The Glory of Priesthood according to Saint John Chrysostom

Chrysostom stresses that Priesthood is a ministration which was given to priests by God as a " Divine gift" and this is why it is the most important and valuable of all the other earthly rules. And although it is applied on earth, its results reach up to heavens and so it is a service befitting angels. Priesthood, thus, is characterized as " angelic " since Priesthood is discharged on earth, but it ranks amongst heavenly ordinances. And very rightly so, for Priesthood " was instituted neither by man, nor angel, nor archangel, nor any other created power, but the Paraclete Himself, and persuaded men while still abiding in the flesh to represent the ministry of angels !"

Priesthood has, thus, a supernatural character. The main point of this supernatural character of Priesthood is the celebration of the sacrament of the Divine Eucharist, the holifying power of the Holy Spirit which is connected to the one inside the Church. It is the most important power given to the priests who although inhabit the earth and make their abode here are entrusted with the administration of things which are in Heaven, and have received an authority which God has not given to angels or archangels. And this, says the Holy Father, does not allow us to believe that there is a single man who considers something higher and desires something more than the honour to ascend in the office of priesthood. And this authority is the authority to " bind and remit" , that is to forgive the sins and judge the sins of men on the earth. This authority was given by the Son of God only to priests.

Of course, the people who rule on earth have indeed authority to bind, but only the body, whereas this binding of the priests lays hold of the soul and is ratified by God Himself. The Holy Father says that God gave the heavenly authority to remit the sins -and whose sins they remit, they are remitted by God and whose sins they retain, they are retained by God.

What authority could be greater than this? The Father has given the authority of the judgment of sins to the Son and the Son put it into the hands of the priests. What honour for the priests! With this authority, deriving from priesthood, priests have transcended human nature, are released from the personal weaknesses and have been translated to the ranks of angels in heavens. Priesthood has the authority (of binding and remitting), of forgiving the sins of people and saving their souls and is precious and fair; it differs, thus, from any other authority in the same way, as Chrysostom says, as heaven from earth and souls from bodies. Without the blessing of the hands of the priest nobody can be saved and achieve heavenly life.

He asks: What is a priest? A priest, he answers, is an angel of the Lord who accepts Christ in his hands, speaks on behalf of Christ and ministers Him. The priest during the sacraments lends his hands to Christ and when he speaks, lends his tongue to Christ. Therefore, he says, the priest must be as pure as the angels and feel that he stands in the heavens together with the angels. Priests must be honoured more than parents. Because our parents give birth to us through the body for this present temporary life, while priests are the ones who regenerate us spiritually in the eternal life which we enter with the Grace of God through Baptism and the Divine Eucharist. This is why God gave higher authority to priests than natural parents not to punish but to benefit and regenerate people in the kingdom of God with the sacraments, their teachings, sermons and prayers. The priests with this authority seem, as we have said, to have been translated to Heaven and have transcended human nature, released from their personal passions. In this way of life (and conduct), priests do not live for themselves any more but mainly for the salvation of the faithful and their ministry in the Church.

The consequence of all these is the big responsibility and the huge obligations of priests in front of God and the souls entrusted to them on earth. These obligations are invaluable, since the priests become fathers of the faithful, offer forgiveness, fight for the regeneration and salvation of souls, pray for all the world and approach God.