The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

"CELIBACY, ETC. 453by preaching. He ascends to heaven to receivelight from God he descends to communicate that;light to his hearers. He ascends to draw at theliving Fountain of divine grace he descends to dif;fuse those living waters among the faithful, that theirhearts may be refreshed. He ascends to light historch at the ever-burning furnace of divine love, anddescends to communicate the flame tohis people.The Church, indeed, considers prayerthe souls ofso indispensable to her clergy, that, besides the voluntaryexercises of piety which their private devotion maysuggest, she requires them to devote at least an hour,each day, to the recitation of the divine office, whichchiefly consists of the Psalms and other portions ofHoly Scripture, the Homilies of the early Fathers,and prayers of marvellous force and unction.CHAPTER XXX.CELIBACY OF THE CLERGY.Church requires her Priests to be pure inbody as well as in soul, and to present theirbodies a living victim, holy, well - pleasing untoGod."xOur Saviour and His Apostles, though recognizing matrimony as a holy state, have proclaimedthe1Bom. xii. 1.