Why Do Priests Lay On The Floor During Ordination

By this ritual the ordaining bishop and the other priests invoke the holy spirit to come down upon the one to be ordained giving him a sacred character and setting him apart for the designated ministry.

Why do priests lay on the floor during ordination.

Peter engraved into the floor as my nose was pressed against his name. Cheirotonia χειροτονία literally laying on of hands is both a symbolic and formal method of invoking the holy spirit primarily during baptisms and confirmations healing services blessings and ordination of priests ministers elders deacons and other church officers along with a variety of other church sacraments and holy. All priests present at the mass will then do the same in turn. Their selection as servant leaders was clearly from the lord involved an elaborate ceremony and was done in public before the people.

While jesus on multiple occasions placed his hands on people in acts of blessing and healing this gesture is intended to replicate the gesture that jesus. Ordination has a rich history among believers beginning in the old testament. The rest of the priests in attendance then lay hands on the candidates. Peter s ministry as the first of the apostles as i lay there praying for his.

Timothy s ordination was specifically mentioned in 2 timothy 1 6 where paul wrote for this reason i remind you to fan into flame the gift of god which is in you through the laying on of my hands timothy was set apart as a church leader and was to continue living out his calling in the church at ephesus. The priests are to lay hands on these candidates in silence. In christianity the laying on of hands greek. What is the meaning of the laying on of hands.

This is an ancient ritual symbolizing the fraternity and brotherhood that is shared in the priesthood. Major world religions employ prostration as an act of submissiveness or worship to a supreme being or other worshiped. Prostration is the placement of the body in a reverentially or submissively prone position as a gesture typically prostration is distinguished from the lesser acts of bowing or kneeling by involving a part of the body above the knee touching the ground especially the hands. The laying on of hands enters this priest into an unbroken lineage that tradition upholds leads back to the first apostles.

I couldn t help but marvel at the providence of being reminded of st. The first example that most would point to is the consecration of aaron and his sons as priests lev. At the conclusion of the laying on of hands and prayer of ordination the candidates are priests. This is in keeping with an ancient text found in the apostolic tradition which is believed to have been written by hippolytus in 280 a d.

The bishop then prays the prayer of ordination over the candidates.