Major Decision Announced

[the_rev]

After much prayer, thought, and getting the opinions of other people I have come to reach a decision, which I feel is one of the most important decisions of my youth as it will effect me in the long run no matter what.

As many of you know my Bishop has encouraged me to attend a college seminary. He sees me as an individual of strong faith and devotion to God. However, that is the only environment I have been raised in.

My entire life, I have gone to daily mass with my grandmother, I have served daily mass and served weekend mass. Whenever there were doings at church I would be there. My entire life as a youth has revolved around the church. The age in which I felt called to the priesthood was from a very young age. Being in that environment for most of my life is why I feel called to the priesthood because it is all I know.

I've been on one date in my entire my life. And that didn't go so well because that girl never wanted to do anything with me again and never returned my phone calls.

It is my decision, even though my entire life has revolved around the church, and that I somewhat feel called to the priesthood, I have decided not to enter the college seminary.

Recently A&E aired, God or the Girl. The guy who made a pilgrimage to Niagra Falls and then decided not to enter the seminary, was in the college seminary, he left. He never dated before. It is my opinion that he was not prepared to make that committment.

I also am not able to make a committment. For I am to young. I really don't know who I am as an individual. I have never explored area of dating because one of my fears in life is rejection. I have seen many failed relationships in my life, including my mother's engagement ended when her fiancee wanted time to think, he returned everything he ever gave her. I don't want to be involved in a bad relationship or be rejected.

I honestly have no life experience. My only life experience is getting drunk in Europe, and telling the Taxi Driver the wrong city to take me to. The last movie I saw was Chronicles of Narnia, before that, it was the Passion. I really do nothing a normal teenager does.

I have made this decision so I can truly find out where I am called. I have never explored dating, I always feared it and thus ran away. I now want to embrace that. I have decided that going through four years of a normal college will help me be certain of my calling insteading of throwing money away on a degree in Philosophy that really would serve me no good in life.

To be an effective priest, if that is where I'm called, I need to be able to relate to many situations in life, and if I was in those situations I will then be more effective.

Thus as I begin a life at a new parish, it is my hopes that God will show me a good Catholic girl to whom I can relate to and share some time with at the movies, at the mall, baseball games, etc.

Please keep me in your prayers!

Yours in Christ,

Ed L.

[Domine ut Videam]

Wow....

all I can say is that I think you are making a very wise grace-filled decision. I don't really know you that well, but i posted on one of your other threads about whether to switch parishes or not. But from this thread....wow...God is certainly working through you and if you are indeed called to be a priest than I think that you will do an awesome job. I only have one word of advice: I have often heard that you should not try to discern two vocations at once (dating and the priesthood) because it only makes making that decion that much more difficult. I am all for you living a normal life, after all: "Christianity is not a religion; it is a life!" and "I love Christ because I love life!".....but maybe don't seek out a girl....that seems to me to be seeking out temptation.

But i wish you the best of luck and I thinkt that you are making a very wise descion. I will be praying for you.

-Yours in Christ
Lauren

[alicemary]

Eddie,
I have been praying for you, that you would make the right decision, and I really thinnk that you have for this point in your life.You have lots of time to be a teenager, and experience all that it is involved with being a young man. Later on, you can make the decision about the priesthood, there is no hurry.
Go out and have some fun. Dating is important, and you should not fear rejection. You are a talented man, with a big heart, so just put yourself out there. What happened to your Mom need not happen to you.
Life is so very short, and you are at the beggining of its experiences. Don't be in such a hurry. You, luckily have lots of time.
God loves you very much Eddie. Go out and explore His wonderful world. Certainly cling to your Faith, but experience all that you can of other things.
Please keep your phamily informed!
alicemary

[Domine ut Videam]

[quote name='alicemary' post='974494' date='May 7 2006, 02:27 PM']
Later on, you can make the decision about the priesthood, there is no hurry.
[/quote]

unless...of course you felt God calling you now.

[shortnun]

Eddie,

Alicemary gives great advice. There are many, many people (myself included) who have been praying, and will continue to do so, for your vocation and that you might find God's path for your life.

[OLAM Dad]

Ed,

While I disagree with much of your reasoning I won't presume to tell you that you are doing the wrong thing. I know you are a Christ centered young man who is listening and wanting to do the will of God.

God Bless

[Era Might]

Time waits for no man...

...but the Priesthood does.

It's a wise decision, Eddie. God will lead you where you need to be. You have plenty of time.

[magnificat]

Eddie,

I'm glad that you have been able to make a decision about college seminary and I pray that God's peace will be with you. May you continue to follow where the Lord leads and be attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit in your life.

Continued prayers for you!

[Mercy me]

Eddie,
You have been in my prayers. I am glad that you have come to a conclusion. I think that you have been praying about this for a long time now and perhaps you will have a little peace in your heart as you head off to school. Keep Him central iin your life and He will lead you. You will continue to be in my prayers

[ThyWillBeDone]

I want to preface this with, it may or maynot be the case with you. But my fellow seminarians and I here at the seminary I go to thought several things were wrong with the show God or the Girl. One of which was it gave the idea that the seminary is great commitment. It not really, specially a college seminary. It really just a place to discern and grow. In addition the whole concept of the discerning a call to the Priesthood being about God or the girl is insane and well stupid. That not what it should be about at all. As for needing to date before entering a seminary, I don't think it is necessary, I have classmates who have not. And like Domine ut Videam said above, discern two calls at once, marriage or priesthood is not a good way to do it. Anyway, I am rambling. I hope you dicision goes well, you will be in my prayers.
God Bless

[MilesChristi]

I'll continue to keep you in my prayers, brother.

[quote]I have made this decision so I can truly find out where I am called. I have never explored dating, I always feared it and thus ran away. I now want to embrace that. I have decided that going through four years of a normal college will help me be certain of my calling insteading of throwing money away on a degree in Philosophy that really would serve me no good in life.

To be an effective priest, if that is where I'm called, I need to be able to relate to many situations in life, and if I was in those situations I will then be more effective.[/quote]

A word of advice...don't be too eager to embrace our culture's notion of dating. It's oversexed and destructive.

Having close friends who are female is good and definitely a healthy thing; however, unless you and a woman are prepared to discern possible marriage together, I'd be wary of any exclusivity in your relationship. Build deep, trusting friendships in a spirit of complete freedom and avoid possessiveness.

[ForHimAlone]

I pray that you do the will of God, Eddy, but don't be too hasty to push off college seminary for the sake of wanting to experience a "normal" high school life or feeling a need to date. It is true that to truly embrace the cross that Christ has prepared for us, we must drink of the cup and know what we are giving up. It is good to grow in knowledge of all vocational states. However, I wouldn't be too hasty to drop the idea of college seminary. You would be provided with a beautiful environment and a community in which to discern further the will of God.

Also, don't feel bad that you're not having the "normal" high school experience. Be proud that you don't find entertainment in a lot of things other teenagers would. It is of course very important to have life experiences, but those aren't the experiences you want. God will provide you enough experiences on His own.

Edited May 8, 2006 by ForHimAlone

[stlmom]

Dear Ed, Let me wear my "mom" hat a while here. I recognize that you are a thoughtful young man who sees some aspects of himself as not yet complete and therefore not ready to fully commit to seminary life. It does concern me that you say that so much of your life revolved around church functions and that you don't feel that you have really had "normal" teen age experiences. I would want any future priest in MY parish to have sufficient social ease and emotional integrity for his own sake and the sake of his ministry. So if you have decided to delay a decision on seminary based on your lack of readiness in these arenas, I think we all have to respect that.
As far as being around girls goes, it's absolutely necessary to start with developing healthy friendships way before you consider dating. College can help you here IF you look in the right places and DON'T push to date. Get involved with activities that allow you to share common interests on a nonsexual basis--study groups, volunteer /service work, sports, church activities. Yes, you can expect that it will take time to develop social ease. Be patient, and keep a smile on your face, and never take yourself too seriously.

[the lords sheep]

I pray that your soul will be at peace with your decision.
I agree with stlmom. She gives solid advice.
Develop healthy relationships, with people who support you and love you and encourage you in everything, not just your vocation discernment. Learn to laugh and be yourself with them.
If you do find someone you want to date, remember 2 things: dating, at times, is incredibly frustrating and awkward... for everyone! So don't worry too much if this is the case at first (and it may be, even if you know the girl really well). And secondly, guard your vocation, whatever it may be, by keeping your heart and your mind pure and staying close to Jesus and Mary.
Remember, we can only see ourselves, our true selves, when we look with the eyes of God. Learn who you are in His sight, that is who you are called to be.
With prayers for peace and wisdom,
Lauren

[franciscanheart]

[quote name='OLAM Dad' post='974531' date='May 7 2006, 03:03 PM']
Ed,

While I disagree with much of your reasoning I won't presume to tell you that you are doing the wrong thing. I know you are a Christ centered young man who is listening and wanting to do the will of God.

God Bless
[/quote] [quote name='ThyWillBeDone' post='974645' date='May 7 2006, 06:02 PM']
I want to preface this with, it may or maynot be the case with you. But my fellow seminarians and I here at the seminary I go to thought several things were wrong with the show God or the Girl. One of which was it gave the idea that the seminary is great commitment. It not really, specially a college seminary. It really just a place to discern and grow. In addition the whole concept of the discerning a call to the Priesthood being about God or the girl is insane and well stupid. That not what it should be about at all. As for needing to date before entering a seminary, I don't think it is necessary, I have classmates who have not. And like Domine ut Videam said above, discern two calls at once, marriage or priesthood is not a good way to do it. Anyway, I am rambling. I hope you dicision goes well, you will be in my prayers.
God Bless
[/quote] [quote name='stlmom' post='974826' date='May 7 2006, 08:39 PM']
Dear Ed, Let me wear my "mom" hat a while here. I recognize that you are a thoughtful young man who sees some aspects of himself as not yet complete and therefore not ready to fully commit to seminary life. It does concern me that you say that so much of your life revolved around church functions and that you don't feel that you have really had "normal" teen age experiences. I would want any future priest in MY parish to have sufficient social ease and emotional integrity for his own sake and the sake of his ministry. So if you have decided to delay a decision on seminary based on your lack of readiness in these arenas, I think we all have to respect that.
As far as being around girls goes, it's absolutely necessary to start with developing healthy friendships way before you consider dating. College can help you here IF you look in the right places and DON'T push to date. Get involved with activities that allow you to share common interests on a nonsexual basis--study groups, volunteer /service work, sports, church activities. Yes, you can expect that it will take time to develop social ease. Be patient, and keep a smile on your face, and never take yourself too seriously.
[/quote]

I agree with all of these people. I definitely disagree with the reasons why you are doing this, but I won't say it is the wrong thing to do. I pray God lead you where He may have you and that you will hear and acknowledge Him.


God bless.