Saturday, January 14, is a special and rare day in the life of St. David’s. We are privileged to witness and pray at ordination of our deacon Matt to the priesthood—our Deacon Matt becomes our Father Matt.
More significant than the title change, Matt’s ordination gives us the opportunity to reflect on a wonderful act in which God gives his Spirit in a special and powerful way to those whom God has specially chosen to administer the sacraments for maintaining the health and life of the congregation. Using the old fashioned image, the candidate’s hands are consecrated for the purpose of blessing, forgiving, and most important of all, presiding at the Eucharist. To put it in a more contemporary way, in becoming a priest the candidate has been “set aside” to minister the sacraments in ways only a priest or a bishop can do. Ordination produces what is called an ontological change, i.e. change which can never be undone, a change which makes an indelible mark. The new priest ‘s character is changed forever.
There are some wonderful customs which may accompany an ordination. For example, after the service it is proper to ask the new priest for a blessing. In Europe there is an old saying that a blessing from a new priest is like getting a new pair of shoes. If we think of the poverty in many places, there are people for whom a new pair of shoes is an expensive gift that will last many years.
So we at St. David’s give thanks for Matt our new priest, and pray that he may have a healthy and bountiful ministry among us.
The Rev. Dr. Bill Duffy