My Vocation to Priesthood

[tenfootpole]

Today I am meeting with our diocesan vocations director, i have discerned with my spiritual director that i am not ready to enter a seminary in the fall as I am too young and have other things i need to take care of. i am afraid of what will happen when i tell our vocations director, also a priest, that i need at least another year of undergrad. pray for me, and encouragment would also be welcome, i’m feeling a lot of pressure. thank you.

 

[rtconstant]

I’m sure it will be fine. Your vocations directory should be glad that you’re not rushing into this and that you are taking the transition seriously.

 

[church_child]

I’m also discerning a vocation to the priesthood. My discernment has led me to believe that I need to enter college seminary right after high school, but I could be out a year later. In your case, you may just need more time to mature or see where your priorities really lay. Not to sound selfish, but this is about YOU. YOU need to be happy with your decision to enter/not enter the priesthood, because your satisfaction with your choice affects everyone around you, especially if it is the former. Good luck and God bless!

 

[Fr_Ben_Hawley]

If a vocations director pressures you to enter the seminary, he is doing you and the priesthood a disservice. Discerning a vocation, or any other major decision in life, merits time, insight and honesty with oneself. The assistance of a gifted spiritual director provides very helpful perspective and assurance. Priesthood, like marriage, is a life-time commitment and needs adequate time for discernment.

It sounds to me as though the three offering posts here are acting with great wisdom and insight. May God bless us all! And He surely will.

 

[vince2paul]

I’m happy for you. As for me, I think I’ve called towards religious life, specifically mendicant orders. So I try to get as much info about different orders. However, most of the vocation directors that I approached pretty much ignored me when they know what I don’t intend to join in near future. I plan to wait for 2-3 years. It’s been very discouraging for me.

The recent one was one of the worst. I asked him whether he has any recommended reading about the founder/the spirituality of the orders and I don’t get any reply.
Ack! I mentioned that I am not about my charism. Oh well, I was just being honest. I guess, sometimes we shouldn’t be very honest.

However, I take this as a motive purification. After all, I don’t join because the orders because of the people. If the calling is from God, I believe it won’t stop just like that. And I have 3 years to discern properly and to decide which path God is calling me to. So, keep persevere and pray, pray and pray.

 

[Titus]

I’m happy for you. As for me, I think I’ve called towards religious life, specifically mendicant orders. So I try to get as much info about different orders. However, most of the vocation directors that I approached pretty much ignored me when they know what I don’t intend to join in near future. I plan to wait for 2-3 years. It’s been very discouraging for me.

The recent one was one of the worst. I asked him whether he has any recommended reading about the founder/the spirituality of the orders and I don’t get any reply.
Ack! I mentioned that I am not about my charism. Oh well, I was just being honest. I guess, sometimes we shouldn’t be very honest.

However, I take this as a motive purification. After all, I don’t join because the orders because of the people. If the calling is from God, I believe it won’t stop just like that. And I have 3 years to discern properly and to decide which path God is calling me to. So, keep persevere and pray, pray and pray.

Can I ask which mendicant orders you are considering?

You are in my prayers. And so are these badly-trained vocations directors.

 

[vince2paul]

Can I ask which mendicant orders you are considering?

You are in my prayers. And so are these badly-trained vocations directors.

It was Franciscan (OFM), but Franciscan is very broad, because they don’t have specific ‘work’, it’s just “To live the gospel way of life.”

I realised that I’ve been interested in apologetic and foolish me thought that I can’t be an apologist if I become a priest/religious. I think Dominican would be the right one for me, because I am interested in apologetic and my journey back to Catholicism started when I dreamt that I was given a Rosary. Therefore, I have special Rosary devotion since then.

Thanks for your prayer.

 

[Titus]

It was Franciscan (OFM), but Franciscan is very broad, because they don’t have specific ‘work’, it’s just “To live the gospel way of life.”

I realised that I’ve been interested in apologetic and foolish me thought that I can’t be an apologist if I become a priest/religious. I think Dominican would be the right one for me, because I am interested in apologetic and my journey back to Catholicism started when I dreamt that I was given a Rosary. Therefore, I have special Rosary devotion since then.

Thanks for your prayer.

Spend your homilies and newsletter reflections on apologetics, and write books on it- what better way to become an apologist than as a priest?