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It’s Day 210!!
This is the last section on the Sacraments
The SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION are Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist
The SACRAMENTS OF HEALING are Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick
Now we are on the sacraments that are directed toward THE SALVATION OF OTHERS
They are not necessarily directed toward OUR OWN SALVATION
CHAPTER 3: THE SACRAMENTS AT THE SERVICE OF COMMUNION
ARTICLE 6: THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS
Paragraph 1534 says, “Two other sacraments, Holy Orders and Matrimony, are directed toward the salvation of others; if they contribute as well to personal salvation, it is through service to others that they do so.”
It’s almost like the gifts of the Holy Spirit
God gives out His gifts of His Holy Spirit for the build up of the Church
It is meant to be for others
AND YET…
When a person exercises them FAITHFULLY, we grow in holiness
Just like when a person exercises ANY GIFT FAITHFULLY we grow in holiness
Whenever we are using God’s gifts for God, it sanctifies us in a similar way
Holy Orders and Matrimony are not sacraments for the persons who receive the sacrament
They are not the sacrament for the married couple, for the priest, for the bishop, or for the deacon
They are the sacrament for THE BUILDING UP OF PEOPLE
These two sacraments are sacraments of discipleship
They are two ways in which the Christian goes out into the world
They’re not the only two ways
At the end of Paragraph 1536 we will get a reminder of Paragraph 874 how we talked about the institution and mission of the apostolic ministry and how the Church is apostolic and all that
So this is a big connection between 874 and 1533 and following
Let’s pray!!
Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven, we give you praise. Thank you so much for this gift. Thank you for this day. Thank you for this Chapter Three, this last section on the sacraments. And thank you for the gift of Matrimony. Thank you for the gift of marriage and family. Thank you for the gift of Holy Orders. Thank you for our own moms and dads. Thank you for those people among us, who are married and live out their vows as best they can in the power of your grace. We thank you for our bishop. Thank you for the priests around us. Thank you for the deacons that serve in your Church. We ask you to please give them the grace that they need to be faithful to their vows, to live out their vows each day. Lord God, give us wherever a state of life we are in, wherever we are right now, we ask you to please give us the grace to live out our promises, to live out the consecration we have received from you no matter what vocation we are in now. Lord God, we know that when we were baptized you made us your sons and daughters. And that is at the heart of everything. Our primary call is to be your saints, to live like your sons and daughters because you have made us your adopted sons and daughters. Help us this day and every day to give you glory by living as you would live, and by loving as you would love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen”
So there we have it!!
CHAPTER 3: THE SACRAMENTS AT THE SERVICE OF COMMUNION
These are SACRAMENTS OF MISSION
Holy Orders and Holy Matrimony
Paragraph 1533 says, “Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist are sacraments of Christian initiation.”
What are they?
They ground the common vocation of ALL CHRISTIAN DISCIPLES
We are going to talk about a sacrament that many of us have not experienced
We will also talk about a sacrament that Fr. Mike has not experienced-Holy Matrimony
There are people in this community who have not experienced either of these sacraments
Let’s listen to Fr. Mike’s encouragement here…
We are all across the board
We all share the common vocation of being disciples of Christ
It is a vocation to holiness and to evangelizing the world in Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist
We have to remember that is at the heart of things, being fully initiated into Christ’s Church
You don’t have to be in any other vocation to be a saint
You are on your way to becoming a saint if you have been baptized, confirmed, and received Holy Communion
There is nothing more essential than being a son or daughter of God
THAT IS SO IMPORTANT!!
These are gifts that God has given to us to LIVE OUT THAT CALL
If you are tempted to be salty about this, let’s get past that and make saltines
I do love saltines with cheese though
Paragraph 1534 says, “Two other sacraments, Holy Orders and Matrimony, are directed towards the salvation of others…”
These sacraments are not meant to be for the person receiving the sacrament
The sacrament of marriage is not just for the couple
It is how God has called them to live out their vocation to be saints by loving each other and being open to a family
Same thing for Holy Orders, whether it is a bishop, priest, or deacon
They have received a call to God wants them to say yes to for the service of people around them
These sacraments are vocations at the service of others
They are vocations of discipleship
They are not oriented, principally speaking, to one’s own holiness but to the salvation of others
THAT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND!!
Paragraph 1535 says, “Through these sacraments those already consecrated by Baptism and Confirmation for the common priesthood of all the faithful can receive particular consecrations. Those who receive the sacrament of Holy Orders are consecrated in Christ’s name ‘to feed the Church by the word and grace of God.’ On their part, ‘Christian spouses are fortified and, as it were, consecrated for the duties and dignity of their state by a special sacrament.”
PRETTY PHENOMENAL!!
PRETTY AMAZING!!
There are three degrees of Holy Orders
There is the episcopate, the bishops
There is the presbyterate, the priests
There is the diaconate, the deacons
Why do we use the word ORDER?
It comes from the Latin word “ORDO” that designates an established civil body
So any kind of body would be an ORDER or an ORDO
Other groups in the Church hae ordo
Catechumens are the ORDER OF CATECHUMENS
Consecrated virgins belong to the ORDER OF CONSECRATED VIRGINS
Spouses
Widows
There are different groups or different orders in the CHurch
There is a unique order
Holy Orders of the episcopate, the presbyterate, and diaconate
We are going to talk about ORDINATIO or ORDINATION
This is a particular kind of consecration
It is not simply an election, designation, delegation, or institution
By the LAYING ON OF HANDS there has been an extension of the VERY POWER OF JESUS CHRIST that He extended over the Apostles in giving them His gifts of reconciliation, authority, and teaching
Ordination is passing on this sacred power where the individual priest, deacon, or bishop can do in Christ what they could never do without Him
It’s powerful to realize that it is not Mike
IT IS FATHER MIKE!!
It is the PRIESTHOOD OF JESUS CHRIST working through Father Mike
Something can now happen that could never happen without ordination
Any human being can wave their hand over someone else and say, “I absolve you of all your sins”
Nothing happens
BUT…
When a priest or bishop is given this sacred power, the sacra potestas, and says, “I absolve you of all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
SOMETHING CHANGES!!
Any person can get behind an altar and say, “This is my Body. This is my Blood.”
Nothing happens
BUT…
When a bishop or priest does that, REALITY CHANGES
Jesus Christ Himself has given this gift, this power, this SACRA POTESTAS
The SACRED POWER through the Church to the bishops, priests, and deacons
That happens by the LAYING ON OF HANDS and consecratory prayer by the bishop
These are the visible signs of ordination
Every one of us who is baptized, confirmed, and receives the Eucharist are all called to the heights of holiness
Not all of us are called to marriage
Not all of us are called to Holy Orders
BUT…
ALL OF US ARE CALLED TO BE SAINTS!!
Fr. Mike is praying FOR YOU!!
Please pray for Fr. Mike and for each other!!
I cannot WAIT to see you tomorrow!!
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