Conserving the Holy Orders
The foremost vital order in which the Church is lawed by “The Sacrament of Holy Orders” that the clergy are ordained to celebrate the various church services. Onwards our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ appointment of the twelve apostles, their apostolic service all over the world by His rule, with the miraculous deed of the Holy Spirit endowing them 72 different languages for the preaching of the word of God and transgression of gentles to Christianity, is the model of “The Holy Orders.”
“Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. (Matthew 10:5-8)
‘And he went up on the mountain and called to him those he himself wanted. And they came to him. Then he appointed twelve, that they might be with him and that he might sent out to preach and to have power to heal the sicknesses and to cast out demons.’ (Mark 3:13-14)
“And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day He called to Him His disciples: and of them He chose twelve whom also He named Apostles.” (Luke 6:12, 13)
Reverend Stavros Karvelas Parish Priest of Saint Therapon – Thornleigh (NSW), explains about the apostolic mission of the apostles stating the gospel. He says, “the apostles were not just disciples of a great Teacher, who were merely sent to convey his teaching to others. Their apostolate also had a sacramental dimension. In other words, the Lord Jesus also conveyed upon them the Holy Spirit, through which the invisible power and authority of his ministry would be forever united to their mission, visibly. As eye witnesses of the Death and Resurrection of Christ they became confessors of the Truth of the Gospel and received the authority to manifest the invisible presence of the Risen Christ in their respective ministries to the world, after Pentecost; ‘Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you,” and when he said this, he breathed upon them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:21-23)
Later on their assembly in “Hall of Zion” locally known as “Tsirha Tsion”, they made the “Holy Order” and in scripted it on their “Book of Order.” Reverend Stavros Karvelas Parish further clarifies saying, “as the generation of the Apostles dies out, the authoritative witness of the Risen Christ, had to be transferred from one generation to another. The Church had to preserve the purity of this witness to the Faith ‘once and for all delivered to the saints’ (Jude 3). Just as Jesus appointed or ordained his apostles, the apostles in turn ordained their successors through the Sacrament of Ordination. Ordination is a sacrament or of the Church, in that the Church acts through the Holy Spirit, to transfer the apostolic ministry to successive generations. Candidates were called by the Lord, because they possessed certain spiritual ‘gifts’ of leadership and manner of life that would help strengthen the Church. (1 Timothy 3:1-12, C.f. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11)
Their successors were the bishops, presbyters and their assistant’s the deacons, who presided over the Eucharist as the Apostles had done. The sacrament was carried out by the grace of God, through the apostles ‘prayer and the laying on of their hands’ upon the head of a prospective candidate (Acts 1:23-26; 6:6; 13:3; c.f. 2 Timothy 1:6-7). Through the laying on of hands, the Holy Spirit descends upon the candidate for Holy Orders, sanctifying him and empowering him to be a shepherd and minister of Christ, to preach and to teach the Word of God, to administer the sacraments and to guide God’s people towards salvation. These three orders of clergy are called Holy Orders.”
Years have passed whilst our Holy Church has been utilizing this Holy Order and yet have face many obstacles and barriers. It has even come to this time that priesthood is in chaos due to unlawful ordination of orders. We have witnessed the fall and rise of Patristic Fathers over the past generation but even so has not welcomed falsity, corruption and conflict within the order of the ordination of Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops and others servile just as this one. Not only that, but the back and forth of their appointment, canonical law of dis-fellowshipped (excommunicated) Archbishops and the re-ordination of them was irritatingly disappointing.
The cannon and Dogma of Holy Church is absolute as her builder Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is absolute. Thus, is of the great essence to conserve, protect or safeguard her inner and outer assets for the welfare of her existence, the presence of parishioners and the better future of priesthood. No one what so ever has the authority to defy the Law of God, code of canon and Dogma for economic, social, political or personal benefit alike the recent phenomenon. The separation of the synod caused by racism, the unlawful ordination of the archbishops and excommunication, the interference of the government in the process of the ordination or else excommunication, is all an exclusion from the code of cannon and Church Liturgy. If we are the true children of God, we ought to defend the right law of the house of the Lord paying the necessary sacrifice. This include following the right to acknowledge the “The Sacrament of Holy Order,” so as to recognize the faults and correct them lawfully. All in the name of Christ and Christians have the right to be led by the True Order of God and thus if any harms and evil has been done, need to confront the concerned body together with the legitimate Patristic Fathers.
Anyone who is led by the truth, nothing but the truth, does not fail. Hardships and predicaments might subtle in our lives, but still in the long run, is protected by God on the true path that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has craved for us. If we have unison and harmony also, He will be our strengthen in defeating our enemies. So, we shall always be led by His law and order to be shield from evil and devious scam trapped within this satanic world.
Dear brethren, we must not fear to utter and witness about truth by any means at any time. It is what keep us safe, strong and diligent thorough out our spiritual life. But it is impossible to have a life without the safety of our sacred and Holy House Church. We all have the responsibility for her wellbeing, existence and futurity. We have to pray for her; fight for her; seek her and even be in spiritual war for her through diligent in praying and fasting, provision of march and pilgrimage.
May God safeguard our Holy Church, Amen!