Holy Orders and the Priesthood

Christian ministry means walking in the footsteps of Jesus, imitating Him in His service to others, and continuing the work He began in His lifetime. Every Catholic is called and graced for Christian ministry, but there is a special call to ministry that only a few receive. It is the call to ordained ministry, to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders. The expression “Holy Orders” comes from the Letter to the Hebrews, where we read, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 5:6)

As the early Church grew in numbers, the bishop could no longer serve all the people entrusted to his care. So he ordained assistants to help him. Called presbyters, or priests, they were put in charge of smaller areas, or parishes, of the bishop’s assigned territory. The parish priest has since become the ordained minister with whom we are most familiar.

When many of us were children, it was clear who was a priest and who was not. Priests were the ones who did all the important things: they said Mass, heard confessions, and administered the sacraments. They knew all the answers, and they could talk out loud in Church!

Things are different now. Today, no one would consider the Mass to be the private affair of the priest. We understand that no one, aside from God, knows all the answers. And everyone talks in Church: we all pray the Mass and respond to the prayers.

Priests, however, have a special ministry. Through the sacrament of Holy Orders, the priest receives a special share in Christ’s own priestly ministry. “Since every priest in his own way assumes the person of Christ, he is endowed with a special grace,” and, therefore, is empowered to act in Christ’s name in a special way. (Ministry & Life of Priests, 12)

While the priest is the one who can consecrate the Eucharist and hear confessions, his number one task is “to preach the gospel.” (CCC #1564) To do this effectively, he is expected to understand the joys and sorrows of his parishioners: the difficulties in raising a family and facing serious illness, along with the happiness that comes from family additions and celebrating milestones. Our priests have a challenging task in being both “set apart” and “in the midst.”

Like the bishop, whose coworker he is, the priest shepherds the flock entrusted to his care, leads it in worship, and instructs it in the way of salvation. The sacrament of Holy Orders gives him the grace to do this well.