When parents are not supportive of priestly/ religious vocations

[Trishie]

I do not know you and cannot see or hear you to make assessments and respond accordingly.
I do notice that you have good-will and some of what appear to be spiritual scars. Your scars regarding Jesus seem quite serious, but one might need to know you and to know more about how and why that occurred to even to be able to attempt to help there. I’m not asking you to explain.

I would be inclined to think that you would need a very wise spiritual director.

I have goodwill towards you. That is the best love that I can offer,
goodwill,
trying to respond to your somewhat unusual approach,
and prayers.
To say anything else would be dishonest.
Love is to desire (and where possible) to work for another’s true good.
Love isn’t necessarily anything sentimental.

 

[SwampThingDude]

I would be inclined to think that you would need a very wise spiritual director.

Unfortunately for me, they seem to be in very short supply in the Christian world. They seem to have all stayed with Rabbinical Judaism.

Love is to desire (and where possible) to work for another’s true good.

Now there is an idea that is downright revolutionary in the Christian world. Hopefully, one of these days, this idea will be adopted into Christianity and maybe even, in a few thousand years if we are extremely lucky, there might be a Christian somewhere on the earth that actually puts this into practice.

 

[Trishie]

Both statements aren’t correct!

A couple of examples from my own family.
My sister and her husband raised and homeschooled their five children, all Catholic, became aware of handicapped children rejected by families and not easily adopted. The adopted one handicapped boy at six weeks, and later, a severely handicapped child who needs constant care and needed many surgeries, and they give them a wonderful family life. They have provided for their future when they die.
My brother and his wife also adopted a handicapped boy, but also two girls, one severely handicapped, even though they had three children.

How is this not unselfish Christian love in Catholic families, providing homes and even adopting a total of five children who lives otherwise would have been lived out in institutions, not happy families.

I havea relative who lived her life caring for the poor and destitute, and she is now a canonized saint.

My 88 years old father volunteered to assist young people in the local court system as personal support, even though he didn’t belong in the legal profession and the dear Catholic man did this every week until shortly before he died.

That’s just my family. There are countless other good Catholic families, good Christian families .

 

[DexUK]

Unfortunately for me, they seem to be in very short supply in the Christian world. They seem to have all stayed with Rabbinical Judaism.

Now there is an idea that is downright revolutionary in the Christian world. Hopefully, one of these days, this idea will be adopted into Christianity and maybe even, in a few thousand years if we are extremely lucky, there might be a Christian somewhere on the earth that actually puts this into practice.

Love couldn’t be more central to the message of Christianity.

Jesus’ central commandment - directly from Him - concerns love: to love God and to love one another as one would oneself be loved. If you think that that idea is ‘revolutionary’ then you’re missing the point about what Christianity is all about.

When you say that “the Jesus I know is not the answer to any of my problems. Never was and never will be” I’m afraid I have to say that if you stick to this point of view then you don’t belong in Christianity let alone Catholicism, since the whole point of Christianity is that it recognises Jesus Christ as the only son of God, who though innocent was sacrificed for the sins of humanity, completing the prophesies that foretold him and setting in place the New Covenant that God made with humanity.

Christianity believes that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. Noone can come to the Father except through him. If you do not accept Jesus in this role then you are not Christian.

 

[SwampThingDude]

Both statements aren’t correct!

A couple of examples from my own family.
My sister and her husband raised and homeschooled their five children, all Catholic, became aware of handicapped children rejected by families and not easily adopted. The adopted one handicapped boy at six weeks, and later, a severely handicapped child who needs constant care and needed many surgeries, and they give them a wonderful family life. They have provided for their future when they die.
My brother and his wife also adopted a handicapped boy, but also two girls, one severely handicapped, even though they had three children.

How is this not unselfish Christain love in Catholic families, providing homes and even adopting a total of five children who lives otherwise would have been lived out in institutions, not happy families.

I don’t care. Doesn’t count at all. Here’s why: I’ve been hearing about all the great things you Christians do my whole life but I have rarely ever been on the receiving end. If you didn’t do it for me, you didn’t do it period and so your good work doesn’t count at all. When enough Christians have shown me real genuine love that I have some way of relating this to myself, then it might count. Until, then you are just another sorry self righteous Jesus freak and your good don’t count for anything at all.

 

[DexUK]

Until, then you are just another sorry self righteous Jesus freak and your good don’t count for anything at all.

I think you have exposed yourself for what you are now. With that and with your statement on your other thread that you “would sooner crucify Jesus yourself than live a single life for him” I think we can safely say that you are not here except to insult and belittle us.

I hope some day you come to understand and repent of your actions. Until then I shall have no more to do with you.

 

[SwampThingDude]

Love couldn’t be more central to the message of Christianity.

Then Christians REALLY need to work on their communication skills. The way y’all are going, I always thought that hatred was the central message of Jesus.

Jesus’ central commandment - directly from Him - concerns love: to love God and to love one another as one would oneself be loved. If you think that that idea is ‘revolutionary’ then you’re missing the point about what Christianity is all about.

That idea came from Judaism. Jesus didn’t originate it. I think it’s revolutionary to Christianity because the Chrsitianity that I have experienced thus far has been about as far from love as day from night.

When you say that “the Jesus I know is not the answer to any of my problems. Never was and never will be” I’m afraid I have to say that if you stick to this point of view then you don’t belong in Christianity let alone Catholicism, since the whole point of Christianity is that it recognises Jesus Christ as the only son of God, who though innocent was sacrificed for the sins of humanity, completing the prophesies that foretold him and setting in place the New Covenant that God made with humanity.

You seemed to have missed the “Jesus that I know” part of it. I stated I don’t know who you think Jesus is and you seemed to have missed that. Or maybe I’m right. Maybe Jesus really is the devil?

Christianity believes that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. Noone can come to the Father except through him. If you do not accept Jesus in this role then you are not Christian.

I’m not Christian then. I don’t need Jesus. No one needs Jesus.

 

[raaucoin]

wow! I forgot what this thread was about after reading the discourse. And I started the thread!
Anyway–Anyone interested,in doing what we can to promote vocations, I know you’ll join me in praying for this kid and others like him as they seek the will of God in their lives.

 

[ATeutonicKnight]

wow! I forgot what this thread was about after reading the discourse. And I started the thread!
Anyway–Anyone interested,in doing what we can to promote vocations, I know you’ll join me in praying for this kid and others like him as they seek the will of God in their lives.

Sorry about that. There was just a little distraction. It’s all solved now, though.

I will definitely pray for this child and for all children that want to become Priests and Religious, with the parents’ disapproval. I don’t understand why they believe this is a terrible thing. I want to be a Religious, but I if I were ever to have children, and I was blessed enough to be like Saint Therese’ father, and have all of my children enter Mount Carmel, I would be the happiest man alive. The people that will not let their children follow their vocation should pay more attention to what they’re saying during the Our Father every week at Mass. They say “Thy will be done” not “my will be done”. If they don’t mean “Thy Will be done” than they should look up their Faith a little more.

It’s my personal belief that there is no such thing as a Vocations crisis. There is no shortage of Vocations. Rather, there is a shortage of people that are willing to accept the call, and there are instances like this, when they are discouraged from it.

All in all, I would recommend telling your Priest, and having him talk to them about it. Maybe after he talks to them they’ll change their mind?

 

[Lynette77]

Not allow? I believe once a child becomes an adult, they can choose to do anything they want to do, career-wise. Some are easier, some are more difficult, some require more education, and some pay better than others, but ultimately, it is THEIR choice…not yours! If God is calling them to be a priest, they should be a priest! If they decide this as an adult, you cannot really prevent them from doing so…

Thanks for stating that point…Deciding any vocation is difficult enough with family making it even tougher and even more stressful than it already is.