Untitled - Saints' Books

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154 Material for Sermons. [PART
CHAPTER IX.
THE ZEAL OF THE PRIEST.
(In giving the spiritual exercises to the clergy, the sermon on zeal
is the most necessary, and may be the most useful of all; for if one of
the priests who assist at the exercises resolves (as we ought to hope
through the divine grace) to employ himself in procuring the salva
tion of souls, God will gain not one but a hundred and a thousand
souls, who will be saved through the labors of that priest.)
WE shall speak in this chapter:
1. Of the obligation of priests to labor for the salva
tion of souls.
2. Of the pleasure that a priest who seeks the salva
tion of souls gives to God.
3. Of the eternal glory and the great reward that a
priest who labors for the salvation of souls may expect
from God.
I.
The Obligation of Every Priest to Labor for the Salvation of
Souls.
In the world there are at the same time many and
few priests many in name, but few in reality," says
the author of the Imperfect Work." The world is filled
with priests, but few of them labor to be priests;
that is,
to fulfil the duty and obligations of a priest, or to save
souls.
The dignity of priests is great, because they are the
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coadjutors of God. are God s coadjutors."
And
"Multi Sacerdotes, et pauci Sacerdotes: multi nomine, pauci
opere." Ifoin. 43.
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Dei enim sumus adjutores." I Cor. iii. 9.