To quote Fr. Thomas Dubay…
I was recently reading the May/June 2007 issue of Religious Life, which included a summary of a talk by Fr. Thomas Dubay, S.M. He discussed the lack of vocations, and what the real reason is for them. “For religious, in their apostolates, giving a saintly example has a profouond external impact. The best thing you religious can do for your community is to live a life of holiness. This is the problem with the lack of vocations. It is the elephant in our parlor, the problem we can’t address, but which is obviously there. We don’t discuss the main problems we have in our communities. Our communities are struggling and are not drawing new vocations, but we don’t discuss why!”
Indeed, indeed. You can claim all the injustices you want (both real and imagined), but if you don’t have holiness, you just get angry, and the young folk stay away.
Tomorrow’s 1st reading has this famous phrase:Â “This is the will of God:Â your sanctification.”