Sinful to vest as a priest at home?

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ChristusVincit3

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For context: I am 17 years old and plan on enrolling into the seminary when I turn 18.

I had a question regarding the laypersons use of a priests vestments. I have a cope and a few chasubles that have been given to me because they were in pretty rough condition and wouldn’t be used in a typical liturgical setting. I occasionally put either the cope or chasuble on (with the stole and maniple) and practice saying Mass and just pretend I guess. Writing this out it does seem an awful lot like a 17 year old playing dress up, but I would love just a straight and simple answer if I should cease doing this. Am i falling into the sin of pride? Is it violating any other church law? Is this is a sin? All comments appreciated, go easy please!
 
phil19034 said:
everyone now a days should have a therapist
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I respectfully disagree. I don’t feel I need the help of a therapist, and there is no reason for me to take up a therapist’s time that could be used to help others who are truly in need of their services.

If you personally think you need a therapist, fine, visit one, but making a blanket statement that everybody needs therapy to cope with stress is just absurd.
 
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It’s great that you’re zealous for a vocation, however I think you’ve answered your own question. It’s not really sinful or illicit, but it’s definitely kind of strange. At 17, not even in seminary, you’re putting the cart way before the horse at that point. Ordination would be many years off, assuming you were called to the priesthood. My advice would be that if you don’t have a spiritual director, to get one, to help you on your discernment.

It’s probably not wise to hold on to the vestments if they’re too worn out to use. They need to be disposed of. And I can tell you that most vocations directors, if they found out about things like that, would see it as a sign of a lack of maturity that might need to be worked on before admitting you to seminary.

You are in my prayers.

-Fr ACEGC
 
Psychiatry is a medical field similar to neurology.

Therapy is normally done through a licensed therapist, or a psychologist.

There are many reasons to see a therapist.
 
edward_george1 said:
They need to be disposed of
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Our OP may want to contact some of the groups who make things from old vestments. When the Mary Mother of God Mission Society visited they had lovely things, such as Magnificat covers, made from old vestments.
 
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I cannot say that this is sinful, but as one who discerned a vocation in years past (and finally discerned against it), it sounds like you might be anticipating in your own mind your future life as a priest, which I think could be harmful, if indeed you do not have that vocation. Keep in mind too, that there is much more to being a priest than vestments and the aesthetics of the Mass. Priests have been martyred and have died in prison camps — think St Maximilian Kolbe. That, too, is (at least potentially) “part of being a priest”.

I have a cassock and surplice, given to me by an ex-seminarian who was, like me, a man of a certain size. It fits me well, which cassocks rarely do. I keep it put away unless I am serving Mass, which I rarely do anymore — haven’t served Mass in 3 or 4 years, and even that was an emergency situation, where the youths didn’t show up and they were stuck with this goofy old man in an alb and cincture. (I didn’t have my cassock with me and I had to use what the parish had. Thankfully it fit me.)

Best wishes in discerning your vocation. Never forget that Our Lord calls people to different vocations, priesthood, religious life, married life, single life, what have you. It’s all good. Hope your seminary experience is a good one.
 
You don’t actually practice Mass until you get to your final year in seminary, when you’re a deacon and virtually guaranteed to be ordained a priest.

As I said, not sinful or illicit, but kind of strange. And “don’t advertise” is not great advice for someone thinking of going into seminary. Openness with formation is essential to the process.
 
edward_george1 said:
At 17, not even in seminary, you’re putting the cart way before the horse at that point.
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Many years ago when I was in the seminary, a classmate in First Theology (three-plus years away from priestly ordination) bought a chalice.

He (like me) never made it to ordination.

OP, I’m glad you are excited about the possibility of a vocation. However, you are at least eight years away from ordination. It’s a process of discernment and many things can happen between now and then. Don’t, as Father suggested, put the cart before the horse.
 
First off, my username isn’t my real name.

Second off, I apologize that I have caused you disappointment, but I stand by what I’ve said to the OP. You’d think that I would know a thing or two about the discernment process and what is or isn’t prudent with regards to that.
 
Totally uncalled for and rude!

Father gave a very thoughtful response. There was nothing wrong with what he said and nothin to be “disappointed” about.
 
ChurchSoldier said:
I really wish Priests on the forum would give advise under an anonymous username. Let me ask, with the user name Edward George are you perhaps from an Anglican background?
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Please just stop. The man is a Roman Catholic priest and has been here for years.
I would also point out that St. George is a Roman Catholic saint dating back for centuries before Anglicanism was invented, and the RC Church also has many saints named Edward, most of which also predate Anglicanism.

There is nothing “disappointing” about him speaking from his own personal experience of formation and becoming a priest. Also, why should priests on here have to be anonymous? We like and appreciate the contributions of the few priests who generously give of their time and advice here when they are busy in real life. And he has also confirmed to you that his real name is not Edward George, so if you’re concerned about use of real name in your “anonymous” comment, he’s not using his real name.

P.S. And before you accuse Father of flagging the post where you just accused him of being something less than a Catholic, I’ll state that I flagged it, for inappropriateness.
 
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edward_george1 said:
It’s probably not wise to hold on to the vestments if they’re too worn out to use. They need to be disposed of.
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It depends on the vestments. If they are of exceptional workmanship, someone who makes vestments could want to have them as an example. Sometimes, too, parts can be re-used, provided they are re-used to make other vestments.

If they are disposed of, those need to be burned, as for worn altar linens, correct, Father?
edward_george1 said:
And I can tell you that most vocations directors, if they found out about things like that, would see it as a sign of a lack of maturity that might need to be worked on before admitting you to seminary.
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Would you say a certain lack of maturity isn’t that unusual in a 17 year old? I’m not disagreeing that it is an issue to see the priesthood primarily in terms of “dress up,” as most of the life is sacrificial rather than glamorous, but it is typical of 17 year old men to see themselves in terrms of bold achievement. That doesn’t seem like a matter that calls for a therapist. It seems like a matter that calls for a lot of non-glamorous charitable work.
 
You’re right about other uses for worn out vestments.

I didn’t say the OP should pursue therapy, that was someone else, whose post has since been deleted.

And I don’t disagree with the rest of what you’ve said.
 
edward_george1 said:
I didn’t say the OP should pursue therapy, that was someone else, whose post has since been deleted.
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Sorry, didn’t mean to imply that. I often get my general comments to the thread garbled up with comments directed mainly at a specific previous poster.
 
I just like to bold that last part right there:
PetraG said:
It seems like a matter that calls for a lot of non-glamorous charitable work.
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As I continue to discern my vocation, serving in non-glamorous conditions has been key in my opinion. When my ego gets a little too high, helping the Sisters of Charity in my area by working in the kitchen/serving food does the trick.

I’d also recommend the OP to go on a youth mission! Don’t let it be just a retreat, but an actual mission. The one I’m familiar with is in the Dominican Republic and they build bridges, clinics, wells, etc. I’m sure your parish could guide you in the right direction for one! Godspeed!
 
rf9661 said:
As I continue to discern my vocation, serving in non-glamorous conditions has been key in my opinion. When my ego gets a little too high, helping the Sisters of Charity in my area by working in the kitchen/serving food does the trick.
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I’ve heard a priest say that it is when the desire strikes you when you see the unglamorous parts or just out of the blue while doing ordinary things that you ought to pay the most attention. For instance, if you spend time with children and they’re just being naughty little pills and you still think that you’re called to do that, then that’s a good sign for a vocation to be a teacher or a parent. If you are out at a concert with your friends and doing the normal social things that young people do and you are struck by the thought out of the blue that this is OK for some, but you are cut out to be a priest or a religious, that’s a good sign. If you are more likely to be struck about being a priest when you’re just changing lightbulbs and helping people load their cars and ordinary things as when you have vestments on your mind, that’s a good sign.

It isn’t as if the glamour of thinking about your wedding dress or vestments or putting on a gown for commencement is a terrible thing or anything. It is just that we have to know that the evil one isn’t above using glamour, that is the most impressive but the least substantial part of a thing, to lure us away from the commonplace thing that is the every day lot in which we actually become saints. Priests aren’t recognized as saints by how fond they are of their vestments any more than moms are considered saints by how much they’re into Mother’s Day.
 
Thank you all very much for your replies. My apologies that there has been some controversy between some of you in the comments! I plan to incorporate pieces of every bodies advice.
 
ChristusVincit3 said:
I plan to incorporate pieces of every bodies advice.
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What do you mean? The consensus is basically that you shouldn’t be dressing in priestly vestments and acting out Mass. So what pieces are there to put together? You’ve more or less gotten one answer.
 
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