Produced by Michael Gray VOCATIONS EXPLAINED MATRIMONY, VIRGINITY, THE RELIGIOUS STATE, AND THE PRIESTHOOD. BY A VINCENTIAN FATHER. AN ABRIDGMENT OF "QUESTIONS ON VOCATIONS" APPROVED BY CARDINAL GIBBONS AND CARDINAL SATOLLI. _Published with the permission of the Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission._ NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO: BENZINGER BROTHERS, _Printers to the Holy Apostolic See._ "Vocations Explained" is a compendium of "Questions on Vocations," a catechism approved by His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons; His Eminence Cardinal Satolli; by five Archbishops and twenty-two Bishops; also by numerous priests and religious Brothers and Sisters. Nihil Obatat THOS. L. KINKEAD, _Censor Librorum._ Imprimatur MICHAEL AUGUSTINE, _Archbishop of New York._ NEW YORK, March 2, 1897. COPYRIGHT, 1897, BY BENZIGER BROTHERS. CONTENTS. I. DEFINITION.--EVERY PERSON HAS SOME SPECIAL VOCATION II. NECESSITY OF FOLLOWING A VOCATION III. MATRIMONY--IS IT A VOCATION? IV. MIXED MARRIAGES V. VIRGINITY VI. THE THREE EVANGELICAL COUNSELS 1. Poverty 2. Perpetual Chastity 3. Obedience VII. THE RELIGIOUS STATE VIII. MARKS OF A VOCATION TO THE RELIGIOUS STATE IX. DOUBTS ABOUT A VOCATION TO THE RELIGIOUS STATE X. ENCOURAGING OTHERS TO ENTER THE RELIGIOUS STATE XI. MEANS OF PRESERVING A VOCATION TO THE RELIGIOUS STATE.--SOME OBSTACLES XII. CHILDREN AND THE RELIGIOUS STATE XIII. DUTY OF PARENTS REGARDING THE RELIGIOUS VOCATION OF THEIR CHILDREN XIV. VOCATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD XV. DO VOCATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD COME DIRECTLY FROM GOD XVI. FOSTERING VOCATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD XVII. PREVENTING VOCATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD XVIII. MEANS OF KNOWING OUR VOCATION 1. Prayer 2. Freedom from Sin 3. Humility 4. Retreat 5. Counsel Prayer of St. Bernard VOCATIONS EXPLAINED. CHAPTER I. DEFINITION.----EVERY PERSON HAS SOME SPECIAL VOCATION. Q. What is a vocation? A. A call from God to some state of life. Q. Which are the principal states of life? A. Matrimony, virginity, the religious state, and the priesthood. Q. Has every person a vocation? A. Yes; God gives a special vocation to each person. Q. How is this doctrine proved? A. St. Paul says: "Every one hath his proper gift from God; one after this manner, and another after that. . . . _As_ the Lord hath distributed to _every one_, as _God hath called every one_, so let him walk." [*] [*] The references are given in the larger catechism entitled "Questions on Vocations." Q. Is it not beneath God's notice to give a particular vocation to each person? A. Not at all; for even the birds of the air are objects of the providence of God: "Yea, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of _more value_ than _many sparrows._"