7 SACRAMENTAL ROOTS OF THE PRIESTHOOD

The priesthood is both a gift and a task. It entails a source of the priesthood that is endowed and it also entails that it suggests a mission that is to be fulfilled. Thus, the laying on of hands by the bishop and the form (consecratory words) of ordination, the priest receives the sacrament of the priesthood. The sacramental roots of the priesthood are worth mentioning to give us a clearer identity of the priest. The Directory on the Life and Ministry of Priests no. 2 outlines these 7 graces:

1) Mystery- The priesthood is a mystery by virtue of the source and the identity of Christ. By the fact that the priesthood is a gift given by God, through the consecratory words of the Bishop, “a specific ontological bond which unites the priest to Christ, High Priest and Good Shepherd” is established.”

2) Participation- when the priest receives the sacramental ordination, he participates in Jesus Christ who is the High Priest. The Directory says that “the identity of the priest comes from the specific participation in the Priesthood of Christ, in which the one ordained becomes, in the Church and for the Church, a real, living and faithful image of Christ the Priest, “a sacramental representation of Christ, Head and Shepherd.”

3) Power- It is through the priestly ordination that the priest receives a special “power” which is considered a gift of authority and a gift of participation in Christ to guide the Church. The power to guide the Church is the power of the Holy Spirit that animates the Church through its ordained ministers.

4) Ministry- Priestly ordination makes the minister participate in the Trinitarian mystery of God and the participation he functions in communion with the Christian community. Thus, the priest performs his ministry through the power he receives from the Bishop. The Directory clarifies: “This sacramental identification with the Eternal High Priest specifically inserts the priest into the trinitarian mystery and, through the mystery of Christ, into the ministerial Communion of the Church so as to serve the People of God.”

5) Trinity- As the individual is endowed with the mission of Christ in Baptism, it would be equally meaningful to him with the same mission and communion he would be receiving at ordination. The Directory also says that “by the power of the consecration received with the Sacrament of Holy Orders, the priest is placed in a particular and specific relation with the Father, with the Son and with the Holy Spirit.”

6) Charity- The priesthood is meant for charity. The priesthood finds its source in the charity of the Father. The Directory clarifies that “Our identity has its ultimate source in the charity of the Father. He sent the Son, High Priest and Good Shepherd, and we are united sacramentally with the ministerial priesthood through the action of the Holy Spirit.”

7) Continuation- The priesthood is a participation and a sharing in the ministry of Christ who is our High Priest. The Directory on the Life and Ministry of Priests made it clear that the priesthood is a continuation of the ministry of Christ because it is a participation in Christ. It further says that “the identity, the ministry and the existence of the priest are essentially related to the three divine Persons for priestly service to the Church.” Thus, it is not only that the priesthood focuses on the ministry of Christ, but by His life makes the priesthood more meaningful and relevant. The Directory says that “the life and the ministry of the priest are a continuation of the life and the action of the same Christ. This is our identity, our true dignity, the fountain of our joy, the certainty of our life.”