The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-09-01
VOCATIONS ECCLESIASTICAL AND RELIGIOUS

| dlHerent callngS OF the natural life
st. Isidore the peasant and ST. Isl
| dore the bishop, st. Catherine the lay
teacher and ST. Catherine the nun, St
Aloysius the courtier and the same
st. Aloysius the religious were moved
| by the instincts of the one Christian
vocation. All have the one spiritual
food, the one Gospel law, the one
heavenly goal 1t is true that Chris
tian Tradition distinguishes in the
words of Christ commands which must
be fulfilled by all and counsels, the
overlooking of which by the individ-
ual is not forsaking of the friendship
of Christ; but this distinction does not
make the Christian vocation and invi-
tation double or manifold, but indi-
Gates the greater or less perfection
with which it may be received. Be-
fore the institution of monasticism
under pressure of the Christian voca-
ton the first believers gave evidence
of the most exalted virtue. Some gave
their lives for the Faith, some made
common all their possessions, some
retired into solitudes and some gave
continuous aid to ministers CT the
Gospel and of them it is written that
their names are in the Book of Life"
Ill. Monasticism.
The institution of monasticism did
not lessen the force of the Christian
vocation but in it's loftiest promptings
helped to apply it. AS it is easier to
fulfill the precept of penance when
the Church determines what penance
we are to do and that we are to do
it all together, so by the institution of
monasticism the Church without caus-
ing to be lost any merit has rendered
easier the fulfillment of the counsels
of obedience, chastity and poverty.
But the Church thereby has not made
new Christianity Before monasticism
the Church was ideally without spot
or wrinkle" and the call to be a mem
Der of the Church was always a call
to trancendent holiness. There is no
ideal too high for follower of Christ.
The young man of the Gospel was bid
den not to follow Christ and then to
distribute his wealth to the peor-(a
tenet, by the way, of Pharisaic perfee-
tion), but first to distribute his wealth
to the poor and then to follow Christ.
Furthermore, to be a true follower of
Christ in the highest sense it is not
necessary that the highest virtues be
practised under the shadow of any
great name. Hence the Church feels
at liberty to make her missionary
priests take an oath not to enter any
religious order. The distinction,
therefore, religious and secular, does
not imply that the ideal Church. is
made up of professed workings and
professed religious. The Church aims
not to make worldlings at all but to
make saints in the world and saints
in the cloister.
w. The Christian Vocation Sufficient.
We argue, therefore, that since the
Christian vocation is so divine and ex.
alted, since as a matter of fact it was
sufficient to incite to the practice of
LnC ulSuCoL N1ItuCS, IL 10 SIlll
to constitute in the first instance a
vocation to the ecclesiastical or re-
ligious state Consequently, since God
has called us into fellowship with His
Son, it is not necessary that He go
further and favor us with a vision, or
fuse into us an extraordinary attrac-
ton for the altar or for the religious
life in order to assure us of our vO-
cation. Miracles are not for believers
but for unbelieverS. All that is neceS-
sary on the part of God is the Chris
inclusive. 1t is in this light that we
understand the Decree approved by
the Pope ON June 20, 1912. Vocation
to the priesthood '.by no means con-
sists at least necessarily and accord
ing to the ordinary law, in a certain
promptings of the Holy Spirit to enter
the priesthood" What is required,
therefore, is not. some additional mani
fest call on the part of God but sim
ply good will on the part of man, sand
a good will like any other grace may
be obtained by prayer. What is said
of the priesthood may be said with due
reservation of the religious state. The
new Canon Law which is to go into
effect next Pentecost has this rule:
ANY Catholic may be admitted to a
religious order who is not hindered by
a legitimate impediment and who is
moved by right intention and is able
to bear the burdens of the order" TIC
all such graces sufficient for their
state of life are accorded. In this
sense we understand the words of oul
| Saviour: "All men take not this word
but they to whom it is given Math
~, III. 1t is given, we judge, to the
right-intentioned who have been pru
IDENTIFY accepted by the Church. We
have, it would seem, the assurance oi
our Saviour that the best part sc
chosen shall not be taken from them
ITO foster the indications of a divine
i vocation" is therefore to foster in the
/ young all those indications which
make manifest that they are sensi
-Itive to all the force of their Christian
calling In brief. then, the grace o
q goodwill is sufficient indication d