How do you know God is calling you to be a priest?

[Young_Thinker]

As I have implied, I do not really know to do, since I keep thinking about marriage. To be candid, if I become a priest rather than a physician, I do not want to end up breaking my vow of celibacy and having an affair like that of Ralph Cardinal de Bricassart(from The Thornbirds), while also remembering the verse by St. Paul saying that it is better to marry than to burn with lust. I do not know if I would satisfied with just having a platonic relationship with a woman.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

As I have implied, I do not really know to do, since I keep thinking about marriage. To be candid, if I become a priest rather than a physician, I do not want to end up breaking my vow of celibacy and having an affair like that of Ralph Cardinal de Bricassart(from The Thornbirds), while also remembering the verse by St. Paul saying that it is better to marry than to burn with lust. I do not know if I would satisfied with just having a platonic relationship with a woman.

Have you gotten a Spiritual Director yet?

 

[Young_Thinker]

Have you gotten a Spiritual Director yet?

No, I am afraid. Obviously, if I continue to consider the priesthood, I should acquire one fairly soon.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

No, I am afraid. Obviously, if I continue to consider the priesthood, I should acquire one fairly soon.

You should have one now.

Spiritual Directors are not just for those discerning a call to religious life/priesthood, they are for anyone who wishes to grow in their spiritual life.

 

[Young_Thinker]

You should have one now.

Spiritual Directors are not just for those discerning a call to religious life/priesthood, they are for anyone who wishes to grow in their spiritual life.

All right; thank you, Brother.

 

[CDNowak]

You should have one now.

Spiritual Directors are not just for those discerning a call to religious life/priesthood, they are for anyone who wishes to grow in their spiritual life.

While I acknowledge the importance of Spiritual Direction, what is one to do when there are no Catholic spiritual directors available?

I’ve actually run into this situation repeatedly, and in one case had to stop direction with the only priest I could find willing to do it because of a certain schismatic attitude.
(Problem for me is at the moment: no job=no money= no gas, I do know where I can receive solid direction in the GR area, although I also know that going blind in this area would be a craps shoot, at best).

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

While I acknowledge the importance of Spiritual Direction, what is one to do when there are no Catholic spiritual directors available?

I’ve actually run into this situation repeatedly, and in one case had to stop direction with the only priest I could find willing to do it because of a certain schismatic attitude.
(Problem for me is at the moment: no job=no money= no gas, I do know where I can receive solid direction in the GR area, although I also know that going blind in this area would be a craps shoot, at best).

It can be hard, I know. I did not have a spiritual director for most of my discernment period but I also made the greatest steps when I had one.

If you can not find a spiritual director then find a mentor, someone that you can meet with on a less frequent basis that can assist you, that is what I did.

A spiritual director need not be a priest. There is also the idea of spiritual friendship. Find someone like your self that you can bounce things off of and they can do so with you.

Its not the same but it is better than relying on the voices of anonymous people on the internet. IMHO this is the worst place to seek any sort of spiritual assistance/direction.

 

[CDNowak]

It can be hard, I know. I did not have a spiritual director for most of my discernment period but I also made the greatest steps when I had one.

If you can not find a spiritual director then find a mentor, someone that you can meet with on a less frequent basis that can assist you, that is what I did.

A spiritual director need not be a priest. There is also the idea of spiritual friendship. Find someone like your self that you can bounce things off of and they can do so with you.

Its not the same but it is better than relying on the voices of anonymous people on the internet. IMHO this is the worst place to seek any sort of spiritual assistance/direction.

Thanks.

 

[crazydyl]

I have just decided to become a priest Maybe I can help?

I have personally never been content or satisfied with a woman. I found out that I would never be satisfied as a husband when I used my passion to find the best Catholic woman that I could find. I found that no Catholic woman would fulfill me, but then I met probably one of the best Catholic women in the world! I thought about it and stuff, but when I was with her I felt like even though I’d really love to make her happy I just felt like I wanted more! I realise that no woman can satisfy my desire.

I am content after making this decision. I advise you to go after these women and try to find an awesome one. If it doesn’t feel enought with the awesome woman then I think that you are to become a priest like me?

I am goign to start looking where to apply and what kind of priest I want to be Any ideas? I’d like to help women because women are very nice I’d like to help women who have been abused or mistreated because I do love and care for women but not like I want to be a husband well, I would like to be a husband but I have a calling Maybe I will have a sexy wife in heaven if I get there

 

[WhiteDove359]

you know, you gave me something to think about… I think part of the reason why I cant even get a girl friend is probably because i want too much, because no women could satisfy me either…and, the only relationship that you could have that can and is be satisfieing is a relationship with God…about like, i think its 85% of priest are very happy with what they do and they would do it all over again.

a thought ocured to me this morning at mass…why am i going to church? am i going to look good in front of other people or becauseim going because i want to be with God??? Ive also realised that i dont go to the same priest all the time for confession and its because im embarressed because the priest know who i am…and i dont want to be judged becaue i want to form a “friendship” with the priest at my church but if they know my worst sins… i dont know… its a thought thats ocured to me. i truely do want to be closer to God and go to mass everyday, but im feeling like i need to use caution when speaking about church in front of other people that way i dont come off as…you know…

I have some qustions for you all and i beg you to take them seriously…

When does impure thoughts become sinful? is it when you get aroused, or are they sinful just the thought to have them? can they be forgiven by going to mass?

can glutony be forgiven by going to mass?

can wasting food be forgiven by goign to mass?

now i know some of that may sound werid, but i keep denyeing my self the eurchrist and going to confession for thoughs over and over again, and i cant help but wonder if i even need confession for thoughs or if im just being scrupulous…

now this next qustion is more serious then the others…

I work at a petstore, im not goign to post on a public forum what store…but, its a big chain one, and im positive most of you have been to it. everymorning and night you have to clean out the cricket bins. work wants you to seperate all the dead ones from the live ones, and write down in a book how many you counted dead. they want this done in a reasonable time, which is like 10 miniuts. well you gotta clean out two bins, larg crickets, small crickets. this is impossible. becaue in each bin you literly have about anywhere from 300-800 crikets… well. yesturday i was cleaning them out and it broke my heart becaue i couldnt seperate the live ones from the dead because of time, and its like this everynight too…and even in the mornings… the fastest and best way to do it is to sweep up all the dead cricekts in one pile and you usualy always get live ones with it, and also, you jus tput them in the trash can. theres too many to count, so i assume most people just estimate how many and write it down in the book… now, when your throwing the live ones away, your costing work 10 and 11 cents… is this considerd a distruction of property? is this considerd brakeing the one ten comandment, shall not kill? is estimateing numbers and writeing them down in the book, conisderd lieing? …lastnight because I had to do this near impossible assignment, and being torn between work and God, i couldent help but feel like i wanted to quit my job becaue this is killing crikets…also, is it sinful for even selling the crikets and feeder fish to people when you know that they are going to feed thoughs animals one other animals that are going to eat them…is that sinful? sigh i feel like quiting work because of this. cause i dont want to have a job thats going to sin against God

 

[puzzleannie]

Im. Im not doing well in college, im haveing a hard time getting through even high school level math. I know with some extra hard work, ill be able to pass it.

this is not a reason to consider the priesthood, nor is it necessarily a barrier.
Ive been thiking a lot about my future.

but im starting to feel like ill never get married, and no one has or wil ever love me…

this is not a reason to consider the priesthood, either.

the thing that got me started thinking about pristhood was midnight mass during christmas. ive had a very VERY powerful spirtual experince during mass

. i yes the various spiritual experiences may very well be indications you should consider the possibility of the priesthood

i obvously need spirtual direction on this, but not sure how to get it or where to go. is anyone here thats reading this already a priest? could you help me?

talk to your pastor first, and with him, contact the vocations director of your diocese. we will be praying for you because we need good priests. Meanwhile work on being a good Catholic and a good man, as you have been, and devote time to your studies because you have a lot of education ahead of you.

 

[Young_Thinker]

Maybe I will have a sexy wife in heaven if I get there

I hope that you are being sarcastic! There is purity in Paradise. Are you sure that you want to be a priest, because, to me, s_xy is a dirty word?

 

[Pilgrimage]

ted monday) and i go to confession weekly and atend the vigil mass and the mass on sundays. i spend countless hours on this site reading up on the faith, and im reading books such as, catholicism for dummies, the joy of priesthood by Fr. Stephen J. Rossetti, and im going to read the book, 101 inspriational stories of the preisthood, by sister patricia proctor, osc. ive read briefly about the Eucharstic Mircials, and its shocking.

Ive been thiking a lot about my future. so far ive had basicly a single life. no matter how much ive tryed i cant ever get a girl friend. i had one once, but it was a stupid high schol thing that lasted a month so it dosent count. however the ironic thing is, 80% of my friends are girls, and ive always gotton along better with them, and have always felt more comefortable with them. but im starting to feel like ill never get married, and no one has or wil ever love me…

the thing that got me started thinking about pristhood was midnight mass during christmas. ive had a very VERY powerful spirtual experince during mass. i mean, wouldent you when you just started comeing back to the church after 10 years, and 4 priest and 2 deacons walk up to the altar during the hym " o come all ye faithful" and kneel at the Altar at the same time? lol, that was very spirtual to me. and its left a scar on me. ive been saying to my self… “i wish i could do that” “I wish i could be as strong as him in faith” " i want to be able to help people grow spiritualy" “i want to get involved with the church but not sure how”

my heart just got so lifted up that night. and yes. from time to time its forgotton about that moment, but when i think of it now, it feels like its still there. its hard to explain…

i started praying the Rosary every night on mon-wed, and friday. im suposed to be starting meditations that my friend wanted me to do becuase she thinks it will help me grow spirutaly. my sister is getting married in a little over a year, and im really starting to wish my family would come backto he church…and…you get the idea…

ive been praying to God but i do feel kind of afraid to even try to be a priest, because im afraid of failure and i have problems with being lonlieness…but i want to be a better person… and be closer to God. our faith is all about sacrafice, what can be a better way to get to God then sacrafice one of the things you desire most in your life; to be in a relationship with someone, love.?

i obvously need spirtual direction on this, but not sure how to get it or where to go. is anyone here thats reading this already a priest? could you help me?/QUOTE

If you cannot love yourself at the moment, how are you going to love others? Think about loneliness, have you considered why? Does being closer to God make you a better person? Think about the people who died on the crosses either side of Jesus, they were very close to Jesus at the time, and so was Judas, what was different about them to others who are ‘closer’ to God?

Is being lonely a pre-requisite for being loved by Jesus? This one thing you desire most, ie to be in a relationship with someone…have you considered how much more your relationship with Jesus must be than this?

Is it a sacrifice if your desire is to be with Jesus, if not, what is the real sacrifice of priesthood? Think about the priests role and all they do during the day, how does it differ from your life at the moment? Be honest with yourself, remember a priest is not in church 24 hours of the day, they do other things. How do you react now when things impinge on your life at inconvenient times, when you are tired, tied up with something, having a bath etc? Priests often go on retreats where they spend hours alone with Christ (you can do this now or would you feel alone)

What sacrifices are you making J.O.Y. (Jesus, others, yourself) You speak of loneliness and love, who around you feels the same, do you know your neighbours ? How will being a priest change you from the person you are now into the person you perceive that you will become?

The matter of your family…pray for them, but don’t feel ashamed or guilty because they don’t match up to the expectations you may think others might have for their faith. Focus on your own personal relationship with Jesus, as this builds you will become a witness to Him and they will be drawn to Him through you.

Being a failure, being unloved, being lonely…and so forth…Why don’t you ask Jesus into your life fully and get into a relationship with Him, really get to know Him well, so that your decision to share your life with Him is an informed one and a decision made through love. If you are going to give your life to Him completely, it will be for life because He wants this for you. Knowing this, do you want to let Him down ?

God bless

 

[Pilgrimage]

elling the crikets and feeder fish to people when you know that they are going to feed thoughs animals one other animals that are going to eat them…is that sinful? sigh i feel like quiting work because of this. cause i dont want to have a job thats going to sin against God

Oh dear, it would be a good thing for you to read and study your Bible. Moses was given the Commandments to address a people’s who needed God’s guidance in order for them to create a society that could live together. They are laws to be written on your heart to help you live well and to be at peace with your neighbours and God too, but unlike in Moses’s day they are written on your heart through the love of Christ.

I think that your primary concern is that you feel that your only option is to lie because of time constraints. It’s adult to approach this in an adult way. Have you been to your boss and asked him/her if they are aware of the time it takes to separate the crickets?

Becoming a priest is about responsibility and thinking as Christ thinks, which is in a philosophical way.

God bless

 

[Pilgrimage]

well, I would like to be a husband but I have a calling Maybe I will have a sexy wife in heaven if I get there

You’ll be very disappointed my friend ! “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)

For some reason God actually made men and women to fit together quite comfortably. It might have something to do with Genesis 9:7 or Genesis 26:24 or perhaps one of the many other verses where He expresses a desire that we increase our number. “I will multiply your descendants, and they will become a great nation”

Becoming a Catholic priest is giving up the nation that will come after you and a blessing from the Lord. Giving up a number of children that will out number all the stars you can see in the skies at night, one whom may have been born to greater purpose.

We have a Gospel of life and love, do we not? God wants to breath life into His children.

Look on the stars with awe and wonder and consider ‘It stops at me’

Your satisfaction is the consumption of other people’s children, misery, pain, mourning, injustices, doubts, remorse envy, and all the needs of man; and the wisdom you need to do this will be like a bitter drink if you have it wrong, but the finest of wines if you have it right.

God bless

 

[JesuitLoyola]

I don’t understand why you feel the need to demean the virtue of the catholic priesthood by insisting that biological generation is the only vocation blessed by God. I understand that your viewpoints differ as an Anglican, but this is obviously not about whether clerical celibacy should be required or not. The OP and other posters are catholic and we are discussing the catholic priesthood. This is a discipline priests must accept in order to be ordained and serve God in the catholic church. Your comments are without merit here as obviously the discussion is focused on men who are catholic and aren’t looking to convert (obviously if they’re considering the priesthood) so why bother telling us that we are “turning down blessings from God?”

I should like you to be free of anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord -1 Corinthians 7:32

I am telling you this for your own benefit, not to impose a restraint upon you, but for the sake of propriety and adherence to the Lord without distraction -1 Corinthians 7:35

So then, the one who marries his virgin does well; the one who does not marry her will do better.-1 Corinthians 7:38

 

[WhiteDove359]

After going to mass 7 days a week, I cant help but wonder things like…“we have no buisness doing things other than worshiping God, or doing things that God would not want us to do”. im begining to get the glimps of the kind of life priesthood would be. your so involved with the poeple of the church almost all the time, and it has to be joyful to help others. you can even make friends with some poeple in the parish that get really involved. help people overcome some of their most evil desires. you can have your part in changing the world to a better place… im begining to understand the churchs view on celebacy. because priest are often so busy, that it would be unfair to the wife and chilren because their father could never send time with them… and if you still want to be involved with the church with holy orders, but still have a fam, the church allows you to as a permanent decaon…thats a compromise. either way its a blessing, because you get to help others spiritualy and be closer to God, and when you walk into a room full of people, they cant help but feel secure and at peace and like the priest is a represenative of christ…thats how i feel anway…

 

[WhiteDove359]

the priest i contacted hasent replyed back for spiritual direction im asumeing hes probably too busy, but ill see him tonight.

 

[WhiteDove359]

by the way everybody, this is my pastor. tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=236214bebdeea7a21e85 skip to 1 miniute in to the video. watch it, its intresting. This is a priest that one should look up to…

 

[Young_Thinker]

the priest i contacted hasent replyed back for spiritual direction im asumeing hes probably too busy, but ill see him tonight.

I wish you the best. As for your stated problem with mathematics, if it is not because of a possible psychiatric condition(for which you would obviously need to see a doctor), just work very hard and go to tutoring. C’s are better than F’s! Also, do not be in a hurry to finish your formal education! I made that mistake and, at first, was intending to a lawyer(and run for public office a few years later)! Fortunately, I realized in my first semester of college that I would be “bored to tears” in law. For the past 2 years, I have been certain that I wanted to go to medical school. Now, I am confused again, as I am seriously considering the religious priesthood!