understand, as Catholics do, that the priests are "ambassadors for
Christ" sent to "preach the Gospel to every creature." For Christ
instituted the priesthood to carry on divine worship, to govern the
Church, to preach His doctrine, and to administer the sacraments.

As in the Old Law God chose His priests from among the family of Aaron,
so in the New Law He chooses them from among those whom His apostles and
their successors see fit to ordain. Priests and other ministers of the
Church receive in the sacrament of Holy Orders the power and grace to
perform their sacred duties. If we would but consider seriously for a
moment the importance of these duties and the great dignity of the
minister of God, we would have no difficulty in understanding the
reasonableness of the Catholic practice of showing profound respect to
God's priesthood.

The priest is the minister of Jesus Christ, who chose him that he might
obtain for himself the greatest good and in return bestow this good upon
his fellow-man. Jesus Christ chose him that he might aid Him in the work
for which He came on earth. What a noble mission! What important duties!
What a great dignity! To aid Jesus Christ in saving souls, to teach them
the truths of salvation, to loose them from their sins, to offer the
eucharistic sacrifice for them, to pray for them, to minister unto them,
and to fill them with Heaven's choice blessings; for such a high
mission, for such important duties did Jesus Christ choose the priest.
If his duties are so important, his dignity must be correspondingly
great.

On the banks of the Lake of Genesareth the Great Teacher chose Peter as
His vicar and head of His Church. As the pontiff could not be
everywhere, Peter and the other apostles imposed hands on others as the
needs of the growing Church demanded. They understood that it was by a
living, teaching ministry this work of salvation was to be carried on.
For we find it recorded in the 14th chapter of the Acts that Paul and
Barnabas ordained priests in Lystra and Iconium.

Paul also consecrated Titus Bishop of Crete, for the express purpose of
ordaining others. Thus we see that as Christ was sent by the Father, the
apostles by Christ, so, too, is the priest invested with the same power
"for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry and for
the edification of the body of Christ" (_Eph_. iv. 12), and that no one
but a priest divinely called, rightly ordained, and legitimately