Vocations Explained: Matrimony, Virginity, the Religious State and the Priesthood

A catechetical manual explains the nature and duty of divine callings to various states of life—marriage, virginity, the religious state, and the priesthood—asserting that each person receives a special vocation and should follow it to obtain the graces suited to that state. It examines matrimony, mixed marriages, the three evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and signs and obstacles to a religious vocation. Practical chapters advise parents and clergy on fostering and preserving vocations, discerning doubts, and using prayer, humility, retreats, counsel, and saintly examples as means of discernment, concluding with a prayer attributed to St. Bernard.