M
melvfe
Guest
I’ve heard someone say that priests become priests because they don’t trust humans and only trust in God. Is this true?
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M
melvfe
Guest
So do they trust humans?
G
guanophore
Guest
This is an absurd allegation. The discernment process requires that they trust in their vocation directors, superiors, and confessors. There is an exploration between a priest candidate and the Church that requires trust.
Priests who are members of religious communities must trust their community with their whole lives. Priests in the diocese do best when they have parishioners they trust who can support and pray for them.
B
Bluebright
Guest
Doesn’t everyone trust in God above humans anyway. Isn’t that in the Psalms somewhere, it being better to take refuge in God than to trust in man. Perhaps you misunderstood to some extent and it was a misquote of that?
D
DebCWil
Guest
Priests are human like everybody else. This was emphasized at the first college I attended, a small Benedictine liberal arts school.
There would be special “Meet a monk” days. Because the habits of priest and brother were so similar, we learned to drop all formalities and called them by first names. Except Father Bertrand whose presence intimidated any state senator who dared mistreat any intern he sent to the Capitol.
Becoming a priest is a calling, as is any vocation, including marriage. Listening to God including listening to those in authority. One of the vows that monks take is the vow of obedience. Obedience means to listen. Listening to God means listening to one another. The abbot listens to those under him. It was said, when I visited the Trappist Monastery at Conyers that one reason it took so long for anything to get done was everybody was listening to each other. They would come to a brotherly consensus before making a decision. While the abbot had the final “fatherly” authority, he took into account what those in his care thought.
Priests do receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders which does bring with it certain charisms. I have walked into a bookstore and been able to spot the priest even when he was not wearing a clerical collar, and I had never met him before. A priest, by his vocation is required to pray parts of the Liturgy of the Hours. The more time we spend in prayer, the greater our intimacy with God, the greater our ability to listen to Him, regardless of personal vocation.
There would be special “Meet a monk” days. Because the habits of priest and brother were so similar, we learned to drop all formalities and called them by first names. Except Father Bertrand whose presence intimidated any state senator who dared mistreat any intern he sent to the Capitol.
Becoming a priest is a calling, as is any vocation, including marriage. Listening to God including listening to those in authority. One of the vows that monks take is the vow of obedience. Obedience means to listen. Listening to God means listening to one another. The abbot listens to those under him. It was said, when I visited the Trappist Monastery at Conyers that one reason it took so long for anything to get done was everybody was listening to each other. They would come to a brotherly consensus before making a decision. While the abbot had the final “fatherly” authority, he took into account what those in his care thought.
Priests do receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders which does bring with it certain charisms. I have walked into a bookstore and been able to spot the priest even when he was not wearing a clerical collar, and I had never met him before. A priest, by his vocation is required to pray parts of the Liturgy of the Hours. The more time we spend in prayer, the greater our intimacy with God, the greater our ability to listen to Him, regardless of personal vocation.
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