Exiit qui seminat “The sower goes out to sow”

Today, we finish up our look at the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

Holy Orders, at its core, is a participation in the 3-fold munera (or duties) of Christ to teach, govern and sanctify. For the priesthood and the episcopacy (aka being a bishop), the sacramental reality is that there is only one true priest: Jesus Himself. Bishops and priests are Christ's ministers and participate in His priesthood. A bishop is the fullness of His ministry and His obligations of love and is considered a successor to the Apostles. The priest is a further extension of Christ's priesthood, bringing the sacraments to the people. Deacons are actually a sacrament of the Church and the recognition of an important and specific need in ministering to the faithful. Bishops, priests and deacons take solemn promises of celibacy and obedience. We also make a solemn promise to be faithful to praying the Liturgy of the Hours or the Breviary, the official prayer of the Church. Priests that belong to religious orders (like the Franciscans, the Dominicans and the Augustinians) make vows instead of solemn promises. These vows are based on the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience and may also include things like stability (for monks and cloisters) and special promises of fidelity to the Holy Father (in the case of the Jesuits). These promises and vows help the priest to imitate Jesus Christ, who is literally the ultimate priestly model as the One, True High Priest. They aid priests in carrying out their vocation effectively and to serve the faithful in a meaningful way. Whenever a priest teaches catechesis, preaches, and evangelizes, gives pastoral leadership, celebrates and administers the sacramental life of the Church, we see the culmination of the munera and the promises/vows of the priests in a meaningful way. They compliment each other in building and sustaining the spiritual life of the Church. And in doing so priests play a vital role in fostering a vibrant and holier Catholic community, leading the faithful towards a deeper relationship with God and ultimately guiding them on the path to salvation. As we bring our discussion about the 7 Sacraments to a close, I want to thank each and every one of you for your attentiveness and engagement. I hope you found these articles interesting and maybe even learned something you didn't know before! It is my hope that by learning about how we pray and how the Sacraments are at the heart of the Church we can continue our journey together as a community and a Church in growing in love for Christ, His Church and one another! God bless you all!