Roadblock.

[jwinch2]

Talking would be nice, but what if I don’t have a true vocation? I don’t want to waste his time for someone else who might actually have a predestined calling to the priesthood.

If you don’t you don’t, and I am sure the priest will not feel his time has been wasted at all. Discernment is important. Its so important that the entire process of seminary is still viewed as discernment. It is designed so that you are continually discerning if this is what God wants you to do, and if you are going to answer God’s call. In many ways, it is just as important for the Church to make sure that people without true vocations do not become priests as it is for the Church to make sure the right ones do. If you don’t truly have it, the Church wants to find that out. If you do, that’s great also.

My RCIA sponsor was in discernment to be a priest as a younger man. He even went to seminary for 4 years before deciding it was not what he was supposed to do. He got married, had several kids, works in the parish, volunteers a great deal, and in general is about as good of a Christian man as you could ever hope to meet. Now that his kids are raised and out of the home he is going through the process for entry into the permanent deaconate program. What’s the point? There are many wonderful ways to serve God and, if he truly wants you in the clergy, He will get you sooner or later.

If you are not sure that is to be expected. Frankly, I would be shocked if you were. It is a huge decision and you are still quite young. Either way, my advice is to talk to your pastor and your diocesan vocations director. It may go nowhere and it may go somewhere. The bottom line is that you will never know unless you take the initiative to find out.

 

[Mrmawker]

If you don’t you don’t, and I am sure the priest will not feel his time has been wasted at all. Discernment is important. Its so important that the entire process of seminary is still viewed as discernment. It is designed so that you are continually discerning if this is what God wants you to do, and if you are going to answer God’s call. In many ways, it is just as important for the Church to make sure that people without true vocations do not become priests as it is for the Church to make sure the right ones do. If you don’t truly have it, the Church wants to find that out. If you do, that’s great also.

My RCIA sponsor was in discernment to be a priest as a younger man. He even went to seminary for 4 years before deciding it was not what he was supposed to do. He got married, had several kids, works in the parish, volunteers a great deal, and in general is about as good of a Christian man as you could ever hope to meet. Now that his kids are raised and out of the home he is going through the process for entry into the permanent deaconate program. What’s the point? There are many wonderful ways to serve God and, if he truly wants you in the clergy, He will get you sooner or later.

If you are not sure that is to be expected. Frankly, I would be shocked if you were. It is a huge decision and you are still quite young. Either way, my advice is to talk to them. It may go nowhere and it may go somewhere. You will never know unless you take the initiative to find out.

Okay, thank you for being so helpful… Should I stop smoking as well? It hasn’t harmed my studies, my spiritual or social life. It’s not really covered so I thought it would be fine. I don’t smoke tobacco, either, if you get my drift.

 

[jwinch2]

Okay, thank you for being so helpful… Should I stop smoking as well? It hasn’t harmed my studies, my spiritual or social life. It’s not really covered so I thought it would be fine. I don’t smoke tobacco, either, if you get my drift.

If you are seriously asking that question then you have no business discerning the priesthood at this time of your life. If you are not serious regarding that question then you are trolling and are wasting everyone’s time.

 

[Mrmawker]

If you are seriously asking that question then you have no business discerning the priesthood at this time of your life. If you are not serious regarding that question then you are trolling and are wasting everyone’s time.

I -am- serious. I don’t even know why you decide to demonize me for it.

 

[jwinch2]

I -am- serious. I don’t even know why you decide to demonize me for it.

I’m not demonizing you, I am being honest. If you were not aware that using illegal drugs is a mortal sin than you are now. And I am also simply being honest when I say that someone who is currently using illegal drugs has no business considering a vocation to the priesthood.

Some years down the road, if you are able, with God’s help, to get to the point where this is no longer something that is part of your life, it might be time for you to consider a vocation again, but not at this stage.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

Okay, thank you for being so helpful… Should I stop smoking as well? It hasn’t harmed my studies, my spiritual or social life. It’s not really covered so I thought it would be fine. I don’t smoke tobacco, either, if you get my drift.

Yes, you should stop that practice immediately. It is illegal, and chances are that it IS affecting your life in ways you might not be able to see at the moment.

Get clean and then get some spiritual direction. If you cannot imagine separating from your parents’ opinion, you are not ready to “marry” the Church. For that is what you will be doing, leaving your parents’ home and cleaving to your bride, the Church.

You need to talk to a vocations director. One way or another, although I recommend face to face. Your parish priest is the first step. He can guide you to the next step. Do not anticipate any of the next steps without lots of prayer and guidance.

Do not worry about anyone else’s approval. If this is your path, you must be strong, because you will live a separate life which will require strength.

Good luck and GET CLEAN.

 

[Mrmawker]

I’m not demonizing you, I am being honest. If you were not aware that using illegal drugs is a mortal sin than you are now. And I am also simply being honest when I say that someone who is currently using illegal drugs has no business considering a vocation to the priesthood.

Some years down the road, if you are able, with God’s help, to get to the point where this is no longer something that is part of your life, it might be time for you to consider a vocation again, but not at this stage.

Why would God want something he created to become illegal? Cocaine and Meth are synthetically created, unlike marijuana that grows naturally. Who would want one of God’s creations to be considered evil?

 

[Mrmawker]

Yes, you should stop that practice immediately. It is illegal, and chances are that it IS affecting your life in ways you might not be able to see at the moment.

Get clean and then get some spiritual direction. If you cannot imagine separating from your parents’ opinion, you are not ready to “marry” the Church. For that is what you will be doing, leaving your parents’ home and cleaving to your bride, the Church.

You need to talk to a vocations director. One way or another, although I recommend face to face. Your parish priest is the first step. He can guide you to the next step. Do not anticipate any of the next steps without lots of prayer and guidance.

Do not worry about anyone else’s approval. If this is your path, you must be strong, because you will live a separate life which will require strength.

Good luck and GET CLEAN.

My parent’s opinion matter to me since they will be my only relatives once I decide to not father any children. I would prefer to actually have them support me instead of disapprove and make me regret my decision.

 

[jwinch2]

I agree with everything Julianne said with the exception of one thing. Given that you are 16 years old at the current time, your parents absolutely need to be involved in this process. Anything else would be highly improper and not to mention probably a violation of the commandment to honor one’s parents. I would be shocked if your pastor and diocesan vocations director would even agree to go beyond a simple chat without your parents being involved or at least giving their consent.

Once you are 18 and out of their home, it is a bit of a different story, but you are not there yet. Based on your comments and your profile you still have two years of high school left. As such, your parents have an absolute right to be part of this discussion and you have an absolute obligation to include them.

 

[Mrmawker]

I agree with everything Julianne said with the exception of one thing. Given that you are 16 years old at the current time, your parents absolutely need to be involved in this process. Anything else would be highly improper and not to mention probably a violation of the commandment to honor one’s parents. I would be shocked if your pastor and diocesan vocations director would even agree to go beyond a simple chat without your parents being involved or at least giving their consent.

Once you are 18 and out of their home, it is a bit of a different story, but you are not there yet. Based on your comments and your profile you still have two years of high school left. As such, your parents have an absolute right to be part of this discussion and you have an absolute obligation to include them.

And I want to include them in this. I think this is the most important decision of my life that I am currently facing and I don’t want to do it alone.

 

[jwinch2]

And I want to include them in this. I think this is the most important decision of my life that I am currently facing and I don’t want to do it alone.

That is the correct decision. If you were older and had seen the world a bit, you might be ready to throw off their advice and make your own call, but that is several years down the road.

 

[Mrmawker]

That is the correct decision. If you were older and had seen the world a bit, you might be ready to throw off their advice and make your own call, but that is several years down the road.

Haha I would never want to do that anyways. Who knows, maybe they’ll even support me when the time comes. My mom wants me to be wealthy, so it may hurt a bit when I tell her I want to live on 30,000 a year if that. My life would be so different just by the way people see me. Most people wouldn’t think I was as devout until I told them. I am really overanalyzing things.

 

[jwinch2]

Why would God want something he created to become illegal? Cocaine and Meth are synthetically created, unlike marijuana that grows naturally. Who would want one of God’s creations to be considered evil?

**
Catechism of the Catholic Church discussion on violations of the 5th Commandment::
2291 The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life. Their use, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense. Clandestine production of and trafficking in drugs are scandalous practices. They constitute direct co-operation in evil, since they encourage people to practices gravely contrary to the moral law.**

It is wrong, it is immoral, and oh by the way it is illegal. And, just where do you think those drugs come from and how it is gotten into the country?

huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/12/mexico-drug-war-deaths-2010_n_808277.html

The truth is, that those drugs are bought and paid for in blood.

This is the last I will talk about this. If you cannot see for yourself that doing drugs is both incredibly wrong for you personally and absolutely a contraindication for the priesthood then you are a long ways off from being ready to talk about a possible vocation. I know I am being blunt with you, but dancing around the truth of this issue does not help anyone.

 

[Mrmawker]

**

It is wrong, it is immoral, and oh by the way it is illegal. And, just where do you think those drugs come from and how it is gotten into the country?

huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/12/mexico-drug-war-deaths-2010_n_808277.html**

The truth is, that those drugs are bought and paid for in blood.

This is the last I will talk about this. If you cannot see for yourself that doing drugs is both incredibly wrong for you personally and absolutely a contraindication for the priesthood then you are a long ways off from being ready to talk about a possible vocation. I know I am being blunt with you, but dancing around the truth of this issue does not help anyone.

Im not going to be doing this activity as a priest. I just see this as a small phase in my life that I’m not going to be doing 5, 10, 15 years from now.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

And I want to include them in this. I think this is the most important decision of my life that I am currently facing and I don’t want to do it alone.

What I said was that if you cannot imagine moving forward without someone’s good opinion of you, then you are NOT READY for this kind of decision.

And you have shown that indeed, you are not ready. You are defending your use of an illegal drug, “God made the plant so why should it be illegal.” That already shows a dependency on the drug and rationalization of its use.

I think you will have your hands very full just getting and staying clean, and talking with your parents frankly about your possible vocation. There is nothing wrong with discussing any subject as you would any other interest. You started this thread saying that you don’t think your parents will support you and you are reluctant to bring it up to them, for concern they will disapprove.

What I mean is that WHEN AND IF you are ready to take the next step to truly discern if you are called, you must prepare yourself to be ready for anyone’s opinion and not care. It is God’s voice that you must listen for.

If this is not your path, then the next 2 years will show you that. I still think you should:

1. get clean
2. talk to your priest honestly and openly about your desire to consider a vocation.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

Im not going to be doing this activity as a priest. I just see this as a small phase in my life that I’m not going to be doing 5, 10, 15 years from now.

Yeah that’s what all the addicts say, and pretty soon they’ve spent 40 years smoking dope and doing nothing.

 

[Mrmawker]

What I said was that if you cannot imagine moving forward without someone’s good opinion of you, then you are NOT READY for this kind of decision.

And you have shown that indeed, you are not ready. You are defending your use of an illegal drug, “God made the plant so why should it be illegal.” That already shows a dependency on the drug and rationalization of its use.

I think you will have your hands very full just getting and staying clean, and talking with your parents frankly about your possible vocation. There is nothing wrong with discussing any subject as you would any other interest. You started this thread saying that you don’t think your parents will support you and you are reluctant to bring it up to them, for concern they will disapprove.

What I mean is that WHEN AND IF you are ready to take the next step to truly discern if you are called, you must prepare yourself to be ready for anyone’s opinion and not care. It is God’s voice that you must listen for.

If this is not your path, then the next 2 years will show you that. I still think you should:

1. get clean
2. talk to your priest honestly and openly about your desire to consider a vocation.

Its not just anyone’s opinion who matters to me. Its my parents, you know, the ones who conceived me? Rationalizing it means I’m dependant on it? Nonono, those rationalizations are what led me to try it, not to keep doing it. The experience of still being alive and enjoying the experience with little visible drawbacks is why I continued. But, I can quit. I have stopped for 5 weeks at a time just because I got bored of it. I have neither drank or used other drugs in attempt for a bigger high, as its not a gateway drug. If God wants me to stop smoking, then I shall.

I am ready for “anyone” 's opinion, whoever that may be, but my parents are more than just anyone to me.

 

[Mrmawker]

Yeah that’s what all the addicts say, and pretty soon they’ve spent 40 years smoking dope and doing nothing.

40 years smoking dope? Thats alot more living than cigarette smokers or alcoholics have ever survived. I am not an addict, either. Your biased sources of information have no effect on me since I actually know what it does and its effects, long-term and short-term. Thanks for the scare tactics, though. No matter how meaningless they are to me

 

[TheRealJuliane]

40 years smoking dope? **Thats alot more living than cigarette smokers or alcoholics have ever survived. **I am not an addict, either. Your biased sources of information have no effect on me since I actually know what it does and its effects, long-term and short-term. Thanks for the scare tactics, though. No matter how meaningless they are to me

My father smoked cigarettes from age 8 until about 2 years before he died, at age 78. So almost 76 years of smoking.

Nonetheless, that was not my point. I was telling you what a lot of pot-smokers end up like. But go ahead, find out yourself. I’m done. Do your parents know you smoke dope?



Young and foolish.

 

[Mrmawker]

My father smoked cigarettes from age 8 until about 2 years before he died, at age 78. So almost 76 years of smoking.

Nonetheless, that was not my point. I was telling you what a lot of pot-smokers end up like. But go ahead, find out yourself. I’m done. Do your parents know you smoke dope?



Young and foolish.

Nope. And maybe I am foolish. But who is a fool when he is guided by God?

EDIT: Your math is a little off there, Einstein. That’d be 68 years.