Priesthood and Marriage

[seanom]

Hello there,
I have been discerning the priesthood for like over a year at least and at times have felt very strongly towards it. I used to sort of close my heart to marriage, but I have recently been considering it. I’m only 16 btw. I was at a Youth2000 retreat and I was talking to a Franciscan friar of the renewal. I am so attracted by their way of living but at the same time want to fall in love with a girl and maybe give my life to her. He was like Christ to me, he gave me great advice about dating and vocation etc. I also hope to meet a vocations director personally to discuss the priesthood. I tell u, I need your help and your prayers to discern this big decision. I would love to have a wife who was a devout Catholic and we wold go to daily mass and pray together. God Bless you, please pray for me, especially for courage to embrace the cross and will of Christ. BTW I have a fear that if I become a priest I’ll be unhappy, can anyone share anything with me regarding this?? Thankyou very much to everyone who replies.

Praised Be Jesus and Mary!

 

[BrookeWag94]

I’m afraid I don’t have much advice to give you, what I can tell you is the experience of a very good friend of mine. He is 19, 100% Catholic in belief and practice, but was raised (and still is) Anglican, and is prepairing to go to seminary. The only thing keeping him from converting to the Roman Catholic Church is that the RCC doesn’t recognise Anglican orders and the required celibacy for priests. He feels that God is calling him both to marriage and to the priesthood, so he is staying Anglo-Catholic to follow God’s will.

I’m not sure how much his story can help you, but I’m sure he’d be willing to talk with you if you’d like.

I’ll keep you in my prayers, God bless!

 

[Nils]

We are all called to marriage from creation. That is however a part of the sacrifice we have to make, God is asking the Priest to go beyond that. If it is not hard for the Priest, he is not normal.

It it also important to remember that you do not have to make this decision now. Discernment is not mainly done outside of seminary/your religious order, it is done within it. Continue listening to good spiritual advisors, pray much and obey your parents and you will be fine!

Your brother in Christ,
Nils

 

[PerfectTiming]

Hello there,
I have been discerning the priesthood for like over a year at least and at times have felt very strongly towards it. I used to sort of close my heart to marriage, but I have recently been considering it. I’m only 16 btw. I was at a Youth2000 retreat and I was talking to a Franciscan friar of the renewal. I am so attracted by their way of living but at the same time want to fall in love with a girl and maybe give my life to her. He was like Christ to me, he gave me great advice about dating and vocation etc. I also hope to meet a vocations director personally to discuss the priesthood. I tell u, I need your help and your prayers to discern this big decision. I would love to have a wife who was a devout Catholic and we wold go to daily mass and pray together. God Bless you, please pray for me, especially for courage to embrace the cross and will of Christ. BTW I have a fear that if I become a priest I’ll be unhappy, can anyone share anything with me regarding this?? Thankyou very much to everyone who replies.

Praised Be Jesus and Mary!

God’s will for you will never make you unhappy. Whatever vocation He has chosen for you, He knows it will bring you incomparable joy and bring you ever closer to Him. I am discerning religious life and when I am with my sisters I feel nothing but joy.

You’re young, you have plenty of time to discern. Deepen your prayer life and your relationship with God and learn to abandon yourself to His will and trust totally in Him. He will show you the way.