Are All Vocations Equal?

[KnightofChrist]

Also St. John Chrysostom taught that virginity is a higher vocation than marriage.

[TeresaBenedicta]

[quote name='KnightofChrist' date='04 June 2010 - 01:03 AM' timestamp='1275624183' post='2123500']
The Priest is in the person of Christ the Head, In Persona Christi Capitis, he is the Icon of Christ. And Christ is the High Priest of the Church. Only a Priest can be In Persona Christi Capitis, so it would seem that it is the highest vocation.
[/quote]

The priest may very well be most closely configured to Christ via his ordination. Therefore his actions [i]as a priest[/i] may be higher or better, but not necessarily his state of life precisely because the priesthood in no way requires or necessitates perfection. A priest can be a priest without seeking Christian perfection. It is not inherently ordered toward Christian perfection. According to St. Thomas, living the evangelical counsels and a life dedicated solely to Christian perfection, i.e. the religious life, is the highest state of life.

But St. Thomas is well known for his distinctions. I've been reading through q.179-189 to get a better read of it... but it doesn't even seem like this comes up for St. Thomas. He even says that a priest should not be hindered from entering the religious life and should be given the dispensation to do so by his bishop.

This seems to be the position of the early Church.

I don't think there is any doubt that the priesthood is more necessary... but I don't think it's more perfect or a higher state of life.

[TeresaBenedicta]

Here's the closest thing I can find:

IIa IIae, q. 184, a.7

The question is: Whether the religious state is more perfect than that of prelates?

St. Thomas says that the office of bishop is the of 'perfecters' and the religious is that of being 'perfected' and so are perfect in different ways. Still says nothing of the priest, however. It would seem from my reading of St. Thomas and from my discussions with a priest friend of mine that the religious is a higher state of life than the priesthood.

[TeresaBenedicta]

Oh-ho, I feel silly.

Question 184, article 8... Whether parish priests and archdeacons are more perfect than religious?

[quote]
On the contrary, It is stated (XIX, qu. ii, cap. Duce): "If a man while governing the people in his church under the bishop and leading a secular life is inspired by the Holy Ghost to desire to work out his salvation in a monastery or under some canonical rule, since he is led by a private law, there is no reason why he should be constrained by a public law." Now a man is not led by the law of the Holy Ghost, which is here called a "private law," except to something more perfect. Therefore it would seem that religious are more perfect than archdeacons or parish priests.

I answer that, When we compare things in the point of super-eminence, we look not at that in which they agree, but at that wherein they differ. Now in parish priests and archdeacons three things may be considered, their state, their order, and their office. It belongs to their state that they are seculars, to their order that they are priests or deacons, to their office that they have the cure of souls committed to them.

Accordingly, if we compare these with one who is a religious by state, a deacon or priest by order, having the cure of souls by office, as many monks and canons regular have, this one will excel in the first point, and in the other points he will be equal. But if the latter differ from the former in state and office, but agree in order, such as religious priests and deacons not having the cure of souls, it is evident that the latter will be more excellent than the former in state, less excellent in office, and equal in order.

We must therefore consider which is the greater, preeminence of state or of office; and here, seemingly, we should take note of two things, goodness and difficulty. Accordingly, if we make the comparison with a view to goodness, the religious state surpasses the office of parish priest or archdeacon, because a religious pledges his whole life to the quest of perfection, whereas the parish priest or archdeacon does not pledge his whole life to the cure of souls, as a bishop does, nor is it competent to him, as it is to a bishop, to exercise the cure of souls in chief, but only in certain particulars regarding the cure of souls committed to his charge, as stated above (6, ad 2). Wherefore the comparison of their religious state with their office is like the comparisons of the universal with the particular, and of a holocaust with a sacrifice which is less than a holocaust according to Gregory (Hom. xx in Ezech.). Hence it is said (XIX, qu. i, can. Clerici qui monachorum.): "Clerics who wish to take the monastic vows through being desirous of a better life must be allowed by their bishops the free entrance into the monastery."

This comparison, however, must be considered as regarding the genus of the deed; for as regards the charity of the doer it happens sometimes that a deed which is of less account in its genus is of greater merit if it be done out of greater charity.

On the other hand, if we consider the difficulty of leading a good life in religion, and in the office of one having the cure of souls, in this way it is more difficult to lead a good life together with the exercise of the cure of souls, on account of outward dangers: although the religious life is more difficult as regards the genus of the deed, by reason of the strictness of religious observance. If, however, the religious is also without orders, as in the case of religious lay brethren, then it is evident that the pre-eminence of order excels in the point of dignity, since by holy orders a man is appointed to the most august ministry of serving Christ Himself in the sacrament of the altar. For this requires a greater inward holiness than that which is requisite for the religious state, since as Dionysius says (Eccl. Hier. vi) the monastic order must follow the priestly orders, and ascend to Divine things in imitation of them. Hence, other things being equal, a cleric who is in holy orders, sins more grievously if he do something contrary to holiness than a religious who is not in holy orders: although a religious who is not in orders is bound to regular observance to which persons in holy orders are not bound.[/quote]

[KnightofChrist]

"If I saw an Angel and a priest, I would bend my knee first to the priest and then to the Angel."

-St. Francis of Assisi

“To be a priest is the highest calling one can receive. You must accept it in deep humility, because it is not only you who comes close to God, but God works in you to touch others.” — Archpriest David M. Petras

[quote]Choosing the Better Part: The Priesthood or the Religious Life by Brother André Marie, M.I.C.M.
[url="http://catholicism.org/downloads/store%20preview/religious_vocation.mp3"]Listen for Free! (28.1 MB)[/url]
The two ecclesiastical vocations, priesthood and religious life, are both examined in this second lecture. The religious vocation is, of course, a higher state of life than the married or single state. The reasons why are precisely spelled out by our speaker. The consecrated life, given to the exercise of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience, is the “better part,” which Our Lord reserved for the contemplative Mary; while the good part, although less than “the better,” is exemplified in her busy sister, Martha. The Apostles were called personally by Our Lord; however, that was unique to them. All other religious vocations involve a general call. It is God’s Plan A for him or her. If one does not respond cheerfully, or procrastinates, the “called” can lose this grace. There are only so many “mañanas” that God will tolerate. Our speaker stresses the importance for anyone who is considering a religious vocation to seek advice from a wise counselor and to make a retreat in order to discern better the inspiration’s source. Lastly, our speaker moves on with profound and sobering reflections on the duties of religious and priests, especially the divine duties of the alter-Christus, before eloquently extolling the dignity of the consecrated life and Christ’s promise of the hundredfold reward in this life and eternal life in the next for those who persevere.[/quote]

[MissScripture]

[quote name='TeresaBenedicta' date='03 June 2010 - 11:53 PM' timestamp='1275623633' post='2123497']
No, this is not true.

All vocations are not equal. Some vocations are objectively higher than others. This has been taught throughout the history of the Church.

There has been a move to emphasize that, subjectively, people are called to different vocations and the vocation that they are called to is most perfect for them.
[/quote]
Thank you, this makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately, I think that whole "subjective" part of it is being left out, most of the time. I think pride can also get in the way of this understanding.