I will be using two books: The Eternal Priesthood by Henry Edward Cardinal Manning and On The Priesthood by Saint John Chrysostom
I want to tell you a story, a story of my vocation that could not be full filled, even though, I so want to be a Priest, but no Traditional Religious Order would take a sick man, and those in the chancery in the Salina Diocese thinks I need more education, but took in two out of state vocations who only had one year of college, same amount of education I had at the same time, then during that time, I rapidly became ill, disabled, but studied at home the Writings of the Church Fathers, Doctors of the Church, Blessed John Duns Scotus, Father Reginald Garrigou Lagrange, Blessed Columba Marmion, many others, most of all Saint John Vianney and Saint Padre Pio. I wanted to restore what those two did, and make a plaque to hang on the arch where the confessional is in our home parish that Saint John Vianney made for his, "One Single Dance, Cost Saint John The Baptist his head." Because the dancing has gotten awful, immodest and vulgar, true modest dancing is not promoted, the dancing used at formal balls.
I got a letter from the Vocation Director of the Midwest Capuchins, asking me to not be so rigid regarding following the Missal, I told them I won't change anything, but hold firm to what Padre Pio taught and that was that, a big fat no from them.
Since, all rejected, I've decided that if and when we are invited to Ordinations, I make sure the Priests being ordained get the book by Saint Ambrose, Duties Of The Clergy, and now I find myself devoted to this Holy Cardinal and Defender of the Faith, Henry Edward Cardinal Manning, and writing posts to carrying on what he did, be in the trenches and breaches defending the faith and the Priesthood from the errors that have swept into both.
Today, it seems like the best looking, best grades, popular, family power and money have been chosen for Priests, seminaries seem like they are secular colleges, they do sports, learn secular ideologies, modernism, sociology, psychology, on how to become a social worker, a NGO, how to please the people, how to be popular, but do they get taught how to become a Holy Priest? Do they get to read the actual work of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Saint Anselm, Saint Augustine of Hippo, Saint Jerome, Blessed John Duns Scotus, Henry Edward Cardinal Manning? Saint John Henry Cardinal Newman? Blessed Dom Prosper Gueranger? Father Reginald Garrigou Lagrange? Blessed Columba Marmion? All the Council Documents of the Church? Writings of the Saints? Of The Holy Popes?
Do they make many Holy Hours before the Blessed Sacrament? Learning from Our Lord, the True High Priest? Do they even study the Liturgy? To make sure their offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is proper, reverent, prayerful. Are they afraid to speak and act on the Truth? Or, Do they just want to please everyone and not offend people? Do they stay away from all things of Temptation and people who cause temptation? Do they frequent the Sacrament of Confession at least weekly? Do they serve at the altar to grow in their love of Holy Mass and Our Lord's Sacred Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist?
When you are invited to spend Christmas with a family from the parish or to supper at their home, do you have the Faith and Courage to defend the Faith, to teach the Faith to the family if they need some correction or confirmation in the Faith?
Let us hear from Henry Edward Cardinal Manning on 1. The Instrumental Means Of Perfection, 2. The Friend Of The Priest, 3. The Priest As Preacher:
Now, let us see what the Great Doctor of the Church, Saint John Chrysostom says in his book, On The Priesthood
We have gone through Three books, there are three more books, read them, make notes, print it off, live what Saint John Chrysostom teaches and what Henry Edward Cardinal Manning teaches, this is the Vocation of the Priest.