|
Praise / Rewards /
Benefits |
"[Priests
are the] greatest gift of God bestowed upon the men of
earth!"
"There
is nothing more holy in this world than to work for the good of
souls, for whose salvation Jesus Christ poured out the last drops
of His blood." (St. John Bosco)
"Pioneers of faith and love, at the cost of
innumerable sacrifices, they extend and widen the Kingdom of God
upon earth." (Pope Pius XI, "Ad Catholici Sacerdotii", 1935
A.D.)
"Our parents begot us by blood and the will
of the flesh, but priests make us children of God;
blessed regeneration, true freedom, and adoption according to
grace." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
"[The priest is the one the sick and dying count
on aware that] only he, a sharer in the priesthood of Christ,
can help them in the final journey which is to lead them to
God." (Pope John Paul II)
"Happy the priest who lives his pastor's
lot and lives wholly in it, fulfilling day by day the slight and
despised acts of charity to all who need his care, and laying up
in heaven unconsciously the gold dust of a humble life, looking
only for his eternal reward." (Cardinal Manning)
"Those
who contribute generously to the education of students for the
priesthood receive great rewards, for they could not possibly do
anything greater than offer a good priest to God. No one on this
Earth can give God as much glory as a devout priest."
(Fr. O'Sullivan)
"And thus the ineffable greatness of the
human priest stands forth in all its splendor; for he has power
over the very Body of Jesus Christ, and makes It present upon our
altars. In the name of Christ Himself he offers [this] Victim
infinitely pleasing to the Divine Majesty. 'Wondrous things are
these,' justly exclaims St. John Chrysostom, 'so wonderful, they
surpass wonder.'" (Pope Pius XI, "Ad Catholici
Sacerdotii",
1935 A.D.)
"May all who have vowed to serve Christ,
bravely persevere 'even to death.' May they realize that their
pains, sufferings and prayers are of great value in the sight of
God for the restoration of His Kingdom in their countries and in
the universal Church; may they be most certain that those 'who
follow the Lamb whither He goeth,' will sing forever a 'new
canticle,' which no one else can sing." (Pope Pius XII,
"Sacra Virginitas", 1954 A.D.)
"The
Catholic Church rejoices in and is proud of the charity beyond
praise which inspires the clergy to proclaim the Gospel of
Christian peace and to bring the blessings of salvation and
civilization even to barbarous races; through their unsparing
labor, sometimes consecrated by their blood, the kingdom of Christ
is expanding constantly and the Christian faith gains added
splendor from these new triumphs." (Pope St. Pius X, "Haerent
Animo", 1908 A.D.)
"God has given to priests powers greater
than those given to our parents; and the differences between the
powers of these two is as great as the difference between the
future life and the present. Our parents begot us to temporal
existence; priests beget us to the eternal. The former are not
able to ward of from their children the sting of death, nor
prevent the attack of disease; yet the later often save the sick
and perishing soul" (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the
Church, c. 387 A.D.)
"But
since the disciple is not above his Master, the Pastors and
Doctors of the Christian people, if they are faithful in the
discharge of their duties, are sure to be hated by the enemies of
God; for they cannot spread the Kingdom of Christ without at the
same time taking from the power of Satan. Hence it is that the
history of the Church is filled with the persecutions endured by
her Pastors and Doctors, who continued the ministry and zeal and
charity begun by Christ upon the earth." (Gueranger)
"But thanks be to God, it is just this
flame of apostolic zeal which is one of the brightest jewels in
the crown of the Catholic priesthood. Our heart fills with
fatherly consolation at the sight of Our Brothers and Our beloved
Sons, Bishops and Priests, who like chosen troops ever prompt to
the call of their chief hasten to all outposts of this vast field.
There they engage in the peaceful but bitter warfare of truth
against error, of light against darkness, of the Kingdom of God
against the kingdom of Satan." (Pope Pius XI, "Ad Catholici
Sacerdotii", 1935 A.D.)
"We
must also visit churches frequently and venerate and show respect
for the clergy, not so much for them personally if they are
sinners, but by reason of their office and their administration of
the most holy Body and Blood of Christ which they sacrifice upon
the altar and receive and administer to others. And let all of us
firmly realize that no one can be saved except without the holy
words and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which the clergy
pronounce, proclaim and minister. And they alone must administer
[them], and not others." (St. Francis of Assisi)
"Anyone who exercises the priestly
ministry exercises it not for himself alone, but for others. For
every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in the
things that pertain to God. Christ himself taught that lesson when
he compared the priest to salt and to light, in order to show the
nature of the priestly ministry. The priest then is the light of
the world and the salt of the earth. Everyone knows that he
fulfills this function chiefly by the teaching of Christian truth" (Pope St. Pius X, "Haerent
Animo", 1908 A.D.)
"A
last tribute to the priesthood is given by the enemies of the
Church. For as We have said...they show that they fully
appreciate the dignity and importance of the Catholic priesthood,
by directing against it their first and fiercest blows; since they
know well how close is the tie that binds the Church to her
priests. The most rabid enemies of the Catholic priesthood are
today the very enemies of God; a homage indeed to the priesthood,
showing it the more worthy of honor and veneration." (Pope
Pius XI, "Ad Catholici Sacerdotii", 1935 A.D.)
"If, beloved sons, the unsparing charity of
your efforts is met by jealousy, reproaches and calumnies as
frequently happens, do not allow yourselves to be overcome with
sadness: Do not tire in doing good. Let your mind dwell on those
countless great figures who, following the example of the
Apostles, even in the midst of cruel insults borne for the name of
Christ, went rejoicing, blessing those who cursed them. For we are
the children and the brethren of the saints, whose names shine in
the book of life, and whose praises the Church proclaims: Let us
not stain our glory." (Pope St. Pius X, "Haerent Animo",
1908 A.D.)
"The
experience of twenty centuries fully and gloriously reveals the
power for good of the word of the priest. Being the faithful echo
and reecho of the 'word of God,' which 'is living and effectual
and more piercing than any two-edged sword,' it too reaches 'unto
the division of the soul and spirit'; it awakens heroism of every
kind, in every class and place, and inspires the self-forgetting
deeds of the most generous hearts. All the good that Christian
civilization has brought into the world is due, [at least
partially], to the word and works of the Catholic
priesthood." (Pope Pius XI, "Ad Catholici Sacerdotii",
1935 A.D.)
"No matter how we seek, says the lovable
Saint of charity, Vincent de Paul, 'we shall always discover
ourselves unable to contribute to anything more great than to the
making of good priests.' In truth nothing is more acceptable to
God, of more honor to the Church, and more profitable to souls
than the precious gift of a holy priest. If he who offers even a
cup of water to one of the least of the disciples of Christ 'shall
not lose his reward,' what reward will he receive who places, so
to speak, into the pure hands of a young priest the sacred
chalice, in which is contained the Blood of Redemption; who helps
him to lift it up to heaven, a pledge of peace and of blessing for
mankind?" (Pope Pius XI, "Ad Catholici Sacerdotii",
1935 A.D.)
"Having
paid the tribute of Our gratitude to God, from Whom every good
thing takes its origin, We recognize, dearly beloved, that this
rich harvest which We joyfully admire with you today is due also
to the spirit of initiative and to the persistent activity of the
pastors and of the faithful; We recognize that it is due also to
your clergy who are inclined to decisive action and who execute
your orders with zeal; to the members of all the religious Orders
and congregations of men who, distinguished in virtue, vie with
each other in cultivating the vineyard of the Lord: to the
innumerable religious women who, often in silence and unknown to
men, consecrate themselves with exemplary devotion to the cause of
the Gospel, veritable lilies in the Garden of Christ and delight
of the Saints." (Pope Pius XII, "Sertum Laetitiae",
1939 A.D.)
"Afterward
the Lord gave me and still gives me such faith in priests who live
according to the manner of the holy Roman Church because of their
order, that if they were to persecute me, I would [still] have
recourse to them. And if I possessed as much wisdom as Solomon had
and I came upon pitiful priests of this world, I would not preach
contrary to their will in the parishes in which they live. And I
desire to fear, love, and honor them and all others as my masters.
And I do not wish to consider sin in them because I discern the
Son of God in them and they are my masters. And I act in this was
since I see nothing corporally of the Most High Son of God in this
world except His Most holy Body and Blood which they receive and
which they alone administer to others. And these most holy
mysteries I wish to have honored above all things and to be
reverenced and to have them reserved in precious places."
(St. Francis of Assisi)
"Finally, the priest, in another way, follows the
example of Christ. Of Him it is written that He 'passed the whole
night in the prayer of God' and 'ever lives to make intercession
for us'; and like Him, the priest, is public and official
intercessor of humanity before God; he has the duty and commission
of offering to God in the name of the Church, over and above
sacrifice strictly so-called, the 'sacrifice of praise,' in public
and official prayer; for several times each day with psalms,
prayers and hymns taken in great part from the inspired books, he
pays to God this dutiful tribute of adoration and thus performs
his necessary office of interceding for humanity. And never did
humanity, in its afflictions, stand more in need of intercession
and of the divine help which it brings. Who can tell how many
chastisements priestly prayer wards off from sinful mankind, how
many blessings it brings down and secures?" (Pope Pius XI,
"Ad Catholici Sacerdotii", 1935 A.D.)
"If
a man hear not the Church, let him be to thee as a heathen and
publican. What is this Church? Men, to whom Jesus Christ said: 'He
that heareth you, heareth Me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth
Me.' Men, from whose lips comes to the world the truth, without
which there is no salvation: men, who alone on earth have power to
reconcile the sinner with his God, save him from the hell he has
deserved, and open to him the gates of heaven. Can we be
surprised, after this, that our Savior - who would have these men
to be His instruments, and as it were, the communication between
Himself and mankind - should treat as a heathen, as one that has
never received Baptism, him that refused to acknowledge their
authority? There is no revealed truth, except through their
teaching; there is no salvation, except though the Sacraments
which they administer; there is no hoping in Jesus Christ, except
where there is submission to the spiritual laws which they
promulgate." (Gueranger)
"Both in the holy silence of the cloister
and in pious works outside convent walls they exhibit the high
ideals of Christian perfection by their works of true piety, by
their keeping uppermost in the minds of Christian people the pure
ideals of Christ, by the example which they give due to their
self-sacrificing renunciation of all worldly comforts and material
goods, by their acquisition of spiritual treasures. Because of the
consecration of their whole being to the common good, they
undertake truly miraculous activities which succor every ill
spiritual and bodily, and help all in finding a sure remedy or
assistance from the evils which we must encounter. As the history
of the Church bears witness, members of the religious orders under
the inspiration of God's love, have often gone to such lengths in
their work of preaching the Gospel that they have given up their
lives for the salvation of souls, thus by their death spreading
the unity of the faith and the doctrine of Christian brotherhood
and at the same time extending farther and farther the boundaries
of the Kingdom of Christ." (Pope Pius XI, "Ubi Arcano
Dei Consilio", 1922 A.D.)
"It
is the priests who are destined to carry out this mystery so
sublime. Not only do they procure and communicate Christ's grace
to the members of His Mystical Body, but they are also the organs
whereby this Mystical Body develops because they must ever give
the Church new sons, bring them up, educate them, and guide them.
Priests are 'the stewards of the mysteries of God'; therefore they
must serve Jesus Christ with perfect charity and consecrate all
their strength to the salvation of their brethren. They are the
apostles of light; therefore they must illuminate the world with
the teachings of the Gospel and be so strong in the Christian
faith as to be able to communicate it to others, and follow the
example and doctrine of the Divine Master in order to lead
everyone to Him. They are the apostles of grace and pardon:
therefore they must consecrate themselves entirely to the
salvation of men and draw them to the altar of God in order that
they may nourish themselves with the bread of eternal life. They
are the apostles of charity: therefore they must promote works of
charity, all the more urgent today when the needs of the indigent
have grown enormously." (Pope Pius XII, "Menti Nostrae",
1950 A.D.)
"Those who so bind themselves by the vows of
religion, far from having suffered a loss of liberty, enjoy that
fuller and freer kind, that liberty, namely, by which Christ hath
made us free. And this further view of theirs, namely, that the
religious life is either entirely useless or of little service to
the Church, besides being injurious to the religious orders cannot
be the opinion of anyone who has read the annals of the Church.
Did not your country, the United States, derive the beginnings
both of faith and of culture from the children of these religious
families? To one of whom but very lately, a thing greatly to your
praise, you have decreed that a statue be publicly erected. And
even at the present time wherever the religious families are
found, how speedy and yet how fruitful a harvest of good works do
they not bring forth! How very many leave home and seek strange
lands to impart the truth of the gospel and to widen the bounds of
civilization; and this they do with the greatest cheerfulness amid
manifold dangers! Out of their number not less, indeed, than from
the rest of the clergy, the Christian world finds the preachers of
God's word, the directors of conscience, the teachers of youth and
the Church itself the examples of all sanctity." (Pope Leo
XIII, "Testem Benevolentiae Nostrae", 1902 A.D.)
"Consider the truths themselves which the
priest if faithful to his ministry, must frequently inculcate.
Ponder them one by one and dwell upon their inner power; for they
make plain the influence of the priest, and how strong and
beneficent it can be for the moral education, social concord and
peaceful development of peoples. He brings home to young and old
the fleeting nature of the present life; the perishableness of
earthly goods; the value of spiritual goods and of the immortal
soul; the severity of divine judgment; the spotless holiness of
the divine gaze that reads the hearts of all; the justice of God,
which 'will render to every man according to his works.' These and
similar lessons the priest teaches; a teaching fitted indeed to
moderate the feverish search for pleasure, and the uncontrolled
greed for worldly goods, that debase so much of modern life, and
spur on the different classes of society to fight one another like
enemies, instead of helping one another like friends. In this
clash of selfish interest, and unleashed hate, and dark plans of
revenge, nothing could be better or more powerful to help, than
loudly to proclaim the 'new commandment' of Christ. That
commandment enjoins a love which extends to all, knows no barriers
nor national boundaries, excludes no race, excepts not even its
own enemies." (Pope Pius XI, "Ad Catholici Sacerdotii", 1935
A.D.)
"The
priest is, indeed, both by vocation and divine commission, the
chief apostle and tireless furtherer of the Christian education of
youth; in the name of God, the priest blesses Christian marriage,
and defends its sanctity and indissolubility against the attacks
and evasions suggested by cupidity and sensuality; the priest
contributes more effectively to the solution, or at least the
mitigation, of social conflicts, since he preaches Christian
brotherhood, declares to all their mutual obligations of justice
and charity, brings peace to hearts embittered by moral and
economic hardship, and alike to rich and poor points out the only
true riches to which all men both can and should aspire. Finally,
the priest is the most valorous leader in that crusade of
expiation and penance to which We have invited all men of good
will. For there is need of reparation for the blasphemies,
wickedness and crimes which dishonor humanity today, an age
perhaps unparalleled in its need for the mercy and pardon of God.
The enemies of the Church themselves well know the vital
importance of the priesthood; for against the priesthood in
particular...they direct the point of their attacks. It is the
priesthood they desire to be rid of; that they may clear the way
for that destruction of the Church, which has been so often
attempted yet never achieved." (Pope Pius XI, "Ad
Catholici Sacerdotii", 1935 A.D.)
"We
consider and diligently ponder the hardworking and anxious zeal,
and the unending labors for the glory of the divine name, for the
triumph of the Catholic faith and the preservation of the church's
unity, and for the training and salvation of the souls of the
faithful, which are carried on by bishops and their superiors, who
have been placed by the apostolic see at the head of their
churches in different parts of the world, as well as by the friars
of the different orders, especially the mendicant orders, who are
engaged without respite or rest. So great is the satisfaction that
has reached our heart, as a result of their fruitful labors in the
Lord's vineyard and their opportune and praiseworthy actions, that
we are devoting every effort to encourage the things which we know
to contribute to the preservation of peace and quiet among them.
We are conscious that the bishops have become partners in our
anxiety. Ambrose bears witness that their distinction and
greatness have no possible equal. We also know that religious have
done much in the field of the Lord for the defense and advance of
the Christian religion and that they have produced and are daily
producing abundant fruit. Consequently all of the faithful are
aware that the good works of these bishops and religious have
enabled the true faith to make progress and to spread everywhere
throughout the world." (Fifth Lateran Council)
"The
Christian, at almost every important stage of his mortal career,
finds at his side the priest with power received from God, in the
act of communicating or increasing that grace which is the
supernatural life of his soul. Scarcely is he born before the
priest baptizing him, brings him by a new birth to a more noble
and precious life, a supernatural life, and makes him a son of God
and of the Church of Jesus Christ. To strengthen him to fight
bravely in spiritual combats, a priest invested with special
dignity makes him a soldier of Christ by holy chrism. Then, as
soon as he is able to recognize and value the Bread of Angels, the
priest gives It to him, the living and life-giving Food come down
from Heaven. If he fall, the priest raises him up again in the
name of God, and reconciles him to God with the Sacrament of
Penance. Again, if he is called by God to found a family and to
collaborate with Him in the transmission of human life throughout
the world, thus increasing the number of the faithful on earth
and, thereafter, the ranks of the elect in Heaven, the priest is
there to bless his espousals and unblemished love; and when,
finally, arrived at the portals of eternity, the Christian feels
the need of strength and courage before presenting himself at the
tribunal of the Divine Judge, the priest with the holy oils
anoints the failing members of the sick or dying Christian, and
reconsecrates and comforts him. Thus the priest accompanies the
Christian throughout the pilgrimage of this life to the gates of
Heaven. He accompanies the body to its resting place in the grave
with rites and prayers of immortal hope. And even beyond the
threshold of eternity he follows the soul to aid it with Christian
suffrages, if need there be of further purification and
alleviation. Thus, from the cradle to the grave the priest is ever
beside the faithful, a guide, a solace, a minister of salvation
and dispenser of grace and blessing." (Pope Pius XI, "Ad
Catholici Sacerdotii", 1935 A.D.)
"It
is, therefore, a fact which cannot be questioned that the true
peace of Christ can only exist in the Kingdom of Christ - 'the
peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ.' It is no less
unquestionable that, in doing all we can to bring about the
re-establishment of Christ's kingdom, we will be working most
effectively toward a lasting world peace. Pius X in taking as his
motto 'To restore all things in Christ' was inspired from on High
to lay the foundations of that 'work of peace' which became the
program and principal task of Benedict XV. These two programs of
Our Predecessors We desire to unite in one - the re-establishment
of the Kingdom of Christ by peace in Christ - 'the peace of Christ
in the Kingdom of Christ.' With might and main We shall ever
strive to bring about this peace, putting Our trust in God, Who
when He called Us to the Chair of Peter, promised that the divine
assistance would never fail Us. We ask that all assist and
cooperate with Us in this Our mission. Particularly We ask you to
aid us, Venerable Brothers...whom Our leader and
Lord, Jesus Christ, has called to feed and to watch over as the
most precious portion of His flock, which comprises all mankind.
For, it is you whom the 'Holy Ghost hath placed to rule the Church
of God' (Acts xx, 28), you to whom above all, and principally, God
'hath given the ministry of reconciliation, and who for Christ
therefore are ambassadors.' (II Cor. v, 18, 20) You participate in
His teaching power and are 'the dispensers of the mysteries of
God.' (I Cor. iv, 1) You have been called by Him 'the salt of the
earth,' 'the light of the world' (Matt. v, 13, 14), fathers and
teachers of Christian peoples, 'a pattern of the flock from the
heart' (I Pt. v, 3), and 'you shall be called great in the
kingdom of heaven.' (Mt. v, 19) In fine, you are the links of
gold, as it were, by which 'the whole body of Christ, which is the
Church, is held compacted and fitly joined together' (Eph.
iv, 15, 16), built as it is on the solid rock of Peter."
(Pope Pius XI, "Ubi Arcano Dei Consilio", 1922 A.D.)
Also
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Priests | Holiness
/ Good Example [Pg.] | Duties
& Responsibilities of Priests | Exhortations
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/ Priesthood [Pg.] | Praise
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