Some advice on vocations please

[seanom]

Hey there, So I’m 16 and have thought about the priesthood on and off for about a year and a half. The thing is recently I’ve felt less attracted to the priesthood and more attracted to marriage. It’s kinda humiliating, cos alot of people assume I’m going to be a priest. My parents think it and other people etc. I feel like it wud be a dissapointment for them if I didn’t become one. What am I to do?? I’ve spoken to priests before etc. How do I discover my vocation? I also kinda want to just give all my heart to Christ and not to a girl by dating but it’s really hard. Any advice plz?? Thankyou and may God Bless u all

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

Hey there, So I’m 16 and have thought about the priesthood on and off for about a year and a half. The thing is recently I’ve felt less attracted to the priesthood and more attracted to marriage. It’s kinda humiliating, cos alot of people assume I’m going to be a priest. My parents think it and other people etc. I feel like it wud be a dissapointment for them if I didn’t become one. What am I to do?? I’ve spoken to priests before etc. How do I discover my vocation? I also kinda want to just give all my heart to Christ and not to a girl by dating but it’s really hard. Any advice plz?? Thankyou and may God Bless u all

First, it shouldn’t be humilating. Marriage is a noble calling

Second, nothing wrong with dating, if that is where you are called. Be chaste.

Third, sit down and talk to someone you know and trust about this.

Fourth: prayers offered.

 

[SteveLy]

It’s perfectly normal for a 16 year old to have both feelings of call to the Priesthood and of marriage. Your body is going through changes in which thoughts of marriage are normal. Continue exploring. Parents and others understand a decision to explore dating or changing a decision. If you are called to the Priesthood God will continue to unveil His calling in that direction, if not then your call as a layman or to the Diaconate will be made clear.

Keep praying and striving to live for Him.

 

[giasone]

If you’re not doing this these things already do the following if possible -

Daily Mass
Weekly Confession
Daily Rosary.
Daily Holy Hour.

Then after one year see how you feel, if you feel more attracted to marriage after faithfully applying the above then the priesthood is not for you.

Otherwise if you feel more attracted to being a priest after doing the above then consult a spiritual director about a possible vocation to the priesthood.

 

[TuAutem]

My advice is: don’t worry about it now. Worry about who you are, what your relationship with God is, and what God put you on this world to do and who he wants you to be. These are the most important questions in your life for the next 10 years, so you should delve into them, learn about all the things you need to learn about to answer them (including learning more and more about the faith, maybe reading St. Francis de Sales, St. Augustine’s confessions, starting to learn about Aquinas and the other traditions of the church).

The big question, marriage vs celibacy as a priest or religious, can wait. Why? Because whether you get married or ordained, that won’t happen for many years yet. And by that time, your priorities will be clearer. Are you the type of person who ought to invest yourself deeply in a few intimate relationships (i.e., raise a family for God), or one whose work for Christ should cover a broader field, touching many more lives? That’s the kind of thing that becomes clearer over time, as you grow closer to God and discern his will for you.

If it is celibacy itself that seems like the obstacle, know that this especially is a sacrifice that does become easier to handle later in life than it is in adolescence. And that, married or celibate, it will always require a lot of dedication to follow seriously the Church’s teaching fully.

 

[DevotedChild]

My advice is: don’t worry about it now. Worry about who you are, what your relationship with God is, and what God put you on this world to do and who he wants you to be. These are the most important questions in your life for the next 10 years, so you should delve into them, learn about all the things you need to learn about to answer them (including learning more and more about the faith, maybe reading St. Francis de Sales, St. Augustine’s confessions, starting to learn about Aquinas and the other traditions of the church).

The big question, marriage vs celibacy as a priest or religious, can wait. Why? Because whether you get married or ordained, that won’t happen for many years yet. And by that time, your priorities will be clearer. Are you the type of person who ought to invest yourself deeply in a few intimate relationships (i.e., raise a family for God), or one whose work for Christ should cover a broader field, touching many more lives? That’s the kind of thing that becomes clearer over time, as you grow closer to God and discern his will for you.

If it is celibacy itself that seems like the obstacle, know that this especially is a sacrifice that does become easier to handle later in life than it is in adolescence. And that, married or celibate, it will always require a lot of dedication to follow seriously the Church’s teaching fully.

Ditto. I know this in my own experience. I am a sophomore in college and have been discerning the religious life since a freshmen in high school and got a spiritual director when I entered college. He told me straight out in the first meeting with him that we wouldn’t start discerning with congregations until I was like a junior in college. At first i was shocked and disappointed but now I understand why and am enjoying this time discovering who I am, my gifts, and develop a intimate relationship with Christ.

Enjoy this time to get to know yourself and get a deeper relationship with Christ. It would also help just to talk to and get a spiritual director to help you along this journey. The earlier the better. They are great people and can be great friends.

God Bless you and guide you on this journey. Don’t worry, it’s all in God’s hands.