 Just as the Levite priests of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem had been required to abstain from sexual contact (in order to achieve ritual purity) merely "for a lengthy period prior to" the periodic performance of the sacrifices of the temple, so the priests of the Early Church were required by ecclesiastical law to abstain from sexual contact.However, Christian priests presided at the sacrifice of the Eucharist every Sunday as well as the annual feasts of the various martyrs.Thus, the Christian calendar did not afford Christian priests periods in which they could be sexually active with their wives.