The Church of the Holy Spirit

3. The Ministry of Laics

Chapter 3 The Ministry of Laics 33 I. The Ministry of Laics as a Ministry of God’s People Ordained in the sacrament of baptism by water and the Spirit to be king and priest, the newly enlightened Christian is solemnly led into the eucharistic assembly. But we, after we have thus washed him who has been convinced and has assented to our teaching, bring him to the place where those who are called brethren are assembled, in order that we may offer hearty prayers in common for ourselves and for the baptized [illuminated] person, and for all others in every place . . . Having ended the prayers, we salute one another with a kiss. There is then brought to the president of the brethren bread and a cup of wine mixed with water; and he taking them, gives praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Ghost,and offers thanks at considerable length for our being counted worthy to receive these things at His hands. And when he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all the people present express their assent by saying Amen . . . And when the president has given thanks, and all the people have expressed their assent, those who are called by us deacons give to each of those present to partake of the bread and wine mixed with water over which the thanksgiving was pronounced, and to those who are absent they carry away a portion.1 The Eucharist is the leitourgia celebrated by God’s people gathered in the temple of Christ’s body. Therefore only one who is ordained for the “high calling” of being a member of God’s people can participate in the Eucharist. The eucharistic assembly began with the reading of the Scriptures and the homily by the presider, followed by common prayer. The catechumens were excluded not only from participation in the Eucharist but from common prayer, as well, for they did not yet have the calling of being members of God’s people, the people of priests and kings. “And henceforth (after chrismation) they shall pray with all the people; they shall not pray with the people until they have performed all these things.”2 The prayer of the Church is prayer to the Father “in Christ.” Whoever is not “in Christ” cannot take part in it and whoever cannot take part in it cannot participate in the Eucharist. Conversely, whoever cannot participate in the Eucharist cannot take part in the prayer of the Church. But to be “in Christ” means to offer a sacred service to his God and Father.Just as in the Old Testament “every priest stands daily in his service (hestêken kath’ hêmeran leitourgôn)” (Heb. 10.11), thus also in the New Testament every one of the faithful in the eucharistic assembly stands before God as a liturgical minister (leitourgos). The whole life of the faithful is an unceasing ministry (latreia) to God, but in a particular way, intimately related to the ministry (leitourgia) at the eucharistic assembly where everything begins and ends. This is why every ministry in the Church is closely connected with the eucharistic assembly.3 The participation of the newly baptized in the eucharistic assembly, which completes the charismatic act of his reception into the Church, brings into the open the nature and characteristics of the ministry unto which every member of the Church is ordained. According to Hippolytus of Rome, after his ordination the newly ordained bishop presides at the eucharistic assembly for the first time.4 This latter detail shows that the ordination is accomplished exactly for the purpose of his function as a presider. According to the same author, after his ordination a presbyter takes his place among the presbyters, being ordained in order to have “a share and inheritance with the presbyterate.” Immediately after his ordination the new deacon took his place among the deacons at the episcopal celebration of the Eucharist as the bishop’s assistant. We have every reason to infer that the ordination of the newly baptized for his or her ministry as king and priest also was done for the purpose of the eucharistic assembly. After the sacrament of baptism by water and the Spirit, the newly baptized “concelebrated” in the sacred ministry of the Eucharist for the first time. Since it is a liturgical action, the ministry of all the faithful in the Eucharist is just as necessary as that...