Lesson 33
What Is The Best Way To Learn About Priestly Ordination?
Welcome back to our Lenten Lessons on the Sacraments. Today we continue with the Sacrament of Holy Orders with few more words about the beautiful and timeless ceremony.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church provides a useful summary and description of the Ordination Ceremonies in the various rites of the Church:
1574 As in all the sacraments additional rites surround the celebration. Varying greatly among the different liturgical traditions, these rites have in common the expression of the multiple aspects of sacramental grace. Thus in the Latin Church, the initial rites – presentation and election of the ordinand, instruction by the bishop, examination of the candidate, litany of the saints – attest that the choice of the candidate is made in keeping with the practice of the Church and prepare for the solemn act of consecration, after which several rites symbolically express and complete the mystery accomplished: for bishop and priest, an anointing with holy chrism, a sign of the special anointing of the Holy Spirit who makes their ministry fruitful; giving the book of the Gospels, the ring, the miter, and the crosier to the bishop as the sign of his apostolic mission to proclaim the Word of God, of his fidelity to the Church, the bride of Christ, and his office as shepherd of the Lord’s flock; presentation to the priest of the paten and chalice, “the offering of the holy people” which he is called to present to God; giving the book of the Gospels to the deacon who has just received the mission to proclaim the Gospel of Christ.
The entire ordination ceremony is solemn and grand and holy and lasts two to three hours. The best way to learn about it is to attend an Ordination Ceremony in the Cathedral of your Diocese, that is, if you can get in because it is usually jam-packed.
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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