerial – emphasize the
ministry of community
leadership which is exercised in
service rooted in the very
ministry of Jesus who came not
to be served but to serve.
Representational
Through ordination,
bishop and priests are
incorporated into the
Church’s pastoral office,
with new relationships to
Christ and to the Church.
They are officially
authorized to represent
Christ and the Church -
speak in the name of the
Church, and in particular
circumstances, to act in
Christ’s name.
In the Name of the
Church
Priest’s life must be
marked by this
fundamental attitude of
service to the People of
God, freed from all
“lording it over” those in
their charge. Thus, they
are called to imitate and
live out his pastoral
charity.
IN COLLEGIALITY WITH
THOSE IN HOLY ORDER.
They have a communitarian form and can
only be carried out as a collective work
such as…
Hierarchical communion
necessary cooperation with his
bishop.
With his fellow priests by
reason of sacrament of
Holy Order and the
common bonds of
apostolic charity,
ministry and fraternity.
With the laity by promoting
their
baptismal priesthood in
serving their faith, hope
and charity.
THUS, they serve actually as mystery,
communion and mission.
3 Degrees
Bishops – responsible for a
particular diocese entrusted to
him and cares for all the
churches.
Priests – co-workers of the
bishop for the proper fulfillment
of the apostolic mission
entrusted to him by Christ.
Deacons – serve the people of
God in the service of the liturgy,
of the Gospel, and of the works
of charity.
Spirituality of Priests
Priests are endowed with a
special grace which enables him
through his service of the people,
to better pursue the perfection of
Christ.
This means witnessing to the
radicalism of the Gospel,
particularly through living out the
evangelical counsels:
apostolic
pastoral obedience
celibacy
evangelical poverty.
PCP II added that priesthood
has to be:
Rooted and centered on Christ;
Ministerial;
Collegial;
Lived in the spirit of the evangelical
counsels of obedience,
chastity and poverty.
Missionary;
Eucharistic
and Marian.
Pope John Paul II says:
Priestly vocation is
essentially a call to
holiness in the form which
derives from the
Sacrament of Orders.
He stressed the need to be
converted every day.
