Verba Christi ad sponsam, qualiter sacerdos tenetur habere tria: primo corpus Christi consecrare, secundo mundiciam carnis et spiritus habere, tercio parrochie sue prouidere; eciam quod tenetur habere Librum et Oleum; et quomodo sacerdos angelus Domini est, ymmo quod eius officium est maius quam angeli.
The Threefold Duty of the Priest
Christ outlines the essential obligations of the priesthood and explains how a priest's good intention serves as a spiritual parish even when external circumstances limit his reach.
The Son says: "A priest is bound to three things: first, to consecrate the Body of God; second, to maintain purity of body and spirit; and third, to provide for his parish." But you might ask: 'What good is it to have a church if you don't have a parish?' I answer you: a priest who has the will to benefit everyone and to preach for the love of God has a parish as broad as if he had the whole world, because if he could speak to the whole world, he wouldn't spare himself any labor. Therefore, a good will is credited to him as if it were the work itself. Because of the ingratitude of those who hear, God often spares His chosen ones from the labor of preaching, yet they aren't cheated of their reward because of their good intention.
The Book and the Oil
The priest is called to possess the Book of wisdom and the Oil of charity, symbolizing the balance between moral discipline, instruction, and the sweetness of prayer.
A priest is also required to have a book and oil: the book to instruct those who are imperfect, and the holy oil to anoint the sick. Just as the Book contains both spiritual and practical teaching, a priest must have the wisdom to govern himself: by disciplining his body so it isn't undone by the intemperance that scandalizes his parishioners; by fleeing the greed of the world that cheapens the beauty of the Church; and by avoiding the ways of worldly people, which bring dishonor to his clerical dignity. Spiritual knowledge, however, is about instructing the ignorant, correcting the wayward, and setting the hearts of those who are growing on fire. Oil represents the sweetness of prayer and good examples. For just as oil is richer than bread, so the prayer of charity and the good examples of a life are more effective for drawing people in, and richer for appeasing God.
The Greatness of the Priestly Office
Christ reveals the profound dignity of the priest, who acts as a mediator and angel of the Lord by handling the incomprehensible mystery of the Eucharist.
I tell you the truth, daughter: the name of a priest is great, because he is an angel of the Lord and a mediator, but his office is greater, because he handles the incomprehensible God, and in his hands, the lowest things are joined to the heavenly.1
Read the original Latin
Filius loquitur: "Sacerdos tenetur habere tria, primo consecrare corpus Dei, secundo habere mundiciam carnis et spiritus, tercio prouidere parrochie sue. Sed potes querere: 'Quid prodest habere ecclesiam, si non habet parrochiam?'
Respondeo tibi: sacerdos habens voluntatem omnibus prodesse et predicare propter amorem Dei, ille habet tam latam parrochiam, quasi si haberet totum mundum, quia, si posset toti loqui mundo, minime parceret labori suo. Ideo voluntas bona reputatur ei pro opere.
Nam Deus propter ingratitudinem audiencium multociens parcit electis suis a labore predicandi, nec tamen fraudantur mercede propter affectum bonum.
Presbiter eciam tenetur habere Librum et Oleum: Librum ad instruendum imperfectos, Oleum sanctum ad infirmos liniendum.
Sicut enim in Libro continetur doctrina spiritualis et corporalis, sic in sacerdote sit sciencia ad se ipsum moderando carnem, ne dissoluatur intemperancia, qua scandalizantur parrochiani, fugiendo cupiditatem mundi, qua vilipenditur decor Ecclesie, deuitando mores secularium, quibus dignitas clericalis dehonestatur.
Spiritualis vero sciencia est instruere insipientes, corripere dissolutos, accendere proficientes.
In Oleo vero notatur dulcedo oracionis et exempla bona. Sicut enim oleum pinguius est pane, sic oracio caritatis et exempla bona vite efficaciora sunt ad trahendum homines et pinguiora ad placandum Deum.
Vere dico tibi, filia, quod magnum est sacerdotis nomen, quia angelus Domini est et mediator, sed maius est officium eius, quia tractat incomprehensibilem Deum, ymaque celestibus in manu eius coniunguntur."
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin 'ymaque' (imaque) refers to the lowest or deepest things, contrasting with 'celestibus' (heavenly things) to emphasize the priest's role in bridging the earthly and divine.
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