Crossed The Tiber

An Evangelical Converts to Catholicism

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Location: Pennsylvania, United States

I was born into the Catholic faith. At 14, I was "born again" and found Jesus personally but lost His Church. After thirty years as an evangelical protestant, I have come full circle to find that He has been there all the time, in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I wish others to find the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith as I have found.

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Apostolic Succession and The Barbershop Mirrors


Here's a slide show of the recent ordination of several Franciscan friars .
Most touching to me in this strip is the blessing that the Bishop now receives back from each new priest. The bishop humbly bows and receives the blessing acknowledging the passage of the apostolic succession to the new priest. The process of "the laying on of hands" to confer the sacrament of Holy Orders is an ancient process that goes back to apostolic times.

I sometimes liken apostolic succession to the "double-mirrored barbershop phenomenon." Work with me on this for a minute... When I was a kid and used to get a haircut every 6 months or so, (whether I needed it or not) I remember sitting in the barber chair looking at my image in the mirror in front of and behind me and seeing the image visually "reverberate" on and on and on ad infinitum. Sometimes, when I look at the priest celebrating the Mass, I think of the "reverberation" back through history, unbroken succession, as we Catholics like to say, to the very apostles and bishops of the early Church.

Seeing this ordination of Franciscans is like looking back through history and getting a glimpse of how the Church looked and operated a millenium ago.

4 Comments:

Blogger Joyful Catholic said...

The splendor of this holy lineage over 2000 years just tugs at my heart strings. I'm overwhelmed and getting too weepy in my old age. I love priests...they're hands give us Christ.

Thanks TJ. Beautiful.

July 04, 2007 1:30 PM  
Blogger WhiteStoneNameSeeker said...

beautiful-and full of joy and hope.

July 05, 2007 4:42 AM  
Blogger Amber said...

Wonderful! I love your analogy!

July 05, 2007 11:39 AM  
Blogger Russ Rentler, M.D. said...

Thanks for the comments.
It just seemed to be the only thing I could picture when I first got the concept of apostolic succession in my head and heart.

July 05, 2007 4:07 PM  

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