Original scientific paper
The Prayer of Consecration for the Ordination of Presbyters in the West and the East
Zvonko Pažin
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Đakovo, Croatia
Anita Lučić
Abstract
The authors study the prayers of consecration for the ordination of presbyters in the Western Church and the Eastern Church of the Byzantine rite. For the eastern prayer, they used Croatian and Serbian translations and the Greek original. This prayer is older than the western and in a concise form it brings all the essential features of the ministry of presbyters. They operate by the power of the Holy Spirit, and in the liturgy they celebrate the Word of God and the sacred mysteries, the Eucharist and baptism. Presbyters in the Eucharist offer spiritual sacrifices and offerings, which include the spiritual sacrifices of the faithful and their universal priesthood. The western prayer shows its richness only in the latest, current version. It emphasizes the uniqueness of Christ's priesthood in which all the faithful then have share, which presbyters then realize through their liturgical ministry. They proclaim the Gospel and celebrate the mysteries: Baptism, Eucharist, Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick. Both prayers emphasize the loftiness of presbyteral ministry and the need that they live in accordance with that same ministry.
Keywords
the consecration prayer for the ordination of presbyters in the West and the East; spiritual sacrifice; the priesthood of Christ; universal and ministerial priesthood; the Eucharist
Hrčak ID:
171268
URI
Publication date:
23.12.2016.
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