Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1913-07-10

God has entrusted His ministry. ana lhe
priest is intensely human. How many
ptiest has gone down discouraged by
want of appreciation, disheartened by
harsh words of nagging criticism, VINO
might have been lifted up and spurred
on to greater zeal by AN occasional "oro
of recognition, of encouragement, even
of praise, judiclousy bestowed. For one,
| do not believe that all the kind words
to be said about a faithful priest must
be unspoken until his funeral. Weave
some of the fine thoughts and generous
feelings of your hearts into a bouquet
for him while he is living do not save
them all for crown of immortelles TO
lay on his coffin.
But know full we'll that Father Ira
gesser keeps for himself not one Jot or
title of the honor which we pay him. he
recalls, as he listens to my words. that
day twenty-five years ago, when ne was
raised to the sacred priesthood by ven
cradle missionary who had consecrated
his own life to Gods service in far-oH
India. When he rose up, priest forever
according to the order of Melchlsederh,
no thought of self was in Father Ira
gesser's priestly heart. 1t was in the
chapel of the Seminary of Foreign Mis-
sions in Paris, in that holy spot where
the sacred JUNCTION of the priesthood had
been given to many an 'llustri"us con-
fessor, to many glorious martyr. 10
the glorious traditions that clustered
around that halowed sanctuary the young
priest promised to be true, and he has
kept his promise. From that day to this
he has never failed to thank God for the
great, the surprising grace Of the priest
hood, and today, after twenty. five years,
as we recall his burning zeal and his
fruitful labors, he looks up into the face
of his model, the Great High Priest, the
Lord Jesus, and says, mot to me, q
Lord, not to me, but to Thy Name be
given the glory And so DO we, on this
day, give the glory where it is due; IN
honoring the Jubiiinarian we honor his
sacred office, his priesthood, and we hon
or the Model and EXemplar of every true
priest, Jesus, the Great High Priest of
the New Law.
The priesthood what a mystery to the
unbelievi.g world? But-Why nccdNl say
this? Is it given to any man on earth /"
understand me wonderful dignity Of thu
priesthood, the sacred responsibility OF
hp priest?
Christ at the Last Supper had changed
bread and wine into His Body and Blood.
What He had done He would give His
Apostles the power to do. So to the
twelve He said, "Do this in commemora-
zion Of Me- 1t is Of divine faith, that
by these words Christ made His Apostles
priests and gave them power over His
Sacramento Body.
A few days later the Risen Christ
hreathed upon the Apostles and SAID,
"Receivc We the Holy Ghost, whose sins
YOU shall forgive, they are forgiven them,
and whose sins you shall retain, they are
retained" John 20, 22-23). 1t is OF
divine faith that when Christ uttered
these words He gave to His priests Juris-
dicton over His mystic Body, the Church,
over the souls that had been made His by
water and the Holy Ghost. ln the gift
of these two powers-power over the
sacramento and power oyer the mystic
body of Christ-was the power Of the
priesthood made complete.
Power over Christ's sacramento body
the greatest glory, the greatest re-
sponsibility of the priest. The wonder
full power which no man can take from
even the most unworthy; that wonderful
power to whose efficacy no man can put
Il limit The Creator said, Let there be
light, and there was light; Mary, to
the angel of God, said, BE it done unto
me according to Thy word, - and the Son
of God became lncarnate; Christ dying
on the Cross said, at is consummated
and His sacrifice had redeemed the world.
A man raised to the priesthood stands
afraid at the foot Of the altar, and there
before heaven and earth acknowledge his
unWorthiness. but He who called him out
from his fellows to be His own friend,
aye, even to be His other self, encour-
ages him to go up unto the mount OF
sacrifice. The priest takes into his
trembling hands little bread and wine,
and bowling low. utters mystic W ords not
given even to angel to utter, and, 10, the
Lord bows the heavens and comes down
and rests in His creatures hands. A
miracle greater than that of lights ere
alton is wrought; the miracle of Nazareth
and Bethlehem and Calvary is renewed.
Nor is this all; He who became incarnate
at Nazareth, was born in Bethlehem, and
died on Calvary's Cross, would remain
on earth, our Emmanuel, our God with
US, and He who by the hands of his dis
ciples fed of old the multtudes, would
by the hands of His priests feed His peo-
pie, not once or twice, but many times,
and even until the worlds ending. And
as Joseph guarded the child Jesus and
bore Him into distant Egypt. so the
priest today and every day while the
world endures, shall be the guardian of
His Sacramento Lord, and with Jesus
resting upon his bosom as He rested on
the bosom of dear Joseph or of beloved
John, shall the priest bear his Lord over
plain and mountain, through forest and
wilderness, along quiet country roads,
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