The Gift of Religious Vocation - To Love God Wholeheartedly

We often hear about the "vocations crisis" in the Church. But what we don't often hear, is that this crisis is partly due to the common (mis)-understanding of vocation. Many people think a vocation means that God comes in an extraordinary manner to someone and tells him what to do. Yes, that can happen, but is it the usual way? No, it is on the rarer side. And what if God doesn't come? Usually the person will assume that he should follow the usual Christian path and marry, and will hardly consider religious life or the priesthood. Thus fewer people enter religious life or become priests.

Others think that God always calls people by their feelings, and they should choose the way of life to which they feel most attracted, rather than the one they determine to be best. If they are not attracted to religious life, they will not really consider it. But in many ways it is actually better to enter religious life only because it is more perfect, without an attraction for it. St. Thérèse of Lisieux tells her sister Céline, who plans to enter the Carmel, how glad she is that Céline feels no attraction to the Carmel, because that is really a mark of God's favor. St. Teresa of Avila also speaks of the happiness God gives to such people.

Others think that only extraordinarily good and holy people are called to religious life, only they are able to live it. Religious life is a difficult way, and a way of perfection. But though it is difficult, we ask God for the strength we need. And being a way of perfection does not mean that those who enter it must be perfect, but that one aims to become perfect.

But what does Christ say? "Let him who can take it, take it!" The traditional understanding of a vocation is quite different. One must have a good intention, and one must be suitable for the life, without obstacles presented by health, duties to other persons, or similar things. That is all that is required, and all that the Church asks for as signs of a religious vocation.

A true priestly vocation is not established so much by some inner feeling or devout attraction, which may sometimes be absent or hardly perceptible; but rather by a right intention in the aspirant together with a combination of physical, intellectual and moral qualities which make him fitted for such a state of life. (Pope Pius XI, Ad Catholici Sacerdotii (On the Catholic Priesthood)

Read more on vocation according to the Catholic Church.
Of course, to really have a good intention, it is not enough merely to intend something good; we must also be willing to do what it takes to achieve it. If someone wants to learn French, he must be willing to study it. If someone wants to enter religious life, he must be willing to live chastely and to obey the superiors of his community.

What does this mean for those who are considering religious life? First, someone who wants to enter religious life and is able to live it should not refrain from doing so because he thinks he may not be called, nor should others discourage him from entering. "Let no one, who is unwilling, be driven to this kind of consecrated life; but, if one wishes it, let there be no one who will dissuade him, much less prevent him from undertaking it." (The Sacred Congregation of Religious, Statutes appended to the Apostolic Constitution Sedes Sapientiae).

Further, religious life is "a special path to holiness." To the young man asking him about eternal life, Christ says, "if you would be perfect, go sell what you possess and give to the poor... then come, follow me." (Mt 19:21) Religious life is not the only way, but it is "the surest way to reach the goal of Christian perfection." (Pope John XXIII, Sacerdotii Nostri Primordia, (On St. John Vianney))

The state of perfection is not only theory. It is life. And it is precisely life that confirms the truth of Christ's words: do not the majority of canonized saints come from religious Orders or Congregations? (Pope John Paul II, Homily of October 2, 1994)

Because it is the surest way to perfection, those who are fit for religious life, and would like to follow Christ in this way should pursue this path. But before entering religious life they must be wholeheartedly resolved, or at least strive to be wholeheartedly resolved, to embrace faithfully all of its duties and difficulties. Many, in whom God does not inspire this resolve, are unable or not ready to enter religious life. But those in whom God does inspire this wholehearted resolve to love him may take courage. God will be with them, and support them throughout their path!

God is the source of vocations, and therefore it is ultimately God who must bring us out of the present vocations crisis. But since God uses human instruments to carry out his designs, we must all do our part to work for an increase of vocations. God sows the seed of a vocation generously in many young men and women, but it does not always take root and grow. Sometimes, like the rich young man in the Gospel, a young person is too attached to the things of this world, and so turns away from God's call. But all too often the call simply goes unheard or is misunderstood. We must strive to promote a better understanding of vocations, that those whom God calls may more readily hear his voice, and follow it faithfully.

St. Thomas does not often use the term "vocation." He does, though speak about making the choice to enter religious life, one particular vocation. In the Summa Theologiae, at the very end of the treatise on the states of life, St. Thomas asks "whether it is praiseworthy for someone to enter religious life without long deliberation, and having taken counsel from many people" (ST II-II 189:10). He answers "yes," with the following argument. Long deliberation is required for great and doubtful things, but not for things which are certain and determined. Now we can consider religious life in itself, or we can consider it in relation to an individual's ability to live religious life. Since Christ counseled religious life, it is certain that considered in itself it is better to enter it. And since those who enter religious life look for the ability to live it not from themselves, but from God, there is also no reason in general for doubt concerning one's ability to live that life. If someone has specific obstacles, such as bodily weakness, great debts, or similar things, then deliberation is required, and counsel from people who can be expected to help and not to hinder him. St. Thomas notes that even in this case long deliberation is not necessary. He adds that counsel may also be taken as to the manner of entering, and which religious order one should enter.

Is it good to enter religious life?
St. Thomas does not, then, place the idea of vocation at the heart of his consideration. Rather, the primary question is, "Is it good?" St. Thomas puts the question this way not because vocation is unimportant, but because it is secondary. A vocation is a means God uses to lead us to something good, so the most important thing is not the vocation itself, but the good to which he wants to lead us. In general, the vocation to holiness is subordinate to holiness; in particular, the vocation to religious life is subordinate to the religious life as a specific way of living the Christian life, and the vocation to marriage is subordinate to marriage as a specific way of living the Christian life.

Do I have a vocation?
The idea of vocation, though not the term itself, appears in one of the objections in this article. The claim is made that the desire and will to live the religious life is not always from God, and therefore one needs to examine this desire, to determine whether it is from God.

It is said, "Do not believe every spirit, but test whether the spirits are from God" (1 John 4:1). But sometimes the will to live the religious life is not from God, since frequently it is dissolved by leaving the religious life. For it is said, "If this plan or work is from God, you will not be able to dissolve it" (Acts 5:39). Therefore it seems that people should enter religious life only after much examination.

Every good desire is from God

St. Thomas' response to this objection is basically that if one's desire is sincere, then since it is for something good, it is certainly from God.

The saying, "Test whether the spirits are from God," applies to things about which there is some doubt as to whether it is the Spirit of God [that is at work]. Thus those who are in religious life can have doubt as to whether he who offers himself for the religious life is led by the Spirit of God, or is merely pretending. But for him who seeks religious life, there can be no doubt as to whether the will to enter religious life that has arisen in his heart is from the Spirit of God, to whom it belongs to lead man to the right land (cf. Ps 143:10)... And therefore the will to enter religious life does not need to be tested to see whether it is from God; for "things that are certain do not need discussion," as the Gloss says about the precept, "Test all things" (1 Thess. 5:21).

Similarly in his defense of religious life, St. Thomas writes that there is no reason for doubting whether one's desire to follow the evangelical counsels is from God; for although these counsels were given to particular men, they were intended for all men.

Our opponents say that the aforesaid certainty has place if someone is called by the words of the Lord himself; for then they admit that one should not delay, nor seek additional advice. But when a man is moved interiorly to enter religious life, then there is need of great deliberation and the advice of many people, so that he can discern whether this movement comes from God.

But this response is quite wrong. For we should take Christ's words written in Sacred Scripture, as though we heard them from the mouth of the Lord himself....

Let us see specifically whether the advice that the Lord gave to the young man, "If you wish to be perfect, go and sell all that you have, and give to the poor" (Mt. 19:21), was given to him alone, or also to all. We can find the answer from what follows; for when Peter said to him, "Behold we have left all things and have followed you," he assigns a reward universally for all: "Everyone who leaves house or brothers etc...., for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will possess eternal life." Therefore this advice should be followed by any particular person no less than if it were given personally to him by the mouth of our Lord himself.

Some saints have done literally what St. Thomas describes here. St. Anthony of the desert, for example, heard the words, "If you would be perfect, go sell what you have, etc.," and followed them as though spoken personally to him.

Exterior and interior call

St. Thomas looks at the matter objectively. He argues that the desire to follow the evangelical counsels is good, and can be immediately carried out, because this desire corresponds to Christ' counsel, which he gave generally to men as a means for attaining perfection-an objective standard.

But St. Thomas does not only think "objectively." He also speaks of the interior inspiration of the Spirit.

There is also another way in which God speaks interiorly to man, as the Psalm says, "I will hear what the Lord God speaks within me," and this speaking is superior to any external speaking.... Therefore if one should immediately obey the voice of the Creator uttered externally... much more should no one resist the interior speaking, by which the Holy Spirit moves the mind, but should obey without hesitation. ... Therefore when a man is moved by the impulse of the Spirit to enter religious life, he should not put it off for the sake of seeking human counsel, but should immediately follow the impulse of the Holy Spirit.

But interior inspiration and exterior call are not really opposed. The movement of the Holy Spirit is distinct from, but not opposed to other motives, such as the fact that Christ gave a certain advice. Indeed, whenever we are enlightened to see spiritual truth, and moved to spiritual good, it is the work of the Holy Spirit. And so St. Thomas concludes that if a man sincerely desires to enter religious life in order to grow in the love of God, he can be confident that this desire is from God.

The saying which is brought forward in the third place, "Test whether the spirits are from God," does not prove the point. For testing is necessary where there is not certainty; hence on the text "test all things," the Gloss says, "Things that are certain do not need discussion." Now to those who are in a position of accepting others into religious life, there may be doubt about in what spirit these persons come to religious life, namely whether they come out of a desire for spiritual progress, or as is sometimes happens, they come for investigating or evildoing; or there may be doubt about whether those who come are fit for religious life. And therefore a testing of those who are to be received, is appointed both by the Church's ordinance and by the religious rule. But to those who pursue the intention of taking up religious life, there can be no doubt regarding with what intention they do it. Hence no necessity of deliberating lies upon them, especially if they are confident about their bodily strength, for examining which a year of testing is granted to those who enter religious life.

Even if the devil himself were a source of the movement, the movement itself would be for good, and would be ultimately from God.

If the devil incited someone to enter religious life, this would be a good work, and fitting to the good angels. Hence there would not be a danger if someone consented to him in this; but he would have to be watchful to resist him when he began to [try to] lead him to pride or to other vices....Yet it should be known that if the devil suggests to someone that he enter religious life, or if another man suggests this to him, this to him, this suggestion has no efficacy unless he is drawn interiorly by God; for by entering religious life, one sets out to follow Christ, [and no one can come to Christ unless the Father draws him].

See more original texts from Aquinas speaking about religious vocation, and a short article explaining what a vocation is according to Aquinas.

Fr. Richard Butler has written a book explaining Aquinas' position: Religious Vocation: An Unnecessary Mystery. You can also read a selection of quotes from the book that give an idea of the position he presents in the book.

A religious vocation usually involves joining a religious order or communities. Here you may find a list of over a hundred religious orders or communities.