Ordination

The Mystery in which men are set apart by the laying on of hands to serve the Church as deacons, priests, or bishops.

Ordination is the Mystery by which the Holy Spirit sets a man apart for service in the Church. Through the laying on of hands by the bishop, the grace of the priesthood is given, and the man is configured to Christ the High Priest in a new and particular way.

There are three major orders in the Orthodox Church: deacon, priest, and bishop. Each has its own dignity and its own responsibilities. The deacon serves at the altar and in the works of charity. The priest is given the grace to celebrate the Holy Mysteries, to preach the Word, and to shepherd the flock. The bishop receives the fullness of the priesthood and is entrusted with the oversight of the Church in a particular place, standing as a successor to the Apostles.

Ordination is never a personal achievement or a career step. It is a calling from God, recognized by the Church, and sealed by the Holy Spirit. The man who is ordained does not take the priesthood upon himself. It is given to him. And once given, it is given for the sake of the people of God.

In the service of ordination, the candidate kneels before the altar. The bishop lays his hands upon the man’s head and prays that the divine grace, which always heals what is infirm and completes what is lacking, would come upon him. The clergy and the people then proclaim “Axios!” — “He is worthy!” — not as a judgment of the man’s personal perfection, but as a recognition that God has chosen him and that the Church receives him.

The ordained man is given the sacred vestments of his order and is led to take his place among the clergy. From that moment he belongs no longer to himself. He is a servant of the Mysteries, a steward of the grace of God, and a father to the faithful.

This Mystery protects the continuity of the Church. Through the unbroken succession of the laying on of hands, stretching back to the Apostles themselves, the same faith, the same worship, and the same sacramental life are preserved and handed on from generation to generation.