1. HOLY ORDERS

3. MEANING:
The Sacrament of apostolic ministry.
The Sacrament by which men become
priests and are given a sacred
power (sacra potestas) to act in total
sacramental identification with Christ.

4. “Order” means the group or body of
those who carry on certain functions.
Like teaching, sanctifying and
governing.
“Ordination” is the sacramental act
by which one is integrated into the
orders of bishops, priests and deacons.

5. ORIGIN
 Old Testament
New Testament

6. OLD TESTAMENT
 Through Moses God called all the
Israelites to be “a kingdom of priest, a
holy nation”
 The old testament priesthood was
powerless to effect definitive salvation.
 It was never able to perfect the
worshippers by the same sacrifices
offered continually year after year.

7. NEW TESTAMENT
Four basic dimensions :
The priest is a disciple
The priest is an apostle
The priest is called a presbyter
The priest is presider at the Eucharist

8. Institution of the Holy Orders
At the Last Supper Jesus instituted
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In this
new sacrifice the gift offered to God
would not be a mere token gift, such as a
sheep or an ox or bread and wine. The
gift now, for the first time and always,
would be a gift worthy of God.

9. It would be the gift of God's own Son a
gift of infinite value, even as God himself is
infinite.
In the Mass, under the appearances of
bread and wine, Jesus would daily renew the
once-and-forever offering which, upon the
cross, he made of himself to God. In the Mass
he would give to each of us, his baptized
members, the opportunity to unite ourselves
with him in that offering.

11. DEGREES OF THE SACRAMENT

12. BISHOPS
By episcopal consecration is
conferred to the fullness of the
sacrament of Orders and together
with the office of sanctifying, the
duty also of teaching and ruling.

13. Bishops in an eminent and visible
manner undertake Christ’s own
role as teacher, shepherd , and high
priest and act in his person.
Each bishop has, as Vicar of Christ,
the pastoral responsibility for a
particular diocese entrusted to
him.

14. PRIESTS
 “The function of the bishops ministry
was handed over in a subordinate
degree to priests so they might be
appointed in the order of the
priesthood and be workers of the
episcopal order for the proper
fulfillment of the apostolic mission
entrusted to it by Christ.”

15. 3 Main Functions
To preach the Gospel
Shepherd the faithful
Celebrate divine worship as true
priest of the New Testament

16. Sacred Functions
 Acting in the person of Christ.
 They unite the votive offerings of the
faithful to the sacrifice of Christ their
head.
 Make present again and apply the
unique sacrifice of the New Testament.

17. Three Priestly Function of Minister
 Of God’s word
 Of the sacraments
 Of the leadership in the faith
community

18. DEACONS
 “Strengthened by sacramental grace, in
the communion with the bishop and
his body of priests, deacons serve the
people of God in the service of the
liturgy, of the Gospel, and of works of
charity. ”

19. Duties
 To administer baptism solemnly
 To be custodians and to distributors of the
sacrifice
 To assist and bless marriages in the name of
Church
 To bring viaticum to the dying
 To read the sacred scripture to the faithful

20.  To instruct and exhort the people
 To preside over the worship and prayer
of the faithful
 To administer sacramentals
 To officiate at funeral and burial
services

21. EFFECTS OF HOLY ORDERS

22. A. The Spirit and the Life of the Ordained
 No one can authentically preach
God’s word except from a life wholly
conformed to it, and conversely by
preaching the Word always affects
the whole life of the preacher

23.  No one can lead others into the
prayer of Christ except from a life
conformed to that prayer, and
conversely leading others in genuine
Christian prayer affects the whole life
of the prayer-leader.

24.  No one can shepherd with the
affection of Christ the good shepherd
except from a little conformed to
such affections, and conversely
shepherding the others with the
affection of Christ affects the whole
life of the shepherd.

25.  The ordained ministry thus
incarnates the priesthood of Jesus
Christ himself. The transformation
through ordination involves the
whole life of the ordained because
the nature of the ministries
themselves.

26. B. Spirituality of Priest
 The Holy Spirit
The spirit of the Lord is the principal
agent in the spiritual life of all
Christians, especially of priests. He
creates the “new heart”, inspires and
guides it with the new law of love and
pastoral charity.

27.  Following his action on Christ himself
the spirit reveals and communicates
the fundamental calling which the
father address to everyone from all
eternity through Christ Jesus, and
become the indwelling principle and
wellspring of its fulfillment .

28.  The Spiritual life of Priests
Vatican II declared that priests, who
have already received in the consecration
of baptism the sign and the gift of the
Christian calling to perfection, are
bound in a special way to strive this
perfection since they are consecrated to
God in s new way by their ordination.

29. Since every priest in his own way
represents the person of Christ himself,
he is 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 , and evangelical poverty.

30.  John Paul’s exhortation to
Priests
John Paul II addressed 5,000 priests
from throughout the world as follows:
a. The priestly vocation is essentially
call to holiness, in the form which
derives from the Sacrament of
Orders

31. b. Holiness is intimacy with God , it is
the imitation to Christ, who was poor ,
chaste and humble; it is unreserved love
for persons and a giving of oneself on
their behalf and for their true good; it is
love for the church which is holy and
wants us to be holy.