I have tried to describe what the walled city of Toledo looks like but I was unable to load the pictures, which are really the best way for me to describe the tiny streets that barely fit a car and the labyrinth of walls and alleys that take you in a maze of circles.
Today is Sunday and since we did not go with the group trip to Andalucia, probably a good thing since I am sick with a Gastro-Intestinal bug Jackie and I decided to go to church. I am not Catholic but I love the churches here. They have amazing architecture and history. Well Jackie and I had no clue what we were in for. She said it would be a small service about 30 minutes held in one of the 40 chapels inside. Well we got there and it was massive and insane. The entire church was filled up in the main hallway. After much confusion we finally figured out where to get chairs from and set up camp. There were plasma TVs on all the pillars to view the event. Today would be a full mass that lasted 4 hours for the ordination of 24 deacons and Priests. There were Cardinals, nuns and Bishops everywhere. I didn't feel so bad being in the back since we were sitting next to a nun. Jackie was able to relate to more of it than I was but being Lutheran there were still a lot of similarities, the Apostles creed was said and the Nuevo Padre is the Lord's Prayer. Alleluia and Amen are also the same in English and Spanish so I got that part. Below is a reference of what traditions we witnessed today for those of you that are Catholic and want to brush up on the tradition of the making of a Priest. It was actually very interesting for me since I am not Catholic to see this ritual. Jackie also had never seen this before and she attended Catholic School so I figured this was a rare cultural experience.
What is ordination?
Ordination is the sacramental ceremony in which a man becomes a deacon, priest or bishop and enabled to minister in the name of Christ and His Church. There are three ordinations in the Sacrament of Holy Orders: deaconate, priesthood and episcopacy (bishop). The ordination ceremony includes various rituals that are rich in meaning and history, such as the prostration, the laying on of hands, the anointing of the hands, the giving of the chalice and patton and the sign of peace.
Who can ordain priests?
Only a bishop can ordain a priest because as a successor to the Apostles, he shares in the ministry of Jesus passed on through those same Apostles.
What is the meaning of the laying on of hands?
By this ritual, the ordaining bishop and the other priests invoke the Holy Spirit to come down upon the man being ordained, giving him a sacred character and setting him apart for ministry in the Church.
Why does the man becoming a priest lie prostrate on the floor during the ordination?
Within the ordination rite the man being ordained lies prostrate during the Litany of Saints and the prayer that follows it. It symbolizes his unworthiness for the office to be assumed and his dependence upon God and the prayers of the entire Christian community to be successful in his new ministry.
What is the meaning of the newly ordained priest receiving the stole and chasuble?
These are vestments which pertain to his office and have symbolic meaning. The stole symbolizes the authority and responsibility to serve in imitation of Christ. It reflects the line from the Scripture: "For my yoke is easy, and my burden light" (Matthew 11:30). The chasuble is the principal garment of the priest celebrating the Eucharist and is the outermost vestment. In wearing it the priest is reminded that he is called to love all people as Christ did in a sacramental manner and it reflects the line from Scripture: “Put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24).
What does the anointing of the hands signify?
Anointing with oil stems from the Old Testament and indicates that someone or something is being set apart for a sacred task or duty. The anointing of the hands signifies that the hands of the newly ordained priest are being prepared for the sacred duties and vessels which will be part of the priestly ministry - offering the bread and wine, anointing the sick and blessing people. As he anoints the hands of the man being ordained the bishop says: "The Father anointed our Lord Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. May Jesus preserve you to sanctify the Christian people and to offer sacrifice to God."
