Page:The Eternal Priesthood (4th ed).djvu/217

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THE PRIEST'S LIBERTY.
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faculties, and means for the fulfilment of His will, for the spread of His truth, for the honour of His name, for the service of His Church, for the saving of souls.

(3) The third is a sorrow with Him and for Him, because of the sins committed by those who do not know Him, and, still more, by those who do, against the faith, against the unity of the Church, against its authority, against His love by ingratitude, against His person by sacrilege, against His pastoral care by scandals which destroy the souls for whom He died. The sight of souls perishing within and without the Church, to those who have love and zeal, will be a daily sorrow.

(4) The fourth is generosity in giving ourselves and giving up our liberty in anything we can do or sacrifice for His sake, spending and being spent for the elect's sake.[1]

(5) The fifth is a joy in crosses. They may be of three kinds. First, those that are deserved for our faults, for our imperfections, and for our past sins. Secondly, for those we have not deserved, as false accusation, contempt, and hatred without a cause. Thirdly, those that are voluntary—that is, incurred by any acts or restriction of our liberty which may offend those who indulge their liberty too much.

  1. 2 Cor. xii. 15.