Through these Sacraments those already Consecrated by Baptism and Confirmation 1 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." 2 On their part, "Christian spouses are fortified and, as it were, consecrated for the duties and dignity of their state by a special sacrament." 3

The chosen people was constituted by God as "a kingdom of Priests and a holy nation." 6 But within the people of Israel, God chose one of the twelve tribes, that of Levi, and set it apart for liturgical service; God himself is its inheritance. 7 A special rite Consecrated the beginnings of the Priesthood of the Old Covenant. the Priests are "appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and Sacrifices for Sins." 8

Instituted to proclaim the Word of God and to restore communion with God by Sacrifices and Prayer, 9 this Priesthood nevertheless remains powerless to bring about salvation, needing to repeat its sacrifices ceaselessly and being unable to achieve a definitive sanctification, which only the sacrifice of Christ would accomplish. 10

The Liturgy of the Church, however, sees in the Priesthood of Aaron and the service of the Levites, as in the institution of the seventy elders, 11 a prefiguring of the ordained Ministry of the New Covenant. Thus in the Latin Rite the Church prays in the consecratory preface of the ordination of Bishops:

At the ordination of Priests, the Church prays:

Everything that the Priesthood of the Old Covenant prefigured finds its fulfillment in Christ Jesus, the "one mediator between God and men." 15 The Christian tradition considers Melchizedek, "Priest of God Most High," as a prefiguration of the priesthood of Christ, the unique "high priest after the order of Melchizedek"; 16 "holy, blameless, unstained," 17 "by a single Offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified," 18 that is, by the unique Sacrifice of the cross.

The redemptive Sacrifice of Christ is unique, accomplished once for all; yet it is made present in the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Church. the same is true of the one Priesthood of Christ; it is made present through the ministerial Priesthood without diminishing the uniqueness of Christ's priesthood: "Only Christ is the true priest, the others being only his ministers." 19

Christ, high Priest and unique mediator, has made of the Church "a kingdom, Priests for his God and Father." 20 The whole community of believers is, as such, priestly. the Faithful exercise their Baptismal Priesthood through their participation, each according to his own vocation, in Christ's mission as priest, prophet, and king. Through the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation the faithful are "Consecrated to be . . . a holy priesthood." 21

The ministerial or hierarchical Priesthood of Bishops and Priests, and the common Priesthood of all the Faithful participate, "each in its own proper way, in the one priesthood of Christ." While being "ordered one to another," they differ essentially. 22 In what sense? While the common priesthood of the faithful is exercised by the unfolding of Baptismal grace - a life of faith, hope, and charity, a life according to the Spirit - ,the ministerial priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood. It is directed at the unfolding of the baptismal grace of all Christians. the ministerial priesthood is a means by which Christ unceasingly builds up and leads his Church. For this reason it is transmitted by its own Sacrament, the sacrament of Holy Orders.

In the ecclesial service of the ordained minister, it is Christ himself who is present to his Church as Head of his Body, Shepherd of his flock, high Priest of the redemptive Sacrifice, Teacher of Truth. This is what the Church means by saying that the priest, by virtue of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, acts in persona Christi Capitis: 23

Through the ordained Ministry, especially that of Bishops and Priests, the presence of Christ as Head of the Church is made visible in the midst of the community of believers. 26 In the beautiful expression of St. Ignatius of Antioch, the bishop is typos tou Patros: he is like the living image of God the Father. 27

This Priesthood is ministerial. "That Office . . . which the Lord committed to the pastors of his people, is in the strict sense of the term a service." 28 It is entirely related to Christ and to men. It depends entirely on Christ and on his unique Priesthood; it has been instituted for the good of men and the communion of the Church. the Sacrament of Holy Orders communicates a "sacred power" which is none other than that of Christ. the exercise of this authority must therefore be measured against the model of Christ, who by love made himself the least and the servant of all. 29 "The Lord said clearly that concern for his flock was proof of love for him." 30

The ministerial Priesthood has the task not only of representing Christ - Head of the Church - before the assembly of the Faithful, but also of acting in the name of the whole Church when presenting to God the Prayer of the Church, and above all when Offering the Eucharistic Sacrifice. 31

"In the name of the whole Church" does not mean that Priests are the delegates of the community. the Prayer and Offering of the Church are inseparable from the prayer and offering of Christ, her Head; it is always the case that Christ worships in and through his Church. the whole Church, the Body of Christ, prays and offers herself "through him, with him, in him," in the unity of the Holy Spirit, to God the Father. the whole Body, caput et membra, prays and offers itself, and therefore those who in the Body are especially his ministers are called ministers not only of Christ, but also of the Church. It is because the ministerial Priesthood represents Christ that it can represent the Church.

"The divinely instituted ecclesiastical Ministry is exercised in different degrees by those who even from ancient times have been called Bishops, Priests, and deacons." 32 Catholic doctrine, expressed in the Liturgy, the Magisterium, and the constant practice of the Church, recognizes that there are two degrees of ministerial participation in the Priesthood of Christ: the episcopacy and the presbyterate . the diaconate is intended to help and serve them. For this reason the term sacerdos in current usage denotes bishops and Priests but not deacons. Yet Catholic doctrine teaches that the degrees of priestly participation (episcopate and presbyterate) and the degree of service (diaconate) are all three conferred by a Sacramental act called "ordination," that is, by the sacrament of Holy Orders:

The Celebration of the Sacrament includes the following principal elements: the "Priests of the Church" 132 - in silence - lay hands on the sick; they pray over them in the faith of the Church 133 - this is the epiclesis proper to this sacrament; they then anoint them with oil blessed, if possible, by the Bishop. These liturgical actions indicate what grace this sacrament confers upon the sick.

Only Priests (Bishops and presbyters) are ministers of the Anointing of the Sick. 130 It is the duty of pastors to instruct the Faithful on the benefits of this Sacrament. the faithful should encourage the sick to call for a Priest to receive this sacrament. the sick should prepare themselves to receive it with good dispositions, assisted by their pastor and the whole ecclesial community, which is invited to surround the sick in a special way through their Prayers and fraternal attention.

"By the sacred Anointing of the sick and the Prayer of the Priests the whole Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that he may raise them up and save them. and indeed she exhorts them to contribute to the good of the People of God by freely uniting themselves to the Passion and death of Christ." 97

It is called the Sacrament of Confession, since the disclosure or confession of Sins to a Priest is an essential element of this sacrament. In a profound sense it is also a "confession" - acknowledgment and praise - of the holiness of God and of his mercy toward sinful man. It is called the sacrament of forgiveness, since by the priest's sacramental absolution God grants the penitent "pardon and peace." 6 It is called the sacrament of Reconciliation, because it imparts to the sinner the love of God who reconciles: "Be reconciled to God." 7 He who lives by God's merciful love is ready to respond to the Lord's call: "Go; first be reconciled to your brother." 8

Over the centuries the concrete form in which the Church has exercised this power received from the Lord has varied considerably. During the first centuries the reconciliation of Christians who had committed particularly grave Sins after their Baptism (for example, idolatry, murder, or adultery) was tied to a very rigorous discipline, according to which penitents had to do public penance for their sins, often for years, before receiving reconciliation. To this "order of penitents" (which concerned only certain grave sins), one was only rarely admitted and in certain regions only once in a lifetime. During the seventh century Irish missionaries, inspired by the Eastern monastic tradition, took to continental Europe the "private" practice of penance, which does not require public and prolonged completion of penitential works before reconciliation with the Church. From that time on, the Sacrament has been performed in secret between penitent and Priest. This new practice envisioned the possibility of repetition and so opened the way to a regular frequenting of this sacrament. It allowed the forgiveness of grave sins and venial sins to be integrated into one sacramental Celebration. In its main lines this is the form of penance that the Church has practiced down to our day.

Beneath the changes in discipline and Celebration that this Sacrament has undergone over the centuries, the same fundamental structure is to be discerned. It comprises two equally essential elements: on the one hand, the acts of the man who undergoes conversion through the action of the Holy Spirit: namely, contrition, Confession, and satisfaction; on the other, God's action through the intervention of the Church. the Church, who through the Bishop and his Priests forgives Sins in the name of Jesus Christ and determines the manner of satisfaction, also prays for the sinner and does penance with him. Thus the sinner is healed and re-established in ecclesial communion.

Confession to a Priest is an essential part of the Sacrament of Penance: "All mortal Sins of which penitents after a diligent self-examination are conscious must be recounted by them in confession, even if they are most secret and have been committed against the last two precepts of the Decalogue; for these sins sometimes wound the soul more grievously and are more dangerous than those which are committed openly." 54

Since Christ entrusted to his apostles the Ministry of reconciliation, 65 Bishops who are their successors, and Priests, the bishops' collaborators, continue to exercise this ministry. Indeed bishops and Priests, by virtue of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, have the power to forgive all Sins "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

Forgiveness of Sins brings reconciliation with God, but also with the Church. Since ancient times the Bishop, visible Head of a particular Church, has thus rightfully been considered to be the one who principally has the power and Ministry of reconciliation: he is the moderator of the penitential discipline. 66 Priests, his collaborators, exercise it to the extent that they have received the commission either from their bishop (or religious superior) or the Pope, according to the law of the Church. 67

Certain particularly grave Sins incur excommunication, the most severe ecclesiastical penalty, which impedes the reception of the Sacraments and the exercise of certain ecclesiastical acts, and for which absolution consequently cannot be granted, according to canon law, except by the Pope, the Bishop of the place or Priests authorized by them. 68 In danger of death any Priest, even if deprived of faculties for hearing Confessions, can absolve from every sin and excommunication. 69

Priests must encourage the Faithful to come to the Sacrament of Penance and must make themselves available to celebrate this sacrament each time Christians reasonably ask for it. 70

When he celebrates the Sacrament of Penance, the Priest is fulfilling the Ministry of the Good Shepherd who seeks the lost sheep, of the Good Samaritan who binds up wounds, of the Father who awaits the prodigal son and welcomes him on his return, and of the just and impartial judge whose judgment is both just and merciful. the priest is the sign and the instrument of God's merciful love for the sinner.

Given the delicacy and greatness of this Ministry and the respect due to persons, the Church declares that every Priest who hears Confessions is bound under very severe penalties to keep absolute secrecy regarding the Sins that his penitents have confessed to him. He can make no use of knowledge that confession gives him about penitents' lives. 72 This secret, which admits of no exceptions, is called the "Sacramental seal," because what the penitent has made known to the priest remains "sealed" by the sacrament.

Like all the Sacraments, Penance is a liturgical action. the elements of the Celebration are ordinarily these: a greeting and blessing from the Priest, reading the word of God to illuminate the conscience and elicit contrition, and an exhortation to repentance; the Confession, which acknowledges Sins and makes them known to the priest; the imposition and acceptance of a penance; the priest's absolution; a Prayer of thanksgiving and praise and dismissal with the blessing of the priest.

In case of grave necessity recourse may be had to a communal Celebration of reconciliation with general Confession and general absolution. Grave necessity of this sort can arise when there is imminent danger of death without sufficient time for the Priest or Priests to hear each penitent's confession. Grave necessity can also exist when, given the number of penitents, there are not enough confessors to hear individual confessions properly in a reasonable time, so that the penitents through no fault of their own would be deprived of Sacramental grace or Holy Communion for a long time. In this case, for the absolution to be valid the Faithful must have the intention of individually confessing their Sins in the time required. 91 The diocesan Bishop is the judge of whether or not the conditions required for general absolution exist. 92 A large gathering of the faithful on the occasion of major feasts or pilgrimages does not constitute a case of grave necessity. 93

The Second Vatican Council "teaches . . . that the fullness of the Sacrament of Holy Orders is conferred by episcopal consecration, that fullness namely which, both in the liturgical tradition of the Church and the language of the Fathers of the Church, is called the high Priesthood, the acme (summa) of the sacred Ministry." 36

"Episcopal consecration confers, together with the Office of sanctifying, also the offices of teaching and ruling.... In fact ... by the imposition of hands and through the words of the consecration, the grace of the Holy Spirit is given, and a sacred character is impressed in such wise that Bishops, in an eminent and visible manner, take the place of Christ himself, teacher, shepherd, and Priest, and act as his representative (in Eius persona agant)." 37 "By virtue, therefore, of the Holy Spirit who has been given to them, bishops have been constituted true and authentic teachers of the faith and have been made pontiffs and pastors." 38

"Christ, whom the Father hallowed and sent into the world, has, through his apostles, made their successors, the Bishops namely, sharers in his consecration and mission; and these, in their turn, duly entrusted in varying degrees various members of the Church with the Office of their Ministry." 43 "The function of the bishops' ministry was handed over in a subordinate degree to Priests so that they might be appointed in the order of the Priesthood and be co-workers of the episcapal order for the proper fulfillment of the apostolic mission that had been entrusted to it by Christ." 44

In the Latin Church, it is ordinarily understood that the spouses, as ministers of Christ's grace, mutually confer upon each other the Sacrament of Matrimony by expressing their consent before the Church. In the Eastern liturgies the minister of this sacrament (which is called "Crowning") is the Priest or Bishop who, after receiving the mutual consent of the spouses, successively crowns the bridegroom and the bride as a sign of the marriage Covenant.

The Priest (or deacon) who assists at the Celebration of a marriage receives the consent of the spouses in the name of the Church and gives the blessing of the Church. the presence of the Church's minister (and also of the witnesses) visibly expresses the fact that marriage is an ecclesial reality.

Toward Christians who live in this situation, and who often keep the faith and desire to bring up their children in a Christian manner, Priests and the whole community must manifest an attentive solicitude, so that they do not consider themselves separated from the Church, in whose life they can and must participate as Baptized persons:

It is here that the Father of the family, the mother, children, and all members of the family exercise the Priesthood of the Baptized in a privileged way "by the reception of the Sacraments, Prayer and thanksgiving, the witness of a holy life, and self-denial and active charity." 168 Thus the home is the first school of Christian life and "a school for human enrichment." 169 Here one learns endurance and the joy of work, fraternal love, generous - even repeated - forgiveness, and above all divine worship in prayer and the Offering of one's life.

Sacramentals derive from the Baptismal Priesthood: every Baptized person is called to be a "blessing," and to bless. 172 Hence lay people may preside at certain blessings; the more a blessing concerns ecclesial and sacramental life, the more is its administration reserved to the ordained Ministry (Bishops, Priests, or deacons). 173

When the Church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion, it is called exorcism. Jesus performed exorcisms and from him the Church has received the power and Office of exorcizing. 176 In a simple form, exorcism is performed at the Celebration of Baptism. the solemn exorcism, called "a major exorcism," can be performed only by a Priest and with the permission of the Bishop. the priest must proceed with prudence, strictly observing the rules established by the Church. Exorcism is directed at the expulsion of demons or to the liberation from demonic possession through the spiritual authority which Jesus entrusted to his Church. Illness, especially psychological illness, is a very different matter; treating this is the concern of medical science. Therefore, before an exorcism is performed, it is important to ascertain that one is dealing with the presence of the Evil One, and not an illness. 177

Becoming a disciple of Jesus means accepting the invitation to belong to God's family, to live in conformity with His way of life: "For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother." 40 Parents should welcome and respect with joy and thanksgiving the Lord's call to one of their children to follow him in virginity for the sake of the Kingdom in the Consecrated life or in Priestly Ministry.

The Prayer of the People of God flourishes in the shadow of God's dwelling place, first the ark of the Covenant and later the Temple. At first the leaders of the people - the shepherds and the prophets - teach them to pray. the infant Samuel must have learned from his mother Hannah how "to stand before the LORD" and from the Priest Eli how to listen to his word: "Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening." 26 Later, he will also know the cost and consequence of intercession: "Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and the right way." 27

Christian Tradition rightly calls this Prayer the "Priestly" prayer of Jesus. It is the prayer of our high priest, inseparable from his Sacrifice, from his passing over (Passover) to the Father to whom he is wholly "Consecrated." 44

Jesus fulfilled the work of the Father completely; his Prayer, like his Sacrifice, extends until the end of time. the prayer of this hour fills the end-times and carries them toward their consummation. Jesus, the Son to whom the Father has given all things, has given himself wholly back to the Father, yet expresses himself with a sovereign freedom 46 by virtue of the power the Father has given him over all flesh. the Son, who made himself Servant, is Lord, the Pantocrator. Our high Priest who prays for us is also the one who prays in us and the God who hears our prayer.

By entering into the holy name of the Lord Jesus we can accept, from within, the Prayer he teaches us: "Our Father!" His Priestly prayer fulfills, from within, the great petitions of the Lord's Prayer: concern for the Father's name; 47 passionate zeal for his kingdom (Glory); 48 The accomplishment of the will of the Father, of his plan of salvation; 49 and deliverance from evil. 50

Finally, in Jesus the name of the Holy God is revealed and given to us, in the flesh, as Savior, revealed by what he is, by his word, and by his Sacrifice. 75 This is the heart of his Priestly Prayer: "Holy Father . . . for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be Consecrated in truth." 76 Because he "sanctifies" his own name, Jesus reveals to us the name of the Father. 77 At the end of Christ's Passover, the Father gives him the name that is above all names: "Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." 78

Before the grandeur of the Priestly grace and Office, the holy doctors felt an urgent call to conversion in order to conform their whole lives to him whose Sacrament had made them ministers. Thus St. Gregory of Nazianzus, as a very young priest, exclaimed:

"Because it is joined with the episcopal order the Office of Priests shares in the authority by which Christ himself builds up and sanctifies and rules his Body. Hence the Priesthood of Priests, while presupposing the Sacraments of initiation, is nevertheless conferred by its own particular sacrament. Through that sacrament priests by the Anointing of the Holy Spirit are signed with a special character and so are configured to Christ the priest in such a way that they are able to act in the person of Christ the Head." 45

"Whilst not having the supreme degree of the pontifical Office, and notwithstanding the fact that they depend on the Bishops in the exercise of their own proper power, the Priests are for all that associated with them by reason of their sacerdotal dignity; and in virtue of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, after the image of Christ, the supreme and eternal Priest, they are Consecrated in order to preach the Gospel and shepherd the Faithful as well as to celebrate divine worship as true priests of the New Testament." 46

Through the Sacrament of Holy Orders Priests share in the universal dimensions of the mission that Christ entrusted to the apostles. the spiritual gift they have received in ordination prepares them, not for a limited and restricted mission, "but for the fullest, in fact the universal mission of salvation 'to the end of the earth,"' 47 "prepared in spirit to preach the Gospel everywhere." 48

"It is in the Eucharistic cult or in the Eucharistic assembly of the Faithful (synaxis) that they exercise in a supreme degree their sacred Office; there, acting in the person of Christ and proclaiming his mystery, they unite the votive Offerings of the faithful to the Sacrifice of Christ their Head, and in the sacrifice of the Mass they make present again and apply, until the coming of the Lord, the unique sacrifice of the New Testament, that namely of Christ offering himself once for all a spotless victim to the Father." 49 From this unique sacrifice their whole Priestly Ministry draws its strength. 50

"The Priests, prudent cooperators of the episcopal college and its support and instrument, called to the service of the People of God, constitute, together with their Bishop, a unique sacerdotal college (presbyterium) dedicated, it is, true to a variety of distinct duties. In each local assembly of the Faithful they represent, in a certain sense, the bishop, with whom they are associated in all trust and generosity; in part they take upon themselves his duties and solicitude and in their daily toils discharge them." 51 Priests can exercise their Ministry only in dependence on the bishop and in communion with him. the promise of obedience they make to the bishop at the moment of ordination and the kiss of peace from him at the end of the ordination Liturgy mean that the bishop considers them his co-workers, his sons, his brothers and his friends, and that they in return owe him love and obedience.

"All Priests, who are constituted in the order of Priesthood by the Sacrament of Order, are bound together by an intimate sacramental brotherhood, but in a special way they form one Priestly body in the diocese to which they are attached under their own Bishop. . ;" 52 The unity of the presbyterium finds liturgical expression in the custom of the presbyters' imposing hands, after the bishop, during the Ate of ordination.

"At a lower level of the hierarchy are to be found deacons, who receive the imposition of hands 'not unto the Priesthood, but unto the Ministry."' 53 At an ordination to the diaconate only the Bishop lays hands on the candidate, thus signifying the deacon's special attachment to the bishop in the tasks of his "diakonia." 54

Deacons share in Christ's mission and grace in a special way. 55 The Sacrament of Holy Orders marks them with an imprint (“character") which cannot be removed and which configures them to Christ, who made himself the "deacon" or servant of all. 56 Among other tasks, it is the task of deacons to assist the Bishop and Priests in the Celebration of the divine mysteries, above all the Eucharist, in the distribution of Holy Communion, in assisting at and blessing marriages, in the proclamation of the Gospel and preaching, in presiding over funerals, and in dedicating themselves to the various ministries of charity. 57

Given the importance that the ordination of a Bishop, a Priest, or a deacon has for the life of the particular Church, its Celebration calls for as many of the Faithful as possible to take part. It should take place preferably on Sunday, in the cathedral, with solemnity appropriate to the occasion. All three ordinations, of the bishop, of the pRiest, and of the deacon, follow the same movement. Their proper place is within the Eucharistic Liturgy.

As in all the Sacraments additional rites surround the Celebration. Varying greatly among the different liturgical traditions, these rites have in common the expression of the multiple aspects of sacramental grace. Thus in the Latin Church, the initial rites - presentation and election of the ordinand, instruction by the Bishop, examination of the candidate, litany of the saints - attest that the choice of the candidate is made in keeping with the practice of the Church and prepare for the solemn act of consecration, after which several rites syrnbolically express and complete the mystery accomplished: for bishop and Priest, an Anointing with holy chrism, a sign of the special anointing of the Holy Spirit who makes their Ministry fruitful; giving the book of the Gospels, the ring, the miter, and the crosier to the bishop as the sign of his apostolic mission to proclaim the Word of God, of his fidelity to the Church, the bride of Christ, and his Office as shepherd of the Lord's flock; presentation to the priest of the paten and chalice, "the Offering of the holy people" which he is called to present to God; giving the book of the Gospels to the deacon who has just received the mission to proclaim the Gospel of Christ.

"Only a Baptized man (vir) validly receives sacred ordination." 66 The Lord Jesus chose men (viri) to form the college of the twelve apostles, and the apostles did the same when they chose collaborators to succeed them in their Ministry. 67 The college of Bishops, with whom the Priests are united in the Priesthood, makes the college of the twelve an ever-present and ever-active reality until Christ's return. The Church recognizes herself to be bound by this choice made by the Lord himself. For this reason, the ordination of women is not possible. 68

In the Eastern Churches a different discipline has been in force for many centuries: while Bishops are chosen solely from among celibates, married men can be ordained as deacons and Priests. This practice has long been considered legitimate; these Priests exercise a fruitful Ministry within their communities. 73 Moreover, priestly celibacy is held in great honor in the Eastern Churches and many priests have freely chosen it for the sake of the Kingdom of God. In the East as in the West a man who has already received the Sacrament of Holy Orders can no longer marry.

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. By ordination one is enabled to act as a representative of Christ, Head of the Church, in his triple Office of Priest, prophet, and king.

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.

For the Bishop, this is first of all a grace of strength (“the governing spirit": Prayer of Episcopal Consecration in the Latin rite): 78 The grace to guide and defend his Church with strength and prudence as a Father and pastor, with gratuitous love for all and a preferential love for the poor, the sick, and the needy. This grace impels him to proclaim the Gospel to all, to be the model for his flock, to go before it on the way of sanctification by identifying himself in the Eucharist with Christ the Priest and victim, not fearing to give his life for his sheep:

With regard to deacons, "strengthened by Sacramental grace they are dedicated to the People of God, in conjunction with the Bishop and his body of Priests, in the service (diakonia) of the Liturgy, of the Gospel, and of works of charity." 81

This petition embodies all the others. Like the six petitions that follow, it is fulfilled by the Prayer of Christ. Prayer to our Father is our prayer, if it is prayed in the name of Jesus. 84 In his Priestly prayer, Jesus asks: "Holy Father, protect in your name those whom you have given me." 85

This work is intended primarily for those responsible for catechesis: first of all the Bishops, as teachers of the faith and pastors of the Church. It is offered to them as an instrument in fulfilling their responsibility of teaching the People of God. Through the bishops, it is addressed to redactors of catechisms, to Priests, and to catechists. It will also be useful reading for all other Christian Faithful.

"The Christian Faithful are those who, inasmuch as they have been incorporated in Christ through Baptism, have been constituted as the people of God; for this reason, since they have become sharers in Christ's Priestly, prophetic, and royal Office in their own manner, they are called to exercise the mission which God has entrusted to the Church to fulfill in the world, in accord with the condition proper to each one." 385

The very differences which the Lord has willed to put between the members of his body serve its unity and mission. For "in the Church there is diversity of Ministry but unity of mission. To the apostles and their successors Christ has entrusted the Office of teaching, sanctifying and governing in his name and by his power. But the laity are made to share in the Priestly, prophetical, and kingly office of Christ; they have therefore, in the Church and in the world, their own assignment in the mission of the whole People of God." 387 Finally, "from both groups [hierarchy and laity] there exist Christian Faithful who are Consecrated to God in their own special manner and serve the salvific mission of the Church through the profession of the evangelical counsels." 388

Likewise, it belongs to the Sacramental nature of ecclesial Ministry that it have a collegial character. In fact, from the beginning of his ministry, the Lord Jesus instituted the Twelve as "the seeds of the new Israel and the beginning of the sacred hierarchy." 395 Chosen together, they were also sent out together, and their fraternal unity would be at the service of the fraternal communion of all the Faithful: they would reflect and witness to the communion of the divine persons. 396 For this reason every Bishop exercises his ministry from within the episcopal college, in communion with the bishop of Rome, the successor of St. Peter and Head of the college. So also Priests exercise their ministry from within the presbyterium of the diocese, under the direction of their bishop.

"The individual Bishops are the visible source and foundation of unity in their own particular Churches." 408 As such, they "exercise their pastoral Office over the portion of the People of God assigned to them," 409 assisted by Priests and deacons. But, as a member of the episcopal college, each bishop shares in the concern for all the Churches. 410 The bishops exercise this care first "by ruling well their own Churches as portions of the universal Church," and so contributing "to the welfare of the whole Mystical Body, which, from another point of view, is a corporate body of Churches." 411 They extend it especially to the poor, 412 to those persecuted for the faith, as well as to missionaries who are working throughout the world.

Bishops, with Priests as co-workers, have as their first task "to preach the Gospel of God to all men," in keeping with the Lord's command. 415 They are "heralds of faith, who draw new disciples to Christ; they are authentic teachers" of the apostolic faith "endowed with the authority of Christ." 416

The Bishop is "the steward of the grace of the supreme Priesthood," 423 especially in the Eucharist which he offers personally or whose Offering he assures through the Priests, his co-workers. the Eucharist is the center of the life of the particular Church. the bishop and Priests sanctify the Church by their Prayer and work, by their Ministry of the word and of the Sacraments. They sanctify her by their example, "not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock." 424 Thus, "together with the flock entrusted to them, they may attain to eternal life." 425

"The term 'laity' is here understood to mean all the Faithful except those in Holy Orders and those who belong to a religious state approved by the Church. That is, the faithful, who by Baptism are incorporated into Christ and integrated into the People of God, are made sharers in their particular way in the Priestly, prophetic, and kingly Office of Christ, and have their own part to play in the mission of the whole Christian people in the Church and in the World." 430

Since, like all the Faithful, lay Christians are entrusted by God with the apostolate by virtue of their Baptism and Confirmation, they have the right and duty, individually or grouped in associations, to work so that the divine message of salvation may be known and accepted by all men throughout the earth. This duty is the more pressing when it is only through them that men can hear the Gospel and know Christ. Their activity in ecclesial communities is so necessary that, for the most part, the apostolate of the pastors cannot be fully effective without it. 433 The participation of lay people in Christ's Priestly Office

"Mary's function as mother of men in no way obscures or diminishes this unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows its power. But the Blessed Virgin's salutary influence on men . . . flows forth from the superabundance of the merits of Christ, rests on his mediation, depends entirely on it, and draws all its power from it." 511 "No creature could ever be counted along with the Incarnate Word and Redeemer; but just as the Priesthood of Christ is shared in various ways both by his ministers and the Faithful, and as the one goodness of God is radiated in different ways among his creatures, so also the unique mediation of the Redeemer does not exclude but rather gives rise to a manifold cooperation which is but a sharing in this one source." 512

By Christ's will, the Church possesses the power to forgive the Sins of the Baptized and exercises it through Bishops and Priests normally in the Sacrament of Penance.

"In the forgiveness of Sins, both Priests and Sacraments are instruments which our Lord Jesus Christ, the only author and liberal giver of salvation, wills to use in order to efface our sins and give us the grace of justification" (Roman Catechism, I, 11, 6).

The word "Liturgy" originally meant a "public work" or a "service in the name of/on behalf of the people." In Christian tradition it means the participation of the People of God in "the work of God." 5 Through the liturgy Christ, our redeemer and high Priest, continues the work of our redemption in, with, and through his Church.

In the New Testament the word "Liturgy" refers not only to the Celebration of divine worship but also to the proclamation of the Gospel and to active charity. 6 In all of these situations it is a question of the service of God and neighbor. In a liturgical celebration the Church is servant in the image of her Lord, the one "leitourgos"; 7 she shares in Christ's Priesthood (worship), which is both prophetic (proclamation) and kingly (service of charity):

The dual dimension of the Christian Liturgy as a response of faith and love to the spiritual blessings the Father bestows on us is thus evident. On the one hand, the Church, united with her Lord and "in the Holy Spirit," 5 blesses the Father "for his inexpressible gift 6 in her adoration, praise, and thanksgiving. On the other hand, until the consummation of God's plan, the Church never ceases to present to the Father the Offering of his own gifts and to beg him to send the Holy Spirit upon that offering, upon herself, upon the Faithful, and upon the whole world, so that through communion in the death and resurrection of Christ the Priest, and by the power of the Spirit, these divine blessings will bring forth the fruits of life "to the praise of his glorious grace." 7

The Church is apostolic because she is founded on the apostles, in three ways: - she was and remains built on "the foundation of the Apostles," 362 The witnesses chosen and sent on mission by Christ himself; 363 - with the help of the Spirit dwelling in her, the Church keeps and hands on the teaching, 364 The "good deposit," the salutary words she has heard from the apostles; 365 - she continues to be taught, sanctified, and guided by the apostles until Christ's return, through their successors in pastoral Office: the college of Bishops, "assisted by Priests, in union with the successor of Peter, the Church's supreme pastor": 366

Certain things are required in order to respond adequately to this call: - a permanent renewal of the Church in greater fidelity to her vocation; such renewal is the driving-force of the movement toward unity; 280 - conversion of heart as the Faithful "try to live holier lives according to the Gospel"; 281 for it is the unfaithfulness of the members to Christ's gift which causes divisions; - Prayer in common, because "change of heart and holiness of life, along with public and private prayer for the unity of Christians, should be regarded as the soul of the whole ecumenical movement, and merits the name 'spiritual ecumenism;"' 282 -fraternal knowledge of each other; 283 - ecumenical formation of the faithful and especially of Priests; 284 - dialogue among theologians and meetings among Christians of the different churches and communities; 285 - collaboration among Christians in various areas of service to mankind. 286 "Human service" is the idiomatic phrase.

The Covenant with Noah remains in force during the times of the Gentiles, until the universal proclamation of the Gospel. 13 The Bible venerates several great figures among the Gentiles: Abel the just, the king-Priest Melchisedek - a figure of Christ - and the upright "Noah, Daniel, and Job". 14 Scripture thus expresses the heights of sanctity that can be reached by those who live according to the covenant of Noah, waiting for Christ to "gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad". 15

Israel is the Priestly people of God, "called by the name of the LORD", and "the first to hear the word of God", 21 The people of "elder brethren" in the faith of Abraham.

The name of the Saviour God was invoked only once in the year by the high Priest in atonement for the Sins of Israel, after he had sprinkled the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies with the sacrificial blood. the mercy seat was the place of God's presence. 25 When St. Paul speaks of Jesus whom "God put forward as an expiation by his blood", he means that in Christ's humanity "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself." 26

The word "Christ" comes from the Greek translation of the Hebrew Messiah, which means "anointed". It became the name proper to Jesus only because he accomplished perfectly the divine mission that "Christ" signifies. In effect, in Israel those Consecrated to God for a mission that he gave were anointed in his name. This was the case for kings, for Priests and, in rare instances, for prophets. 29 This had to be the case all the more so for the Messiah whom God would send to inaugurate his kingdom definitively. 30 It was necessary that the Messiah be anointed by the Spirit of the Lord at once as king and Priest, and also as prophet. 31 Jesus fulfilled the messianic hope of Israel in his threefold Office of priest, prophet and king.

Jesus' temptation reveals the way in which the Son of God is Messiah, contrary to the way Satan proposes to him and the way men wish to attribute to him. 244 This is why Christ vanquished the Tempter for us: "For we have not a high Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sinning." 245 By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert.

The Church remains Faithful to the interpretation of "all the Scriptures" that Jesus gave both before and after his Passover: "Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" 314 Jesus' sufferings took their historical, concrete form from the fact that he was "rejected by the elders and the chief Priests and the scribes", who handed "him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified". 315

From the beginning of Jesus' public Ministry, certain Pharisees and partisans of Herod together with Priests and scribes agreed together to destroy him. 317 Because of certain acts of his expelling demons, forgiving Sins, healing on the sabbath day, his novel interpretation of the precepts of the Law regarding purity, and his familiarity with tax collectors and public sinners 318 --some ill-intentioned persons suspected Jesus of demonic possession. 319 He is accused of blasphemy and false prophecy, religious crimes which the Law punished with death by stoning. 320

On the threshold of his Passion Jesus announced the coming destruction of this splendid building, of which there would not remain "one stone upon another". 356 By doing so, he announced a sign of the last days, which were to begin with his own Passover. 357 But this prophecy would be distorted in its telling by false witnesses during his interrogation at the high Priest's house, and would be thrown back at him as an insult when he was nailed to the cross. 358

Among the religious authorities of Jerusalem, not only were the Pharisee Nicodemus and the prominent Joseph of Arimathea both secret disciples of Jesus, but there was also long-standing dissension about him, so much so that St. John says of these authorities on the very eve of Christ's Passion, "many.. . believed in him", though very imperfectly. 378 This is not surprising, if one recalls that on the day after Pentecost "a great many of the Priests were obedient to the faith" and "some believers. . . belonged to the party of the Pharisees", to the point that St. James could tell St. Paul, "How many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed; and they are all zealous for the Law." 379

The religious authorities in Jerusalem were not unanimous about what stance to take towards Jesus. 380 The Pharisees threatened to excommunicate his followers. 381 To those who feared that "everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation", the high Priest Caiaphas replied by prophesying: "It is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish." 382 The Sanhedrin, having declared Jesus deserving of death as a blasphemer but having lost the right to put anyone to death, hands him over to the Romans, accusing him of political revolt, a charge that puts him in the same category as Barabbas who had been accused of sedition. 383 The chief Priests also threatened Pilate politically so that he would condemn Jesus to death. 384

The Eucharist that Christ institutes at that moment will be the memorial of his Sacrifice. 431 Jesus includes the apostles in his own Offering and bids them perpetuate it. 432 By doing so, the Lord institutes his apostles as Priests of the New Covenant: "For their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth." 433

"and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." 541 The lifting up of Jesus on the cross signifies and announces his lifting up by his Ascension into heaven, and indeed begins it. Jesus Christ, the one Priest of the new and eternal Covenant, "entered, not into a sanctuary made by human hands. . . but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf." 542 There Christ permanently exercises his Priesthood, for he "always lives to make intercession" for "those who draw near to God through him". 543 As "high priest of the good things to come" he is the centre and the principal actor of the Liturgy that honours the Father in heaven. 544

The Law, the sign of God's promise and Covenant, ought to have governed the hearts and institutions of that people to whom Abraham's faith gave birth. "If you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, . . . you shall be to me a kingdom of Priests and a holy nation." 75 But after David, Israel gave in to the temptation of becoming a kingdom like other nations. the Kingdom, however, the object of the promise made to David, 76 would be the work of the Holy Spirit; it would belong to the poor according to the Spirit.

The People of God is marked by characteristics that clearly distinguish it from all other religious, ethnic, political, or cultural groups found in history: - It is the People of God: God is not the property of any one people. But he acquired a people for himself from those who previously were not a people: "a chosen race, a royal Priesthood, a holy nation." 202 - One becomes a member of this people not by a physical birth, but by being "born anew," a birth "of water and the Spirit," 203 that is, by faith in Christ, and Baptism. - This People has for its Head Jesus the Christ (the anointed, the Messiah). Because the same Anointing, the Holy Spirit, flows from the head into the body, this is "the messianic people." - "The status of this people is that of the dignity and freedom of the sons of God, in whose hearts the Holy Spirit dwells as in a temple." - "Its law is the new commandment to love as Christ loved us." 204 This is the "new" law of the Holy Spirit. 205 - Its mission is to be salt of the earth and light of the world. 206 This people is "a most sure seed of unity, hope, and salvation for the whole human race." -Its destiny, finally, "is the Kingdom of God which has been begun by God himself on earth and which must be further extended until it has been brought to perfection by him at the end of time." 207

Jesus Christ is the one whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit and established as Priest, prophet, and king. the whole People of God participates in these three Offices of Christ and bears the responsibilities for mission and service that flow from them. 208

On entering the People of God through faith and Baptism, one receives a share in this people's unique, Priestly vocation: "Christ the Lord, high priest taken from among men, has made this new people 'a kingdom of Priests to God, his Father.' the Baptized, by regeneration and the Anointing of the Holy Spirit, are Consecrated to be a spiritual house and a holy Priesthood." 209

"To accomplish so great a work" - the dispensation or communication of his work of salvation - "Christ is always present in his Church, especially in her liturgical Celebrations. He is present in the Sacrifice of the Mass not only in the person of his minister, 'the same now Offering, through the Ministry of Priests, who formerly offered himself on the cross,' but especially in the Eucharistic species. By his power he is present in the Sacraments so that when anybody baptizes, it is really Christ himself who baptizes. He is present in his word since it is he himself who speaks when the holy Scriptures are read in the Church. Lastly, he is present when the Church prays and sings, for he has promised 'where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them."' 11

The Epiclesis ("invocation upon") is the intercession in which the Priest begs the Father to send the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, so that the Offerings may become the body and blood of Christ and that the Faithful by receiving them, may themselves become a living offering to God. 23

Forming "as it were, one mystical person" with Christ the Head, the Church acts in the Sacraments as "an organically structured Priestly community." 36 Through Baptism and Confirmation the pRiestly people is enabled to celebrate the Liturgy, while those of the Faithful "who have received Holy Orders, are appointed to nourish the Church with the word and grace of God in the name of Christ." 37

In the first centuries Confirmation generally comprised one single Celebration with Baptism, forming with it a "double Sacrament," according to the expression of St. Cyprian. Among other reasons, the multiplication of infant baptisms all through the year, the increase of rural parishes, and the growth of dioceses often prevented the Bishop from being present at all baptismal celebrations. In the West the desire to reserve the completion of Baptism to the bishop caused the temporal separation of the two sacraments. the East has kept them united, so that Confirmation is conferred by the Priest who baptizes. But he can do so only with the "myron" Consecrated by a bishop. 100

A custom of the Roman Church facilitated the development of the Western practice: a double Anointing with sacred chrism after Baptism. the first anointing of the neophyte on coming out of the baptismal bath was performed by the Priest; it was completed by a second anointing on the foreHead of the newly Baptized by the Bishop. 101 The first anointing with sacred chrism, by the priest, has remained attached to the baptismal rite; it signifies the participation of the one baptized in the prophetic, priestly, and kingly Offices of Christ. If Baptism is conferred on an adult, there is only one post-baptismal anointing, that of Confirmation.

This "character" perfects the common Priesthood of the Faithful, received in Baptism, and "the confirmed person receives the power to profess faith in Christ publicly and as it were officially (quasi ex officio)." 120

The original minister of Confirmation is the Bishop. 128 In the East, ordinarily the Priest who baptizes also immediately confers Confirmation in one and the same Celebration. But he does so with sacred chrism Consecrated by the patriarch or the bishop, thus expressing the apostolic unity of the Church whose bonds are strengthened by the Sacrament of Confirmation. In the Latin Church, the same discipline applies to the Baptism of adults or to the reception into full communion with the Church of a person Baptized in another Christian community that does not have valid Confirmation. 129

In the Latin Rite, the ordinary minister of Confirmation is the Bishop. 130 Although the bishop may for grave reasons concede to Priests the faculty of administering Confirmation, 131 it is appropriate from the very meaning of the Sacrament that he should confer it himself, mindful that the Celebration of Confirmation has been temporally separated from Baptism for this reason. Bishops are the successors of the apostles. They have received the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders. the administration of this sacrament by them demonstrates clearly that its effect is to unite those who receive it more closely to the Church, to her apostolic origins, and to her mission of bearing witness to Christ.

If a Christian is in danger of death, any Priest should give him Confirmation. 132 Indeed the Church desires that none of her children, even the youngest, should depart this world without having been perfected by the Holy Spirit with the gift of Christ's fullness.

The holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. Those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal Priesthood by Baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by Confirmation participate with the whole community in the Lord's own Sacrifice by means of the Eucharist.

At the heart of the Eucharistic Celebration are the bread and wine that, by the words of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, become Christ's Body and Blood. Faithful to the Lord's command the Church continues to do, in his memory and until his glorious return, what he did on the eve of his Passion: "He took bread...." "He took the cup filled with wine...." the signs of bread and wine become, in a way surpassing understanding, the Body and Blood of Christ; they continue also to signify the goodness of creation. Thus in the Offertory we give thanks to the Creator for bread and wine, 152 fruit of the "work of human hands," but above all as "fruit of the earth" and "of the vine" - gifts of the Creator. the Church sees in the gesture of the king-Priest Melchizedek, who "brought out bread and wine," a prefiguring of her own Offering. 153

The Lord, having loved those who were his own, loved them to the end. Knowing that the hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father, in the course of a meal he washed their feet and gave them the commandment of love. 161 In order to leave them a pledge of this love, in order never to depart from his own and to make them sharers in his Passover, he instituted the Eucharist as the memorial of his death and Resurrection, and commanded his apostles to celebrate it until his return; "thereby he constituted them Priests of the New Testament." 162

All gather together. Christians come together in one place for the Eucharistic assembly. At its Head is Christ himself, the principal agent of the Eucharist. He is high Priest of the New Covenant; it is he himself who presides invisibly over every Eucharistic Celebration. It is in representing him that the Bishop or priest acting in the person of Christ the head (in persona Christi capitis) presides over the assembly, speaks after the readings, receives the Offerings, and says the Eucharistic Prayer. All have their own active parts to play in the celebration, each in his own way: readers, those who bring up the offerings, those who give communion, and the whole people whose "Amen" manifests their participation.

The presentation of the Offerings (the Offertory). Then, sometimes in procession, the bread and wine are brought to the altar; they will be offered by the Priest in the name of Christ in the Eucharistic Sacrifice in which they will become his body and blood. It is the very action of Christ at the Last Supper - "taking the bread and a cup." "The Church alone offers this pure oblation to the Creator, when she offers what comes forth from his creation with thanksgiving." 175 The presentation of the offerings at the altar takes up the gesture of Melchizedek and commits the Creator's gifts into the hands of Christ who, in his sacrifice, brings to perfection all human attempts to offer sacrifices.

The Sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice: "The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the Ministry of Priests, who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of Offering is different." "In this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner." 188

The whole Church is united with the Offering and intercession of Christ. Since he has the Ministry of Peter in the Church, the Pope is associated with every Celebration of the Eucharist, wherein he is named as the sign and servant of the unity of the universal Church. the Bishop of the place is always responsible for the Eucharist, even when a Priest presides; the bishop's name is mentioned to signify his presidency over the particular Church, in the midst of his presbyterium and with the assistance of deacons. the community intercedes also for all ministers who, for it and with it, offer the Eucharistic Sacrifice:

It is in keeping with the very meaning of the Eucharist that the Faithful, if they have the required dispositions, receive communion each time they participate in the Mass. 219 As the Second Vatican Council says: "That more perfect form of participation in the Mass whereby the faithful, after the Priest's communion, receive the Lord's Body from the same Sacrifice, is warmly recommended." 220

The Eastern Churches that are not in full communion with the Catholic Church celebrate the Eucharist with great love. "These Churches, although separated from us, yet possess true Sacraments, above all - by apostolic succession - the Priesthood and the Eucharist, whereby they are still joined to us in closest intimacy." A certain communion in sacris, and so in the Eucharist, "given suitable circumstances and the approval of Church authority, is not merely possible but is encouraged." 235

Incorporated into the Church by Baptism, the Faithful have received the Sacramental character that consecrates them for Christian religious worship. 83 The baptismal seal enables and commits Christians to serve God by a vital participation in the holy Liturgy of the Church and to exercise their baptismal Priesthood by the witness of holy lives and practical charity. 84

The Baptized have become "living stones" to be "built into a spiritual house, to be a holy Priesthood." 73 By Baptism they share in the Priesthood of Christ, in his prophetic and royal mission. They are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that [they] may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called [them] out of darkness into his marvelous light." 74 Baptism gives a share in the common priesthood of all believers.

The ordinary ministers of Baptism are the Bishop and Priest and, in the Latin Church, also the deacon. 57 In case of necessity, any person, even someone not Baptized, can baptize, if he has the required intention. the intention required is to will to do what the Church does when she baptizes, and to apply the Trinitarian baptismal formula. the Church finds the reason for this possibility in the universal saving will of God and the necessity of Baptism for salvation. 58

The ordained Ministry or ministerial Priesthood is at the service of the Baptismal Priesthood. 38 The ordained priesthood guarantees that it really is Christ who acts in the Sacraments through the Holy Spirit for the Church. the saving mission entrusted by the Father to his incarnate Son was committed to the apostles and through them to their successors: they receive the Spirit of Jesus to act in his name and in his person. 39 The ordained minister is the sacramental bond that ties the liturgical action to what the apostles said and did and, through them, to the words and actions of Christ, the source and foundation of the sacraments.

The three Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders confer, in addition to grace, a sacramental character or "seal" by which the Christian shares in Christ's Priesthood and is made a member of the Church according to different states and functions. This configuration to Christ and to the Church, brought about by the Spirit, is indelible, 40 it remains for ever in the Christian as a positive disposition for grace, a promise and guarantee of divine protection, and as a vocation to divine worship and to the service of the Church. Therefore these sacraments can never be repeated.

The book of Revelation of St. John, read in the Church's Liturgy, first reveals to us, "A throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne": "the Lord God." 1 It then shows the Lamb, "standing, as though it had been slain": Christ crucified and risen, the one high Priest of the true sanctuary, the same one "who offers and is offered, who gives and is given." 2 Finally it presents "the river of the water of life . . . flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb," one of most beautiful symbols of the Holy Spirit. 3

The celebrating assembly is the community of the Baptized who, "by regeneration and the Anointing of the Holy Spirit, are Consecrated to be a spiritual house and a holy Priesthood, that . . . they may offer spiritual Sacrifices." 9 This "common Priesthood" is that of Christ the sole priest, in which all his members participate: 10

But "the members do not all have the same function." 12 Certain members are called by God, in and through the Church, to a special service of the community. These servants are chosen and Consecrated by the Sacrament of Holy Orders, by which the Holy Spirit enables them to act in the person of Christ the Head, for the service of all the members of the Church. 13 The ordained minister is, as it were, an "icon" of Christ the Priest. Since it is in the Eucharist that the sacrament of the Church is made fully visible, it is in his presiding at the Eucharist that the Bishop's Ministry is most evident, as well as, in communion with him, the ministry of Priests and deacons.

For the purpose of assisting the work of the common Priesthood of the Faithful, other particular ministries also exist, not Consecrated by the Sacrament of Holy Orders; their functions are determined by the Bishops, in accord with liturgical traditions and pastoral needs. "Servers, readers, commentators, and members of the choir also exercise a genuine liturgical function." 14

Signs of the Covenant. the Chosen People received from God distinctive signs and symbols that marked its liturgical life. These are no longer solely Celebrations of cosmic cycles and social gestures, but signs of the covenant, symbols of God's mighty deeds for his people. Among these liturgical signs from the Old Covenant are circumcision, Anointing and consecration of kings and Priests, laying on of hands, Sacrifices, and above all the Passover. the Church sees in these signs a prefiguring of the Sacraments of the New Covenant.

The mystery of Christ, his Incarnation and Passover, which we celebrate in the Eucharist especially at the Sunday assembly, permeates and transfigures the time of each day, through the Celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours, "the divine Office." 46 This celebration, Faithful to the apostolic exhortations to "pray constantly," is "so devised that the whole course of the day and night is made holy by the praise of God." 47 In this "public Prayer of the Church," 48 The faithful (clergy, religious, and lay people) exercise the royal Priesthood of the Baptized. Celebrated in "the form approved" by the Church, the Liturgy of the Hours "is truly the voice of the Bride herself addressed to her Bridegroom. It is the very prayer which Christ himself together with his Body addresses to the Father. 49

The Liturgy of the Hours is intended to become the Prayer of the whole People of God. In it Christ himself "continues his Priestly work through his Church." 50 His members participate according to their own place in the Church and the circumstances of their lives: Priests devoted to the pastoral Ministry, because they are called to remain diligent in prayer and the service of the word; religious, by the charism of their Consecrated lives; all the Faithful as much as possible: "Pastors of souls should see to it that the principal hours, especially Vespers, are celebrated in common in church on Sundays and on the more solemn feasts. the laity, too, are encouraged to recite the divine Office, either with the priests, or among themselves, or even individually." 51

The chair (cathedra) of the Bishop or the Priest "should express his Office of presiding over the assembly and of directing Prayer." 63 The lectern (ambo): "The dignity of the Word of God requires the Church to have a suitable place for announcing his message so that the attention of the people may be easily directed to that place during the Liturgy of the Word." 64

In the Latin Church this triple infusion is accompanied by the minister's words: "N., I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." In the Eastern liturgies the catechumen turns toward the East and the Priest says: "The servant of God, N., is Baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." At the invocation of each person of the Most Holy Trinity, the priest immerses the candidate in the water and raises him up again.

The Anointing with sacred chrism, perfumed oil Consecrated by the Bishop, signifies the gift of the Holy Spirit to the newly Baptized, who has become a Christian, that is, one "anointed" by the Holy Spirit, incorporated into Christ who is anointed Priest, prophet, and king. 41