DIGNITY AND DUTIES OF THE PRIEST
A COLLECTION OF MATERIALS FOR ECCLESIASTICAL RETREATS. RULE OF LIFE AND SPIRITUAL RULES.
BY ST. ALPHONSUS DE LIGUORI
Doctor of the Church.
EDITED BY REV. EUGENE GRIMM,
Priest of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.
NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO 1889.
A COLLECTION OF MATERIAL FOR SERMONS AND INSTRUCTIONS, FOR ECCLESIASTICAL RETREATS, AND ALSO FOR PRIVATE SPIRITUAL READING.
ADMONITIONS NECESSARY FOR HIM WHO GIVES THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES TO PRIESTS
PART I. MATERIAL FOR SERMONS.
CHAPTER I. THE DIGNITY OF THE PRIESTHOOD.
I. Idea of the Priestly Dignity.
II. Importance of the Priestly Office.
III. Grandeur of the Priestly Power.
IV. The Dignity of the Priest Surpasses all other Created Dignities.
V. Elevation of the Post Occupied by the Priest.
CHAPTER II. THE END OF THE PRIESTHOOD.
I. The Priesthood Appears to the Saints a Formidable Charge.
II. What is the End of the Priesthood.
III. Principal Duties of the Priest.
CHAPTER III. THE SANCTITY NECESSARY FOR THE PRIEST.
I. What should be the Sanctity of the Priest by Reason of his Dignity.
II. What Should be the Sanctity of the Priest as the Minister of the Altar.
III. What should be the Sanctity of the Priest as Mediator between God and Man.
IV. What should be the Sanctity of the Priest given to the People to be their Model.
CHAPTER IV. GRIEVOUSNESS AND CHASTISEMENT OF SIN IN A PRIEST.
I. Grievousness of Sin in a Priest.
II. Chastisement of the Sinful Priest.
CHAPTER V. THE INJURY THAT TEPIDITY DOES TO THE PRIEST.
I. To what the Tepid Priest is Exposed.
II. A Priest cannot be Satisfied with Avoiding Grievous Sins.
CHAPTER VI. THE SIN OF INCONTINENCE.
I. Necessity of Purity in the Priest.
II. Malice of Impurity in the Priest.
IV. Remedies for Incontinence.
CHAPTER VII. THE SACRILEGIOUS MASS.
I Purity Required in the Priest to Celebrate Worthily.
II. How Great is the Crime of the Priest that Celebrates Mass in Mortal Sin.
CHAPTER VIII. THE SIN OF SCANDAL.
CHAPTER IX. THE ZEAL OF THE PRIEST.
I. The Obligation of Every Priest to Labor for the Salvation of Souls.
II. The Pleasure that a Priest who Labors for the Salvation of Souls gives to God.
IV. The End, the Means, and the Labors of the Priest who has Zeal.
CHAPTER X. THE VOCATION TO THE PRIESTHOOD.
I. Necessity of a Divine Vocation to take Holy Orders.
II Marks of a Divine Vocation to the Sacerdotal State
3. POSITIVE GOODNESS OF CHARACTER.
III. To what Dangers one Exposes Ones Self by taking Holy Orders without a Vocation.
PART II. MATERIAL FOR INSTRUCTIONS.
INSTRUCTION I. THE CELEBRATION OF MASS.
I. Importance of the Holy Sacrifice and what it Exacts of the Priest.
III. The Reverence and the Devotion with which the Priest should Celebrate Mass.
V. The Priest who Abstains from saying Mass.
INSTRUCTION II. THE GOOD EXAMPLE THAT THE PRIEST SHOULD GIVE.
INSTRUCTION III. THE CHASTITY OF THE PRIEST.
I. The Merit of this Virtue, and its Necessity for the Priest.
II. Means of Preserving Chastity.
INSTRUCTION IV. PREACHING, AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE.
II. The Administration of the Sacrament of Penance.
1. GRAVE RESPONSIBILITY OF CONFESSORS.
2. THE KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED TO HEAR CONFESSIONS WELL.
3. CHARITY AND FIRMNESS THAT THE CONFESSOR SHOULD HAVE.
4. HOW TO ACT IN REGARD TO THOSE LIVING IN THE OCCASION OF SlN AND THOSE WHO ARE RELAPSING SlNNERS.
INSTRUCTION V. MENTAL PRAYER.
I. Necessity of Mental Prayer for Priests.
III. The Recitation of the Divine Office.
INSTRUCTION VI. HUMILITY.
2. NOT TO GLORY IN THE GOOD THAT WE DO.
3. WE MUST DISTRUST OURSELVES.
INSTRUCTION VII. MEEKNESS.
INSTRUCTION VIII. MORTIFICATION, AND PARTICULARLY INTERIOR MORTIFICATION.
I. Necessity of Mortification in General.
II. Necessity of Interior Mortification.
III The Practice of Interior Mortification.
5. MEANS OF CONQUERING SELF-WILL.
INSTRUCTION IX. EXTERIOR MORTIFICATION.
I. Necessity of Exterior Mortification.
II. Practice of Exterior Mortification.
1. THE EYES AND THE WHOLE EXTERIOR.
4. INVOLUNTARY MORTIFICATIONS.
III. The Good that is derived from a Mortified Life.
INSTRUCTION X. THE LOVE OF GOD.
I. Special Obligation for the Priest to belong Entirely to God.
II. Means to be Employed for belonging Entirely to God.
2. THE INTENTION OF PLEASING GOD IN ALL THINGS.
3. PATIENCE IN PAINS AND HUMILIATIONS.
4. CONFORMITY TO THE WILL OF GOD.
INSTRUCTION XI. DEVOTION TO MOST HOLY MARY.
I. Moral Necessity of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin.
II. Confidence that we should have in the Intercession of the Mother of God.
III. Practice of Devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
APPENDIX.
Rule of life for a Secular Priest
I. Morning Exercises.
5. REMARK IN REGARD TO THE ORDER OF THE EXERCISES.
II. Exercises after Dinner
2. THE VISIT TO THE BLESSED SACRAMENT AND TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN.
III. Exercises of the Evening.
3. THE LAST ACTS BEFORE GOING TO BED.
IV. Exercises that are not Performed Every Day.
SPIRITUAL RULES FOR A PRIEST WHO ASPIRES TO PERFECTION.
1. TO AVOID SIN, AND TROUBLE AFTER SIN.
2. EFFICACIOUS DESIRE TO ADVANCE IN THE LOVE OF GOD.
3. DEVOTION TO THE PASSION OF OUR LORD AND TO THE BLESSED SACRAMENT.
4. THE INTENTION OF DOING ALL FOR GOD.
5. LOVE OF SOLITUDE AND OF SILENCE.
6. CONFORMITY TO THE WILL OF GOD.
8. DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN.
11. INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR MORTIFICATION.
SPIRITUAL MAXIMS FOR PRIESTS.
EXHORTATION TO YOUNG MEN WHO DEVOTE THEMSELVES TO THE STUDY OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL SCIENCES.
DISCOURSE ON THE NECESSITY OF MENTAL PRAYER FOR PRIESTS
I. Without Mental Prayer it is Difficult for a Priest to Save his Soul.
II. Without Mental Prayer it is Impossible for the Priest to Attain Perfection.