Discerning my vocation

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Hi all, I’m hoping you can help me with something. I am having trouble figuring out what exactly I’m being called to do, surely it shouldn’t be this hard :o . Basically the situation is I have felt a calling since about the age of 13 to enter the priesthood. I’m 19 now and at a crossroads. I have a large family and come from a poor (by English standards) family. I am the only member of my family to finish high school and go to university. My mother has no pension plan and my fathers job doesn’t exactly have great pension benefits. None of my brothers or sisters will be able to look after them as their jobs will never pay well enough to look after my parents. Between my siblings there is a teen mother whose future prospects look bleak, a prostitute who only calls in to take money, a drug addict who only comes round when he doesn’t have self control and has to be taken away by police and has also served 3 years in prison. I am not attacking my siblings, merely stating why they cannot be expected to look after my parents. So whats it to be? Look after my family or answer the calling. I can’t do both as a priest’s wages will not look after my whole family. Celibacy is a non issue, I’m not concerned with sexual relationships anymore. I just need a little advice on what path I should take. Any advice would be helpful.
Thanks and God bless
Peter

Edit: I should add the family isn’t the only reason I am rethinking the priesthood, I have been put in charge of my martial arts school, running it as a business in my area allows me to affect positive change in both the Catholic and non Catholic communities, and the money I’ll earn could be put to use to benefit a great many people.
 
Here in Australia in our diocese we have a Diocesan Vocations Director…if you have one in your diocese, a talk with him would be very profitable I am sure. Other than that, I would suggest you talk with a priest. May God bless you and send His Holy Spirit to guide you…
Blessings - Barb:)
iHs
 
LDNCatholic,
Good day, First let me say you are in my prayers. Second, it would be very important to get a spiritual director! The priest would be a person who would be able to assist you in the discernment process! They would be a good sounding board, to help you process your thoughts, feelings, etc.
You should also get in contact with the vocations director in your diocese they would be able to assist in the process as well!

One thing that my spiritual director tells me when I feel impatient is to remember that God is God and I am not, it will happen in His Time not mine! (That is hard for humans to remembers, we want everything now not later) But when you know it will give you great peace! I promise! You are in my prayers! God Bless!
 
If you really feel a calling, I think you have to do it. We can’t say no to God 🙂 I think the fact that celibacy doesn’t bother you is a sign of a true vocation; the good young Priests I know all have a very positive take on celibacy.

Since I never have felt a priestly vocation, I have to answer with an analogy. If marrying my wife would have prevented my supporting my parents, I would still have married her. IMO, I think a true vocation is that strong. Also, as you live in a Western nation, your parents will not starve.

God Bless you in your discernment.
 
Hey there,

That is a tough dilemma, and one I can somewhat relate to. My dad passed away a few years ago, and right now my mom is going through a ton of medical problems, surgeries, etc. At the rate things are going her money won’t last more than a few years. It’s hard to turn your back on that.

What you’ve got to remember is if God is calling you, He is going to take care of you. He will not put you into a situation that is impossible to achieve His will for you. If you’re meant to be your parent’s caretakers, he’ll make that possible. You need to put your trust in Him on this. He knows your family’s situation and needs better than anybody (even you!).

I am going to echo what others have already said… Get yourself a spiritual director and talk with him. It can be any priest you know and trust. Tell him what you’ve told us and see what he tells you. Put your trust in God and see where He takes you.
 
Remember God provides for those in need, if my great-grandma could raise 9 kids on her own while working a job Im sure your family will make it through.

If you think you are being called to the priesthood you should talk to your parish priest or contact a vocation director.
 
i agree with you jstreets! if the op is feeling a calling to the priesthood, then he should listen to what his heart and soul are telling him.
 
My advice is continue what you are doing, for now. It sounds like you are working a lot of good right now. If God wants you to become a priest, he will find a way, for you and for your parents. You’re still fairly young.
 
Thanks everyone, this has given me a lot to think about. I think I’m going to try and find a way to do both, i.e spend the next few years working away and getting together a bit of money for my family, then look into the priesthood. And thanks for suggesting the spiritual director I’m going to talk to one of the priests later in the week.
God Bless
Peter
 
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