Vocation and financial difficulties

[thorlakursaint]

Dear all,

I am from Scandinavia and I have a problem due to my vocation. Many years ago I realized that I wanted to become a Priest. I discussed it with my diocesan Priest and the Bishop. I had some interviews and they told me that I was accepted to become a seminarian. I should be living in Rome for five years and study. They would finance my studies through a foundation.

Due to the financial crisis in the world, I have large debts towards a bank. I can not do anything to settle the debts or pay. I can not sell my apartment and even if I could, it would not give enough money to pay my debts. One of the possibilities is to wait and see if the bank will make me bankrupt. Can I do this? My bishop has no solution for me but he still thinks I should start my studies and then see what happens.

Can you please give me advice. I have never had financial difficulties and I felt my vocation long time before the financial crisis and discussed with the Bishop.

Your brother in Christ.

 

[jpk1313]

Get a job and use every thing after rent, food to pay down debt. That is what I am doing. After I have paid my rent and bought the minimum of groceries I spend the rest on my debt. It is hard living and boring with no entertainment money (the libray is free entertainment and you get to learn) but it just makes the journey towards the priesthood more lively. You just need some creative bugeting. Sell your furniture, move to the cheapest place you can find (rent in crack houses is very cheap and you get to tell the good news to drug addicts) for food buget You can live on a bag of rice for a couple of weeks and is very cheap (my grocery budget is about 25$ [canadian] a month) you can supplement it by eating at soup kitchens or begging on the street. And remember No one said it would be easy to become a priest Jesus said take up your cross and follow me and look at what he had to go through with his cross. Most of the great saint had to suffer and they all loved it becuse it was all for the greater glory of god. Trust in Jesus and let the holey spirit lead you to where you need to be. Just keep pushing for the goal even if you need to suffer for it and you will come out of it stronger and more holy.