Vocations

[TheDumbOx]

Currently, I am discerning a vocation to the holy priesthood of Jesus Christ, specifically within the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter or the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.

It is good to hear of people discerning a vocation, and also to hear that people pray for good, holy priests in these present times. It is only through intense prayer and the reverential and proper celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that the Church can receive the graces to overcome her current struggles. It is only through these means that the world will be converted.

Now, I have encountered many in my family and in my surrounding family-friends a strong repulsion against me being a priest, a holy, celibate, Christ-like man. Upon hearing that I want to be a priest, some have said, “Is he gay?” Others have said, “Oh, what a shame! He could’ve done so much with his life!” This latter quote came from a Catholic.

From comments like these, the impact of the homosexual scandal among the clergy of this country seems to have greatly affected those of shaky or misguided “faith.” Also, shear ignorance of the importance and dignity of the man in Holy Orders has overwhelmed and blinded many. Oftentimes, the idea of a priest is nothing more than a bachelor social worker. No wonder so many question the reasons for Christ-like celebacy!

Pray, fellow Christians, that the dignity of the priesthood will be proclaimed from the rooftops! Pray that the Mass will be seen as the true and authentic ritual sacrifice whereby God is infinitely glorified, adored, and praised by the sacramental represenation of Christ’s self-oblation on the Cross, the Holy Mass! Pray that we may worthily present ourselves before the Father at Holy Mass as spiritual sacrifices in union with Christ’s ultimate sacrifice in order to receive the infinite graces God has to bestow upon us! Pray that priests and those to become priests take to heart and to practice the words of St. Paul in Galatians 2:19-20, “with Christ I am nailed to the cross. And I live, now not I; but Christ liveth in me.”

I ask for your comments and thoughts. Do you pray for vocations, support them financially? Do you have a vocation? Do you know people hostile to your vocation?

In caritate Christi et Mariae,
David

 

[mjdonnelly]

Our Knights of Columbus council has adopted a seminarian whom we sponsor. Each semester he recieves a check to support his studies.

 

[LilyOfTheFather]

I think that it’s marvellous that you want to follow a vocation to the priesthood, TheDumbOx. Seriously, in my opinion there are few things cooler than a good, orthodox man in Holy Orders.

 

[IoA]

mjdonnelly:

Our Knights of Columbus council has adopted a seminarian whom we sponsor. Each semester he recieves a check to support his studies.

Thank God for the KoC!

Truly, the support of seminarians through the organization is a beautiful thing. I have met many grateful seminarians who have been assisted by the KoC, and they are all nothing short of grateful.

As for the original post, I sometimes sense that people might think the same about me, i.e. “Is he sexually perverted somehow?” if they didn’t know about the four years I spent in a wonderful relationship. In a hyper-sexualized society, it’s hard for some to grasp the notion of giving up sex for the greater good.

As Bob Dylan once said, “Forget about the talkers. They’ll always be around. You won’t.”

 

[Marie]

I commend you for your dedication and desire to serve Christ. Nothing is easy when it comes to the discernment process. I sometimes think God uses the nay sayers to form vocations which are Holy and intended by Him.

The voices of discouragement work much like sand in an oyster. They rub you, bruise and reshape you and in the end you become the pearl of great price. They serve a purpose but of course it is painful. Following Christ is difficult and counter culture to the mentality of most people today.

I belong to our parish’s Serra Club which which fosters and promotes vocations to the Catholic priesthood and religious life. Our parish promotes vocations and actively prays for them.

I love the story about the Praying Mothers of Lu Monferrato. It is a small village in northern Italy (population around 3000) which produced 323 vocations.

This village of almost 3,000 inhabitants is in a rural area east of Turin. It would still be completely unknown even today if, in the year 1881, the family mothers in Lu had not made a decision with ‘serious’ consequences. Under the direction of their parish priest, Mons. Alessandro Canora, they began gathering every Tuesday for adoration before the tabernacle, asking the Lord for vocations. They received Holy Communion on the first Sunday of every month with this same intention.

No one expected that God would hear and respond to the prayers of the mothers in such an extraordinary way. From this tiny village of Lu came 323 vocations, 152 priests and 171 nuns.

As many as 3 or 4 vocations came from some of these families. The most famous example is the Rinaldi family, from whom God called 7 children. The most famous of the Rinaldi brothers is Blessed Filippo Rinaldi, who became the 3rd successor to St John Bosco as Superior General of the Salesians. Pope John Paul II beatified him on April 29, 1990.

As in the Rinaldi family, many of the vocations from this small town became Salesians. It is certainly not a coincidence for St John Bosco visited Lu 4 times in his life. Even on his first visit there he took back with him 6 young women who wanted to join his congregation in Turin.

During another visit he concelebrated the first Mass of his spiritual son, Filippo Rinaldi. Filippo always happily remembered the faith of the families of Lu: “A faith that made our fathers and mothers say, ‘The Lord gave us our children and so if He calls them, we can’t say no.’”

Be assured of our prayers.

God Bless you,

Marie

 

[IMAbeliever]

David,

God bless you in your discernment and thank you for listening to His call. What a blessing that you may serve Him through the Holy Orders of Priesthood.

Yes, there is much misunderstanding and apathy re: the priesthood, but I am starting to see a change in my area (Midwest). Very slowly, I see signs of the “new Springtime in the Church” which the Holy Father has spoken of.

We have a priest from the order you referred to. He is a holy and good man. Although I do not attend there regularly, when I have I have been blessed by his homilies and the reverential manner in which he celebrates Mass.

I will pray for you and you continue to discern God’s will for your life.