Mother scaring me out of the Priesthood?

[ATeutonicKnight]

I liked what Peggy in Burien said, about your mother playing the devil’s advocate. Maybe she really is supportive of you becoming a Priest! She’s just making sure…

It was remarked that you’re not emotional mature, well, one can’t know that through a computer screen. Personally, I think from your posts, you have shown very much maturity, and a great desire for the Priesthood.

Also, I’m praying for you The Church needs good, solid Priests!

God Bless :byzsoc:

Thank you for your post. Yes, I have a great desire for the Religious life in general, if not just the Priesthood.

Thank you for your Prayers. I’ll pray for you as well.

Dominus Vobiscum.

 

[jeanannemarie]

It is a difficult thing for a mother to adjust to in some cases to think of her son becoming a priest ;however, with God’s Grace it all works out and then she would have it no other way. You will never lose your mother’s love and you must go ahead with what you must do. Pray and leave it in Our Lord’s hands. As others have said, the beginning of the seminary is a time of discerning your vocation and you can see how God would have it if you give it a try. I cannot emphasize enough, you will not lose your mother’s love, even if you must go through a period of disapproval or anger.

 

[jsaldar]

If that is your calling, not even your mother will be able to stand in the way of God’s will. Be respectful to your mother but follow your heart.

 

[m134e5]

and do not let the academics put you down, you do not have to pass the academics to be ordained, you just need to be knowledgeable enough on them to be able to preach effectively the teachings of the Church, with understanding!

I wouldn’t exactly say that. Seminary may be difficult, and people (teachers, other seminarians, and other seminary and diocesan staff) will do what they can to help those who struggle succeed, but part of priestly formation is academic and seminarians must complete it in order to be ordained.

 

[m134e5]

Read that fatherdoyle.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/shall-i-be-a-priest.pdf and that fatherdoyle.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/vocations.pdf and pray to St Jean Vianney

These writings are wonderful. Thank you for sharing them.

 

[JReducation]

At the end of the day, whether you become a brother or a priest it’s none of your mother’s business.

This is where the Church draws the line. Parents may not interfere in their children’s choice to be deacons, priests, brothers, sisters, nuns or spouses. They have no rights in this domain.

Mothers and fathers exist to give their children over to the will of God.

Having said that, if you choose to be a brother instead of a priest, be prepared to take a lot of heat from your family, your friends and most Catholics. There was a conference on brothers and there were three bishops who spoke at it. It was rather interesting.

One of them said that the brother was the misundestood vocation.

The other said that Catholics hate brothers, because they remind them that not everything is about control.

The last one said, that Catholics have no use for brothers, because what the brother provides for the faithful is not always tangible.

At the end of the conference, which was for priests and sisters, to help them understand the vocation of the brother, the priests and sisters who were there admitted that they had no idea what a brother was until they went to that conference. Therefore, they had never promoted the vocation to be a brother. Some thought that it was an intermediate stage between being a layman and a priest. Others thought that it was some kind of act of kindness that religious orders made to men who were not too smart, by allowing them to join and serve as houseboys.

It never occurred to them that many of these men gave up medical careers, law practices, businesses and other opportunities to serve as cooks, gardeners, mechanics, high school teachers, theologians, parish administrators, missionaries, hermits, monks, or to run soup kitchens, bathe lepers, and sleep on the street with the homeless.

I remember a young man on the vocation forum here who wanted to enter our community and posters gave him a hard time, because he had all the training necessary to be ordained, but chose not to be. He’s a wonderful brother. He walks about 10 miles everyday from center to center fixing everything that’s broken, foldiing baby clothes, dispensing baby goodies to poor parents and teaching men to be good and responsible fathers.

He’s a genius in Sacred Scripture and in Moral Theology. He has an M.Div and an STD.

He’s a very holy man.

People are not always going to be so supportive of holiness. They are usually thinking of their needs. “We need confessors. We need more priests to celebrate mass. We need more priests to keep our parishes open, etc”.

If you become a brother or you become a priest in a religious community, the chances of meeting those needs are less. The man in a religious community is first and foremost a religious, then he’s everything else. His first duty is to his bride. His bride is his order. Be prepared for the dismay that many people will show you.

Don’t let that stop you. It’s a wonderful life, if that’s where God wants you to be.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[ATeutonicKnight]

At the end of the day, whether you become a brother or a priest it’s none of your mother’s business.

This is where the Church draws the line. Parents may not interfere in their children’s choice to be deacons, priests, brothers, sisters, nuns or spouses. They have no rights in this domain.

Mothers and fathers exist to give their children over to the will of God.

Having said that, if you choose to be a brother instead of a priest, be prepared to take a lot of heat from your family, your friends and most Catholics. There was a conference on brothers and there were three bishops who spoke at it. It was rather interesting.

One of them said that the brother was the misunderstood vocation.

The other said that Catholics hate brothers, because they remind them that not everything is about control.

The last one said, that Catholics have no use for brothers, because what the brother provides for the faithful is not always tangible.

At the end of the conference, which was for priests and sisters, to help them understand the vocation of the brother, the priests and sisters who were there admitted that they had no idea what a brother was until they went to that conference. Therefore, they had never promoted the vocation to be a brother. Some thought that it was an intermediate stage between being a layman and a priest. Others thought that it was some kind of act of kindness that religious orders made to men who were not too smart, by allowing them to join and serve as houseboys.

It never occurred to them that many of these men gave up medical careers, law practices, businesses and other opportunities to serve as cooks, gardeners, mechanics, high school teachers, theologians, parish administrators, missionaries, hermits, monks, or to run soup kitchens, bathe lepers, and sleep on the street with the homeless.

I remember a young man on the vocation forum here who wanted to enter our community and posters gave him a hard time, because he had all the training necessary to be ordained, but chose not to be. He’s a wonderful brother. He walks about 10 miles everyday from center to center fixing everything that’s broken, foldiing baby clothes, dispensing baby goodies to poor parents and teaching men to be good and responsible fathers.

He’s a genius in Sacred Scripture and in Moral Theology. He has an M.Div and an STD.

He’s a very holy man.

People are not always going to be so supportive of holiness. They are usually thinking of their needs. “We need confessors. We need more priests to celebrate mass. We need more priests to keep our parishes open, etc”.

If you become a brother or you become a priest in a religious community, the chances of meeting those needs are less. The man in a religious community is first and foremost a religious, then he’s everything else. His first duty is to his bride. His bride is his order. Be prepared for the dismay that many people will show you.

Don’t let that stop you. It’s a wonderful life, if that’s where God wants you to be.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

A beautiful and a little bit depressing reply. It’s sad to hear how uneducated many supposed geniuses are in this area. Most people I meet have never even heard of a Friar/Brother. They just assume all are Monks. TV has had a bit to do with that, but anyone who’s seen half of Robin Hood should know there’s more than just Monks.

I feel for this Brother, as I too have gotten some heat for wanting to be a Friar. When I told the woman in charge of the vocations in my diocese that I wanted to become a Friar, she protested the very thought, saying “You should become a Priest instead! We need more here, and you’ll probably enjoy it more”. It’s sad that these words come from a supposedly highly acclaimed vocations director in our diocese. The new Bishop was very excited when I told him, so perhaps some of that will change under his direction as a Bishop.

And yes, I realize my parents have no say in this. This forum was more of a question, asking if she was, and if she was, what do I do? sort of a thing. People have taken it an entirely different direction (That is not aimed at you), but that was the original intention.

I hope I am called to the Religious life, because otherwise I’ve been wasting a year and a half of my life reading up on Religious communities everyday.

 

[Peggy_in_Burien]

A beautiful and a little bit depressing reply. It’s sad to hear how uneducated many supposed geniuses are in this area. Most people I meet have never even heard of a Friar/Brother. They just assume all are Monks. TV has had a bit to do with that, but anyone who’s seen half of Robin Hood should know there’s more than just Monks.

I feel for this Brother, as I too have gotten some heat for wanting to be a Friar. When I told the woman in charge of the vocations in my diocese that I wanted to become a Friar, she protested the very thought, saying “You should become a Priest instead! We need more here, and you’ll probably enjoy it more”. It’s sad that these words come from a supposedly highly acclaimed vocations director in our diocese. The new Bishop was very excited when I told him, so perhaps some of that will change under his direction as a Bishop.

And yes, I realize my parents have no say in this. This forum was more of a question, asking if she was, and if she was, what do I do? sort of a thing. People have taken it an entirely different direction (That is not aimed at you), but that was the original intention.

**I hope I am called to the Religious life, because otherwise I’ve been wasting a year and a half of my life reading up on Religious communities everyday. /**QUOTE]

Sir Knight, I know you are trying to be funny, but never, never consider reading up on religious communities a waste of your time.

In fact, unless it is smut or porn, reading is never a waste of time!

 

[Melchior_1]

I hope I am called to the Religious life, because otherwise I’ve been wasting a year and a half of my life reading up on Religious communities everyday.

I’ve spent several years researching secular/lay orders, far longer than a year and a half. Regardless of the one I’m called to, the learning I have done in this area is incredibly useful, and has enriched my spiritual life.

Never look at it as a waste of time. Instead look at it as a period of growth

 

[JReducation]

A beautiful and a little bit depressing reply. It’s sad to hear how uneducated many supposed geniuses are in this area. Most people I meet have never even heard of a Friar/Brother. They just assume all are Monks. TV has had a bit to do with that, but anyone who’s seen half of Robin Hood should know there’s more than just Monks.

I feel for this Brother, as I too have gotten some heat for wanting to be a Friar. When I told the woman in charge of the vocations in my diocese that I wanted to become a Friar, she protested the very thought, saying “You should become a Priest instead! We need more here, and you’ll probably enjoy it more”. It’s sad that these words come from a supposedly highly acclaimed vocations director in our diocese. The new Bishop was very excited when I told him, so perhaps some of that will change under his direction as a Bishop.

And yes, I realize my parents have no say in this. This forum was more of a question, asking if she was, and if she was, what do I do? sort of a thing. People have taken it an entirely different direction (That is not aimed at you), but that was the original intention.

I hope I am called to the Religious life, because otherwise I’ve been wasting a year and a half of my life reading up on Religious communities everyday.

ATeutonicKnight;8368709:

A beautiful and a little bit depressing reply. It’s sad to hear how uneducated many supposed geniuses are in this area. Most people I meet have never even heard of a Friar/Brother. They just assume all are Monks. TV has had a bit to do with that, but anyone who’s seen half of Robin Hood should know there’s more than just Monks.

I feel for this Brother, as I too have gotten some heat for wanting to be a Friar. When I told the woman in charge of the vocations in my diocese that I wanted to become a Friar, she protested the very thought, saying “You should become a Priest instead! We need more here, and you’ll probably enjoy it more”. It’s sad that these words come from a supposedly highly acclaimed vocations director in our diocese. The new Bishop was very excited when I told him, so perhaps some of that will change under his direction as a Bishop.

And yes, I realize my parents have no say in this. This forum was more of a question, asking if she was, and if she was, what do I do? sort of a thing. People have taken it an entirely different direction (That is not aimed at you), but that was the original intention.

I hope I am called to the Religious life, because otherwise I’ve been wasting a year and a half of my life reading up on Religious communities everyday. /

QUOTE]

Sir Knight, I know you are trying to be funny, but never, never consider reading up on religious communities a waste of your time.

In fact, unless it is smut or porn, reading is never a waste of time!

I’ve spent several years researching secular/lay orders, far longer than a year and a half. Regardless of the one I’m called to, the learning I have done in this area is incredibly useful, and has enriched my spiritual life.

Never look at it as a waste of time. Instead look at it as a period of growth

If we are truly interested in the fullness of Catholic Tradition, we have to learn about these different vocations. They are essential to the life of the Church.

I agree with my brethren above. It’s never a waste.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[Melchior_1]

Seriously, hang out in the Vocations sub-section of these boards. It’s probably my favorite section here, because you have people from all walks of life discerning all sorts of vocations and openly talking about their thoughts, struggles, and joys. Even married folks like myself go in there to post/chat, because there’s vocations available to us outside of the Deaconate and Marriage.

I first learned about the Secular Franciscans years ago. I soon discovered that they play a pivotal role running Steubinville University and the conferences there, where I had my reversion back to Catholicism. It amazed me that there was yet another vocation of lay people, one that wouldn’t interfere with marriage and the like (if anything it would strengthen it). It amazes me to this day! What’s even more amazing? There’s several different orders! Researching the Lay Dominicans and Dominican spiriutalty has born much fruit in my life, and the discernment between those two orders has been a revelation.

So many riches with your Faith can be found with prayer, learning, discernment, and thought.