Life of St John Vianney.pdf - the Catholic Kingdom!

"When""Make270 THE CUR^ OF ABS.to every one. This Sacrament raises man to God. Whatis a priest? A man who holds the place of God, a maninvested with all the powers of God. Go, says ourLord to the priest; as My Father hath sent Me, so sendI you. All power is given to Me in Heaven and onearth. Go, therefore; teach all nations.*the priest remits sins, he does not say, God*absolve thee ;he says, I absolve thee. At the Consecration he does not say, This is the Lord sBody. Hesays, This is My Body.St. Bernard tells us that all comes to us by Mary.We may say also that all comes to us by the priest ; yes,all happiness, all grace, every heavenly gift."If we had not the Sacrament of Order, we shouldnot have our Lord.Who placed Him here in this Tabernacle ? The priest. Who first received yoursoul on itsentrance into life ? The priest. Who nourishes it, togive it strength for its pilgrimage ? The priest. Whowill prepare it to appear before God, by washingit forthe last time in the Blood of Jesus Christ ? The priest;still the priest. And if that soul should die, who willraise it again, who will restore it to tranquillity andpeace? Once more, the priest. You cannot recall tomind a single blessing from God without beholding bythe side of that remembrance the image of the priest.your confession to the Blessed Virgin or toan angel will they absolve you ? No. Will they giveyou the Body and Blood of our Lord ? No. TheBlessed Virgin cannot cause her Divine Son to descendinto the Host. You might have two hundred angelsround you, but they could not absolve you. A priest,simple and humble as he may be, can ; he can say to you,Go in peace; I pardon you,