Choose a topic from Part 3 Suppl:
1. Orders, or holy orders as it is more generally called,is the sacrament by which bishops, priests, and deacons are giventhe power to perform their sacred functions.
2. Peter the Lombard defines the sacrament of orders as:"A seal of the Church by which spiritual power is conferred onthe person ordained." Rightly understood, this is a gooddescription of orders. The sacrament is a sign or seal. It is"of the Church" in the sense that Christ instituted itand consigned it to the Church for administering; our Lord did thiswith all the sacraments; hence it is common to hear the expression,"the sacraments of the Church," even though the Churchcannot institute or abrogate any sacrament. The definition of Peterthe Lombard indicates the effect of this sacrament in therecipient, namely, spiritual power.
3. A sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ,while he was here on earth before his Ascension into heaven, whichboth signifies and confers an inward grace. The sacrament of orderssquares with this definition. It is therefore a true sacrament.
4 & 5. This sacrament is conferred by the imposing of thebishop's hands upon the recipient (this constitutes thematter of the sacrament) followed by prescribed prayers(the form) which indicate the meaning of the matter orsign, and constitute it a sacrament.
"The supreme perfection of man in this life is to be so united to God that all his soul with all its faculties and powers are so gathered into the Lord God that he becomes one spirit with him, and remembers nothing except God, is aware of and recognises nothing but God, but with all his desires unified by the joy of love, he rests contentedly in the enjoyment of his Maker alone."
St Albert the Great
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"God looks neither at long nor beautiful prayers, but at those that come from the heart."
The Cure D'Ars
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"God has no need of men."
St Philip Neri
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