darkness into His marvellous light."[1] And again we are made "the first-fruits to God and to the Lamb"[2]—that is, for the greater glory of God.
If, then, the regenerate are the first-fruits of the world, the priests of Jesus Christ are the first-fruits of the regenerate. If the first-fruits are for the greater glory of God, the first-fruits of the first-fruits must be for His greatest glory. To be chosen out from the chosen people, the elect of the elect; to be partakers of the priesthood of the Incarnate Son, of His character and of His powers; to be the visible witnesses of His mind and of His perfection; to be aliorum perfectores; to be set to make others perfect; to be consecrated to offer Him continually as the Victim for the sins of the world; and to offer ourselves in union with Him to God; and, moreover, to offer ourselves to Him for the work He has laid upon us; beyond this, what is there revealed for the glory of God except the eternal service and perfection of the heavenly court? A priest is set to continue the work of his Master. But the work of his Master was to save and to sanctify mankind. He is chosen and called and consecrated to make visible and sensible the life, the mind, the Word, and the will of Jesus Christ. S. Bernard says: "Feed (the flock)
