Lesson 31
Who Are The Shepherds Jesus Promised To Us?
Welcome back to the Lenten Lessons on the Sacraments! There are two sacraments left, both at the Service of Communion: Holy Orders and Matrimony. Today we begin our Series on Holy Orders. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church we read:
1536 Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate.
All ordained ministers are called to imitate Jesus Christ and serve as Good Shepherds of his flock. The Lord promised that he would not leave us orphans and that he would provide shepherds. Saint John Paull II wrote a letter about this in 1992, the year I was ordained as a Priest and that Letter is titled: “Pastores Dabo Vobis”, or in English, “I will give you Shepherds.”
The word “order” means there is a relation of hierarchy in the Church and the process for admission into the hierarchy is called “ordination.” This is how Christ has put his Church in order. It is not a free for all. There is a “chain of command”. The Church has order to it.
Jesus instituted Holy Orders at the Last Supper when he told his Apostles, “Do this in memory of me.” He gave them an “order” and enabled them to confect the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. He gave that power to the Apostles, and over the ages the Apostles and the Successors to the Apostles have passed along that power through the “imposition of hands.” Three days after the Last Supper the Lord further empowered the Apostles in the Upper Room when he gave them the power to forgive sins (John 20:21) and then said “As the Father sent me, I also send you.” Jesus gave them orders to work for him. Today, if you visit Jerusalem, you can see the Upper Room for yourself, also known as the Cenacle, outside the Old Walls of Jerusalem. The original building has been destroyed and the current edifice dates from the Crusader period in the Middle Ages.
Forty days later, at the Ascension of Our Lord into heaven, Jesus gave the Apostles further orders, and this one is known as the Great Commission: “Go out into the whole world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Those were pretty clear orders.
The Apostles carried on the Mission Our Lord gave them, and as the Church grew there was an ever-greater need for men to help in this mission. Accordingly, there are many references to the “imposition of hands” by the Apostles in the Acts of the Apostles, Letters to Timothy, and other ancient Christian texts.
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!
Please feel free to share these lessons with your friends and family, and let them know that it’s easy to sign up to receive these free daily emails. Be assured of my prayers for a fruitful Lenten season!
