It bugs me when people say they knew their vocation when they were young

[WildCatholic]

How does anyone know what their vocation? (by this I mean priesthood, religious life, married, or single, not our primary vocation.) It bugs me when I hear a married person or priest say “I knew I was going to be a priest since I was young” “or I knew I was going to be married”. How do people really know this? Does God tell them, but not others. I know plenty of people in every vocation who didn’t know where they’d end up. I know many priests who thought they’d be married and never gave the priesthood a thought. Likewise, the parents of St. Therese probably didn’t think they’d be married. So I guess my question is how does someone know their vocation? Are they just extra holy or something?

 

[jediknight]

so does it bug you because they knew and you don’t ?

so what if these people knew from an early age what their vocation would be and it ended up being exactly what they knew. Being extra holy ? More of someone acknowledging a gift given to them by God and accepting it. I thought I new what I would be plenty of times in life and followed through on entering into what I thought I wanted only to find out it was not what I wanted or rather needed.

 

[WildCatholic]

so does it bug you because they knew and you don’t ?

so what if these people knew from an early age what their vocation would be and it ended up being exactly what they knew. Being extra holy ? More of someone acknowledging a gift given to them by God and accepting it. I thought I new what I would be plenty of times in life and followed through on entering into what I thought I wanted only to find out it was not what I wanted or rather needed.

It does bug me that i don’t know. yes, I have feelings, but some people are so sure of themselves and I would just love that security. Granted what helps me is that some didn’t know until it hit them in the head. Like my own parish priest who worked for a few years as an automotive technician before he got the call. So i’m bugged that I don’t know, but not to the point of depression.

 

[Nils]

This is what I have picked up from different sermons/retreats/vocational talks etc:

No one knows, but you can have a strong sense of it in early age because God is preparing you. In fact, ideas of becoming Priest/religious etc. in childhood is usually considered a sign, even if it is far from infallible. We sometimes mix up our own ambitions with the will of God.

You do however know once you are ordained/married. Until then, you should stay humble - maybe the Church does not ask you and maybe the girl/boy does not want you.

Try saying “I KNOW that I am called to become Pope”. God calls you to such things, and the response is both from the Church and from the person who is called. Sometimes we misinterpret signs and we should always know that it is not our RIGHT to become a Priest/religious/deacon/father/mother etc…

 

[jmcrae]

How does anyone know what their vocation? (by this I mean priesthood, religious life, married, or single, not our primary vocation.) It bugs me when I hear a married person or priest say “I knew I was going to be a priest since I was young” “or I knew I was going to be married”. How do people really know this? Does God tell them, but not others. I know plenty of people in every vocation who didn’t know where they’d end up. I know many priests who thought they’d be married and never gave the priesthood a thought. Likewise, the parents of St. Therese probably didn’t think they’d be married. So I guess my question is how does someone know their vocation? Are they just extra holy or something?

No; just very uncreative - they went with the first idea that they had and never changed it.

There is nothing mysterious about a vocation; just pick what you’re good at, and do it.

 

[WildCatholic]

This is what I have picked up from different sermons/retreats/vocational talks etc:

No one knows, but you can have a strong sense of it in early age because God is preparing you. In fact, ideas of becoming Priest/religious etc. in childhood is usually considered a sign, even if it is far from infallible. We sometimes mix up our own ambitions with the will of God.

You do however know once you are ordained/married. Until then, you should stay humble - maybe the Church does not ask you and maybe the girl/boy does not want you.

Try saying “I KNOW that I am called to become Pope”. God calls you to such things, and the response is both from the Church and from the person who is called. Sometimes we misinterpret signs and we should always know that it is not our RIGHT to become a Priest/religious/deacon/father/mother etc…

I guess my next point is that when I was young I didn’t notice any pull towards anything. I wanted to be married yes, but except for a lucky few, Most kids, even those who become priests and nuns, want to get married at say, 8 years old. Its just part of our culture. So why do these certain people get to know god’s will at such a young age. If anything it would take the weight of the world off of me to know what God had planned for me

 

[Nils]

I guess my next point is that when I was young I didn’t notice any pull towards anything. I wanted to be married yes, but except for a lucky few, Most kids, even those who become priests and nuns, want to get married at say, 8 years old. Its just part of our culture. So why do these certain people get to know god’s will at such a young age. If anything it would take the weight of the world off of me to know what God had planned for me

If you are not sure, why do you not try religious life? It is just like dating!

Everybody wants to get married, it is a universal vocation from Creation. Some of us do however get a higher vocation that is more similar to how we will live in Heaven. Such life is supernatural, so to even think about such a crazy thing could be a sign.

Try to be joyful. There is a way of life for you also, but you will not find it within your self, you have to live and see and try and fail and…

 

[RoseMary131]

I guess my next point is that when I was young I didn’t notice any pull towards anything. I wanted to be married yes, but except for a lucky few, Most kids, even those who become priests and nuns, want to get married at say, 8 years old. Its just part of our culture. So why do these certain people get to know god’s will at such a young age. If anything it would take the weight of the world off of me to know what God had planned for me

Are you irritated that some people have a strong feeling, often expressed as “I knew”, and you don’t have a strong feeling?

Are you irritated towards them for knowing or towards yourself for not knowing?

Please don’t be irritated at them because they were able to “have a strong feeling” or “know”.

Don’t be irritated at yourself or with God that you do not know your calling.

If you think you may be called to religious life - speak with the vocations director - go to a “Come and See” event. If you think you are called to marriage - look for someone you feel a connection with and begin dating or a courtship. If you feel drawn to the Single Life - spend time thinking how you might want to live.

If all three are just as “comfortable” with you, then search for your life in all three areas.

We are all different. We all have different life experiences and different experiences in our family life. Some people may seem to have a more direct path towards their vocation, while others may take a wandering path with more time exploring.

There are people who become Sisters after they have been mothers and wives. There are men, like your priest, who become priests after having a secular path for many years. Men who are deacons usually do so after their children are older.

Don’t be bugged any longer.

Be at Peace for who you are and how God is leading you. God is leading you. Enjoy the journey.

 

[runningdude]

One of the signs that a man is called to the priesthood is that he “played mass” as a child. It’s not a hard and fast rule, as I remember throwing a play mass one Sunday morning when a blizzard prevented us from getting to mass, but simply one sign among many.

Similarly, if a boy dreams of being a fire fighter when he grows up, if his father were one too, then there is a good chance he will follow this dream.

 

[Bonnie]

It bugs me when I hear a married person or priest say “I knew I was going to be a priest since I was young” “or I knew I was going to be married”.

So people shouldn’t have different experiences from yours? We’re all different - some of us stumble through life totally clueless, others see their goal early and make a beeline for it, and many (probably most) are somewhere in-between.

 

[WildCatholic]

So people shouldn’t have different experiences from yours? We’re all different - some of us stumble through life totally clueless, others see their goal early and make a beeline for it, and many (probably most) are somewhere in-between.

What bugs me more is that no person truly knows their vocation. in the case of a priest, he doesn’t know until the Bishop lays his hands on him, or of one gets married, its not until they say their vows.

Also, its one thing for someone who’s in a relationship to say this, but I know many single men and women, even faithful Catholics, who have never dated and believe with 100% certainty they will be married.

 

[Bonnie]

Also, its one thing for someone who’s in a relationship to say this, but I know many single men and women, even faithful Catholics, who have never dated and believe with 100% certainty they will be married.

There is also self delusion. But who are we to judge? Perhaps that’s the only thing that keeps them going.