Untitled - Saints' Books

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64 Material for Sermcns. [PART i.
burn, cannot inflame others. And 1 St. Bernard says,
that to him that loves not, the language of love is a
strange and a barbarous tongue. 2
Priests are placed in the world as so many mirrors, in
which seculars should look at themselves: We are made
a spectacle to the world, and to angels and to men* Hence
the Council of Trent, speaking of ecclesiastics, says,
"Others fix their eyes upon them as upon a mirror, and
derive from them what they are to imitate. Philip
the Abbot used to say that priests are chosen to defend
the people, but for this their dignity is not sufficient;
sanctity of life is also necessary. 6
V.
Practical Consequences.
Hence the Angelic Doctor, considering
all that has
been said on the sanctity necessary for the priesthood,
has written, that to exercise Holy Orders worthily more
than ordinary virtue is required. 6
Again he says, Those
that devote themselves to the celebration of the divine
mysteries should be perfect in virtue." 7 In another
place he says, In order to exercise this office in a
1 "
Lucerna quse non ardet, non accendit." In Ezech. horn. n.
2 "
3
Lingua amoris, ei qui non amat, barbara est." In Cant. s. 79.
Spectaculum facti sumus mundo, et Angelis
et hominibus." i
Cor. iv. 9.
4 "In eos, tanquam in speculum, reliqui omnes oculos conjiciunt, ex
5 "
iisque sumunt quod imitentur." Sess. 22, c. i, dc Ref.
De medio populi segregantur, ut, non solum seipsos, verum et
populum tueantur; vero, ad hanc tuitionem, clericalis non sufficit prserogativa
dignitatis, nisi dignitati adjungatur cumulus sanctitatis." De
Dignit. cler. c. 2.
6
Ad idoneam executionem Ordinum, non sufficit bonitas qualiscumque,
sed requiritur bonitas excellens." Suppl. q. 35, a. i.
" 1
Illi, qui in divinis mysteriis applicantur, perfecti in virtute esse debent."
In 4 Sent. d. 24, q. 3, a. i.