Choose a topic from Part 3 Suppl:
1. The sacrament of orders confers sanctifying grace, asall sacraments do. And it is notably suitable that the sacramentwhich empowers a person to confect and dispense the sacraments asmeans of grace should itself bring grace to its recipient.
2. Since any sacred order which pertains to the sacramentof orders (that is, episcopate, priesthood, diaconate) sets a manin a place ofpower with reference to the dispensing of thesacraments, it marks him for this duty by an indelible characterimpressed upon his soul.
3. The character of orders presupposes the baptismalcharacter as already on the soul. It is the character impressed bybaptism that renders a person capable of receiving the othersacraments.
4. The character of orders does not, of necessity,presuppose the character imprinted in the soul by confirmation. Butit is most suitable that confirmation be received before orders areconferred; for a man should come to ordination with all perfectionshe can manage to receive. Therefore, the Church requires that thecandidate for orders be confirmed before he presents himself forordination.
5. The character of orders is impressed as the sacramentis received, without dependence on the proper sequence ofordinations. Thus, if a man were to be ordained priest withouthaving first been ordained deacon, his priesthood would be valid.But the order of deaconship would be supplied by the properordination. The Church requires, however, that orders be receivedin due succession.
"A single act of uniformity with the divine will suffices to make a saint."
St Alphonsus de Liguori
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"Does our conduct correspond with our Faith?"
The Cure D'Ars
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"God looks neither at long nor beautiful prayers, but at those that come from the heart."
The Cure D'Ars
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