Fear of Becoming a Priest

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Jos1

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Hey Guys!

I am new to the forums and thank you all for having me here my fellow brothers in JESUS CHRIST!

I honestly am trying to do my best to live according to the will that GOD has set for my life.

When i was young i was so spiritual. I was raised Catholic.

At the age of 14 i had this fear that GOD wanted me to be a priest and truly Father i do not want to be one… The thought turns my stomach upside down. I felt after in my mind i said no i do not want to be a priest that GOD will punish me… Then all my desires and things that bring me joy was taken from me so i felt GOD was punishing me… It reached to a point i no longer believed in GOD…

Today i am 25 and it has been 2 years since i am back to the Christian faith. I am closer with GOD than ever and love my master more than anything.

What i really want to do and am already doing is establish top notch businesses which can impact the lives of many poor people in Africa (As i am based in Africa). The funding i make from those businesses i also want to use it to equip the Church and help spread the word of GOD and the love of JESUS.

But again i feel like the enemy is attacking me with the fear of being a priest. Till today its like an OCD…

The reason i keep thinking about it is because i am afraid of offending GOD. At the end of the day i am his servant… Priesthood calling brings me NO JOY… It is as if you are sentencing me to jail… (No offence to any Priest. I know how important the role of a Priest is if not the most important role as a Priest is saving a soul which is by far more precious than the flesh)

But i want a family. I want a wife. My biggest desire is to get married. Ever since i was young i have been yearning for my soul mate.

I do not know anymore what to do… Honestly i feel if GOD wants me to be a priest than its like a death sentence…

But when i think of building my businesses and helping and equipping and funding and getting married i am full of joy and happiness.

What do you think based on this information that GOD wants from me?

I also asked my local parish priest and he told me for sure he thinks i am not called for based on what i told him… But still i am full of anxiety. Please help i do not want to offend my MASTER JESUS please!
 
I would have a chat with a priest about your fears. Ask God to change your heart so that your choices line up with His will. God won’t love you any less if you don’t be a priest but you never know he could be calling you. Don’t be afraid just remember God has only the best planned for your life. Even when it might not look like it at the time
 
You might consider speaking with a spiritual advisor or a (Catholic) clinical psychologist. You stated it feels like OCD; perhaps it is, or some other psychological condition, which can be treated with psychotherapy and/or medication.
 
That’s only my feeling, but I don’t think that Gos want men who are afraid of becoming and priest and who would feel unhappy as priests.
And the process of becoming a priest is hard enough to discourage even motivated men. I doubt that a man with no motivation at all have any chance to complete it.

Certainely, God call men to priesthood who don’t want at first, and who try to avoid the calling many times, but finally they agreed to followed God’s calling. Every God’s calling need an agreement from the human to be realized.

You should not be such afraid of God. I would recommand you to speak to a pries you trust, and maybe a director of vocations to your questions and fears.
 
My Priest told me that he can tell me straight away i am not meant to be a priest!

However the fear is still there…
 
Sure but for me at the end of the day it is not about the blessing…

Its more about serving JESUS as JESUS has truly done so much for me…

I just dont feel like i am meant to be a priest… I do not know if the devil is using this fear to drive me away from the LORD. The fear always comes most when i am getting closer to GOD.
 
I really do not want meds or drugs. I want the peace of GOD to heal me. I just want GOD to drive this fear away. The question though is why he is letting this fear constantly interfere in my life…
 
It sounds like you don’t have a vocation to the priesthood and nobody’s going to capture you from monastic life and ordain you like they did in the ancient days… so I think you’re good and this anxiety is something that is unnecessary. Easier said than done away with, I know.
 
If you don’t want to be a priest but do it anyway, you’ll be a lousy priest.

Would you go to a dentist who didn’t want to be a dentist?
 
You haven’t offended God. Your mind is playing tricks on you.

Think of all the great male saints who weren’t priests. Some of them were even married men and fathers of children. God does not call every holy man to become a priest. St. Joseph for example was a married man and a father. He was not a priest.

God didn’t give you a vocation to the priesthood. Your priest has confirmed this. You may want to speak to your priest again to ask about how you can get rid of this overthinking, which seems similar to scrupulosity and OCD.
 
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Wesrock GOD bless you kind sir for your answer!!!

It is truly easier said then done:(

JESUS has really done so much for me in my life. I owe him everything. Sometimes i feel like just collapsing and being with him in eternity…

I do not know what i will do if i do the opposite of GOD will. I will be heartbroken.

When i am running the business i am always at full joy and peace. When things get tough and hard then i start to be worried that maybe GOD is making things tough and hard because he want me to stop business and enter priest hood lol…

I know i sound like a mad man:(
 
Things get tough because that it is life. If God wanted to close the door on something that was not good for you believe me He would.
 
Brother i had the same reasoning you had until i saw this on a website about vocation:

(iii) Some people have always wanted NOT to be a priest: this might sound strange, but there are people who have always been fighting it, resisting, walking away, giving excuses why not; and this is because deep down they have always known it is a part of them; and at some point they realise that, in fact, people without vocations do not normally go around thinking about why they don’t have a vocation!

Til today i am worried that this is my CASE. The mental torture is too much
 
Halogirl thank you for your kind response and again taking the time to check this thread.

I also wanted to thank you all my fellow brothers and sisters in CHRIST.

Thank you so much for your quick support.
 
Wow GOD bless you Tis!

Thank you so much for this wonderful text!

St. Joseph is who i am named after and my family always celebrate his name day.

I just want to serve JESUS as much as i can. I feel like i am trapped in sin…

I want to help as many people as i can before i die but i want to do it in a way that does not involve priesthood…

I want to suffer building my business and using the fruits of my labor to spread the word of GOD (by funding Church Programs, Sponsoring preachers, aiding Evangelists, building tech software that can simplify the understating of the Bible, and so much more things) and spreading the love of Christ (Providing Food Water and Shelter to the poor in Africa and other Continents; Providing Gifts to Orphans, Providing Medical care to the sick)

So many things…

GOD has honestly gifted me with the ability to build great businesses… The road has been rough… I know my destiny is great…

Moreso i am not saying any of this to make you think i am good or anything… I am just expressing what makes me happy…

I do not want any glory for myself. All glory to GOD as truly without him providing me with my daily bread i will not be able to do anything.
 
I told him and i told another good friend of mine who also told me GOD does not want me to be a priest.

My other friend is a Phycologist and he told me that i am sounding too extreme and anxious… That GOD does not only need priests but he needs other roles as well.
 
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My eldest son when young, was scared and asked, “mummy, please pray God doesn’t want me to be a priest”. (Of course I only prayed for God’s will for his life) The kind of study required was far from his strength. His abilities are strongly elsewhere.
My middle son wanted to be a priest from age eleven.
He entered an Order at age 18, went through his postulantcy and was in his noviciate year, when his provincial told him’ … you have too many dreams. Go and live some of them” My son was broken-hearted but it appeared that he, also, wasn’t called.

As you have been told that you don’t have a priestly vocation by Your priest, trust him. Neither fear nor desire guarantee that you have that vocation, as my sons’ experiences can testify.

If Louis Martin had not accepted that he wasn’t called to be a priest, though he, too, tried, we would not have his daughter as a shining example of holiness, nor might he have been the canonized Saint he actually is.

Louis Martin fully embraced marriage and family, after finding that despite his desire, he wasn’t called to Priesthood.
Holiness and service is not restricted to the high call to Priesthood, so please put your mind at rest
 
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Mother, GOD bless you for your kind answer and testimony.

It has truly brought me some peace.

My fear with my priest was maybe he was telling it to me to make me feel better and not being honest with me. As i was truly devastated that day when i was asking him and i was crying…

So i thought maybe he wanted me to just feel better…
 
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