|
Revised: 24 June A.D. 2009, St. John the
Baptist
Do I Have a Vocation?
At sometime in their lives, many good Catholic men feel the need
to consider a calling to the priesthood or religious life. "Might I
have a vocation," they ask themselves, and "How do I know if I have a
vocation or not?" Like most important choices in our lives, the call
to the priesthood is rarely so clear as to exclude all other
possibilities. Those who expect "a sign from heaven" are likely to be
waiting for the rest of their lives. Human beings must make decisions
by carefully and prayerfully examining the matter, weighing the "pros
and cons," and trusting that God will guide them in a way that is in
keeping with their eternal salvation and His divine will.
In any man's life there may be indications of a vocation --
things that accurately suggest that God is calling him or not. Below
are a few, as food for thought. You and your confessor may find some
others. (Your confessor will play an important role in this decision.
A man aspiring to the priesthood will want to remain habitually in the
state of grace, and it always helps to have the advice of a spiritual
director who can distance himself a bit from your personal wants.)
Some Indications of a Vocation:
-
A love of spiritual things: A priest must find himself drawn to
God and the things of God. He enjoys spending time in prayer, or
reading the scriptures, or learning about God in the study of
theology. Mass and the Divine Office are opportunities (not
obligations) to know, love, and serve God -- even if the music is
a bit off key, the flowers are wilting, or the vestments are poor
-- the man of God sees beyond physical appearances to spiritual
realities -- while doing his best, of course, to make the
physical appearances worthy of our divine Creator.
-
A will conforming to God's Will: Apart from our Lord, all men are
sinners, but a priest must be a man who rarely breaks God's law
in a serious way; he breaks it by accident or inadvertence and
not by design. He must remain in the state of grace through
frequent recourse to sacramental Confession, the celebration of
Holy Mass, and the other graces God supplies. He must be able to
draw strength in completing difficult tasks from the knowledge
that he is doing God's Will.
-
A seeker of humility: "The Son of Man had no place to lay His
head." The priest is "another Christ," who must not desire to be
greater than his Master. While upholding the dignity of his
office, he must have no desire to lord it over his charges.
-
An adequate education. A priest must have a good understanding of
the Catholic Faith -- what he believes, and what he asks others
to believe. He must be able to assimilate the learning that is
necessary to teach his people, both from the pulpit and in the
confessional. He must be able to communicate with all of his
parishioners -- the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the
wise and the foolish, the educated and the illiterate. The
priest does not have to be a genius, but he will have to acquire
a postgraduate professional education. He must want to know and
to teach about the God Whom he loves.
-
Emotional stability: The priest is called on to guide
his parishioners by means of advice and example. He must not be
given to moods of depression or flights of fancy, not to
intemperate drinking or bouts of argument. He must not be hiding
from the responsibilities of fatherhood or family life. He must
be of such disposition to bear up under the pressure of a calling
where the hours can be long and the material rewards few or
nonexistent.
-
Good health: The priest need not be a "superman," but he
must possess the physical stamina to carry out his priestly
duties, often without the luxury of having another priest to
"fill in" when he feels below par.
-
An industrious nature: Like St. Paul, he must be ready to see to
his own necessities -- even though "the laborer is worthy of his
hire," for God's innocent ones may not always have the means to
support him.
-
A freedom from incompatible obligations: Family, business, and
social relationships must be such as to allow the priest to
perform the duties of his state. His family and friends must not
be a source of scandal to those entrusted to his charge.
Saint Paul describes the qualifications of bishops and deacons in
his epistles to Saints Timothy and Titus. His observations are
equally applicable to those who would be priests:
A bishop then, must be blameless, married but once,
reserved, prudent, of good conduct, hospitable, a teacher,
not a drinker or a brawler, but moderate, not quarrelsome,
not avaricious. He should rule well his own household,
keeping his children under control and perfectly respectful.
For if a man cannot rule his own household, how is he to
take care of the Church of God? He must not be a new
convert, lest he be puffed up with pride and incur the
condemnation passed on the devil. Besides this he must have
a good reputation with those who are outside, that he may
not fall into disgrace and into a snare of the devil.
Deacons also must be honorable, not double tongued, not
given to much wine, nor greedy for base gain, but holding
the mystery of faith in a pure conscience. And let them
first be tried, and if found without reproach let them be
allowed to serve.... Deacons should be men who have married
but once, ruling well their children and their own
households. And those who have fulfilled well this office
will acquire a good position and great confidence in the
faith that is in Christ Jesus.(1 Timothy 3: 2-13. See also
Titus 1: 5-9.)
If you feel that you might have a vocation to the priesthood,
please feel free to contact the Vocation Director at the Seminary:
Saint Thomas Aquinas Seminary
Diocese of Florida - Old Roman Catholic
1051 72nd Street North,
St. Petersburg, Florida 33710
Telephone 727-341-9111
|
