hat a noble mission! What important duties!
What a great dignity! To aid Jesus Christ in saving souls, to teach them
the truths of salvation, to loose them from their sins, to offer the
eucharistic sacrifice for them, to pray for them, to minister unto them,
and to fill them with Heaven's choice blessings; for such a high
mission, for such important duties did Jesus Christ choose the priest.
If his duties are so important, his dignity must be correspondingly
great.

On the banks of the Lake of Genesareth the Great Teacher chose Peter as
His vicar and head of His Church. As the pontiff could not be
everywhere, Peter and the other apostles imposed hands on others as the
needs of the growing Church demanded. They understood that it was by a
living, teaching ministry this work of salvation was to be carried on.
For we find it recorded in the 14th chapter of the Acts that Paul and
Barnabas ordained priests in Lystra and Iconium.

Paul also consecrated Titus Bishop of Crete, for the express purpose of
ordaining others. Thus we see that as Christ was sent by the Father, the
apostles by Christ, so, too, is the priest invested with the same power
"for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry and for
the edification of the body of Christ" (_Eph_. iv. 12), and that no one
but a priest divinely called, rightly ordained, and legitimately sent
has power from God to teach God's words to the faithful. He is the
ambassador of God, commissioned to do His work with His authority; the
vicar of Christ continuing the work He commenced; and the organ of the
Holy Ghost for the sanctification of souls. He is ever imitating his
model, going "about doing good." He devotes his life to alleviate the
sufferings of men. To spend one's life instructing man is but second in
importance to alleviating his sufferings. This the priest is ever doing.
He rescued us from barbarism; saved for us at the risk of his life the
Holy Scriptures, the classics of Greece and Rome, and the writings of
the Fathers; founded the great universities of Europe; and is to-day, as
in the past, the greatest educator in the world. He does all this for
love of God. Do you wonder, then, that Catholics love and revere their
priests?

Nowhere can there be found a body of men or a series of rulers so
venerable, so renowned for wisdom, justice, charity, and holiness, as
the Popes, bishops, and priests of the Catholic Church in every age,
_from the time of Christ un