Desribe your call

[GandalfTheWhite]

I was wondering what other people experience when they say that they are being called to priesthood. As far as I know it often differs from person to person.

I think that what I was experiencing was indeed a calling to priesthood, though of course I can’t be sure. I never wanted to become a priest and when a friend of mine (discerning as well) jokingly asked me I said NO (and that’s what I meant). Then suddenly the idea of me being a priest started popping in my head - just from all of the sudden. I felt like it’s jabing me. I said that the idea of me becoming a priest is stupid and I tried ignoring it. Then one Saturday (Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) my priest had a homily about Mary and spoke about how we should listen to God’s call even though we know nothing about about - that we should trust Him. This really slapped me over the face and I started thinking. Then later on I decided that I indeed want to follow God and that he probably has a plan for me. The decision went quite smoothly though I had many doubts. I also stopped having the sudden “jabbings inside my head”. I thought that this means that I was imagining it but then I realized that it might actually mean that I no longer need them - that I’m set on the right path. I hope I am. While I’m still a bit nervous and exited about this new decision at time I often also feel strengths and great trust in God. Well, I still have one more year of university and I still need to get a spiritual director so nothing is definitive. But right now I think that’s where I’m heading.

What about you? Do you have similar experiences? Or something completely different?

 

[Kevin42]

I had never really seriously considered the possibility until I was probably around 15. Of course, according to my mother, when I was 4 I told her that I was indeed going to be a priest. She has told me this many times before, but I never considered it until one day when a new priest at our parish gave a homily which was about how he was called to be a priest. His childhood life sounded exactly like mine, but more intriguing to me was that he said he had told his mother that he was going to be a priest when he was around 4 years old. Anyways, his life sounded much too similar to mine for me to continue ignoring the possibility that I might be being called to be a priest. Through that whole sermon though I couldn’t help but wonder if my mom was thinking how similar we sounded.

Not right after this occured, but a year or so later, I was talking to my mom about college and how I wanted to be an engineer she asked me if I thought I was going to become a priest. I told her I definately think about it, but am not sure.

That’s about where I am now. I pray about it frequently and am in the middle of an online retreat I found for help in discernment. I feel like the priesthood is still a very big possibility for me…so big that I think me becoming a priest is simply a matter of time. For some reason I just don’t feel like it is something I should be doing now. Who knows though, perhaps in a few years.

Also, to anyone here on the forums in the seminary, or discerning the call to become a priest, I will keep you in my prayers. Peace.

 

[Br_Joshua_Seidl]

I realy enjoy hearing each person’s journey with regards priesthood and religious life.

I was probably 7 (could have been a bit younger) whe I knew I wanted to be like our pastor. He was delightfully pompous. It was the old days when they still wore barettas (sp?) hats and he sang magnificently about the aspergus he ate (sprinkle me O’Lord). I want to be like that. He was great with us kids, laughing and making us laugh. He was sort of a grandpa as far as I was concerned.

The vission never went away - but the obstacles or doubts or challenges as to if I should or if I would be accepted came and went over the years. I went to public school and had low marks. I was told God only wanted smart kids who went to Cathiolic School. So I was rather quiet about this.

finaly in my senior year I was looking at all the careers I did not realy want, but deciding what was more interesting than others. My Dad asked me if I still gave Preisthood much thought. I’m glad he did. I told him why I can’t be a priest, being mixed race, poor student, public education.

He helped me speak to the right persons who dispelled all those things. I wanted so much to work like my Grandfather and Great Grandfather. They were Methodist Ministers and Anishinabe Midiwin (Ojibwe Medicine Elders). They championed many good causes and were afraid of no one becasue of their faith convictions (or at least I thought they were afraid of no one).

They worked hard to prove Native People can be 100% Native and Christian and not have to give up culture. That was long before Ppe John Paul II came by and said the same thing.

The road was rough – I entered and in a few short years was out or religious life. I remained single as my personal vow of Evangelical council (chastity, poverty and obedience). I worked for religious freedom for our People in this land. Many things came about, non of which I regret - the people I met, the things we did to honor Jesus and his gospel.

About 12 years ago I returned to religious life and am now a perpeptualy professed Brother in the Society of St. Paul.

The challenges are great - but you know the calling is greater. Don’t worry that you might make a few odd turns in figuring out how to follow the call. It all works out for the better.

I realy would like to hear more about your vocation discernment. I think what you first responders have said so far sounds rather genuine to me.

 

[shubr0om]

i was at a practice for a retreat conference. there were many brothers, sisters and friends. confession was held, and i went to confession. a very holy devout priest was listening to my sins. after i was done, he sensed i had a vocation and how i really want to change the world. it was unbelievable. so now im left with a mystery.

 

[RevDrNorth]

I am not a Roman Catholic but I will share my journey or a little of it.

I was in college (registered through a Catholic College) when I felt God’s call on my life to service as an Anglican Priest. It came one evening as I watched the first snow fall and was in awe at the power and beauty of God and His creation. I graduated and was told by the seminary President that I needed to experience life (push a broom) as it was not good to go from HS to College to Seminary. He felt I would be unable to relate as well to people in the parish from different walks of life. I ended up in the military and drifted a bit. Later an Anglican Priest told me that Seminary President’s advice was ridiculous. At any rate, eventually God called me back and opended the door to seminary and further service as an ordained clergy person.

Several things I learned through the process. God is faithful and even when we drift He does not leave us nor did my hunger for Him ever completely leave me. I was drawn to Him like a magnet and He fills my being. I found that the more I invest in prayer (the Daily Office) and reading scripture and other spiritual works the closer I am to God and the more invigorated I am for ministry (kind of like having your battery charged). This gives me the strength to invest in others and that is a blessing in itself.

Good luck to you.

In Christ,

Rev North

 

[AdvanceAlways]

For me I guess it has been there since 8th grade. At that point I was a liberal cradle Catholic who attended church at the Charismatic Episcopal Church. It was the night before Pope John Paul the Great died and this whole wave of emotion swept over me, and I knew I had to start going to the true Church again. I also that night got this off feeling that God might want me to be a Priest. I ignored it.

Several weeks later we had to go to the yearly Vocations Mass at school which we all laughed about. I still remember the Bishop saying “I KNOW one or more of you hear has a vocation, you might be pushing it aside now, but at least keep it in the back of your head.”

Little things like that kept happening.

Going into high school, rediscovering what being a Catholic meant, the somewhat liberal Masses offered by the order that runs my school helped me reconnect with God.

Then comes Catholic Answers. The people here helped me realize that that feeling was legit. They also helped me discover that truly Orthodox Catholicism is the right way.

Once my sophomore year began I knew that I was going to have to acknowledge that I want to be a Priest. Only 2 of my close friends know but they have helped alot.

For the past year now I have been discerning with several religious orders now narrowed down to two. My vocational call has led me to believe that God wants me to serve him as either a Trinitarian or a Carmelite.

That is my journey as of now!

God Bless,

-AA