Untitled - Saints' Books

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CHAP, x.] The Vocation to the Priesthood. 207
change his conduct, his conversation and pursuits. Let
1
all be holy your
life and your works," continues the
saint. If he is
ignorant, he must study; if he has spent
his time in worldly conversations and amusements, he
must change them into meditations, spiritual reading,
and visits to the churches. But to do this he must use
violence to himself; for, as has been already said, since
he has entered the sanctuary without a vocation, he is
but a dislocated member, and therefore he must work
out his salvation with great difficulty and great labor.
But if in consequence of having become a priest without
a divine call, he is, as has been shown, bereft of the helps
necessary to enable him to discharge with facility the
obligations of the priesthood, how shall he without these
helps fulfil the sacerdotal duties ? Habert, 2 and the continuator
of Tournely, 3 say, let him pray, and by his
prayers he shall obtain that assistance which he does
not deserve. 4 This is conformable to the doctrine of
the Council of Trent: God commands not impossibili
ties, but, by commanding, both admonishes thee to do
what thou art able, and to pray for what thou art not
able (to do), and aids thee that thou mayest be 5
able."
" 1
Bonas fac de caetero vias tuas et studia tua."
Epist. 27.
2
De Ord. p. 3, c. i, 2.
3
De Oblig. cler. c. i, a. I, concl. 3.
Deus tune ex misericordia ea homini largitur auxilia, qu<e
legitime
vocatis ex qualicumque justhia debet."
Deus impossibilia non jubet; sed jubendo monet, et facere quod
possis, et petere quod non possis; et adjuvat ut possis." Sess. 6,
cap. ii.