Since the priest truly participates in the mysteries of Our Lord in such an intimate and profound manner it is easily understood why he is called an alter Christus; "another Christ." It is indeed true. If, therefore, he must be another Christ, he must have in his soul the particular dispositions necessary to receive these graces. In order to know what these dispositions must be, these dispositions which must be in the hearts of all priests in order that they be well disposed to profit from the grace of the priesthood, let us address ourselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary, for she also is associated intimately with Our Lord Jesus Christ. She is associated in a manner even more sublime than that of the priest. Although she did not have the particular graces of the priesthood she nevertheless participated greatly in the Mission of God, for without her, God would not have descended to earth. It was necessary that she pronounce her fiat in order that the mission of God be accomplished here on earth. She participated in an essential manner in the salvation of the world and Our Lord is of course The Savior, but if there is one person who greatly participated in the salvation of the world, it is indeed the Blessed Virgin Mary, and if there is one person who is the Co-Redemptrix and who participated in the Redemption, it would also be the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The first disposition of the Blessed Mother is that she remained a Virgin. This is perhaps not the essential disposition for the priest since exceptions have been made through the course of the centuries; it is however, justice. It is a normal consequence and required by the priesthood. The Church has always considered the celibate state necessary for the priest precisely because he approaches Our Lord in such an intimate manner. He no longer must have concerns other than those of and for Our Lord Jesus Christ. All of his thoughts, all of his heart, all of his activities must be oriented towards Our Lord just as the Blessed Virgin Mary, just as St. Joseph, just as St. John. Those who were closest to Our Lord were all virgins.
The second quality which the Blessed Mother teaches us is humility; “respexit humilitatem meam,” says the Blessed Virgin in her Magnificat, "He has looked upon my humility and He has exalted the humble." Twice she insists upon this quality of humility which is especially required and she says that it is due to her humility that she has been chosen. This is precisely because humility is the disposition which best enables us to see God, to comprehend God, to have the wisdom of God, to be with God. Pride blinds, pride closes the heart, closes the intellect, closes the mind; it limits them to creatures. Humility, on the contrary, is as a great opening to the omnipotence of God, to the greatness of God, to all the attributes of God. The humble soul is filled with God and it is for this reason that the Blessed Virgin Mary teaches us humility: “Et exaltavit humiles.”
The third consideration to be made concerning the Blessed Mother is taken as well from the Magnificat: “Esurientes implevit bonis,” says she. “Esurientes.” What does she mean by esurientesl Souls of desire, souls which aspire to God: “Esurientes” those who thirst for God, who desire God, who live of God, these souls Almighty God has filled with good things, “et divites dimisit manes”; "and the rich He has dismissed with nothing."
Those whose hearts are filled with things of this world, those who are attached to things of this world, they also have their heart closed, their heart hardened by all the goods of this world. It is for this reason that the grace of God does not descend upon them: “et dimisit inanes!” Almighty God has sent them away with nothing. They are deprived of all. Deprived of God, they will remain without God. Is this not what we see all too often unfortunately, in the world: souls so attached to things of this world that they have forgotten God? The priest must therefore imitate the Blessed Virgin. He must have a pure soul entirely attached to God. He must have a soul entirely detached from things of this world in order that his soul be filled with God. This is what the priest must be in order that he be able to give God to others.
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