“Priests are servants of Christ, successors of the Apostolic ministry. The Lord told the Apostles about the pastors of the Church: He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me (Lk. 10:16); He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth Me (Jn. 13:20). Thus, if you serve a priest, you serve Christ; if you receive a priest, you receive Christ.”
(St. Makary Nevsky, Metropolitan of Moscow in ‘Instructions for the Spiritual Life’)