How great, saving and wonderful is the grace of the priesthood! With the priesthood the Lord accomplishes great and saving works.
He cleanses and sanctifies His rational creatures,
nature, animals, all the elements.
He frees people from demons, regenerates them,
strengthens them. He changes the bread and wine into the Immaculate Body and
Precious Blood of this very God-Man. He performs the mystery of marriage, makes
it holy and the bed undefiled.
He absolves sins, heals diseases. He transforms the
earth into heaven. He unites heaven with earth, man with God. He unites angels
and men in one assembly.
What a lofty person the Priest is! He constantly
speaks to the Lord and the Lord constantly answers his words. Every rite is a
prayer-supplication to the Lord. Every rite is a prayer-answer from the Lord.
The priest is an angel, not a man. He is a mediator between God and men.
He is His closest friend. He is like a god to men,
with the power he has to absolve and bind sins, to perform for them the
life-giving and terrible mysteries, to deify himself and deify others with
these mysteries.
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