Biblical Foundation OLD TESTAMENT

     “Melchizedek king of Salem brought bread and wine; he was a priest of God Most High” (Gen 15:18; Heb 7:1-10) Jeru = King Salem = city Jerusalem = Kingly City Moses consecrated Aaron and his sons as priests of the Old Law with a special rite (Ex 29:1-30; Lev 8 10)

Biblical Foundation OLD TESTAMENT

  God’s chosen race set apart by God to be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex 19:6; Is 61:6) Two types of priests  Non-specialized (kingdom of priests) ○ Found with the Patriarchs ○ Priestly functions carried out by head of family  Specialized (set apart for liturgical service) ○ Hereditary priestly class that is found in the tribes of Aaron and Levi ○ The high priest comes from this class  Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement Ram verse Lamb

Biblical Foundation OLD TESTAMENT

 Ezekiel was a priest (Ezek 1:3); Jeremiah a priestly family (Jer 1:1)  Tribe of Levi set apart (Gen 29:34; Numbers 18:2)  No possession because God is their possession; dwell among the people  Consecrated to service to the Lord  Carry the tabernacle & sacred utensils

Biblical Foundation NEW TESTAMENT

 “Christ is the High Priest” (Heb 4, 5, 7)  Both Priest and Victim ○ ○ Priest – offered the sacrifice Victim – was the sacrifice being offered  Jesus chose 12 Apostles to share in His ministry (Mk 3:13-18; Luke 6:12-16)  Jesus gives them His mission (Mt 10:1 16)

Biblical Foundation NEW TESTAMENT

Apostles:   Learn from Jesus (Mark 3:14) Baptize (Matthew 28:19)       Confirm (Acts 8:17) Anoint for Healing (James 5:14) Forgive Sins (John 20:23) Select other Priests (Acts 1:26) Involved with Marriages (Matthew 19:8-12) Celebrate the Eucharist (Luke 22:14-20; 1 Cor 11:23-29)

Participation

 There is, and can only be, one true priest: Jesus  There are two ways that his priesthood can be participated in  Priesthood of the Faithful  Ministerial Priesthood

Priesthood of the Faithful

 All Christians share in his priesthood 

“To [Jesus] who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father.”

○ Rev 1:5-6  This is called the priesthood of the faithful  Exercised by the unfolding of baptismal grace

Ministerial priesthood

 This is the priesthood that we speak of using the term “Holy Orders”  Distinct from the priesthood of the faithful  Differ essentially, not only in degree  This priesthood is at the service of the priesthood of the faithful  Directed at the unfolding of the baptismal grace of all Christians

Hierarchy

Bishop

→ → (episkopoi = overseer) 1 Tim 3:1-7 Oversees a Diocese Minister of Confirmation & Holy Orders

Priest

→ (presbyteros) Lk 10:1-20; James 5 Extension of Bishop’s Ministry →

in persona Christi

(In the person of Christ) →

Alter Christus

(Another Christ)

Deacon

3:8 → → → → → (diakonos = to serve) Acts 6; 1 Tim Transitional vs. Permanent (can be married) Minister for Baptism & Marriage Proclaiming the Gospel & Preaching Preparing & Minister for the Chalice Funerals & burials

Qualifications

       Called by Christ (chosen by God; not a right) Male Minor Seminary (undergraduate degree) Major Seminary (Theologate; graduate degree) Transitional Deacon Promises / Vows:   Prayer Obedience  Celibacy Good to live a simple life, but not a “promise”

Pope Benedict XVI:

Alter Christus

“As an alter Christus, the priest is profoundly united to the Word of the Father who, in becoming incarnate took the form of a servant, he became a servant (Phil 2: 5-11). The priest is a servant of Christ, in the sense that his existence, configured to Christ ontologically, acquires an essentially relational character: he is in Christ, for Christ and with Christ, at the service of humankind. Because he belongs to Christ, the priest is radically at the service of all people: he is the minister of their salvation, their happiness and their authentic liberation, developing, in this gradual assumption of Christ's will, in prayer, in "being heart to heart" with him. Therefore this is the indispensable condition for every proclamation, which entails participation in the sacramental offering of the Eucharist and docile obedience to the Church.”

St. John Vianney

     Patron Saint of all Priests Grew up during French Revolution (b.1786-d. 1859)  Catholicism was legally banned  Had a religious family who practiced in secret Struggled with Latin  Was ordained b/c he was very pious Very Penitential  Ate 3 potatoes a day  Heard Confessions for 16-18 hours a day ○ Eventually, the French government built a railroad to Ars to accommodate all the pilgrims going to see him.

Frequently was attacked by the devil to dismay him

St. John Vianney Cont’d

 Famous Lines     “Show me the way to Ars and I will show you the way to Heaven” “The Priesthood is the Love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” “If there were 3 men like him in the world, my reign would be over” Satan “If we Truly understood the sacrifice of the mass, we would die out of love”

St. John Vianney Cont’d

St. John Vianney Cont’d

PRIESTLY ORDINATION SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS

BISHOP:

“Hear us, Lord our God, and pour out upon this servant of yours the blessing of the Holy Spirit and the grace and power of the priesthood. In your sight we offer this man for ordination: support him with your unfailing love.”

ORDINATION RITE cont.

BISHOP:

“In the desert you extended the spirit of Moses to seventy wise men who helped him rule the great company of his people … Almighty Father, grant to this servant of yours the dignity of the priesthood. Renew within him the Spirit of holiness.

Ordination Rite

Anointing of Hands

ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

SPIRIT:

In his first Pentecost homily (PG L. 458 ff) St. John Chrysostom sees in the word “spirit” an allusion to the fact that the bishop performs the sacrifice in the power of the Holy Spirit.

“And with your Spirit!”

THE MASS

Todah

= Thank offering The Talmud records the ancient rabbis’ teaching that, when the Messiah has come, “all sacrifices will cease except the Todah sacrifice. This will never cease in all eternity” (Signs of Life, Hahn)

Chaburah Meal

A regular Jewish fellowship meal between members of a covenant family.

Hebrew = Chaburah Greek = Koinonia English = Communion

HIGH PRIEST VESTMENTS

Ketonet (tunic) Avnet (sash)

Made of pure linen, covering the entire body from the neck to the feet, with sleeves reaching to the wrist. The “Ketonet – Tunic” of the High Priest was richly embroidered (Exodus 28:39); those of the regular Priestly cast were plain (Exodus 28:40). That of the High Priest was of a fine linen with “embroidery work” in blue, purple and scarlet (Exodus 28:39 & 39:29). Those worn by the regular Priestly cast were of white, twined linen.

PRIESTLY VESTMENTS

GARMENTS: 1.

2.

Amice

– Helmet of Salvation

Alb

– Perfect Integrity 3.

4.

5.

Cincture

– Priestly Chastity

Stole

– Sign of the Priest

Chasuble

– Emblem of Charity VESTING PRAYERS: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Protection against Evil Purification & Joy Control of the Passions Immortality Yoked to Christ

Grassroots Films Video www.grassrootsfilms.com

Fishers of Men is a film requested by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. It explores the lives of some of the most influential men in history. This fast-paced film on vocations to the priesthood has been described as the best vocational film ever produced for the Catholic Church.

HOMEWORK: ESSAY

TOPIC:

What would it be like to hold ordinary bread in your hands at the moment that a first class miracle occurs and it literally becomes the Body of Christ; or to hold a sacred Chalice at the moment that the power of the universe is unleashed and the wine becomes blood?

 5 Paragraph (Paragraph = 6-10 sentences)  1 page typed (single spaced)  DUE in class: Monday (12/12)