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“Take care to do all things in harmony with God,
with the bishop presiding in the place of God,
and with the Presbyters in the place of the council of the Apostles,
and with the Deacons, who are most dear to me,
entrusted with the business of Jesus Christ,
who was with the Father from the beginning and is at last made manifest.”
(From the Epistle of St. Ignatius to the Magnesians, 6:1 [A.D. 110])
From the moment of Jesus’ conception in the womb of Mary until his Resurrection, He was filled with the Holy Spirit. In biblical language, He was anointed by the Holy Spirit, and thus established by God the Father as our high priest. As Risen Lord, He remains our high priest.... While all the baptized share in Christ's priesthood, the ministerial priesthood shares this through the Sacrament of Holy Orders in a special way.
"Here I am, send me." (Isaiah 6:8)
Ordination to the priesthood is always a call and a gift from God. Christ reminded his Apostles that they needed to ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into the harvest. Those who seek priesthood respond generously to God's call using the words of the prophet, “Here I am, send me” (Isaiah 6:8). This call from God can be recognized and understood from the daily signs that disclose his will to those in charge of discerning the vocation of the candidate.* Taken from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults *
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Vocations
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Priesthood Discernment in the Diocese of Pittsburgh
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Diaconate Discernment in the Diocese of Pittsburgh
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