An apocryphal story of St. Francis tells of a talk he had
with some of his disciples. In this talk, he said, apparently, that if all
people became celibate and dedicated their lives to the building of the
Kingdom, Christ would come sooner than later.
This visionary saint, the one the Church calls the “most
like Christ”, believed that the Church and the world would be a better place if
people became priests, religious, nuns.
I am beginning to think likewise. One of the greatest lies
from the pulpit since Vatican II, which has nothing to do with Vatican II, is
that the lay life is on the same plane as that of the religious life. This is
simply not true. The dedicated life of prayer and penance provides a short-cut
to holiness.
If I were a young person in these days, I would seriously be
considering the religious life for several reasons.
I sincerely hope parents encourage their children and pay
attention to the vocations of their children. As I have noted many times on
this blog, parents are given graces to know and guide the vocations of their
children. Parents must die to their own wishes and be open to God’s Will.
Be open…