Vocations Explained: Matrimony, Virginity, The Religious State, and the Priesthood

Front matter

Vocations Explained:= Matrimony, Virginity, The Religious State, and the Priesthood

by a Vincentian Father

An abridgement of Questions on Vocations approved by Cardinal Gibbons and Cardinal Satolli.

CHAPTER I: DEFINITION. - EVERY PERSON HAS SOME SPECIAL VOCATION.

Q. What is a vocation? A. A call from God to some state of life.

Q. Which are the principal states of life? A. Matrimony, virginity, the religious state, and the priesthood.

Q. Has every person a vocation? A. Yes; God gives a special vocation to each person.

Q. How is this doctrine proved? A. St Paul says: "Every one hath his proper gift from God; one after this manner, and another after that. . . . As the Lord hath distributed to every one, as God hath called every one, so let him walk."

Q. Is it not beneath God's notice to give a particular vocation to each person? A. Not at all; for even the birds of the air are objects of the providence of God: "Yea, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."

Q. What do Father Faber and St. Alphonsus say on this subject? A. Father Faber says: "Every man has a distinct vocation." St Alphonsus says: "We must embrace that state to which God calls us."

Q. What does St. Augustine teach concerning special vocations? A. St. Augustine says: "He who does little, but in a state to which God calls him, does more than he who labours much, but in a state which he has thoughtlessly chosen: a cripple limping in the right way is better than a racer out of it."

CHAPTER II: NECESSITY OF FOLLOWING A VOCATION.

Q. Are we obliged to follow the vocation which God gives us? A. Yes; if we should wilfully neglect to follow our vocation we would be in danger of losing our souls.

Q. Why so? A. Because God attaches to our vocation special graces to help us to resist temptations and to discharge our duties properly. Hence, if we neglect God's call, we lose also His special graces; we then easily fall into temptation, and thus we are more liable to lose our souls.

Q. Can you quote reliable authority for this doctrine? A. St Alphonsus Liguori says: "In the choice of a state of life, if we wish to secure our eternal salvation, we must embrace that state to which God calls us, in which only God prepares for us the efficacious means necessary to salvation." St Cyprian says: "The grace of the Holy Ghost is given according to the order of God, and not according to our own will."

Q. What does St. Vincent de Paul Say on this point ? A. St Vincent de Paul says: "It is very difficult, not to say impossible, to save one's self in a state of life in which God does not wish one to be."

Q. Has any one of the Popes given his views on this subject? A. Yes; Pope St. Gregory the Great teaches that our salvation is closely connected with our vocation. The Emperor Maurice having published an edict forbidding soldiers to enter the religious state, Pope St. Gregory the Great wrote to him these remarkable words: "This law, forbidding soldiers to enter the religious state, is unjust, because it shuts heaven to many; for there are very many who cannot enter heaven unless they abandon all things."

Q. Can this doctrine be explained by a comparison? A. Yes; a master feels a just indignation against those servants that do as they please and neglect the particular duty assigned them. The work done by such servant may be very good in itself, yet it is not pleasing to the master, nor will it be rewarded by him, because it is not in accordance with his designs. The same principle holds with regard to God: "Not every one that saith to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that doth the will of My Father Who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven."

Q. What is to be said of those that know nothing about vocations? A. If they are ignorant of the matter without any fault on their part, God will not hold them responsible for such ignorance. By providential circumstances many are, without adverting to it, in the state of life in which God wants them to be.

Q. What is to be said of those who, having opportunities, give this subject little or no thought? A. We answer with St Alphonsus: "In the world this doctrine of vocation is not much considered by some persons. They think that it is all the same whether they live in the state to which God calls them, or in that which they choose of their own inclination; and therefore so many live bad lives and damn themselves. But it is certain that this is the principal point with regard to the acquisition of eternal life. He who disturbs this order, and breaks this chain of salvation, shall not be saved."

Q. What is the remarkable saying of St. Gregory Nazianzen on this subject? A. St Gregory Nazianzen says: "I Hold that the choice of a state of life is so important that it decides, for the remainder of our lives, whether our conduct shall be good or bad."

CHAPTER III: MATRIMONY - IS IT A VOCATION?

Q. How do you prove that matrimony is a vocation? A. Matrimony is a fixed manner of living, established by Almighty God: "What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder." St. Paul, speaking of matrimony, says: "This is a great sacrament; but I speak in Christ and in the Church."

Q. If matrimony is a vocation from God, why are many married people unhappy? A. Because many of these people do not correspond with the graces of this state; some enter it without the proper motives, others embrace it without being called to it by Almighty God.

Q. Is a special vocation necessary in order to secure salvation in the marriage state? A. Most certainly, because the state itself is from God, and a person;'s consort should be the choice of God: "Houses and riches are from parents: but a prudent wife is properly from the Lord." God made special choice of Rebecca to be the wife of Isaac: "Let the same be the woman whom the Lord hath prepared for my master's son." Sara was God's choice as the wife of young Tobias: "The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob be with you, and may He join you together, and fulfil His blessing in you."

Q. Can you give a Scripture example illustrating this doctrine more forcibly? A. Yes; when the Angel Raphael advised young Tobias to take Sara for his wife, Tobias answered: "I hear that she hath been given to seven husband, and they all died; moreover, I have heard that a devil killed them. Now I am afraid, lest the same thing happen to me also." The angel then showed Tobias that those seven husbands had been given over to the power of the devil because in their marriage they lost sight of the designs of God, and were guided by unworthy motives. "The angel said to him: Hear me, and I will show thee who they are, over whom the devil can prevail: They who in such manner receive matrimony, as to shut out God from themselves, and from their mind, and give themselves to their lust; . . . over them the devil hath power."

Q. What is the doctrine of St Basil on this subject? A. St Basil says: "What means to marry in the Lord' except to embrace that holy state only in accordance with the will of God, consulting only reason and faith, to learn whether you follow the course to which God calls you?"

Q. What is the proverb, or "saying," among the old folks about marriage? A. There is a "saying" among the old folks that "happy marriages are made in heaven" (made by Almighty God). This "saying" is in fact the summing up of experience, of the teaching of the Fathers, of the Sacred Scriptures, and of the Church on this subject. If Jesus and Mary do not preside at marriages, the devil will surely usurp their place. "He that is not with Me is against Me; and he that gathereth not with Me, scattereth."

Q. What does the venerable Louis de Ponte teach on the subject of matrimony? A. The venerable Louis de Ponte says: "God is not only the author of matrimony, but He brings to that state, by a special providence, those who He wishes to be in it. He acts thus both of the good of society and for the happiness of individuals; and, although according to the teaching of the Church, it is better and more perfect to observe virginity than to engage in matrimony,' yet Divine Providence is not less admirable in the matter of vocations to the marriage state than in vocations to perpetual continence.

CHAPTER IV: MIXED MARRIAGES.

Q. Are mixed marriages vocations? A. Not from God. Mixed marriages are suggested by "the world, the flesh and the devil," the three great enemies of man's salvation. Who ever heard of a person entering mixed marriage because his conscience told him that God gave him avocation to that state, or because he was convinced that God chose for him that state in order that he might sanctify himself therein and avoid damnation? Read again the story of Tobias, and the seven husbands of Sara, who were strangled to death by the devil because of the unworthiness of their motives. Those who enter mixed marriages evidently "shut out God from themselves and from their mind;" they do not follow a vocation from God; they exclude the will of God. How, then, can they be excepted from the class of persons of whom the Holy Ghost says: "Over them the devil hath power"? The Church speaks very plainly on this subject, and teaches that mixed marriages are forbidden; and Christ said of the Church: "He that heareth you heareth Me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth Me."

Q. Why, then, does the Church grant dispensations in this matter? A. For the same reason that a prudent mother would prefer to see a wayward daughter do a bad thing than a worse thing. What parent would not prefer to see a child sick than dead? There is some hope for the life of a man hanging over a precipice and clinging even to a handful of grass, but there is no hope when his brains are dashed out on the rocks beneath. When persons have fully made up their minds to enter mixed marriage, they are so blinded by their passions and preferences that, if the Church should not tolerate their step, many of them would marry out of the Church, and thus commit mortal sin, and in most cases incur excommunication. The only difference, then, is this: There is at least a possible hope of salvation when mixed marriages are tolerated by the Church; whereas, if these persons should die in their rebellion against the Church, their damnation would be certain. The Church, like a prudent mother, would prefer the less of these two evils.

Q. Are not conversions often brought about by mixed marriages? A. Misplaced affections often make candidates for marriage think so, but this is not their chief reason for insisting on such marriages. Temptation, passion, and personal preference have more to do with them than the will of God. Conversions from the faith are more frequent in mixed marriages than conversions to the faith. God's will is not their foundation, and yet, "unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it." God and the Church desire and teach Catholics to take no such risks.

Q. What do the Sacred Scriptures say of mixed marriages? A. "Bear not the yoke with unbelievers. For what fellowship hath light with darkness, or what part hath the faithful with the unbeliever?" "Neither shalt thou make marriages with them. Thou shalt not give thy daughter to his son, nor take his daughter for thy son; for she will turn away thy son from following Me; and the wrath of the Lord will be kindled, and will quickly destroy thee." Mixed marriages are the fruitful source of numberless evils: the loss of faith to countless generations, immorality, attachment to the things of earth, and godless lives; and "as a man lives, so shall he die."

Q. What is the best remedy for these evils? A. To remove their cause. Parents, young folks, and even advanced school-children should be taught the evil of mixed marriages before their minds become warped by company-keeping, passion, and bad example. Many pastors obtain excellent results by frequently instructing the children concerning mixed marriages and by teaching them the doctrine of the Church on this subject.

CHAPTER V: VIRGINITY

Q. How is it proved that the state of virginity is a vocation? A. St. Paul mentions virginity as a special state of live, and recommends it in preference to matrimony. In the heading of the seventh chapter of the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians we find these words: "Virginity is preferable to the married state." In this whole chapter St. Paul speaks strongly in favor of the state of virginity: "I would that all men were even as myself;" that is, as the Fathers of Trent explain, "that all embraced the virtue of continence."

Q. Why is virginity to be preferred to the marriage state? A. Because virginity is more pleasing to God, and more conducive to salvation.

Q. How do you prove that virginity is more pleasing to God? A. St. John says: "These are they who are not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These follow the Lamb withersoever He goeth. These were purchased from among men, the first fruits to God and to the Lamb." St. Jerome says: "As soon as the Son of God came down upon the earth He created a new family. He chose a virgin Mother, Mary, and a virgin foster-father, Joseph; also a virgin disciple, John, and a virgin apostle of the nations, Paul; so that He who was adored by angels in heaven might also have angels to serve Him on earth."

Q. Do the Fathers of the Church recommend virginity? A. Yes, in the highest possible terms. St Augustine says: "The joys of the virgins are not given to the other saints of God." St. Cyprian says: "Virginity is the queen of all other virtues and the possession of every good." Speaking of virginity, St. Ephrem says: "If you have loved it, you will be favored by the Lord in all things." St Bernardine of Sienna, teaches that "virginity prepares the soul to see her spouse, Jesus, by faith in this life and by glory in the next."

Q. What is the exact teaching of the Church on the comparative merits of matrimony and virginity? A. The Church teaches that it is of faith that virginity is preferable to matrimony. In the 10th canon of the 24th session of the Council of Trent we find this doctrine: "If any one saith that the marriage state is to be preferred before the state of virginity, or celibacy, and that it is not better and more blessed to remain in virginity, or in celibacy, than to be united in matrimony, let him be anathema" (that is, accursed).

CHAPTER VI: THE THREE EVANGELICAL COUNSELS.

For the better understanding of vocations we shall give a brief explanation of the evangelical counsels.

Q. What are the evangelical counsels? A. They are Gospel advices or recommendations.

Q. Why are they called counsels? A. Because they are not commanded but counselled by Our Lord, and recommended as means of greater perfection.

Q. Why are they called "evangelical counsels"? A. Because they are recommended in the Gospel. Evangelium is the Latin word for gospel.

1. Poverty

Q. Which is the first of the evangelical counsels? A. Voluntary poverty. That means renouncing the use of money and possessions by our own free will to follow Christ.

Q. What is the advantage of this counsel? A. The practice of this counsel uproots a most dangerous passion: "For they that will become rich fall into temptation, and into the snare of the devil, and into many unprofitable and hurtful desires, which drown men into destruction and perdition."

Q. Is there any special blessing promised to those who follow this counsel? A. Yes: "Every one that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall possess life everlasting."

Q. Is this counsel given to all? A. The Fathers of the Church teach that this counsel is recommended to all. The above words of Our Lord are unrestricted: "And every one that hath left house, or brethren," etc.

2. Perpetual Chastity.

Q. Which is the second evangelical counsel? A. Perpetual chastity; that is, a voluntary abstaining from marriage in order to dedicate one's self in a more special manner to the love and service of God and to the great work of salvation.

Q. Is this counsel recommended in the Sacred Scriptures and in the Fathers? A. It certainly is, as we have seen in the chapter on "Virginity".

Q. Is this counsel of chastity recommended to all? A. This counsel, as well as the other two evangelical counsels, is recommended to all. The Fathers say that these words, "He that can take, let him take it," mean, He that is willing to take this counsel let him take it. And St. Paul says: "I would that all men were even as myself."

Q. What if one should exhort people in general to choose matrimony as a state preferable to perpetual chastity? A. Such a one would be speaking against faith, as we have seen in the chapter on "Virginity." The "Catechism of the Council of Trent" says: "As it is the duty of the pastor to propose to himself the holiness and perfection of the faithful, his earnest desires must be in full accordance with those of the Apostle when, writing to the Corinthians, he says: I would that all men were even as myself;' that is, " continue the Fathers of Trent, "that all embraced the virtue of continence." The marginal resume of this paragraph in the "Catechism of the Council of Trent" is: "A life of continence to be desired by all."

3. Obedience.

Q. Which is the third evangelical counsel? A. Entire obedience; that is, a total subjection of one's will to that of lawful superiors in all that is not sin.

Q. What Scripture warrant have we for this counsel? A. The life of Christ was a continual model of perfect obedience. From twelve to thirty years of age all that we are told of Him in the Sacred Scriptures is that "He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them." Obediences is a most effectual means of subduing self-will and self-love, which are our most fatal enemies. "An obedient man shall speak of victory," because obedience draws down a most special and abundant grace; for so pleasing is it to God that He says of it: "Obedience is better than sacrifices."

CHAPTER VII: THE RELIGIOUS STATE.

Q. What is the fundamental principle or essence of the religious state? A. The three evangelical counsels, which we have just explained. Those who enter the religious state take vows to observe the counsel of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

Q. Why do so many people enter the religious state? A. First, to promote the honour and glory of God; second, to escape the dangers of the world, and the more securely to work out their salvation; for, "What doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul?" Our blessed Lord Himself assures us that "many are called, but few are chosen." "Strive to enter at the narrow gate."

Q. Why are religious happier and more cheerful than others? A. On account of their peace of mind, and their greater hope of the eternal rewards promised to those especially who leave all to follow Jesus Christ.

Q. In what other way do you explain the happiness enjoyed by religious? A. There is a marvellous happiness to be found in holiness of life, because the various degrees of holiness are so many steps towards God, the centre and source of all happiness. Therefore the happiness of the religious state is like that "treasure hidden in a field, which a man having found, hid it, and for joy thereof goeth, and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field."

Q. Are religious useful to others as well as to themselves? A. Religious bring many blessings to mankind by exercising the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, and by "instructing many unto justice." Religious follow in a special manner the admonition of the Apostle: "Labor the more that by good works you may make sure your calling and election." Besides making their own salvation more secure, religious undoubtedly contribute to the salvation of thousands of souls.

Q. This thought is certainly very startling, but how can the matter be explained? A. Next after the priests of God, religious contribute much to keep up the faith and the spiritual life of the Church. The principal cause of the loss of innumerable souls is the want of early religious teaching and religious training. By the various teaching communities of religious priests, brothers, and sisters, thousands are saved; for in youth their pupils acquire a love and a practical knowledge of faith; they are nurtured in purity and piety, and they are enlightened and encouraged in habits of industry and sobriety. The good that religious teachers accomplish is not confined to one class or to a life's work; for through the pupils, the result of religious training will extend to generations yet unborn.

Q. Can you illustrate this principle by particular instances? A. Yes; a certain religious sister has been instrumental in the hands of God in fostering vocations in numerous young men, eight of whom have already become priests; and out of a number of girls taught and trained by her during thirty years, sixty-four have become religious sisters. These latter have been for years teaching, and moulding the characters of children, and thus protecting them against the deceitful snares of the world; and, besides the countless hosts of good Christians prepared by them for the Church and for society, these sixty-four sisters have, in their turn, fostered many vocations to the priesthood and to the religious state. In Father Abbelen's beautiful biography of Mother Caroline we read many such elevating sentiments as the following: "it was above all, her ardent, faith-inspired love of children that gained their hearts and exercised an irresistible influence over their affections. Thus did Mother Caroline unconsciously attract young girls and inspire them with a wish to become sisters."

Q. In what other way do religious contribute to the salvation of souls? A. From thousands of hospitals and other asylums of mercy and charity numberless souls go up daily to heaven after having reformed their lives under the nursing hands, the hopeful words, and the prayerful hearts of religious men and women.

CHAPTER VIII: MARKS OF A VOCATION TO THE RELIGIOUS STATE.

Q. Which are the marks of a vocation to the religious state? A. No mark, or set of marks, is equally applicable to all, because God calls persons to the higher states in various ways; yet a firm will to enter religion is a safe mark of a vocation to the religious state, provided that the motives are good and no serious obstacle exists. This firm will itself is a special grace of God, "for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to accomplish, according to His good will." In the invitation to the counsels the will is the only condition mentioned by Our Lord: "If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

Q. Is a firm will the only mark of a vocation to the religious state? A. No; for the grace of a vocation to a higher state may be offered to persons of weak will, as was the case of the young man of the Gospel who was evidently called to be a disciple of Our Lord, but "he went away sad, for he had great possessions." His will was not firm enough to reject the temptations caused by the riches and pleasures of the world. Instead of corresponding to his vocation he tried to hush the voice of conscience speaking to his heart.

Q. By what other mark may a person recognize a vocation to the religious state? A. The interior voice of conscience, soliciting the will through the intellect, and suggesting the religious state, is a mark of a vocation.

Q. But how are we to recognize this voice of conscience? A. This voice of conscience, which is nothing else but the grace of God speaking to the heart, is heard and recognized in various ways: with some it has been lingering in the heart since childhood; to others it comes later and more suddenly. This prompting of grace may result from reading, from a sermon, a mission, a conversation, an example, the death of a friend or an acquaintance, or even from misfortune and disappointment. In a word, this interior voice may be occasioned by the thoughts and reflections of our mind, no matter what caused these reflections.

Q. Can you give some examples showing the effects of this interior voice? A. Yes; St. Anthony, hearing at Mass the words, "If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." became so inflamed with the desire of securing his salvation that he gave away all his vast possessions and led a long life of penance and prayer in the desert. By meditating on the life, passion, and death of Jesus Christ St. Francis of Assisi was filled with such a burning zeal for God and his neighbor that he renounced his great wealth, and his right to an honorable inheritance, and spent his life in inflaming others with zeal for the salvation of souls. The foul sight and the stench of the corpse of the Empress Isabella opened the eyes of Francis Borgia to the folly of a worldly life. He renounced the world and entered the Society of Jesus, where he sanctified himself, thinking often of the eternal torments of hell.

Q. What, then, is the principal difference in the feelings or emotions of those called to the religious state? A. Some people, having their will inflamed with a love for the religious state, enter it with great pleasure, and without any questions about the matter; others enter it only when their understanding has become so enlightened as to discover the vanity and dangers of the world, and when they see clearly, the greater security of salvation in the religious state. These latter persons may even be somewhat dull in their affection for this state and not so inclined, humanly, to follow that which reason and faith point out to them; in their lower, animal feelings the may even experience a kind of repugnance to do what their higher reasoning powers dictate to them. This second kind of vocation is better than the first, and more generally approved by those who are experienced in such matters; for, being grounded on reason and faith, it is less subject to error, and more likely to attain the crown of perseverance.

Q. Which are the proper motives for entering the religious state? A. The first motive should be the greater security of our own salvation; the second to promote the glory of God by a good life and by contributing to the salvation of others.

Q. Which are the impediments to entrance into religion? A. The ordinary impediments are ill health, unsuitable age, and the obligation of supporting poor and helpless parents.

CHAPTER IX: DOUBTS ABOUT A VOCATION TO THE RELIGIOUS STATE.

Views of St Ignatius and St Francis de Sales.

Q. What should be done by a person who thinks of entering the religious state, but fears that he may not be called to it by Almighty God? A. St Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuit Order, gives an excellent answer to this question. He says: "If a person thinks of embracing a secular life, he should ask and desire more evident signs that God calls him to a secular life than if there were question of embracing the evangelical counsels; for Our Lord Himself has evidently exhorted us to embrace His counsels, and, on the other hand, He has evidently laid before us the great dangers and difficulties of a secular life; so that, if we rightly conclude, revelations and extraordinary tokens of His will are more necessary for a man entering upon a life in the world than for one entering the religious state."

Q. Is this doctrine of St Ignatius supported by Sacred Scripture? A. This doctrine is in perfect harmony with the teaching of the Scriptures. Our blessed Lord says: "Woe to the world because of scandals;" and St John, the beloved disciple, says: " If any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him; for all that is in the world is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life."

Q. Can you quote other reliable authority on this matter of uncertain vocations? A. Yes; Lehmkuhl, a standard theologian, says; " In order that a person may safely embrace the religious state probable signs of a vocation are sufficient, together with a firm will of fulfilling the obligations to be assumed."