There is nothing more important, nothing better, than to enter into a state of life, to which God has called us, and to make choice of a vocation which His providence has destined for us. The whole universe is, so to speak, the house of God; all mankind are His family, both as His subjects, and His children. It is the master, who assigns to each his office. God is a Father and an infinitely wise Master, and He knows what each one is fitted for. But He is as good as He is wise, and thus it is, that He will not fail to assign to each of us a proper post, if only we leave everything to His Divine management.

This is not what the majority do; it is mere chance, caprice, a spirit of interested ambition, or a blind love, which leads them onwards; it is through such irregular motives which lead them to adopt a particular state of life. Can they fail to go astray if they put their trust in such bad hands! But, alas! they not only go astray, but they fall into the precipice. If nothing is so easy as to fall, so nothing is so difficult as to retrieve one's self.

The consequences of this failure are terrible; since when once we have gone astray it is difficult to limit its extent. From this it follows, that if we are not in that state of life to which God has called us, if we are not in that position which Providence has marked out for us, nothing can succeed.

God had given us the qualifications and talents, suitable for the state of life to which He had called us; if we had accepted this, we could not have failed, with these dispositions, to have done well. We have taken or rather chosen another path, we are engaged in another employment which God had not destined for us, because we were not fit for it; can we then be astonished if we manage affairs badly, or if nothing succeeds with us?

And again, does not the success of our enterprises and the happiness of our life depend on God and on His blessing? People only wonder that a man who is so clever, a man with so much talent, merit and understanding, should meet with so little success, that all his efforts seem to be unavailing, and his business seems to diminish daily. It seemed to them that he could scarcely fail of success. Nothing was wanting but the blessing of God, and that alone was the cause of his failure. But how was it that God had not blessed his endeavours? It was, that he had entered into that state of life, into that employment without consulting God, without a vocation.

A bone which is out of its place is very painful, and causes the whole frame to suffer; so also, a man who is not in the proper place which Divine Providence marked out for him, is full of grief and vexation; he suffers much, and is the cause of suffering to others.

Is not this the reason why you see so few people content with their employment; is not this, perhaps, the source of all their troubles?

He who alone knows our strength, who sounds the depth of our hearts; He who has fixed from the beginning the way which He wishes us to take--He alone should be the first to be consulted in the choice of a state of life we are about to select.

As it is, God, who, in His eternal council has prepared proper and necessary means to effect our good; so it is He, who should be consulted in the first steps we take to arrive at a desirable determination; for all those motives of interest, of rank, of birth, of talent, which have usually the uppermost voice in our choice of a state of life, are but deceitful guides, and almost always induce us to make a change.

He who does not follow the will of God in his choice of a state of life, is always in danger, and on the other hand, he who follows the path which our Lord has marked out for him, is always safe.

God wished that you should walk one way, you have followed another; He had prepared sufficient grace to help you in the state of life He marked out for you, and He withholds it when you have chosen for yourself.

By His way He wished to lead you to salvation, and you have thwarted His will. He had given you an inclination to be pious and good, a heart devoid of deceit and vain glory; all that showed that He destined you for the altar, and that solitude was your place.

However, you have selected a busy employment in the world: what obstacles do you not meet with in your wish to be saved? What dangers do you not encounter?



1 Thessalonians 5:24 - "He is faithful who hath called you, who also will do it"


Ephesians 1: 18 - "The eyes of your heart enlightened that you may know what the hope is of his calling and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints."


2 Timothy 1:9 - "Who hath delivered us and called us by his holy calling, not according to our own works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the times of the world."


Acts 26:16 - "But rise up and stand upon thy feet: for to this end have I appeared to thee, that I may make thee a minister and a witness of those things which thou hast seen and of those things wherein I will appear to thee."


Matthew 22:14 - "For many are called, but few are chosen."


Isias 6: 8 - "And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send? and who shall go for us? And I said: Lo, here am I, send me."


Isaias (Isaiah) 66:4 - "So I will choose their punishments And will bring on them what they dread. Because I called, but no one answered; I spoke, but they did not listen. And they did evil in My sight And chose that in which I did not delight."


Proverbs 1:24 - "Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention"


Jeremiah 7:13 - "And now, because you have done all these things," declares the Lord, "and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you but you did not answer."