Page:The Eternal Priesthood (4th ed).djvu/150

138 mental sorrow of Jesus came from the daily contact of His divine sanctity with the sin of the world. Looking upon the distortion and defacement of the creation of God, He said, "O just Father, the world hath not known Thee." The world knows not its Maker. It is a profound contempt of the Divine Majesty not to know Him. And yet for those that knew not what they did Jesus prayed upon the Cross. But who is there in our charge that does not know God? Even the grossest ignorance is an affected ignorance. If we have in us the heart of our Master, the sins on every side of us, sins of the flesh and of the spirit, the havoc and ravage of Satan in men, women, children, must be a ceaseless sorrow. In the measure in which we have a hatred of sin and a a love of souls, the spiritual death of our people will be always a perceptible and personal grief. Ill-usage and ingratitude can be borne patiently. All that men can say or do against us is of little weight. A priest is signum cui contradicetur: he is a butt for all the slings and stones of false and evil tongues; but though this can do us no hurt, yet to be hated, scorned, and ridiculed is cutting to flesh and blood. Nevertheless, this brings little sorrow. It may excite resentment, but resentment dries up sorrow. Sorrow comes from love, compassion, pity for souls: