Scripture and Mission: The Anamnetic-Epicletic Prayer for Episcopal Ordination
On The Prayer for the Ordination of a Bishop
According to Augustine's dictum, "Accedit verbum ad elementum et fit sacramentum", prayer is an essential aspect of sacramental celebrations, complementing the sign or ritual. Within a basic anamnetic-epicletic structure, the prayer recalls God's saving actions in Scripture and formulates petitions accordingly.
The old Roman prayer of episcopal ordination,
as found in the Sacramentarium Veronense (Leonianum) and expanded
by an Old Gallican insertion, was used for centuries. The postconciliar
liturgical reform replaced this prayer with the even older ordination prayer
from the Apostolic Tradition. This prayer highlights the bishop's role
as a successor of the apostles, and its adoption also serves as a bridge to the
Ethiopians and Maronites, who use an expanded version of the same prayer.
Moreover, the prayer is deeply rooted in Scripture. Below is the text from the American
Pontifical, with scriptural quotations and allusions noted in parentheses:
a) Anaclesis
2. Father of mercies and God of all consolation (2 Cor 1:3):
b) Anamnesis
- Who dwell on high and look on the lowly (Ps 112:5-6 LXX);
- Who know all things before they come to be (see Dn 13:42);
- And who laid down observances in your Church through the word of your grace (see Acts 20:32);
- Who, from the beginning, foreordained a nation of the just, born of Abraham;
- Who established rulers and priests [principes et sacerdotes] and did not leave your sanctuary without ministers;
- And who, from the foundation of the world,
- were pleased to be glorified in those you have chosen (see Eph 1:4-6):
c) Epiclesis I: Sending of the Spirit
10. Pour out now upon these chosen ones that power which is from you, the Spirit of governance (Ps 51:14; see Jn 15:26; Acts 1:8),11. Whom you gave to your beloved Son, Jesus Christ (see Mk 1:10)
12. The Spirit whom he bestowed upon the holy Apostles (see Jn 20:22),
13. Who established the Church in each place as your sanctuary
14. For the glory and unceasing praise of your name.
d) Epiclesis
II: Petitions for Future Tasks
- Grant,
O Father, knower of all hearts, that these, your servants, whom
you have chosen (see Acts 1:24; Is 42:1) for the office of bishop:
- May
shepherd your holy flock (see Ez 34:11-16; Jn 21:15-17; Acts 20:28; 1 Pt
5:2-3);
- Serving
you night and day (1 Thes 2:9; Acts 20:31), may they
fulfill before you without reproach the ministry of the High Priesthood;
- so
that, always gaining your favor,
- they
may offer the gifts of your Holy Church.
- Grant
that by the power of the Spirit of the High Priesthood, forgive sins
(see Jn 20:23),
- assign
offices according to your decree
- and loose every bond (see Is 58:6 LXX)
according to the power given by you to the Apostles (Mt 16:19; 18:18);
- May
they please you by their meekness (2 Tim 2:25 Gr.; Jas 3:13)
and purity of heart (Ps 51:12; Mt 5:8; 2 Tim 2:22),
- presenting
a fragrant offering to you (see Eph 5:2; Phil 4:18; 2 Cor 2:14-16; Gn
8:21; Ex 29:41).
e) Doxology
26. Through whom glory, power, and honor are yours,
27. With the Holy Spirit, in the holy Church,
28. Now and forever.
Exegesis of
Scriptural Usage
Scripture profoundly marks the prayer, shaping
both its anamnetic and epicletic sections.
The anamnesis highlights God's care and
foreknowledge (lines 3-4) and moves toward the specific roles of rulers and
priests (lines 5-9). The "now" (et nunc) of the epiclesis
emphasizes the continuity of God's action from the Old Testament to the
present, underscoring the bishop's integration into the Church's mission.
In the anamnesis, we first observe that the scriptural allusions grow
increasingly concrete as they focus on the bishop. Initially, lines 3–4 briefly
and broadly refer to God’s care and foreknowledge; the Old Testament passages
cited here do not directly pertain to ordination. However, in lines 5–9, the
focus shifts to God’s choice of individuals from Abraham’s descendants to serve
in the sanctuary across generations. The anamnetic insertion that follows the
epiclesis connects the bishop to the apostles, as he receives the same Spirit
that Christ gave to them. Thus, the bishop receiving ordination is always
integrated into and united with the Church.
The anamnesis is not, as it might first appear, neatly divided into an Old
Testament section (3–9) and a New Testament section (11–14). Instead, the
contents of the two Testaments are interwoven. Although the starting point is
the "nation of the just, born of Abraham," no clear boundary is drawn
in relation to the New Testament.
The conceptual pair "rulers and priests" (archontes
kai ieris)), often found in the LXX, can be interpreted as
referring either to Judah and the Levites or to the Christian office bearers.
The text leaves it open whether it speaks of the bishop, who united both
functions in his own person, or of bishop and presbyter. The second possibility
is suggested both by indications in the Apostolic Tradition and by the
fact that the threefold list of "leaders, priests, and Levites,"
frequently found in the Books of Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah, was transposed
into the threefold ministry. Another indication that this anamnetic part does
not refer solely to the Old Testament is the phrase "now" (et
nunc) in the epiclesis (10), which implies a continuity "from the
beginning" (6) down to the contemporary celebration of episcopal
ordination. God's action in history encompasses the Old and the New Testament
as well as the present day. While not diminishing the newness of the Christ
event, this also highlights the continuity between Israel and the Church.
It is natural that Scripture marks the anamnetic part of the ordination
prayer. However, the epiclesis is also inspired by Scripture, and this biblical
foundation lends weight to the petition. Above all, the bishop's tasks are
derived in this way from Scripture, declaring him to be the successor of the
Apostles. To him belongs, first and foremost, pastoral care, which derives from
the mission entrusted to Peter after Easter (16), as well as the priestly
ministry as summum sacerdotium, which includes indefatigable prayer,
the celebration of the Eucharist, and the forgiveness of sins (17–20). The
prayer then speaks of ministries (ordination) and the power of loosing
(possibly referring to public penance in the Church; 21–22). The ordination
prayer appeals three times to the commission or authority of Jesus, which has
passed to the Apostles and now belongs to the bishops. At the same time, Christ
as the model—truly the Good Shepherd and high priest—shines through.
In these immediate references to Christ, the interweaving of anamnesis and
epiclesis—already marked by the anamnetic insertion within the structure of the
prayer as a whole—is expressed in individual verses as well. In addition to the
temporal link "now," previously mentioned, there are literal
citations from salvation history: "who know all things"
(4)/"knower of all hearts" (15); "rulers and priests"
(7)/"Spirit of governance" (10) and "ministry of the High
Priesthood" (17); "those you have chosen" (22). Behind these
formal observations on the anamnetic-epicletic structure stands a central
ecclesiological affirmation: the Church, in the power of the Spirit, continues
what Christ has established, and this sustains the presence of the episcopal
ministry throughout the ages.
Let us now examine the passages cited above in their specific biblical
contexts. When considering how Scripture is used, it is important to assess how
the context of the cited passages aligns with the new liturgical framework. In
other words, does the original context of these passages remain implicitly
"cited along with them," or does it fade from view?
In several instances, there is a clear logical relationship or continuity
between the scriptural texts and episcopal ordination. The references to the
Gospels look back to the mission entrusted by Jesus, presenting the bishop as
the successor of the apostles: the task of shepherding (Jn 21:15-17), the power
to bind and loose (Mt 16:19; 18:18), and the gift of the Spirit with the
authority to forgive sins (Jn 20:22-23). The Acts of the Apostles also plays a
significant role, linking the ordination prayer to the early Church. For
example, the reference to the election of Matthias to complete the Twelve (Acts
1:15-26) subtly introduces the collegiality of the apostles into the ordination
prayer. Paul's farewell address to the elders in Miletus (Acts 20:17-38) is
quoted twice, highlighting that bishops are appointed by the Holy Spirit to
shepherd God's Church (Acts 20:28).
Paul's admonitions to Timothy, who tradition identifies as the bishop of
Ephesus, are applied to the bishop. The references to Scripture here are
undoubtedly deliberate and fitting. For instance, the allusion to 1
Thessalonians 2:9 ("serving you night and day") further emphasizes
Paul as a model. Grammatically, this phrase coordinates with the ministry of
shepherd and priest (and not merely the latter). However, in 1 Thessalonians
itself, Paul speaks exclusively of his apostolic ministry, without any liturgical
duties in mind. Thus, this scriptural passage is generalized or extended in
meaning.
The expression "Spirit of governance" (spiritus principalis;
LXX: πνεῦμα ἡγεμονικόν) from Psalm 51:14 plays a central role in the
"epicletic core sentence." Like the psalm, the prayer asks God for
this Spirit (Ps 51:13), but the original context of the sinner repenting and
seeking a steadfast spit fades from view.
The prayer for episcopal ordination requests that the "spiritus
principalis"—the Spirit the Father gave the Son at His baptism in the
Jordan and the Spirit the Son gave to the apostles—be conferred upon the
candidate. This suggests that the focus lies not so much on the specific
content of the psalm but rather on the adjective and the biblical resonance of
the language.
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