N
nsper7
Guest
Originally, my intention had been to enter the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land in September 2010 as a Candidate. In wondering what I should do from now (I made a visit to their monastery in Washington in September 2009 but the Candidate class had already started and there would be no time to get the necessary paperwork and stuff done) until then and I decided recently I would run for local office (city commission). When I was younger, I had had an interest in politics and, since a Priest cannot hold elected office, I thought I might as well get that bug out of my system now and that it would be interesting to try and give me something interesting to do (the election is in March 2010, so I am in campaign mode). If I win the election, my original intent was to serve a single term (three years) and then enter the Franciscans in 2013. If I lost, I would enter in 2010 as originally planned.
Now, things are changing. At first, when I first signed up a the Supervisor of Election’s office, a part of me probably thought I would probably not win. It would be an interesting experience and I’d have some stories to tell and get some messages out in my campaign and get Andy Warhol-esque 15 minutes of fame, but it would be a short-term project as I wait to enter the Franciscans and become a Friar (hopefully, Friar-Priest). Things are potentially coming together that might cause me to have a chance at winning the local election.
Also, I am beginning to wonder if the Priesthood really is for me. A friend of our family who knows me very well (he is a lapsed/fallen Catholic) commented he feels I would have trouble as a Priest because I am a very ambitious person and, as I think on it, he is right. I am a person driven to excel and to ascend the heights at whatever I am doing. In many careers/vocations, such ambition would be a positive or a neutral as long as it is not driving the person into sin (i.e. harming others to get ahead), but for a Priest, it could be very problematic since being a Bishop or whatnot is really a seperate calling and not supposed to be about someone ambitiously trying to maneuver their way up into it.
If I win this election, it gives me three more years to think on this, but there is definitely a draw to politics for me (and it goes back many years). Such ambition for a politician (i.e. to start local, go county then state and maybe national) would seem a neutral/good, especially since right now we need good Catholics in office. It seems the current Catholics that are the newsworthy politicians do not represent their faith well publicly (i.e. they are Pro-Choice, are not very religious/devout, etc.).
One of the draws to politics is because there is something nice about being in the thick of things. You’re making decisions that are very important, people are listening to you, they want your opinion, you can really affect things in amazing ways (i.e. locally, there is an ordinance that horrendously affects a local soup kitchen/homeless shelter and, if elected, I could be instrumental in overturning said ordinance). There is also something nice about the so-called trappings of power–not so much power itself, but just the aura that goes with it and all the stuff that goes with it.
Even if I pursue politics, I would definitely still be a strong Catholic. If I can’t be a Priest because of political desires, I would want to consider maybe being a Third Order (probably Franciscan).
The Priesthood is very important and we need more Priests, but we also need good politicians who can reflect well on the Church and who obey the Church’s teachings on social issues.
Again, much of it depends on this election in March and if a certain sort-of related job opportunity with a Catholic community organization pans out if I lose the election.
EDIT: In terms of Third Order if I went that direction, I might go with one that has a really strong devotion to Mother Mary. Obviously, this is the sort of thing I will talk to her about…
Now, things are changing. At first, when I first signed up a the Supervisor of Election’s office, a part of me probably thought I would probably not win. It would be an interesting experience and I’d have some stories to tell and get some messages out in my campaign and get Andy Warhol-esque 15 minutes of fame, but it would be a short-term project as I wait to enter the Franciscans and become a Friar (hopefully, Friar-Priest). Things are potentially coming together that might cause me to have a chance at winning the local election.
Also, I am beginning to wonder if the Priesthood really is for me. A friend of our family who knows me very well (he is a lapsed/fallen Catholic) commented he feels I would have trouble as a Priest because I am a very ambitious person and, as I think on it, he is right. I am a person driven to excel and to ascend the heights at whatever I am doing. In many careers/vocations, such ambition would be a positive or a neutral as long as it is not driving the person into sin (i.e. harming others to get ahead), but for a Priest, it could be very problematic since being a Bishop or whatnot is really a seperate calling and not supposed to be about someone ambitiously trying to maneuver their way up into it.
If I win this election, it gives me three more years to think on this, but there is definitely a draw to politics for me (and it goes back many years). Such ambition for a politician (i.e. to start local, go county then state and maybe national) would seem a neutral/good, especially since right now we need good Catholics in office. It seems the current Catholics that are the newsworthy politicians do not represent their faith well publicly (i.e. they are Pro-Choice, are not very religious/devout, etc.).
One of the draws to politics is because there is something nice about being in the thick of things. You’re making decisions that are very important, people are listening to you, they want your opinion, you can really affect things in amazing ways (i.e. locally, there is an ordinance that horrendously affects a local soup kitchen/homeless shelter and, if elected, I could be instrumental in overturning said ordinance). There is also something nice about the so-called trappings of power–not so much power itself, but just the aura that goes with it and all the stuff that goes with it.
Even if I pursue politics, I would definitely still be a strong Catholic. If I can’t be a Priest because of political desires, I would want to consider maybe being a Third Order (probably Franciscan).
The Priesthood is very important and we need more Priests, but we also need good politicians who can reflect well on the Church and who obey the Church’s teachings on social issues.
Again, much of it depends on this election in March and if a certain sort-of related job opportunity with a Catholic community organization pans out if I lose the election.
EDIT: In terms of Third Order if I went that direction, I might go with one that has a really strong devotion to Mother Mary. Obviously, this is the sort of thing I will talk to her about…