Everyone on earth is called to love. This is the primary vocation of each one of us; to love our neighbour as ourselves and to love God above all things.
God has ordained, however, that the manner in which we show this love is determined by our vocation. A vocation is a free gift from God, an invitation to pursue a way of life that, if lived well, will result in our sanctification and happiness. Everyone is called to some form of vocation. Some, in particular, are called by God to consider the priesthood and religious life, which are vocations that respond to Christ’s words in the Gospel passage:
God calls many young men and women to be His labourers, to offer their lives in loving and self-giving service so that they may spread the love of Christ throughout the world. What a gift and joy it is to labour for the love of God! St Alphonsus says that a call to the religious or priestly state is a special grace indeed.
Have you ever wondered if God might be calling you to the priesthood or religious life, especially within the traditional orders of the Church? If so, you may find the following information helpful.
St Alphonsus exhorts all young men to consider whether or not they have a vocation to the priesthood and to meditate upon the joys of such a vocation. It is an incredible honour to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and to command, by God’s own will, that mere bread and wine be changed into the very Body and Blood of Christ. It is a humbling privilege and joy to be the instrument by which sinners are reconciled to God and restored to the life of grace. Not even the angels possess this most high dignity, which is none other than a sharing in the Priesthood of Jesus Christ Himself. Although some would tremble at such a responsibility, it is one of which no one is worthy. God delights is using the weak to confound the strong, and His omnipotence is only made the more manifest, at times, when He works despite our imperfections. It is true that a candidate to the priesthood needs a certain level of health and mental ability, but what is most important is that he have a faithful heart, after that of Christ.
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There is no spouse more loving, more gentle, more admirable than the Divine Spouse of Souls, Jesus Christ. A young woman called to the religious state, in either a cloistered or active community, is called to be a Bride of Christ and has the honour of praying for and aiding the Church within the particular charism of her community. A religious sister is an eschatological sign, that is, a sign which calls to mind the fleetingness of this life and the everlasting nature of the next.
There is one traditional community of cloistered Carmelite nuns in Australia, located in Mathoura, NSW. These nuns live out a simple life of contemplative prayer and penance, following the ancient custom of monastic enclosure as a symbol of their complete gift of self to Christ. For more information please see their website: https://carmeljmj.org.au/
There are also a number of traditional communities located overseas:
There is also the option of joining one of the many established religious communities in Australia. For more information on these and other forms of religious or consecrated life for women, please contact the Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide here.
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O my God, Thou who art the God of wisdom and of counsel, Thou who readest in my heart the sincere will to please Thee alone, and to govern myself with regard to my choice of a state of life, entirely in conformity with Thy most holy desire; grant me, by the intercession of the most blessed Virgin, my Mother, and of my holy patrons, especially of St Joseph and St Aloysius, the grace to know what state I ought to choose; and when to embrace it, so that in it I may be able to pursue and increase Thy glory, work out my salvation, and merit that heavenly reward which Thou hast promised to those who do Thy holy Will. Amen.
The Adelaide Latin Mass Community forms a part of the wider Adelaide Catholic Cathedral Parish of St Francis Xavier. We are served by priests from the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter.
80 Payneham Rd
Stepney, South Australia 5069
AUSTRALIA
Fr Michael McCAFFREY, FSSP
Chaplain
Mob: 0420 374 744
Fr Thomas SOFATZIS, FSSP
Assistant Priest
Mob: 0429 808 958
39 Wakefield St
Adelaide, South Australia 5000
Ph: + 61 (08) 8210 8116
House of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom
8 Stuart Rd
Dulwich, South Australia 5065
AUSTRALIA
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The Adelaide Latin Mass Community and this website are dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Virgo sine labe originali concepta, ora pro nobis.