,illustration3 ,christ and the rich     
young man  ,if thou wilt be perfect go  
sell what thou hast and give to the     
poor1 and thou shalt have treasure in   
,heaven and come follow ,me4            
--,matt4 xix3 #ba4      ,,what ,,shall  
,i ,,be8   ,a ,,chat ,,with ,,young     
,,people    ,,by ,,the   ,,reverend     
,,francis ,,cassilly1 ,s4,j4     ,and   
every one that hath left house1 or      
brothers1 or sisters1 or   father1 or   
mother1 or wife1 or children1 or lands  
for ,my name1 shall   receive a         
hundredfold1 and shall possess life     
everlasting4 7,matt4   xix3 #bi7        
,,new ,,york   ,,the ,,america ,,press  
#aiad      ,,imprimi ,,potest           
,a4 ,j4 ,,burrowes1 ,s4,j4              
,provincial ,missouri ,province         
,,nihil ,,obstat            ,,remegius  
,,lafort                    ,censor     
,,imprimatur             ,,john         
,,cardinal ,,farley                     
,archbishop of ,new ,york               
,,copyright #aiad   ,,by   ,,the        

,,america ,,press    ,,letter ,,to ,,the
 ,,author ,,from ,,reverend ,a4         
,,vermeersch1 ,s4,j4                    
,louvain1 le #bc fvrier1 #aiad4  ,mon   
,rvrend ,pre3 ,p4 ,c4  ,votre petit     
livre me plat extrmement4 ,il expose une
 doctrine trs solide avec une           
merveilleuse clart4 ,d' une lecture     
agrable1 il intressera la jeunesse des  
coles1 et l'encouragera  faire un choix 
gnreux d' tat de vie4 ,j' estime que1   
traduit en flamand et en franais1 il    
ferait galement du bien  nos collegiens 
de ,belgique4                     ,votre
 dvou en ,n4 ,s4 et ,m4 ,i4             
,a4 ,vermeersch4  ,,translation  ,my    
,reverend ,father3  ,your little book   
pleases me exceedingly4 ,its doctrine is
 very sound and set forth with wonderful
 clearness4 ,it makes pleasant reading1 
and will interest the young of school   
age1 and encourage them to make a       
generous choice of a state of life4 ,in 
my opinion1 a ,flemish and ,french      
translation would also be profitable to 

our college students in ,belgium4       
,devotedly yours in ,our ,lord and ,mary
 ,immaculate1                  ,a4      
,vermeersch4      ,,to ,,the ,,thousands
   ,,of ,,true-,,hearted ,,boys ,,and   
,,girls   ,,he ,,has ,,been ,,blessed   
,,to ,,know   ,,of ,,whom   ,,some ,,are
 ,,gone ,,to ,,heaven   ,,and ,,many    
,,are ,,battling ,,for ,,the ,,right    
,,in ,,the ,,sanctuary   ,,the          
,,cloister ,,or ,,the ,,world   ,,and   
,,with ,,all ,,of ,,whom   ,,he ,,hopes 
,,one ,,day ,,to ,,be ,,reunited        
,,forevermore   ,,in ,,god',s ,,own     
,,courts   ,,this ,,little ,,book   ,,is
 ,,affectionately ,,dedicated   ,,by    
,,the ,,author    ,,preface  ,in this   
little book the writer has aimed to     
present1 in brief and simple form1 sound
 principles which may assist the young  
in deciding their future course of life4
 ,the subject of vocation1 as it is     
called1 has suffered much1 during the   
last two or three centuries1 at the     
hands of rigorist authors1 who so hedged

 the approach to religious life with    
difficulties and restrictions1 as to    
frighten or repel many aspiring hearts  
from it4  ,great stress was laid by     
these writers on the special interior   
attraction1 by which ,god was supposed  
always to manifest ,his call1 so that no
 one might legitimately enter the state 
of perfection1 unless he felt this      
unmistakable impulse from within4 ,and  
on the other hand1 given this evidence  
of the ,divine predilection1 to         
disregard it was a sinful preferring of 
one's own will to ,god's1 which1 in all 
likelihood1 would be attended with grave
 consequences for this world and the    
next4  ,spiritual writers of the last   
decade have been rereading the ,fathers 
and great ,theologians upon this        
subject1 and as a result the cobwebs of 
misconception are being swept away4 ,the
 ,reverend ,a4 ,vermeersch1 ,s4,j41 of  
,louvain1 deserves the gratitude of all 
for his lucid and convincing treatment  
of religious vocation1 in his ,de       

,religiosis ,institutis et ,personis    
7,vol4 ,,ii1 ,supplement ,,iii2 also    
,vol4 ,i1 ,p4 #d1 ,c4 ,i71 where he     
clearly shows from ,scripture1 the      
writings of the ,fathers and leading    
theologians1 the true nature of the     
invitation to the evangelical life4 ,the
 reader is also referred to the article 
on ,vocation1 by the same author1 in the
 ,catholic ,encyclopedia4  ,another     
document throwing light on the subject1 
is the ,decree of ,july #ae1 #aiab1     
framed by a special commission of       
,cardinals appointed to examine the work
 of ,canon ,joseph ,lahitton on ,la     
,vocation ,sacerdotale4 ,this ,decree1  
approved by the ,holy ,father1 contains 
the following passage3 ,vocation to the 
priesthood by no means consists1 at     
least necessarily and according to the  
ordinary law1 in a certain interior     
inclination of the person1 or promptings
 of the ,holy ,spirit1 to enter the     
priesthood4 ,but on the contrary1       
nothing more is required of the person  

to be ordained1 in order that he may be 
called by the bishop1 than that he have 
a right intention1 and such fitness of  
nature and grace1 as evidenced in       
integrity of life and sufficiency of    
learning1 which will give a well-founded
 hope of his rightly discharging the    
office and obligations of the           
priesthood4 ,this ,decree does away1 at 
once1 with the special spiritual        
attraction1 always and essentially      
required by so many for vocation to the 
priesthood4  ,it may not be rash to     
conclude1 in a similar way1 of a        
religious vocation that nothing more is 
required of the person who is a         
candidate for religious life1 in order  
that he may be admitted to the novitiate
 by the lawful superior of an order1    
than that he have a right intention1 and
 such fitness of nature and grace       
required by the order1 as will give a   
well-founded hope of his rightly        
discharging the obligations of the      
religious life in that order4  ,the     

present treatise aims at no more than   
putting in form suitable to the young   
the sound conclusions of such reliable  
authors as ,father ,vermeersch1 ,canon  
,lahitton and ,rev4 ,p4 ,bouvier1 ,s4,j4
  ,as to the advisability of priests1   
parents and teachers fostering and      
developing in the young the desire of a 
religious life1 the words of ,st4       
,thomas are positive3 ,they who induce  
others to enter religion1 not only      
commit no sin1 but even merit a great   
reward4 7,summa1 #b;a1 #b1 ,qust4 #ahi1 
art4 #i47  ,and the ,third ,council of  
,baltimore1 urging priests to develop   
vocations to the priesthood1 says3 ,we  
exhort in the ,lord and earnestly       
entreat pastors and other priests       
diligently to search after and find out1
 among the boys committed to their care1
 those who seem suited and called to the
 clerical state4 ,if they find any boys 
of good disposition1 of pious           
inclination1 of devout and generous     
minds1 and able to learn2 who give      

promise of persevering in the sacred    
ministry1 let them nourish the zeal of  
such1 and sedulously foster these       
precious germs of vocation4 7,paragraph 
#acf47  ,priests1 teachers1 confessors  
and others who have dealings with the   
young1 will find it very practical to   
have at hand several copies of some     
reliable booklet on the priesthood and  
religious life1 which they may give or  
lend1 as occasion offers1 to promising  
boys and girls4 ,such books will1 at    
least1 make their readers think1 and    
,god's grace frequently acts through the
 medium of the written or spoken word4  
,creighton ,university1 ,omaha1         
,easter ,sunday1 #aiad4    ,,contents   
,,chapter      ,i ,getting a ,start     
,,ii ,aiming ,high    ,,iii ,the ,state 
of ,perfection     ,,iv ,who ,are       
,invited8      ,v ,does ,christ ,want   
,me8     ,,vi ,i ,feel ,no ,attraction  
,,vii ,suppose ,i ,make a ,mistake8     
,,viii ,the ,world ,needs ,me     ,,ix  
,must ,i ,accept the ,invitation8       

,x ,i ,am ,too ,young     ,,xi ,the     
,priesthood    ,,xii ,the ,teacher's    
,aureole   ,,xiii ,showing the ,way     
,,xiv ,the ,parents' ,part     ,,xv ,a  
,parting ,word    ,,chapter ,i          
,,getting ,a ,,start  ,youth is the     
dream time of life4 ,it views the world 
through the prism of fancy1 tinting all 
with rainbow colors4 ,it lives in a     
creation of its own1 where it rules with
 magic wand1 conjuring into its realm   
the beautiful1 the heroic and the       
magnificent1 and banishing only the     
prosaic and commonplace4 ,to the        
youthful dreamer1 every ruler is        
all-powerful1 every soldier brave1 every
 fire-fighter a hero1 and every editor a
 wizard1 at whose nod the news of the   
world flies to the huge cylinder        
presses1 and then flutters away in      
white-winged sheets through town and    
country4  ,but gradually1 the stern     
realities of life forcing themselves on 
the maturing mind1 it realizes that it  
must choose from the various activities 

that make up the sum of human existence4
 ,the thoughtful boy and girl then begin
 to ask the question1 ,what shall ,i be8
 or ,what shall ,i do8 ,the various     
walks of life spread out before them    
like a maze of tracks in a railway      
station1 all leading away in dwindling  
perspective to the witching land of the 
unknown4  ,an ambitious boy views with  
delight the various professions1 and    
pictures to himself in turn the great   
deeds and triumphs of the soldier1 the  
statesman1 the lawyer1 the physician1   
the architect1 and finally perhaps the  
electrician1 who plays with the         
lightning and harnesses it to the       
ever-extending service of mankind4 ,all 
these are votaries of noble avocations1 
and he who excels in any one of them is 
a hero1 and a benefactor of his kind4   
,every occupation which is useful to the
 human race1 which contributes to the   
sum of man's comfort and happiness1 is  
laudable and worthy an intelligent      
being4 ,st4 ,paul was a tent-maker by   

trade1 and he gloried in the fact that1 
even during the days of his apostleship1
 he was not a burden to others1 but     
supported himself by the labor of his   
hands4  ,life pursuits rank in dignity  
and worth1 according to the perfection  
or benefit they bestow upon the worker  
himself1 and his fellow-man4 ,far above 
the artisan or husbandman1 who occupies 
himself with the material needs of his  
neighbor1 with providing him food1      
raiment and shelter1 rise the teacher1  
writer and professional man1 who        
minister to the needs of the mind4 ,and 
highest1 perhaps1 of natural callings is
 the conduct of the government1 which   
gives peace1 order and happiness to     
entire nations4  ,but not every pursuit 
is suited to all dispositions1 nor can  
any one hope to excel in all trades and 
professions4 ,the strength of body and  
skill of hand required of a mechanic may
 be lacking to a professional man1 and  
the long years of study and experience  
demanded of a physician are possible to 

but few4 ,nature destines some for a    
life of action and adventure1 for the   
command of armies or the conquering of  
the wilderness2 others it dowers with   
literary tastes1 or the power to thrill 
an audience or guide a ,state4  ,no one 
is necessarily tied down to any special 
occupation of life4 ,according to your  
disposition and character1 your ability 
and inclination1 education and training1
 you are free to select any sphere of   
action within your reach and            
opportunity4 ,but this very freedom of  
choice sometimes leads to mistakes4 ,one
 without the proper temperament or      
ability1 lacking in patience and        
sympathy1 and unable to make a          
diagnosis1 aims to be a physician1 and  
he becomes only a quack4 ,many a one1   
who aspires to direct the destinies of  
the ,state1 achieves only the station of
 a political subordinate or spoilsman4  
,and one whom nature destines for the   
free and independent life of a farmer1  
often sentences himself to life         

imprisonment behind the cribbed and     
cabined desk of a counting house4       
,perhaps the most frequent mistake of   
young people is to tear themselves away 
from school1 where they have the        
opportunity to prepare themselves for   
the higher positions of life1 and by so 
doing deliberately limit themselves to a
 life of mediocrity4 ,they have an      
ambition1 but a false one4 ,eager to    
enter1 though unprepared1 the arena of  
life and accomplish great deeds1 they   
lack the student's patience and         
industry1 which would crown them in     
after years with the laurel of success4 
,be ambitious then1 my young friend1 aim
 high in life2 endeavor to achieve      
something great for yourself and for    
mankind4 ,you will have only one life in
 this world1 then make the most of it4  
,take advantage of your opportunities4  
,attend school as long as you can1      
because generally the greater your      
knowledge and learning1 your training   
and preparation1 the higher and wider   

the career that will open before you4   
,all legitimate pursuits of life have   
been illustrated and adorned by         
numberless ,christian heroes and        
heroines1 who served ,god1 sanctified   
themselves1 and brought glory to the    
,christian name by their fidelity to    
duty4 ,would you be a soldier8 ,could   
there be more glorious names than those 
of ,st4 ,sebastian and ,st4 ,martin2 the
 ,crusader1 ,godfrey de ,bouillon1 and  
the ,grand ,knight of ,malta1 de la     
,valette8  ,do you long to ride the     
ocean waves1 and brave the tempest8     
,what more heroic predecessor would you 
have than the great ,admiral1 the       
navigator and discoverer1 ,columbus8 ,if
 your ambition be to sit in the councils
 of ,state1 to steer your country safely
 through breakers and shoals1 fix your  
gaze on ,sir ,thomas ,more1 ,daniel     
,o',connell1 ,windthorst or ,garcia     
,moreno--,christian heroes all4         
,,chapter ,,ii  ,,aiming ,,high  ,in a  
garden are flowers varying in hue and   

form and size4 ,the roses blow red and  
white and pink1 scenting the air with   
their myriad petals1 the lilies lift up 
their delicate calyxes to the wandering 
bee1 the perfumed violets hide their    
modest heads in beds of green1 and the  
fuchsias sway from their stems in       
languid beauty4 ,but varied as are the  
flowers in charm1 each is perfect of its
 kind4 ,no artist could improve their   
tints nor trace truer curves2 no carver 
chisel more delicate or finished forms4 
,and ,god's ,church is a spiritual      
garden1 where bloom souls varying in    
every virtue1 charm and grace1 and all  
breathing forth the good odor of        
,christ4 ,in it are school-boys1 gentle 
maidens1 devoted mothers and fathers of 
families1 rich and poor of every nation 
and clime1 of every station and calling4
 ,god made them all2 ,he loves them all1
 and on each ,he has grafted the bud of 
faith1 which will blossom forth into all
 supernatural virtues4  ,god also wishes
 each one in ,his garden to be perfect  

of his kind4 ,jesus1 sitting on the     
,mount of the ,beatitudes1 and teaching 
the multitudes that were ranged on the  
grass about ,him1 bade them be perfect  
as also your heavenly ,father is        
perfect4 7,matt4 v3 #dh47 #a ,this1     
then1 is the perfection ,christ expects 
us to aim at1 the perfection of ,god    
,himself1 in ,whom there is nor spot nor
 wrinkle4 ,he will not be satisfied with
 us1 so long as low aims1 imperfect     
motives1 disfigure our souls and stain  
our conduct4  ,as ,st4 ,paul says in his
 letter to the ,ephesians1 ,god chose us
 before the foundation of the world to  
be holy and unspotted in ,his sight4    
7,eph4 i3 #d47 ,in fact1 ,st4 ,paul1    
whenever he addresses the ,christians1  
calls them saints because every         
,christian man1 woman and child1 is     
expected to be holy1 holy in the grace  
of ,god1 in conduct1 in thought and act1
 at every time and place4 ,every        
,christian must be sacred1 a shrine     
wherein dwells the ,divinity1 and whose 

doors must be closed to everything      
profane4 ,know you not1 that your       
members are the temple of the ,holy     
,ghost1 who is in you1 whom you have    
from ,god2 and you are not your own8 7,i
 ,cor4 vi3 #ai47 ,your soul1 then1 my   
child1 is holy1 consecrate to ,god1 and 
into it must enter nothing defiled1     
nothing savoring of the world1 its      
maxims and principles4 ,keep your soul  
pure as the roseate dawn1 clear as      
starlight and bright as the sun4  ,every
 one of you1 said ,christ ,himself1 who 
doth not renounce all that he           
possesseth1 cannot be my disciple4      
7,luke xiv3 #cc47 ,this seems a hard    
doctrine1 for who would be able to give 
up all he has1 parents1 home and        
possessions8 ,there are occasions when  
the love of ,god and the love of        
creatures come into conflict2 and when  
this occurs the true disciple of ,christ
 will not hesitate4 ,he will fearlessly 
sacrifice everything1 even life itself1 
rather than forsake his ,creator4 ,the  

martyrs did this4 ,st4 ,agnes gave up   
suitor1 home and wealth1 and laid down  
her innocent young life1 to become the  
spouse of ,christ4 ,the boy ,pancratius 
faced the panther in the arena1 and the 
yells of a bloodthirsty mob1 rather than
 abjure his faith2 and so won a martyr's
 crown4  ,perfection then is our        
destiny4 ,in heaven we shall attain to  
it1 and in this life we should begin to 
practice it4 ,if we would have ,god's   
love in its fulness1 if we would always 
be worthy to nestle in ,his bosom1 to   
feel the arms of ,his affection drawn   
close about us1 we must never sully our 
conscience with the least taint of sin4 
,for all the world we would not offend  
our parents1 and ,god is to us in place 
of father and mother and all4 ,he is the
 infinitely perfect2 ,he is love and    
beauty and tenderness itself1 and ,his  
absorbing desire is to reproduce similar
 qualities in us4  ,but how are we to be
 perfect8 ,by always doing ,his holy    
,will1 as we see it and know it1 to the 

best of our ability4 ,christ issues the 
clarion call to all ,christians1 to take
 up their cross daily and follow ,him4  
,he who always does his best1 and1      
obeying the dictates of conscience1     
walks by faith and charity in all his   
actions before ,god1 and conducts       
himself in all circumstances of life    
according to the principles of faith and
 reason1 is living up to the ,divine    
call1 and striving after perfection4    
,but are there any such persons in the  
world8 some one may ask4 ,they say that 
there is nothing perfect under the sun1 
and this time-honored adage1 no doubt1  
applies to persons as well as to things4
 ,it is true that very few are perfect  
in the sense that they sojourn in the   
world1 unmoved1 like the angels1 by the 
least ruffling of passion4 ,but there   
are many1 very many1 pure1 holy souls1  
who aim constantly at perfection1 and   
who attain to it substantially2 for day 
by day1 year in and year out1 they keep 
themselves from the guilt of serious    

sin1 and delighting to carry out ,god's 
will in all their actions1 frequently   
draw nigh the ,tabernacle to commune in 
heavenly raptures with their ,love      
behind the trellis4  ,nor is the number 
of these elect souls limited to any one 
calling or profession1 for they are     
found in the seclusion of home1 in the  
crowded mart1 in the stress of business 
and professional life4 ,when the        
week-day ,mass is over in the parish    
church1 and the little band of devout   
worshippers descend from the church     
steps1 would one not say that there is a
 look of heavenly peace upon their      
countenances1 a peace that overflows to 
their features from the deep            
well-springs of charity within8 ,no     
legitimate walk of life1 then1 is alien 
to perfection4 ,all ,christians are     
urged to it2 and many attain to it4     
,they use the things of this world as   
though they used them not1 their hearts 
are free from undue attachment to the   
possessions of earth1 and they go       

through life as pilgrims to their final 
home2 and should ,god be pleased to     
reward their constancy by sending them  
trials and sufferings1 they will come   
forth from the ordeal like pure1 refined
 gold4   #a ,while this text refers     
primarily to the perfection of forgiving
 enemies1 it is applied also by         
commentators to perfection in general1  
for the reason that it is closely       
connected with the preceding and        
following exhortation of ,our ,lord to  
many and various virtues4 ,and even if  
the text were limited expressly to one  
virtue1 the fact that ,god's children   
are urged to the perfection of this     
virtue because it is found perfectly in 
their ,heavenly ,father1 would seem to  
imply that ,he1 so far as imitable by   
creatures1 is the measure and standard  
of their perfection1 and hence1 as ,he  
is the ,all-,perfect1 that they too     
should strive to be perfect in all      
virtue4    ,,chapter ,,iii  ,,the       
,,state ,,of ,,perfection  ,speaking one

 day to the multitude1 ,our ,lord       
likened the ,kingdom of ,heaven to a    
merchant seeking good pearls1 who1      
finding one pearl of great price1 went  
away and sold everything he had and     
bought it4 7,matt4 xiii3 #de-df47 ,what 
is this precious pearl that so charmed  
the merchant as to make him sacrifice   
all he had to gain possession of it8 ,it
 is doubtless the true ,church1 or faith
 in ,christ1 but theologians apply the  
parable also to the highest union with  
,god by charity1 or ,christian          
perfection4 ,perfection1 then1 may be   
called this lustrous pearl1 more        
precious and radiant than any which     
gleams in royal diadem4 ,you may buy it1
 but the price is the same to all4 ,you 
must offer in exchange all that you     
have1 keeping nothing back4 ,are you    
willing to make the bargain8  ,there    
have been many ,christians throughout   
the centuries who were enamored of this 
perfection4 ,they sighed and longed for 
it1 but1 alas6 the conditions in which  

they lived1 the temptations that lay    
about them1 the cares of raising a      
family and struggling for a livelihood1 
so engrossed their attention and seduced
 their affections1 that they almost     
despaired of living entirely for ,god1  
and thus attaining perfection4 ,a young 
man of high aspirations one day came to 
,jesus1 and asked ,him what he must do  
to gain eternal life4 ,the ,master      
replied1 ,keep the commandments4 ,but   
the young man was not satisfied with    
this2 he wished to do something more for
 heaven1 as we learn from his reply1    
,all these have ,i kept from my youth2  
what is still wanting to me8 ,then      
,jesus spoke the memorable words that   
have echoed down the ages1 ,if thou wilt
 be perfect1 go sell what thou hast1 and
 give to the poor 4 4 4 and come1 follow
 me4 7,matt4 xix3 #ba47  ,the           
questioner1 so the ,scripture records1  
went away sorrowful1 for he had great   
wealth4 ,he was willing1 no doubt1 to   
give alms and bountifully1 but to       

sacrifice all his possessions and live  
in poverty--this was beyond his         
generosity4 ,christ's advice1 however1  
has not fallen by the wayside4          
,theologians tell us that in ,his brief 
words ,our ,lord indicated the          
evangelical life1 which ,he elsewhere   
explained more fully1 bidding the youth 
become poor and then come and follow    
,him in perfect chastity and obedience  
7,suarez1 ,de ,religione1 lib4 iii1 c4  
#b74  ,the teaching thus presented by   
,christ has never been fruitless in the 
,church4 ,myriads of chosen souls1 more 
magnanimous than the young man1 have    
heeded the ,saviour's admonition and    
hastened to sacrifice all for ,his sake4
 ,the nature of the evangelical life--so
 called because taught in the           
,evangelium1 the ,latin word for        
,gospel--consists in the practice of the
 three counsels1 voluntary poverty1     
perfect chastity and obedience4 ,and why
 is the exercise of these three counsels
 so excellent8 ,because by them a       

,christian parts with everything that is
 most pleasing to mere nature4 ,by      
poverty he renounces his possessions and
 the right of ownership2 by perfect     
chastity1 the pleasures of the body2 and
 by obedience1 his free will4 ,could one
 do more than to give up everything he  
owns1 and then complete the renunciation
 by dedicating his body1 aye1 his very  
soul1 to ,christ8 ,nothing is left that 
he may call his own4 ,he is a stranger  
in the world1 without home1 parents or  
family1 money or earthly ties2 he is all
 to ,god1 and ,god is all to him4       
,while a person may be in the way of    
perfection1 by observing the counsels   
privately1 with or without a vow1 if he 
takes perpetual vows in a religious     
order or congregation approved by the   
,church1 he is in what is called the    
state of perfection1 or the religious   
state4 ,the vows give a final touch to  
the holocaust in either case1 since by  
them he offers all he has and is and    
forever1 so that it becomes unlawful for

 him to retract his offering4 ,he who   
exemplifies all ,christian virtues to a 
high degree of excellence1 according to 
his condition of life1 may be called    
perfect1 and to this perfection all     
,christians are called4 ,but1 religious1
 that is1 they who live in the religious
 state1 bind themselves by profession to
 aim at living a perfect life4 ,they    
have heeded ,christ's invitation1 ,if   
thou wilt be perfect1 and engaged       
themselves1 under the sanction of the   
,church1 to the obligation of striving  
for perfection4  ,no one could claim    
that all religious men and women are    
actually perfect2 but they are in the   
state of perfection--that is1 by virtue 
of their state and profession they are  
bound to the observance of their vows   
and rules1 which observance1 in the     
course of time1 will be able to lead    
them to the attainment of such          
perfection as weak mortals1 with ,god's 
grace1 can hope to acquire in this life4
 ,in response to ,christ's exhortations1

 we find throughout the world to-day a  
great army of religious men and women1  
white-robed ,dominicans1 brown-garbed   
,franciscans1 followers of ,st4         
,benedict1 ,st4 ,augustine1 ,st4        
,alphonsus1 ,st4 ,vincent de ,paul1 and 
,st4 ,de la ,salle1 the ,blessed        
,madeleine ,sophie ,barat1 ,julie       
,billiart1 ,jean ,eudes1 and of numerous
 other saints1 who1 under the standards 
of their varied institutes1 march       
steadily in the footprints of the lowly 
,nazarene1 ,who had not whereon to lay  
,his head4  ,the ambitious ,christian   
boy and girl1 then1 will aim at doing   
their best1 and must1 if they desire    
close companionship with ,christ1 strive
 after perfection1 for such is the      
,master's desire4 ,but should a youth   
have further ambitions1 and say to      
himself1 ,i desire to distinguish myself
 in ,god's service1 to lead for ,him a  
life of action and achievement1 wherein 
my exertions will bring amplest returns 
for eternity1 will he refuse to consider

 the life of the counsels8 ,will he not 
rather ask himself whether this manner  
of life is practicable1 and possibly    
even meant and intended for him8 ,choose
 then1 my young friend1 your sphere of  
life but deliberately and carefully1    
remembering that on your decision will  
largely depend your greater happiness in
 this world and the next4    ,,chapter  
,,iv  ,,who ,,are ,,invited8  ,the boy  
or girl who is deliberating on a future 
career will naturally ask1 ,who are     
invited to the higher life8 ,is the     
invitation extended to all1 or limited  
to the chosen few8  ,let us try to find 
out the answer to these questions4 ,one 
day the disciples of ,our ,lord having  
asked ,him 7,matt4 xix3 #aa-ab7 whether 
it were not better to abstain from      
marriage1 ,he replied1 ,all men take not
 this word1 but they to whom it is      
given4 4 4 4 ,he that can take it1 let  
him take it4 ,st4 ,paul also writes to  
the ,corinthians 7,i ,cor4 vii3 #g-h71  
,i wish you all to be as myself1 4 4 4  

but ,i say to the unmarried 4 4 4 it is 
good for them1 if they so continue1 even
 as ,i4  ,now1 let us examine these     
passages1 according to the              
interpretations of the ,fathers and     
,doctors of the ,church1 so that there  
will be no danger of reading a wrong    
meaning into them4 ,there is question in
 both texts of abstaining from marriage1
 of advising the unmarried not to marry1
 which1 of course1 is equivalent to     
advising them to practice perpetual     
chastity4 ,st4 ,paul says clearly and   
forcibly that he would desire all to    
remain unmarried like himself4 ,however1
 in the next verse he exempts from his  
advice those who do not control         
themselves4 ,what does he mean by this8 
,there are some who have strong         
passions1 or who by self-indulgence have
 so strengthened their lower nature and 
weakened their will-power1 that lifelong
 continence seems beyond them4 ,such    
persons1 therefore1 who know from       
experience that they will not overcome  

temptation and sin1 or who find the     
struggle too hard to continue1 he       
advises to marry4  ,we may now inquire  
whom ,our ,lord meant by those to whom  
it is given4 ,does ,he mean that the    
power of practicing virginal chastity is
 given only to the selected few or to   
the many8 ,st4 ,chrysostom1 interpreting
 ,his words1 says that this gift of     
chastity is given to those who choose it
 of their own accord1 adding that the   
necessary help from on high is prepared 
for all who wish to be victors in the   
struggle with nature 7,m4 ,p4 ,g41 t4   
#eh1 c4 #fjj74 #a ,st4 ,jerome tells us 
that this gift is given to those who ask
 it1 who wish it and labor to obtain it 
7,m4 ,p4 ,l41 t4 #bf1 c4 #ace74 ,st4    
,basil explains that to embrace the     
evangelical mode of life is the         
privilege of every one4 7,m4 ,p4 ,g41 t4
 #cb1 c4 #fdg47 ,to the sophistical     
objection that if all persons practiced 
virginity marriage would cease1 and so  
the human race would perish1 ,st4       

,thomas 7,summa1 #b;a #b1 ,qust4 #ahi1  
art4 #g7 gives the reply of ,st4        
,jerome1 ,this virtue is uncommon and   
desired by comparatively few2 and then  
adds1 ,this fear is just as foolish as  
that of one who hesitates to take a     
drink of water1 for fear of drying up   
the river4  ,can it be said1 then1 that 
every boy and girl1 with the exception  
noted by ,st4 ,paul1 is advised and     
exhorted to preserve virginal chastity  
throughout life8 ,to understand aright  
the answer to this question1 we must    
remember that there are two general     
courses of life1 the married and the    
unmarried1 open to all2 every person    
necessarily being found in the one or   
the other4 ,and each individual of the  
race is privileged to make a free and   
voluntary choice of either condition2 no
 one having the right to interfere with 
this personal liberty1 by forbidding or 
prescribing wedlock to any properly     
qualified person4  ,both these states   
have been created by ,god1 and both are 

,his gifts to man4 ,the nuptial tie1    
elevated to the dignity of a sacrament1 
is likened by ,st4 ,paul to the union   
existing between ,christ and the        
,church4 ,a prudent wife1 says the ,book
 of ,proverbs 7xix3 #ad71 is properly   
from the ,lord4 ,whoever marries in the 
,lord performs a virtuous act1 and the  
,church1 to show her appreciation and   
approbation of it1 invests the wedding  
contract with a rich and hallowed       
ceremonial4 ,they1 then1 who wed do     
something pleasing to ,god2 but they    
who1 for virtue's sake1 forego their    
natural right of marrying1 make an      
offering still more grateful to ,him4   
,this is the doctrine in the abstract4  
,but in its application to individual   
cases we find some so situated1 so      
hampered by their own temperament and   
disposition1 or by actual conditions    
about them1 that a life of perfect      
continence seems impracticable for them4
 ,one1 for instance1 who yearns for the 
safety and seclusion of the cloister1   

and yet sees its doors closed against   
him for some reason1 feels himself      
constrained to take refuge from the     
storm and stress of the world in the    
sanctuary of marriage4 ,on such persons 
the ,creator does not impose a burden   
above their strength4 ,wishing us to be 
happy and content even in this life1 as 
well as the next1 ,he asks of us here   
only a reasonable service4  ,guided by  
these principles1 the great majority of 
the faithful in all ages have deemed it 
prudent and expedient for them to marry4
 ,and the wisdom and prudence of their  
choice ,god approves and commends4 ,for 
,his ,providence manifests itself to us 
in all the events and circumstances of  
life1 dwelling alike in the fall of the 
leaf and the roll of the wave1 and      
speaking to our hearts by the voice of  
all creatures4 ,while1 then1 external or
 internal impediments may prevent some  
from hearkening to ,christ's call1 and  
their own will may deter others1 ,his   
invitation of itself does not exclude   

any2 it is general1 ever waiting for    
those able and willing to accept it4    
,but does not a person have to feel a   
special call before binding himself to  
perpetual chastity8 ,to answer this let 
us suppose that one is considering the  
advisability of daily attendance at     
,mass or of total abstinence from       
intoxicating liquor4 ,in themselves     
these are good works and under proper   
advice a person might engage himself to 
their performance4 ,grace would be      
required for them1 as for every other   
act of supernatural virtue1 but no one  
would say that to assume such           
obligations a special call from heaven  
is prerequisite4 ,now1 chastity is      
governed by the same laws as other      
virtues1 by the same laws as            
mortification1 alms-deeds and works of  
charity4 ,every virtuous act requires   
two things1 the grace and the will to   
cooperate with the grace2 and these two 
are also the only requisites for the    
exercise of continence2 a special       

inspiration being no more necessary for 
it than for perpetual abstinence from   
meat or spirituous liquors4  ,lifelong  
virginity is1 of course1 a higher1      
nobler and more far-reaching virtue than
 the others mentioned1 but it involves  
no special personal call4 ,if this were 
required1 in addition to the general    
invitation of ,scripture1 the doctrine  
of the ,fathers that all are invited    
could scarcely be true4 ,if all are     
invited1 then he who wishes must have   
the power to accept the invitation4 ,if 
two calls are necessary1 one general and
 the other particular1 he who has only  
the first may be said to have only half 
an invitation1 which seems very absurd1 
and certainly is contrary to the        
practically unanimous teaching of the   
,fathers4  ,st4 ,thomas tells us3 ,we   
should accept the words of ,christ which
 are given in ,scripture as if we heard 
them from the mouth of ,christ4 4 4 4   
,the counsel 7to perfection7 is to be   
followed by each one not less than if it

 came from the ,lord's mouth to each one
 personally4 7,opusc4 #ag1 c4 #i47 ,and 
even granted that the devil urges one to
 enter religious life1 it is a good     
work1 and there is no danger in yielding
 to his impulse4 7,opusc4 #ag1 c4 #aj47 
,taking these words of the ,angelic     
,doctor for our guidance1 we realize    
that the invitation and exhortation of  
,st4 ,paul is general1 that it embraces 
all unmarried persons who feel the      
well-grounded hope within them that with
 ,god's grace they can live up to it4   
,we may go further and say that1 as ,st4
 ,paul was speaking not his own         
doctrine1 but the doctrine of ,christ1  
which is unchangeable1 it applies       
equally to-day4 ,so one who is convinced
 that no obstacle1 except his own will1 
prevents his acceptance of the          
,apostle's advice1 can readily imagine  
,christ standing before him and saying1 
,my child1 you should be more pleasing  
to ,me were you to remain unmarried for 
,my sake4 ,if ,jesus ,christ really     

stood before you1 dear reader1 and thus 
addressed you1 what would be your reply8
 ,there can be no doubt that it would be
 prompt and in accordance with ,his     
wish4 ,you would say1 ,if ,god so loves 
me as to make a suggestion to me1 as to 
sue for my undivided heart1 ,i shall be 
only too glad to give ,him all ,i have1 
to make any sacrifice for ,his sake4    
,but ,god does speak thus1 through the  
mouth of the ,apostle1 to all who are   
zealous for the better gifts4  ,now1    
what says your heart8 ,will it reject   
the special love ,christ offers8 ,he    
says1 ,i give you the choice of two     
gifts1 matrimony or virginity2 virginity
 is by far the more precious--but take  
which you wish4 ,will you be so         
irresponsive as to reply1 ,give me the  
lesser gift2 ,thy best treasures and    
best love bestow on my companions8      
,speak thus if you are so minded4 ,god  
will love you still2 but can you be     
surprised if ,he cherish other generous 
souls more8 ,take or reject virginity as

 you like4 ,it is yours for the taking1 
but if you reject it do not say1 ,i have
 no call1 no invitation to the higher   
life4 ,you have the invitation now1 in  
common with other ,christians2 and the  
great-souled ones are they who accept   
it1 for many are called1 but few are    
chosen4  ,it may now be asked whether   
what has been said about the observance 
of chastity applies also to poverty and 
obedience4 ,spiritual writers tell us   
that the full and entire evangelical    
life includes all these three counsels1 
and that the principles on which one    
rests are common to all4 ,christ in ,his
 call invites those who are not hindered
 by insuperable obstacles1 to follow    
,him in the practice of all the         
counsels1 the reason for all being the  
same1 namely1 to sacrifice everything   
for ,his sake4 ,it is evident1 however1 
that there may be more hindrances to the
 observance of all three counsels than  
to the keeping of only one4 ,some       
religious orders1 for example1 on       

account of their special work1 may      
demand from applicants health1 or youth1
 or talent1 or learning1 or other       
qualifications1 which every person does 
not possess4 ,for community life1 too1 a
 peaceable temper and agreeable manners 
are usually necessary4 ,moreover1 one   
may be so bound by obligations of       
justice and charity to his parents or   
others1 that he cannot leave them4 #b   
,the general principle1 however1 is     
fixed and sure1 that the clarion call to
 the practice of the counsels is in     
itself general1 and applicable to all   
who are not hindered by circumstances or
 impediments from accepting it4 ,no     
further special invitation is necessary4
 ,you who are free have the             
invitation--take it if you wish4   #a   
,this and similar references are to the 
,migne edition of the ,greek and ,latin 
,fathers4  #b ,it may still be possible1
 however1 for a person who is prevented 
from entering community life1 to        
practice the counsels while living in   

the world4    ,,chapter ,v  ,,does      
,,christ ,,want ,,me8  ,said a boy one  
day1 ,how in the world does a person    
ever know he is to be a priest8 ,this   
little lad was a budding philosopher3 he
 wanted to know the reason of things4   
,but many an older person has been      
puzzled by the same question4 ,some boys
 and girls1 having a distorted notion of
 the nature of a vocation1 imagine that 
,almighty ,god picks out certain        
persons1 without consulting them1 and   
destines them for the priesthood or     
religious life1 whereas all other       
persons he excludes from this privilege4
 ,in other words1 they think ,god does  
it all4  ,of course1 we know there is an
 overruling ,providence1 ,who watches   
over all ,his creatures1 and            
particularly over ,his elect1           
distributing ,his graces and favors as  
,he wills1 and bringing all things to   
their appointed ends4 ,if1 for instance1
 a boy is blind1 and for this reason no 
religious congregation will accept him1 

it is apparent that ,god does not design
 him for the religious life1 though even
 for him the private practice of the    
counsels might still be open4  ,but we  
must not imagine that ,god settles      
everything in this world independently  
of our free will4 ,he wishes us not to  
steal1 but we may1 if we choose1 become 
thieves4 ,two boys of the same          
qualifications1 let us say1 have the    
general invitation of the ,scripture to 
a life of perfection2 they both have the
 same grace1 which one accepts and the  
other rejects4 ,what makes the vocation 
in the one case8 ,the action of the boy 
himself in choosing to follow the       
invitation4 ,and why has not the other  
boy a vocation8 ,because he declines to 
correspond with the grace4 ,god does    
,his part2 ,he issues the call to all   
who are free from impediment and        
hindrance4 ,any one who wishes can      
accept the call and thus1 in a sense1   
make his own vocation1 for ,god's       
necessary help is ever ready to hand for

 those who will use it4  ,we may here   
remark that1 while the practice of all  
virtue comes from man's free will1 it   
also springs in a higher and greater    
degree from ,god1 the author of grace4  
,without ,him we can do nothing4 ,who   
distinguisheth thee8 ,or what hast thou 
that thou hast not received8 asks ,st4  
,paul 7,i ,cor4 iv3 #g74 ,god's grace   
must necessarily precede and accompany  
every supernatural action4 ,in a very   
true sense1 while a religious may say3  
,i am such voluntarily of my own free   
choice1 he must also admit1 ,i am a     
religious by the grace of ,god1 ,who    
prepared me1 aided me by external and   
internal helps1 enlightened my mind and 
strengthened my will to embrace the life
 ,he designs for me4  ,in much the same 
way1 a daily communicant may say3 ,it is
 of my own accord and wish that ,i      
receive daily1 but it is ,god's         
predilection that has prompted me to    
this design1 given me the opportunity   
and strength of purpose to carry it out1

 and keeps me faithful to it1 so that it
 is by ,his grace and ,providence that  
,i am a daily communicant4 ,countless   
others could adopt the same practice1   
were they not too sluggish or           
indifferent to ask for or correspond    
with the grace of doing so4  ,most      
ordinary vocations have several stages  
of development4 ,very many persons1 with
 all the qualities required for the     
evangelical life1 and unimpeded by any  
obstacle1 begin to consider1 under the  
influence of grace1 the advisability of 
embracing that kind of life4 ,this may  
be called the remote stage of a         
vocation4 ,one who finds himself in this
 condition of mind1 if he prays for     
light and guidance1 is faithful to duty 
and generous in the service of ,god1 may
 be enabled by a further enlightenment  
of grace to perceive that this life is  
best for him1 and consequently that it  
will be more pleasing to ,god for him to
 adopt it1 and finally he may decide to 
do so4 ,such a one has a proximate      

vocation1 the only further step required
 being to carry out his purpose4 ,this  
decision1 be it observed1 is the result 
of the action of his free will1 aided by
 efficacious grace1 which is a mark of  
,god's special love4  ,a little         
illustration may assist us to get a     
clearer idea of the matter4 ,suppose    
,christ were to walk into your          
class-room1 how would ,he act8 ,would   
,he pick out four or five pupils and    
say1 ,i wish you to be religious1 the   
others ,i do not want1 and ,i forbid    
them such aspirations8 ,do you think our
 loving1 gentle ,redeemer would speak in
 this harsh way8 ,and yet some good1 but
 ill-informed ,christians think this a  
faithful representation of ,god's method
 of action in this important matter4    
,how1 then1 would ,christ really address
 the class8 ,he would say1 ,my dear     
children1 ,i want as many of you as     
possible to follow closely in ,my       
footsteps1 to become perfect4 ,i should 
be glad to have all of you1 who are not 

prevented by some insuperable obstacle1 
such as ill-health1 lack of talent1 home
 difficulties1 or extreme giddiness of  
character4 ,i hope to have a large      
number of volunteers4 ,how many children
 in that class-room1 do you think1 would
 joyfully hold up their hands1 and beg  
,him to take them8  ,now1 this is truly 
the way ,god acts with the individual   
soul4 ,he comes to it perhaps not once  
only but repeatedly1 and makes the      
general offer1 using for this purpose   
the living voice of ,his minister1 or   
the written page1 or a prompting impulse
 from within4 ,and when ,god's desire is
 so manifested1 all that the soul needs 
is to cooperate with grace1 if it will4 
,that this interpretation of the general
 call of ,scripture to a higher life is 
in accord with sound doctrine1 we can   
perceive from ,st4 ,thomas1 who says    
that the resolution of entering the     
religious state1 whether it comes from  
the general invitation of ,scripture or 
an internal impulse1 is to be approved4 

,and in his ,catena ,aurea1 commenting  
on ,st4 ,matt4 xix1 he quotes ,st4      
,chrysostom1 who holds that the reason  
all do not take ,christ's advice is     
because they do not wish to do so4 ,the 
words to whom it is given1 according to 
this ,greek father1 show that unless we 
received the help of grace1 the         
exhortation would profit us nothing4    
,but this help of grace is not denied to
 those who wish it4  ,this is also the  
teaching of ,st4 ,ignatius in his       
,spiritual ,exercises1 where he         
designates three occasions in which to  
elect a state of life3 the first1 when  
,god appeals to the soul in some        
extraordinary way2 the second1 when     
grace moves the heart by consolation and
 desolation1 and the third1 when the    
soul without any special motion of      
grace1 that is1 when not agitated by    
diverse spirits1 makes use of its       
natural powers to elect the state of    
life which seems best suited to the     
praise of ,god and the salvation of     

one's soul4 ,evidently a vocation       
decided in the last-mentioned time1     
implies no special call beyond the      
general scriptural invitation and the   
determination to accept it4  ,some one  
may ask how it is then that so many     
virtuous boys and girls1 endowed with   
all needful qualifications1 prompt and  
ready to respond to the suggestions of  
grace1 yet have no efficacious desire of
 the higher life4 ,it is not for us to  
search into the secrets of hearts1 nor  
to penetrate into the mystery of grace  
and free-will4 ,the ,spirit breatheth   
where ,he wills1 and ,god distributes to
 each man his own proper gift4 ,but1 at 
least1 one thing seems certain1 that    
many fail to recognize ,god's will1     
because they expect it to be manifested 
in some extraordinary or palpable       
manner4 ,perhaps1 too1 they have        
prepossessions against it1 they have    
already marked out their own career1    
they never think about the counsels1 or 
pray for guidance4 ,if all our young    

people only realized that ,christ's     
invitation is general and meant for     
them1 provided no impediment exist1 and 
they wish to embrace it2 if at the same 
time they kept their hearts free from   
worldly amusements1 and applied         
themselves to prayer and self-control1  
volunteers in greater number would rally
 to ,christ's standard4    ,,chapter    
,,vi  ,i ,,feel ,,no ,,attraction  ,some
 boys and girls1 with hearts of gold1   
have often said3 ,i feel no attraction  
for the higher life4 ,i appreciate it1  
admire it1 and yet ,i fear it is not for
 me1 as ,i have no inclination to it4   
,if ,god wanted me1 ,he would so        
perceptibly draw me to ,him that there  
could be no mistaking ,his designs4     
,almighty ,god is wonderful in ,his     
ways1 and ,he draws all things to       
,himself1 but by methods varying as the 
temperaments and characteristics of the 
human soul4 ,sometimes ,he speaks to    
,his chosen ones in thunder tones1 as   
when ,he struck down ,st4 ,paul from his

 horse1 on the road to ,damascus1 saying
 from heaven1 ,saul1 ,saul1 why         
persecutest thou me8 4 4 4 ,it is hard  
for thee to kick against the goad4      
7,acts ix3 #d47 ,again ,he speaks in    
gentle accents1 as to ,st4 ,matthew1 the
 publican1 when he sat at his door      
taking customs1 saying to him1 ,follow  
me6 ,at other times ,he seems silent and
 indifferent1 standing quietly by1      
letting reason and conscience argue     
within us1 and point out our line of    
action4  ,there is what is called       
vocation by attraction1 and also such a 
thing as vocation by conviction4 ,some  
of the great saints from earliest       
childhood felt a strong1 irresistible   
charm in the higher life2 they were     
drawn by the golden chain of love to the
 cloister4 ,i have never in my life1    
said a boy1 thought of being anything   
but a religious4 ,some young people have
 no difficulty in making up their minds 
to follow ,christ1 their whole bent of  
thought and character being for the     

nobler life4 ,like ,stanislaus1 they    
ever say1 ,i was born for higher things4
 ,it was such a precocious disposition  
of heart that led ,st4 ,teresa to       
foreshadow her saintly career when1 as a
 little girl1 she ran away from home to 
become a hermit4  ,but feeling is not   
always a trustworthy guide1 either in   
temporal or spiritual matters2 reason1  
slow but sure1 is generally much safer4 
,you feel the fascination of worldly    
things1 of company and society1 fine    
clothes1 luxuries and comforts1 the     
dazzling stage of life with its applause
 of men4 ,is that a sign ,god destines  
you for worldly vanities8 ,quite the    
contrary1 for all ,christians are warned
 against the seductions of the world and
 the flesh2 and the life of the counsels
 is essentially a constant struggle with
 nature and its allurements4 ,the       
kingdom of heaven1 we are told1 suffers 
violence1 and the violent bear it away4 
,if the following of ,christ were easy  
and agreeable to the senses1 where would

 be the merit and reward of it8 ,just in
 proportion as it involves effort and   
the overcoming of natural repugnance1   
does it become high and sublime4 ,do not
 think1 says ,our ,lord 7,matt4 x3 #cd71
 that ,i came to send peace upon earth3 
,i came not to send peace1 but the      
sword4 ,for ,i came to set a man at     
variance with his father1 and the       
daughter with her mother4 4 4 4 ,he that
 loveth father or mother more than me1  
is not worthy of me4  ,natural antipathy
 then to the higher life1 far from      
indicating that ,god does not want us1  
merely shows that the inferior powers of
 the soul are striving against the      
superior4 ,in fact1 when this aversion  
becomes pronounced1 it is sometimes     
evidence of a keen strife going on      
within us between nature and grace1     
which could scarcely happen unless grace
 were endeavoring to gain the mastery by
 winning us to ,christ4  ,but1 it may be
 objected1 if nature rebels1 does not   
,god always give a counter supernatural 

attraction to those whom ,he calls1 so  
as to smooth the way before them8       
,certainly ,god gives the necessary     
grace to perform good actions1 but grace
 is not always accompanied by sensible  
consolation4 ,suppose a boy is chided by
 his parents for a fault and he is      
tempted to deny it2 but overcoming the  
suggestion he admits his wrong-doing and
 expresses sorrow for it4 ,in this he   
acts bravely and with no sense of       
accompanying satisfaction1 since the    
pain of his parents' displeasure is so  
keen as to overcome for the moment any  
other feeling4 ,his action is prompted  
simply by the conviction of duty4       
,accordingly1 if a young man knows and  
clearly sees that he has every          
qualification for the religious life1   
and has even been told so by a competent
 adviser2 if he has sufficient talent   
and learning1 a steady disposition and  
virtuous habits1 and the persuasion that
 the duties of this state are not above 
his strength2 in short1 if he is        

convinced that there is no obstacle1    
save his own will1 between him and the  
higher life1 can he truly say1 ,i feel  
no inclination to such a career1 and    
therefore1 ,i have no vocation8 ,such a 
person1 of course1 is free to say1 ,i   
will not enter religion1 because there  
is no obligation incumbent upon him to  
this state1 but he cannot justly say    
that ,god withholds from him the        
opportunity or invitation to do so4 ,he 
has already what is called a remote     
vocation1 as was explained in the fifth 
chapter1 and what he needs is a clearer 
vision and alacrity of will1 which he   
may have good hope of obtaining by      
earnest prayer and a generous and       
insistent offering of self to the       
disposal of the ,divine good pleasure4  
,for ,our ,lord ,himself tells us3 ,all 
things whatsoever you ask when ye pray1 
believe that you shall receive1 and they
 shall come unto you4 7,mark xi3 #bd47  
,remove then1 my dear young friend1 from
 your mind that false and pernicious    

notion1 which has been destructive of so
 many incipient vocations1 that because 
you feel no supernatural inclination or 
sensible attraction1 you are not called 
of ,god4  ,in general1 it is sufficient 
that the aspirant to religious life be  
free from impediments1 and be desirous  
of entering it4 ,for eligibility to a   
particular religious congregation the   
applicant must be fit1 that is1 he must 
have the gifts or endowments of mind1   
heart and body which that institute     
demands2 his desire to enter must be    
based on good and solid motives drawn   
from reason and faith1 and he must have 
the firm resolve to persevere in the    
observance of the rule4 ,when to this   
subjective capacity is added the        
acceptance of the candidate by a lawful 
superior1 his vocation becomes complete4
  ,the requisites1 then1 are three1 two 
on the part of the applicant1 namely1   
fitness and an upright intention1 and   
one on the part of the superior1 the    
acceptance or call4 ,nothing more1      

nothing less is required4 ,if any one of
 these three essentials is wanting1     
there is no vocation to that particular 
institute4  ,it is worthy of            
observation1 however1 that these        
qualifications of the applicant need be 
fully evident only towards the end of   
the novitiate1 when the time comes for  
taking the vows and assuming the        
obligations4 ,to enter the noviceship1  
as a rule1 much less is required1 though
 even for this preparatory step a person
 must have the serious intention of     
trying the life and discovering whether 
it is suitable to him1 and there should 
be a reasonable prospect of his         
developing the needful qualifications4  
,for spiritual directors1 then1 to      
regard a vocation as something exceeding
 rare and intricate1 to subject the     
candidate and his conscience to         
searching and critical analysis1 to     
harassing cross-examination and         
prolonged tests1 as though he were a    
criminal entertaining a fell project1 to

 endeavor to probe into the secret      
workings of grace within him1 is only to
 cloud in fatal obscurity an otherwise  
very simple subject4  ,a high-souled    
youth or maiden may still be deterred by
 the thought1 ,i now see that ,i have   
all the necessary qualifications for the
 higher life1 and hence may embrace it  
if ,i choose1 but ,i fear it will be too
 difficult for me to carry the yoke     
without sensible devotion or            
consolation4 ,in answer to this1 we must
 remember that a hundredfold in this    
world and life everlasting in the next  
are promised to those who leave all to  
follow ,christ4 ,in this hundredfold are
 included many privileges and favors    
bestowed by ,god upon ,his chosen       
spouses4 ,make the effort1 overcome     
nature1 decide to embrace ,god's offer1 
and you will find yourself overwhelmed  
by a deluge of spiritual consolations1  
which ,god has been withholding from you
 to try your generosity and courage2 you
 will experience the truth of ,christ's 

words1 ,my yoke is sweet1 and my burden 
light4 ,sensible consolations1 in fact1 
nearly always follow the performance of 
a virtuous act1 but seldom do they      
precede it4 ,a hungry person1 before    
sitting down to table1 may feel cross   
and out of humor1 but as soon as he     
begins to partake of the generous viands
 a feeling of genial content and        
satisfaction with all the world steals  
over him4  ,it would1 of course1 be an  
error for any one to think that of his  
own natural powers he could observe the 
counsels2 since this1 being a           
supernatural work1 demands strength     
above nature4 ,but he who feels helpless
 of himself1 should place his entire    
trust and confidence in ,god's grace and
 assistance1 saying1 with the ,apostle1 
,i can do all things in him who         
strengthened me 7,ph4 iv3 #ac74  ,come1 
then1 to the banquet prepared for you by
 the great ,king4 ,regale yourself with 
the spiritual viands set before you1 and
 not only will you be strengthened to do

 ,god's will1 but transported beyond    
measure with spiritual delights4        
,,chapter ,,vii  ,,suppose ,i ,,make ,a 
,,mistake8  ,a young man once exclaimed 
to a friend1 ,suppose ,i make a mistake6
 ,i could not bear the disgrace of      
leaving a religious order after entering
 it4 ,having wrestled with this thought 
for some time1 he finally determined to 
try the religious life1 with the result 
that after taking the habit1 he was too 
happy to dream of ever laying it aside4 
,however1 it is not wrong1 but highly   
prudent1 for any one to consider whether
 he has the courage and constancy to    
persevere4 ,religious life is not a     
pathway of roses4 ,it is meant only for 
true men and valiant women1 not for     
soft1 languid characters1 nor for fickle
 minds1 which change as a weather vane4 
,marriage also is a serious step1 for it
 brings much tribulation of the flesh1  
and so he who would enter on it must    
earnestly consider whether he can live  
up to the obligations it entails4 ,but  

because marriage has many cares and     
responsibilities1 is that a prohibitive 
reason against embracing it8 ,a         
soldier's life1 too1 is hard1 and a     
farmer's2 in fact1 all pursuits and     
vocations in this world have their      
sombre side4 ,but he who would win      
success in any career must be ready with
 a heart for any fate to meet and       
overcome all the trials and hardships   
that await him4  ,on one occasion ,our  
,lord made use of the following parable 
7,luke xiv3 #bh73 ,which of you having a
 mind to build a tower1 doth not first  
sit down and reckon the charges that are
 necessary1 whether he have wherewithal 
to finish it3 lest after he hath laid   
the foundation1 and is not able to      
finish it1 all that see it begin to mock
 him1 saying1 ',this man began to build 
and was not able to finish'8 ,this      
parable ,our ,lord seems to apply to    
those who have the call to the ,faith1  
and ,he concludes with the words1 ,so   
likewise every one of you that doth not 

renounce all that he possesseth1 cannot 
be my disciple4  ,but ,his advice is    
also applicable to one who contemplates 
a closer following of ,christ by the    
pathway of the counsels4 ,certainly1 by 
all means1 deliberate before taking any 
step of importance in this world4 ,never
 act on inconsiderate impulse in any    
matter of moment1 but weigh carefully   
the obligations you are to assume1 and  
consider whether you have sufficient    
strength of character to persevere in   
any good work you are undertaking4      
,still1 when all is said and done1 it   
remains true that timidity is not       
prudence1 nor cowardice caution4        
,nothing great was ever accomplished in 
this world without courage4 ,prudence   
and caution may be overdone1 and easily 
degenerate into sloth and inactivity4   
,in a battle he who hesitates is lost1  
and life is the sharpest of conflicts4  
,had ,columbus wavered1 he would not    
have discovered ,america4 ,close        
followers of ,christ must be brave and  

noble souls1 willing to risk all1 to    
sacrifice all in the service of their   
leader4 ,if you are excessively timid   
and fearful of making a misstep in your 
every action1 it is a fault of          
character1 and unless you overcome it   
you will never do great things for      
yourself or others4  ,when reason and   
conscience point the way1 plunge boldly 
forward1 trusting to the ,lord for all  
the necessary helps you may need to     
carry out your designs4 ,he will never  
desert you when once you enlist under   
,his flag4 ,when it comes to supposing1 
there is no end to the dreadful things  
that might happen1 but never will4      
,little children have a game called     
supposing1 each one making his          
supposition in turn1 but even they do   
not anticipate that their creations of  
fancy will ever prove true4 ,a man once 
said3 ,i have lived forty years1 and    
have had many troubles1 but most of them
 never happened1 meaning that he had    
often anticipated and dreaded evils     

which never came to pass4  ,let us1     
however1 grant that occasionally a      
novice leaves his order3 is that such a 
disgrace8 ,by no means2 he1 at least1   
deserves credit for attempting the      
higher life4 ,he is far more courageous 
than many ,christians who are too       
timorous even to try4 ,after all1 what  
is a novitiate for1 if not to discover  
whether the candidate has the requisite 
qualities8 ,and judicious superiors will
 be the first to advise a young man or  
woman to leave1 if he or she has        
wandered into the wrong place4  ,there  
is1 moreover1 a danger on the opposite  
side that wavering souls often fail to  
take into account4 ,what if they make a 
mistake by not entering religious life8 
,is it better to err on the side of     
generosity to ,god1 or on the side of   
pusillanimity8 ,if one make a mistake by
 entering religion he can easily retrace
 his steps before it is too late1 but   
once he commits himself to worldly      
obligations1 he can seldom break their  

fetters2 and many a man1 when           
overwhelmed with the cares and anxieties
 of life1 has regretted1 when all too   
late1 that he had not hearkened to the  
voice of grace that invited him to the  
calm and peace of the cloister4  ,st4   
,ignatius thus forcibly expresses the   
same thought3 ,more certain signs are   
required to decide that ,god wills one  
to remain in the secular state1 than    
that ,he wishes him to enter on the way 
of the counsels1 for the ,lord so openly
 urged the counsels1 while ,he insisted 
on the great dangers of the other state4
 7,directory1 c4 #bc47  ,the devil1 who 
employs every ruse to wreck a vocation1 
has one favorite stratagem1 which       
unfortunately succeeds only too often4  
,when he cannot induce a person to give 
up entirely the idea of following       
,christ closely1 he frequently induces  
him1 under a variety of pretexts1 to    
postpone its execution4 ,if he can get  
the person to wait1 to delay1 he feels  
he has scored a victory1 for thus he    

will have ample opportunity to lure his 
victim to a love of the world1 to       
present the vanities of life in such    
enticing colors1 as finally to withdraw 
him altogether from his first purpose4  
,this disaster1 unfortunately1 is only  
too common1 and many a one finds out1 to
 his cost1 that unseasonable delay has  
destroyed in him the spiritual savor1   
and made shipwreck of his vocation4     
,if1 then1 you see clearly it is best   
for you to tread the pathway of the     
counsels1 go boldly on without delay or 
hesitation1 and if difficulties loom big
 before you1 they will fade away at your
 approach1 like the fog before the sun2 
or1 if they remain1 you will be         
surprised at the ease with which you    
will vanquish them1 for when the ,lord  
is with you1 who will be against you8   
,you will be guarded against possible   
rashness in choosing the higher life by 
consulting a prudent director or        
confessor1 at least1 so far as to get   
his approval of the step you propose to 

take4 ,for the knowledge such a one has 
of the secrets of your conscience gives 
him a specially favorable opportunity to
 judge whether you have the virtue and  
determination of character to persevere 
in the pathway of the counsels4         
,,chapter ,,viii  ,,the ,,world ,,needs 
,,me  ,some young people endeavor to    
persuade themselves that as the world   
needs good men1 they can better serve   
,church and ,state by remaining in the  
secular life4 ,the world1 of course1    
does need good men and women1 and it has
 them1 too2 but even if there were a    
dearth of good ,christian laymen1 is    
that any reason for you to refuse ,god's
 invitation and sacrifice your own      
spiritual advancement and happiness in  
order to help others8 ,our first duty is
 to ourselves4 ,are we to be so enamored
 of benefiting others as to forego      
,god's special love1 and to rest        
satisfied with a lower place in heaven8 
,god invites you to ,him1 and you turn  
away to devote yourselves to others1 who

 perhaps care little for you1 and will  
profit less by your example4  ,and1     
moreover1 once absorbed in the business 
and cares of life1 you may find         
yourself1 like most others1 so          
preoccupied in your own personal        
advancement1 in providing for yourself  
and those dependent on you1 that scarce 
a thought remains for the interests of  
your neighbor4 ,and thus your initial   
high resolve may soon sink to the low   
level of beneficent effort you see in   
others4 ,selfishness1 to a large extent1
 rules in the world1 and how can you    
promise yourself that you will escape   
its grasp8 ,he certainly is rash who    
thinks he can1 single-handed1 contend   
against the world and its spirit4  ,no  
doubt many men and women of the world   
are devout ,christians1 and in a        
thousand ways spread about them the good
 odor of ,christ4 ,countless brave      
,christian soldiers1 upright statesmen1 
kings and peasants1 matrons and maids1  
are the pride of ,christianity for what 

they have done and dared in behalf of   
their neighbor4 ,all honor to the       
virtuous laity throughout the world     
to-day1 who by their edifying lives1    
their sacrifices for the faith1 their   
unwearying industry1 and fidelity to    
,mother ,church1 are sanctifying their  
own souls1 and assisting others by      
example1 counsel and charitable deed4   
,but for every layman that has          
distinguished himself by heroic devotion
 to the welfare of his neighbor1 many   
religious could be mentioned who have   
done the same4 ,we have all heard of    
,father ,damien1 who banished himself to
 the isle of ,molokai1 where the outcast
 lepers of the ,sandwich ,islands had   
been herded to rot and die2 and there   
taking up his abode1 soon changed the   
lepers1 who were living like wild       
beasts1 without law or morality1 into   
gentle and fervent ,christians4 ,having 
no priest as a companion1 he on one     
occasion rowed out to a passing steamer1
 which was not allowed to land1 to make 

his confession to a bishop aboard4 ,and 
while he sat in his row boat1 because   
forbidden to climb into the vessel1 and 
shouted his sins to the bishop on the   
deck above1 the passengers looking      
curiously on1 he certainly must have    
been a spectacle to men and angels4 ,and
 his sacrifice became complete when he  
contracted the leprosy from his people1 
and thus gave up his life for his flock4
  ,nor is this a solitary instance of   
such magnanimity4 ,a short time ago1    
when a ,canadian bishop entered a       
convent and called for volunteers to    
start a leper hospital1 every nun stood 
up to offer her services4 ,you have     
heard of the great ,apostle of the      
,indies1 ,st4 ,francis ,xavier1 who is  
said to have baptized more than a       
million pagans4 ,st4 ,teresa1 the       
mystic1 was not prevented by her        
cloister and her ecstacies from helping 
her neighbor1 for she founded a large   
number of convents1 both for men and    
women4 ,blessed ,margaret ,mary was only

 a simple nun in the ,visitation        
,convent of ,paray-le-,monial1 yet ,god 
chose her to make known and spread the  
great devotion of the ,sacred ,heart1 a 
devotion which has brought more comfort 
and consolation to sorrowing humanity   
than the combined philanthropic efforts 
of a century4 ,god took a gay cavalier1 
whose only ambition was to wear foppish 
clothes and thrum a guitar1 made him    
into a friar1 and bade him found the    
great ,franciscan ,order1 whose glorious
 works for mankind cannot be enumerated4
  ,and if we ponder the nature of       
religious life1 the marvels accomplished
 by simple religious cease to astonish  
us4 ,one who devotes the major portion  
of his time and attention to a definite 
object will certainly attain great      
results4 ,now1 most religious seek their
 own sanctification in concentrating    
their energies on the welfare of their  
neighbor1 in ever studying1 working1    
planning for his betterment4 ,the love  
of ,god1 as shown in charity to others1 

is the absorbing purpose of their life4 
,on the other hand1 the man of the world
 must generally care first and foremost 
for himself and family1 and only the    
time he has left1 incidentally as it    
were1 can he bestow upon others4  ,this 
point is thus forcibly expressed by ,st4
 ,paul 7,i ,cor4 vii3 #cb-cd73 ,he who  
is unmarried is solicitous for the      
things of the ,lord1 how he may please  
,god4 ,but he who is married is         
solicitous for the things of the world1 
how he may please his wife2 and he is   
divided4 ,and the woman1 unmarried and a
 virgin1 thinketh on the things of the  
,lord1 that she may be holy in body and 
soul4 ,but she who is married1 thinketh 
on the things of the world1 how she may 
please her husband4  ,the works of the  
religious orders are varied and         
numerous4 ,some care for the outcasts of
 society1 some for the sick or the old1 
the orphan and the homeless2 others1    
leaving the comforts and conveniences of
 modern life1 cheerfully face the danger

 and hardships of remotest lands to     
bring the light of the ,gospel to pagan 
nations4 ,more than a million ,chinese  
to-day are fervent ,christians1 and to  
whom do they owe their faith under ,god8
 ,to religious missionaries4 ,the       
,benedictines of old spent their lives  
in the pursuit of learning1 and in      
teaching barbarous tribes the art of    
husbandry4 ,the glorious ,knights       
,templar were a militant order2 and the 
members of the ,order of the ,blessed   
,trinity for the redemption of captives1
 the first to wear our national colors  
of freedom1 the red1 white and blue1    
sold themselves into slavery for the    
release of others4 ,scarcely a want or  
need of the human race has not been     
provided for by some religious body4    
,but probably the most common pursuit of
 religious bodies in our day is         
teaching4 ,hundreds of thousands of     
religious men and women1 in all lands   
whence they are not banished1 spend     
their lives in the class-room4 ,and the 

reason for this preference is the       
extraordinary demand for schools in     
every direction4 ,the young must be     
taught1 and ,holy ,mother ,church knows 
only too well that religious training   
must be woven into the fibre of secular 
learning if we would not have a         
conscienceless and irreligious          
generation4 ,so she issues her stirring 
appeal for volunteer teachers1 and a    
vast multitude of religious have        
responded in solid phalanx4 ,some one   
has said that if all the sisterhoods    
were taken out of our schools in the    
,united ,states1 we should soon have to 
close half our churches4  ,religious1   
then1 are carrying on vast and important
 works for the benefit of the ,church   
and society4 ,many other services which 
they render might be mentioned1 such as 
preaching and hearing confessions1 the  
publication of books and periodicals1   
the cultivation of the arts1 science1   
literature and theology4 ,but enough has
 been said to show that they are leading

 a strenuous life1 and that boy or maid1
 who is emulous of heart-stirring deeds1
 could scarcely find a more propitious  
field of action than in the religious   
state4    ,,chapter ,,ix  ,,must ,i     
,,accept ,,the ,,invitation8  ,it is not
 the purpose of the writer to           
exaggerate1 to frighten or coerce       
persons into religious life1 by holding 
out threats of ,god's displeasure to    
those who refuse1 or by citing examples 
of those whose careers were blighted    
through failure to heed the ,divine     
call4 ,it is ,his desire rather to      
imitate ,christ's manner of action1     
portraying the beauty and excellence of 
virtue1 and then leaving it to the      
promptings of aspiring hearts to follow 
the leadings of grace4  ,christ1 all    
mildness and meekness as ,he was1       
uttered terrible denunciations against  
sin and the false leaders of the people2
 but nowhere do we read that ,he        
denounced or threatened those who failed
 to accept ,his tender and loving call  

to the life of perfection4 ,to draw     
men's hearts ,he used not compulsion1   
but the lure of kindness and affection4 
,our ,lord sometimes commanded and      
sometimes counselled and between these  
there is a difference4 ,when a command  
is given by lawful superiors it must be 
obeyed1 and that under penalty4 ,god    
gave the commandments amidst thunder and
 lightning on ,mount ,sinai1 and those  
commandments1 as precepts of the natural
 law1 or because corroborated in the    
,new ,testament1 persist in the main    
to-day1 and any one who violates them1  
refuses to keep them1 is guilty of      
disobedience to ,god1 commits a sin4    
,but when ,christ proclaimed the        
counsels1 ,he was merely giving advice  
or exhortation1 and hence no one was    
obliged to follow them under pain of    
,his displeasure4 ,suppose a mother has 
two sons1 who both obey exactly her     
every command1 and one also takes her   
advice in a certain matter1 while the   
other does not2 she will love the second

 not less1 but the first more4 ,so of   
two boys1 who are both favorites of     
,god1 if one accept and the other       
decline a proffered vocation1 ,he will  
love the latter as before1 but the      
former how much more tenderly6          
,moreover1 ,god loves the cheerful      
giver4 ,by doing1 out of an abundance of
 charity and fervor1 what you are not   
obliged to do1 you gain ampler merit for
 yourself1 since you perform more than  
your duty1 and at the same time you give
 greater glory to ,god1 showing that ,he
 has willing children1 who bound their  
service to ,him by no bargaining        
considerations of weight and measure4   
,but if1 through fear of threat or      
punishment1 you make an offering to     
,god1 your gift loses1 to an extent1 the
 worth and spontaneity of a heart-token4
  ,some think that not to accept the    
invitation to the counsels1 is to show  
disregard and contempt for ,god's grace 
and favor1 and hence sinful4 ,but how   
does a young person act when he declines

 this proffered gift8 ,he equivalently  
says1 with tears in his eyes1 ,my       
,saviour1 ,i appreciate deeply ,thy     
invitation to the higher life2 ,i envy  
my companions who are so courageous as  
to follow ,thy counsel2 but1 please be  
not offended with me if ,i have not the 
courage to imitate their example4 ,i beg
 ,thee to let me serve ,thee in some    
other way4 ,is there anything of        
contempt in such a reply8 ,no more than 
if a child would tearfully pray its     
mother not to send it into a dark room  
to fetch something2 and as such a       
mother1 instead of insisting on her     
request1 would only kiss away her       
child's tears1 so will ,god treat one   
who weeps because he cannot muster      
courage to tread closely in ,his        
blood-stained footsteps4  ,the young    
have little relish for argumentative    
quotations and texts1 but it may        
interest them to know that ,saints      
,basil1 ,chrysostom1 ,gregory           
,nazianzen1 ,cyprian1 ,augustine and    

other ,fathers all speak in a similar   
strain1 holding that1 as a vocation is a
 free gift or counsel1 it may be        
declined without sin4 #a ,the great     
,theologians1 ,st4 ,thomas1 ,suarez1    
,bellarmine and ,cornelius a ,lapide    
also agree on this point4  ,but putting 
aside the question of sin1 we must admit
 that one who clearly realizes that the 
religious life is best for him and      
consequently more pleasing to ,god1     
would1 by neglecting to avail himself of
 this grace1 betray a certain           
ungenerosity of soul and a lack of      
appreciation of spiritual things1 in    
depriving himself of a gift which would 
be the source of so many graces and     
spiritual advantages4  ,do not1 then1   
dear reader1 embrace the higher life    
merely from motives of fear--which were 
unworthy an ingenuous child of ,god--but
 rather to please the ,divine ,majesty4 
,you are dear to ,him1 dearer than the  
treasures of all the world4 ,he loves   
you so much that ,he died for you1 and  

now ,he asks you in return to nestle    
close to ,his heart1 where ,he may ever 
enfold ,his arms about you1 and lavish  
his blandishments upon your soul4 ,will 
you come to ,him1 your fresh young heart
 still sweet with the dew of innocence1 
and become ,his own forevermore8 ,will  
you say farewell to creatures1 and rest 
upon that ,bosom whose love and         
tenderness for you is high as the stars1
 wide as the universe1 and deep as the  
sea8 ,come to the tender embraces of    
your heavenly spouse1 and heaven will   
have begun for you on earth4   #a ,the  
hypothetical case1 sometimes mentioned  
by casuists1 of one who is convinced    
that for him salvation outside of       
religion is impossible1 can here safely 
be passed over as unpractical for young 
readers4    ,,chapter ,x  ,i ,,am ,,too 
,,young  ,many a young person1 when     
confronted with the thought of his      
vocation1 puts it out of mind1 with the 
off-hand remark1 ,oh1 there is plenty of
 time to consider that2 ,i am too young1

 and have had no experience of the      
world4 ,this method of procedure is     
summary1 if not judicious1 and it meets 
with the favor of some parents1 who     
fear1 as they think1 to lose their      
children4 ,it was also evidently highly 
acceptable to ,luther1 who is quoted by 
,bellarmine as teaching that no one     
should enter religious life until he is 
seventy or eighty years of age4  ,in    
deciding a question of this nature1     
however1 we should not allow our        
prepossessions to bias our judgment1 nor
 take without allowance the opinion of  
those steeped in worldly wisdom1 but    
lacking in spiritual insight4 ,father   
,william ,humphrey1 ,s4,j41 in his      
edition of ,suarez's ,religious ,life   
7page #di71 says3 ,looking merely to    
natural law1 it is lawful at any age    
freely to offer oneself to the perpetual
 service of ,god4 ,there is no natural  
principle by which should be fixed any  
certain age for such an act4  ,christ   
did not prescribe any age for those who 

wished to enter ,his special service1   
and ,he rebuked the apostles for keeping
 children from ,him1 saying1 ,let the   
little ones come unto ,me4 ,and ,st4    
,thomas 7,summa1 #b;a #b1 ,qust4 #ahi1  
art4 #e71 quotes approvingly the comment
 of ,origen on this text1 viz43 ,we     
should be careful lest in our superior  
wisdom we despise the little ones of the
 ,church and prevent them from coming to
 ,jesus4 ,and speaking in the same      
article of ,st4 ,gregory's statement    
that the ,roman nobility offered their  
sons to ,st4 ,benedict to be brought up 
in the service of ,god1 the ,angelic    
,doctor approves this practice on the   
principle that it is good for a man to  
bear the yoke from his youth1 and adds  
that it is in accord with the usual     
custom of setting boys to the duties and
 occupations in which they are to spend 
their life4  ,the remark concerning ,st4
 ,benedict recalls to mind the          
interesting fact that in olden times1   
not only boys of twelve and fourteen    

became little monks1 but that children  
of three1 four or five years of age were
 brought in their parents' arms and     
dedicated to the monasteries4 ,according
 to the ,benedictine ,centuries1 the    
reception of a child in those days was  
almost as solemn as a profession in our 
own4 ,his parents carried him to the    
church4 ,whilst they wrapped his hand1  
which held the petition1 in the sacred  
linen of the altar1 they promised1 in   
the presence of ,god and ,his saints1   
stability in his name4 ,these children  
remained during infancy and childhood   
within the monastery enclosure1 and on  
reaching the age of fourteen1 they were 
given the choice of returning home1 if  
they preferred1 or of remaining for     
life4 #a  ,the discipline of the        
,church1 which as a wise ,mother1 she   
modifies to suit the exigencies of time 
and place1 is somewhat different in our 
day4 ,the ordinary law now prohibits    
religious profession before the age of  
sixteen2 and the earliest age at which  

subjects are commonly admitted is       
fifteen4 ,orders which accept younger   
candidates1 in order to train and       
prepare them for reception1 cannot1 as a
 rule1 clothe them with the habit4 ,a   
very recent decree also requires        
clerical students to have completed four
 years' study of ,latin before admission
 as novices into any order4  ,persons   
who object to early entrance into       
religion seem to forget that the young  
have equal rights with their elders to  
personal sanctification1 and to the use 
of the means afforded for this purpose  
by the ,church4 ,it is now passed into  
history1 how some misguided individuals 
forbade frequent ,communion to the      
faithful at large1 and altogether       
excluded from the ,holy ,table children 
under twelve or fourteen1 and this      
notwithstanding the plain teaching of   
the ,council of ,trent to the contrary4 
,to correct the error1 the ,holy ,see   
was obliged to issue decrees on the     
subject1 which may be styled the charter

 of ,eucharistic freedom for all the    
faithful1 and especially for children4  
,as the ,eucharist is not intended      
solely for the mature or aged1 so       
neither is religious life meant only for
 the decrepit1 or those who have        
squandered youth and innocence4 ,its    
portals are open to all the qualified1  
and particularly to the young1 who wish 
to bring not a part of their life only1 
but the whole of it1 along with youthful
 enthusiasm and generosity1 to ,god's   
service4  ,how many young religious have
 attained heroic sanctity which would   
never have been theirs had religion been
 closed against them by an arbitrary or 
unreasonable age restriction6 ,a too    
rigid attitude on this point would have 
barred those patrons of youth1          
,aloysius1 ,stanislaus ,kostka and      
,berchmans1 from religion and perhaps   
even from the honors of the altar4 ,st4 
,thomas1 the great theological luminary 
of the ,church1 was offered to the      
,benedictines when five years old1 and  

he joined the ,dominicans at fifteen or 
sixteen2 and ,st4 ,rose of ,lima made a 
vow of chastity at five4 ,the ,lily of  
,quito1 ,blessed ,mary ,ann1 made the   
three vows of poverty1 chastity and     
obedience before her tenth birthday1 and
 the ,little ,flower was a ,carmelite at
 fifteen4 ,and uncounted others1 who    
lived and died in the odor of sanctity1 
dedicated themselves by vow to the      
perpetual service of ,god1 while still  
in the fragrance and bloom of childhood 
or youth4  ,what a pity6 some exclaim1  
when a youth or maid enters religion4   
,how much better for young people to    
wait a few years and see something of   
the world1 so they will know what they  
are giving up4 ,this is ever the comment
 of the worldly spirit1 which aims to   
crush out entirely spiritual            
aspirations1 and failing in that1 to    
delay their fulfilment indefinitely4    
,and yet the wise do not reason         
similarly in other matters4 ,one who    
proposes to cultivate a marked musical  

talent is never advised to try his hand 
first at carpentering or tailoring1 that
 he may make an intelligent choice      
between them4 ,nor is a promising law   
student counselled to spend several     
years in the study of engineering and   
dentistry1 to avoid making a possible   
mistake4 ,why then wish a youth1 of     
evident religious inclination1 to mingle
 in the frivolity and gayeties of the   
world1 with the certain risk of imbibing
 its spirit and losing his spiritual    
relish8 ,he who loves the danger1 says  
the ,scripture1 will perish in it4  ,yet
 a vocation should first be tried1 and  
if it cannot resist temptation1 it will 
never prove constant1 is the worn but   
oft-repeated reply4 ,as if a parent     
would expose his boy to contagion to    
discover whether his constitution be    
strong enough to resist it2 or place him
 in the companionship of the depraved to
 try his virtue and see if it be proof  
against temptation4 ,no1 the tender     
sprout must be carefully tended1 and    

shielded from wind and storm1 until it  
grows into maturity4 ,in like manner1 a 
young person who desires to serve ,god1 
should be placed in an atmosphere       
favorable to the development of his     
design1 and guarded from sinister       
influence1 until he has acquired        
stability of purpose and strength of    
virtue4  ,there was once in ,rome an    
attractive ,cardinal's page of fourteen 
who possessed a sunny and lively        
disposition4 ,on a solemn occasion his  
hasty temper led him to resent the      
action of another page1 and straightway 
there was a fight4 ,immediately1 the    
decorous retinue was thrown into        
confusion1 and the ,cardinal felt       
himself disgraced4 ,peter ,ribadeneira1 
for this was the page's name1 did not   
wait for developments1 he foresaw what  
was coming and fled4 ,not knowing where 
to go1 he bethought himself of one who  
was everybody's friend1 ,ignatius of    
,loyola1 and with soiled face1 torn lace
 and drooping plume1 he presented       

himself before him4 ,ignatius received  
him with open arms1 and placed him among
 the novices4 ,poor ,peter had a hard   
time in the novitiate1 as his caprices  
and boisterousness were always bringing 
him into trouble4 ,but when grave       
,fathers frowned1 and the novices were  
scandalized1 ,peter was ever sure of    
sympathy and forgiveness from ,ignatius1
 who1 in the end1 was gratified to see  
the boy develop into an able1 learned   
and holy religious4 ,peter's vocation   
was occasioned by his fight1 certainly  
an unpropitious beginning1 but he must  
have ever been grateful that1 when he   
applied to ,ignatius1 he was not turned 
away until he had become older and more 
sedate4  ,parents or spiritual          
directors1 who1 under the pretext of    
trying a vocation1 put off for two or   
three years an aspirant who seems       
dowered with all necessary qualities1   
can scarcely justify themselves in the  
eyes of ,god1 such a method being       
calculated to destroy1 not prove1 a     

vocation4 ,to detain for a few months1  
however1 one who conceives a sudden     
notion to enter religion1 for the       
purpose of discovering whether his      
intention is serious1 and not merely a  
passing whim1 is only in accordance with
 the ordinary rules of prudence4 ,in    
connection with this point1 the words of
 bluff and hearty ,st4 ,jerome1 who     
never seemed to grow old or lose the    
buoyancy of youth1 are often quoted4    
,giving advice to one whom he wished to 
quit the world1 he wrote1 ,wait not even
 to untie the rope that holds your boat 
at anchor--cut it4 7,m4 ,p4 ,l41 t4 #bf1
 c4 #edi47 ,and ,christ's reply to the  
young man1 whom ,he had invited to      
follow ,him1 and who asked leave to go  
first and bury his father1 was equally  
terse3 ,let the dead bury their own     
dead4 7,luke ix3 #fj47  ,in a booklet   
entitled ,questions on ,vocations1      
published in #aiac1 by a ,priest of the 
,congregation of the ,mission1 the      
question is asked1 ,do not a larger     

percentage persevere when subjects enter
 the religious state late in life8 ,and 
the answer is given3 ,no2 the records of
 five of the largest communities of     
,sisters in the ,united ,states show    
that a much larger percentage of        
subjects persevere among those who enter
 between the ages of sixteen and twenty1
 than among those who enter when they   
are older4 ,when persons are twenty     
years of age1 or older1 their characters
 are more set2 their minds are less     
pliable2 it is harder to unbend and     
remould them4 ,the young are more       
readily formed to religious discipline4 
,in concluding this chapter on the      
appropriate age for entrance into       
religious life1 it may be said that1    
after reaching the prescribed age of    
fifteen1 the sooner an otherwise        
properly qualified person enters the    
nearer he seems to approach the ideals  
and traditionary practice of the        
,church1 and the better he will provide 
for his own spiritual welfare4   #a ,it 

would seem that for the space of two    
centuries1 this freedom of choice was   
not offered them4    ,,chapter ,,xi     
,,the ,,priesthood  ,the ,high ,priest  
of the ,new ,law1 ,st4 ,paul tells the  
,hebrews1 is ,christ4 ,and the          
,christian priesthood1 which ,he        
instituted1 is a participation and      
extension of ,his office and ministry4  
,the commemoration of the same sacrifice
 which was once offered upon the cross  
for the sins of the world is daily      
renewed on our altars from the rising to
 the setting of the sun4 ,the ,christian
 priest1 in the language of spiritual   
writers1 is another ,christ1 taking ,his
 place amongst men1 perpetually         
renewing1 as it were1 the ,incarnation  
in the ,sacrifice of the ,mass1         
preaching the word1 and applying the    
fruits of ,redemption through the       
channels of the sacraments4  ,in common 
estimation1 the dignity of a man is     
reckoned by the character of the office 
he fills or the duties entrusted to him4

 ,judged by this standard1 no worldly   
dignity can compare with that of the    
priesthood1 whose authority comes from  
,god1 and whose powers1 transcending    
earth1 reach back to heaven4 ,speak not 
of the royal purple1 says ,st4          
,chrysostom1 of diadems1 of golden      
vestures--these are but shadows1 frailer
 than the flowers of spring1 compared to
 the power and privileges of the        
priesthood4  ,and whence arises1 we may 
ask1 this incomparable dignity of the   
priest8 ,first of all1 from his power to
 roll back the heavens1 and bring down  
upon the altar the ,majesty of the      
,deity1 attended by an angelic train4   
,the ,blessed ,virgin1 ,st4 ,vincent    
,ferrer informs us1 opened heaven only  
once1 the priest does so at every ,mass4
 ,exalted is the sovereignty of kings   
who rule a nation1 but more sublime the 
power which commands the ,king of kings1
 and is obeyed4 ,who could conceive1 did
 not ,faith teach it1 that mortal man   
were capable of elevation to such a     

pitch of glory8 ,no wonder ,st4         
,chrysostom was betrayed by this thought
 into the rhapsody3 ,when you behold the
 ,lord immolated and lying on the altar1
 and the priest standing over the       
sacrifice and praying and all the people
 empurpled by that precious blood1 do   
you imagine that you are still on earth 
amongst men and not rather rapt up to   
heaven8  ,the second great prerogative  
of the priest is to forgive sins4       
,christ having one day said to a        
paralytic1 ,man1 thy sins are forgiven  
thee 7,luke v3 #bj71 some of the        
bystanders marvelled1 thinking within   
themselves1 ,who can forgive sins1 but  
,god alone8 ,yea1 truly is this a       
,divine power1 but these critics failed 
to comprehend the ,divinity of ,christ1 
and that all power was given to ,him in 
heaven and on earth4 ,and ,his power to 
remit sins has descended to the priest1 
in the imposition of hands4 ,at         
,christ's will lepers were cleansed1 and
 once more felt the pulsation of health 

tingling through their veins2 but more  
wondrous still the word of the priest   
which causes the scales of the leprosy  
of sin to fall from the stricken soul1  
and restores to it the pristine vigor   
and beauty of sanctifying grace4 ,as    
keeper of the keys1 the priest stands   
warder of heaven1 locking or unlocking  
its doors to the dust-begrimed pilgrims 
of earth4  ,sublime1 then1 is the       
priestly dignity1 even beyond human     
comprehension4 ,but one thing we        
realize1 and the saints with clearer    
vision perceive1 that high virtue is    
demanded of him whose life is spent in  
the antechamber of heaven4 ,st4         
,catharine of ,sienna1 in a letter to   
one newly ordained1 tells him1 ,the     
ministers whom the ,sovereign ,goodness 
has chosen to be ,his ,christs ought to 
be angels1 not men 4 4 4 they in truth  
discharge the office of angels4 ,what   
purity1 says a ,father of the ,church1  
what piety shall we require of a priest8
 ,think what those hands ought to be    

which perform such a ministry2 what that
 tongue which pronounces those words4   
,no sanctity or purity of soul1 then1 is
 beyond the aspirations of one whose    
heaven-born privilege it is to enter the
 ,holy of ,holies1 to dispense the      
mysteries of faith1 and exercise the    
ministry of reconciliation4  ,a most    
important function of the ministry is   
the care of souls4 ,christ's mission was
 to save2 ,he was the ,good ,shepherd1  
who traveled about preaching to the     
people1 who were like sheep without a   
shepherd4 ,and to ,his ,apostles and    
their successors ,he gave the solemn    
charge to feed ,his lambs4 ,and this    
injunction of the ,divine ,master has   
been held sacred by the ,church         
throughout its existence4 ,wherever in  
the world to-day dwell true believers1  
there are to be found priests to care   
for them4  ,the priest is truly the     
father of the people committed to him4  
,he must become all things to all men1  
rejoicing with the joyful1 and weeping  

with the sorrowful4 ,the infants he must
 receive into the ,church1 generating in
 them the life of grace1 guarding them  
as they grow up1 and instructing them in
 doctrine and discipline4 ,to him the   
bridal couple come for the nuptial      
benediction2 and when sickness and      
trouble and want invade the household it
 is to their father in ,christ the      
faithful look for support and           
encouragement4 ,he is the consoler of   
all1 and he bears the burdens of all4   
,and when the angel of death hovers over
 his charge1 the priest repairs to the  
bedside of the departing one1 to        
strengthen him for the last journey2    
and1 finally1 when the soul has         
departed1 he commits the body to        
hallowed ground1 there to await the     
resurrection4  ,the priest1 then1 must  
be of heroic mould to satisfy the       
demands made upon him2 he must be ready 
to endure hunger and cold and weariness1
 contradictions from within and without1
 labors by night and day4 ,but the ,lord

 is his inheritance1 and for ,his sake  
he is willing to endure all the crosses 
and trials that bear upon him4 ,how     
splendidly the clergy of our country    
have responded to their responsibilities
 is attested by the flourishing state of
 religion1 by the magnificent churches1 
the well-developed ,catholic school     
system1 and the numerous other ,church  
activities about us4 ,every thoroughly  
organized parish or mission means the   
life of at least one priest sacrificed  
in its formation--the commingling of his
 sweat and labors with the cement that  
binds together its material and         
spiritual stones4 ,but could a life be  
better spent8 ,what more fitting        
monument could be left to posterity than
 a spiritual structure built on ,christ 
and enduring as the foundation on which 
it rests8  ,who1 then1 may aspire to the
 glorious career of the priesthood8 ,is 
it open to all1 or must one await the   
striking manifestation of the ,divine   
,will inviting him to it8 ,should he not

 say1 ,the priesthood is too exalted for
 my weakness and unworthiness8 ,while   
humility is laudable1 it should not bar 
any one who has the requisite virtue and
 talent1 together with an upright       
intention1 from entering this high      
estate4 ,everything depends on one's    
qualifications and motives4 ,others will
 pass judgment on the qualifications1   
but each one must scrutinize his own    
motives4 ,if a youth desires the        
priesthood for natural reasons1 to lead 
an easy life or one honorable in the    
eyes of men1 to attain fame or station1 
his motives are wrong1 or at least1 too 
imperfect to carry him far on the rugged
 road before him4 ,but if he be swayed  
by supernatural desires1 such as the    
service of ,god1 his own sanctification 
or the help of his neighbor1 his        
ambition is praiseworthy4 ,one who is   
conscious1 then1 of rectitude of purpose
 and hopeful with the divine assistance 
of living up to its obligations1 may    
aspire1 without scruple1 to the         

priesthood1 the highest of dignities and
 the greatest of careers open to man4   
,one day our ,lord1 instructing ,his    
disciples before sending them to preach 
,his coming1 said3 ,the harvest1 indeed1
 is great1 but the laborers are few4    
,pray ye therefore the ,lord of the     
harvest1 that he send laborers into his 
harvest 7,luke x3 #b74 ,and this has    
been the cry through all the ages--,send
 laborers into the harvest6 ,the ,church
 has always needed good spiritual       
laborers1 men and women1 who would be   
willing to work for ,god and their      
neighbor1 to extend the ,kingdom of     
,god1 and this is true to-day of our own
 beloved country4 ,a host of spiritual  
laborers is scattered over our land1 but
 the cry is ever repeated1 ,we need     
more1 the work is too great for our     
efforts1 and all the harvest is not     
being garnered4  ,will you1 dear reader1
 make one more worker in ,god's field1  
one more reaper of ,his harvest that is 
ripe and falling to the ground because  

there are none to gather it8            
,,chapter ,,xii  ,,the ,,teacher',s     
,,aureole  ,as the acquaintance of young
 people with religious is frequently    
limited to their teachers1 they are     
sometimes inclined to identify in their 
minds the profession of teaching with   
religious life4 ,and since some feel a  
diffidence or repugnance in committing  
themselves to a teaching career1 they   
extend this aversion to the religious   
state itself4 ,we have shown1 however1  
in a previous chapter that there is     
great variety and diversity of          
occupation in religious orders1 so that 
all tastes and inclinations can find    
congenial exercise in them4  ,still1 it 
is probably true1 that the great        
majority of religious men and women are 
found in the class-room1 and this for   
the good and sufficient reason that     
,christian education is the paramount   
need of the day1 and the work on which  
the future of the ,church chiefly       
depends4 ,the young who1 perhaps1 are   

tempted to look upon teaching as an     
obscure employment and a monotonous     
grind1 will do well to reflect that in  
our time it is considered so honorable a
 profession that hundreds of thousands1 
even of those outside the ,church1      
deliberately choose it as the best and  
most favorable career for the play of   
their talents4  ,the professors of our  
noted universities command the respect  
and deference of the community1 and to  
them the public look for the solution of
 the constantly arising civic and social
 problems4 ,they are regarded as the    
natural leaders of thought1 and are     
expected to guide and direct popular    
movements affecting the well-being of   
society4 ,and this public esteem1 is    
extended in due proportion to all who   
are engaged in education1 for it is     
universally realized that the standard  
of morality and intelligence1 which is  
to obtain in the commonwealth1 will     
depend largely on the training given to 
the young4 ,the teacher is directly     

employed in the making of good citizens1
 which is a more important business than
 the extension of manufactures or       
commerce4 ,he is setting the ideals     
according to which the ,republic must   
stand or fall4  ,and1 for persons of    
refined or intellectual tastes1 the     
instruction of youth must be a          
pleasurable employment4 ,it is inviting 
to deal with the young and innocent1 who
 are eager to learn1 ambitious to excel1
 and who in return for their            
instructor's solicitude1 give him       
unstinted affection and gratitude1 and  
render him loyal obedience and respect4 
,in the teacher's hands is the moulding 
and shaping of character1 the direction 
of talents which may illumine society4  
,and can any sphere of action be more   
elevated1 more grateful than this8  ,and
 then1 too1 the educator is constantly  
engaged in the things of the mind1 in   
study1 and the discovery of new truths  
or new applications of old ones1 and in 
imparting his knowledge to fresh1 bright

 intelligences4 ,nothing is so          
fascinating to a person of intellectual 
bent as the pursuit and attainment of   
truth1 and this is the steady occupation
 of the teacher4 ,is not the outlook of 
such a life infinitely wider and more   
refreshing than the dull routine of     
business1 the noisy rumble of a factory 
or the sordid dealings of commerce8     
,but it is principally from the         
spiritual point of view that education  
is considered by the ,church and        
religious congregations4 ,the mandate of
 ,christ1 ,go ye forth and teach all    
nations1 laid the charge of teaching    
upon ,his ,church2 and on the pastors it
 devolves to see that the faithful are  
instructed in ,christian doctrines and  
obligations4 ,to rightfully carry out   
its mission1 the ,church has always felt
 obliged to insist that the education of
 its children be permeated with         
religion1 and in fulfilment of this duty
 it has established parochial schools   
throughout our country1 where the young1

 while acquiring secular science1 can at
 the same time be grounded in the faith 
and trained to virtuous lives4  ,it can 
be said1 then1 that the religious who   
conduct these schools share in the      
apostolic mission of the ,church4 ,every
 catechetical instruction1 every word of
 exhortation or encouragement to right  
living and doing which is given in the  
class-room1 is a participation by the   
teacher in the pastorate of souls1 in   
the announcing and preaching of the     
,gospel1 in the spreading of the        
,kingdom of ,god4 ,without the aid of   
the school1 the pastor ordinarily could 
not properly teach the young their      
prayers and catechism1 prepare them for 
the sacraments1 and equip them for the  
manifold exigencies of life4  ,religious
 education is our most distinctive work1
 says ,archbishop ,spalding1 of ,peoria4
 ,it gives us a place apart in the life 
of the country4 ,it is indispensable to 
the welfare and progress of the ,church 
in the ,united ,states1 and will be     

recognized in the end as the most vital 
contribution to ,american civilization4 
,fortunate are they1 who by words or    
deeds confirm our faith in the need of  
,catholic schools2 and yet more         
fortunate are they who1 while they      
inspire our teachers with new courage   
and zeal1 awaken in the young1 to whom  
,god has given a heart and a mind1 an   
efficacious desire to devote themselves 
to the little ones whom ,christ loves4  
,what better work1 in the present time1 
can any of us do than foster vocations  
to our ,brotherhoods and ,sisterhoods1  
whose special mission is teaching8  ,and
 ,brother ,azarias assures us that      
,there is not in this world among human 
callings a more sacred one than that of 
moulding souls to higher and better     
things4  ,bishop ,byrne1 of ,nashville1 
has well said3 ,the office of teaching  
has an advantage in some respects over  
the priesthood4 ,the teachers are       
constantly with their pupils1 shaping   
their souls1 coloring them1 informing   

them1 making them instinct with life and
 motives1 and giving them high ideals   
and worthy aspirations4 ,in all this    
their work is akin to that of the       
confessor4  ,the need of more teaching  
,brothers and ,sisters is particularly  
urgent and pressing1 as the number of   
pupils is increasing proportionately    
faster than the number of religious     
subjects1 and the dearth of teachers    
prevents the opening of new schools in  
many places where they are demanded1 and
 also hinders the development of the    
existing schools4 ,this is the opinion  
of ,bishop ,alerding1 who wrote3 ,the   
,church is being hampered in her work of
 educating her youth because the number 
of teachers1 ,brothers and ,sisters1 is 
inadequate4 ,and ,bishop ,mc,quaid did  
not hesitate to say that1 the most      
pressing want of the ,church in ,america
 at the present time is that of         
,brothers to assist in teaching our     
boys4  ,in this connection we may       
observe that some virtuous and          

self-effacing souls1 after the example  
of ,st4 ,francis of ,assisi1 have a     
dread of assuming the responsibilities  
of the priesthood1 and there are many   
others who are debarred from aspiring to
 that dignity by insufficiency of       
education4 ,young men of either of these
 classes have a splendid opportunity    
before them to serve ,god by joining a  
teaching congregation of ,brothers4     
,finally1 as an encouragement to        
,christian teachers in their glorious   
apostolate1 let them remember the great 
reward awaiting their unselfish labors4 
,the ,book of ,daniel 7xii3 #c71 tells  
us that ,they who instruct many to      
justice shall shine as stars for all    
eternity4 ,the inspired writer compares 
teachers to the stars of heaven1 for as 
the latter illumine the darkness of     
night1 so they who instruct others      
dispel the darkness of ignorance by     
shedding the rays of wisdom and         
knowledge into the minds of their       
disciples4 ,but there is a deeper       

meaning in this text1 for according to  
the interpretation of theologians1 it   
contains the assurance to those who     
teach others their duty1 of a special   
reward or golden crown in heaven1 called
 the ,doctor's or ,teacher's ,aureole4  
,the exact nature of this privilege1    
whether it is a special gift of loving  
,god or a distinctive garb of glory1 we 
do not know1 but as the martyrs and     
virgins have their special aureole1 so  
will teachers have theirs4  ,father     
,croiset exclaims3 ,oh6 the beautiful   
and rich crowns which ,god prepares for 
a religious who inspires little children
 with a horror of vice and a love of    
virtue6 4 4 4 ,what sweet consolation   
will be experienced at the moment of    
death by the religious when he beholds  
coming to his aid those souls whom he   
has helped to save4 ,and we may faintly 
conceive the transport of one who enters
 heaven accompanied by the resplendent  
retinue of those whom he has brought    
with him from earth4  ,this chapter     

would not be complete without a word of 
encouragement to those young men and    
women whose education is so deficient   
that they feel incompetent to teach1 and
 so turn away in sadness from the       
portals of religion1 thinking there is  
no room for them within4 ,such persons  
should know that any one who is skilled 
in a trade1 such as that of             
carpentering1 painting1 tailoring1 or   
sewing1 can be of the greatest utility  
and acceptability to a community4 ,and  
there are many offices of a domestic    
nature1 such as that of porter1         
sacristan1 refectorian and steward1     
which require little preparatory        
training and can be filled by any one of
 intelligence and good will4  ,nor      
should persons engaged in such duties   
entertain the notion that they will not 
share in the full spiritual privileges  
of the ,order2 for by the assistance    
they give to the other members they are 
contributing to the end and aim of the  
,institute and communicate in all the   

good works performed by it4 ,an edifying
 incident1 illustrative of this point1  
is told of a famous preacher who moved  
hearts in a wondrous fashion1 and when  
he was tempted to self-complacency in   
his success1 it was revealed to him that
 the results of his preaching were due1 
not to his own eloquence or zeal1 but to
 the prayers of the unobserved          
lay-brother1 who always sat at the foot 
of the pulpit1 telling his beads for the
 efficacy of the sermon4    ,,chapter   
,,xiii  ,,showing ,,the ,,way  ,when    
young people read or hear of persons    
entering religious life1 they are apt to
 say1 ,oh1 it is easy for them1 because 
they are holy2 but it is impossible for 
me who have so little virtue6 ,but1 as a
 matter of fact1 these religious have   
the same passions and temptations to    
overcome1 the same flesh and blood1 as  
ourselves1 and it was only by conquering
 themselves1 and struggling with their  
lower inclinations1 that they obtained  
the victory4  ,a boy was standing one   

day at a country railway station in the 
,united ,states1 when he met an older   
boy with whom he engaged in             
conversation4 ,his casual acquaintance  
confided to him that he was going off to
 college to prepare for entrance into a 
certain religious ,order2 and he urged  
the younger lad to accompany him for the
 same purpose4 ,but the latter replied1 
,oh6 they wouldn't have me1 for ,i am   
poor1 uneducated and every way unfit4   
,the other insisted1 however1 and       
finally prevailed on him to board with  
him the incoming train4 ,they repaired  
to the superior of the religious ,order1
 who received them kindly1 and sent them
 both to a boarding school4 ,after a    
short time the senior student was caught
 stealing1 and dismissed from the       
college4 ,his whilom companion1 however1
 persevered in his good design1 achieved
 honors in his studies1 and finally     
becoming a religious and a priest1 he is
 today doing effective work in the      
vineyard of the ,lord4  ,a story is told

 of a religious who gave a letter to a  
young man1 in which he recommended him  
as a suitable candidate for his ,order1 
bidding him present the letter to the   
superior1 who lived at a distance4 ,the 
young man1 desirous of joining the      
,order1 started on his journey with a   
companion named ,mathias1 who had no    
notion of becoming a religious4 ,on the 
way1 the would-be religious changed his 
mind1 and abandoning his project1 gave  
the letter to ,mathias1 who was ignorant
 of its contents1 requesting him to     
bring it to the superior4 ,the superior 
read the letter1 and thinking the       
recommendation referred to ,mathias1    
said to him1 ,very well1 you may go to  
the novitiate1 and put on the habit4    
,mathias wondered1 but obeyed1 entered  
the novitiate1 and became a holy        
religious4  ,st4 ,bernard1 ,abbot of    
,clairvaux1 and the foremost man of his 
age1 was so handsome and attractive in  
youth1 that the evil-minded laid snares 
against his chastity4 ,to escape their  

wiles he determined to enter the        
,cistercian monastery of ,citeaux4 ,his 
father and brothers endeavored to       
dissuade him from his purpose1 but      
instead1 by his fervid exhortations1 he 
induced four of his brothers and others1
 to the number of thirty1 to enter with 
him4 ,as the party was leaving home1    
little ,nivard1 the sole remaining boy  
of the family1 was at play with some    
companions4 ,guido1 the eldest of the   
brothers1 embraced him and said1 ,my    
dear ,nivard1 we are going1 and this    
castle and lands will all be yours4 ,the
 child1 with wisdom beyond his years1   
the chronicler tells us1 replied1 'what1
 are you taking heaven for yourselves1  
and leaving earth to me8 ,the division  
is not fair4' ,and from that day nothing
 could pacify the boy1 until he was     
permitted to join his brothers4  ,st4   
,alphonsus ,liguori1 who is said to have
 always preserved his baptismal         
innocence1 was so brilliant a student   
that at the age of sixteen he had       

obtained two degrees in the ,university 
of ,naples4 ,entering on the practice of
 the law1 he one day in a trial before  
the court1 by an oversight1 misstated   
the evidence4 ,his attention being      
called to his error1 he was so          
overwhelmed with shame and confusion at 
his apparent lack of truthfulness1 that 
on returning home he exclaimed1 ,world1 
,i know you now1 ,courts1 you shall     
never see me more4 ,and for three days  
he refused food4 ,he then determined to 
become a priest1 and in the ministry he 
attained great sanctity4 ,he founded the
 well-known ,congregation of the ,most  
,holy ,redeemer1 commonly called the    
,redemptorists2 and for his voluminous  
doctrinal writings1 ,pius ,,ix declared 
him a ,doctor of the universal ,church4 
,the story of the entrance of ,st4      
,stanislaus ,kostka into religion reads 
like a romance4 ,his father1 a ,polish  
nobleman1 had placed him and his older  
brother1 ,paul1 at the ,jesuit ,college 
in ,vienna4 ,when ,stanislaus was       

fifteen years of age he applied for     
admission into the ,jesuit ,order1 but  
as he had not the consent of his father1
 the superior feared to take him4 ,an   
illness supervened1 and the ,blessed    
,virgin came to cure him1 and giving the
 child ,jesus into his arms1 said to    
him1 ,you must end your days in the     
,society that bears my ,son's name2 you 
must become a ,jesuit4  ,notwithstanding
 the vision1 poor ,stanislaus was again 
refused by the ,jesuit superior4 ,not   
knowing what other step to take1 he     
thought that by traveling four hundred  
miles to ,augsburg1 in ,germany1 the    
,jesuit ,provincial of that province1   
who at the time was ,blessed ,peter     
,canisius1 might receive him1 for his   
jurisdiction seemed beyond the influence
 of ,senator ,kostka4 ,if again rejected
 in ,augsburg1 he was determined to walk
 eight hundred miles farther to ,rome1  
where he felt sure of securing his      
heart's desire4 ,accordingly1 one       
,august morning he rose early and       

telling his servant that he was going   
out1 bade him at the same time inform   
his brother ,paul not to expect him for 
dinner4 ,with light and joyous heart he 
started on his journey1 and at the first
 opportunity exchanged his fine clothes 
for the disguise of a pilgrim's staff   
and tunic4  ,when ,paul awoke and       
learned that ,stanislaus was gone for   
the day1 he was surprised1 but          
attributed it to some new pious freak4  
,but as the day wore on1 and the shades 
of evening gathered1 with no tidings of 
his brother1 consternation seized ,paul1
 for he realized that his irascible and 
powerful father would hold him          
responsible for the safety of the       
younger boy1 whom he loved with a       
passionate and unbounded affection4     
,accordingly servants were dispatched in
 every direction to seek for the truant1
 but no tidings could be obtained4 ,the 
conclusion gradually forced itself upon 
all that ,stanislaus had fled1 and ,paul
 determined to pursue him and bring him 

back4 ,for some reason1 suspicion was   
aroused that the runaway had taken the  
road to ,augsburg1 and a carriage with  
two stout horses was ordered for early  
dawn on the morrow4  ,along the highway 
to ,augsburg flew the equipage          
containing ,paul and three companions4  
,meanwhile1 little ,stanislaus was      
trudging bravely along1 putting all his 
confidence in ,god1 when he suddenly    
heard the rapid beat of horses' hoofs   
behind him4 ,suspecting what it meant1  
he quickly entered a by-lane1 and the   
occupants of the carriage rushed by     
without seeing1 or at least1            
recognizing1 him in his disguise4       
,stanislaus continued his pilgrimage in 
peace1 begging his way1 for he had no   
money1 and after two weeks1 he saw1 with
 inexpressible joy1 the roofs and spires
 of ,augsburg gleaming in the setting   
sun4 ,at last he had reached the haven  
of rest1 and with a bounding heart1 the 
weary boy knocked at the door of the    
,jesuit college4 ,but alas1 for all his 

hopes6 the provincial had gone to       
,dillingen4 ,the ,fathers urged him to  
stay and rest with them until the       
provincial's return1 but ,stanislaus    
would brook no delay4 ,at once he wended
 his way toward ,dillingen1 which he    
soon reached1 and when he knelt at the  
feet of ,blessed ,canisius1 two saints  
were face to face4 ,the superior pressed
 the boy to his heart1 and kept him in  
the college for a few weeks4 ,but as    
both the elder and younger saint thought
 ,germany still too near the influence  
of his father for safety1 ,stanislaus1  
in company with two religious1 set out  
on a further exhausting walk of eight   
hundred miles to ,rome1 where he was    
received as a ,jesuit novice by the     
,general of the ,order1 ,st4 ,francis   
,borgia4  ,the angelic boy had at last  
finished his long pilgrimages1 he had   
entered the earthly paradise for which  
he had yearned1 and for which he had    
forsaken home1 rank and country4 ,but   
the happiness of religion he soon       

exchanged for the joys of heaven1 for   
before completing his eighteenth year1  
and while still a novice1 he closed his 
eyes on this world to open them in      
company with ,mary and the angels on the
 ,beatific ,vision4    ,,chapter ,,xiv  
,,the ,,parents' ,,part  ,the home is   
the nursery of vocations4 ,most         
religious can trace the beginnings of   
their resolve to leave all to the       
influence of saintly parents and a      
,christian home4 ,if the parents        
cultivate faith1 charity and industry   
the fragrance of these virtues will     
cling round the walls of their dwelling1
 and perfume the lives of their         
children4  ,every ,christian home should
 be a convent in miniature1 filled with 
the same spirit1 productive of the same 
virtues4 ,it should be a cloister1      
forbidding entrance to the world and its
 vanities1 and harboring within gentle  
peace and happiness4 ,poverty should    
dwell there1 not in the narrower meaning
 of distress and want1 but in the wider 

acceptation of simplicity1 frugality and
 temperance as opposed to extravagance1 
display and ostentation4 ,purity1 too1  
should reign as queen of the hearth1    
regulating the glance of the eye1 the   
conversation1 and even the thoughts of  
the occupants4 ,and union and harmony of
 wills1 without which the idea of home  
is inconceivable1 can come only through 
obedience which binds the children to   
parents1 wife to husband1 and all to    
,god4  ,but1 unfortunately1 this is not 
always the case4 ,from many domiciles   
peace and tranquillity have fled1 giving
 place to frivolity1 vanity and         
worldliness and all their attendant     
train of vices4 ,how many parents1      
deceived by the wisdom of the flesh1    
seek their own gratification in all     
things1 and denying their children      
nothing that luxury or extravagance     
craves1 pamper and spoil them by        
indulging their every whim4 ,to train up
 the young to the steady and            
uncompromising fulfilment of duty is the

 only means to produce a hardy and      
sturdy generation of men and women1     
whose fidelity can be relied on in the  
trials and emergencies of after-life4   
,but some fathers and mothers1 when     
their children call for bread1 reverse  
the parable by giving them a stone1 and 
when they ask for an egg1 give them a   
scorpion4 ,we can imagine with what     
righteous indignation ,our ,lord would  
have denounced such a mode of action4   
,foolish parents even of limited means  
dress their girls in expensive and gaudy
 apparel1 which not only offends against
 taste and economy1 but sometimes       
transgresses the laws of modesty and    
decency4 ,familiarity between the sexes 
is permitted and encouraged by doting   
and foolish mothers1 who introduce their
 sons and daughters to juvenile society 
functions1 receptions1 parties and      
unbecoming dances2 so that children who 
should be at their lessons or playing   
healthful games with suitable           
companions1 are taught to affect society

 manners after the most approved fashion
 of their silly elders4 ,persons of this
 stamp may prepare for a rude awakening1
 for the day of reckoning for themselves
 and children will be sure and terrible4
  ,many parents1 while indeed quite     
solicitous according to their lights1   
for the temporal good of their          
offspring1 training them to a trade or  
profession1 or settling them in         
marriage1 devote but little thought to  
their spiritual welfare4 ,they dread a  
vocation in their family as a           
catastrophe4 ,it would be well1 indeed1 
for persons of this character to ponder 
the words of the ,pastoral ,letter of   
the ,second ,council of ,baltimore3 ,we 
fear that the fault lies in great part  
with many parents1 who instead of       
fostering the desire so natural to the  
youthful heart1 of dedicating itself to 
the service of ,god's sanctuary1 but too
 often impart to their children their   
own worldly-mindedness1 and seek to     
influence their choice of a state of    

life by unduly exaggerating the         
difficulties and dangers of the priestly
 calling1 and painting in too glowing   
colors the advantages of a secular life4
  ,how much better it were for parents  
to propose to the young the promise of  
,our ,lord1 ,and every one that hath    
left house1 or brothers or sisters or   
father or mother or wife or children or 
lands for my name1 shall receive a      
hundredfold1 and possess life           
everlasting4 7,matt4 xix3 #bi47 ,many a 
one1 whose wayward child has brought    
dishonor and shame to the family1       
realizes when all too late the happiness
 that might have been his had such a    
child only elected the religious state4 
,instead of throwing obstacles in the   
way of a vocation1 those who are        
appreciative of spiritual things feel   
honored that ,god has chosen one of     
their family circle for ,his special    
service4 ,persons whose sons obtain high
 position in the army1 court or         
government employ1 take a just pride in 

the distinction thus attained1 but such 
temporal honors cannot be compared with 
the singular privilege of serving in    
,god's own courts1 and dwelling within  
,his sanctuary4 ,bishop ,schrembs1 of   
,toledo1 aptly advises pastors to teach 
young parents that the service of ,god  
is even more glorious than that of      
country1 for as ,st4 ,jerome says1      
',such a service establishes ties of    
relationship between the family and     
,jesus ,christ ,himself4'  ,nor do      
parents1 as they sometimes fear1 lose a 
son or daughter who enters religion4    
,one who marries is in a certain sense  
lost to the parent1 for the             
responsibilities of his new state of    
life so absorb his energies as to leave 
him but little opportunity to concern   
himself about his old home4 ,and        
frequently distance entirely severs his 
connection with it4 ,but one who enters 
,god's house does not contract new      
family alliances1 his heart remains     
free1 and though separated from parents1

 his affection is always true to them1  
he thinks of them as in his childhood   
days1 and he never ceases to importune  
the blessings of heaven upon them4  ,in 
fact1 we may say that a vocation is not 
strictly an individual1 but rather a    
family possession4 ,a call to ,god      
implies sacrifice on the part of the    
family1 as well as of the individual1   
for while he gives up parents1 brothers 
and sisters1 they1 too1 must part with  
him4 ,and as they share in the          
renunciation1 they participate also in  
its merit and reward4 ,in ,god's        
household the religious represents his  
family1 he works and prays by proxy for 
them1 and they share in his graces and  
good deeds4 ,is it not a matter of daily
 experience that the family of a        
religious1 particularly the parents1    
receive abundant graces1 that ,god leads
 them in various ways to greater        
fidelity in ,his service1 to a love of  
prayer and higher perfection8 ,parents  
of religious frequently become religious

 themselves at heart1 and though not    
clothed with the habit1 they share in   
the hundredfold promised to the child4  
,it is the glory of a large and happy   
,catholic family to produce a vocation1 
says ,rev4 ,joseph ,rickaby1 ,s4,j4 ,a  
sound ,catholic is glad to have brother 
or sister1 uncle or aunt1 or cousin or  
child1 'who has pleased ,god and is     
found no more' in the ordinary walks of 
life1 because ,god hath taken and       
translated him to something higher and  
better4  ,parents and teachers1 then1   
who do not hesitate to incline the minds
 of children to a professional career1  
should have no fear also to direct their
 thoughts to higher things4 ,to praise  
in the family circle the priestly or    
religious life1 to express the hope and 
desire that one or more of the children 
may have the great happiness of such a  
profession1 to offer them daily in      
prayer to ,god1 to train them to piety  
and devotion1 these are all praiseworthy
 in a father or mother1 and if          

faithfully practiced in all families    
would doubtless greatly increase the    
number of ,god's chosen servants4       
,anything approaching coercion or       
excessive urging should1 of course1 be  
avoided1 because moral violence should  
not be done to the child's will4 ,but   
the remark sometimes made by            
well-meaning mothers1 ,o1 ,i would not  
say a word to influence my child towards
 religion1 for fear of interfering with 
,god's work1 shows a lamentable         
ignorance of the nature of a vocation4  
,one might almost as well say1 ,o1 ,i am
 careful not to contribute to the       
building of a church1 because if ,god   
wants it built1 ,he will not need any   
help4 ,if all persons thought thus1 such
 a church would be long in building4    
,most of ,god's works require our       
cooperation4 ,he designs them and we    
must carry them out4 ,many a great      
project has depended on a timely word1  
or on the exertions of some man who rose
 to the occasion4 ,andrew and ,john were

 sent to ,our ,lord by ,st4 ,john the   
,baptist1 and they became apostles2 and 
if ,andrew had not found his brother    
,simon and brought him to ,jesus1 who   
knows whether ,christ would not have    
found it necessary to appoint another   
head of the ,church in place of ,simon  
,peter8  ,to parents1 then1 belongs the 
singular privilege of training their    
children to tender piety1 of directing  
their thoughts to spiritual things2 and 
fidelity to this trust will give us a   
glorious generation of men and women    
ready to risk all1 to sacrifice all in  
the service of their ,creator4          
,,chapter ,,xv  ,a ,,parting ,,word     
,now1 dear reader1 that you and the     
writer have kept company thus far1 he is
 reluctant to part from you4 ,but if you
 perceive within you the germ of a      
vocation1 he begs you not to crush it4  
,if in your heart there is a spark of   
that celestial fire1 which may be fanned
 to a consuming flame of divine love1   
keep it burning4  ,preserve your soul1  

oh6 so perfectly from the slightest     
touch of evil1 remembering that the     
least deliberate venial sin stains it   
more than we can comprehend4 ,above all1
 cherish holy purity1 that exquisite    
ornament of youth1 which1 like a        
polished gem1 may so easily lose its    
lustre4 ,guard the avenues of your soul1
 your sight and hearing and the other   
senses1 through which contamination from
 without is always seeking to enter and 
defile the beauty of ,god's handiwork4  
,about us is an atmosphere of           
worldliness1 which we imperceptibly     
breathe in from the words of companions1
 from the printed page1 and the example 
of the careless4 ,shun companionship    
with the frivolous1 vanity of dress1 and
 that indiscriminate reading which only 
feeds an idle curiosity4 ,the theatres  
of our day are especially dangerous to  
virtue1 and he who stays away from them 
entirely1 will consult his own          
advantage1 as well as please ,god4  ,in 
this soft and luxurious age the popular 

trend is to self-gratification in all   
its forms4 ,but the true ,christian must
 ever strive against corrupt nature1 if 
he would not be carried away by the     
stream of voluptuousness4 ,self-denial  
is the watchword of ,christianity4 ,all 
are called to the practice of penance in
 some shape or form1 the best usually   
being the exact performance of duty4    
,the young of school age will find a    
strong shelter from temptation in the   
scrupulous and enthusiastic performance 
of their daily tasks and lessons4 ,that 
small boy had caught the true spirit1   
who used to rise early1 to prepare      
himself1 as he said1 for the missionary 
life1 to which he aspired4  ,a material 
help for boys to prepare for future     
life1 is to serve at the altar4 ,he who 
sacrifices his morning sleep1 overcoming
 sloth1 to minister to the priest at    
,mass1 is already1 by a privilege1      
fulfilling the functions of one of the  
minor orders1 that of the acolyte4 ,the 
devout server at ,mass shares in its    

graces next to the celebrant1 and more  
than the ordinary faithful who assist at
 it2 and many an altar-boy1 as he glided
 about the sanctuary1 mingling with the 
invisible angels who hovered around the 
,victim of sacrifice1 has felt the seeds
 of vocation sprouting in his soul4     
,devotion to the ,mother of ,god should 
also be a characteristic of youth4 ,she 
sympathizes with us1 as only a mother   
can1 in all our difficulties and trials4
 ,she fully appreciates what we have to 
contend with1 she sees our weakness1 the
 strength of our passions1 the          
temptations we encounter1 and she is    
eager to throw about us the mantle of   
her protection1 if we will only ask her4
 ,never a day should pass without our   
commending ourselves earnestly to her   
motherly heart1 for she is even more    
interested in our welfare than we       
ourselves4 ,she is powerful to aid us1  
since all good things come to us through
 her2 and she will choose for her devout
 clients the career in which they may   

best serve ,god4  ,by a strange         
perversion of mind1 we often seek to    
unravel the perplexities of life1       
without recourse to prayer4 ,when       
involved in business anxieties1 men     
spend days of worry in wrestling with   
them1 without perhaps asking the ,father
 of ,lights for guidance4 ,and the young
 also1 who must settle for themselves   
their future career1 frequently strive  
to do so1 without the help of heaven4   
,they perhaps consult human advisers1   
but fail to consult ,god1 the best of   
counsellors1 ,who alone can see behind  
the veil of the future1 and infallibly  
tell what is best for us4  ,in coming to
 any important decision1 light and      
strength are needed1 light to know the  
pathway of duty1 and strength to follow 
it4 ,on account of the obscurities and  
half-lights of our intellect1 we        
perceive but dimly1 and often fail to   
discern the true from the false4 ,the   
illumination of the white light of      
,truth is needed to flood the dark      

recesses of the mind4 ,and even when the
 truth stands clearly revealed1 we are  
often too indolent or enervated to      
embrace it2 we need the tonic of        
resolution and courage1 which can be    
infused into us only from on high4  ,the
 trustful child of ,god should1 day by  
day1 commend his future into the hands  
of his heavenly ,father1 praying ,him to
 shape his life and career4 ,each one   
has his own talents1 one or many1 but he
 cannot hope to trade or barter with    
them in a fruitful way unless the ,giver
 of them bless his efforts4 ,our        
constant prayer1 then1 should be for the
 fulfilment of ,god's will in our       
regard1 with the lively faith that      
whatever we ask will be granted4  ,and  
of all prayers and devotions1 can any be
 more efficacious or salutary than the  
frequent reception of the ,holy         
,eucharist8 ,our ,holy ,father1 ,pius   
,x1 desires the boys and girls of the   
whole world to be nourished daily1 from 
the tenderest years1 with the ,bread of 

,life1 that they may wax strong in the  
spiritual life1 and grow up virile      
,christians4 ,one ,holy ,communion1     
received fervently1 should be sufficient
 to sanctify a soul and awake in it the 
desire of closest union with ,christ1 of
 self-immolation on the altar of ,divine
 ,love4  ,then what of the soul which is
 daily nourished with the ,wheat of the 
,elect and the ,wine that springeth     
forth ,virgins8 7,zach4 ix3 #ag47 ,holy 
,communion has been styled the ,marriage
 ,supper of the ,lamb1 wherein ,christ  
caresses the soul1 communicates to it   
sweetest secrets1 and touching it with  
the ardent flames of ,his own ,heart1   
purifies it from attachment to          
creatures1 and sets it aglow with the   
white heat of charity4 ,the frequent    
communicant1 then1 is surest of knowing 
and doing ,god's will4  ,in conclusion1 
the writer may be allowed to indulge the
 hope that more than one reader may be  
impelled to aspire to the virgin's      
aureole1 the special privilege of       

joining the one hundred and forty-four  
thousand1 whom ,st4 ,john1 in the vision
 of the ,apocalypse1 saw following the  
,lamb1 whithersoever ,he went1 and      
singing a canticle that none else could 
sing1 because they were virgins4  ---   
,go now1 little book1 fly away to some  
perplexed soul who is anxious to        
discover the secrets of the ,divine     
,will2 and whisper it a message of peace
 and consolation1 telling it that1 ,eye 
hath not seen1 nor ear heard1 nor hath  
it entered into the heart of man1 what  
things ,god hath prepared for them that 
love ,him4 7,i ,cor4 ii3 #i47           
,,prayer ,,for ,,the ,,right ,,choice   
,,of ,a ,,state ,,of ,,life4  ,o ,thou1 
the ,god of wisdom and counsel1 ,who    
dost perceive in my heart a sincere     
desire of pleasing ,thee alone1 and of  
conforming myself entirely to ,thy most 
holy will in the choice of my state of  
life1 grant me1 ,i beseech ,thee1       
through the intercession of the ,blessed
 ,virgin1 my mother1 and of my patron   

saints1 especially ,st4 ,joseph and ,st4
 ,aloysius1 the grace to know what state
 of life ,i should choose1 and when     
known to embrace it1 so that ,i may seek
 and spread therein ,thy glory1 work out
 my salvation1 and merit that reward in 
heaven which ,thou hast promised to     
those who fulfill ,thy divine will4     
,amen4  ----  ,an indulgence of three   
hundred days1 once a day1 for the above 
prayer1 granted by ,pope ,pius ,x1 ,may 
#b1 #aije4    ,,the ,,frank ,,meany     
,,co41 ,,printers1 ,,inc41 ,,new ,,york