Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/390

 strengthenest me  I  can  accomplish  anything  and everything. Let demons  cry:  '  Depart  from  us, Thou Son  of  God,  What  have  we  to  do  with  Thee? ' but I,  unworthy  as  I  am,  will  henceforth  try  to  imitate the  fishermen,  who  leaving  all  things,  their homes and  families,  their  boats  and  newly  acquired wealth, aye,  and  renouncing  even  themselves,  followed Thee  thenceforth  more  closely  still,  even  to suffering  and  to  death."

Brethren, St.  Paul,  writing  to  the  Corinthians  of himself  and  his  brother-priests,  says:  "  Let  a  man  so account  of  us  as  of  the  ministers  of  Christ  and  the dispensers  of  the  mysteries  of  God." Herein is  contained a  double  admonition,  one  for  priests  as  to  how they should  carry  themselves,  and  another  for  the laity as  to  how  they  should  esteem  their  priests. The Lord's anointed  should  never  lose  sight  of  the  dignity of his  sacred  calling,  nor  of  the  rights  and  the  duties that it  involves. Christ's priesthood  is  as  far  superior to that  of  the  Jews  as  are  the  truths  and  rites  and  ceremonies, the  sacraments  and  the  sacrifice  of  the  New Law to  that  of  the  Old. No earthly  dignity  can  compare with  that  of  the  Christian  Apostolate. While the holy  Bishop,  St.  Martin,  was  one  day  dining  with the Emperor,  the  latter  out  of  respect  for  his  saintly guest passed  him  the  royal  goblet  untasted,  and  the good Bishop,  to  assert  the  dignity  of  his  office,  not only accepted  the  honor  himself  but  handed  the  cup to an  humble  priest,  his  secretary,  as  next  in  order of precedence. St. Ambrose,  too,  when  the  Emperor Theodosius would  have  seated  himself  in  the