On the one hand, we have the completely free decision of Jesus; on the other, the ‘coming’ of the Twelve, their ‘following’ Jesus. […] The absolute primacy of grace in the vocation is most perfectly proclaimed in the words of Jesus: ‘You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide’” (John 15:16).
— Ratio Institutionis «Christus Vita Vestra», 678.
“In them adolescents can mature in their calling in an environment adapted to their age and characterized by true inner freedom”
“Prior to candidacy — an adjustable period of accompaniment and formation, especially involving Regnum Christi“
“A program ordinarily held in the novitiate house without being part of the novice community and with its own formation plan”
— The Constitutions of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, 64.
A young man’s experience of an intimate relationship with Christ reveals his desire: his longing to belong totally to him, his inner drive to work for the salvation of mankind, his attraction to fraternal life, or other similar interior movements. Often, at the beginning of this journey, these good motives are tangled with others that are less pure: an attraction to a human exemplar, an idealized concept of the priesthood, a desire to be in the spotlight, etc. Over time, God will purify these lesser motives.
His capability is verified both by the absence of impediments and by the possession of certain necessary qualities. These are found in the Code of Canon Law and in the Constitutions as objective points of reference by which young men and their formators can discern the presence of a Legionary vocation.
— Ratio Institutionis «Christus Vita Vestra», 679.
We use the word discernment because prudent judgment is necessary in matters of vocation. In this process, we evaluate whether the traits the Constitutions speak of are sufficiently present in the candidate, while keeping in mind that he is also going to undergo a long process of interior growth. This process is different for each person: for some, the conviction of their call is obvious from the start, while for others this moral certainty comes only after a long, painful journey. For this reason, personal, attentive, supernatural and fatherly accompaniment are crucial in every stage of formation.
— Ratio Institutionis «Christus Vita Vestra», 680.