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 810)
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 10:116)

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 (diakonos = to serve) Acts 6; 1 Tim
3:8
→
→
→
→
→
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.
Amice – Helmet of
VESTING PRAYERS:
1.
Salvation
2.
3.
Alb – Perfect Integrity
Cincture – Priestly
2.
3.
Chastity
4.
5.
Stole – Sign of the Priest
Chasuble – Emblem of
Charity
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)