Year IV, Number 45

In Christian discipleship and love for the person of Christ there are a number of points concerning the growth of holiness in the consecrated life which merit particular emphasis today.

In the first place, there is the need for fidelity to the founding charism and subsequent spiritual heritage of each Institute. It is precisely in this fidelity to the inspiration of the founders and foundresses, an inspiration which is itself a gift of the Holy Spirit, that the essential elements of the consecrated life can be more readily discerned and more fervently put into practice. Fundamental to every charism is a threefold orientation. First, charisms lead to the Father, in the filial desire to seek his will through a process of unceasing conversion, wherein obedience is the source of true freedom, chastity expresses the yearning of a heart unsatisfied by any finite love, and poverty nourishes that hunger and thirst for justice which God has promised to satisfy (cf. Mt 5:6). Consequently the charism of each Institute will lead the consecrated person to belong wholly to God, to speak with God or about God, as is said of Saint Dominic, so that he or she can taste the goodness of the Lord (cf. Ps 34:8) in every situation. Secondly, the charisms of the consecrated life also lead to the Son, fostering an intimate and joyful communion of life with him, in the school of his generous service of God and neighbor. Thus the attitude of consecrated persons “is progressively conformed to Christ; they learn detachment from externals, from the tumult of the senses, from all that keeps man from that freedom which allows him to be grasped by the Spirit”. As a result, consecrated persons are enabled to take up the mission of Christ, working and suffering with him in the spreading of his kingdom. Finally, every charism leads to the Holy Spirit, insofar as it prepares individuals to let themselves be guided and sustained by him, both in their personal spiritual journeys and in their lives of communion and apostolic work, in order to embody that attitude of service which should inspire the true Christian’s every choice. In fact it is this threefold relationship which emerges in every founding charism, though with the specific nuances of the various patterns of living. This is so because in every charism there predominates “a profound desire to be conformed to Christ to give witness to some aspect of his mystery”. This specific aspect is meant to take shape and develop according to the most authentic tradition of the Institute, as present in its Rule, Constitutions and Statutes.

Q. Dear Fr Anthony,

After years of church activism and a rather long discernment process, I felt that God had called me to the priesthood back in the summer of 1999. With a sincere desire to conform my will to his and to ascertain whether I truly had such a vocation, I exmatriculated from college and entered a seminary. Despite the fact that I fell deeply in love with the congregation in which I was forming myself, excelled at much of what we did, and loved the rule perfervidly, it gradually came to light that I had never actually been called to the priesthood in that conrgegation. In accordance with and trusting in the will of God as expressed by my spiritual director, I left the seminary in the spring of this year. The need to do so was the most heart-wrenching of my life, for my one overriding goal in life had become the serving of God as a priest in the congregation. Nonetheless, I left for home - ex necessitate rei -, confident that God Omniscient had charted out another - and even greater? - course for my life. Over the course of the months since my departure, the prospect of a religious vocation has stuck with me. True enough, upon being informed of my lack of a vocation by a higher superior, my spiritual director intimated that the married life was probably the vocation to which God was calling me. Yet the feelings of a vocation have been irrepressible - inasmuch as they arise sporadically and have caused me much hesitation regarding dating, dancing, and the like. To put my questions succinctly: 1.) How can a young man who was formerly a seminarian know whether God may be calling him to a form of the religious life distinct from the congregation with which he was once affiliated?; 2.) In the light of my former spiritual director’s assessment of my probable (married) vocation, is it advisable to desist with thoughts about the priesthood?; 3.) If so, is it possible to mentally exculpate myself for doing so, or will I forever feel as though I may have betrayed God and nixed His plans for my life? I realize that these are very delicate questions, and thank you for the time and effort you will invest in answering them.

- Chris

A. Dear Chris,

The only one who can really answer your question as regards the priesthood being definitely “out” for you would be your former spiritual director. If he gives you the considered opinion that he does not think you are called to the priesthood as such, and not just the priesthood in that congregation, then you might prudently accept his opinion and act accordingly. If he leaves the question open, or is not sure enough to categorically affirm that you don’t have a vocation to the priesthood you may safely look into some other congregation. In the case that the priesthood is ruled out you will have to overcome thoughts of having betrayed God, because if you don’t have a vocation you have not betrayed him by leaving, quite the contrary. You gave him the first shot at your life, you have been extremely generous with him and that is always going to be part of your relationship with him, and he will be no less generous with you. So when those thoughts come treat them like what they are, a temptation.

God bless.

- Fr Anthony

Q. Dear Fr Anthony,

Hi. My name is Paige. I have been discerning a vocation for about a year now. I have such an amazing desire to be a bride of Christ. I want to give him every part of me. I think that I have a vocation to religious life. My question is: how can I know when the right time to take a step in applying is? I am in contact with a Dominican order that I feel very drawn to, and I talk with the vocation director regularly. My heart longs to be there. However, my family is going through a lot right now. My parents are depressed and argue constantly. I love them and would never want to hurt them. I am away at school but am still very concerned about the well being of my family. I have talked to my parents about entering. They are not exactly excited about it. That’s okay though. I have a certain peace about it. I just wonder how I can discern and whether waiting would be good for my family.

- Paige

A. Dear Paige,

When you say you are away at school I presume you mean college, so that would mean you are no longer a minor. I also presume that since you are already talking to a vocation director, you have not been told you are mistaken in your attraction to be a nun in that order, and that you have gone into certain detail about yourself, your situation, background, spiritual development, etc. with her. If you have been that open with the vocation director and she has not seen anything that you need to work on before entering her order, it would seem to me like the time is now.

Your lingering doubt is in regards to your family. You have to be realistic there. You cannot solve your parents’ problem for them. You may in some cases be able to help, but that’s about it. They are the ones that have to work through it themselves. In most cases what most helps parents and families going through their normal difficulties is the clear example of one of their members who knows what is important in life, and goes for it wholeheartedly. Unless your parents’ case is an extreme one your example, and then your prayers for them, which I am sure will be constant and plentiful, will help more than your physical presence.

God bless.

- Fr Anthony

Gospel: Mk 13:24-32

But in those days, after that time of distress, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will come falling out of the sky and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send the angels to gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the world to the ends of the sky. Take the fig tree as a parable: as soon as its twigs grow supple and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. So with you when you see these things happening: know that he is near, right at the gates. In truth I tell you, before this generation has passed away all these things will have taken place. Sky and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But as for that day or hour, nobody knows it, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son; no one but the Father.

Introductory Prayer: Christ my king, create in me a deep nostalgia for my true homeland, heaven. Allow me to perceive the beauty of your kingdom so that I may dedicate the rest of my life like St Paul to its growth.

Petition: Mary, what a joy and honor it is to be united in time and eternity with such a king, help my heart to swell, help my eyes to be fixed evermore on him, and help my weak will to work hard for his reign in my heart and the hearts of all people.

1. “And then they will see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.”

St Paul exclaims, “…Our homeland is in heaven…” (Phil 3:20). This reality warms the heart! Nevertheless most people today do not really believe that Christ will actually come, neither for them personally after death nor at the end of time. Pleasures, comforts, hobbies, opinions plague the human heart and thus pride, sensuality and vanity blur the mind.

To refresh our longing for Christ’s coming to our hearts and his second coming as king, we must deny ourselves and do battle against our egotism. The typical mistake of the modern wayfarer is to live disoriented and seduced, thinking he has “made it”… while perhaps in reality he is only moving away from him alone who gives sense to life – God! He who treads outside the path, runs further away from his final destination.

2. “…Know that he is near, at the very gates.”

“Those who died in God’s grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live forever with Christ. They are like God forever, for they see him as he is face to face." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, # 1023). Something extraordinary awaits the faithful Christian after death. St Paul describes that truth simply as, “Now we see only reflections in a mirror, mere riddles, but then we shall be seeing face to face.” (1 Cor 13:12)

There is so much to long for and hope for, nevertheless we forget the immense treasure that lies ahead because of the difficulties we face everyday. The tots are hungry, the house is a mess, the boss is grouchy, the neighbor is angry, the lawnmower doesn’t work, the switch is stuck, the drains are clogged…

One thought should penetrate the Christian to the “marrow”: Christ Jesus himself, present in the tabernacle and in heaven, wants to share his trials with me. Scripture is eloquent, “My brothers, consider it a great joy when trials of many kinds come upon you, for you well know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance, and perseverance must complete its work so that you will become fully developed, complete, not deficient in any way.” (Jas 1:2-4)

3. The path to heaven

Love is the only path to heaven. Love is not a feeling, it is not an emotion, it is not a nice high. Love is total self giving to the other person, never counting the cost. Love is to recognize our misery, littleness, nothingness… and give it all to the other not expecting anything in return. Only Christ shows us the way to love God and neighbor with that fullness he himself lived and taught. The love that Christ brought us makes life a foretaste of heaven despite its difficulties. Why? Because when we practice it, we bring God into our lives, he walks with us and becomes our strength, our constant companion, our hope and our consolation.

Dialogue: Lord Jesus, I often become restless for many different reasons. I am weak and I complain about every ache or pain. Today is a new chance you give me to believe and love you better. Lord, make me able to say with the St Paul, “When I am weak then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10)

Questionnaire:

1. Knowing that what separates me from Christ separates me from my true homeland, what things, attractions, sins do I put up with in my day to day life?

2. What do I complain about most? What crosses and sacrifices am I avoiding at present in my life?

3. What have I done during this past week out of love for Christ and my neighbor? What have I done on the other hand out of sheer love of self?

The spiritual life comes into new light when you take it from the perspective of love; it acquires a totally new radiance and meaning, and it acquires the emotion and deep warmth of a love-story between two persons. Under this light your soul breaks free of the miserly logic of minimalist calculations, and you learn to be openhearted with God, not keeping tally of the minutes you dedicate to him or the “favors” you do him through your occasional acts of generosity. You are at ease with him and try to be with him. Have you ever seen two lovers together watching the clock, so as not to stay longer than they really have to?

Just as absurd, and I daresay even more so, would it be to conceive our relations with God from the same narrow viewpoint. If you love, the commitments and demands of the spiritual life are no longer an annoying obligation, they become a burden that is light and a yoke that is easy. For example, I will no longer go to Mass on Sunday because it is an obligation the Church lays on me, but because my love makes me, I realize its great value and richness, and it has to do with who I am. Everything I do, the fulfillment of my spiritual and apostolic commitments, absolutely everything is in my mind an offering; it is an expression of my love for Christ, and the occasion for a personal encounter with him. Fidelity springs spontaneously from love.

On January 23rd of the year 1969, the day I was born, my parents were informed that I would be their first and only child. Faced with this reality, my mother promptly raised her heart to God in prayer and told him: "Lord, this is my only son but he is yours". With this prayer she offered me to God and asked, if it was his will, that one day I would be ordained a priest.

As time passed by and many circumstances displayed the obvious hand of God in my life, there was a longing in my heart that would never leave me in peace: God had given me so much - better still, he had given me everything. How could I respond with anything other than my whole heart? However I still had all of the other typical teenage interests, like a desire to get married and have a family. When I was a senior in high school, these two longings came head to head when my girlfriend of one year, and a serious one at that, told me straight out: "You tell me that you love me a lot and I truly believe you. But I know that there is another part of your heart which I have never filled and never will ..." She sensed that another Person was after my heart, as she was, and that he was a tough Person to beat.

Around this same time another event changed my life and my mother´s forever: my father´s passing. I didn´t have much time to think about it, though, and the moment of truth presented itself on my doorstep sooner than I had expected. One day shortly thereafter His Excellency Harry Flynn, current Archbishop of St. Paul-Minneapolis, who back then was the bishop of my diocese in Louisiana and whom I have always considered a great friend, called me and told me that we needed to chat. During our little interview he suggested that I take a look at a religious order, one I had never heard of before, called the Legion of Christ. He didn´t want to lose me but he thought that the religious life might be for me and that, in the end, we all work for the same Boss. I said, "of course", to be courteous but I hadn´t the slightest intention of doing so. The next day I got a phone call that gave my life quite a spin. It was from the vocation director of the Legionaries of Christ. After a few minutes of stunned silence he explained that he had received my name from a "friend" who had said that I was interested in a Legionary vocation. That summer I went to the Candidacy program and entered the Novitiate in the fall.

What happened? To make a long story short, "someone" had sent my name to the Legionaries without telling me. This was all a complete mystery until three years ago: it was a friend of mine who wasn´t even Catholic at the time; he was in the RCIA program. He decided to send the Legionaries my information as a joke. A year later, after entering the Catholic Church, he joined the Legion of Christ as well. The joke had come full circle. Remembering this always reminds me that God has a great sense of humor.

Two memories really stand out from the day of my ordination: First, the presence of Archbishop Harry Flynn, who had sent me to the Legion years before. It was he who anointed my hands with the holy chrism on that memorable day. Second, the surprise of seeing my mom go up to the lectern for the second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews with the words that describe the priesthood of Christ: "... He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring, for he himself is beset by weakness" (Hebrews 5: 2). With the exception of God, I doubt there is anyone but my mother who could understand the mysterious union of the gift of the priesthood with my own weakness that morning of the second of January 2001.

Upcoming Events & Retreats

(( Listed here are retreats directed by the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi members. For a listing of diocesan activities and other events, click here to go to the vocation.com website ))

LEGIONARIES OF CHRIST

Rome, Italy. December 27, 2003 - January 5, 2004. Pilgrimage for college-aged men and high school seniors. Price: $399 + airfare. Chaplains are the Legionaries of Christ. Contact Karolee Stauduhar at kstauduhar@msn.com or (407) 869-8263.

Rome, Italy. December 27, 2003 - January 5, 2004. Youth Pilgrimage for boys ages 11-15. Price: $1,495 (includes airfare) Chaplains are the Legionaries of Christ. Contact Ray Arsenault at (902) 854-2808 or arsenaultacres@pei.sympatico.ca

REGNUM CHRISTI consecrated men

Call Tony MacDonnell for more information, (301) 365-3205. amacdonnell@arcol.org.

ShoreLines welcomes your questions and comments at questions@shorelines.org. If you do not specify otherwise, your question may be posted in the Vocations Q&A section.

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Copyright 2004, Legion of Christ.

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