Revealing Your Vocation to Your Parents

An aspirant to the Society of Jesus was seventeen and wanted both to explain to his parents his own intention and to stop them from making any other plans for him. Therefore he wrote the following letter to them from Mechlin:

Dear Father and Mother,

For four months now God has been knocking on the door of my heart but up to now I have to some extent kept it shut against him. Since then I have noticed that during my studies and my relaxation, while I was walking about or doing anything else, the only thought that kept coming to my mind was to wonder what sort of life I ought to adopt.

So after many communions and good works I decided in the end to make a vow to serve God in religious life, provided he helps me with his grace.

I know that friends and parents are always upset by the departure of those they love. But I look at it in a different way.

Supposing that my father and mother were here on the one side, together with my sister and other relatives, and on the other Our God and Lord with his, and I hope, my Blessed Mother; and suppose my parents said: “Dear son, we beg you, do not leave us; we ask this in return for the labours and cares we have endured for your sake…”

And suppose Jesus said: “Follow me, I was born for your sake, scourged for you, crowned with thorns and crucified for you. See the five sacred wounds I suffered for you. Have you forgotten that I have fed your soul with my holy Body and given it my sacred Blood to drink? Are you not ashamed of your lack of gratitude to me?”

Dear Father and Mother, whenever I think of this my heart is on fire, and I would wish if I could to enter religious life on the spot. My mind and heart have no peace until they find their beloved.

I have therefore most willingly decided to offer myself to Christ Jesus and fight his wars in his Society. My only hope is that you will not show yourselves so unreasonable as to set your minds against him. I commend myself to your holy prayers, and I ask the Lord to grant me perseverance in my intentions to the end of my life, and at the end to grant eternal life to you and to me.

Christ’s obedient son and yours,

JOHN BERCHMANS

Saint John Berchmans, scholastic of the Society of Jesus, was canonized in 1888.

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

Credits: http://jesuitvocationpromotions.blogs.friendster.com/my_blog/2006/03/i_want_to_be_a_.html

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

Saint John Berchmans, pray for us.