The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-12-20

1
the spirit Of God, every Christian there
lore must offer sacrifice in alteration Of,
and in Thanksgiving to, the Most High.
The SPECIAL acts, the immediate contact
with the immaculate victim may be done
by proxy by those especially prepared
and separated for this purpose, but each
Individual Christian in his own right
and in virtue of his Christian dignity
offers along with the celtbrant sacrifice
to God. It is because you have this
right that you gather here; it is because
you have this duty that the Church so
strongly incnlcates the necessity Of hear
ing mass on Sunday; or to put it better,
of fering sacrifice to God and Of ador-
ing Him in the manner in which He
wished to be adored. No prayer Of
yours, no other good work can be sub
stitute or compensation for this great
sacrifclal act; and fidelity in all else is
insignificant when this supreme act of
worship is neglected Now, this adora-
ton flowing from the truth Of Fifth and
the Spirit of God according to the words
of our Saviour: "Tne hour cometh and
now is when the true adorers shall adore
the Father in spirit and in truth re-
should preside at it's solemn functions
By having one set aside and especially
instructed for this purpose the adora-
ton OF the people is not withdrawn or
monopolized, but the outpourings of
many are harmonized into one great act,
| and the beauty and the dignity OF the
sacred rites find more worthy express
sion. 1t follows, therefore, that if the
kjngly priesthood of the Christian peo
pie is their greatest dignity, the sacred
Office of him who is their spokesman
and their representative in the exercise
OF their priesthood is the highest that
can be conferred upon man. We can.
then overlook for the nonce the relation
of the priesthood to Christ, the great
High Priest of the New Law, and learn
what it's attributes should be merely
from it's relation to the people. This
view of the priesthood may be novel
one, but it is none the less true, while it
furnishes an easy insight into the requi-
sites of Gods ministers. Let us then
this morning examine and unfold it
since the appeal OF our Most Rev, Arch
bishop suggests the opportunity for
some such consideration. In advance
however, need not remind you that I
speak of the ideal priest who in all
things becomingly fills his exalted sta
ton; for know but too we'll that this
like all other best and heavenly gifts is
carried in vessels Of clay. If the priest
is to present before the throne OF God
the offerings OF the people, he should, to
be their worthy representative, reassume
and unite in his own person all the vir
tues and excellencles Of Christian
people. The simplicity of childhood.
the candor of youth, the gravity of elders
and the earnestness of old age should be
in the priest tremendously blended.
Hence the Council OF Trent says of him
who every day beginning mass is to
repeat, II shall g. up to the altar OF
God. to God who rejoiceth in my youth, "
that before he be admitted to Holy
Orders "his we'll approved manner of
life should confer on him the gravity Of
advanced age" But more especially
should the priest show forth these viz
tues distinctively Christian which are
the peculiar adornment OF a Catholic
people.
Now, in every congregation there are
numbers of youths and maidena, OF men
and women who by the spolless virginity
of their lives recall the primitive inno-
cence of our first parents in Eden and
who outrival in merit the Inhabitants of
Heaven. For angels, unlike men, are
not clothed with frailty and are inoapa
BILE OF suffering the sings and arrows OF
sense. Hence this virtue which is native
to tnem and therefore called angelic,
when acquired after the fierce contest
by man, argues strength of soul, an in
domitable purpose, character prefer
natural and sublime Who now shall be
the representative of such before God?
Surely he alone is worthy who liz equal
degree preserves soul untarnished and
unde6led. The priest, therefore, spokes-
man as he IS of childhooi, of innocence,
OF virginity, should be all that this Office
implies. He should be holler then than
some people, but he does not pretend to
be nor could he be holier than his own.
When the weeks toll is over and the
faithful husband or wife comes to unite
10 the sacrifice of alteration who again
shall be worthy to present the Offering OF
either one to God? The sacredness Of
marriage binds them to be faithful till
death. Neither sickness nor accident,
neither desertion nor moral stain, neither
change Of heart nor derahgement OF
mind non ohonlvo fhan1 from that tie