The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-05-29
RELIGIOUS VOCATION.

Vocation in its highest sense means
a calling, by the will of God to some
particular state of religious charac-
ter, such as the priesthood or the re-
ligious life. A vocation in this sense
can only come from God; for the
thought of leaving a good, devoted
father a kind, loving mother, affec-
tionate brothers and sisters, riches,
pleasures, Notwithstanding, in fact,
that is nearest and dearest to the hui
man heart, to lead life of self-denial,
can never come from ones self: it
is so repugnant, so contrary to ones
natural inclinations. Neither can it
be inspired by the world, since the
world regards as fools those who en-
tertaln or carry out souch thoughts.
Still less can the thought come from
the angel Of darkness, who hates it
with a fiendish hatred. 1t can there
fore come only from God, who alone
has the right to select the road we
are to follow in our journey through
life. You have not chosen Me-" said
our Divine Lord to his disciples. but
| have chosen you," writes Brother
julius.
1t is highly important for all to dis
cover and faithfully follow their true
vocation, as ones peace and happiness
are thereby assured even in this life,
and because special graces for saliva
ton depend thereon. st. Gregory of
Nazianzen, a great and learned Bishop
and Father of the Church, says: 81
hold that the choice of a state of life
is so important that it decides our
good or bad conduct during the rest
OF our lives A vocation to the re-
ligious life is the call of God to the
practice of what is known as the
three evangelical counsels: of volun-
tary poverty. perfect chastity, and en-
tire obedience. Spiritual writer's tell
us that the religious state was insti-
tuted by our Divine Lord Himself in
| order to perpetuate in His Church in
| a most excellent manner the practice
| of those three virtues so dear to His
Sacred Heart, and also to offer to man
KIND a more easy means of becoming
holy, and thereby attaining eternal
salvation.
BY the end or object of anything is
| meant the purpose for which that
thing exists. The end or object of
knife is to cut; of ball and bat, to
afford amusement. Our catechism
teaches us that the end of every man
| is to know, love, and serve God and
save his soul. The end of a Chris
tian, which includes all the foregoing,
is to live as nearly as possible the life
| of Christ. The end proposed by a re-
ligiOus vocation is the most excellent
that is given to man to conceive,
namely, the perfect union of the soul
with God; to escape the snares and
temptations of the world; to avoid Of
Tending God, to attain high degree
of perfection in this life, and of glory
and happiness in the next-to become
a Saint. This was the object of the
ambition of such young heroes as St.
Anthony, st, Bernard, St. Thomas
| Aquinas, st. Aloysius, and St. STAINS
laus; and so many others who gave
themselves to God in their youth.
Witness the conduct of St. Bernard
st. Dominic, st. Francis, st. Ignatius
and st. John Baptist De La Sale, who
with thousands of their followers EN-
braced the religious life after discover
ing it's excellence and advantages
What generous, high-minded boy OF
young man would not like to emulate
the beautiful example of such great
servants of God? The Institute oil
the Brothers of the Christian Schools
affords an excellent opportunity tc
boys and young men for doing SO
How beautiful and rich are the crowns
/ prepared for those generous souls
who have consecrated their lives t.
the little ones, dearest to the Hear
| of God.
i The man who never repeats a mis-