Sacrament of Holy Orders


One of the witnesses at the Martyrdom of Stephen, the first martyr was a young man. He was not satisfied with the death of Stephen. After that young man made havoc of the church, "entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison" (Acts 8:3).
No doubt thinking that he was doing God service, in religious zeal, carried his persecuting work to other parts, obtaining the authority of the high priest to bring in bonds to Jerusalem those who owned allegiance to Jesus.
He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’ The men who were travelling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias. ‘Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.’ So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul* and said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ That young man became one of the pillars of Jesus. That is the account of the call of St. Paul.
Whenever God required people for his work he called them. In the Old Testament God called people from various walks of life for his work.  Everyone had a specific mission.
The burden of Abraham's mission is clearly stated in God's calling to him: "I will bless thee ... and thou shalt be a blessing: ... and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 12:2-3)
Moses led his people out of Egypt and slavery to the Promised Land.
Jeremiah was to preach repentance to the Southern Kingdom of Judah.

Isaiah prophesized the coming of the Messiah. Daniel received dreams 
and visions and the interpretation of dreams directly from God. The prophet Elijah urged the people of ancient Israel to turn from sin and to return to the true God.  John the Baptist was chosen to prepare the world for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Whenever God calls he empowers them. God called Jeremiah and Jeremiah tried to resist speaking about his weakness. But God’s blessing empowered him. He describes his calling.
Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,
‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.’
Then I said, ‘Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.’ But the Lord said to me,
‘Do not say, “I am only a boy”;
for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
and you shall speak whatever I command you.
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.’
Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me,
‘Now I have put my words in your mouth.
See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.’
I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and His robe filled the temple. Seraphim were standing above Him; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts;
His glory fills the whole earth.
The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke.
Then I said:
Woe is me for I am ruined
because I am a man of unclean lips
and live among a people of unclean lips,
and because my eyes have seen the King,
the Lord of Hosts.
 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs.  He touched my mouth with it and said:
Now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed
and your sin is atoned for.
When God’s call comes. It cannot be resisted. God called to Jonah one day and told him to go preach to Nineveh because the people were very wicked. Jonah hated this idea because Nineveh was one of Israel's greatest enemies and Jonah wanted nothing to do with preaching to them!
Jonah tried to run away from God in the opposite direction of Nineveh and headed by boat to Tarshish. God sent a great storm upon the ship and the men decided Jonah was to blame so they threw him overboard. As soon as they tossed Jonah in the water, the storm stopped.
God sent a big fish, some call it a whale, to swallow Jonah and to save him from drowning. While in the belly of the big fish (whale), Jonah prayed to God for help, repented, and praised God. For three days Jonah sat in the belly of the fish. Then, God had the big fish throw up Jonah onto the shores of Nineveh.
Even today God continues to call people for his work. But sometimes his call is not recognized. When God called Samuel he could not recognize that it was God who was calling him.
The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.
One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel.
Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”
 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
God’s call continues through history in every century either through direct intervention or through the intervention. St Francis of Assisi recognized his call through the intervention of Jesus himself; while for St. Francis Xavier God worked through St. Ignatius Loyola.
Francis of Assisi grew up during a time of constant warfare, when cities were continually fighting one another, and fame was to be achieved in battle. When Francis was about 25 years old, a dispute arose between the German princes and Pope Innocent III and war broke out. Like many other soldiers from Italy, Francis decided to join the papal armies. But on the way he had a dream and, he was asked to return to Assisi.
According to most biographies Ignatius is said to have posed the question: "What will it profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" It made Francis Xavier change his aspirations for worldly achievements. He became one the most zealous missionaries the church has ever seen.
Today more than ever the church requires committed men and women to dedicate their life for the sake of Jesus. Jesus said Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; (Mt 9:37) "Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." (Mt 9:38)
During the public ministry of Jesus he called some to follow him. He called them from different walks of life. Some were fishermen. Mathew was a tax collector, Philip and James seemed to be tradesmen. When they were called they left everything and followed him. Jesus chose 12 among them as his disciples.
Jesus conferred on the Apostles priesthood at the last supper. The Gospels give a vid description of the establishment of priest hood. When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him.  Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”  Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” (Lk 22:14-19)
Priesthood in some form appears to have existed from the earliest times, even from the beginning of the history of our race. In patriarchal times the office was held and its duties were discharged by chief of the family and of the tribe. Thus, Noah "built an altar unto Yahweh, and took of every clean beast, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar" (Gen 8:20). Abraham offered the ram "for a burnt-offering in the place of his son" (Gen 22:13). Melchizedek was "priest of God Most High" (Gen 14:18). From the beginning, priesthood with its acts of expiation and of worship was thus recognized as a divinely-instituted office. But in pre-Mosaic times there was no special class of priests recognized. Regular priestly succession in a single family was established by Moses Ex 28:1-3). From this point of time onward the priesthood in Israel was confined to the family of Aaron.
All priesthood reaches its climax in that of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus conferred priesthood on 12 of his disciples. And gave them power to reenact the mystery of his life. When the priest takes the bread and says it is the body of Christ, Jesus becomes present in the pred. And when he takes the wine and says it is the blood of Christ, Jesus becomes present in it. This is done day after day through the church at the command of Jesus. He said, “Do this in memory of me.” This right is given only to the priests. Even the angels who stand in the presence of God envy man who is given the privilege to carry the body and blood of Jesus in his hands.
To continue this mission in the church the Apostles chose and ordained devout men.  After Jesus’ ascension, the apostles had the important mission of spreading the news about Jesus, but they were lacking one member. At a gathering of Jesus’ disciples, Peter told the group that a replacement for Judas was needed. The man to be chosen needed to have been a witness to Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension. Two men were proposed, Justus and Matthias. Peter and the apostles prayed for the Lord to show them whom to choose. Matthias was chosen and became the new apostle (Acts 1:15-26).
Today the pope and bishops have been called and chosen to continue Jesus’ work; they are successors to the apostles. And priests share in the priest hood with the Bishops.
Priests serve the Body of Christ:
1 Corinthians 3:5 What then is Apollo’s? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each.
1 Corinthians 9:19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more.
2 Corinthians 4:5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 
A universal priesthood of “offering” (sacrifice) extending to “every place” in New Testament times was prophesied:
Isaiah 66:18, 21 . . . I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and shall see my glory, [21] And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the LORD. 
Malachi 1:11 . . . my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering; . . .
Normally priests are ordained by the bishop of the diocese they will be serving in or the religious order of which they will be a part. They are the bishop’s co-workers, and when priests are ordained, they make a promise of obedience to their bishop. One of the main things a priest does as a co-worker with his bishop is to carry out the Church’s mission to: proclaim, teach, and guard the word of God found in Scripture and authentic Catholic tradition. A priest with the authority of Christ carries on the priestly ministry of Jesus in a number of ways in his parish, or local area he is looking after. Chiefly he celebrates the Mass (which is the central worship of the Church) while acting in the person of Christ. He will also celebrate some of the other sacraments; baptism, confession (often called reconciliation) marriage, and the sacrament of the sick (anointing and praying for those who are sick). He is also charged with shepherding (caring for and looking after) and governing God’s people in his parish or wherever he is placed by his bishop.
The priest, therefore, living in the midst of the people, is called to teach, sanctify and lead through service. He is called to serve others and will be involved in the many various circumstances of life. The Sacrament of Holy Orders also provides a special grace (help from God) to enable the priest to carry out his vocation faithfully and successfully.
St. Paul advised the church leaders to be free from worldly worries and to dedicate themselves in the work of the Lord. He wrote to the leaders in Corinth “I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried woman or girl is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please her husband.” (1 Corinthians 7:32-35)
St. John Vianney ‘knew how to “live” actively within the entire territory of his parish: he regularly visited the sick and families, organized popular missions and patronal feasts, cared for the orphans and teachers of the “Providence”, provided for the education of children; founded confraternities  and enlisted lay persons to work at his side.’ St. John Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.
Call to priest hood and religious life is a noble one. Hence it has to be cherished in every family and every parish. What is required most is to develop a vocation culture in the parish.
We should keep in mind that priests are not free from human follies. A priest was driving along a country road when a policeman pulled him over. He immediately smelt alcohol on the priest’s breath and noticed an empty wine bottle in the car.
He asked: “Have you been drinking?”
“Just water,” replied the priest.
The cop asked: “Then why did I smell wine?”
The priest looked at the bottle and said: “Good Lord! He’s done it again!”
Among the 12 chosen disciples of Jesus two went astray. Judas betrayed him, and Peter denied him. Once Judas realized the gravity of his action he committed suicide, and Peter repented. “Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, ‘before a cock crows, you will deny Me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly.” (Mt. 26:75)
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) describes Holy Orders as ‘The sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time…’ (CCC 1536). When a man receives Holy Orders, he is configured to Christ, which means that when he carries out his ministerial work he is acting in the power of Christ, and not in his own power ‘Everything a priest does in his ministry flows from what he becomes at his ordination: presiding at Mass, absolving sinners, anointing the sick, proclaiming and explaining the Gospel, giving blessings, and his whole pastoral leadership of building up a local community of faith.. The priest does what he does because of what he is: a priest of Jesus Christ.’ (Diocese of Arundel and Brighton leaflet on vocations to the priesthood)
Though Christians are found in many parts of the world, they represent less than 10% of a country’s population. There still millions of people who have not heard of the gospel of Jesus. They have not heard about the sacrifice of Jesus for mankind. They have not heard about the consoling voice of Jesus. So today Jesus has to work through us. Hence the church required dedicated men and women to continue the mission of Jesus. As Jesus said it is our duty to pray for vocations from our parish and diocese. “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his field." (Mt. 9:38)
The prayers and tears of St. Monica gave a great bishop and theologian to the church. In 2 Tim 1:5 we learn that his faith came to him though his grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice.
To foster vocations from the parish we have to develop a vocation culture in the families, Speak about the good things achieved by the priests and religious and appreciate their good work and pray for them.
Satish