The Irish standard., 1902-04-26

among those who attended the fires be-
fore the altar Of Vcsta and among the
priests Of Egypt. The chief priests us
soon as they entered the service of
their false gods and began to offer sac
rifice were obliged to lead chaste
life. Some of you who remember your
classics will recall that the chief priest
had to be single man. Demosthenes
said, 81 am firmly convinced that one
who enters the sanctuary, touches holy
things, prcsides over divine worship,
should be chaste not only for a time,
but during his entire life"
How was it in the Old Law given
to Moses? 1t was death for any of the
Levites to exercise their functions un-
less prepared for them by tile practice
Of this virtue. The priest who came
to the temple to offer sacrifice must
have been away from his family, must
have been chaste. If this regulation
was enforced on the pagans of old who
offered false sacrifices to idols; If it
was given by God in the Old Law,
where was offered only the figure and
the type Of the Sacrifice of the New
Inv. how much more should it be re-
quired of the priests of the New Law,
who offer not the shadow, not the fig
ure, but the real Sacrifice; not once
year, but every mOrning-n Clean OBJ
lntion, rs the Prophet Malachi says, a
clean oblation is offered among the
Gcntiles from the rising to the setting
of the sun. He offers the body and
blood of Christ every morning. He
holds in his hands the chaste body of
Christ, and It is for this reason prin-
cipally that the Catholic Church insists
on chastity for it's priesthood.
Then again from the words Of
Sacred Scripture we learn that the life
of cclibacy Or virginity chosen for
Gods sake is higher life than the
married state. The Church says moth
ing in dispnragement Of matrimony,
nor does she consider it n degraded
state. She knows that for the major
ity of people it is proper state. She
tells them It is a holy one, full of re-
sponsibilities, and those who enter it
with proper dispositions do so with
Gods blessing and do Him honor and
glory by living in it in the proper way.
She teaches us, however, that the state
Of virginty is n higher and holier state.
st. Paul tells us that he would that
all were even as he himself. Why?
Because the married man thinks of
the things of this world. Because the
unmarried man is freer to give himself
to God and the service Of God, and so
the Catholic Church rules, knowing
that the priest is far better able to at
tend to his religious duties If unmar-
ried. Even those outside the Church
admit this. Calvin said that the mar
ried minister is divided between his
wife and the Master. You married
men know the cares Of family. IT
priest were hampcred rs you are he
would not be as free as he is to attend
to his varied and exacting duties
do not give 1t as reason, but 1t Is
said that If we priests were married
nobody would go to confession, be-
cause everybody would know what
was told in the confessional You mar
ricd men know better than do
whether this is so or not. This cell
bacy is at the foundation Of the re-
spect of the Catholic people for their
priests. You often wonder why they
revere them and love them. They see
the priest doing more than he asks
them to do. He sacrifices himself for
their welfare. He is ready at all hours
to answer their summons to the sick
bed. He gives himself entirely to the
service Of God, hence they honor and
respect him.
Can such life be lived? Is it pos
sible? l must answer in the affirma-
tive because If our nobler nature goes
out to and loves this virtue, 1t must
be possible. Moreover, Christ holds
Himself up as our model and thus asks