Chapter 46. e The Different Vocations in the Church

The virtues of the Christian life being very numerous, good Christian does not necessarily give himself to all wit the same ardor. Some prefer to cultivate the virtues whic have God for their direct object, and therefore embrace contemplative life. Others prefer the virtues which enab! them to be most useful to their neighbor, and consequent! choose an active life. Others, in fine, prefer the virtue which more directly benefit their own souls, and therefor enter the monastic life. Again, as all virtues are means « acquiring grace, different persons adopt different mean Many seek to obtain it by fasting and like austerities; othe by almsgiving and works of mercy, and others by pray and meditation. Of this latter exercise there are al: different methods, which vary according to the character « souls or the subjects chosen. The best kind of meditation always that from which one derives most profit and dev tion.

In this matter beware of a grave error into which pior persons sometimes fall. Deriving much profit from certa means, many imagine that there are no others which lead: God. Consequently they would enforce the same metho upon everyone, and think all in error who follow a differe path. Thus, one who gives himself wholly to prayer thinks the only means of salvation. Another, given to fasting ar corporal mortification, sees no merit in any other practic hi piety. Those who lead contemplative lives imagine that ‘i who are engaged in an active life are in great danger, and }ven go so far as to hold exterior virtues in contempt. | The followers of the active life, having no experience of j:l that passes between God and the soul in the sweet calm t contemplation, do not sufficiently appreciate its value, ad approve it only as far as it includes the practice of ex- »rior works. One who gives himself exclusively to mental }fayer is very apt to think any other form of prayer jnprofitable; and, on the contrary, he who has devoted imself to vocal prayer will often argue that it is more neritorious because it is more laborious. Thus each one, impelled by ignorance or unconscious jride, extols himself by commending the practices to which is most given. Just as a savant will praise the science pea is the object of his study, and depreciate the merit of ill others, so many extol one virtue at the expense of all the est. The orator will tell you that there is nothing comparaile to eloquence; the astronomer, that there is nothing lperior to the study of the heavenly bodies. In fact, the neologian, the linguist, the philosopher, the commentator, ‘ill each in his turn offer good reasons to prove the preemience and incontestable superiority of the science he irofesses. Similar, though less open, is the struggle between the adcates of the different virtues; each one would have his ethod prevail over that of others, believing that as it has oved profitable to him, it must prove so to all. Hence rise unfavorable judgments upon the lives of others, divisns and disputes among brethren. Such was the error of the orinthians in the early ages of the Church. They had been \vored with different graces, and each one extolled his n above the rest. The gifts of prophecy, of tongues, of inrpreting the Scripture, of working miracles, were each eferred by those who had received them. (Cf. / Cor. 12).

There is no more efficacious argument against this illu sion than that of the Apostle, who declares that all grace and gifts are equal as to their source, for they proceed fron the same Holy Spirit, though they differ in their object. “Ir one Spirit were we all baptized into one body” (J Cor 12:13), says the Apostle. Belonging thus to the same Head we all partake of His dignity and glory, and in this we are equally His members, though there is a diversity of gifts anc duties among us. :

This diversity should not cause us to look with disfavo on those who seem less gifted, for each has his value as < member of Christ. Thus the members of the human body have not the same duties, but yet each has its own peculia: power that another does not possess. All are important because all are necessary for the general good. “If the foo should say: Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shoul say: Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is i therefore not of the body?” (J Cor. 12:15-16). In this man ner the Apostle speaks to the Corinthians, and continues hi: comparison to prove that we must not be misled by ou preferences to judge that whoever differs from us is no right, or that gifts differing from ours have not an importan place in the designs of God.

This diversity is due partly to nature and partly to grace We say that it is due partly to nature; for though grace is th principle of every spiritual being, yet it is shaped according to the condition of the soul in which it dwells, just as wate takes the form of the vessel into which it is poured. Thus calm, peaceful temperaments are more naturally suited to ; contemplative life; those of an ardent, energetic nature ar better fitted for an active life; while persons of strong robust health find more profit in a laborious life of penance Thus is the marvelous goodness of God made manifest Desiring to communicate Himself to all, He has willed tha ae ways which lead to Him should be proportioned to the ‘versities in the characters and conditions of men.

Grace is the second cause of this variety which the Holy pirit, the Author of all grace, has created for the greater eauty and perfection of His Church. As the different 2nses and members are requisite for the beauty and perfecjon of the human body, so a diversity of graces is necessary pr the complete harmony and beauty of the Church. If the hithful all practiced the same virtues, how could they be jalled a body, which necessarily consists of different memjers? “If the whole body,” says the Apostle, “were the eye, rhere would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, here would be the smelling? And if they all were one nember, where would be the body.” (/ Cor. 12:17,19). | We find the same beautiful variety in the works of nature, ee the Sovereign Creator wisely apportions all gifts or jualities so that the lack of one perfection is compensated iy the possession of another. The peacock, which has a nost discordant note, possesses a beautiful plumage; the ightingale delights the ear, but has no charms for the eye; e horse bears us where we will and is valuable in camp nd field, but is rarely used for food; the ox is useful for rm and table, but has scarcely any other qualities to rcommend him; fruit trees give us food, but have little lue for building; forest trees yield no fruit, but afford us € necessary material for erecting our dwellings. Thus we not find all qualities or all perfections united in one eature, but that variety among them which constitutes the eauty of nature and binds them to one another by a mutual d necessary dependence.

God has willed that the order and beauty which we adire in nature should exist in the works of grace. For this ‘ason He has endowed His Church with that variety of vires which form a most symmetrical body, a most beautiful rld, the most perfect harmony. Hence some of the members of this great body give themselves to a life of contem plation; others to an active life, to obedience or penance, t religious studies, to the service of the sick and the poor, 0 to other works of mercy.

We find the same variety in the religious orders of th Church; all aspire to the same end but pursue differen paths. Some follow the way of penance; others that o poverty. Some choose a contemplative life; others an activi life. Some labor in the midst of the world; others seel obscurity and solitude. The rules of one prescribe a certait revenue; those of another the strictest poverty. Nevertheles they are all animated by the same spirit, all pursue the sam end. This variety extends even to the members of the sam order; for while certain religious are engaged in the choir others study in their cells; others devote themselves t manual labor; others hear confessions; while others ar engaged in the temporal affairs of the community.

What, then, are all these but the several members of on body, the different notes of one grand harmony, the variou elements which contribute to the beauty and perfection o the Church? Why has the lute several chords, the orga numerous pipes, but to produce greater variety and har mony? For this reason the patriarch Jacob gave his sot Joseph the coat of many colors (Cf. Gen. 37:3), and Go commanded that the curtains of the tabernacle should be o violet, purple, and scarlet twice dyed, diversified witl embroidery. (Cf. Ex. 26:1). In both of these objects w behold an image of that beautiful variety which prevails i the Church.

Let us, then, beware of judging others because their vit tues are not ours, or of expecting all to follow the sam path. This would be destroying the body of the Church rending the coat of Joseph. It would be exacting the duty ¢ the eyes, or the hands, or the feet, from all the members o the body. In the words of the Apostle, if the whole bod ere the eye, where would be the hearing; or if it were the ‘©. where would be the eyes? Can the eyes reproach the fet for being blind, or the feet reproach the eyes for not paring the burden of the body? No; it is necessary that the fet toil on the ground, and that the eyes be above them, otected from all that could fatigue or sully them. Nor is e duty of the eyes, notwithstanding their repose, less imtant than that of the feet.

The work of the pilot who stands at the helm is no less -cessary than that of the sailors who manage the ropes and ils. We must not judge of an action by the labor it reires, but by its value and the effects it produces. Thus, t would not say that the work of a laborer is more impormt in a commonwealth than that of the statesman who isely directs the government.

|If we seriously weigh these considerations, we shall learn | respect all vocations. We shall not reproach the hand for ti being the foot, nor the foot for not being the hand. We jall understand the truth of the Apostle’s words when he ils us that the beauty and perfection of the body result he the diversity of its members.