How do you know if being a clergy person is not for you?

[sidetrack]

I’ve got a feeling that to be a clergy person a person would have to have a real desire to serve God through this way and be commited for the rest of their lives doing this.However would it be a good idea if a person who has had no luck finding any kind of job but is an observant Catholic become a clergy person out of desperation to find work?.Would that be a somewhat “not so good” reason to become a clergy person?.Thank you very much so for your time.

 

[Anthony_V]

The good news:
God chooses your vocation for you. All you have to do is follow it.

The good[er] news:
Being a priest or religious is not a sacred calling for sacred men.
Being a priest or religious is a sacred calling for ordinary men.

 

[Immaculata90]

Becoming a priest/brother just because you cannot find work is not a good idea…if you go against the Lord’s will for you, you will most likely not be very happy with your life. Keep Praying for the Lord to reveal His will to you. He won’t leave you helpless.

 

[Crumpy]

I agree, pray for guidance and assistance in finding a profession or job.

But, we can’t exclude the path along which the Lord may be calling you. the desire and calling to be a priest has to be a whole lot larger than a desire for work itself.

We sure don’t talk about such things as poverty that comes to us from God as being anything like His will for us, but it surely might be. but, first, and I’m being presumptuous here, that poverty may in the first place be a calling (a blessing, too) to put yourself in a frame of mind where you rely totally on God in your life, as we all do.

Makes me think, too, we don’t talk much about martyrdom, as if God does not have that in His plans for some of us. We’re trying to dodge that calling, if we can help it, I suppose.

‘white’ martyrdom means being a witness for God, short of giving up our life. ‘red’ martyrdom is being a witness for God which demands our life from us.

there are a lot of distractions and temptations in U.S. culture to take us off the path of religious vocations and/or martyrdom.

but, too, I don’t have to go far to see people who do “take up their cross” and follow the Lord, in whatever circumstances they happen to find themselves.

 

[Crumpy]

I thought for years that I was called to be a Catholic priest, but it turned out that when I went in to a parish rectory or vocation director office to talk about it, I was always discouraged from pursuing that any further.

Now, that may be a standard obstacle thrown into path of anyone thinking about the priesthood or consecrated life (see Ruth chapter one: Naomi tries to discourage Ruth from coming to Bethlehem).

What it did is make me think about my sinful past and make me realize that I was not suited to take on that role.