The Irish standard., 1889-10-26
ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST.
His Vocation Training, Sacrifices
Acts Of Heroism and
Slavery u.
He is OUR MEDIATOR With GOD,
A True Friend and Servant Of the
People, Who Shares all Their
JOYS and Sorrows.

People, Who Shares all Their
I Joys and Sorrows.
I The following is an extract from th
eloquent discourse Of the Rev. ID
Brann, OF New York, at Father Healey'
silver jubilee recently: A question
which naturally arises in our minds
my dear brethren, ON the occasion o
the silver jubilee Of a priest is, wha
are the causes which led him and i,
many others OF our young men to leav
the world and it's attractions for th,
selfsacrificing priesthood of Jesu
Christ? Is it ambition or love of fam,
that prompts them? No; for ambition
Or love of fame is the greatest obstacle
to success in the Church, and especially
in our portion Of it--a portion so free
from secular influence or lay patronage
| Is it avarice or love of riches? Certainly
| not; because we have no rich benefces
| no wealthy class, no endowed establlsh
ment. Our portion Of the Church Il
essentially apostolic in it's poverty ant
it's recognition of merit alone for honol
or preferment. Ours is the Church Of
the hard-working poor, and the priests
| mission is chiefly among them, besides
the Church expressly rejects all who
would enter her sanctuary from such
unworthy motives as avarice, ambition
or love of fame. The very vocation OF
the priesthood and the very nature OF
its Office exclude such motives. III
talent seek fame, ambition or wealth,
the trial-tield is outside and not within
the Chulch. Where, then, shall we
find these causes? Leaving aside The
fact of supernatural vocation, that the
grace of God which illumines the intel
lect and moves the will of young men to
eater the priesthood, leaving aside all
supernatural motives, which, however,
are the formal reason Of vocations to it,
we can tind in its nature attractions
which draw, and in the nature of those
who enter it reasons which lmpel them
into the sanctuary. One of these is the
nobility and the dignity Of the sacerdota]
office. The priest is the representative
OF Jesus Christ among the people, and
the dispenser Of the sacraments of the
New Law. Daily he offers up the great
sacrifice. He dispenses the sacrameflts,
from the one that begins at the cradle
to the one h,ch prepares for the coffin,
opening for us the gates of heaven,
washing original sin from the soul Of
the babe, aud actual sin from the soul
of the adult, putting the sacramental
seal on the coujugal love and the seal Of
Extreme Unction on the lips of the
dying. he is cur mediator with God
our guide, teacher and Judge in the tri-
bunaI of penance. AS Mediator, he is
so closely united with Christ that he
speaks and acts in His divine name, as
if the Divine Master and he were but
the same person. AS guide and teacher
he exponnds the law Of belief and
morals to the people and directs the
consciences. Hence the Church insists
that her priests shall be intellectual
leaders III Israel. No profession exaCts
so rigorous and intellectual preparation
of it's candidates as the Church requires
OF the aspirants for the holy ministry.
The fact, therefore, that the priesthood
is higher and greater than any profane
calling is one of Its cilief attractions,
for hioh mind and noble heart; for
mind whlch aims at what Is great
and a heart that aspires after what is
holy But it is the heroic character of
the priesthood that forms its chief at
fractions. The priesthood demands the
sacrifice of self. of soul and body. 1t is
a life of self -abnegation for the benefit
of others. The priest sacrifices himself
for hi, fellOW-men. He is a Christian
for him self, a priest for others" He is
the true friend and servant of the peo-
pie. one who shares all their joys and
sorrows; who spends his life like his
Divine Master. going about doing good |;
teaching the children, preaching to
their parents the word of God, trying
ever to tighten the load Of the poor in
this vale of tears by imparting the con-
solations which religion alone can give;
for the poor have the Gospel preached
to them by the Christian priesthood. 2
He is the true servant OF the people not
working for pay like the hileling, nor
fattering their passions like the dena-
gogue, but ever devoted to their inter
est; their judge in the confessional,
their guide in the pulpit, their consoler
at the hour Of death. Where is the
her, like unto the priest7 Whal devotee
of science. what friend Of the people has
ever done such heroic acts Of seif-sacri-
Ifice, as the priest does in the epidemic,
Iin The devasting plague' let the black