Preparing for the Pristhood

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vjnycguy

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Hello! I’m a young person and feel as if I have the calling to the Priesthood. I have a friend who is much older than me and thought he had the calling to the Priesthood, but he has yet to finalize his decision. I have told him I wanted to become a Priest and he told me I have the calling based upon his questions he has asked. So he told me some simple things I should do to get ready. He said I should be praying. I do my three Hail Mary’s in the morning along with my morning prayer. At night I do my three Hail Mary’s again and my night prayer. I was wondering if there were some more things I should be doing to prepare for the Priesthood. Thanks.
  • Vjnycguy
 
Hello!

I am currently attending a Seminary in Mission, B.C. (Seminary of Christ the King) which contains both a minor (highschool) and major (collegiate) seminary. I am in the minor seminary, therefore, my path to the priesthood is still very long, but I have been notified of many things to better prepare myself to become a priest. In the Seminary that I attend, every time we go home for holiday breaks, we have certain obligations to do. Since you are sort of “on a holiday break” at home, here are several things I recommend you start (if you are seriously considering the priesthood):

-Daily Rosary and Mass (and don’t think I left out those Sunday masses! :))
-Time with Jesus in the Eucharist (our rector says the first part to becoming less of a seminarian is stopping visits to Jesus)
-Divine Office, also known as the Liturgy of the Hours (at least Morning and Evening Prayer, you can find a book called, “Christian Prayer” in a Catholic bookstore or on the internet for all you need for the Divine Office)
-Your actions should reflect your want to be a seminarian. As an aspiring seminarian, you should maintain your purity, chastity and temperance. One should seriously consider the choices they make when it comes to reading their books, content on the internet, relationship with others etc.
-Acts of charity like volunteering, helping at the homeless shelter, food bank etc.
-Spiritual Reading every day. You should be reading some content from the Bible, or the Lives of the Saints, or some other Catholic-approved (books with a Nihil Obstat, Imprimatur or Imprimi Potest should fare well) that will increase you devotion to Jesus and Our Lady
-Don’t be lazy! If there is one thing that seminarians should never be, that would be be lazy. Try moving around more! “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.”
-Try having a devotion to some chaplet, novena or saint. I find doing so really helps combat the devil.

I tried my best to list all the possible things that you should do! You are not required to do any of these things, whether at home or at the seminary (unless required by you spiritual/vocational director), but most of these things will allow you to have a better relationship with God and Mary. Our real vocation is to be holy. Everyone’s vocation is to be holy. Be open-minded to God and what others tell you and you will have a great time at the seminary!

I wish you well, and God bless!
 
Facite said:
-Daily Rosary and Mass (and don’t think I left out those Sunday masses! :))
-Time with Jesus in the Eucharist (our rector says the first part to becoming less of a seminarian is stopping visits to Jesus)
-Divine Office, also known as the Liturgy of the Hours (at least Morning and Evening Prayer, you can find a book called, “Christian Prayer” in a Catholic bookstore or on the internet for all you need for the Divine Office)
-Your actions should reflect your want to be a seminarian. As an aspiring seminarian, you should maintain your purity, chastity and temperance. One should seriously consider the choices they make when it comes to reading their books, content on the internet, relationship with others etc.
-Acts of charity like volunteering, helping at the homeless shelter, food bank etc.
-Spiritual Reading every day. You should be reading some content from the Bible, or the Lives of the Saints, or some other Catholic-approved (books with a Nihil Obstat, Imprimatur or Imprimi Potest should fare well) that will increase you devotion to Jesus and Our Lady
-Don’t be lazy! If there is one thing that seminarians should never be, that would be be lazy. Try moving around more! “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.”
-Try having a devotion to some chaplet, novena or saint. I find doing so really helps combat the devil.
Click to expand...
Thank you very much for all of that. I will surely do as much of that as I can. Thank you, thank you, and thank you. :extrahappy:
 
Here are a few things you can add to your spiritual diet, and you will need a rosary to not be deceived by the serpent.
  • The Holy Rosary
  • The Divine Mercy Chaplet
  • Miraculous Medal Prayer
  • St. Michael Prayer
  • Consecration Prayer to Our Ladies Immaculate Heart
  • Augustines Prayer to the Holy Spirit
  • Anima Christi
MIRACULOUS MEDAL PRAYER
*O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to you,
and for all who do not have recourse to you,
especially the enemies of the Church,
and those recommended to you,
Amen.
*
ST. MICHAEL PRAYER
*Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.
*
CONSECRATION PRAYER TO OUR LADIES IMMACULATE HEART
*O most pure heart of Mary, full of goodness,
show your love towards us. Let the flame of your heart,
O Mary, descend on all people. We love you im- mensely.
Impress on our hearts true love so that we may long for you.
O Mary, gentle and humble of heart, remember us when we sin.
You know that all people sin. Grant that through your most pure and motherly heart,
we may be healed from every spiritual sickness.
Grant that we may always experience the goodness of your motherly heart, and that
through the flame of your heart we may be converted.
Amen.
*
AUGUSTINES PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy.
Amen.

ANIMA CHRISTI
Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from Christ’s side, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee
From the malicious enemy defend me
In the hour of my death call me
And bid me come unto Thee
That I may praise Thee with Thy saints
and with Thy angels
Forever and ever
Amen.
  • Be ready to obey God at all times, even when things get tough
  • Have an open heart, and an open mind, so the Holy Spirit can fill you with good things (Essential)
  • Pray at all times throughout the day
  • Never, ever, ever, let yourself think that the journey to become a priest is ever easy. Never let your guard down against the world, unless you want to be destroyed. Priests are one of the greatest enemies of this world.
 
Gods_Peace said:
Here are a few things you can add to your spiritual diet, and you will need a rosary to not be deceived by the serpent.
  • The Holy Rosary
  • The Divine Mercy Chaplet
  • Miraculous Medal Prayer
  • St. Michael Prayer
  • Consecration Prayer to Our Ladies Immaculate Heart
  • Augustines Prayer to the Holy Spirit
  • Anima Christi
MIRACULOUS MEDAL PRAYER
*O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to you,
and for all who do not have recourse to you,
especially the enemies of the Church,
and those recommended to you,
Amen.
*
ST. MICHAEL PRAYER
*Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.
*
CONSECRATION PRAYER TO OUR LADIES IMMACULATE HEART
*O most pure heart of Mary, full of goodness,
show your love towards us. Let the flame of your heart,
O Mary, descend on all people. We love you im- mensely.
Impress on our hearts true love so that we may long for you.
O Mary, gentle and humble of heart, remember us when we sin.
You know that all people sin. Grant that through your most pure and motherly heart,
we may be healed from every spiritual sickness.
Grant that we may always experience the goodness of your motherly heart, and that
through the flame of your heart we may be converted.
Amen.
*
AUGUSTINES PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy.
Amen.

ANIMA CHRISTI
Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from Christ’s side, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee
From the malicious enemy defend me
In the hour of my death call me
And bid me come unto Thee
That I may praise Thee with Thy saints
and with Thy angels
Forever and ever
Amen.
  • Be ready to obey God at all times, even when things get tough
  • Have an open heart, and an open mind, so the Holy Spirit can fill you with good things (Essential)
  • Pray at all times throughout the day
  • Never, ever, ever, let yourself think that the journey to become a priest is ever easy. Never let your guard down against the world, unless you want to be destroyed. Priests are one of the greatest enemies of this world.
Click to expand...
These are all very good prayers, I always use them at the Seminary!
 
Thank you very much for those prayers. I will surely use them everyday.👍
 
vjnycguy said:
Thank you very much for all of that. I will surely do as much of that as I can. Thank you, thank you, and thank you. :extrahappy:
Click to expand...
The prayers and advice in this thread are all good, but I just want to add some caution to them.

Don’t go rushing in to do as many prayers and devotions as humanly possible, or you’ll burn out. You’re in that initial excitement stage it looks like, so you’ll be riding in the clouds for a while, but that feeling doesn’t last forever (Mother Teresa is said to have felt nothing, as if in a barren desert, for some 50 years and she still did all she could to help the poor).

Remember why you are praying certain prayers, don’t just idly pray. The 3 Hail Mary’s, for example, is a popular devotion of intercession asking the Blessed Mother to pray for you in your discernment. They’re not magic, they’re not going to reveal to you the meaning of life, the universe, and everything (and if they do, it is God who reveals it to you, but not because of the prayers themselves).

Remember too that it’s not about quantity of prayers. The best type of personal prayer is to sit in silence and listen and say nothing (which can really hard since we’re so used to doing all the talking). Listening to God is good to learn.
 
vjnycguy said:
Hello! I’m a young person and feel as if I have the calling to the Priesthood. I have a friend who is much older than me and thought he had the calling to the Priesthood, but he has yet to finalize his decision. I have told him I wanted to become a Priest and he told me I have the calling based upon his questions he has asked. So he told me some simple things I should do to get ready. He said I should be praying. I do my three Hail Mary’s in the morning along with my morning prayer. At night I do my three Hail Mary’s again and my night prayer. I was wondering if there were some more things I should be doing to prepare for the Priesthood. Thanks.
  • Vjnycguy
Click to expand...
I think that all Catholics are made for religious life in much the same way all men and women are made for marriage. You don’t need some feeling or some “calling” outside of the calling of the gospel. What you need to spend some time discerning is your own emotions and desires. Having a strong understanding of yourself is the single best thing you can do to ensure you do your best in seminary. After all, if you don’t understand yourself, how are you going to understand God’s people?

Meditate on this
What is the greatest commandment?
What is Faith, Hope and Love?
What are the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience?
What is marriage and in what way is the religious life a marriage?
How should you best serve God today?

Pray the rosary daily and meditate upon the mysteries.
Study Study Study. There is much I am sure you have learned about the faith, but if you truly want to understand it you have to take your study into your own hands.
The best way you could prepare yourself is by offering each and every day to God.

I remember well having the same feelings when I was 15, but God took me away from that path for awhile. He brought me back and I have no doubt that I am much better off for it. So don’t be afraid to follow the holy spirit wherever it takes you. Know that you (as am I at 24) are immature. You have so much to learn about life and about the nature of Love. Have patience, for we need patience not because God is slow, but because we are slow.

and finally the single most important thing you can do is spend time in adoration. Learn how to do contemplative prayer. Learn how to just sit with God and listen.
 
curlycool89 said:
The prayers and advice in this thread are all good, but I just want to add some caution to them.

Don’t go rushing in to do as many prayers and devotions as humanly possible, or you’ll burn out. You’re in that initial excitement stage it looks like, so you’ll be riding in the clouds for a while, but that feeling doesn’t last forever (Mother Teresa is said to have felt nothing, as if in a barren desert, for some 50 years and she still did all she could to help the poor).

Remember why you are praying certain prayers, don’t just idly pray. The 3 Hail Mary’s, for example, is a popular devotion of intercession asking the Blessed Mother to pray for you in your discernment. They’re not magic, they’re not going to reveal to you the meaning of life, the universe, and everything (and if they do, it is God who reveals it to you, but not because of the prayers themselves).

Remember too that it’s not about quantity of prayers. The best type of personal prayer is to sit in silence and listen and say nothing (which can really hard since we’re so used to doing all the talking). Listening to God is good to learn.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I usually do my three Hail Mary’s in the morning along with my morning prayer then I do my Chaplet at 3 then Rosary after that then night prayer with three more Hail Mary’s.
 
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