Lesson 35
What’s The First Obligation Of A Catholic Priest?
Welcome back to our Lenten Lessons on the Sacraments as we continue teaching about the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
So what are the effects of the Sacrament of Holy Orders? They are big. Really big. First off, once you are ordained, you can never become un-ordained, even if you get fired, and even if you get “laicized.” As we read in Psalm 110 of the Old Testament, “You are a priest forever, according to the Order of Melchizedek.” The Sacrament of Holy Orders confers a Sacramental Seal, or “indelible character” on the soul, just like Baptism and Confirmation. And that seal lasts forever. Once you are ordained, that’s it. This “indelible character” configures the priest to act “in persona Christi” (in the person of Christ) and enables him to carry out the threefold mission of Jesus to teach, to rule, and to sanctify, or . .to be priest, prophet, and king.
The priest does not teach in his own name, but in the name of Jesus and in the name of the Church. He does not rule in his own name, but in the name of Jesus and in the name of the Church. He does not sanctify or confer the sacraments to the faithful in his own name or by his own power, but in the name of Jesus Christ. He is the minister of Jesus Christ.
As with the other Sacraments, the Sacrament of Holy Orders brings an increase in Sanctifying grace, confers special actual graces for the exercise of his ministry, and provides a variety of charismatic graces for the service to the community.
Even if a priest were not personally holy, he would still have the power to celebrate the sacraments, to confect the Holy Eucharist, to baptize children and forgive sins, to be a channel of God’s grace, all because the sacraments work “ex opere operato”, which means “from the work worked, or from the deed done.” The efficacy of the sacraments does not depend on the holiness of the priest, but the quantity of grace received by the recipient does depend on the subjective disposition of the recipient. You can be more or less hungry for grace, and accordingly receive more or less grace.
However, the very first obligation of the priest is to strive for personal holiness, otherwise his example will turn off the faithful. Some Saint said, “a priest goes to heaven or a priest goes to hell, with ten thousand souls behind him.” So, pray that your priest be holy and give good example.
So tune in every day of Lent to learn more about your Catholic faith, because if you Learn it, then you can Live it; and if you Live it, you will Love it; and if you Love it, you will never Leave it!
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