Compline - Part of the Homily Preached today (8/20) on the Memorial of St Bernard of Clairvaux: “The Dominican Sisters have excess of vocations but which young girl, in her right mind, would seek to join the religious orders of those pantsuit-wearing, aging nuns who are rebelling against the Churchs leadership?” St Bernard entered the monastery at the age of twenty-two, despite the initial resistance of his family. But the magnetic beauty of his holiness of life would eventually cause his father and all his six brothers to become monks too. His only sister, with the permission of her husband, also became a nun. In this era of significantly depreciated vocations to the priesthood and religious life, we must understand that the key to increase in vocations lies in holiness of life among the clergy and the religious. Holiness is attractive for it reflects the very image and likeness of Christ and it is Jesus that encourages and attracts vocations. Last Saturday, Pope Francis emphasized this reality in his address to Communities of Religious in South Korea saying, “It is only a joyful witness that will allow the religious “to attract men and women to Christ”. Without holiness of life there is no joy. The divine bridegroom simplifies the inner life of the holy soul, takes the useless things away and replaces them with supernatural joy to which others are instinctively drawn to. The priest that joyfully remains true to his calling attracts young men to the priesthood. Those Religious Orders that prayerfully remain true to their charisms manifest holy joy and so have excess of vocations. The Dominican Sisters have excess of vocations but which young girl, in her right mind, would seek to join the religious orders of those pantsuit-wearing, aging nuns who are rebelling against the Churchs leadership?
Posted on: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 02:50:43 +0000
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