Help! What Should I Do? I Think I'm Being Called!

[Ocarm]

What is a spiritual director and how do I get one?

A spiritual director is someone who will help you to think through your situation in life, understand God’s role within it, and assist in finding your vocation to whatever state is right for you. Although finding a director isn’t always easy, you can ask your parish priest whether there are directors available locally, or speak to the vocations office at the diocese, or if you have a religious or secular institute in mind (as you do) speak to them and see if they offer direction.

Best wishes in your search.

 

[Eagle75]

Not wanting to sound like a broken record, I have to be another to admit that I can highly relate to the OP and the others who have posted on here. I am in my Senior year of college about to graduate, and I have since I was maybe a Sophomore in High School been feeling a call to the Priesthood. It isn’t constant, maybe about 3-4 times a year for about a month I just feel drawn to it. Not saying that outside of those times I’m opposed to it, just that during those times it is one of the primary thoughts in my head.

Anyway, I am very comforted in what has been said on this post so far. For a while earlier this year I was feeling rather torn. I was graduating with my Bachelors in History and had to decide whether to see about going into the Seminary, or take advantage of a very nice offer to help me get my Masters in History. It really bothered me for a while. Ultimately I had to learn to break the question into much smaller ones. e.g. 1) Do I feel I am being called? 2) Is this from God or myself? 3) What can I do about it? 4) Do I feel called to explore this call/ Seminary? 4) When? etc etc etc… That “when” was what it really came down to though. Ultimately, or at least this is the path I’ve decided to follow as best I can, I decided to stay and complete my Masters over the next two years, and during that time to pray and think over things. My reasoning was this: If I enter into the Seminary, and I discover that I am not called for that, my ability to continue where I am now would be much more difficult. If however I go ahead and get my Masters, if this call is true and from God, it will still be there, as strong as ever. I hope and pray that this is the right course for me.

 

[Dempsey1919]

Not wanting to sound like a broken record, I have to be another to admit that I can highly relate to the OP and the others who have posted on here. I am in my Senior year of college about to graduate, and I have since I was maybe a Sophomore in High School been feeling a call to the Priesthood. It isn’t constant, maybe about 3-4 times a year for about a month I just feel drawn to it. Not saying that outside of those times I’m opposed to it, just that during those times it is one of the primary thoughts in my head.

I also felt the call for years, but I refused to acknowledge it. A couple of times I even asked God to leave me alone. I didn’t even want to consider the priesthood. I now realise that the call will not go away; I need to acknowledge it and begin discerning the priesthood. I could continue ignoring the call, but it will not go away and I do not want to end up regretting my actions in the future; one day I may really want to be a priest and it may be too late. It is time that I stopped burying my head in the sand.