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The Meaning and Purpose of the Priesthood

 

By: Werner Lottering

 

One of the most important things to understand on this topic is that the Catholic Church (and I would include the other Eastern Churches such as the Orthodox) looks at the world in a sacramental manner. And what we mean by “sacramental” is the notion that the world is consecrated or “set aside” for God to bestow His glory on and impart grace through. That is why we refer to something such as Baptism as a sacrament since the water flowing over the head or
body of the individual is not merely a symbol but something much deeper – an event through which God uses water to cleanse your soul of sin and unite you with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Sacramental Worldview of the Catholic Church teaches that the material world is a means through which God communicates His grace. Creation itself reflects God's glory and infinite beauty, making the world a sign of His presence [1]. The sacraments, as visible signs of invisible grace, allow Christ’s life-giving power to be experienced today [2]. Since Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, took on human nature to make us partakers of the divine life, the physical and
spiritual are deeply connected [3] cf. 2 Pet 1:4. The Church, as the Body of Christ, is itself sacramental, uniting humanity with God and acting as a sign of salvation [4]. The Eucharist is the highest expression of this worldview, as it is both the source and summit of the Christian life, making Christ truly present under the appearances of bread and wine [5]. This perspective calls believers to recognise God’s presence in daily life, approach the sacraments with faith, live in
holiness, and see Christ in others. Jesus Christ Himself is the ultimate sacrament, making the Eternal God present in human form (Joh 1:1,14; Phil 2:5-11). Since God took on human nature in Christ, the physical world can now mediate divine grace.

Our Lord Jesus has given us seven sacraments. See a short description of each below. I added direct quotations (just for explanatory purposes) from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (a document of the Church explaining aspects of the faith) to elaborate on each sacrament as well as some Biblical references. These are, of course, not exhaustive explanations of the sacraments since there is more from the Bible, Catechism, and other sources on them, but it provides much
context into the explanation following it.

 

1. Baptism – The Gateway to the Christian Life
   “Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit,
   and the door which gives access to the other sacraments.” (CCC 1213)
   
   “Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become
   members of Christ and are incorporated into the Church.” (CCC 1213)
   
   Baptism washes away original sin and makes a person a child of God, initiating them
   into the Church (Joh 3:5; Rom 6:3-4; Tit 3:5; etc).
    

2. . Confirmation – Strengthened by the Holy Spirit
   “Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace.” (CCC 1303)
   
   “By the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the
   Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit.” (CCC 1285)
   
   Confirmation strengthens the baptised with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, equipping them
   to live as mature Christians (Acts 1:8, 19:6; Rom 8:15; Gal 3:27; etc).
    

3.  Eucharist – The Source and Summit of Christian Life
   “The Eucharist is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life.’” (CCC 1324)
   
   “In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist ‘the body and blood, together with the
   soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ… is truly, really, and substantially
   contained.’” (CCC 1374)
   
   The Eucharist is the true presence of Christ, nourishing believers spiritually and uniting
   them with God and the Church (Luk 22:19; Joh 6:53-56; 1 Cor 10:16-17; etc).
    

4.  Penance (Confession) – Reconciliation with God
   “Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God’s mercy for
   the offense committed against him and are, at the same time, reconciled with the
   Church.” (CCC 1422)
   
   “The confession (or disclosure) of sins, even from a simply human point of view, frees
   us and facilitates our reconciliation with others. Through such an admission man looks
   squarely at the sins he is guilty of, takes responsibility for them, and thereby opens
   himself again to God and to the communion of the Church in order to make a new future
   possible” (CCC 1455)
   Confession restores a sinner to grace, bringing both forgiveness from God and healing
   to the soul (Matt 16:19,18:18; Joh 20:22-23; 2 Cor 5:20; Jam 5:16; etc).
    

5.  Anointing of the Sick – Spiritual and Physical Healing
   “The Anointing of the Sick is not a sacrament only for those who are at the point of 
   death, but for those who begin to be in danger of death from sickness or old 
   age.” (CCC 1514)
   
   “Through this holy anointing, the sick receive the strength and the gift of uniting
   themselves more closely to Christ’s Passion.” (CCC 1521)
   
   This sacrament strengthens and, if it is God's will, heals the sick, uniting their suffering
   with Christ’s (Mar 6:13; Jam 5:14; etc).
    

6.  Holy Orders – The Sacrament of Apostolic Ministry
   “The sacrament of Holy Orders communicates a sacred power which is none other than
   that of Christ.” (CCC 1551)
   
   “This sacrament configures the recipient to Christ by a special grace of the Holy Spirit,
   so that he may serve as Christ’s instrument for his Church.” (CCC 1581)
   
   Holy Orders ordains men to serve the Church as deacons, priests, or bishops,
   continuing Christ’s mission (Acts 6:1-6, 1 Tim 4:14; Eph 4:11-12; etc).
    

7.  Matrimony – A Covenant of Love and Life
   “The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between
   themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of
   the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring.” (CCC 1601)
   
   “Christ himself gives the strength and grace to live marriage in the new dimension of the
   Reign of God.” (CCC 1615)
   
   Marriage is a lifelong sacramental union reflecting Christ’s love for the Church and
   open to the gift of life (Matt 19:4-6; Eph 5: 25, 31; etc).
    

This then begs the question: where does the priesthood fit into this?

 

As alluded to earlier in this written work, the New Testament priesthood, with its founder and
perfecter, Jesus Christ, is the fulfilment of the eternal priesthood established by God in the Old
Testament. Jesus calls men to be priests in His new covenant, bestowing on them His authority
to serve the faithful in a special way through the sacraments and Word and lead them to be fully
united with Him. Jesus designed the priesthood in such a way that each priest, in his own
weakness and sin, to be a special representative of Him in the lives of the faithful. A priest is
called to serve His Lord and those entrusted to His care in humility, love, service, and sacrifice
[6]. Just as St. Paul says in Romans 15:16, “to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the
priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable,
sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” and in 1 Corinthians 4:15, “For I became your father in Christ Jesus
through the gospel.”, the priest is called by His Lord to love the people He has entrusted to Him
in the example of Himself serving the faithful through the sacraments He instituted and the Word.
The priest is called in a special way to act in persona Christi (in the person of Christ), and this is
evident in the distribution of the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist.

 

Read part 3 here: