Could I still do this as a Religious Priest?

[DL82]

In confession, a priest asked me if I enjoy life. The only things I felt right being able to say I enjoy in life are:

1. The random conversations with friends and acquaintances
2. Prayer
3. Being able to help the poor.

I had the most amazing experience on Sunday, I was on the way to Mass and met a guy who had fallen over in the street. He was drunk and suicidal. We went and had coffee together, he told me all about his life, and instead of him jumping off a bridge (his original plans for the day) we went to a later Mass together.

That’s got to be one of the happiest experiences in my life. I need to know, would I still be able to do that if I were a priest? I guess, a bit like the priest and the levite in Our Lord’s parable, you’d have to walk by on the other side, because the Mass would have to be said, and it would have to be said at the time people were expecting it. As a Religious, the rules for where I could be at any given time would be even more of a problem, and I wouldn’t be seen as the ‘average guy’ stopping to help, but as someone in a religious habit, someone who’s ‘expected’ to help, a professional if you like.

Anyway, just looking for opinions. Is there any way I could be a Religious and still be able to help in this way? I really feel that’s the thing that brings me joy from the Lord.

 

[Cruikshank_s]

Think of this: Do you have absolutely no obligations now? Do you have nowhere important to be or do? Of course you do! But you choose to help the least of these despite that. I will also note that it is your obligation as a Christian to help those in need. Priests and religious aren’t the only ones out there doing good for the salvation of souls, and most certainly they aren’t the only ones expected to do so either. We are all called to help those in need, priests and religious by virtue of their solemn vows simply have more opportunity to do so.

So think of this: Do you feel attracted to the greater opportunity? Do you feel attracted to penance and service? Would you like to stand as an alter Christus at the altar of God? Being a priest or religious does not in any way limit your availability to others, it broadens it. You have no idea how attractive the cassock and habit are to poor lost souls. You will be sought out, looked for, called after, and it will be your obligation not only as a priest or religious but overwhelmingly as a Christian to answer and give aid.

You will be in my prayers!

 

[Marc_Aupiais]

Priests are meant to say the mass near every day: the mass is a prayer: and other prayers. You can keep in contact with friends: but may be positioned away from them. Priests can and should do as you did today: Priests don’t have a family: precisely so they can taker such risks.

 

[JReducation]

If you want to be a religioius and a priest, much will depend on what kind of religious community you join. Some religious communities are apostolic. They are very active in the world and very visible. Others are monastic. They spend more time in prayer, silence and solitude and very little time in the active apostolate outside of the religious house. Some are totally enclosed. These never leave the cloister, such as Trappists. Others are mendicants, such as Franciscans. We do leave the religious house, be there are times of the day when we are together for prayer, community recreation, community meals, silence, retreats, days of recollection, other community functions and of course every friar has chores to do around the house: cooking, laundry, bathrooms, dishes, shopping and so forth.

The priesthood is not different from one community to another. The priesthood is a sacrament and is not necessary to be a religious. Religious who are priests can be assigned to any ministry of the community. Enclosed communities, such as Trappists and other Cistercians have priests, but these priests never minister on the outside world. They never see people, unless they work with the retreat ministry of the abbey.

In some religioius communities, such as mine, our priests are brothers. They have the same lifestyle, rights and duties as any other brother. Our superior is not a priest, he is a lay brother. But the ordained brothers owe him absolute obedience. He assigns them and he decides the community schedule and duties for everyone.

Finally, there are clerical communities such as the Jesuits. These are communities of priests. They are religious and priests and their religious life is molded around their priestly ministry and their priestly ministry flows from their religious vocation. In other words, they serve in ministries that are consistent with the inentions of the the founder.

I hope this was helpful.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF