St. Peter Chrysologus: The priesthood

“BE YOU the priest and the sacrifice of God; do not lose that which has been given to you by the authority of God. Clothe yourself with the garment of sanctity, gird yourself with the cincture of chastity; let Christ be the covering for your head; let the cross of Christ be the protection for your head; let the cross of Christ be the protection for your face; instil in your breast the sacrament of divine wisdom; let the odor of your prayers always ascend upon high; let your heart be, as it were, an altar, on which you may safely offer your body as a victim to God.”

~St. Peter Chrysologus (c. 380 – c. 450): Sermons, 108

The Seven Sacraments II: Ordination, by Nicholas Poussin.
Oil on canvas, 1647; National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh.