Vocation, a shield against temptation

People who remain entangled in the brambles along the way do so because they choose to, and they know that they will be unhappy because they have turned their backs on the Love of Christ. I say once again that we all have our shortcomings. But these shortcomings should never lead us to turn our back on God’s call, but rather to take refuge in it, to clothe ourselves in this divine goodness as the warriors of old clothed themselves in their suits of armour. Our defence lies in the cry: ecce ego, quia vocasti me! (1 Sam 3:6), here I am for you have called me! We should not go against God’s call because we have shortcomings, but rather attack those shortcomings because God has called us.

When difficulty and temptation arise, the devil often wants us to reason thus: “Since you have this shortcoming, it is a sign that God is not calling you; you cannot continue.” We should be warned about the sophistry of this reasoning and think instead: since God has called me, with God’s grace I can indeed continue, in spite of this error.

Vocation assures us with grace

Our dedication entitles us and gives us, as it were, a right to the graces we need to remain faithful to the way we once started out on because God had called us. Faith tells us that whatever circumstances we may endure, graces will not be lacking if we do not voluntarily reject them. However, we must cooperate, and that cooperation includes practising the virtue of fortitude, part of which is patience in withstanding trials, difficulties, temptations, and our own wretchedness. Who has been tested by it and been found perfect? … Who has had the power to transgress and did not transgress, and to do evil and did not do it? His prosperity will be established in the Lord (Sir 31:10-11).

There is no right to doubt vocation

From all eternity the Creator chose us for this life of complete dedication: Elegit nos in ipso ante mundi constitutionem (Eph 1:4); he chose us before the creation of the world. None of us has the right to doubt that divine calling, no matter what. God always offers his light and freely provides an inner strength, because he wants our weakness alongside his omnipotence and the darkness of our lowly nature next to his light. We cannot doubt that he has sought us out deliberately to be co-redeemers. Along with all the other reasons we have often considered, we have an external sign: the fact that we have been labouring so willingly in his Work for no earthly gain. If God had not called us, all that self-effacing work in Opus Dei would have made us fit for a mental institution. But the fact that we are sane proves that there is something physical, something external, to guarantee that our calling is divine: veni, sequere me (Luke 18:22); come, follow me.