Vocations
There are various grades or states of life in human society; there
are ecclesiastics, physicians, lawyers, soldiers,
married people and
unmarried; human society is like a body, each member of which has its
own individual functions (1 Cor. Xii.12), or like a clock, in which all
the wheels, large and small, work into one another. It is God
Himself Who calls every man to his special state, hence we speak of it
as his “vocation”, and God gives everyone the graces necessary to his
calling. Thus if a man feels inwardly drawn to one particular
state, he ought to obey this attraction, just as the migratory birds
obey the motion that teaches them to seek a warmer clime in the autumn.
Those who do not follow that interior impulse, but force themselves to
embrace a calling for which they feel no inclination, too often share
the fate of the birds who do not journey southwards; like them they do
not thrive.
As our vocation comes from God, in fulfilling its obligations we serve Him; consequently the duties of our state ought to take precedence of all others. In some cases we have to leave God for God.
Those who conscientiously accomplish the duties of their calling are
conscientious in all things. Like the principal wheel in a
machine, if this goes well all else goes well; but if it stops the whole
of the works are at a standstill. “If a man” says St. Francis of Sales
“does not perform the grave obligations of his state, though he raise
the dead and practice all manner of austerities he is in mortal
sin and will perish eternally”. In vain those pray who will not
work; all piety is false which is not subordinated to the claims of our
calling, for no state of life if lawful, is a hindrance to salvation.
(The catechism explained – Spirago Clarke).
For fuller information on this subject please use the links below.
http://www.holycrossseminary.com/
https://sspx.org/en/priesthood/vocation
and visit the web site of the Mother House http://www.fsspx.org/
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