Good ideas well written. IMHO, "ordination" has caused some less than desirable effects: established a clerical caste that has set itself apart from and above the rest of humanity, cutting off a significant portion of the folks; has turned folks' attempts to follow Jesus into something of a card punching and gas station mentality; focused on the "power" allegedly given to priests. This "indellible mark" and "ontological" change really doesn't mean much. We can learn a lot from Intentional Eucharist Communities who choose their presiders from their membership, and, rather than setting them apart and above, rotate these positions for varying lengths of time. The system as it is now, encourages the gas station mentality as we retired guys are mainly circuit riders trying to maintain mass/sacrament schedules. There has to be a better way, and there is if we take the time and dare to look. We can learn a lot by looking around.