Vocation To The Priesthood

[domandcarols]

My young friend, it is not about whether or not others do it, IT IS STILL WRONG!!!

And the fact that you don’t see that it is wrong, to be honest stuns me!

You rant & rave about how people don’t think you are mature. Please explain to me how lying about your age, then trying to justify it, is the mature thing to do?

Calm down… He didn’t do anything wrong and he’s just defending himself. I’m glad he has an account here, if would be a loss to him and everyone else here if he didn’t. As he said, the moderators don’t care so why should you? It’s not the same as taking bc, what are you talking about?

 

[formerlysure]

Not to get too far off the topic but this discussion of clerical attire reminded me of my visit to a midwestern convent last summer, where the topic of habits was discussed at length at lunch one day.

I asked if any of them missed wearing the habit, and the general response was “about as much as I would miss a stick in the eye”. I would guess their average age was late 70s so they all had worn the habit for a lot of years before they were permitted to disconitnue the practice. All of them had at least one story of catching on fire (from cooking or candles) when their veils got in the way. The all had stories of having fallen on stairs after catching their shoe heels in the hems, or experiencing other people stepping on their hems. They all had stories of their veils or robes being caught in all sorts of things - the doors of a bus, an oven door, on door knobs and so on. They had a recent story of a very elderly nun who still wears a habit who got her robes caught up under her chair leg at dinner - when she tried to stand up, she couldn’t, lost her balance and fell, catching her face on the corner of the table on the way down. They also had many stories of fainting and other serious signs of dangerous heat-related illness in the midwestern summers.

So I asked, “so that’s why you wanted out of the habits - they were just impractical and cumbersom?” and they all answered at once, “oh, nooooo! It wasn’t that at all!” Then they told me that the habit held great meaning for them and even as aweful as they were in practical daily life, they had a hard time giving up the tradition. What made up their minds on the matter was that they found that the habits created distance between themselves and those they served. The focus of their mission as sisters was to elevate the people they served above themselves, and provide service through poverty and humility in the name of God. They said that in habit, they were treated almost as if they WERE God and it was very hard to provide humble service from the top of a pedestal. Since they have stopped wearing habits, they all agreed that others find them considerably more approachable, and they are better able to fulfill the mission of their order. It was quite interesting to hear.

 

[Sam20045]

I am 18, an Australian Catholic…was lapsed now not so…I am only a new Catholic since Easter Vigil 2010.

I have felt a desire, a possible vocation to be a priest.

The desire to celebrate Mass…to vest into the Eucharistic vestments…to wear a cassock with fascia and shouldercape and black zucchetto…to wear choir dress of cassock and surplice. To go into a hospital and to sit with patients Catholic or not…to be a Military Chaplain and serve the sick nd dying soldiers…to walk amongst gun fire and risk oneself to offer the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick and Viaticum…to vest onself in the surplice and violet stole and enter the Confessional and hear a penitent’s confession and say the words of absolution.

 

[ATeutonicKnight]

I am 18, an Australian Catholic…was lapsed now not so…I am only a new Catholic since Easter Vigil 2010.

I have felt a desire, a possible vocation to be a priest.

The desire to celebrate Mass…to vest into the Eucharistic vestments…to wear a cassock with fascia and shouldercape and black zucchetto…to wear choir dress of cassock and surplice. To go into a hospital and to sit with patients Catholic or not…to be a Military Chaplain and serve the sick nd dying soldiers…to walk amongst gun fire and risk oneself to offer the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick and Viaticum…to vest onself in the surplice and violet stole and enter the Confessional and hear a penitent’s confession and say the words of absolution.

This is very cool. However, know that if you are a Military Chaplain you won’t be able to wear a Cassock or anything else. The only way you’ll be recognized as a Chaplain is by an insignia on your uniform, and even then people won’t know you’re a Catholic Priest unless they ask. Not wearing Cassocks is the true sacrifice of joining the Military to become a Chaplain, and you’re brave if you’re willing to make this great sacrifice.

 

[MPSchneiderLC]

There’s nothing to do. About ten people go, and most of these people are old. These people are not really Catholics, either. They’re lukewarm Catholics. They probably couldn’t tell you if Catholics were Christian or not. Starting a group would be a cool thing, but there’s nothing to do. Especially since you can’t even go into the Church to pray, since the lady in charge doesn’t want it to get dirty and locks it.

However, I have been involved in the Mass before. I have brought up the host and the wine a few times before, which means that I have been involved in the Mass. It’s a very click-ish Church so even if I asked to be an altar server I wouldn’t be able to since they have kids that do it and probably wouldn’t let me.

And no, there is no soup kitchen. It’s a town of eight-hundred people. There’s the ministerial alliance, but seeing as how I’m no minister that wouldn’t be possible.

I am not on the site as often as some of you so I can only now reply to somethin g on page 3. I sprained my left wrist in sports today, so this will be quick.

B. I asume since you didn’t question my suggestion of writing a thank you to the bishop and asking him to suggest a few SDs, you plan to try that out. If he doesn’t help you, wait till you are 16 and drive to Wicheta which looks close to Greensburg when I checked on Google maps. Another option is to e-mail me as I may be able to find someone out your
way.
:thumbsup:

A. 1. Starting something doesn’t mean just your parish necessarily. Here’s a link to a club that I used to work with that is in a town about your town’s size that draws from about 45 minutes around.
conquesthicksville.org/

1. you could raise money for the poor or for missions. Here’s an orgazation that mainly provides education in Latin America. This could be mowing lawns for the cause, not just asking alone.
   catholicworldmission.org/
2. You can also make rosaries for the missions. They cost almost nothing and can be done whenever. I have seen this online but never done it myself.

I think that there is something everyone can do, even if your circumstances are limited. I hope that these ideas stimulate something for you to do to help the Church. One gift God has given me is that I don’t accept impossible until it is absolutely proven, which it still isn’t here. I know number 2 and 3 are a little off-beat but can be done anywhere.

God bless.

In Christ, Br Matthew, LC

 

[ATeutonicKnight]

I am not on the site as often as some of you so I can only now reply to somethin g on page 3. I sprained my left wrist in sports today, so this will be quick.

B. I asume since you didn’t question my suggestion of writing a thank you to the bishop and asking him to suggest a few SDs, you plan to try that out. If he doesn’t help you, wait till you are 16 and drive to Wicheta which looks close to Greensburg when I checked on Google maps. Another option is to e-mail me as I may be able to find someone out your
way.
:thumbsup:

A. 1. Starting something doesn’t mean just your parish necessarily. Here’s a link to a club that I used to work with that is in a town about your town’s size that draws from about 45 minutes around.
conquesthicksville.org/

1. you could raise money for the poor or for missions. Here’s an orgazation that mainly provides education in Latin America. This could be mowing lawns for the cause, not just asking alone.
   catholicworldmission.org/
2. You can also make rosaries for the missions. They cost almost nothing and can be done whenever. I have seen this online but never done it myself.

I think that there is something everyone can do, even if your circumstances are limited. I hope that these ideas stimulate something for you to do to help the Church. One gift God has given me is that I don’t accept impossible until it is absolutely proven, which it still isn’t here. I know number 2 and 3 are a little off-beat but can be done anywhere.

God bless.

In Christ, Br Matthew, LC

Thanks for the info, Brother. I’ll definitely look into it. But there is good news: My dad talked to me out of the blue about being an Altar Server. He said that he didn’t think it was fair that I’d never been given the chance, considering our circumstances, and he said if I wanted to he would talk to my mom about it. This doesn’t solve all of my problems, but it’s one of the major ones that could’ve been a major road block in terms of being a Priest.

Out of curiosity, what kind of sports do you Brothers play that would make you sprain your wrist?

 

[MPSchneiderLC]

I was playing fubito (soccer on an astroturf field the size of a hocey rink). I was the goalie and one of the brothers has a really hard kick. when I stopped his shot the ball flew over the 20 foot tall net around the field.

Oh, and I though of one other. If there is an old folks home / nursing home in your town often just visiting those who don’t have family who come regularly can be a way to serve. It is your presence more than anything. I have done this with groups a few times and we organized things but I think it would work alone.

God bless.

In Christ, Br Matthew, LC

 

[JL2011]

I’m also seriously discerning the priesthood right now. Probably going to a retreat in my Diocese seminary in November, let God’s will be done!

Please pray for me, I’ll pray for all of you.