Untitled - Saints' Books

"
When
:
1
CH. v.]
Injury Done to the Priest by Tepidity. 97
devotion. You shall, says the Lord, be anointed all over
with but oil, you shall remain without unction. The
Mass, the divine Office, preaching, hearing confessions,
assisting the dying, attending at funerals, are exercises
that should excite new fervor; but after all these func
tions you shall remain dry, without peace, dissipated,
agitated by a thousand temptations. I will begin to vomit
t/iee out of My mouth. Behold how God begins to vomit
you out of his mouth.
II.
A Priest cannot be Satisfied with Avoiding Grievous Sins.
Some priests may say it is enough for me to avoid
mortal sins and to save my soul. No, answers St.
Augustine, you that are a priest, and therefore obliged
to walk in the narrow way of perfection, shall not even
save your soul by treading the broad way of tepidityyou
say
it is
enough, you are 1
lost." St. Greg
ory says that they that are to be saved as saints, and
wish to be saved as imperfect souls, shall not be saved.
And this our Lord one day gave Blessed Angela of
Foligno to understand: "They that are enlightened by
me to walk in the way of perfection, and through tepid
ity wish to tread in the ordinary path, shall be aban
doned by
me." It is certain, as we have seen in the
above, 4 that a priest is bound to be holy, as well on
account of his dignity as the familiar and minister of
God, as on account of his office of offering to God the
sacrifice of the Mass, of mediator for the people before
the divine Majesty, and of sanctifier of souls by means of
the sacraments. The reason is that he may walk in the
way of perfection, that God loads him with so many
Calcabis olivam, et non ungeris
oleo." Mich, vi. 15.
2 "Si dixeris: Sufficit; et periisti." Serm. 169, E. B*
3
Vision, c. 51.
4
Chap. III.
7