The Laying On of Hands (Ordination) of a Priest #
The ordination of a priest takes place during the Divine Liturgy. The one to be ordained serves in that liturgy, fulfilling the duties of an archdeacon: he reads the Gospel after receiving a blessing and carries the Divine Lamb on his head during the Great Entrance, as though completing his service in the diaconate.
When the Divine Gifts have been placed upon the altar and covered with the veil (vozdukh), the candidate for ordination is led forth by the deacons and positioned opposite the royal doors — up to this point he remains a deacon, accompanied by those of equal rank. The deacons hand him over to the priests, who bring him into the sanctuary. There, escorted by the priests, he processes three times around the altar.
“In this way entering into the sacred rank of angels, he makes this triple procession to glorify the Trinity. By this act he also calls upon the holy martyrs, as one who has likewise struggled in Christ and labored in life for Christ’s sake. Lastly, thus is glorified Christ Himself — the praise of the apostles and the joy of the martyrs, who preached the consubstantial Trinity, which in turn glorifies all.”
— Blessed Simeon of Thessalonica
Having completed the threefold procession around the altar, the priests lead the candidate to the hierarch. The bishop seals the candidate’s head, thereby beginning the ordination. The future priest kneels and bows his head upon the altar. The bishop places his hand upon the candidate’s head — a hand bearing the gift of transmitting the divine grace of the priesthood and likened unto the all-working, almighty, all-protecting, and all-governing Right Hand of God — and he calls down divine grace, thereby raising the deacon to the rank of presbyter.
Then, after prayer, that the grace of the Spirit may descend upon the one being ordained (while the faithful sing Kyrie eleison three times), the bishop again seals the head of the ordinand three times.
After the first prayer and the exclamation that follows the petitions, a second prayer and exclamation follow. Upon their completion, the bishop lifts the newly-ordained from the altar. This action symbolizes the divine ascent from a lower to a higher and more divine state.
The hierarch then presents to the new priest, one by one, the articles of his vestments.
First, the bishop transfers the orar from the priest’s left shoulder to the right, moving the rear portion forward — thus forming the epitrakhil. As a deacon, he could only assist in the Mysteries; now his ministry is more complete, with greater responsibility and care laid upon him. The epitrakhil signifies grace, as well as the good yoke of the priesthood. As he places the epitrakhil upon the ordinand, the bishop proclaims: “Dostoin!” — (or in Greek “Axios!” - “Worthy!”) — testifying before all that the ordinand is worthy of the attributes of the priesthood.
Next, the felon is placed upon him — a sleeveless, white vestment covering the whole body.
“It is sleeveless because it symbolizes the sackcloth in which the Savior was clothed when He was mocked,” notes Blessed Simeon.
All these actions up to this point are performed with the royal doors open. From this moment, the doors are closed, and the newly ordained priest remains standing at the side of the altar until the time of Communion.
When the hierarch blesses and consecrates the Holy Gifts by the invocation of the Holy Spirit, the ordained presbyter is once again summoned to him. Taking the second consecrated Bread in his right hand, the bishop gives it to the newly-ordained, who has formed his hands in the shape of a cross — as a sign of the Divine Passion and that the hands of the crucified Lord were nailed for our sake. The bishop says: “Receive this pledge and keep it until the Coming of the Lord, for He will demand it of thee.”
Having kissed the bishop’s hand, he departs with the Bread to the altar, and, laying his hands with the Bread upon it—
Then, after bowing his head and saying the prayer, “Give heed, O Lord Jesus Christ”, the priest is summoned again, bearing the Divine Bread and placing it upon the diskos, for the time has come for the offering of the Holy Gifts.
At that moment, the hierarch lifts up both this Bread and the Divine Bread already lying upon the diskos, for they are one and the same Body of Christ. Then, as prescribed, he performs the mystical union in the Chalice of the Body and Blood, and the Communion.
On this day, the newly-ordained partakes of the Holy Mysteries before all the other priests, because of the renewal of the Holy Spirit within him. Having partaken of the Most Holy Gifts, he then receives the Chalice and administers the Divine Blood to the other clergy.
The newly-ordained concludes the Liturgy already as a priest, going forth into the church to pronounce the prayer behind the ambo.
Then, having received a blessing for all things from the hierarch, he serves the Divine Liturgy daily throughout the course of the week, according to the Ustav, in order to learn his sacred ministry and to ensure that the divine service be offered without interruption for seven days — these symbolically representing the whole span of our earthly life. And that, having fulfilled his ministry in this present life, he might attain unto the heavenly, unending priesthood and direct communion with Christ.
In doing so, as one who has received a great spiritual gift, he must — according to the number of spiritual gifts — unceasingly perform the works of grace for the same number of days, as was said before.