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 He dedicates  himself  to God  and  mankind,  interceding  and  making reparation for  man  with God.

"Jesus Christ  is  always living  to  make  intercession for  us  with  God's sovereign  mercy,  and  He is  also  always  dying  on the  altar  £or  us  to  satisfy God's  infinite  justice.  A monk  who  passes  his  life near  a  tabernacle  every day  mingles  a  little  drop of  the  water  of  his  own sacrifice  with  the  wine of  our  Redeemer's  offering, so  as  to  fill  up  in  his flesh  those  things  that are  wanting  of  the  sufferings of  Christ  for  His body,  which  is  the  Church.

"Iniquity abounds  day by  day,  and  the  Religious cuts  himself  off  from  the sinful  world  in  order  to go  with  confidence  to the  throne  of  grace,  that he  may  obtain  mercy  and find  grace  in*  seasonable aid,  and  that  where  sin abounded  grace  may  yet more  abound.

"He offers  himself  as  a victim  beside  and  with Jesus,  first  as  a  holocaust, the  sacrifice  made  in  honor of God happy  to  pay  his Lord  the  vows  that  his lips  have  uttered;  and he  is,  moreover,  a  peace-offering,  a  sacrifice  for sin,  happy  to  share  the work  of  the  Lamb,  who taketh  away  the  sin  of the  world.

"And what  are  the sufferings  that  he  offers to  God  with  Jesus  Christ? In  the  first  place,  the separations  and  the  submission imposed  by  his vows.  He  breaks  the bonds  of  kindred,  and gives  up  all  connection with  the  world,  renouncing  its  amusements  and the  enjoyment  of  wealth and  the  caprices  of  independence.

"In the  second  place, there  are  works  of  penance imposed  by  his  rule;  enclosure and  silence,  a hard  bed  and  rising  during the  night,  hair  shirts and  disciplines,  prolonged and  sometimes  perpetual abstinence,  frequent  fasts, spiritual,  intellectual,  or manual  labor.  Different Orders  have  different forms  of  penance  varying in  proportion  according to  their,  special  aims.

"Lastly there  are  sufferings sent by  Providence