Vocations

by William Joseph Gabriel Doyle

This book is presented simply to those souls who desire to hear and follow the voice of God, which is the inspiration of grace. Many vocations sadly are lost today. This book talks about the easy signs to discern whether a soul has a vocation to the religious life or to the priesthood. There are definitions in the appendix to help a possible confused soul to understand the vocabulary they may not be acquainted with. There are many Saints that have looked upon the religious life as espousing Jesus Christ, rather than losing their virginity. As those Saints have "Why would I marry a mere peasant than a King?" The king they refer to is the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. Why should a young lady today not do the same? Why not espouse Christ, who is infinite purity? Why stain your soul with sin? St. Alphonsus “a single bad book will be sufficient to cause the destruction of a monastery.” Pope Pius XII wrote in 1947 at the beatification of Blessed Maria “There rises to Our lips the cry of the 'Woe to the world because of scandals!' (Matthew 18:7). Woe to those who consciously and deliberately spread corruption-in novels, newspapers, magazines, theaters, films, in a world of immodesty!” We at St. Pius X Press are calling for a crusade of good books. We want to restore 1,000 old Catholic books to the market. We ask for your assistance and prayers. This book is a photographic reprint of the original The original has been inspected and many imperfections in the existing copy have been corrected. At Saint Pius X Press our goal is to remain faithful to the original in both photographic reproductions and in textual reproductions that are reprinted. Photographic reproductions are given a page by page inspection, whereas textual reproductions are proofread to correct any errors in reproduction.

46 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1913

About the author

Captain Father William Joseph Gabriel Doyle, SJ, MC - better known as Willie Doyle - was an Irish Roman Catholic priest of the Society of Jesus who served as a chaplain in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers during the First World War. He was awarded the Military Cross (MC) for gallantry. Fr Doyle was killed in action while attending to the wounded and was posthumously recommended for the Victoria Cross (VC).

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful (and short) book! It is only about 40 pages long. It is broken into sections that address common questions/stages that arise during discernment. That being said, this book offers a wealth of advice in a concise way. It directly, confidently, and persuasively addresses common questions and perhaps roadblocks. I would recommend this book to anyone with even the tiniest inkling of a vocation, as this book offers sound advice for all of its readers no matter where they are in their spiritual/discernment journey.

[Rebecca Tabish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great short book about vocations! Whether God is calling me to the religious life or not, this book was definitely worth the read!There are 22 vocations that have come out of my Church alone!🙏

[Jedidiah Preble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Format: Short pamphlet (approx. 47 pages), 14 Chapters.

Style: Beautiful, elevated style typical of its time. Might be difficult for modern middle schoolers to read; better suited for high schoolers. It would be a good project to rewrite it in more approachable language.

Core Themes:

• Supernatural Nature: Reminds the reader of the supernatural nature of a vocation and how many are lost for poor reasons.

• Special Choice: Chapter 2 highlights that a vocation is not just a call to holiness, but a specific, unique choice by God for an individual. It elevates the religious vocation above a "regular" vocation.

Doyle writes that Jesus "only wants willing volunteers." He argues that God does not force this grace on anyone. A vocation is a privilege offered to a soul, which they are free to accept or reject. If they reject it, they don't go to hell (as one would for breaking a Commandment), but they miss out on the "special intimacy" and the "harvest of souls" that God had planned.

• Action: Encourages discerning souls to "just jump in" rather than over-deliberate.

Key Points & Chapters:

1. Come follow me: Identifies three audiences: the desirous, the reluctant, and the doubtful.
2. What is a vocation?: Distinguishes the specific call from general holiness.
3. Signs of a vocation
4. Motives for entering religion: Quotes St. Francis de Sales on "otherworldly motives."
5. Should we encourage vocations?
6. Trying a vocation
7. Deliberation
8. Age for entering
9. Importance of following a vocation
10. Opposition
11. Objections
12. Advantages of religious life
13. The harvest of souls
14. An appeal

Memorable Stat: Noted that in the past century of writing, out of 60 canonized saints, only 3 were not in a religious vocation.

Personal Thoughts: Really enjoyed it. A strong reminder of the unique privilege of a vocation. Helpful for discernment.

[Matt The Best · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great booklet on why every soul should desire to become consecrated to God as a religious!

[Aman Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read title to anyone considering the priesthood or religious life.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an excellent, short work on vocations according to the Catholic understanding. I highly recommend this as a gift to anyone considering a vocation to the priesthood or religious life to encourage them in following the Lord.