Unanswered Questions About Priesthood

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These questions are mainly directed to already ordained priests who’ve been in active ministry for some time now, but feel free to chime in.

I’m a teenager now and thinking about what I want to dedicate my entire life to. I’ve always grown up going to Catholic schools and have always been around the faith, but began to take s particular interest in it in high school. Ever since, I’ve tried to live as morally as possible, despite the constant temptations that everyday life in this culture brings. The thought of serving as a priest has always been in the back of my head, but I always have second thoughts. I’m don’t want to become a priest and then be living miserably at the age of 50 because I’m lonely and without any kind of sexual connection. Do you priests ever feel lonely and sort of depressed, or bored and regretful? What do you do when you’re not around people? Even if you live in a community, do you feel alone? I’m just curious and don’t want to set myself up for failure. I feel like these questions are never commonly and truthfully answered by priests who are actually living the life. Please answer!

-Matt
 
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In order to make your thread more visible to the priests on CAF, I’ve moved it to the Vocations forum.

God bless 🙂

(Not a priest myself, BTW)
 
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To help you get the answers you seek, @edward_george1, @frdavid96 who are the users who are priests and active.
 
Among others—@frjuan and @buc_fan33 come to mind immediately, but there are likely more than just these four.
 
Not a priest but I am a female living out a single life. Just saying from my point of view, God gives you friends, not the same thing I agree, but also not nothing. I have a few things which could make me really lonely, I have a chronic illness for one, my life is all about God (which doesnt always win you friends especially in the modern world) and dont have much money, yet God has still found a way to pop friends in my life, even though I am often too tired to do much and unable to afford anything more than a coffee. And he even gave me friends that aren’t all church friends (some aren’t even Christian), there is no end to the gifts God will give if you let Him. My friends are even of both genders and married and unmarried. Trust in God. It’s His will that matters anyway, what He wants for you, will be best for you.

I agree talk to your priest/s .
 
Hello Matt. These are very good questions.

The first thing you need to make sure is whether Jesus is calling you to priesthood or not. For that, you’ll need prayer, the help of a priest in spiritual direction, and a true desire to listen to God’s voice. Don’t be afraid and trust Him, whatever the path He has prepared for you will be the real way to reach your happiness, whether it is priesthood, consecrated life or marriage. On the other hand, if you follow a different path, then you will be out of place for your whole life, and that can be the cause for frustration or disappointment.

Now, provided that someone has a real call to priesthood, is it still possible that he can ever feel frustrated or sad? I think that is your concern, correct? For an answer, let us start by looking at the example of marriage. A young couple get married, they are very much in love with each other, she is very pretty and he is very handsome, and they feel completely happy. But then, as years go by and difficulties appear, if they don’t care enough for the things that keep the marriage alive, i can end in failure, frustration or disappointment. But if they do take care of nourishing their love, it will get more mature and profound.

Same with priesthood. When you are just ordained, you come from the seminary on fire of love for Jesus and the souls. If you don’t take care about certain things, routine and the difficulties of priesthood can lead you to loneliness and lack of enthusiasm. But, on the other hand, if you care for those things, your life will be full of meaning and completely fulfilling.

Now I must leave for the confessional. think about this, and I will continue my reply later, specifying which are those things that a priest must take care of (or at least some things that I consider to be very important). Blessings, Matt, take care!
 
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Not only am I not a Priest, I’m not even Christian but I want to let you know that you are asking good questions at a good time in your life. You have some time to decide these things. I also want to point out that we all have to make decisions about our life that we are unsure what thing will be like or change in the future. Marriage, careers, where we live, etc. so just understand that all choices will wind up with ups and downs, sorrows and joys. I hope that your questions and discernment will be answered and always bring you joy. Just be honest with yourself and realize all of life brings trials. 😇
 
Thank you for your response, Father! That’s a great way to put it and I’ve never really thought about it that way. I’m just concerned about feeling those frustrations that come with any walk of life, but being alone in addition. I’m attracted to priestly life when it comes to the sacraments, touching hearts and saving souls, the overall service. However, I know that there will be periods in life where, as you said, one isn’t as on fire with passion anymore. I’m interested in knowing what it is that you mentioned that maintains this meaningful life of joy. Thanks again!
 
Thank you for your (name removed by moderator)ut, my friend. It really means a lot, and I’m inspired by your openness towards other religions. I will pray for you.
 
Can I ask you how is it that you still can continue to live each and every day with all of these burdens that you carry, with this immense sorrow that you must experience because of some of your conditions? I’m inspired by you and want to know what you do to keep you going in times of physical, mental, and emotional suffering. Looking forward to your response, and assuring you of my prayers!
 
Well, keep praying and who knows? I have learned to never say never!
 
Dear Matt, it really brings joy to hear that a young man is truly looking for the will of God. Reading about your fears, it came to my mind a passage from the Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 11, 2-6). So John the Baptist is in prison and he sends his disciples to Jesus to ask wether he truly is the Crist, the One they were waiting for. At a certain point of his life John the Baptist has a crisis. It looks like he is asking himself weather he did all he did for the right reason or if he did everything just for an illusion. Jesus answers by inviting him to discern the signs of his activity: “the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.” Those are the signs of the Messiah coming. This underlines the importance, for a young man like you, of vocational discernment. In whatever state of life you will live, priesthood, marriage, religious life, you will have moments of crisis and doubts. Because the enthusiasm has faded, like the wise father before me said, because you feel unsuccessful in your pastoral work, because you feel lonely. And, perhaps, you will ask yourself the same question of John the Baptist: “Did I get it all wrong?”. But you will look back to your discernment process, which is demanding and “harsh”, and you will be able to hear again the Word of God calling you to live in a certain way. And it is that Word that gives sense to your life, to your renounces, to the burdens you carry. That Word will be the most powerful thing preventing you from giving all up. What I suggest, due to my experience, is to meditate daily on the Word of God, starting for instance from the readings that the liturgy offers us each day and to find a spiritual guide, a priest in whom you trust and who is experienced, that can help you looking at how God is operating in your life. A fraternal hug and a prayer.
Pax
 
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I appreciate that very much. Thank you for your insight! I will likewise pray for you. Pax vobis!
 
Well firstly I am saddened that I made you think I have many burdens or that I have any sorrow. I have great joy in my life, God has given me so much that joy is prevalent in my life. Jesus is not joking when He says that if you come to Him, His yolk is easy and His burden light. I am not very good at explaining things it seems, but you give everything to God and then nothing is really that hard. What God gives you is so much it is constantly overwhelming. Oftentimes I am totally unable to speak because of the realisation of His gifts while still knowing that I don’t know the half of it. Listening to a priest friend of mine, I know he feels the same regularly. I think of it like little children, as they grow up and often when they have their own children they realise to some extent the sacrifices and gifts their own parents made and do for them as they make them for their own children. As you grow closer to God you notice (are shown) a few and realise there must be billions you can’t comprehend which He selflessly does and gives you all the time. He literally pours His blessings and gifts out on you, more and more as you do His will. Like St Paul if a person is a great sinner (perhaps his thorn in the side) then when one is forgiven one feels one owes so much that one works even harder though you know you can never repay. It is not a debt or a drudgery, but an act of love. Thank you for the prayers, you have mine too. Oh and I suggest adoration discernment if you can
 
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To be truthful, I am just a keyboard in God’s hands (to paraphrase Blessed Teresa of Calcutta) .
 
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