DO VOCATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD COME DIRECTLY FROM GOD?
Q. Is it necessary that vocations to the priesthood should come
directly from God? [*]
A. No; generally speaking, God selects and prepares His ministers
through those whom He has appointed to watch over the interests of His
Church. Even St. Paul did not receive his vocation directly from God.
He was converted directly, but to his question: "Lord, what wilt Thou
have me to do?" he received this answer: "Arise, and go into the city,
and there _it shall be told thee_ what them must do." God made use of
Ananias to communicate to St. Paul his vocation.
[*] "Almighty God, who usually employs secondary agents in the choice
of His ministers, often selects pious matrons for moulding the
character and directing the steps of their sons toward the sanctuary."
("Ambassador of Christ," by Cardinal Gibbons.) We highly recommend
this most excellent work, especially to students, parents, and
aspirants to the priesthood.
Q. Did all the other apostles receive their vocations directly from
Our Lord?
A. No; in their first call several of the apostles were brought to Our
Lord by indirect means: St. Andrew and St. John the Evangelist were
sent to the Saviour by St. John the Baptist: "Ecce Agnus Dei" ["Behold
the Lamb of God"]. And the two disciples heard him [John the Baptist]
speak, and they followed Jesus."
"He [Andrew] findeth first his brother Simon, and said to him: We have
found the Messias; . . . and he _brought_ him to Jesus."
"On the following day he [Andrew] would go forth into Galilee, and he
_findeth_ Philip, . . . Philip _findeth_ Nathanael, and said to him:
We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did
write, Jesus, the son of Joseph of Nazareth." At first there is a
disagreement of views and sentiments between Philip and Nathanael, so
that Philip had to use persuasion to bring Nathanael to his own way of
thinking: "And Nathanael said to him: Can anything of good come from
Nazareth? Philip saith to him: Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael
coming to Him and He saith of him: Behold an Israelite, indeed, in
whom there is no guile. Nathanael saith to Him: Whence knowest Thou
me? Jesus answered and said to him: Before that Philip _called_ thee,
when thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee."
Many excellent subjects, many a Nathanael "in whom there is no guile,"
may be found loitering under the fig-tree of the world, awaiting some
zealous Philip "to call" them to Jesus.