Back again on vocations

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Hi all I posted back in January about how I’ve been feeling concerning marriage and priesthood. To recap the last one I’m 20 and in a relationship with a wonderful catholic girl who I would love to marry and we both can see ourselves happy with the other. However after getting my second concussion In December I started having these thoughts about how I could lose her. The only one I thought that could actually make me leave her is if god Called me to be a priest. I don’t really want to be a priest. I mean I respect priests but I would love to have my own kids and talking with my girlfriend about future children and hearing people mention them to me make me very happy. I haven’t gotten the thoughts of being called to priesthood to leave and am worried I might be being called to it. The thoughts originally made me sad and depressed but as I was recovering from the concussion and I started having regular meetings with a spiritual director and counselor they started going away and only would come when I’m tired and sad like it’s just habit. However it’s a habit id like to break because when the thought come I feel like there isn’t much for me to do except pray about them and think about them and I get stuck not doing anything. A lot of people I have talked to tell me it does seem like a vocation including some priests that I’ve known a while. I’m talking to another priest on Thursday. I really don’t want to disappoint god if he is calling me to priesthood but I really want to marry this girl and that thought gives me so much happiness. In fact i believe god pointed her out to me In adoration,
An experience that made me actually go talk to who I thought was a very beautiful girl who couldn’t possibly want to be with me (I am very hard on myself. Probably the only person who’d be disappointed with a 105 on an engineering test but it wasn’t hard enough) anyway I really want wbelieve im called to marry her and that god told me to talk to her for that purpose. The thought that he’d tell me to talk to her and this beautiful relationship would bloom is very sad and makes me angry. I really love working with youth and kids and I feel like I could be called to doing something in that area which could be done as a priest but I see myself doing it in other ways. However when anything that could be a sign to priesthood comes up my mind starts acting up and telling me look you have to do this breakup now and be a priest. It’s like a lot of pressure and doesn’t bring peace like the thougtns and prayers about marriage do. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong and how to get out of these thoughts or if it is a vocation to priesthood or marriage and it brings about very sad feelings about not knowing what to do. I’m sorry this is so long but do any of you have advice as to how to better deal with this and whether or not you think I’m called to priesthood or marriage based on the little I have said? Anything could help please pray for me.
 
I will also note that it almost feels like the devil pulling me away from everyone and everything I love to make me a miserable priest than god kindly asking me to do the same for him. I would hope that if I discerned it was a true calling that I would be able to accept it, though trying to think about what I would tell her and her family whom I love and would do anything for about it I don’t think I could. I don’t know.
 
Honestly, you could start taking some philosophy courses in college (see if you like it) along with your engineering courses and keep your options open. 20 is pretty darn young.

Lot’s of men become priests later in life.

Honestly, as long as Pope Francis gets about 5 more years and continues to appoint whoever he wants as cardinal, this celibacy thing will change…likely within 10 years.
 
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Yeah I go to Catholic University so I have philosophy and theology courses to take anyway. I think next semester I’m in the church and contemporary society. I know 20 is young but if I can I would like to marry my girlfriend in a couple years and want to make sure that’s the path god wants for me
 
I got one on the side and a month a half later one on the front.
 
While I believe your struggle on vocations is real and I empathize, I know concussions cause depression. Just be aware of that.
 
I know and that is something I’ve been working through with my counselor and spiritual director.
 
The left side concussions have higher risk for depression. Also makes a person more whiny and hypochondriac. I know, I’ve been there, as was my late son, who ended up having five concussions by the end of his 22 years (and five different forms of insomnia). I was injured in a racehorse training accident – came off the horse and landed on a boulder on the left side of my head. (Mom said my helmet was the best $75 she ever invested). I’ve really had to work at not being any of the above.

I suffered a frontal lobe concussion in a motor vehicle accident. I have a hard time remembering how to do menu planning, and even remembering when to eat.
 
The call to the priesthood or diaconate, is an invitation, not a mandate.

If you feel the call toward marriage and having a family, this is where God is calling you and it’s as important if not more, than a vocation toward religious life.

Forget the priesthood, it isn’t where God wants you.

Jim
 
Wow! I am sorry about your son and your injuries too. I honestly couldn’t tell you which side of my head it was. It happened very fast. But I do know I’m still suffering the effects of it as my nerves seem to be going numb up my arms a lot and they feel tingly and stiff. I’m getting blood work done soon. I’m hoping that these thoughts are just from the concussions or the devil as are the depression and anxiety. I would love to marry my girlfriend. Being a priest would be good but I don’t think it is for me
 
Get to a chiropractor who uses the Activator. Your Atlas and Axis are likely subluxated (out of alignment), and are pinching a nerve. I’ve got something of the same thing going on, and I’ve got a chiro and a neuro working on it (not together, unfortunately).

God would not yank you away from your girlfriend. Just for grins, see if you can visit a seminary and see if you feel like you’ve come home.
 
Those are good ideas. Thank you. I know I’ve felt at home once at mass when I went with my girlfriend and her family. I felt like I was home with them. Maybe if I visit a working seminary (I’ve been a few times but never when it was in session and not for vocational purposes) I’ll see if I get that feeling or if I should stay with my girlfriend who is making me happy and I hope to be making happier
 
Hi, I saw this and it made me think of you so I thought I’d post the link. I’m a girl and my call was a little different to yours cos I am older but similar as I am celibate and won’t have a family either, though as I say I am older so that choice is much easier. Anyway when reading this, even though it’s more for males and priest in particular it certainly resonates with me and a vocation call, especially the patience thing. God’s time is not our time.
Anyway maybe you’ll find it useful to read. It’s quite light hearted.

 
Thank you. It’s definitely something to think about. I talked with my priest last night for two hours and he said that it doesn’t really sound like God right now and more like anxiety and what not so he told me to stop worrying about and and praying more about marriage and discerni marriage with her. He said we had similar stories but with some key differences that make it seem like I’m not called to priesthood
 
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