St. John Vianney on the Priesthood

"The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus."

"O, how great is the priest! ... If he realized what he is, he would die."

"Without the priest, the passion and death of our Lord would be of no avail. It is the priest who continues the work of redemption here on earth...What use would be a house filled with gold, were there no one to open its door? The priest holds the key to the treasures of heaven: it is he who opens the door: he is the steward of the good Lord; the administrator of His goods...Leave a parish for twenty years without a priest and they will end by worshiping the beasts there..The priest is not a priest for himself, he is a priest for you."

~ St. John Vianney
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