My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE.
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THE MYSTERY (SACRAMENT) OF PRIESTHOOD
The hierarchy was established in the Church by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, that it has been with Church from its very beginning, and that in the Apostolic period it received organization in three degrees (bishop-priest-deacon).
But the hierarchical ministry in the Church, especially that of bishop and priest, is a special ministry, an exceptional one; it is a ministry of grace. Here we find the shepherding of the flock of God, the highest example of which was given by the Lord in His earthly ministry. "I am the good shepherd, and know My sheep and Am known of mine. The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep" (St. John 10:14, 11). Here we find a standing before the Lord in prayer not only for oneself but also for people. Here we find the guidance of the souls of men on the path to their attainment of the Kingdom of Heaven. The clergy, on behalf of the whole people, offer the Bloodless Sacrifice in the Divine Liturgy. And if in every good work we ask the blessing of God and the help of God, can we imagine entering upon such an exalted and responsible Pastoral Ministry--entering upon it for one's whole life--without the invocation of God's Grace which blesses this labor, which cooperates with it and strengthens the future Pastor? This blessing does indeed take place. It is brought down upon the one who approaches with sacred trembling to the reception of the gift of Sacred Ministry in the Mystery (Sacrament) of Priesthood through the laying on of hands by a bishop who himself bears by succession of grace of the priesthood, accompanied by the prayer of the entire congregation (faithful) of clergy and people who are present at the Divine service. It is called likewise the Mystery (Sacrament) of Cheirotonia.
The Sacred Scripture gives direct and clear indications that the placing in the rank of Priesthood is the communication of a special grace-giving mystical gift, without this Ministry cannot be fulfilled...
"...In the book of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament, we find an indication of the laying of hands as sacred act by means of which presbyters (priests) also were ordained in the early Church. Speaking of how the Apostle Paula and Barnabas went preaching through the cities of Asia Minor--Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch--increasing in them the number of Christians, the writer of the book, the holy Apostle Luke, informs us: "And when they had ordained (cheirotonisantes) for them elders (Presbyters) in every church and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord" (Acts 14:23)...
"Election" and "Ordination" in the Ancient Church
What has been said brings one to the undoubted conclusion that the Apostles, by the authority of Christ, established three hierarchical degrees, and that for the raising up of selected persons into these degrees there was established ordination, which communicates to them the active grace of God which is indispensable for their ministry (diakonia). It goes without saying that the successors of the Apostles (Apostolic Succession), the Bishops, had to fulfill precisely what had been decreed by the Apostles that is, ordination through laying on of hands, joining to it the same exalted meaning and the same significance that were given by the holy Apostles...
"...Although in the early Church ordination to the rank of Priesthood occurred after a general election, with the agreement of the Church community or the local Church, this "ordination" itself was an act totally separate and distinct from the agreement or election, and it was performed by persons equal in their authority to the Apostles, and who were their successors the bishops. So it has remained up to our days...
The Essence and Effectuating Words of the Mystery (Sacrament)
Thus the Mystery (Sacrament) of Priesthood is a sacred action which, through the prayerful laying on of hands of a bishop upon the head of the chosen person, brings down upon this person the divine grace which sanctifies and ordains him to a certain rank of the Church hierarchy and later cooperates with him in his passing through the hierarchical obligations. The prayer of cheirotonia is the following:
"The Divine grace which always healeth that which is infirm and completeth that which is wanting, elevateth (name of candidate) the most devout subdeacon, to a deacon (or deacon, to be a Priest). Wherefore, let us pray for him, that the grace of the All-Holy Spirit may come upon him."
The Mystery (Sacrament) of Cheirotonia is always included in the rite of the Divine Liturgy. Distinct from the Mystery of Cheirotonia is ordination by prayer to the lower ranks of the clergy (reader, subdeacon); this is called Cherothesia (from the Greek word that has a purely Christian ecclesiastical meaning and came into use relatively late)...
The Protestants have rejected the Priesthood as a "sacrament." Their pastors (ministers) are only elected and appointed by the people, but do not receive any kind of consecration, and in this sense, they are not distinguished from the ordinary members of their communities. (Source: The Orthodox Dogmatic Theology by Father Michael Pomazansky)
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Please note: Over five decades as a priest of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America I have come to see sadly that many of our people have absolutely no understanding or even sense of the Sacrament of Priesthood and who the priest is and what is his mission. Their understanding is no different than Protestants. I was told a long time ago by one of my parishioners in Florida the priest "is just an ordinary man, and like every man, he puts his pants on the same way as all do, first, the left leg goes in and then the right." How very embarrassing and ludicrous is that? He was a person who grew up in the Church and served as a member of the parish council.
There are others, even today, that see their parish priest as an employee of the local church, someone that is hired and can be fired at will by the parish council who they consider as the only authority at the local parish. Again these are people who grew up in the Church and even after an entire lifetime as a member of the Church, they remain ignorant of the Orthodox Christian Faith. Their mindset is one of a congregationalist Protestant.
It is, therefore, understandable why they have abused, disrespected, slandered, injured, undermined, threatened, conspired, and made the life of the priest and his family painful and torturous. Would anyone consider this treatment of the priest Christian and humane? It wasn't too many years ago that one of our St. Andrew Parishioners stood at a parish assembly and said how proud he was when he, as the president of the parish council, at the time, was responsible for throwing out his priest and his family from the parish. Where have we gone wrong?
The priest and servant of Christ is not the enemy! The enemy of the true Christian believer is the Evil One, Satan. He is our greatest Adversary, the archdeceiver, the arch-liar, and the one who pursues us and wants our destruction, our very damnation.
The priest who is assigned by the local Metropolitan to one of his parishes does so in order for him to serve the spiritual needs of the Orthodox Christian faithful i.e., divine services, sacraments, to educate them in the Faith, to guide them, to bring them healing, to protect them from evil forces, to encourage them to continue with their personal spiritual struggle, to sanctify them, to bring forgiveness of sins to them, and to provide them with good opportunities to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To be a loving father to all of his spiritual children who God has entrusted in his care.
There cannot be a church without a priest! What you may have is perhaps just a beautiful church building. In Ireland which I visited recently the church buildings without a priest is just a shell of a building. There is no life in it. The churches without a priest are used for office space, distilleries, and museums.
Who thinks or even believes that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will reward him or her for taking such a cruel action against one of His priests?
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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+Father George