Future Priest Support Group

[Guest]

[quote name='MilesChristi' date='May 17 2005, 11:54 PM']Thanks for starting this thread, Eddie!

I'm sort of at an unsure place in my vocational discernment. At this time last year, I had the application for diocesan college seminary in my hand after being in contact with the vocations director for a couple years. Well, over the summer I spent a lot of time thinking things over and, in consultation with my spiritual director and my family, I decided heading into the seminary right out of high school wasn't the best path for me. I ended up not applying. This wasn't by any means an easy decision for me. From what I've experienced on discernment retreats and heard from my seminarian friends, the seminary life is awesome. All sorts of formation to help you toward holiness, daily Mass, living in the same building as Jesus, the Divine Office, and a house of brothers to support you in the spiritual life. I'd love to be there; however, I don't think it's God's Will for me at this point. I think the experience of living on my own out in the world for at least a few years, without parents or rectors, will help me to be a more well-rounded man and ultimately a better priest for the people of God, if He so wills it.

I first thought about becoming a priest when I was in third grade. I couldn't put my finger on why, but I thought priests were awesome. When I played in my basement, I used to put a blanket over my shoulders and pretend to say Mass on a small kid-sized table with a little cup and pieces of white bread. As I grew a bit older, I lost interest. I would still think about priesthood from time to time, but I always quickly pushed it aside. It wasn't until six years later, when I was in ninth grade, that things started to get serious. Thoughts of the priesthood started stirring in my head again, so I asked the Lord to give me some sort of sign so I could know if what I was feeling in my heart really meant anything. The next afternoon I was at adoration. I had been in prayer before the exposed Blessed Sacrament for about 30-40 minutes when a little girl wandered into the church. This was odd since usually a few old ladies, the deacon, and myself were the only ones who ever came to adoration. I don't know where this kid's parents were. She was about four or five years old. She climbed up to the pulpit and started ruffling pages of the Gospel. Then she climbed down and wandered onto the altar. Everyone was just watching her in silence; no one knew what to do. The deacon was about to get up when Father walked in through a side door. The girl noticed him and immediately ran toward him. He gave her a hug and gently took her, and they knelt down before the Blessed Sacrament. I could hear the priest explaining to her that this was Jesus. They talked there on the floor for a bit and prayed together. In ways I don't know how to really describe, I felt so strongly that Jesus was looking over at me during all this, as if He were saying, "Won't you do this for Me?" I was just stunned by it all. Honestly, I felt nervous as well. I kept it all to myself for a year. Even though I kept this all secret, people began coming up to me through the following year and telling me I'd make a good priest. Even people and priests I didn't know would approach me.

After a year, I contacted the vocations director and got involved with Project Andrew dinners, retreats, etc. When word got out that I was discerning the priesthood, things got interesting. People at school found out, and I was the butt of pedophile/homosexual priest jokes for months. This was at the height of the clergy scandal; priests weren't exactly popular. Luckily, through daily prayer, Jesus prepared me for this. I considered it a blessing and an honor to suffer some small share of disgrace and persecution for the sake of the Name and the thousands and thousands of good priests out in the world. Over the past couple years, the jokes have virtually ceased. I've been very moved by the way people who once mocked the priesthood have changed and now express respect for the vocation. I hope that in some way I was able to be an instrument of God's love to each of them.

At this point I'm not entirely sure if I'm headed toward diocesan or religious priesthood. I'm still very much in contact with my Archdiocese. I'm heading out for their annual summer retreat next month, and I plan to keep in touch throughout college. I'm going to be studying philosophy at Boston College this coming fall. I met with the vocations director a while ago so I would know what courses to take in the next few years in order to fulfill pre-theology requirements. At the same time, I'm also attracted to the Franciscan way of life. I've had some contact with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and I hope to visit with them some time next year. Their poverty and total commitment to Christ without any possessions inspires me. The brothers seem so joyful and devout. Additionally, I a have a great affection for the traditional Roman liturgy, or the Tridentine Mass as many call it. I've gradually begun attending the Tridentine Mass more frequently. I love how the liturgy emphasizes the sacrificial nature of the Mass. The holy silence which is such a key aspect of this liturgy really allows people to enter into a deep level of prayer alongside the priest. Everything, every little gesture, points toward the centrality of Christ. I have experienced such a state of communion and love among the faithful. This is achieved not by hand-holding, clapping for birthdays, or self-affirmation, but by knowing that we are there together as one body in Christ. I know that I want to give all my talents to Christ. At school I've been intensely studying Latin for the past six years. At this point I'm able to read and write Latin well. I've read Caesar, Cicero, Ovid, Catullus, and almost all of Virgil's "Aeneid" in the original Latin. I wonder if Christ might want to use my love for the traditional Mass and my aptitude for Latin to serve in one of the traditional orders. I've been in contact with the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, and I hope to become more familiar with their order over the next couple years.

So, my three main considerations at the moment...
diocesan priesthood
Franciscan Friars of the Renewal
Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest

I have much yet to discern. My strategy is pretty simple - since all I really want in life is to do God's Will, I'm putting it totally in His hands. I'm remaining open to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. I'm doing my best to hold on to Jesus' pierced hand and let my Best Friend lead me where He wants me to go.

Mass, Confession, adoration, and the Rosary...These four things have done so much for me. I would definitely recommend them to everyone.

I'm sorry this was so long. I'd be glad to hear your thoughts and read everyone's "vocation story" so we can support each other in our journeys.

As soon as I wrap things up here, I'm going to go say the Rosary for each of you guys out there who are discerning and for our sisters in Christ on the Future Nun Support thread.

God bless!
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that was very touching
good luck to you

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

bump

[Guest Rick777]

[the_rev]

i could really use some prayers for my discernment.

[puellapaschalis]

[quote name='the_rev' post='1022732' date='Jul 12 2006, 03:20 PM']
i could really use some prayers for my discernment.
[/quote]

Praying for you

[Guest JeffCR07]

rev, I will definately be praying for you. Also, I really appreciate this thread, and I hope to post more often here. I'm currently discerning a vocation to the priesthood in the Order of Preachers.

I think your comments with regards to dating are very important. So often, people see dating as just something you do if you like a girl, or as a casual thing before the relationship "gets serious" - but I think it is critical that people realise the importance of seeing dating for what it is.

As seminary is to the Sacrament of Holy Orders, so dating is to Marriage. As ordination to the diaconate is to ordination to the priesthood, so engagement is to marriage. All too often, if people make the analogy, they see engagement as if it were the seminary, and dating is made into just something fun that happens beforehand.

As Catholics, there is never a time in our lives where we don't have a vocation, and there is never a time where we aren't being called to discern what that vocation is. Everything that we do in life is an opportunity to learn God's Will for us, and that includes dating. Moreover, unlike acts of charity, which can help us grow in any vocation, dating is an action that is especially geared towards discernment of marriage. By it's very nature, dating brings a man and a woman together and helps them grow closer to one another, and this is essential in discerning whether or not God is calling those two people to marriage. To dismiss dating as not being oriented towards marriage is to cheapen dating of everything that makes it great.

Just some thoughts

Your Brother In Christ,

Jeff

[pax]

I don't know if I fall under the category "future priest" but I've been discerning pretty seriously for the past four years or so. Some days all I can think about is becoming a priest and other days I feel crushed by how daunting it is and I have a hard time getting past a lot of the sins I committed in my past.

I think God wants me where I am now (at college) and a lot of great things are happening in Catholic campus ministry there. I've met a lot of people and there were a lot of coincidences that I don't believe were accidents. I'll probably finish my undergrad and then go from there, but this thread reminded me that I definitely need to e-mail my vocations director again sometime in the near future.

Thanks and God bless,

Brad

[DAF]

I've felt called to the priesthood for a while (though I'm not sure if it was originally by God or by my prideful envy) and the time has been fast approaching when I've needed to discern more intensely, and today was kind of a revelation.
Before I was very afraid to say that maybe I was called to be a priest, (I mean, that's a ton of responsibility and such radical sacrifice), but today it was like my fears just went away, and all of a sudden I was so on fire for the priesthood.
Now, of course I'm going to be prudent and tread lightly. I don't want it to be a pitfall of enthusiasm and hope, but I'm still excited to think that my vocation might be (and actually, dare I say probably will be) to the priesthood.