Priesthood; the higher calling....

[the_rev]

Something that has been dropped after Vatican Two, which shouldn't have been, and may be one of the causes of lack of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life is because the priesthood in today's eye's is not a higher calling but equal to marriage.

Anyone who believes that it is equal is mistaken. A document from the Council of Trent, stated that the Catholic Priesthood is a higher calling given to certain individuals from Christ. I can not remember the document but remember reading it.

To be called by Christ to become one as him through the apostolic succession of the laying of hands. From the ten apostles who were given the authority be Jesus to forgive sins, this done through the laying of hands, (we know Judas and Thomas were not present for this) and later Mathais, to St. Peter and each successor, through the laying of Hands, priests receive grace from Christ to become like him. For a priest's hands after ordination are not his owns, but also the hands of Christ which will hold and consecrate our beloved Lord.

Presbyterorum Ordinis from the Second Vatican Council states something similar. But since the Second Vatican Council this has not been emphasized. Why would someone consider being a priest if it as equal as marriage. Christ does not call everyone to the Priesthood but to those he does they are special.

I can not iterate enough how this must be viewed. The Priesthood is a gift and it is a mystery (to quote JP2) but through this gift and mystery to the Church lay faithful can receive Christ through this calling.

[shortnun]

Eddie, clearly you and I are both of the "post Vatican II" generation. However, what I gather from reading and talking to those who were a part of a pre-Vat II generation, religious life was very much considered to be a calling above marriage. Yet often times this resulted in a lack of appreciation for marriage as a way to live a lfie of holiness. Likewise, religious life was often unhealthily romanticized. Certainly I am making generalizations here. My point in responding is for plea prayers for an increase in religious vocations, and for an increase in personal holiness in everyday life.

Peace

[photosynthesis]

Priesthood and religious life are indeed special callings, it is the call to be set apart for God and God alone. All people can give their lives completely to God regardless of their vocation... that is simply part of being called to holiness. But priests + religious are set apart for God in a more tangible way, and so these vocaitons must be treated with a special degree of respect.

If I get married to a man... no matter how wonderful he might be, it is still not the same as being espoused to Christ as a Sister. If a man decides to go to med school for many years and become a doctor, that is great. Good doctors dedicate themselves to saving their patients lives, but a priest dedicates his life to saving souls. All of these vocations are great, because they are a means of living out a life of holiness.

Priests and religious are set apart for a higher purpose, and that is why it is a higher type of calling. Such a vocation is a gift, and it is also a burden. And while there are many priests + religious on the Church's large roster of saints, it is not a guarantee of heavenly reward. A garbage collector who is humbled daily by his work and lives a life of charity and faith is more likely to go to heaven than a priest who abuses his power and lacks humility + obedience.

And we must always remember that God loves everyone equally, and that whether you're a man or a woman, a priest, religious or layperson, you still are equal in dignity to everyone else.

[be_thou_my_vision]

I agree with Sister.

[friarMatt]

As a religious and as a priest to be (God willing), I have some difficulties with how phrase "higher calling" can be construed. I am no better then most people and to quote St. Francis with all the grace God has bestowed on me, I am probably worse, my only possesion in this world is my sin and vices, everything else is God's and gifts for my use.

A reading from a book which was quite helpful was from Virginity by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap. He was the papal preacher for JP II and now B XVI. He spoke not off objective superiority that we are superior or better, rather he mentioned "escatalogical advancement" (sorry for the $.10 theological word) that now here on earth, we leave as we will be forever in heaven.

I wonder if this helps or just muddies the water a bit more....

in Christ and Mary,
fr. Matt

[MC IMaGiNaZUN]

In the Eastern Churches, the Eremetic vocation is still considered to be the greates in holiness.

SHALOM

[jezic]

priesthood is equal to marriage. There is not one that is greater than the other.

One might almost say that if anything it would be marriage that is greater and the priesthood that is at the service of everything else. Jesus talked about being "little" not being the "greatest".

[TheOliverOrder88]

I had a really good response but they all summed it up for me...


I agree with you alot, eddy, but I think you are little extreme in this case.

[TheresaMF]

Woah, I think this issue can be very misconstrued because of we don't define our terms. What is "greater" mean? or "higher" or "better" or "holier"? And does claiming "higher" mean that a priest is necessarily better, greater, or holier than a married person? Is that what Eddy claimed?

Well I don't know what he claimed. This is my take.

To say that the priesthood or religious life is "higher" than marriage is simply stating a fact, just as stating that a chalice used at Mass is "higher" than your wine glass. The point is not that vessel [i]itself [/i]is necessarily better, holier, more special, but that it takes on a certain specialness because it is dedicated completely to God. The chalice at Mass serves God directly in a way your wine glass never will, even though your wine glass serves you, a person in God's image, and brings you the joy of man's labor and God's creation. Even St. Paul says to drink a little for your health, right? You might even bless the wine before drinking it! The wine glass is good, serving a godly purpose. Still, the chalice holds the Precious Blood of Our Lord. That is simply a "higher" form of service because it deals more directly with God.

My analogy may not be the greatest, but it might help explain . . . so marriage is definately wonderful, both on a natural level (Adam and Eve were told to increase and multiply) and on a sacramental level (image of Christ and His Church). The husband and wife ideally strive for holiness together as they raise their children to be saints. Wow--how awesome! At the same time, however, as St. Paul said, when you're married you naturally have to be concerned about things of the world. You (or your husband) have to work to provide for the family's material needs, you have to think about pleasing your spouse, etc. The "consecrated life" is called that because it is consecrated completely and especially to God in a way that marriage is not. The consecrated person (priest, religious) imitates Jesus in the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obediance in order to make himself completely free to follow Our Lord no matter what.

This is not to say that married people are not dedicated to following Christ, that they cannot become holy, that they can't be actually more holy than priests and religious. A mom who lives out her vocation with sacrificial love will surely be more holy and close to God than a nun who begrudges her vows every day! The objective fact of "how directly the state in live is dedicated to God" does not mean that individuals living in that state will be closer or further away from God--that is dependant on the choices and faithfulness of the individual. (It is true, however, that the religious life is designed to shave away as many obstacles to holiness as possible.)

Does that help at all? This could be a very interesting discussion if we make sure not to talk at cross-purposes.

[photosynthesis]

[quote name='friarMatt' date='Feb 20 2006, 10:52 PM'] He spoke not off objective superiority that we are superior or better, rather he mentioned "escatalogical advancement" (sorry for the $.10 theological word) that now here on earth, we leave as we will be forever in heaven.

I wonder if this helps or just muddies the water a bit more....
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no, I like that way of looking at it... thanks for the clarification

[Luthien]

Well, I agree that consecrating yourself to Christ is a wonderful and holy vocation, I do not think that marriage makes it that much harder to become holy.

If the marriage is Gods will, it is definantly the way that you will grow closer to Christ. A good marriage is going to be Christ centered. Honestly, I already feel the relationship I am in has helped me grow in holiness immensely. We need married couples, obviously, to continue Gods work in this world. It is not a necessary evil to marry instead of being a religious just so babies can be born. It is a privilage, just as the calling to priesthood or consecrated life is an immense privilage.

One is not less holy because they are married, it is their vocation that God has given them. I think "higher" calling is being confused with, "ready-made saint." While one vocation isn't necessarilty better than the other, each one deserves a different kind of respect. Im not sure how to elaborate on that.

I feel like Im not making an ounce of sense. Blah

[OLAM Dad]

What a bunch of great responses.

TheresaMF, I really liked your cup analogy.

St. Therese in [i]Story of a Soul[/i] used a cup analogy to compare the level or glory that some people receive in Heaven vs. other people. She compared people to cups, some of the cups, the ones representing more glorified persons being larger than other cups, representing those less glorified. Regardless of how large of a cup you are, all of the cups in Heaven are overflowing with God's Grace so that from the perspective of each, they are completely filled with Grace.

If I make it to Heaven, I'm destined to be a thimble.

[All For Jesus]

You do make sense, Luthein, and I agree. I have often heard vocations to the priesthood and religious life called "higher vocations" or "higher callings." However, we must be careful. Higher, by no means, means better or more holy. Each vocation is beautiful and a gift from God.

[the_rev]

Celibacy is not the absence of love but love of God and for God. A person consecrated to Christ as a virign whether a priest or sister, etc. are happy with their vocation. This is becuase God is faithful, and sometimes in marriage, your partner may not be. One of every ten consecrated leave their vocation where as 1/2 marriages end in divorce. There is a 500 percent chance of happiness in celibacy to christ That is because there has become a low morale amongst marriage; with sex before marriage and such.

A misunderstainding of the religious life is that it is not superior to that of marriage. This is a myth and a lie of the devil to bring about the demise of religious life. The council of trent stated that the Consecrated Life of Virginity to God is superior to the secular life of the laity. This is a Lost Dogma, in Fr. Regis Scanlan's book, “Lost Dogma, Lost Vocations”

I am not saying Marriage is not a holy vocation, it is, this is a sacrament of the faith, between mand and women. The life of consecrated Virginity is between God and man. God being divine, makes this a superior relationship than those of human. In 1950's there was a vocation boom. In the 1960's this busted, their was a reversal to the boom. One is because of the tremendous value and high value of life consecrated to God ended. Priests failed to teach superior value of priesthood to the married life. In the 1950's the Baltimore catechism was the souce of the education of young people. In this catechism, there was a picture of a couple being married before the altar, underneath this picture it said, “This is Good” Then the next image was a priest being ordained, and it said, “This is Better” Another thing that led to the reversal of this trend was social. Planned Parenthood, Rock music and the like potrayed virginity as stupid, it was laughed at and riddiucled, especialy virginity for God. A young girl once went to a priest and said, Fr. I lied about my virginity, and the priest responded, young girl you need not tell anyone your sins but a priest. The girl responded I told them that I lost it, but yet I am a virgin. I was afraid they would look at me as a weirdo.

The courage to be chaste is difficulte, that is why Fr. Grosheal wrote a book about this. In the book he documented a religious nun who wore no habit went to a class. The class moved to sexuality and they were talking about their sex experiences. The nun had to take a stand and say she was a virgin consecrated to Christ, she was laughed at by the class. Beside this another thing from this story is that nuns should wear the habit to have that public witness of their consecrated virginity.

Vatican 2 said everyone was called to holiness and the perfection of love. One would think that no vocation isn't better than the other. However, this conflicts the dogma of Trent. In the essencese the 2 are equal to God. But one is better, one can help to abtain true holiness and that is the Consecrated Life.

When one says this in this day and age you are told you are anti-sex--anti-marriage. You are told that you a pre vatican two. This dogma of the faith was attacked and was silenced. A Dominican was preaching about this at a parish, and a lady came up to him and said you think more like Pius the XII than anyone I know. The priest took it as a compliment. Vatican Two quotes this great pontiff many times. If set forth that canidates for the priesthood should advise those being married, to know that theire marriage should be for the love of the chuch and the love of God. But yet know that the consecrated life is superior.

There is so much ignorance on this topic, which leads to people in the pews are confused. People who oppose this dogma may look to the Christ Among Us Catechism, for this is the teaching of that catechism. This catechism has been condemned by the Church.

I by no means am saying not become married, without marriage we have no children who are Catholic for those who are consecrated to teach. But what I'm saying is that marriage is a way to holiness but not the ultimate way. For as a priest who is consecrated to God as a virgin, brings to us, Christ in the Eucharist, his hands after ordination are never the same as they hold the Lamb of God. He has the power to forgive sins; the power to touch into the tap of grace and to give that grace to those who desire it for the sake of holiness. This is a superior call as the council of trent has stated.

[OLAM Dad]

Well said Eddie.

[quote name='All For Jesus' date='Feb 21 2006, 10:26 AM']You do make sense, Luthein, and I agree.  I have often heard vocations to the priesthood and religious life called "higher vocations" or "higher callings."  However, we must be careful.  Higher, by no means, means better or more holy.  Each vocation is beautiful and a gift from God.
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I certainly agree that each vocation is beautiful but if 'higher' doesn't mean better or more holy, what does it mean?

I think that religious vocations are holier and better than non religious ones.

That doesn't necessarily mean that a priest is holier than you or I. It does mean that a priest has the capacity to be holier (and therefore better) by virtue of his vocation.

God bless our priests and religious.