Untitled - Saints' Books

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CHAP, ix.j The Zeal of the Priest. 183
Who, asks St. John Chrysostom, has forced you to be
come a priest
? Before your ofdination, adds the saint,
you ought to have examined your fitness for this duty;
but now that you are a priest you must work and not
examine; and if
you are not fit for the work, you must
2
qualify yourself for it. To excuse yourself now on the
ground of ignorance, continues the holy Doctor, is to
excuse one sin by another. 3 Some priests read many
useless books, and neglect to study the science that may
enable them to save souls. St. Prosper says that such
4
priests violate justice.
In fine, it is necessary to be persuaded that the priest
should seek nothing but the glory of God and salvation
of souls. Hence St. Sylvester ordained that with regard
to ecclesiastics the days of the week should be called by
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no other name than that of Fcrice, or vacant days. The
Gentiles themselves used to say that priests should
attend only to the things of God, and therefore they
forbade their priests to exercise the office of magistrates,
that they might be entirely devoted to the worship of
their gods. After he had been appointed by God to
promote his honor, and the observance of his law, Moses
spent a good deal of his time in settling disputes.
Jethro justly reproved him, saying: Thou art spent with
foolish labor. Be thou to the people in those things that
. . .
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3 "
Quisnam ad id te coegit?"
De Sacerd. 1. 4.
Tempus nunc agendi, non consultandi.
Neque licet ad ignorantiam confugere, quandoquidem qui delegatus
est ut aliorum emendet ignorantiam, is ignorantiam praetendere
minime poterit; hoc nomine supplicium nulla excusatione poterit depellere,
quamvis unius dumtaxat animae jactura De accident." Sacerd.
1. 6.
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4
Contra justitiam faciunt, qui otiosum studium fructuosae utilitati
regendae multitudinis anteponunt." De Vita cont. 1. 3, c. 28.
5
"Quotldie clericos, abjecta caeterarum rerum cura, uni Deo prorsus
vacare debere."
Breviar. 31 Dec.