Paul’s quoting of Psalm 110 in his letter to the Hebrews, and it draws a typological connection from Genesis, through the Psalms and the priesthood of the temple, to the New Testament priesthood established by Jesus Christ, the high priest of the new covenant: “It is even more obvious if another priest is raised up after the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become so, not by a law expressed in a commandment concerning physical descent but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. Therefore, through the office of the priesthood, it is Christ himself who offers the sacrifice at every Mass as the eternal high priest. This action makes that moment truly present to us here and now at every celebration of the Mass. Through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the priest, in the person of Christ, takes bread and wine and repeats the words of consecration spoken at the institution, by Christ, during the Last Supper (Mt 26:26-28). Jesus passed on this ministerial priesthood through his Church by apostolic succession. The priesthood of Melchizedek is an archetype of the priesthood of the temple period in Israel, as well as the priesthood of Christ himself, as he offers his own body and blood to God as a sacrifice for us in the form of bread and wine. The biblical roots of the priesthood begin in ancient times, in Genesis chapter 14, when Melchizedek brought out bread and wine to bless Abram after a military victory. The priesthood of Christ in Holy Scripture Ordained ministers in the Eastern Church - the Eastern Orthodox - also possess the fullness of this sacrament, and can therefore validly administer the sacraments proper to their office/ministry. The ministry of Christ, passed down through the Apostles, makes Christ truly present through the seven sacraments in Catholic churches all over the world - in every age. Through this ordained ministry, a man “acts in the person of Christ,” meaning that in the Catholic sacraments, Christ himself is present to His Church through the ordained minister. There are three degrees of ordination: deacon, priest and bishop. This happens through apostolic succession in the imposition of hands by one or more bishops within the Catholic faith. The meaning, therefore, of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, is the placing of a man into the order through which he receives the gift of the Holy Spirit, permitting him to exercise sacred power, which flows only from Christ through his Church. These days, in the prevailing culture at least, anyone with 15 minutes and Internet access can become an “ordained minister.” But is that really what ordination means? The word ordination originates from the Latin word ordinare meaning “to place in order.” For the Latin Church - Roman Catholics - ordination is: “…reserved for the sacramental act which integrates a man into the order of bishops, presbyters, or deacons, and goes beyond a simple election, designation, delegation, or institution by the community, for it confers a gift of the Holy Spirit that permits the exercise of a "sacred power" ( sacra potestas) which can come only from Christ himself through his Church.” (CCC 1538) What is the apostolic ministry of a deacon, priest and bishop?
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