St. Peter and St. Andrew seemed to have advanced by a triple invitation from Our Lord. Jesus calls them at first to the knowledge of His person, then to follow Him for a certain period, after which they returned to their fishing (John 1:42; Luke 5:4-7), and finally to the definite vocation of accompanying Him always (Matt. 4:19).
How many stages have marked my vocation, not so much my vocation to the religious life, but my vocation to sanctity? That also has been offered several times. I understood, even in the world, that I ought not to follow the world; it was an immense grace; I did not grasp at first what it meant to leave the world. Little by little, however, I saw it clearly and I left my own, my bark and my nets.
But once in the religious life, all is not finished; it is then only that all begins. It is possible to live in it some years and lead all told only a rather ordinary existence. A moment comes, according to the great masters of the spiritual life, when one is invited to take the step, to break absolutely, definitely as far as possible with weakness, with the last reserves of self-love; and to plunge into sacrifice through love. God touches the soul with His special grace and immediately the soul sees differently from the past. A world is dead; a new life begins. A fidelity already great has encouraged God to ask more; a perfect fidelity is henceforth required; it means that the soul will always be with the Master and the Master always with the soul.
O great Apostles Peter and Andrew, lead me to Jesus. Lead me to His dwelling. Make me to know the secret dwelling places where I have still so much to learn, so many words of love to say and to hear.
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Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
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