The Choice of a State of Life: and the Vocation to the Religious State
The Choice of a State of Life: and the Vocation to the Religious State
Overview
Counsels Concerning a Religious Vocation 6 I. We ought to conform to the Designs of God in the Choice of a State of Life, whatever it may be. 6 II. The Vocation to the Religious State. How Important it is to follow it promptly. 7 1. Misery to Which One Exposes One's Self by Not Corresponding to It 7 2. We Must Obey the Voice of God Without Delay 10 III. Means to be Employed for Preserving a Religious Vocation in the World. 13 Secrecy 14 Prayer 19 Recollection 20 Disposition Required for Entering Religion 20 Detachment from Comforts 23 -from Parents 25 -Self-Esteem 27 -from One's Own Will 30 Trials Which We Must Expect to have in the Religious Life 33 Conclusion 27 Considerations for Those Who are Called to the Religious State 39 How the Salvation of the Soul is Secured by Entering the Religious State 39 The Happy Death of the Religious 41 The Account He Will have to Render to Jesus Christ on the Day of Judgment Who Does Not Follow His Vocation 45 The Torment Which Will be the Lot of Him Who is Damned for Having Lost His Vocation 47 The Immense Glory Which the Religious Enjoy in Heaven 49 The Interior Peace that God Gives to Good Religious to Enjoy 52 The Damage Done to Religious by Tepidity 55 How Dear to God is a Soul That Gives Itself Entirely to Him 58 How Necessary it is, in Order to Become a Saint, to Have a Great Desire for Such a Thing 61 The Love We Owe to Jesus Christ in Consideration of the Love He Has Shown to Us 64 The Great Happiness Religious Enjoy in Dwelling in the Same House with Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament 67 The Life of Religious Resembles Mostly the Life if Jesus Christ 70 The Zeal Which Religious Ought to Have for the Salvation of Souls 72 How Necessary to Religious are the Virtues of Meekness and Humility 75 How Much Religious Ought to Confide in the Patronage of Mary 78 Prayers Taken from St Thomas Aquinas 80 Answer to a Young Man Who Asks Counsel on the Choice of a State of Life 82 Advice to a Young Person in Doubt About the State of Life She Ought to Embrace 89 Discourse to Pious Maidens 95 Vocation to the Priesthood 108 Appendix 122 Hymn 126 The Choice of a State of Life, and the Vocation to the Religions State. COUNSELS CONCERNING A RELIGIOUS VOCATION. I. We ought to conform to the Designs of God in the Choice of a State of Life, whatever it may be. It is evident that our eternal salvation depends principally upon the choice of our state of life. Father Granada calls this choice the chief wheel of our whole life. Hence, as when in a clock the chief wheel is deranged, the whole clock is also deranged, so in the order of our salvation, if we make a mistake as to the state to which we are called, our whole life, as St. Gregory Nazianzen says, will be an error. If, then, in the choice of a state of life, we wish to secure our eternal salvation, we must embrace that to which God calls us, in which only God prepares for us the efficacious means necessary to our salvation. For, as St Cyprian says: "The grace of the Holy Spirit is given according to the order of God, and not according to our own will;" and therefore St. Paul writes, Every one hath his proper gift from God." That is, as Cornelius a Lapide explains it, God gives to everyone his vocation, and chooses the state in which he wills him to be saved. And this is the order of predestination described by the same apostle: Whom he predestinated, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified, . . . and them he also glorified. We must remark that in the world this doctrine of the vocation is not much studied by some persons. They think it to be all the same, whether they live in the state to which God calls them, or in that which they choose of their own inclination, and therefore so many live a bad life.Description
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- Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
- Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.
Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.
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Estimated delivery times:
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- Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days
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You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.
Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.
Additional non-returnable items:
- Gift cards
- Downloadable software products
- Some health and personal care items
To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)
- Book with obvious signs of use
- CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
- Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
- Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery
Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.
Items returned to us that were not the result of our error, including items returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address, will be refunded the original item price less our standard restocking fees.
If the item is returned to us for any of the following reasons, a 15% restocking fee will be applied to your refund total and you will be asked to pay for return shipping:
- Item(s) no longer needed or wanted.
- Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
- Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order.
Shipping Cost
We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.
Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.
If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.
Overview
Counsels Concerning a Religious Vocation 6 I. We ought to conform to the Designs of God in the Choice of a State of Life, whatever it may be. 6 II. The Vocation to the Religious State. How Important it is to follow it promptly. 7 1. Misery to Which One Exposes One's Self by Not Corresponding to It 7 2. We Must Obey the Voice of God Without Delay 10 III. Means to be Employed for Preserving a Religious Vocation in the World. 13 Secrecy 14 Prayer 19 Recollection 20 Disposition Required for Entering Religion 20 Detachment from Comforts 23 -from Parents 25 -Self-Esteem 27 -from One's Own Will 30 Trials Which We Must Expect to have in the Religious Life 33 Conclusion 27 Considerations for Those Who are Called to the Religious State 39 How the Salvation of the Soul is Secured by Entering the Religious State 39 The Happy Death of the Religious 41 The Account He Will have to Render to Jesus Christ on the Day of Judgment Who Does Not Follow His Vocation 45 The Torment Which Will be the Lot of Him Who is Damned for Having Lost His Vocation 47 The Immense Glory Which the Religious Enjoy in Heaven 49 The Interior Peace that God Gives to Good Religious to Enjoy 52 The Damage Done to Religious by Tepidity 55 How Dear to God is a Soul That Gives Itself Entirely to Him 58 How Necessary it is, in Order to Become a Saint, to Have a Great Desire for Such a Thing 61 The Love We Owe to Jesus Christ in Consideration of the Love He Has Shown to Us 64 The Great Happiness Religious Enjoy in Dwelling in the Same House with Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament 67 The Life of Religious Resembles Mostly the Life if Jesus Christ 70 The Zeal Which Religious Ought to Have for the Salvation of Souls 72 How Necessary to Religious are the Virtues of Meekness and Humility 75 How Much Religious Ought to Confide in the Patronage of Mary 78 Prayers Taken from St Thomas Aquinas 80 Answer to a Young Man Who Asks Counsel on the Choice of a State of Life 82 Advice to a Young Person in Doubt About the State of Life She Ought to Embrace 89 Discourse to Pious Maidens 95 Vocation to the Priesthood 108 Appendix 122 Hymn 126 The Choice of a State of Life, and the Vocation to the Religions State. COUNSELS CONCERNING A RELIGIOUS VOCATION. I. We ought to conform to the Designs of God in the Choice of a State of Life, whatever it may be. It is evident that our eternal salvation depends principally upon the choice of our state of life. Father Granada calls this choice the chief wheel of our whole life. Hence, as when in a clock the chief wheel is deranged, the whole clock is also deranged, so in the order of our salvation, if we make a mistake as to the state to which we are called, our whole life, as St. Gregory Nazianzen says, will be an error. If, then, in the choice of a state of life, we wish to secure our eternal salvation, we must embrace that to which God calls us, in which only God prepares for us the efficacious means necessary to our salvation. For, as St Cyprian says: "The grace of the Holy Spirit is given according to the order of God, and not according to our own will;" and therefore St. Paul writes, Every one hath his proper gift from God." That is, as Cornelius a Lapide explains it, God gives to everyone his vocation, and chooses the state in which he wills him to be saved. And this is the order of predestination described by the same apostle: Whom he predestinated, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified, . . . and them he also glorified. We must remark that in the world this doctrine of the vocation is not much studied by some persons. They think it to be all the same, whether they live in the state to which God calls them, or in that which they choose of their own inclination, and therefore so many live a bad life.Description
Condition Guidelines
Books - New and Used
The following guidelines apply to books:
- New: A brand-new copy with cover and original protective wrapping intact. Books with markings of any kind on the cover or pages, books marked as "Bargain" or "Remainder," or with any other labels attached, may not be listed as New condition.
- Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
- Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.
Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.
Shipping & Delivery
Shipping Fees
- Stevens Books offers FREE SHIPPING everywhere in the United States for ALL non-book orders, and $3.99 for each book.
- Packages are shipped from Monday to Friday.
- No additional fees and charges.
Delivery Times
The usual time for processing an order is 24 hours (1 business day), but may vary depending on the availability of products ordered. This period excludes delivery times, which depend on your geographic location.
Estimated delivery times:
- Standard Shipping: 5-8 business days
- Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days
Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.
Tracking
All orders are shipped with a tracking number. Once your order has left our warehouse, a confirmation e-mail with a tracking number will be sent to you. You will be able to track your package at all times.
Damaged Parcel
If your package has been delivered in a PO Box, please note that we are not responsible for any damage that may result (consequences of extreme temperatures, theft, etc.).
If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.
Returns & Refunds
You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.
Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.
Additional non-returnable items:
- Gift cards
- Downloadable software products
- Some health and personal care items
To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)
- Book with obvious signs of use
- CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
- Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
- Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery
Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.
Items returned to us that were not the result of our error, including items returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address, will be refunded the original item price less our standard restocking fees.
If the item is returned to us for any of the following reasons, a 15% restocking fee will be applied to your refund total and you will be asked to pay for return shipping:
- Item(s) no longer needed or wanted.
- Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
- Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order.
Shipping Cost
We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.
Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.
If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.
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