To strive for something Higher

      The phrase "vocations crisis" is one which is often heard. In Catholic circles, it is taken to mean the dearth of Priests which has left no sector of the Church's life untouched. This is certainly a crisis, and a pernicious one at that. Unlike some crises, the effects of this one continue to compound. The longer the problem goes unaddressed, the worse our situation becomes. As an old seminary professor used to say: "Priests raise Priests". And how true that is! More than anything, it is the holy example provided by a fervent priest, that inspired young men to take up the priestly cross. And so, the fewer holy priests out there, the fewer young men who will follow the call. And yet, despite the dangerous degree to which the crisis has escalated, there has been no efficacious response to it. Only in the last few years have we seen the beginnings of a true renaissance, that is, a re-birth.  
      When the precipitous decline in clergy began to be noticed, the first response was the try to "bring the priesthood to the people", and make it more accessible to them. This was done by shifting the focus from the priest's divinity, as altar Christus, to his humanity, as Fr. Bob. They attempted to make priests into a sort of social worker, someone who was really just "one of the guys". Analogously, the same is true of the Religious life, both male and female. A startling (At least for me) example of this is this Vocations video  produced by a group of Benedictine "Nuns" (It is hard to call them that, since there is not a single veil or rosary to be seen).
  

  If you went through the regrettable experience of watching that video, you will have readily grasped that to which I was referring. No mention of their Charisma of prayer and sacrifice for the salvation of souls, no sight of the sisters singing the Office, no description of the beautiful Benedictine spirituality of Ora et Labora. In their place, we had an illicit Mass, protection of the environment, and, to complete the picture... some sort of Yoga. I can't speak for you, but I would not be too keen on devoting my entire life, body and soul, to such trifling things.

Drastically at variance with the above vocations video is this one,  produced by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate.



Oh my, that's a bit different isn't it?
It seems to have a rather different focus, doesn't it? Let's see: "Holy Sacrifice of the Mass", "Holy Rosary", "Silence and recollection", "The exclusion of the noise and dissipation of the World". Yes... decidedly different. After watching that video, one cannot help but think: "Wow. This is something special, something higher".
And how right you would be! The Priesthood/Religious life is something special, supernatural, and superhuman.
       
   So, which one leads to vocations?
I think that the answer is, must be, and can only be the latter.
   What attracts young people? What makes them want to lay down their bodies and souls on the altar of religious life?
Is it being told that Brother/Sister/Father so-and-so, is pretty much like everyone else? I think not. Young people are not drawn towards mediocrity, they will not strive towards mediocrity. They want to strive for something greater than themselves; they want to strive to a higher calling; they want to be something. How can we possible expect to attract them into religious life by insinuating into their minds the idea that religious life is really not that special? Will people flock to the banner of lapel-pin celibate social workers? Or rather, will they flock to the banner of Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, of something sublime, something higher? If one looks at the relative success of the Vocations offices of the lapel-pin Orders, versus the authentic sacrificial religious life, the answer will be clear.