Untitled - Saints' Books

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126 Material for Sermons. [PARTI.
The number of persons to whom God has given this power
does not diminish the dignity or the obligations of the
priesthood. But what does the priest do that celebrates
in the state of sin ? He dishonors and despises the
Lord, by declaring that so great a sacrifice is not deserv
ing of the reverence which would make him dread the
sacrilegious oblation of it, says St. Cyril. 1
The hand, says St. John Chrysostom, that touches the
sacred flesh of Jesus Christ, and the tongue that is
pur
pled with his divine blood, should be purer than the
2
rays of the sun. In another place he says that a priest
ascending the altar should be possessed of purity and
sanctity which would merit for him a place in the midst
3
of the angels.
How great, then, must be the horror of
the angels when they behold a priest, who is the enemy
of God, stretching forth his sacrilegious hands to touch
and eat the immaculate Lamb !
exclaims St.
Who,"
Augustine, shall be so wicked and daring as to touch
the most holy sacrament with polluted
hands!" 4 Still
more wicked is the priest that celebrates Mass with a
soul defiled by mortal sin. God turns away his eyes
that he may not behold such horrible impiety. When,
the says Lord,jy<?# stretch forth your hands, I will turn
away eyes, . . . My for your hands are full of blood? To
.
express the disgust that he feels at the sight of such
1 "
Qui non adhibet honorem quern debet altari sancto, factis testatur
illud esse contemptibile." Molina, Instr. Sacerd. tr. 2, c. 18, I.
2
"Quo igitur solari radio non puriorem esse oportet manum carnem
hanc dividentem, linguam quse tremendo nimis sanguine rubescit?"
Ad pop. Ant. honi. 60.
3
Nonne accedentem ad altare Sacerdotem "
sic parum esse oportet,
ut, si in ipsis coelis esset collocatus, inter coelestes illas virtutes medius
staret." De Sacerd. \. 3.
4 "
Quis adeo impius erit, qui lutosis manibus sacratissimum
Sacramentum tractare prresumat?"
5
Cum extenderitis manus " vestras, avertam oculos meos a vobis."
-Is. i. 15.