It has been eight and a half years since my ordination to the priesthood. I can still remember that day like it was yesterday although it seems like a blur. The ordination took place at the Congress of our Archdiocese so all of the priests from the Archdiocese were present which made it an extra special day.
From time to time I read over the prayers that are used at an ordination, it is nice to be reminded of them and it helps to recall the seriousness of what we are about.
Today in my daily blog reading I came across this article on Fr. Ted’s Blog. He writes about a recent ordination that he attended and he quotes one of the prayers. It reminds all of us of what the duties of the priest are. Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of the daily running of the Church we can forget what we are all about.
“O God, great in might and inscrutable in wisdom, marvelous in counsel above the sons of men: You the same Lord,
fill with the gift of Your Holy Spirit this man whom it has pleased You to advance to the degree of Priest;
that he may become worthy to stand in innocence before Your altar,
to proclaim the Gospel of Your kingdom,
to minister the word of Your truth,
to offer to You spiritual gifts and sacrifices;
to renew Your people through the font of regeneration,
that when he shall go to meet You, at the second coming of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, Your only-begotten Son, he may receive the reward of good stewardship in the order given to him, through the plenitude of Your goodness.”
This is a serious undertaking of priest and I think Fr. Ted for the reminder of the duties that we have all been ordained for.
The priestly calling is a gift and a burden. It cannot be done without God’s help. Innocence requires purity. In this day that alone is very hard to attain.
So glad to read these words: “the font of regeneration” because that it is!