Do you love prayer, the sacraments, spiritual reading, intercourse with pious and spiritual persons?
If you are truly called to the priestly state, that is, to a life of sacrifice, how is it you are not able to make a sacrifice of evil in yourself, to give up a favorite sin, to overcome a favorite inclination?
Prove yourself - aye, prove yourself very seriously. From almost all other states one may recede; but here, there is no return; once bound, you are bound forever. Thou art a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.
Blessed you, if you are called to re -enforce the sacred phalanx which gives to the Church militant her heroic champions and leaders in the battle!
Once more: the call must come from above. This is the only legitimate gate to the fold of Jesus Christ, of which it is said: "He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, is a thief and a robber" (John x. i).
Yes, young man, God must call you. Woe to him who intrudes uncalled into that holiest of states, in which the sacrilegious intruder not only does no good, but effects, alas! an infinite injury to himself and others I
O terrible utterance of the Eternal Truth: " Every plant which is not planted by God shall be rooted up " (Matt. xv. 13), since it brings forth no fruit; it is useless in itself Mid to others: it is fit only to be cast into
