man of sorrows. If he has the intuition of faith to see the sin of the world, and a heart of compassion to feel for the havoc of death both in body and soul, he must share in the sorrows of our Divine Redeemer.
1. The first sorrow of a priest is the consciousness of his own unworthiness.
The words of S. Paul must be in the mind of every priest: "I give Him thanks who hath strengthened me, even to Christ Jesus our Lord, for that He hath counted me faithful, putting me in the ministry, who before was a blasphemer and a persecutor and contumelious. But I obtained the mercy of God because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. Now the grace of our Lord hath abounded exceedingly with faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus. A faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief. But for this cause have I obtained mercy, that in me first Christ Jesus might show forth all patience for the information of them that shall believe in Him unto life everlasting."[1] These words show that S. Paul did not count himself to be faithful; that he was conscious of his great past unworthiness; that he was forgiven because he sinned in
- ↑ 1 S. Tim. i. 12-16.
