Day 217: The Effects of Holy Orders (2026)
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What is the indelible spiritual mark received in Holy Orders?
Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Catechism in the Year podcast, where we encounter God's plan of sheer goodness for us, revealed in Scripture and passed down to the tradition of the Catholic faith. The Catechism in the Year is brought to you by Ascension. In 365 days, we'll read through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, discovering our identity in God's family as we journey together toward our heavenly home. This is day 217. We are reading paragraphs 1581 to 1589. As always, I am using the Ascension. Ascension edition of the Catechism, which includes a foundations of faith approach, but you can follow along with any recent version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
You can also download your own Catechism in a year reading plan by visiting AscensionPress.com/slash CIY. And you could, if you wanted, click follow or subscribe in your podcast app for daily updates and daily notifications because we've made it all the way to today, day two seventeen, fifteen eighty-one to fifteen eighty nine. Uh this is the Last little section before we talk about holy matrimony. Well, we have nuggets coming up, you know, but from fifteen eighty one to fifteen eighty nine, we're talking about the effects of the sacrament of holy orders, that there is an indelible character that is is imprinted essentially, kind of like baptism, kind of like confirmation. That is once a priest, always a priest.
In fact, scripture says you are a priest forever. And so we have that. Secondly, we talk about the grace of the Holy Spirit. What is that? Is that a grace of strength? Yes, it is. Is it a grace of wisdom and all all those gifts, gifts of the Holy Spirit? Yes. There's a special strength that God has given to those ordained deacons, a strength to serve, which is remarkable. And there's something really powerful. There is a quote at the very end. End of actually two quotes at the very end of our section today. One by Saint St. Gregory of Nazianzas, and the other by St. John of Nazi. Marie Saint Jean Marie Vienni, Saint John Vienni. And uh both of them remarkable.
How does Holy Orders configure a priest to serve Christ?
One is a quote that Saint Gregory of Nazianzus was a very young priest exclaimed and then And then uh Saint John Viani, J Saint John Viani is the patron saint of parish priests, and so he has a a quote at the very end of this where he says, The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus. So as we enter into this last little section before our nuggets tomorrow, let's just call upon our Father in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit and pray. Father in heaven, we give you praise and glory. We thank you so much for giving us, for giving us yourself, for giving us your son, for giving us your love, and giving us access. Dear heart, Father in heaven.
Help us to love you with hearts that are undivided, Help us to follow you with wills that are undivided. Help us to be able to focus on you with a mind that's undivided and help us belong to you. United in love for you this day and every day.
We make this prayer in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord, amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen. It is day two hundred seventeen we are reading paragraphs fifteen eighty one to fifteen eighty nine. The effects of the sacrament of holy orders. The indelible character. 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. As in the case of baptism and confirmation, this share in Christ's office is granted once for all. The Sacrament of Holy Orders, like the other two, confers an indelible spiritual character and cannot be repeated or conferred temporarily.
It is true that someone validly ordained can, for grave reasons, be discharged from the obligations and functions linked to ordination, or can be forbidden to exercise them, but he cannot become a layman again in the strict sense, because the character imprinted by ordination is forever.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the indelible spiritual mark received in Holy Orders?
0:05–1:49
2
How does Holy Orders configure a priest to serve Christ?
1:49–4:37
3
What are the three offices (priest, prophet, king) given by Holy Orders?
4:37–8:21
4
Can a validly ordained priest ever become a layperson again?
8:21–10:33
5
What grace of the Holy Spirit is given to bishops and how does it shape their ministry?
10:33–12:42
6
How do the prayers of ordination empower priests and deacons for service?
12:42–15:56
7
Why is the priesthood described as ‘the love of the heart of Jesus’?
15:56–17:59
8
What practical prayers does Father Mike ask listeners to say for clergy today?
17:59–18:20