VOCATION
When our Lady came to cure Stanislaus, she told him absolutely that
he must become a Jesuit. That was not the first idea Stanislaus had
had of his vocation. Even some months before his illness he had
felt himself drawn to enter the Society of Jesus. But now, all
doubts removed, he made a vow in thanksgiving to obey our Lady's
command.
He went to his confessor, the Jesuit Father Doni, and told him of
the vision of the Blessed Virgin and her order to become a Jesuit.
Father Doni believed him readily enough, but he said:
"I can do nothing myself in the matter. You must go to the
Provincial, for only he can admit you. But I am afraid there will
be difficulties."
Stanislaus was not merely afraid, he was quite certain, there would
be difficulties. However, he assured Father Doni:
"Even if there be no end of difficulties, still I shall be a Jesuit.
Since our Lady has commanded me, she will find a way."
The Provincial, Father Laurence Maggi, received Stanislaus kindly,
of course, yet with anything but encouragement. There had been
trouble for the Society shortly before, though in another place,
because of some novices admitted without their parents' consent. The
Provincial did not wish to risk having a like disturbance brought
about his own ears.
"But the Blessed Virgin will take care of the whole business,
Father," said Stanislaus. "She will quiet any opposition my father
may make."
Well, the Provincial was willing to believe that too. But he knew
that God wants us to use our own common sense and not to act rashly
and then rely upon Him, or upon our Lady's intercession with Him, to
get us out of scrapes. So he had to give the only answer which
prudence could give, to all Stanislaus' petitions.
"You must either get your father's permission, or you must wait
until you are of age and your own master."
Now, Stanislaus was quite certain his father would not hear for a
moment of his becoming a Jesuit. On the other hand, he did not want
to wait four or five years until he should come of age. He had that
peculiar courage, which many people cannot understand at all, the
courage to be afraid. He was very much afraid, afraid to trifle with
God's grace, afraid lest if he did not take the favor now when it
was offered him, it might not be offered another time.
He thought of another means of persuading the Provincial. The
Apostolic Legate of Pope Saint Pius V to the court of the Emperor at
Vienna was Cardinal Commendoni. This Cardinal had been Nuncio, and
afterwards Legate, to Poland, and had come from Poland only a year
or so before. He was well acquainted with the Lord John Kostka and
with Stanislaus. When he came to Vienna, Paul and Stanislaus had
visited him, and Stanislaus had made the Cardinal, as he did most
people, his friend.
So he went to Cardinal Commendoni. He figured hopefully that, as
the Cardinal was the Pope's representative, he could easily impose
his will on the Jesuit Provincial; and of course he would do so as
his friend.
Commendoni welcomed the boy, listened to him attentively, marvelled
at his unaffected goodness and at the heavenly favors shown him.
Stanislaus told him of the distressing obstinacy of the Provincial.
"But how about your father?" the Cardinal asked.
"Oh, my father is more hopeless than the Provincial," Stanislaus
answered. "If I so much as mentioned the matter to him, he would
bring me back to Poland, and I should have no chance at all."
As Commendoni knew the Lord John pretty well, he said nothing to
that. But he thought to himself that Stanislaus was fairly accurate
in his forecast.
After a moment's thought, he said:
"You certainly have a right to follow your vocation. God's will
comes before even your father's. But it is not going to be easy.
However, I shall speak to the Father Provincial, and do what I can."
Stanislaus went away with good hopes. He was to return in a few days
to hear the result of Commendoni's plea. But when he came back to
the Cardinal, he found only another disappointment. The Provincial
not merely was as stubborn as ever, he had even won the Cardinal to
his way of thinking. It was too risky to admit him, it was
altogether unwise.
Most boys might have given up after that. Stanislaus did not give
up. He was quite sure of what God wanted, and difficulties simply
did not count. lie was called to be a Jesuit, and a Jesuit he would
be. If he could not gain admission into the Society in Vienna, well,
he would try elsewhere.
But even with his mind fairly made up, he sought more guidance. A
young Portuguese Jesuit, Father Antoni, had lately come to Vienna as
preacher to the Empress Maria. Every one was talking about his
ability, his prudence, his zeal. Stanislaus went to him, and laid
his troubles before him.
Father Antoni took some little time to think it all over, then
decided very definitely. He called Stanislaus to him.
"Do you understand," he asked, "what it will mean to go away, to
leave your people, to live in a strange country?"
Stanislaus said, yes, he understood perfectly.
"And that you are closing the door on your return, that in no case
will you ever be received again at Kostkov?"
Yes, Stanislaus knew that too.
"And that you will have to go an immense journey on foot, with
plenty of hardships; to find at the end of it a life that is not
easy, to live at the beck and call of another, to do menial work, to
endure humiliations, to sacrifice everything that the world holds.
dear?"
Stanislaus smiled at him. He had reckoned it all out, he had "counted
the cost" long before, he was ready.
Then, in God's name, go! " said Father Antonie "And may God be with
you in all. I'll give you letters to Father Canisius, the Provincial
in Augsburg, and to Father Francis Borgia, the General, who is in
Rome."
Then Stanislaus was happy. At last he was in a fair way to obey the
command of God, which our Lady herself had brought him. Father
Antoni spoke with him longer, pointed out in detail many of the
difficulties that awaited him, gave him counsel for the road. Then
he went to write the letters of introduction, and Stanislaus went
back to Paul and Bilinski and their blows and sneers, to get ready
for his tramp.