“At a certain point in my life, I became convinced that Christ was saying to me what he had said to thousands before me: ‘Come, follow me!’”
Pope St. John Paul II
Holy Orders “The Lord hath sworn, and He will not relent: Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek.” —Psalm 110:4 (109)
“Holy Orders is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. … [Ordination is] the sacramental act which integrates a man into the order of bishops, presbyters, or deacons … for it confers a gift of the Holy Spirit that permits the exercise of a ‘sacred power’ which can come only from Christ Himself through His Church.” —Catechism of the Catholic Church #1536, 1538
“Priests by sacred ordination and mission which they receive from the bishops are promoted to the service of Christ the Teacher, Priest and King. They share in His ministry, a ministry whereby the Church here on earth is unceasingly built up into the People of God, the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit.” —preface of Presbyterorum Ordinis, Pope Paul VI
In the Sacrament of Holy Orders, or Ordination, a man is imprinted with an indelible sacred character in conformity to Jesus Christ. The resulting deacon, priest, or bishop is thus made capable of leading other Catholics to holiness in a particular way that differs in kind from the role of the lay faithful. Holy Orders confers specific abilities and duties which depend on the degree of ordination. Deacons are ordained for tasks of service. Ordained priests exercise the power of consecration and absolution in persona Christi. Bishops share in the apostolic succession united under the authority of the Pope.
“The minister, by reason of the sacerdotal consecration which he has received, is made like to the High Priest and possesses the power of performing actions in virtue of Christ’s very person.” —from Mediator Dei, Venerable Pope Pius XII
“The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus.
When you see a priest, think of our Lord Jesus Christ.”–St. John Vianney, patron saint of parish priests
I Will Follow—Two Catholic Priests’ Vocation Stories
- In this clip from Ascension’s best-selling study ALTARATION. To see more, go here: https://ascensionpress.com/collection…
Prayer for Vocations
O loving and gracious God, Father of all, you
bless your people in every time and season and
provide for their needs through your providential
care. Your Church is continually in need of priests,
sisters and brothers to offer themselves in the service
of the gospel by lives of dedicated love. Open the
hearts of your sons and daughters to listen to your
call in their lives. Give them the gift of understanding
to discern your invitation to serve you and your
Church. Give them the gift of courage to follow your
call. May they have the spirit of young Samuel who
found fulfillment in his life when he said to you,
“Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” We ask
this through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer.
Amen.
Prayer for Priests
Gracious and loving God, we thank your for the gift of our priests. Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments.
Help our priests to be strong in their vocation.
Set their souls on fire with love for your people.
Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom.
Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel.
Allow them to experience joy in their ministry.
Help them to become instruments of your divine grace.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest.
Amen.
Source: USCCB Prayers