"The Spirit of God is upon me; he has anointed me. He sent me to bring good news to the poor, and to heal the broken hearted. You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedech of old." Luke 4:18; Ps.109:4

Holy Orders is the first of the sacraments which are there to serve the people. Those who receive this sacrament are consecrated in the name of Christ to nourish God's people the Church, by brining them the Word of God and offering the sacrifice of the Mass. It is a sacrament of apostolic ministry since it continues, until the end of time, the ministry of the apostles entrusted to them by Christ.

This sacrament is called 'Orders' because the word 'ordo' comes from an ancient Roman word which designated an established civil body, especially a governing body. The Church has a number of 'ordos': the order of bishops, the order of priests and the order of deacons, to name but three. All are part of the sacrament of holy orders and integration into one of these 'ordos' is called ordination. Ordination confers on the candidate the ability to exercise sacred power which can only come from Christ himself through his Church. It sets the individual apart for sacred duty and therefore it is also a consecration. The bishop alone has the power to ordain and he does so by the laying on of hands and the praying of the consecratory prayer. This is the visible sign of the sacrament which is reinforced by the anointing of the new priests hands with chrism and the giving of the chalice and paten.

The New Testament tells us that all the baptised are a priestly people, that is, through our baptism, we all share in the one priesthood of Christ. Through the sacrament of Holy Orders, however, the one ordained enters the ministerial priesthood therefore participating in the priesthood of Christ in a different way. This ministerial priesthood is directed towards the service of the Church in a specific way, building it up and leading it forward. When the ordained minister celebrates the Liturgy it is Christ himself who is present. So, for example, when a priest baptises, or forgives sin or anoints, it is Christ who is doing these things through his instrument, the officiating priest. The ordained priest, therefore, acts in the name of Christ.

The reception of holy orders, as in the case of baptism and confirmation, confers on the one who receives it an indelible spiritual character which cannot be repeated. Once conferred it cannot be removed for "You are a priest for ever" (Ps.109:4). As the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: "The grace of the Holy Spirit proper to this sacrament is configuration to Christ as Priest, Teacher and Pastor, of whom the ordained is made a minister." (Art. 1585).

For further reading see: The Catechism of the Catholic Church. Articles 1533 - 1594.

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