Current Topics

New Zealand Tablet, 11 January 1912, Page 17

Current Topics

Concerning Vocations > The recent ordination to the priesthood of students v from Meeanee and; Mosgiel has no doubt made many _=: young men think seriously of their"future, and of the '.;'. possibility of \ their being called to serve : God in 1 the ecclesiastical state. But the subject of vocation is a ; difficult one, and it is not always easy to know whether >■< one is called by God or not. It may be useful, therefore, to explain what is meant by a vocation, and to ; point out the signs by which it may be known. A ;. vocation has been defined to be'.'-' neither a miraculous interference of Providence nor a mere persuasion of •; pious fancy, but the Will of 'God. manifested beforehand, indicating the state 'of life that one should choose.' When our Lord passed along the shores of the Sea of Galilee and said to Simon- and Andrew, who ■ ■•■- were there mending ; their '■■_ fishing nets,-'".' Come;after/Me f and I shall make you fishers l of.men'He called them in a very plain way: that 1 was the Will of God mani- 1 fested beforehand. ; But, as a; rule,'- the invitation is- ; not' so pointed; no express messenger comes from ■{ heaven; God's Will has ... to he inferred from certain '■; signs. These signs may be more strongly marked in ; ; ., some, less, : strongly in others; w bub in all. these are suffiV; ciently strong; to justify one in .going ;to an w ecclesias- ; tical college in order to find out whether; God is calling one to the priesthood or to the life of a -good layman in the world. - ; ;.'-' - '" . v ;''' '_■'■ ;■ ) ; f('~ y 'J\ ;.-; -; .;;- ' ..'..^*-'-l : ''' ; :~H''?-'&-,\ ':/.'■' ',;. '': " t ; /.What are these signs? In ordinary cases, they come to fitness for . the /work and a genuine 'desire to J:undertake the work. - When God wishes a man to serve. ; Him in a particular state, He may be trusted to , give ■ that man an inclination thereto and ~ the necessary qualifications. If the inclination and qualifications are present, it may be safely inferred that God is calling one ' to : the priesthood; if these are hot present, it may be •; just as safely inferred that ,there is no vocation.- To make the matter still clearer, we venture to quote the explanation given by Father O'Reilly, S.J. This learned and pious Jesuit was Professor of Theology /in Maynooth College from 1838 to 1851, and was spoken "of i; by Cardinal Newman in ; his famous Letter to the Duke : of Norfolk as ' a great authority and one of the first theologians of the day.' ;In his explanation; Father; • O'Reilly speaks of the religious state, but his remarks hold good for a vocation to the priesthood. (1) ' Vocation to the religious state seems to, consist practicallyi> in complete or quite sufficient ' fitness for the state, without any extrinsic obstacle, either in the shape of impossibility or in that of some obligation inconsistent with the ; state. This is a ; sufficient - vocation, taking into account the intrinsic excellence and preferableness of the religious state. It is the best state for any whom it really answers; and it really answers those in whom the conditions above stated are found. (2) A vocation£.' may be rendered more than sufficient either by a 'strong impulse of grace' towards the religious state "or by .the. spiritual necessity.a person: is under of taking refuge in it from dangers to; his salvation. The impulse of grace towards the religious state may be sensible [that is to say, accompanied by a; natural 'feeling or l inclination for the religious state] or it l may be merely; rational; and dry ;; [that is, a person if eels persuaded he ought td serve God ,in that .way] .-Frequent importunate . thoughts of the religious state ; as desirable may be and ' are, at least very often, effects and; signs of such an ; v ; impulse of; grace, or more properly the impulse; itself.. ; (3) There may be a vocation "more than sufficient with- ; out a sensible attraction and even with; a good deal of ;; sensible repugnance, especially occasional repugnance.i (4) When it is prudently judged on; mature reflection;; that there is a;: decided impulse of grace /towards the religious state, though no obvious necessity on the score of avoiding dangers, it is dangerous not to follow the call, considering that it is ,a;call:. of God on ' obe-' dience to.which, the abundance of graces important for salvation may dqpend.' . '

Father O'Reilly then goes on to give answers to certain .particular cases. .Here are two of the case and answers:— (1) The case ofi one who; would gladly become a priest or enter a I religious Order,' if God wished it- :; and would ' as gladly remain in the world if God wished it, but cannot feel sure which He does wish. His answer to this case, is as follows: Such a person,* if • perfectly fit: and not having any obstacle of much account—looking at the matter spiritually—would seem to have a sufficient vocation. There may indeed be some reason, to doubt the person's fitness on account of' the being undecided; but this reason; may not, all things l considered, be of much weight. In some such cases,: the ; person would do well to make a jump on the 1 side : ol religion, : without waiting to be more decidedly led into it by one's own reasoned -feelings. ' Such persons , shouß often pray for : a vocation.' (2) The case of one who at times prefers the life of the priest or the life of religion and at times ,the life; honorable and Godtearing, of ,an ordinary Christian in the world,' - but t then by and .by : would sooner f ego all and be devoted ' to God—and yet won't -decide. His answer to this > ,; second case is as Mows:— < These attractions of : the { world are merely human reasons, and therefore should not be taken into account in weighing the reasons for and against entering religion. The only . danger •; in I such a case is that the person, may be unfit If or the religious life /because he is undecided— this danger is not considerable. ' Sometimes/too, these same worldly; attractions may be a very good reason for embracing the religious state-because; though the V are lawful for 1 others r they are just the thing that "is keeping this .. particular .person back from serving, God as He "wishes.' v Three Factors in a Vocation • ; t Apart from the signs of vocation," there 7 are ; three 1 ' important factors that lead up. to or decide a vocation •■ (a) A call -from God. VSpeaking of the office of a' priest, the inspired writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews ; ■ says: 'Neither doth : any man take the honor to himself, but he that is called by God, as Aaron was. 1 So" ; Christ also did not glorify Himself, that He might be - made a -high-priest;; but He; that said unto Him:;Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten thee' f as He saith also in another place: 'Thou 1 art a priest ,' ; for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech.' (5 4,5) ; Our Lord, too, , reminded '.> His first priests—--1 • You have not chosen Me, but I 'have chosen s you' • :; and He spoke of them as the gift of His Father • ' f.V have manifested Thy name, to those whom Thou hast IJ- Ve m L Me out " of the world - Thine the were and to Me Thou 'g a y e ? t >v them. '"•■■ •". Holy Father, keep them : m Thy name whom Thou hast given Me.' It is, then :1 i God's prerogative to call to ; the priesthood or the reli-; , gious state; no man may lawfully enter 1 the ministry of : Hhe JS"\ r . cll unless; in obedience to a divine vocation: (b) Obedience to the call. At some period or other of life, a decision has to be made. Whatever .the decision be, •* it ■•; is -''of;; supreme importance that ■ it \ should V': be a ' right > one. In ' practice, the course -to be followed • is, first, to pray, and to consider the. purpose of human life; secondly, lo write down i; and consider; r carefully the reasons :on 7 the one side and the other; thirdly, to come to someCdecision, at least , provisionally; and, finally, to ask advice. The matter one way or the other 'is a serious one, and a . decision should be come to only; when reason, illumined " by faith and helped by prayer : and advice, has done '' its work;; (c) The influence of the mother. There is an influence in the home, a gracious presence making itself felt all the day and everywhere, that should silently raise the souls; of the children !to nobler thoughts— and > ; that is : the influence and the ; presence vof J the mother. . There is a beautiful' illustration of this power for good in the case of Mrs. Vaughan, the mother of Herbert *; Vaughan, Cardinal-Archbishop of -Westminster (1892.1903), Roger, Archbishop of Sydney (1873-1884), John at present Bishop of Salford, and' Father Bernard Vaughan, the distinguished Jesuit. The biographer of Cardinal Vaughan writes thus of this saintly woman ; :— ■■ Beautiful, as her portraits remain to testify. Mrs-

Vaughan was one of those gentle spirits whose influence is chiefly felt in the happy difference they make in'all • the lives that are near them. ';- ? ;-|: A convert to the Catholic Church shortly before: her marriage, she consecrated herself heart and soul : to the service of God.. Her religion colored her . whole outlook upon, the world. It was [ay favorite .sayings of hers that she had received = : f all from God, and so must be ready to give everything back ,to Him. „ And what more precious had j she to : / j give and surrender than her own children ?'< She wanted f S: them all to become priests and nuns. • It was r not ;a--case of thinking that it would be nice if some younger son made his mind to study i for the priesthood, or one- of the daughters went to a convent there to t pray ■.-;■ 1 for the. rest; she besought-God to send vocations to " them —to Herbert, her eldest born, no, less'than to-* '' the; others. For, nearly -twenty years it was her daily _ practice to spend an, hour —from five to six in the afternoon—in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament; asking this favor —that God .would call every one of her ; children jto i serve Him in .the choir « or, in the'sanctuary. In' the event -all her five :< daughters entered convents, ;fi|: and ; of .her (eight sons, '.'■ six became priests ;; even the two : ; - ■ who have remained ; in the ; world for a :.■ time entered ■■:■> ■■■ ecclesiastical seminaries to- try their vocations '(Life of *"" Cardinal Vaughan, 1., p. 11). ; : . The Conversion of a Doctor ; . The French press was recently full: of the conversion of M. Amieux, the doctor in charge of the 1 famous ;/ • Menier Establishment. Writing to M. Max . Sangnier, p&V'the leader of the Sillon party in France, this distin- ;;%> ■ guished convert gives the principal reasons that led him to embrace the 1 Catholic faith- 'Dear friend.l am about to become a Catholic. I ask your prayers. ' of our Holy Father the Pope. : Had you acted otherwise, • doubtless I should not ,■;' be -a ; Catholic; at this moment, for I had confidence in you, ; and; you would have ruined my. confidence and delayed my conversion. I have waited four years before taking this; irrevocable decision on which I shall never ; go back. .^; L have studied : the ; doctrine point by point. I have prayed to God,. to our Lord Jesus Christ, and I have also asked the;, assistance of the Blessed Virgin;;; And after con- - stant toil, and a trial of religious experience that God; alone knows, with an ardent; desire of . Himself, in full possession of my 'faculties, with a ; sense7-of|{aHlJfeiy; re- -: sponsibilities, I wish to become v a Catholic. . v .- I believe with all my powers;in, Revelation, in the Trinity,' -;.;-■■■ the Incarnation, . grace, in the ; sovereign and infallible v authority of the Pope in matters of -faith. I believe in the. Real Presence in the ; Sacred : Host of Jesus Christ, '/.■"''.■ Who was born of the Virgin Mary, and Who rose again the third day, and I believe in the efficacy of all the. Catholic Sacraments. And as the philosophy of Sab->. atier or of Harnack or the variations of Protestantismdo not satisfy my deep religious needs, it is a duty for,i me definitely to proclaim my faith and to glorify the God of my ascension and of my access to the Light, ■::'■■': to ' the absolute Truth. Protestantism may give the perfume of Jesus Christ, but it veils the \actual realityy. and that is why I go over v to Catholicism.' , * About the same time .as ; Amieux wrote this , beau- , tiful letter, two other great doctors died in Paris:: Raymond, professor at the Paris Faculty of Medicine, and Lancereaux, at one time : President of . the Academy 'of Medicine. Both of these renowned men were convinced Christians and practising Catholics;, the lives of> I-, both had given a striking proof that faith and science 1 ;■ v are not incompatible. Apropos of Raymond, La Croix I , made this just-remark:;' When the announcement was "• recently made of the death of Raymond, of the Paris :,.-, Faculty of Medicine, the successor of Charcot at the Salpetriere, it seems to us that there was left in the shade a point which deserved above all else to be brought out into the light. This illustrious physician, whose studies had all, been devoted to neurology and psychopathologv, had lived as a practical Catholic and made a' most' Christian end That fact shows how impudent ..-'■■;, are those materialists 'who.declare that Christian faith

cannot be reconciled with the study of psycho-physio-logy, as if science should have any other result than the strengthening 'of solidly-built convictions.' The Progress of Catholicism in the World ■'■.;'- An Italian writer, A. M. ■ Stravelli, ' has recently published. a work on : the progress, of the Catholic Church. Here is a list- of the conquests made by the Church during the past century: r

■ .■•'-;■: -.■•■- ■ ■■;. .■■-'■;No. of Catholics * No. of Catholics in 1800. in 1900. England .: : „'. ... ' 120,000 " ... 2,180,000 Germany ""•'; ... .... 6,000,000 ..." 20,321,441 Holland ... ... 300,000 ... 1,822,000 ". Switzerland .:-. . ... 420,000 ".:;. ... 1,300,000 Roumanian ".:./[ ;7.. ;'. 16,000 '-.::> 150,000 ! Bosnia-Herzegovina ':■' 25,000 l > ,:■"..> - ; 398,000 Bulgaria ' ... ;" ... 1,300 ' ... ' 28,000 ■. Servia ; - ; "... .',. . "6,000. :,:./ ■; 20,000, Greece " ... • ... 15,000 J. ... . 44,000 Africa - ... A few thousands u 850,000 Asia ; ..: / ; ; „ . ... ' 4,600,000 United States of : , . - America • ... -' 40,000 ... 22,587,079* Canada • ... ... 160,000 ... 2,250,000 Australasia ... • ; ..." L "— v . ... ;; 1,000,000 M

■■: * Including the Philippine Islands.. Latin America possesss 40,000,000 Catholics today. In Russia there were 230,000 conversions during the brief space of four years (1905 to 1909), and in ; European Turkey 24,855 during practically the same -period;- '."--- : '., " -• '..*■V ~": -'■■"-- ''"''■'-;■ " -~. . - ' .;•■" "■' *■" ;i " ■■ , * ' - " . This brief summary of the magnificent ■ progress N made by the Catholic Church; during the past century I confirms the remarks of M. "Hod, in the Paris Figaro (February, 1906) : • During three centuries, the Church ; has-lost some countries; on "which Protestantism and' free thought have ; fastened* their grasp. : But; - the .Church, singly; and patiently, with a : tranquil power that nothing arrests, once again 5 conquered': the lost ground. - Like the torrent, which, stopped in its course by some huge rock, hollows out for itself another bed, surrounds the rock v that bars its flow, and eats: away its foundations, the. Church, when attacked, conquered at times in the place where it has 1 - developed, makes a long detour; to gain other regions.' v v ** Interesting Admissions 4 \ Some fifteen year - ago, Count; Hoensbroeck, i a \, German Jesuit, left his; Order and joined the Protestant Church of Prussia. He still belongs to that Church, but he ■; has recently (1910) written his autobiography, in which occur the following remarkable admissions: ■ .Apropos of Harnack, the most distinguished scholar on the Liberal Protestant ■; side in Germany: 1I * admire - his knowledge, but I. am astonished at his ignorance of Catholicism." v ~ . - - . --.- , vf Apropos of Protestant professors and ministers: ', I have often come across very* great ignorance :of Catholicism among Protestant professors . at "the Unir versity and even among the -highest members of the ; Protestant hierarchy. Any Catholic pupil would- be capable of convicting them of stupidity, of bad faith, and of ignorance.' We are tempted to suggest that this, remark holds good -of ■-- other places .besides Germany. V ; ; : * - ' *~ '' Apropos of the Catholic Church: 'ln no other -Christian' society does ~ the stream of v Christian idealism 1 throw out t such powerful waves as in the ultramontane ■ Catholic "Church.; Above all, the ultramontane Cath- ■: olic is a man and wishes to be a Christian, that is to say, he possesses a heart which!hides the bright heights and the empurpled depths of what s is human and Christian., It is only ultramontane. Christianity that resolutely places before the, eyes of a man and a Christian Tthe realisation of his ideal, by showing him the cloisters and by making these-words re-echo there: "I am the Way,-the Truth,'-and the Life."'-

Apropos of the Protestant Church of Prussia: 'lt is a very imperfect human work that interiorly and exteriorly has thrown away its religious and Christian character in order to 4 assume a character of official bureaucracy. . -.-,. It suffices to glance' at Sacred •Scripture and to recall the part that bishops and priests are called on to play,» in order to recognise; that the Supreme Pontiff and the ecclesiastical authorities of the national Protestant Church of Prussia have nothing, absolutely nothing in common with Christianity. It is not merely the natural; dependence of the Protestant Church of Prussia on the State, which is anti-Christian and: anti-religious; it is further the deplorable; dependence of the Church on the Court. . . -God, religion/ and Christianity often serve only to hide vanity and egoism. . Such a Church cannot inspire love, not even respect.' (Quoted 1 ;in : the People's Gazette of Cologne, 18th July, 1910.) X:-;':7 :