our relatives desert us. He will send him, in order to help us to save our souls, even if by so doing he were to risk his own life. He will send the priest in order that he may assist us in our last conflict, and bring us pardon in the sacrament of Penance, and give us the food of our souls in the Holy Viaticum, courage and strength in Extreme Unction.
Even after we have breathed our last, God will send the priest, in order that he may pray for us and offer the Holy Sacrifice in our behalf, and thus cause our soul to be delivered all the sooner from the fire of purgatory.
Wherefore thank God, dear reader, for all these great benefits, and reverence His priests — His ambassadors, by whom He sends His gifts.
3. But non-Catholics and even unreasonable and evil-minded Catholics are often heard to say: "It would be quite right to reverence priests if all priests were worthy ambassadors and instruments of God." Some malicious persons are guilty of a most abominable injustice, in that they lay the open sins and failings of individual priests as a burden upon the shoulders of the whole class and dare to make the infamous remark : "They are all alike! " " They are all of the same cloth!" It is true that God permits unworthy members to be found in every class, members who disgrace the body to which they belong; and in this respect He makes the priesthood no exception. On this
