Opera Omnia

INSTRUCTION VII
ASPIRANTS TO THE PAULINE LIFE
Vocations according to the Divine Master

Let us take to heart some teachings of the Divine Master as regards vocations.
Jesus says to his Apostles: You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you (Jn 15:16).
As they were going along the road, a man said to him, 'I will follow you wherever you go.' And Jesus said to him, 'Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head' (Lk 9:57).
To another [Jesus] said, 'Follow me.' But he said, 'Lord, let me first go and bury my father.' But he said to him, 'Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God' (Lk 9:59).
Another said, 'I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.' Jesus said to him, 'No one who puts his hand to the plough

and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God' (Luke 9:61).
The young man of Gerasa whom Jesus had freed from possession asked to stay with him. Jesus refused, but said to him, Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you. And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him… (Mk 5:19-20).
From these passages we can infer that:
1. Jesus does not accept just anyone who wants to follow him.
2. A vocation is something gratuitous. Those who are granted it have the grace also to fulfil it.
3. The Lord wants generous people, ready for any sacrifice.
4. At times it is easy to fill our houses. First, however, we must look at the quality and not at the quantity. It can happen that a young man or even a junior professed does not give the hopedfor results; do not wait too long to dismiss them because they lower standards, damaging others or the whole community.
(Constitutions articles 23-29: see above I:82-84)

To discern one's vocation

The aspirant has three means for discerning his vocation:
a) Prayer, so that God's light may penetrate the soul. When the Lord created us, he assigned every person a place in which to sanctify himself in correlation to the mansion he will have in heaven. Just as he has assigned a place to every star in correlation to its role in the firmament. Let the aspirant pray to the Holy Spirit; appeal to Mary, Queen of the Apostles and Mother of Good Counsel; and frequently ask Saint Paul, our father, if he wants him among his sons, as either a priest or a brother.
b) Reflect on it! Choosing one's state and then sticking to it is life's great challenge. On that outcome depends peace of mind in this world and, as a rule, eternal happiness. A dislocated bone is always painful. The Lord's graces are spread along the road that he has assigned to each one.
c) He should seek advice of someone who knows him, likes him, and wants what is best for him. Exclude people who are uninformed about the religious state and the qualities of the aspirant. Generally, one speaks to candidates to the diocesan clergy about a vocation to that state; to those

to religious life, about a vocation to the religious state.
Seek out people who are supernaturally motivated. Parents, interested parties, people of little faith and virtue are not suitable.
Seek out people who have their eyes primarily on eternal goods but who have a correct assessment of the present life.
The best counsellor is the spiritual Master or the spiritual Director.
A superior has no duty as serious and as binding as the recruitment and formation of aspirants. These are to be directed to the life of a priest or a brother.
The first part of formation is Probation.
Aspirants to the priesthood generally have a longer period which incorporates the time of initial studies. They have a threefold vocation.
Aspirants to the brotherhood have generally a shorter curriculum, since theirs is a twofold vocation.
In the Pious Society of Saint Paul it is laid down that candidates begin their novitiate after the sixteenth year of age has been completed in the case of clerical Novices, and in the case of Disciple-Novices after the seventeenth year of age has been completed.

Art. 31. All the Aspirants must be subjected to a suitable probation before admission to the Novitiate according to the instructions of the Holy See, and the norms laid down by the Superior General with his Council.
Art. 32. Aspirants to the Brotherhood must undergo a special training according to the established custom in the Society.

They should not be admitted to the Novitiate before there is sufficient evidence of their having moral and intellectual preparation, of their good character, as well as their qualifications for the religious life and the works of the apostolate.
Art. 33. The probation and training of the Aspirants must be spent in a house where religious discipline is accurately observed according to the Constitutions and under the special direction of a Master of tried virtue.
Art. 34. During all the time of probation, and especially during the year immediately preceding the Novitiate, Superiors and Masters should carefully examine and test the Aspirants so that they may better know their dispositions, qualities, and intentions; they should also zealously inculcate in the Aspirants the principal obligations of the religious life and the precepts of the Constitutions in such a way that they may embrace the Society with more mature deliberation and firmer resolve.
Art. 35. The Aspirants, or their parents or tutors, should be informed in good time of the outlay for the religious habit and boarding expenses during their period of Probation and Novitiate. It is the right of the major Superior, however, to admit Aspirants without requiring defrayment.
Art. 36. Let Aspirants be advised that they cannot exact any remuneration for their work performed in the Society, if for any cause or reason they should leave. Let the Superiors

take care, prudently using every precautionary measure, that those who leave the Society may not take any legal action against it. To this end, let there be exacted from all who enter the Society, whether Clerics or laymen, a signed document to be carefully kept in the archives.
Art. 37. Before beginning the Novitiate, Aspirants shall make a retreat of eight full days, and abiding by the prudent judgment of their Confessor, should make a general confession of their past lives.
Art. 214. Superiors should employ a special concern that the junior candidate Disciples be stationed together in houses of formation especially appointed for them, so that they may be trained and prepared for the Novitiate under the special care of a Master of tried virtue. Likewise, Superiors must not permit that the junior candidate Disciples be scattered in different houses.

The conclusions to be drawn are that:
1. Probation is obligatory for everyone.
2. Its purpose is a test. For the candidate, who will now know the Institute better than when he entered, and to test his resolve; for superiors, it is a time for getting to know the candidate better, observing him and determining if he demonstrates suitability and love for the Pauline life.
3. It is a preparation for Novitiate in all its four parts: spirit, study, apostolate, Christian and human formation, while growing in fondness for the Institute.
To come to a judgement the general signs of a vocation are: moral qualities, whereby the candidate is really working for the salvation and the sanctification of his soul;

intellectual qualities, whereby he is equipped for the roles and works of the Congregation, in his circumstances; physical and psychological qualities, in accordance with the workload he has to undertake, as well as the psychological aptitude to live happily in community. A candidate's word is not enough; a long test is needed.

Signs of a vocation

There are particular signs for Paulines. First of all, people need to be quite scrupulous in their use of books, movies, radio, television and the other forms of technology which communicate Christian thinking, news, events, and the like so as not to misuse them. Inordinate reading of periodicals, illustrated magazines, and newspapers; frequenting movies, listening to the radio or watching television to excess are all negative signs. Positive signs are a tendency to read good books, being interested in worthwhile broadcasts and movies. A particularly positive sign is when a candidate shows a lively commitment to writing and technical work, promoting all that is helpful to truth, the Christian life, good living, and the liturgy. An excellent thing is when a person has formed an upright conscience in view of a holy and wise abstine et sustine;¹ when joy is experienced for our successes and those of others; when there is suffering at seeing so many pulpits of error ranged against the pulpit of Jesus our Teacher, against the Church our Teacher.
There are signs that must distinguish all Paulines, and particularly our Brothers. A sensitivity for the sufferings that Jesus underwent and for the pain that the Church suffers for this spread of error and immorality, in discovering how these new means, introduced for humankind's advancement,

are being used to undermine the good, and especially the morals of young people.
The sins committed through the misuse of these means are among the most numerous, serious and harmful. The most numerous, because every day the number of newspapers, periodicals and books runs into many millions, not to mention viewers of films and television, and radio listeners. Backing such means are imposing organizations and sums of capital, as well as very many writers, technicians and distributors.
The most serious because they run counter to the redemption, sowing error, vice and every kind of disorder.
The consequences then are among the most harmful for every class of people, in every continent, and especially for young people.
The Brothers make atonement through prayer and the apostolate, opposing book to book and film to film, through a virtuous life and as persons consecrated to the Lord.

Three yes to come to a decision

Three yes are needed for a final decision. These come from the confessor, the superior, and the aspirant. The Confessor or the spiritual Master have been following the aspirant's spiritual work of correcting his faults and building the Pauline; the superior has observed the aspirant, either directly or by means of trustworthy intermediaries, in his studies, apostolate, and religious discipline; the aspirant himself has settled in, shows fondness for the Institute, its works, Constitutions and members.
The three yes are blended into one yes by the candidate at profession: I surrender, offer and consecrate my entire self to God, and profess the three vows and conform my life to the Constitutions. We have the religious; the Church accepts him through the Institute.

The judgement of the superiors and of the aspirant himself goes on maturing, as set out in the Constitutions, during Probation and the Novitiate; and, in exceptional cases, during the time of temporary vows.
A person needs, is duty-bound, to make sure of his vocation; to have a question mark hanging over it for too long is wrong. Once profession is made, one's mind must be directed towards full commitment: praying, being vigilant, living and complying with one's vocation. And this goes on for the whole of life. There are always temptations and dangers; there are always difficulties and misunderstandings; but, then, life is a struggle.
In every state of life there are particular trials; religious experience them often. But just to admit to a doubt after perpetual profession is already a serious risk, far worse than any other bad thought, since it is an attack on life itself. The time following perpetual profession is to be likened to the novitiate for eternity; for this the good religious prepares by dedicating himself to his basic commitment of sanctification and perfection. The joy of religious life is to comply courageously each day to the immense grace of one's vocation.
This was the way of the saints.
Not to advance is to fall back.
Jesus warned the Apostles frequently about dangers and temptations. Earlier he himself willed to be tempted after his fast in the desert. The first temptation highlighted the temptation of the flesh; the second that of pride, the third that of money. These are, more or less, the temptations a

religious faces. But the Lord does not allow us to be tempted beyond our strength. Jesus guards those who are consecrated to him in a particular way, as the apple of his eye.
To be borne in mind at all times is that the end demands and imposes the means.
Thus the time of Probation provides both the Brother as well as the aspirant to the priesthood the same means for religious and apostolic life, as are prescribed for all.
As regards study, however, the Brother is to concern himself especially with what he will need to know in his twofold apostolate of technical work and distribution. The aspirant to the priesthood is to cultivate those studies which are needed for writing and ministry.

When to talk about vocations

Question: When is the time to talk to a young person about a vocation?
It is never too soon, since he has a vocation from birth and through the grace of baptism. At baptism the child receives the grace to live a Christian life. Therefore when he reaches the use of reason there is a need to instruct him, start him on the way, and guide him to receive Holy Communion, to obey, and to love people. In a similar and, I would say, equal way, the same is to be done for a vocation. If a person talks to him about it, in words suited to his age, when his soul is still unsullied, he will understand the need to love Jesus a great deal. If he is enticed to love Jesus above everyone else and to say a Hail Mary for those who fail to love him and are in danger of damning themselves, he will understand something. It will be a sign, a seed. He

should be taught to pray for children who are not baptized; made to approach the altar, so that he can clearly see the celebrant… If he is able to understand the wishes of the Father, of the Blessed Virgin, and of her Son crucified for sinners… a way is opened; there is to be no rush; he is to be prayed for, kept in a wholesome environment, and provided with good example.
There will not be a positive result from everyone; most do not have a vocation. Consequently, it could be said that a vocation is a highly-charged life-giving love for the Lord and for people's souls. To kindle it is to prepare the ground. Then the Lord, if such is his will, will give life to the seed. If not, we shall at least have a good, practising Christian.
Again, when vocation promoters (from the various religious Institutes and seminaries) go out looking for young people, they must always talk to them about a vocation and about their Institute; describing its life and type of apostolate. They have to talk to parents, to the pastors in the parish, to group leaders. The clearer the description of the life the candidate will have to follow, the better it will be. No deceit or subterfuge. Speaking about the Pious Society of Saint Paul, the situation of the priest and of the brother will need to be properly clarified; thus the choice can be made straightaway. This will be a great help.
It is to be explained that we are not talking about a college, a shelter, a seminary, a printing school, or similar things. It is a religious Institute in which there are two possibilities: to be a priest or a brother, according to one's vocation and aptitudes. It is helpful to point out that if someone fails in his studies it is clearly not his fault, but he does not have a vocation to the priesthood.

All those entering Probation are to be considered as Aspirants.
Everything is to carried out with sound judgement and faith, but candidates are to be put on the road of Pauline life.
Prayer life, study, apostolate, the timetable, religious education and training are to conform with the traditional customs in the Institute.
Getting down to basics: accustom them to loving detachment, sensim sine sensu,² by letter writing, family visits, and short vacations; to a way of life that is disciplined, and a living together moulded on charity; to a love of the Institute and its apostolate; to uprightness of conscience, obedience and poverty; to self-restraint, little mortifications, the devout use of the technical means; to understand how formation is arranged, year by year.
See that their spiritual work is orderly, insist on their being frank with the spiritual Master; enjoin on them a tender love for Mary, Mother, Teacher and Queen of the Apostles, and for Saint Paul; train them in what vocation means, and forge a robust personality.
The result of wanting them to love the group Master more than the Lord, to be satisfied with what is less than Christian, to work to please others, and so on, will result in a low success rate.
For the formation of our aspirants, let us pray for Masters who model themselves on the Divine Master.