4 Priestly Vocation

4. Priestly training and advice he gives to Titus and Timothy, along with his views on celibacy for those consecrated to the service of God. (urging vocations both to priestly and religious vocations) 1Co 5:7 Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new paste, as you are unleavened. For Christ our pasch is sacrificed. 1Co 5:8 Therefore, let us feast, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness: but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Rev 1:6 And hath made us a kingdom, and priests to God and his Father. To him be glory and empire for ever and ever. Amen. 1Ti 4:14 Neglect not the grace that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with imposition of the hands of the priesthood. 1Ti 5:17 Let the priests that rule well be esteemed worthy of double honour: especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. 1Ti 5:19 Against a priest receive not an accusation, but under two or three witnesses. Tit 1:5 For this cause I left thee in Crete: that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and shouldest ordain priests in every city, as I also appointed thee:

Act 20:28 Take heed to yourselves and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops, to rule the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood. Heb 2:17 Wherefore, it behoved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest before God, that he might be a propitiation for the sins of the people. Heb 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly vocation consider the apostle and high priest of our confession, Jesus: Heb 4:14 Having therefore a great high priest that hath passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God: let us hold fast our confession. Heb 4:15 For we have not a high priest who cannot have compassion on our infirmities: but one tempted in all things like as we are, without sin. Heb 5:1 For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in the things that appertain to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins: Heb 5:5 So Christ also did not glorify himself, that he might be made a high priest: but he that said unto him: Thou art my Son: this day have I begotten thee. Heb 5:6 As he saith also in another place: Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech. Heb 5:10 Called by God a high priest, according to the order of Melchisedech. Heb 6:20 Where the forerunner Jesus is entered for us, made a high priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech. Heb 7:1 For this Melchisedech was king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him: Heb 7:3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but likened unto the Son of God, continueth a priest for ever.

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Heb 7:5 And indeed they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is to say, of their brethren: though they themselves also came out of the loins of Abraham. Heb 7:11 If then perfection was by the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchisedech: and not be called according to the order of Aaron? Heb 7:12 For the priesthood being translated, it is necessary that a translation also be made of the law, Heb 7:14 For it is evident that our Lord sprung out of Juda: in which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. Heb 7:15 And it is yet far more evident: if according to the similitude of Melchisedech there ariseth another priest, Heb 7:17 For he testifieth: Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech. Heb 7:20 And inasmuch as it is not without an oath (for the others indeed were made priests without an oath: Heb 7:21 But this with an oath, by him that said unto him: The Lord hath sworn and he will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever). Heb 7:23 And the others indeed were made many priests, because by reason of death they were not suffered to continue: Heb 7:24 But this, for that he continueth for ever, hath an everlasting priesthood: Heb 7:26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens: Heb 7:27 Who needeth not daily (as the other priests) to offer sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, in offering himself. Heb 7:28 For the law maketh men priests, who have infirmity: but the word of the oath (which was since the law) the Son who is perfected for evermore. Heb 8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum: We have such an high priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of majesty in the heavens, Heb 8:3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is necessary that he also should have some thing to offer. Heb 8:4 If then he were on earth, he would not be a priest: seeing that there would be others to offer gifts according to the law. Heb 9:6 Now these things being thus ordered, into the first tabernacle, the priests indeed always entered, accomplishing the offices of sacrifices. Heb 9:7 But into the second, the high priest alone, once a year: not without blood, which he offereth for his own and the people's ignorance: Heb 9:11 But Christ, being come an high Priest of the good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hand, that is, not of this creation: Heb 9:25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the Holies every year with the blood of others: Heb 10:11 And every priest indeed standeth daily ministering and often offering the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. Heb 10:21 And a high priest over the house of God:

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Heb 13:11 For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the holies by the high priest for sin are burned without the camp. Heb 13:17 Obey your prelates and be subject to them. For they watch as being to render an account of your souls: that they may do this with joy and not with grief. For this is not expedient for you. Rev 1:6 And hath made us a kingdom, and priests to God and his Father. To him be glory and empire for ever and ever. Amen. Rev 5:10 And hast made us to our God a kingdom and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. In these the second death hath no power. But they shall be priests of God and of Christ: and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Pius X HAERENT ANIMO Apostolic Exhortation given by Pope St. Pius X on August 4, 1908.

In the midst of all these duties, the priest shall have ever present to his mind the striking admonition given by St. Paul: Neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.[35] It may be that we go and sow the seed with tears; it may be that we tend its growth at the cost of heavy labor; but to make it germinate and yield the hoped for fruit, that depends on God alone and his powerful assistance. This further point also is worthy of profound consideration, namely that men are but the instruments whom God employs for the salvation of souls; they must, therefore, be instruments fit to be employed by God. And how is this to be achieved? Do we imagine that God is influenced by any inborn or acquired excellence of ours, to make use of our help for the extension of his glory? By no means; for it is written: God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things of the world God has chosen to confound the strong, and the humble and contemptible things of the world God has chosen, the things that are not, in order to bring to nought the things that are.[36] ….it is the priest, more than any other, who is bound to obey scrupulously the command of Christ: We ought always pray,[42] a command which Paul so insistently inculcated: Be instant in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving;[43] pray without ceasing.[44] …he command that Paul gave to Timothy: Attend unto reading.[59] On St. Anselm… (God) might be a comfort and an example to us in the greatest difficulties and trials of the pastoral ministry, and that the sentence of Paul might be realized in each one of us: "Gladly will I glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may dwell in me. For which cause I please myself in my infirmities . . . for when I am weak then am I powerful" (2 Cor. xii. 9, 10). 12 Dec 1904…If we know how to make ourselves the light of the world by our teaching, and the salt of the earth by our example; to put it in a word, if we employ the resources of virtue and doctrine that Paul enjoined on his own disciples, Titus and Timothy, namely sanctity and perfection of life, strength in teaching, the spirit of sacrifice and self-denial, active and enlightened zeal, charity that is at once strong and gentle, then we will win the love and veneration of the good, yea and the esteem and respect even of our enemies.

ON THE CLERGY IN ITALY PIENI L'ANIMO

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Encyclical of Pope Pius X promulgated on July 28, 1906. …unfortunate spirit is doing the damage especially among young priests, spreading among them new and reprehensible theories concerning the very nature of obedience. In order to recruit new members for this growing troop of rebels, what is even more serious is the fact that such maxims are being more or less secretly propagated among youths preparing for the priesthood within the enclosure of the seminaries. 3. We therefore consider it Our duty, Venerable Brethren, to appeal to your conscience to see that you do not spare any effort and with a firm hand and constant resolve you do not hesitate to destroy this evil seed which carries with it such destructive consequences. Never forget that the Holy Spirit has placed you to rule. Remember Saint Paul's command to Titus: "Rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise thee."[4] Be firm in demanding that obedience from your priests and clerics which is a matter of absolute obligation for all the faithful, and constitutes the most important part of the sacred duty of priests.

…the Apostle Paul said: "Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel,"[10] thereby indicating that the first duty of all those who are entrusted in any way with the government of the Church is to instruct the faithful in the things of God.

QUOTES FROM ARCHBISHOP LEFEBVRE:

Special Spiritual Requirements in the Life of the Priest The first basic disposition needed by priests is to seek not their own will, but the Will of Him Who has sent them. Why? Because the Wisdom of God transcends human strength and human wisdom. Hence the need for obedience to those who are set in authority. This obedience, freely chosen and consented to, requires that priests should put forward their suggestions and schemes to their superiors while being always prepared to submit to their judgement. Humility and obedience will conform them more closely to Christ, Who became obedient unto death. Another requirement for the priest, in conformity with the Church's tradition and commended by the word and example of Our Lord, is chastity through the practice of celibacy. What is the universal and traditional understanding of this requirement? Again, it is to be understood in the light of the principles laid down at the beginning of this chapter. Our Lord's references to the perfection of this kind of continence are numerous and quite clear. He Himself set the example, an example followed by those He most especially loved. Priestly chastity for love of Our Lord and of souls will be one of the most effective levers of the apostolate. By this example, priests demonstrate their faith that their priesthood originates from God, Whose origin is not of the flesh, their undivided love for Christ, and through that love their total availability for the service of God and Man. They are also a sign of the life to come, in which the children of the Resurrection will no longer marry. The Council solemnly reaffirms its wish to maintain this requirement for the holiness of the priest and his perfection, for the honor of the Church and the salvation of souls. It asks priests, and the faithful, too, to hold priestly celibacy in high esteem.

It is interesting to see that Pope Pius XI invokes that terrible Syllabus that makes the progressives’ hair stand on end. Yet it was even earlier, in 1846, when Pope Pius IX in his encyclical letter Qui Pluribus condemned Communism. He wrote:

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The sacred celibacy of clerics has also been the victim of conspiracy. Indeed, some churchmen have wretchedly forgotten their own rank and let themselves be converted by the charms and snares of pleasure. This is the aim too of the prevalent but wrong method of teaching, especially in the philosophical disciplines, a method which deceives and corrupts incautious youth in a wretched manner and gives it as drink the poison of the serpent in the goblet of Babylon. To this goal also tends the unspeakable doctrine of Communism, as it is called, a doctrine most opposed to the very natural law.

So many holy examples of zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of souls! And all that abundance of graces, like that which was seen in the centuries which followed, generally started with small groups of clerics motivated by a great desire to sanctify themselves, to imitate Our Lord more closely. And such were the motives of our founders, Claude Poulart and the Venerable Libermann. The object and consequence of this introduction is that we should ask ourselves this question: Are we aware that we have to rediscover this fervor and this ardor to sanctify ourselves through the imitation of Our Lord, or do we on the contrary wish to follow the attractions of new theories which seek to exalt human dignity to the point of abandoning divinely based authority and obedience; which exalt the material world, the cosmos, and would have us seek salvation in the building up of this world, abandoning detachment form worldly goods and true poverty; and which, finally, setting aside original sin and concupiscence, exalt the body and the flesh, and despise celibacy and continence, thereby destroying true chastity? In my opinion we are coming to a crossroads. What are we to do? Which road are we to choose? For this is a question of life or death for all the religious orders; it is their very foundation and their raison d'être that is being called into question. If we abandon traditional philosophy and theology, the fundamental principles of salvation, of sanctification, of justification, then in a short time our Congregation will disintegrate and the young, with all their generosity, will abandon us. For there are many generous young people, desirous of true sanctification, who will go where they can find a strong Christian spirituality, a traditional spirituality, which helps them grow and develop, and liberates them by its supernatural obedience, its poverty, its chastity, its clear and public proclamation of adhesion to Christ and His Church. This is the spirituality of the Saints. Holy souls will come and will recruit these young men who desire true virtue, and who will be the priests of tomorrow, the missionaries of the future, capable and confident because holy and replete with sound doctrine. The choice is ours! Do we want to die a natural death amid the corruption of ideas and undiscipline of every kind, or to renew ourselves, and so attract noble and truly Christian souls to our ranks?

After the Magisterium, it is the sacerdotal ministry which is also attributed to all the people of God. It is by virtue of this ministry that the People of God constitute the Eucharistic Assembly and carry out the communal worship of which the priest is the president and will soon be the elected delegate. His sacerdotal character and celibacy have no longer a reason for existence. It cannot be denied that the liturgical reforms foster this trend. All the commentaries on these reforms are written in Protestant terms, minimizing the role of the priest, the reality of the Sacrifice and the real and permanent presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist. ... We must, then, fight to safeguard the Priesthood as Our Lord instituted it, in the integrity of its magisterium, its ministry and its government. We must teach our ancient faith intact, worship the Eucharist and venerate the Holy Sacrament of the Mass as taught by the Scriptures and Tradition, revere the persons of our priests, our bishops and the Vicar of Jesus Christ because they bear within themselves the Priesthood and the mission of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and because they are delegates of the People of God.

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Following those of Holland and Copenhagen, other national Synods are in preparation. If their effects are the same, there will soon be so many more Protestant sects. We are warned of these by the opposition between the conclusions of the Synods and the directives of the Holy See. The hour is very grave. The choice confronting the faithful in Holland and Denmark may tomorrow face us. We are already confronted by it in the catechisms and some forms of liturgical worship, by the trends of some bishops or groups of bishops contrary to those of the successor of Peter, as, for example, on the question of family morality and the celibacy of the clergy. Let us remember that Peter bears the responsibility for all the Shepherds and all the lambs and that where there is any contradiction between the faith of our Shepherd and that of Peter, there can be no hesitation, we must keep that of Peter.

San cti ty, M ar k of t he Di vi nity of the Churc h Among the four marks or notes by which the Catholic Church is recognizable as the one true religion, the most evident sign of the divinity of the Catholic Church is holiness. That is why in the measure that holiness disappears, the proof of the divinity of the Church fades. The clergy and the virtue of celibacy of the priests and religious congregations are what chiefly manifest this holiness. Without that, it is difficult to realize that the Catholic religion is the one true one. But today the numbers of priests and religious and nuns are diminishing, and those who remain no longer even wear an exterior sign of their belonging to God, of their oblation to God. http://www.pdfcoke.com/doc/4559788/Celibacy-and-the-Priesthood http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_pvi_enc_24061967_sacerdotalis_en.html http://socrates58.blogspot.com/2006/02/clerical-celibacy-biblical-rationale.html : Clerical Celibacy: The Biblical Rationale Monday, February 06, 2006

[originally written in 1996. Bible verses: RSV; in green] With regard to clerical, or priestly celibacy, Protestants (and today, many Catholics) often mirror Luther's viewpoint that chastity is well-nigh impossible. Orthodox Catholics contend that such a view is not biblical. Our Lord Jesus and St. Paul were of a different opinion. Jesus said (Matthew 19:12): For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it. Other modern translations use the phrase "others have renounced marriage." One might argue that Jesus was merely describing this state of affairs, not sanctioning it, but this is made implausible by His concluding comment, "He who is able to receive this, let him receive it." But if it is to be denied that Jesus taught the desirability of celibacy for those called to it, there can be little doubt about St. Paul's position, expressed in great detail in 1 Corinthians 7:7-38: 7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own special gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.

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8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is well for them to remain single as I do. 9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion . . . 20 Every one should remain in the state in which he was called . . . . . 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek marriage. 28 But if you marry, you do not sin . . . Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. . . 32 I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; 33 But the married man is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. And the unmarried woman or girl is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please her husband. 35 I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord . . . 38 So that he who marries his betrothed does well; and he who refrains from marriage will do better. These verses form the scriptural rationale for the much-maligned Catholic requirement of celibacy for priests, monks, and nuns. St. Paul's argument is clear enough, for anyone able to receive it. The celibate priest can singleheartedly devote himself both to God and his flock. The practical advantages of having more time and not being burdened by multiple loyalties are obvious to common sense. Why, then, is there so much uproar today (and in Luther's era) over this disciplinary requirement (it is neither a dogma nor irreversible, although it is firmly established in Catholic Tradition)? I submit that it is a lack of belief in the power of God to assist one in such a difficult life-choice (especially given the present sexually-crazed atmosphere). Opponents of celibacy often simply assume, like Luther, that a life without sex is utterly impossible, whereas our Lord Jesus and St. Paul undeniably teach the contrary, and the desirability - even preferability - of celibacy for those so called. One must make a choice for or against the biblical teaching. If sexual abstinence is impossible and "unnatural," men and women are reduced to the level of mere beasts, devoid of God's image and strengthening power, utterly unable to control their appetites and passions. This is not the Christian view! It needs to be stressed at this point that no one is forced to be celibate. It is both a matter of personal choice, and, on a deeper level, an acceptance of one's calling, as given by God. Paul acknowledges both the divine impetus (1 Corinthians 7:7,20) and the free will initiative of human beings (7:35,38). These two are not contradictory, but rather, complementary. In other words, if a man is called to celibacy (and further, to the priesthood in the Latin, Western Rites), he will be given both the desire and the ability to carry out this lifestyle successfully (see Philippians 2:13). If one is not called, like most of us, to celibacy and/or the priesthood, then he or she ought to get married (1 Corinthians 7:7,9,20,28,38). The issue is not a matter of either/or, with one option being good and the other bad. Both are good, but one has a certain practical superiority and an obviously somewhat heroic aspect. To personally renounce

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something is not equivalent to regarding the state or thing renounced evil. I may give up eating potatoes, reading fiction, ice skating, or swimming, for various and sundry reasons, but this does not make any of them evil in and of themselves. Likewise, the Catholic Church is not in any sense whatsoever against marriage, or sexuality (7:38), as long as these are within the proper biblical and moral guidelines. Marriage and ordination are both sacraments in Catholicism; both are positive and wonderful means of God's grace. The Catholic view of holy matrimony, which considers a valid, sacramental marriage between two baptized Catholics absolutely indissoluble, provides women in particular with the greatest degree of security and dignity known to history (we are already reaping the bitter fruit of today's "easy divorcism"). The Church only wants to see everyone fulfill the estate in life to which they are called (7:20). No one is compelled to become a Catholic priest, and the complaining and moaning of those who have illadvisedly taken on such a commitment, or, who (through loss of the supernatural virtue of faith) no longer believe it to be possible, is highly annoying. Anyone who is not called to celibacy is free to become a married priest in the Orthodox or Anglican Churches (or even in the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church, where married men can be ordained). When Catholic priests today forsake their vows of ordination (usually taking on wives), this is no disproof whatsoever of the Catholic doctrine of the desirability of celibacy, but rather, an indication that (oftentimes) something was seriously awry in the intellectual honesty of these men or in the perception of God's calling on their lives. Again, no one forced any of these men to take the vows they did, and it is improper for them to complain about it after the fact. This is as foolish and silly as a man whining that he can't join the army because he can't stand constantly being with thirty other men! Numerous other analogies could be given. Every institution has the inherent right to create whatever rules and regulations it deems necessary for its purposes. In this case, the Catholic Church is simply trying to follow the clear recommendations of its Lord and one of the premier Apostles, St. Paul, and to go against the grain of today's decadent culture, where unrestrained sex has often replaced the quest for God and righteousness, and become an idol. Furthermore, today there seems to be a lack of understanding (or downright denigration) of the validity and seriousness of vows and oaths, from the biblical and Christian perspective. We see how lightly the marital vows are taken by many in our time ("for better or worse" and "till death do us part" are almost forgotten by thousands, it seems). The Law of Moses made vows and oaths sacredly and solemnly binding (Exodus 20:7, Leviticus 19:12, Deuteronomy 5:11, 23:21-23). Ezekiel says that perjury is punishable by death (Ezekiel 17:16-18). Jesus taught that oaths were binding (Matthew 5:33). St. Paul once had his hair cut off as the result of a vow of some sort (Acts 18:18). Even God bound Himself by an oath (Hebrews 6:1318). The notion of covenant is closely related to oath-taking. A deceptive vow is an affront to God, and brings about His curse (Malachi 1:14, Ecclesiastes 5:4-5). Vowing is completely voluntary and optional in biblical thought, but once made, the vow must be performed and is a very serious matter indeed. Sadly, many "former" priests, rather than face honestly their own inadequacies, choose instead to cast doubt on the Church's teaching on celibacy in general, which causes them ultimately to deny the affirmations of both Jesus and St. Paul on this subject. No amount of admitted difficulty (no one maintains the easiness of abstention) or self-serving rationalization can undo the plain teaching of Holy Scripture in this regard. There is an old proverb to the effect that "all heresy begins below the belt." This is certainly not the reason for all priestly defections, but it is undoubtedly true far more often than is admitted. Priests, (even "good" ones) - like all of us - are fallen and fallible human beings, subject to temptations and moral lapses, and are special targets of Satan due to their lofty office. They need our prayers continually. Addendum:

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Catholic apologist Paul Seberras sent me the following interesting biblical analysis from his book, The Perpetual Holocaust, which, I think, nicely complements the above material: Isaiah 56:3-7 And let not the son of the stranger, that adhereth to the Lord, speak saying: The Lord will divide and separate me from his people. And let not the eunuch say: Behold I am a dry tree. For thus saith the Lord to the eunuchs: They that shall keep my sabbaths, and shall choose the things that please me, and shall hold fast my covenant: I will give to them in my house, and within my walls, a place, and a name better than sons and daughters: I will give them an everlasting name which shall never perish. And the children of the stranger that adhere to the Lord, to worship him, and to love his name, to be his servants: every one that keepeth the sabbath from profaning it, and that holdeth fast my covenant: I will bring them into my holy mount and will make them joyful in my house of prayer; their holocausts, and their victims shall please me upon my altar; for my house shall be called the house of prayer, for all nations. The 'eunuch,' is not to be considered a "dry tree,." i.e. barren. In fact, the eunuch will be blessed with children. What Isaiah is implying in this regard, is that the eunuch will be blessed with a spiritual fecundity, a harvest of souls. Through his progeny, the eunuch will have an 'everlasting name'. The 'everlasting name' pertains to the graces conferred upon the eunuch by God. He is rewarded by God for his work in bringing spiritual children into God's Eternal Kingdom. The eunuch, therefore, will be greatly honored and revered in heaven by his spiritual offspring. The eunuch is to keep God's sabbaths and hold fast to his covenant. God's sabbath in the new creation is Sunday. Sunday is a holy day of obligation which is binding upon all Catholics. Lying at the core of the Catholic sabbath is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It is not by accident that Isaiah combines sabbaths with covenant. In the New Covenant dispensation the Mass, i.e. the Eternal Sacrifice is a mandatory part of the Eternal Covenant trilogy. The Eternal Sacrifice is the visible bond, affirming that the people celebrating this rite, are in an Eternal Covenant relationship with God. As you are aware we continually underline the important significance of this covenant trilogy, Eternal Sacrifice, Gospel and its people (Israel), the Church. The eunuch in maintaining the sabbaths and holding fast to the covenant is in effect therefore, the celebrant at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Henceforth, we can cease calling this man a eunuch, since Isaiah's prophecy, finds its fulfillment in the celibate priesthood of the Roman Catholic Church. This house of prayer for all nations is the Church, where pleasing sacrifices acceptable to God, through Jesus Christ, (I. Pet. 2:5) are offered by all nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun, as prophesied by Malachi, (Mal. 1:11). Isaiah had clearly foreseen the universal dimensions of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. An account was recently given of the manner in which these pleasing sacrifices are offered, in our outline of that section of the Eucharistic Liturgy called the Offertory.

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