Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/602

 The  Ecclesiastical  Hierarchy. From  this  chapter  we  see  how  our Lord gradually  traced  the  outlines  of  the  Hierarchy  of  the  Church,  i.  e. of  the  higher  and  lower  orders  of  sacred  ministers. There we  have Peter, the  Apostles,  the  disciples  and  the  faithful;  here  we  have  the Pope, the  Bishops,  the  Priests  [with  Deacons,  Subdeacons  and  four minor orders]  and  the  faithful.

Prayer to  God  to  send  more  labourers  into  His  vineyard. Jesus,  the Lord of  the  harvest,  desires  us  to  pray  to  Him  to  send  more  labourers, i.e. more  bishops  and  priests,  and  this  not  only  for  our  own  sakes,  but  for the multitude  of  our  fellow-men,  who  are  still  unbelievers. He alone,  by His  grace,  can  raise  up  true  apostolic  labourers  for  His  vineyard. This prayer is  very  necessary. Even many  Catholic  countries  are  in  sad  want  of priests; but,  setting  aside  this  want,  the  majority  of  men  in  this  world  are either heathens  (of  whom  there  are  about  700,000,000)  or  Mahometans  (of whom  there  are  about  150,000,000). Only 250,000,000  belong  to  the  One, Holy, Catholic  and  Apostolic  Church; for  out  of  those  who  claim  to  be Christians,  80,000,000  belong  to  the  Greek  schismatical  Church,  and  about 90,000,000 to  the  various  Protestant  sects. The harvest  is  indeed  still  great, and the  number  of  Catholic  priests  and  missionaries  small  in  proportion.

Our Lord  sent  out  His  disciples  two  and  two  1. so that  they  could bear witness  to  the  miracles  wrought. “In the  law  it  is  written  that the testimony  of  two  men  is  true”  (John  8,  17),  and  therefore  men would more  readily  believe  the  word  of  two  together  than  of  one  alone. 2. That  they  might  practise  mutual  love  and  unity  of  spirit,  and  be thus  better  able  to  preach  the  Gospel  of  love  and  peace.

You ought  to  pray  to  God,  especially  at the  four  Ember  seasons  when  the  ordinations  take  place,  to  send forth labourers  into  His  harvest.

Support all  Catholic  missions  according  to  your  means.

gain, when  Jesus  was  on  His  way  to  Jerusalem,  He  met  a doctor  of  the  law,  who,  hoping  to  tempt  our  Lord,  asked him, through  curiosity: “Master,  what  must  I do  to  possess  eternal