Do you think this is a calling to priest hood

[Bubba]

So I have been praying a lot recently and have a desire to become a priest however I am still in high school. This morning I woke up with my jaw locked and usually I would have to pop and mess with it so that I could open my mouth wide again. I then prayed Lord Jesus if you want me to become a priest then allow my jaw to open again and I will do what you ask of me. And then after I finished I was able to open my jaw again with out popping it or anything. This might seem like a coincidence but I really felt like it was God.

 

[RolandThompsonGunner]

I think discerning a call to the priesthood is a really serious thing you should discuss with a priest. The opinions of Internet strangers are not going to be helpful.

 

[Bubba]

Yah I know this isn’t going to decide for me i was just seeing what other people thought. And I’m definitely still going to continue praying a lot

 

[nunsuch]

In this case, I might also see a dentist or an orthopedist, especially since it seems like this has happened before.

 

[Nigel7]

ight seem like a coincidence but I really felt like it was God.

I think you shouldn’t test God in seeking after signs. God’s probably not going to drop something from the sky into your lap giving you a difinitive yes or no answer.

Also, as someone who spent two years in seminary discerning a call to the priesthood, I can tell you that entering a seminary is only an early step in discerning a call to the priesthood. Knowing whether or not you should be a priest is a years long process of constant deep prayer, daily mass, life in the sacraments, study, hard work, and requires one to make great strides in their interior life. A good seminary provides an envioronment to do that.
The “Jesus, if you want me to become a priest then do this thing for me” approach to discernment isn’t going to be fruitful. You are going to have to work a lot harder at it than that. There are no shortcuts to discerning a call to the vocation.

You are in my prayers as you begin a process of genuine discernment.

May God bless you.

 

[Cruciferi]

This morning I woke up with my jaw locked and usually I would have to pop and mess with it so that I could open my mouth wide again.

In all seriousness, talk to your Doctor about this.

This might seem like a coincidence

Yes it was.

I would suggest contacting your Diocesan Vocation Office and discussing the Priesthood with them.

 

[Bubba]

Haha yah I will soon it’s been doing this almost every morning and I’m only 15

 

[Bubba]

Would you recommend seminary right after high school if I feel a calling?

 

[Nigel7]

Hey Bubba, I am only going to recommend that you go right now to your diocese website and contact the vocations director. He is going to be very happy to meet with you, to hear you, and to give you the very best advice for your individual circumstances.

 

[Justin_Mary]

This might seem like a coincidence but I really felt like it was God.

I believe if it were a sign from God you would know it in such a way that you wouldn’t be asking anonymous strangers on the internet.

But, I’ll share this with you. There was a time when I thought I was supposed to be a priest & somewhere along the way I chose the wrong path. I wouldn’t say I was depressed about it but it did weigh heavily on me for months.

Then one day I was tormenting myself over the decisions I made & hating myself for not becoming a priest. Then out of nowhere I remember the circumstances that led to the decision I made to marry & start a family.

Clear as day. & I’ve been at peace with that decision ever since. Thanks be to God.

If He wants you to be a priest, you’ll be a priest.

 

[Bluebright]

Keeping praying and living your catholic faith. Stay in a state of grace and join some youth catholic groups at your church if you can. These give you good catholic friends and less chance to fall away. Listen carefully to Gods will and you won’t miss a call. It will usually be through scripture, events and people in your life. So pray, stay close to the church and receive the sacraments and live life and God will lead you. Trust in him, he will not fail you. Prepare yourself by reading the lives of the saints and works of the church Fathers and studying the Catechism but only to the extent that it doesn’t interfere with school and other than that live life, that’s where God will lead you. God bless

 

[Vic_Taltrees_UK]

From me as an older layman (single):

• God helps you because you’re you
• don’t enter into any vows, promises or oaths
• a VD might not be realistic as he is desperate to bring in what he sees as “recruits”
• what makes you think God doesn’t (secretly) esteem the status of laypeople better than clergy anyway?
• you would in any event need to know far more than a seminary could teach you, so you must aim for a wide range of knowledge and experience anyway

 

[edward_george1]

God helps you because you’re you

This is true.

don’t enter into any vows, promises or oaths

So far, so good.

a VD might not be realistic as he is desperate to bring in what he sees as “recruits”

That’s not really how vocations directors work. Mileage may vary, but most of the ones I know are interested in two things, helping people discern their vocations, and helping the Church discern who has a vocation and would do well. And any vocations director that is just trying to pack his particular program with recruits is going to find a lot of them burning out in formation and not making it to priesthood.

May I ask what your direct experience of the discernment and formation process is, so that you can speak informedly on such things?

what makes you think God doesn’t (secretly) esteem the status of laypeople better than clergy anyway?

What makes you think that? What does that even mean? God loves all of us equally. And if God did esteem laymen better than clergy, why would he keep that a secret?

you would in any event need to know far more than a seminary could teach you, so you must aim for a wide range of knowledge and experience anyway

How do you have any idea what a seminary would teach you? What do you mean “you need to know more than a seminary could teach you?” Are you saying those of us who went to seminary don’t really know enough? Enough for what? What more do we need to know about?

Your response starts out pretty good, but becomes progressively more puzzling. I get that you’re trying to help the OP, but it doesn’t seem you know what you’re talking about vis-à-vis discernment and formation.

-Fr ACEGC

 

[kapp19]

No. This is a normal game that high schoolers do when starting to think about the priesthood. And sometimes adults too. Playing this game is typically only a good idea when there is absolutely no way to find an answer in some other way. In the end, it sort of betrays our rational nature… God wants us to love Him by knowing Him in a rational way, not an arbitrary (“willed”) way, as signs like this would be. Use your brain, working in faith.

At 15, you need to be focused on building normal human skills and growing in virtues (like anyone).

If you are thinking of priesthood because girls won’t talk to you (or worse, you won’t talk to girls) then that is something to work on and figure out. The more normal you are in this regard, the better a candidate you would generally be for a minor seminary.

Your diocese probably has programs/events for high schoolers interested in seminary. Ask your parish priest about it. Also try to become more involved in your parish overall… serve Mass regularly, volunteer to help with events, frequent whatever youth group stuff is going on, etc. And eventually you will need to have a real conversation with Father So-and-So about this. But there is no rush.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Talk to the vocations office at your Diocese.

My Diocese accepts men into the Discernment House right out of high school, but, each Diocese is different