Whether a man is a deacon teaching Sunday school, a parish priest or the pope – all the levels of Holy Orders point to the High Priest Himself … Jesus Christ.
What is the sacrament of Holy Orders, and what does it do? What does it mean to be a priest, deacon, or bishop? Kai and Libby go through the history of the priesthood and what it looks like today.
Diving Deeper
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What does it mean to you that you were baptized priest, prophet, and king, sharing in Christ’s own baptism? How does God call you to live out these roles in your daily life? What sacrifices are you called to make, or in what ways does God call you to serve others?
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In what ways do the priests, bishops, and/or deacons you know give you an example of how to live like Christ?
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Have you or has anyone you know ever discerned a call to ordained ministry? What inspired or factored into that discernment or being open to that call?
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In what ways do you personally feel called to live in persona Christi?
Activity
Ask God: How are you calling me to live out my priesthood through baptism today? In what ways are you calling me to lay down my life for others? How are you calling me to be a prophet today? What might you be calling me to speak out about or speak truth over today? How are you calling me to live out what it means to be king, through my baptism today? How might I live in a way that mirrors Christ’s example of goodness and holiness for others?
Reflection by Father Vince Kuna, C.S.C.
Most Catholics have received Communion, attended a wedding, mourned at a funeral, seen a sick and/or elderly loved one anointed, confessed sins, been confirmed as a tween or teen, or participated in a baptism. But few have attended or even seen an Ordination. The sacrament of Holy Orders is easy to watch online, especially on YouTube. When you have an hour or so available (ordinations are one of the longer Catholic rituals) try watching an Ordination Mass. Pay special attention to the long prayer that follows the laying on of hands. You’ll get a sense that priesthood, which alludes to Aaron and the 70 elders in the time of Moses, goes back further than even the life of the Church.
