The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-26
REV. P. J. CURRAN
The Young Priest CompIimented
by Ri. Rev. Monsignor Thomas
]. Conaty
IN THE PULPIT
SACRED HEART CHURCH
Significance Of the Day Discuss
ed by the Famous Rector of
Washington University

Rt Rev. Mgr. Thomas ]. Conaty
rector Of the Catholic university a
Washington, yesterday occupied thu
pulpit at the Church of the Sacred
Heart, of which he was the first pastor
"A solemn high mass was offered VI
at TO- o'clock, by Rev. James P. Cur.
ran, young priest who was brought
up in the parish of the Sacred Heart
Rev. FIR Curran was but recently or.
dained, and an unusually large congre.
cation, made up for the most part OF
people that had known the young priest
before he entered upon his sacred office
filled the body of the church.
Rev. w. E. Foley was deacon of the
mass and Rev. John Griffin sub dea-
con.
After reading the gospel of the day
Mgr. Conaty referred to the feast with
all its beautiful and consoling mem
cries. He spoke of the birth of the
Christ child as the fulfllment OF Gods
promise of salvation. Turning from
the feast Of the day, Mgr. Conaty dwelt
upon the joy in the parish at the ad-
vent of the young priest who stood at
the altar to say his first public mass
He congratulated him as boy of the
parish, who had passed through the
different stages of instruction in Chris
tan life in the parish, and who now
stood before the people as a minister
of God, anointed as priest of the
Most High. He said the occasion war
ranted word on the priesthood, and
therefore, he proceeded to develop the
idea of the work of the priesthood
among the people.
He said that to the priesthood of the
Christian dispensation came in full
strength the words addressed to the
priesthood of the old law-"The Lord
God of Israel hath separated you from
all the people and Joined you to Him
self that you should serve Him in the
service of the tabernacle, and should
stand before the congregation of the
people and should minister to Him. y
They always hear ringing in their ears
the words of Christ to his apostles, his
first priests You have not chosen
me, but l have chosen you; 1 have APP
pointed you should go and should
bring forth fruit, and your fruit should
remain
THE PRIEST OF GOD
is chosen by God. BY the grace of this
divine vocation, men have voluntarily
separated themselves from the worldly
life and vowed themselves to the serv-
ice of God as His ministers. AS the
eNpOotACos NCAS CAOSGI anu SGHJ Will
the authority of Christ to preach his
gospel, to dispense his graces, to save
souls from sin, to establish the king
dom of God on earth, so ever since the
apostolic days, others, as apostles, have
been sent with the same authority to
be the ambassadors of Christ, the min
listers of reconciliation, the priests OF
his sacrifice, the dispensers of his
sacraments and the priests of his word
All nations and races in all time
have had religion and priesthood, and
all men have regarded the priests OF
their sacrifice as men possessing in the
sacredness of their calling the highest
dignity. This religious instinct for a
priesthood and a sacrifice is natural to
men, and has remained in men even
after they have lost the true ideas of
religion. The Mosaic priesthood was
divinely revealed and chosen; but il
was mere figure of the perfect priest
hood instituted by Jesus Christ. The
priesthood of Aaron, as Cardinal Man
ming says, was a shadow; that of the
new law. the substance. 1t is fulfilled
in the one priesthood and the one sacri-
flee which are perpetuated by the
priesthood on earth united to him.. -
who is the priest?" says st. Angus
tine, but the one priest who was both
the victim and the priest; who when
he found nothing pure and clean in the
whole world of ours to offer unto God
in sacrifice, offered himself The
priesthood of Christ was an eternal
priesthood; the fulfillment Of all
prophecy, the perfect priesthood which
told of one sacrifice, which alone was
pleasing unto the redemption of man
kind. OF him the prophet said: Chou
art priest forever according to the
order of Melehisedech."
Christ constituted the priesthood
rlaNV, l. 1,.A
commissioned his apostles to change
bread and wine into his own body and
blood, and thus offer what was to be
the sacrifice of the new law. When
he said: DO this in commemoration
OF me he constituted and ordained
them as priests to sacrifice his body
and blood in the bread and wine of the
eucharist. To them as priests he was
afterWard to give the power of for
giving sins in the
MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION.
He sent them to mankind as the
Father had sent Himself; He babe
them teach the nations, feeding the
lambs and sheep, and He commanded
all men TO near them if they would
know the truth. Thus was the Chris
tian priesthood established. as St
Thomas says AS an instrument by
which the priestly functions might, he
exercised" The priest is taken. as ST
Paul says, from among men, and or
dained for men in the things that an
pertain to Cod that he NAV offer nr
gifts and sacrifices for SINS We'll
might ST. Paul cry out in warning
Neither doth any man take the honor
to himself, but he that was called by
God. as Aaron was" Those who have
heard the voice of God calling them To
the ministry realize the tremendous re-
sponsibility of such high vocation,
for to them have been confided the
interests of the natural and mystical
body of Christ, with divine authority
to offer sacrifice, to teach the truth
of God, and to apply redemption to the
souls of men. The church of God, es-
tabished by the Great High Priest Jes-
us Christ, has perpetuated this priest
hood that all ages and peoples might
assist at the sacrifice and participate
in the reconciliation OF salvation.
No man can estimate the dignity of
the priesthood, no tongue describe its
beauty and power; priests of God, min
listers of Christ, agents of Gods mercy.
instruments of salvation. "Truly ven
cradle" says st. Augustine, ''is the
dignity of the priesthood, in whose
hands the Son of God is incarnated as
in the womb of the virgin Mary st.
Bernard terms them "Vicars of the love
of Christ" The one source of conso-
lation in the face of the great respon-
sibility of the priesthood is found in
confidence in the kindness of the God
who has commanded his chosen priests