The Irish standard., 1914-11-28
THE DUTY OF PARENTS IN RE
VOcATlONS.
What Should Not Be Done When
Child Shows Religious
lnclinations.

what Should Not Be Done When
Child Shows Religious
lncIinations.
| A topic of universal interest and
one that often receives but scant con
sideration by parents was the subject
of the instruction discourse in the
churches of the diocese last Sunday
at the masses. The subject was 1.-THE
Duties of Parents in the Case of Vo.
cations to the Religious Life.''
Two sides of this question present
themselves for consideration First
the positive duty of the parents to
foster a vocation to the priesthood
or the religious life; and second, the
negative duty of not opposing the in
clinations of children in this direc-
ton. Both are evident to parents.
The harvest is great, the workers are
few; there is a continual call for more
priests to take up the work of the
Church in new localities and to fill
the places made vacant by the vista
ton of death. Yet, many parents sue
coed in sitting the voice of their con-
science and neglect their duty in this
direction.
The first side of this question is
hardly as important as the latter If
children are brought up in proper sur.
roundings, are shown good example
by their parents, are trained in the
way they should go and are educated
in Catholic schools, ordinarily there
would be sufficient vocations to re.
1igion. Given these advantages and
the proper natural dispositions, the
boy or girl will follow the inclination
to the higher life, should one exist.
Unless, and this is the great evil-his
natural desires are thwarted and the
parents set themselves resolutely
against the entrance of their child
into the religious life.
Parents deal differently with sons
and daughters. They seem to think
that the girls are all trying to win
their sons in marriage, and that it is
their duty to protect their sons
against the wiles of the conspiring
females. Their daughters, however,
they urge onward to get married at
the first opportunity. Let either son
or daughter, however, mention en-.
trance into religion, and some parents
Immediately set up every possible bar.
| rier to hinder their departure from
home. The main reason they give for
their opposition is that they cannot
spare the child, that the separation
would kill them. Selfishness may or
may not be at the bottom of it, as
there probably is in the difference in
attitude of parents towards the mar.
riage of son and daughter, but
| whatever be the motive, the reason
assigned is without foundation. The
separation between parents and mar
ried children is often far greater than
between parents and children whom
they have given to God in the religi
GUS life. Furthermore, the comfo:t
and satisfaction that comes to parents
who have children priests or nuns is
far greater than that which can come
to them from any other lot that may
come to their offspring.
Parents who oppose the following
of natural desire to the priesthood
or the religious life on the part of theil
son or daughter, are not only certain
to fail in their end if it be selfist
one. but they are with equal certainty
laying up for the children a life Of
sadness and often discomfort. The
words of the poet are as true now al
they ever were:
"Of all sad words of tongue of zen
The saddest are these: 1t might
have been.'
Parents who from whatever mo-
tive oppose their childs desire to fol
low the higher call, should hesitate
before they commit what can be con
strued as nothing less than an insult
to God. Before assuring themselves
that they could not stand the separa
ton, it would be we'll for parents tt
remember that God can take children
away in death without warning, anG
that their sorrow, deep as it would be
would have to be borne.
Russia's Grand Duchess is now act