Certainly, metmom! "The New Testament is concealed in the Old; the Old is revealed in the New."
"There is no order of priesthood assigned to or for believers in the NT ..."
Actually, there are two related, but not identical roles here: the "priesthood of all believers" (in which we all participate by Baptism ) and the "priesthood of Christ" in which our Bishops participate in a special way as direct successors of the Apostles, esp. in offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in persona Christi. E.g. when at the consecration the priest says, "This is My Body," he does not mean "This is the body of Fr. Pete Iorio" but "This is the Body of Christ."
1 Corinthians 12:29
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?Do all work mighty deeds?
"..and there is no instruction about dress."
That is true; and that is why, throughout the ages, priests in the Church were garbed, especially for Liturgy, in whatever in that culture/century would have corresponded their concept of noble dress. "Adore the Lord in holy attire..." (Psalm 96:9; Psalm 29:2)
Historians of art and historians of Liturgy will find a wonderful variety here, as priests conveyed by their dress that they were serving the King of Heaven:
Fr. Matteo Ricci in the Chinese imperial court, 1611
St. Andrew Kim, Korea, 19th century
Armenian Catholic priest, 19th century
The Evangelical pastors out my way ---- and they're in our Pro-Life Coalition, I love 'em --- tend to look like either football coaches or bank managers. :o)
I love 'em!
"Jesus is our great high priest and HE is all we need."
A Catholic priest has no priesthood other than the One Priesthood of Christ in which he shares. To say we do not need this earthly participation in the work of Salvation which is Christ's work, seems to lose sight of the truth of our participation --- in our various distinctive ways ---- in the Body of Christ.
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