Seminary deciding whether to accept me, feel pessimistic

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Thanks guys, for your prayers and advice.

I was worried that the way I worded my post it may end up sounding like I was trying to escape. That’s not at all the case. Of course, I would welcome and enjoy whatever “escape” from the world seminary life would bring, but that’s not the reason I want to do it, just something that would probably end up going along with it to one degree or another.

I think one way to describe it would be that my reasons for wanting to enter the seminary have nothing to do with escaping from anything, but my fears of not being accepted do. If I have to wait and enter next year or if I end up discerning a call to some other diocese or a religious order, that’s not what I’d prefer, but it’s ok. I’d prefer to be starting on the track now, so I can begin to serve God in a more radical land dedicated way now and be on the track towards serving him as a priest, but having to wait would be ok - it would be a matter of patience and waiting for His time.

When I talk about all of my dislike of the prospects of waiting, that is because the particulars of the situation I’d be would be detrimental to my spiritual life. I have felt a very long while now the call to serve God in a greater way, and for all that time I have also felt, as I said, suffocated - as though I am not getting enough of God. I am living something like a “spiritually eremitical” life - my soul is cut off from everything spiritual other than God Himself. If I were called to be a hermit, and had gone through all that one does in preparation for that, that would be one thing - but I’m not and I haven’t. Like anyone else not living as a hermit, I need spiritual support, and to be around spiritual things, and to have spiritual friends, and so on, if I am to grow.

I don’t want to enter the seminary to escape from that, but I also really don’t look forward to the prospects of spending another year or more living that way. The number one thing I fear is having to take either an utterly worldly job, or spend time in an utterly worldly school, all of which I’d be doing without any support system. It’s hard enough to stay on the straight and narrow path without all of that influence, and so if I get thrown into that, it’s just a very bad situation. I did everything I could to get away from that sort of situation, in order to grow spiritually. I don’t want to be a dog forced to go back to it’s vomit.

I don’t think removing oneself from the world as far as he can is escaping… I suppose it could be, depending on one’s motivations. My motivation in it has been it to serve God better, to grow in His Love, and to avoid the occasion of sin. The problem I’m facing if I’m not accepted is that the place that would leave me as regards the requirements of life - i.e., paying the bills and all - would be to act against that motivation and even to enter greater occasions of sin.

Peace and God bless
 
Lazerlike42 said:
Thanks guys, for your prayers and advice.

I was worried that the way I worded my post it may end up sounding like I was trying to escape. That’s not at all the case. Of course, I would welcome and enjoy whatever “escape” from the world seminary life would bring, but that’s not the reason I want to do it, just something that would probably end up going along with it to one degree or another.

I think one way to describe it would be that my reasons for wanting to enter the seminary have nothing to do with escaping from anything, but my fears of not being accepted do. **If I have to wait and enter next year or if I end up discerning a call to some other diocese or a religious order, that’s not what I’d prefer, but it’s ok. ** I’d prefer to be starting on the track now, so I can begin to serve God in a more radical land dedicated way now and be on the track towards serving him as a priest, but having to wait would be ok - it would be a matter of patience and waiting for His time.

When I talk about all of my dislike of the prospects of waiting, that is because the particulars of the situation I’d be would be detrimental to my spiritual life. I have felt a very long while now the call to serve God in a greater way, and for all that time I have also felt, as I said, suffocated - as though I am not getting enough of God. I am living something like a “spiritually eremitical” life - my soul is cut off from everything spiritual other than God Himself. If I were called to be a hermit, and had gone through all that one does in preparation for that, that would be one thing - but I’m not and I haven’t. Like anyone else not living as a hermit, I need spiritual support, and to be around spiritual things, and to have spiritual friends, and so on, if I am to grow.

I don’t want to enter the seminary to escape from that, but I also really don’t look forward to the prospects of spending another year or more living that way. **The number one thing I fear is having to take either an utterly worldly job, or spend time in an utterly worldly school, all of which I’d be doing without any support system. ** It’s hard enough to stay on the straight and narrow path without all of that influence, and so if I get thrown into that, it’s just a very bad situation. I did everything I could to get away from that sort of situation, in order to grow spiritually. I don’t want to be a dog forced to go back to it’s vomit.

I don’t think removing oneself from the world as far as he can is escaping… I suppose it could be, depending on one’s motivations. My motivation in it has been it to serve God better, to grow in His Love, and to avoid the occasion of sin. The problem I’m facing if I’m not accepted is that the place that would leave me as regards the requirements of life - i.e., paying the bills and all - would be to act against that motivation and even to enter greater occasions of sin.

Peace and God bless
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I’ll attempt to re-phrase my point.

For all of us, the call to holiness is never dependent on an either-or environment. All of us are expected to bring our best and be our best as Christians wherever we find ourselves. A secular university? Join the Newman Club. A “worldly” job? Yes, we must work to eat, to quote St. Paul - and if you need more spiritual support, get involved at the parish or in the diocese. More than anything, priests today who meet the required levels of “call” and spirituality, must also be able to relate to others - to their peers, to their elders, to children, to friends and strangers.

Is this making sense to you?

Build spirituality where you live!
That’s a requirement for all of us.
 
catharina said:
I’ll attempt to re-phrase my point.

For all of us, the call to holiness is never dependent on an either-or environment. All of us are expected to bring our best and be our best as Christians wherever we find ourselves. A secular university? Join the Newman Club. A “worldly” job? Yes, we must work to eat, to quote St. Paul - and if you need more spiritual support, get involved at the parish or in the diocese. More than anything, priests today who meet the required levels of “call” and spirituality, must also be able to relate to others - to their peers, to their elders, to children, to friends and strangers.

Is this making sense to you?

Build spirituality where you live!
That’s a requirement for all of us.
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Yes, it makes sense. The problem is more a matter of my trying to articulate the situation.

I work in a parish currently, and have for the past several years. It is not enough if it is to be a standalone job, and I will have to leave it if I am to support myself come the fall. I’ve tried to be involved in several of the various things available in this diocese, which are actually extremely limited, especially for an area of the country with such a disproportionatly large Catholic population. I’ve been involved in the Newman group at my previous college.

In all of these situations, I’ve been far and away the most spiritually advanced person there, excluding the priests at the rectory. I don’t say this out of pride, and indeed I wish it were not so, but out of accepting things for what they are. Sometimes thats how it is, after all. :-p In any case, in all of this, I’ve been a support for others, and I have given and given and given. The problem is, I haven’t received anything. Now please understand the sense in which I say this. The very life of a priest is to give without looking to receive, and indeed the very life of a Christian is to be the same. What I’m referring to is the fact that no man is an island, and we cannot do it ourselves.

We are made for Communion, and as Thomas Aquinas says, it is only once already perfect that a man may live truly without receiving from others. Until then, “in order that man may do well, whether in the works of the active life, or in those of the contemplative life, he needs the fellowship of friends.” What I’m basically saying is that I be as giving as I want and not desire the slightest thing in return, but if I don’t end up being lifted up by others, I’m not going to make it, and for the past few years, that’s been the situation in which I’ve been, with predictably unsatisfactory results.

The one exception to this was when I briefly associated with a friend I met from the midwest whom is very advanced spiritually and intending to enter a cloistered community soon. Her soon-to-be superior has requested that we do not continue to talk for now, and so we are not. In any case, during this time, I did grow, and we mutually supported one another and lifted one another up. Since we’ve stopped speaking, I have fallen back to where I was before, and haven’t gotten too much higher since.

I feel very called to serve God in a more dedicated way, and my soul is just dying for more spiritual food and air. It’s terribly painful to be unable to live in a clerical sort of state, feeling called to it right now, but that is a cross to bear. This is different from not having that which is needed to keep my soul going. I know that Paul, one of my patrons, made tents to support himself as he reached the gospel. Yet he did so on with the fellowship of Luke and of others who, while perhaps not as advanced as he, were on a comparable level - that is to say, other saints: Luke, Barnabas, etc.

I could bear as a cross - painful though it may be - to work in an office or some such worldly thing, if I had at the end of the day some means to be spiritually recharged. I can go to adoration, I can pray the Divine Office as I do. However, Christ didn’t create us to exist to live on that alone - but with fellowship.

I hope that makes more sense 🙂
 
catharina said:
My dear Shoshana - can’t even imagine your early life but since I checked your profile and find you are a wife, mom and grandma, I’m guessing that the will of God led you to your life today!
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Yes, you are right I am a wife,mother and grandmother. i certainly did the best I can do knowing that is what God would want me to do. I love my family dearly and thank God for them.

That being said, last night, i visited my mom and aunt at the cottage. i visit my mom once a week to eat with her. She is a widow and this is my date to enjoy her in doing whatever. My aunt asked me about the convent…coincidence, right? And I admitted there is still a place within my heart to be a nun. I was almost in tears. This feeling or yearning never goes away. Nevertheless, wanting to be the ‘spouse of Christ’ has also played out in my married life. This, my director knows. Too long to share.
ha is why the young man, Lazer, needs a director yesterday to help him through this spiritual journey and to discern his call to the pristhood. A director is priceless!

Btw, Lazer, I have a perpetula prayer thread to pray for all priest/seminarians/deacons…you will be in my prayers…
 
Holy God
Holy Mighty One
Holy Immortal One
Have mercy on us and on the whole wolrd.
 
Sounds like all of us are praying for you, lazer.

I’ve no doubt that if you are called to be a priest, then you’ll be a priest.
 
Lazerlike42 said:
Actually the diocese is pretty good, and the seminary program seems orthodox so far as I can tell. I wouldn’t want anyone misjudging them :).
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I’m not sure what part of MA you’re in; but if you’re in the Archdiocese of Boston, Cardinal Sean, OFM Cap is well known for being one of the holiest bishops and Religious Brothers in the country. He is very orthodox.

That being said, what I don’t see in your post is why you feel that God is calling you to the priesthood. You’re very clear that God is calling you to greater intimacy with him. This doesn’t necessarily mean the priesthood.

Religious and lay people can also be called to an exclusive relationship with Christ and not to the priesthood. In fact, the most exclusive relationship with Christ is the cloistered contemplative life lived by religious such as Trappists and Cistercians. You have a very large Trappist community in Spencer, MA and there is also a Carthusian foundation in VT, but I can’t recall which town.

There are also Secular Orders such as Secular Franciscans, Secular Carmelites, Secular Dominicans and Associations of the Faithful such as Madonna House who take a vow of celibacy, but are lay men and women who live in community. It’s a very Eucharistic centered community.

I would encourage you to keep praying and to remember, the vocation to the priesthood or the religious life is confirmed by the Church. If one feels called and the Church says that one is not called, then one has misunderstood the Holy Spirit and should continue to pray until the Spirit makes thing clearer.

But pray and think about this other forms of life. From what I’m reading in your post it sounds like your looking for a way of life. The priesthood is a sacramental state, but not a way of life.

Orders, Congregations and Societies live according to a particular form of the Gospel Life according to the mind of their founders and the law of the Church.

Secular priests are not bound to any particular way of life. They are priests. Their role and life in the Church is very different from religious life.

Another thing to pray about is whether you have a vocation to both, the priesthood and religious life. If such is the case, the Diocese will not touch you. They are not committed to religious life. This is not what Christ has called them to live. Such men apply to religious orders or religioius congregations. The deal there is a little tricky.

In some religious orders and some congregations the primary focus is the religious life. To be ordained you must meet several criteria:
  1. You must first become a religious and make perpetual vows.
  2. After you have made perpetual vows the council of the religious house in which you live democratically decides if you have a vocation to the priesthood and they pass their vote on to the Major Superior.
  3. The Major Superior places your case before his council. They vote. If they vote in your favor, there is another step.
  4. The Major Superior must decided if he truly believes this is what Christ is calling you to do within the order or congregation.
However, the law of the Church says that unless it’s written into the Constitutions of the community that only a certain number of membeers can be ordained, those who seek ordination must be given the opportunity to prove their vocation to the priesthood, just as they were given the opportunity to prove their vocation to the religious life.

Most religious congregations and religioius orders require that you have finished your Bachelor’s degree before you enter. Some have colleges where you can attend as you prepare for the religious life, but not many.

Dioceses are a horse of a completely different color, because they are not preparing you for the religious life. They are preparing you for the priesthood. The criteria for admission is very simple. They must decide if you have or don’t have a calling to join the diocese. You may have a calling to join another diocese or religious community.

What I have seen is that if a man sounds too much like he is called to live religious life through the vows and the perfection of charity and life in community, the diocese will not take him, because they do not make vows, they do not live in community and the perfection of charity as lived by diocesan priests is at the same level as other secular men, not at the intensity of religious. They don’t take such candidates, because they consider it unfair to the individual to make him believe that his joining a community of brothers who share a common ideal and a common way of life, when in fact they are secular men and each one develops his own spiritual life and ideals with the help of the spiritual director. It may be the case that the individual feels lonely, because he is looking for a shared religious experience, which may or may not happen among secular priests.

I hope this doesn’t confuse you too much and I hope that you will pray about the other options as well.

I will be praying with you.

JR 🙂
 
JReducation said:
…If one feels called and the Church says that one is not called, then one has misunderstood the Holy Spirit and should continue to pray until the Spirit makes thing clearer.

But pray and think about this other forms of life. From what I’m reading in your post it sounds like your looking for a way of life. The priesthood is a sacramental state, but not a way of life.

…

JR 🙂
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Beautiful post, JR and very relevant - esp the above.
 
I wrote a long reply to your message and i was just about to post it when I accidentally lost it. as terrible as that may be it reminds me that even sudden changes in course are not the end of the world. I’ll rebuild my post, strive to make it more concise and offer up that loss as a sincere expression of prayer towards your cause. This is how i think one should view this situation. I know you have built up a lot to go through with this but do not be afraid to pick yourself up if you should hear no. Trust that God will not give you a setback that you cannot recover from and remember there may be a greater lesson or reward to benefit from having this occur. I personally do not beleive that you will be rejected. I dont know the case well enough to make that a definitive statement but I do have a hope in prayer that you are called. whatever the case may be whether working in the secular world or working in religeous life, that all morally acceptable work can be consecrated to the Glory of God. I’ll be praying for you at Eucharistic adoration tonight, and I hope that God Continue to bless you.

-Gabriel Syme-

P.S. I’ve looked through the thread a bit more. do you have a spiritual director? you should by now. I cannot stress this highly enough. I persoally have been turned away from speaking to orders I took interest in until I found one and have not regretted taking that advice. A good spiritual director can help you through these issues far better than anyone of us can
 
Thanks guys, for your advice. 🙂

First, I didn’t mention my reasons for wanting to become a priest because I didn’t think it wasreally appropriate. This is the prayer intention forum, and I know the rules say we’re just supposed to be asking for prayers. I also know how tough it is to read through long posts, so I was trying to be as concise as I could, especially given that I’m already a very wordy guy as it is whenever I try to post anything here. 😛

Second, as regards all the stuff about religious orders and whatnot, I know. I hate to say it, JR, but I could have written most all of your post myself for someone else. Of course, it wasn’t a waste. Sometimes we need to hear things we already know in order to be reminded of it, or in order to really assimilate it for ourselves. What else do bishops do when they listen to homilies? 😃

I’m a fairly knowledgable person in regards to all of this sort of stuff, but of course I can always learn something! I’m just mentioning it to help convey the point that I’ve thought all these different things through, and I’ve been discerning a while. I actually began my discernment considering religious life, and I gradually came around to the conviction I was called to the diocese. My thoughts on religious life haven’t dropped off altogether, but for the most part, and in fact the vocation director I have been working with seems to have a different take on religious life than many of you have pointed out vocation’s offices have. He has told me that very frequently men who are still not sure whether to enter religion or to serve the diocese will enter the diocesan seminary to continue their discernment in a more spiritually beneficial setting. Sometimes, folks stay, other times, they leave for order X.

I think the only thing I would really disagree with is in saying that the diocesan priesthood is not a way of life. I know a few rather holy diocesan priests that I think would strongly disagree. In fact, whatever our vocation, we are all called to embrace our vocation as a way of life, most especially or common vocation to serve the Lord in holiness. The Christian faith is not about going to Mass once, or even 7 times, a week, but it is a way of life… it is an all encompassing way of living our entire lives, every moment of them, for the Lord. I would agree that in religious orders, there is a greater specificity to this way. It is more defined… it is more unique a call - for example, to the Franciscan spirituality and charism, more than merely to the life of the priesthood. I think perhaps we are merely thinking in different terminology.

I would also add that while I do believe that if the Church ultimately judges one not to have a vocation then one has misinterpreted the Holy Spirit, I do not believe that being turned down from one diocese on one occassion is indicative of this. Men are turned down from dioceses all the time because they are too orthodox, or for any number of other reasons. As someone else mentioned already, even such a holy priest as John Vianney was rejected at first. It’s a good thing he didn’t take that as a sign he had no vocation to the priesthood! 🙂

In any case, no, I do not believe I am called to a religious order, and I am not really seeking that which one finds uniquely in religious orders. The things I was referring to about why I worry about my acceptance are not so much whether or not they believe I have a vocation, or believe I am seeking or callled to religious life, but some other things. I really hesitate to be too specific about them for my sake as well as the sake of the diocese and those men involved with the decision.

However, given that there are several dioceses in this state, I suppose I could try to be a bit more specific. It is a combination of there being certain things about my personality which seem to have been misjudged by those interviewing me and there being certain things which I considered virtuous but which I have been told are problematic in some way. I could be wrong, of course, but the things I have been told about my personality just don’t match up with my own experience in life. For example, I was told I am too reserved, but in my experience when I am dealing with most people I am rather outgoing. On the other hand, I am also somewhat of a recollected person, which I understand as virtuous but may play into my being considered reserved. Another item is that I do not socialize frequently with my male friends, but as they are aware this is because the majority of the males I know spend a great deal of their time involved in all sorts of depraved things which are not morally acceptable to participate in.

Actually the thing that bothers me the most is a comment that was made about one of my interviews, that I seemed to be co-operative yet indifferent, which I would guess is related to being reserved. The reason this bothers me so much is that this is how I approached all of my interviews intentionally - in fact this is how I naturally approach most everything. I try to approach everything with a spirit of humility and an abandonment to the will of God. So in humility, I am co-operative to whatever is asked of me, and in abandonment I am essentially indifferent to what happens.

The whole thing leaves me with the terrible feeling of being demerited for things like abandoning myself to God’s Will and not watching South Park. Now of course, I may be wrong about any number of things, as I am far from perfect. 🙂 I’m just trying to explain why I feel so upset about this as opposed to if it was simply the case that they did not feel I had a vocation.

By the way, I really want to stress that I could be wrong and that the people I am involved with are, so far as I can tell, holy people. I don’t believe they are trying to do anything wrong. I don’t want people thinking otherwise.

Peace and God bless
 
I’m glad to hear that you have considered all of the options available to you. As you said in your last post, you approach most of your interviews with a certain reserve, but you are usually an outgoing person in other situations. I trust that you have explained that to the person who gave you the feedback. Sometimes perceptions is all the individual has to go on, unless you tell them these things and give them examples of the kinds of things that you do socially and so forth. But at this point, I’m assuming that you probably did this.

When I said that the priesthood is not a way of life I was referring to the Church’s understanding and theology of the priesthood. You explained it well. I should have probably said that secular priests do not follow a rule of life. Each works out his own rule of life with the help of a spiritual director. Most secular priests whom I know are very holy men and they seem to combine different spiritualities in their personal life very well.

While it is true that the environment in a seminary is protective to a certain degree, I did not want you to believe that it was going to be a community environment. Their community is more spontaneous. It is really based on personalities and common goals. Whereas in a religious house the community is based on their fidelity to their founder and their fidelity to religious life, sometimes the priesthood takes a back seat to the life of a religious, even if he is a priest. His brothers are his first ministry and living the vows and rule of his community is his priority. His priesthood is the way that he brings the spirit of his community to the laity, while another brother may bring the same spirit through teaching or service to the poor and so forth.

I post this, not only for your benefit, but also for others who may come through this thread with a similar situation as yours. While you may be aware of these details, another person discerning a call to the priesthood and seeking prayer, may not have considered that the answer to his prayer may be some place else. I hope that you understand what I mean.

But I will continue praying with you that God will reveal his will for your life.

JR 🙂
 
Nice post. You show a lot of courage in sharing so much of yourself here. You have my prayers.
 
Yes JR, I understand. Thanks 🙂

I really haven’t explained this to the person too much. I mentioned a few of my concerns, but unfortunately I may even have downplayed those. The one I am really kicking myself over is not responding to the statement that I was cooperative but indifferent.

You see, I really didn’t want to come across as defensive. I thought that that would be far worse than any misunderstandings they mave have had. I was also, I will admit, caught rather off guard with these things and for one of the very few times in my life was almost a deer in the headlights. That very rarely happens: normally I am much more collected when faced with adversity or the unexpected.

I don’t see much I can do about it now. We had our meeting, and now it is in the hands of those involved in the decision to do so over the next several days. I would think it would be a bad idea to contact someone and try to explain all of these things at this point. To me, it would be perceived as defensive and childish, or perhaps a better word would be immature in some way.

So it will have to remain entirely in the hands of God.

Peace and God bless 🙂
 
Lazerlike42 said:
Yes JR, I understand. Thanks 🙂

I really haven’t explained this to the person too much. I mentioned a few of my concerns, but unfortunately I may even have downplayed those. The one I am really kicking myself over is not responding to the statement that I was cooperative but indifferent.

You see, I really didn’t want to come across as defensive. I thought that that would be far worse than any misunderstandings they mave have had. I was also, I will admit, caught rather off guard with these things and for one of the very few times in my life was almost a deer in the headlights. That very rarely happens: normally I am much more collected when faced with adversity or the unexpected.

I don’t see much I can do about it now. We had our meeting, and now it is in the hands of those involved in the decision to do so over the next several days. I would think it would be a bad idea to contact someone and try to explain all of these things at this point. To me, it would be perceived as defensive and childish, or perhaps a better word would be immature in some way.

So it will have to remain entirely in the hands of God.

Peace and God bless 🙂
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If the priests presented an observation that you left unanswered, why not answer it?

Are you instead - tying God’s hands?

A simple thank-you note to all (and you should send one, regardless), could also BRIEFLY state that you’ve given thought to the observation of Father NAME and now you wish to say: “thus and so.” That you didn’t want to “seem pushy” then - or now - is goofy if it limits your honest communication.

JR, I, others have noted that you leave the most important point unstated: that you BELIEVE you are called to the priesthood. Shall these priests have to GUESS that about you? For heaven’s sake, WHY?

You cannot second-guess the world.

You might (or might not) understand yourself -
but you can’t “out-think” others in a matter so important for which they’re trained to discern!
 
catharina said:
If the priests presented an observation that you left unanswered, why not answer it?

Are you instead - tying God’s hands?

A simple thank-you note to all (and you should send one, regardless), could also BRIEFLY state that you’ve given thought to the observation of Father NAME and now you wish to say: “thus and so.” That you didn’t want to “seem pushy” then - or now - is goofy if it limits your honest communication.

JR, I, others have noted that you leave the most important point unstated: that you BELIEVE you are called to the priesthood. Shall these priests have to GUESS that about you? For heaven’s sake, WHY?

You cannot second-guess the world.

You might (or might not) understand yourself -
but you can’t “out-think” others in a matter so important for which they’re trained to discern!
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Catharina,

I wouldn’t be applying if I didn’t think I was called. Certainly those at the vocations office are more than aware of my reasons for believing so. I haven’t posted it here because it’s not really the sort of thing that one can express in a few short paragraphs. As I said before, this is the prayer request forum, and trying to explain why I believe I am called to the diocesan priesthood would be tought to put forth even in multiple posts in the vocations forum or some such place.

I hope you don’t think that the vocations folks have only heard what’s been presented here! 🙂

As far as explaining things to them, I have been considering doing so in the event that I am not accepted. I feel that that would be the appropriate time to do so for a variety of reasons. As far as responding now, I don’t believe that trying to avoid being pushy is goofy at all. Whether I am accepted or not is ultimately up to God, far more than to any of the men entrusted with the decision. I must abandon myself to His Will, and to do so necessitates approaching this and all situations with humility. Additionally, to behave defensively would seem not to be the best course of action, especially if their answer to me is going to be to return next year and apply again. Defensiveness is not regarded well, and for one who seeks the priesthood it would seem an even worse quality.

In my judgment, the best course of action is to present my thoughts once I have received a decision, putting them forth for the benefit of others in order to avoud similar problems in the future, and pointing out that I waited to mention these things because I felt that the observations were too important to risk them being disregarded as the complaints of an applicant trying to whine his way into the seminary.

Peace and God bless
 
Lazerlike42 said:
Catharina,

I wouldn’t be applying if I didn’t think I was called. Certainly those at the vocations office are more than aware of my reasons for believing so. I haven’t posted it here because it’s not really the sort of thing that one can express in a few short paragraphs. As I said before, this is the prayer request forum, and trying to explain why I believe I am called to the diocesan priesthood would be tought to put forth even in multiple posts in the vocations forum or some such place.

I hope you don’t think that the vocations folks have only heard what’s been presented here! 🙂

As far as explaining things to them, I have been considering doing so in the event that I am not accepted. I feel that that would be the appropriate time to do so for a variety of reasons. As far as responding now, I don’t believe that trying to avoid being pushy is goofy at all. Whether I am accepted or not is ultimately up to God, far more than to any of the men entrusted with the decision. I must abandon myself to His Will, and to do so necessitates approaching this and all situations with humility. Additionally, to behave defensively would seem not to be the best course of action, especially if their answer to me is going to be to return next year and apply again. Defensiveness is not regarded well, and for one who seeks the priesthood it would seem an even worse quality.

In my judgment, the best course of action is to present my thoughts once I have received a decision, putting them forth for the benefit of others in order to avoud similar problems in the future, and pointing out that I waited to mention these things because I felt that the observations were too important to risk them being disregarded as the complaints of an applicant trying to whine his way into the seminary.

Peace and God bless
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Oh. So you are content with tying God’s hands.

Clairvoyant? Do you imagine you are?

Offering a REFLECTION in writng, now, that you could have offered in person, while you are still being considered would be such a kindness to all (including yourself). Offering the reflection AFTER a rejection could be much more easily perceived as whining. That JR who is a theologian educated in Rome and a Franciscan, and a father, and a widower is offering you the advice to open up speaks for itself. That I who am 62 yrs old, degreed in Theology, a mother and a lifelong Catholic who’s advised numerous young people as they discern vocations offers similar advice is obvious.

That you say you know best, based in your assumptions about those priests called to judge your worthiness, humility and openness - while ignoring the call of God Himself to be open and humble with those priests - is astounding to me.

I’ll continue to pray for you.
 
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