Present for God's Call - OWPGC

The baptized are called to serve God and the Church in a variety of ways, utilizing the gifts they have been given by the Holy Spirit. Some are called by God to serve in a special way. They have heard God’s voice and have responded to his call by presenting themselves to the Church to be instituted as a lay catechist, a lector, or an acolyte or to be ordained as a bishop, a priest, or a deacon. The ceremonies of institution and ordination set apart these members of the Catholic faithful as servant leaders, and these liturgical rites affirm the special charisms that have been bestowed upon them by the Holy Spirit.

In Present for God’s Call, Fr. Paul Turner provides the historical evolution of the rites of institution and ordination as well as a pastoral overview of the current Latin texts and English translations of these rites. This book is a timely and important liturgical study on the vocational and ministerial roles in the Church, especially for women, who are now permitted to serve as instituted lectors, acolytes, and catechists.

Unique to Fr. Turner’s study is the emphasis on the faithful’s role in the rites of institution and ordination. The ordination ceremonies expect that the assembly be prepared and that they fully participate in these rites. The entire local Church is called to prepare to take part in these rites, and this book provides one way for this formation to take place.