For the priest's lips should preserve knowledge, and they should seek the law from his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.
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Caesarius of Arles
AD 542
For this reason we ought to fear lest the harsh rebuke of the prophet be directed toward us: “Dumb dogs are not able to bark.” By the barking of dogs and the shepherd’s staff the fury of wolves is to be warded off. Now it is certain that priests are not only ordained to be stewards of fields and cultivators of land but also to exercise the spiritual cultivation of souls, that of which the apostle surely spoke when he said, “I have planted, Apollos watered.” Again he said, “We are God’s helpers, you are God’s tillage.” With great fear these facts ought to be considered by all the priests, who cannot be ignorant of the divine law and canonical regulations, according to what the apostle says: “If anyone belongs to the Lord, he knows what I say; but if anyone ignores this, he shall be ignored.” For this reason, what the Lord says through the prophet is to be feared exceedingly: “Therefore my people are led away captive, because they had knowledge”; moreover, “He that turns away his ears fr...
The angel, viz., the minister and messenger. (Challoner)
Priests must administer the sacraments, and likewise instruct the people, being God's messengers. (Worthington)
The Jews were well acquainted with the law, Jeremias xviii. 18.
The priests had to decide most intricate cases, Deuteronomy xvii. 9., and xxxiii. 9. (Calmet)
The sentence of the high priest was received like that of an angel. (Diod. Sic. xl. apud Phol.)
If such science was required under the old law, how much more is necessary in Christian priests, whose mysteries and duties are so much more important! (Calmet)
Ignoratio scripturarum ignoratio Christi est. (St. Jerome in Isaiashic.)
For in sacred language teachers are sometimes called prophets in that, by pointing out how fleeting are present things, they make manifest the things that are to come. And such the divine discourse convinces of seeing false things, because, while fearing to reprove faults, they vainly flatter evildoers by promising security; neither do they at all dissolve the iniquity of sinners, since they refrain their voice from chiding. For the language of reproof is the key of discovery, because by chiding it discloses the fault of which even he who has committed it is often unaware. Hence Paul says, “That he may be able by sound doctrine even to convince the gainsayers.” Hence through Malachi it is said, “The priest’s lips keep knowledge, and they shall seek the law at his mouth.” Hence through Isaiah the Lord admonishes, saying, “Cry aloud to spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet.” For it is true that whosoever enters on the priesthood undertakes the office of a herald, so to walk, himse...
See the apostle’s wisdom; to obviate the objection that he was prompted by vainglory to applaud his own doctrine, he includes himself also in his anathema. And as they betook themselves to authority, that of James and John, he mentions angels also, saying, “Tell me not of James and John; if one of the most exalted angels of heaven corrupt the gospel, let him be anathema.” The phrase “of heaven” is purposely added, because priests are also called angels. “For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth, for he is the messenger angel of the Lord of the hosts.”
For neither may we address ourselves to almighty God, but only by Christ. In the same manner, therefore, let the laity make known all their desires to the bishop by the deacon, and accordingly let them act as he shall direct them. For there was no holy thing offered or done in the temple formerly without the priest. “For the priest’s lips shall keep knowledge, and they shall seek the law at his mouth,” as the prophet somewhere says, “for he is the messenger of the Lord God almighty.” .
