Paladin D Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 I've been having a somewhat, tug-of-war here. I feel an urge to become a Film-maker (to make films with Catholic messages to them), and I feel an urge to become a Priest (or something similar). However, I don't know which one God is calling me to, or if he's calling me to both. So here are my questions... 1. Is it a sin to become a Diocesen priest, just to avoid the vow of poverty that priests take in religious orders? 2. If there was a possible way to take on both professions, is there a type diocese or religious order, that will give me some flexibility in my schedule to be a somewhat "Priest Filmmaker"? 3. Would it be a sin, if I were to join a different Rite to become a priest? So I can get married THEN take a vocation? I'm assuming it would be, but I want your thoughts. (Of course, I can't use the excuse of wanting to get married, since many priests had the same exact desire). 4. Any advice in general? I have a gift in film-making, and why would God want me to hide that gift to glorify Him and His Church? Yet again, I wouldn't mind trying to take on both professions, but wouldn't that be time consuming? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Circle_Master Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 become protestant and be a filmmaker and let God use you there! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 become protestant and be a filmmaker and let God use you there! God doesn't call anybody to forsake the Catholic Church and become Protestant. God is truth, and He cannot do anything that would be at odds with that truth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paladin D Posted December 31, 2003 Author Share Posted December 31, 2003 become protestant and be a filmmaker and let God use you there! That's not an option, I have been secured and sealed to the Catholic Church. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikkan_hanil Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 Thank you, you two. That was very refreshing seeing you stnad up like that. :chinese: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrus Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 I think you should relax your "tug-of-war" and pray about it more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikkan_hanil Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 Good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paladin D Posted December 31, 2003 Author Share Posted December 31, 2003 Thanks for the advice so far, keep it coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 Yes, Paladin, ask God for grace to not be playing mind-chess. Prudence, reason, questions, certainly. And, there are many pople I know who are not doing professionally something they have been definitely gifted in. Ask any mother on this Phorum, or any mother anywhere. It is pretty common that many have great talents which they have sacrificed in order to do the first good work (besides keeping the first three Commandments): to fulifill the duties of their station in life. I know Catholic men in this situation, too. Quite a few, in fact. Maybe God wants you to become a filmaker now. But who knows, maybe God wants our film-making to come to the forefront when we are retired. No priest can serve two masters. And the father of a family is steward for the welfare of his wife's and children's souls. Maybe this is the "apostolate" Our Lord calls you to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke2219 Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 1. Is it a sin to become a Diocesen priest, just to avoid the vow of poverty that priests take in religious orders? The vow of povery, I think, means that YOU can't own anything. But the order as whole can and does own things. You might still be able to be a film maker and priest with and order. 2. If there was a possible way to take on both professions, is there a type diocese or religious order, that will give me some flexibility in my schedule to be a somewhat "Priest Filmmaker"? It would be possible, but not that if it was your intent. Your bishop or head of your order might assign you to those duties, but as any type of priest you would be bound by obediance. 3. Would it be a sin, if I were to join a different Rite to become a priest? So I can get married THEN take a vocation? I'm assuming it would be, but I want your thoughts. (Of course, I can't use the excuse of wanting to get married, since many priests had the same exact desire). That sounds to me like you would be saying, "Yes, God, I want to do your will, but how about we work it out my way?" 4. Any advice in general? Pray more. I have the same type of questions as I decern my vocation. I have a lot of my own wants and desires and I want to take control over my life. My own desires are not necessarily bad and I don't necessarily have to give them up to follow Christ. But I can only follow them if they are compatible with God's will. Doing God's will for my life is the ONLY thing that will bring me true happiness. I would continue to discern your call to the priesthood while also pursuing your career as a film maker. If you do decided that you are called to the priesthood, then just answer the call and let God take care of the rest. If He calls upon your talents as a film maker later, then good. If He doesn't, then good. And don't change Rites so you can get married first. If you happen to change Rites for some other legitimate reason, discern a call to marriage, then later discern a call to priesthood, then fine. But I think that is highly unlikely and something you shouldn't think about at all right now. Don't try to answer God's call on your own terms. Just discern the call, pursue what seems best in the meantime, and let God work out the details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLAZEr Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 1. Is it a sin to become a Diocesen priest, just to avoid the vow of poverty that priests take in religious orders? Diocesan priests make a solemn promise to live simply. In fact, many diocesan priests live a more solemn poverty than some religious order priests. The Vow of Poverty doesn't mean that you will spend your life naked and hungry in the street, the vow of poverty just frees you up to do God's work without having to "earn a living." Its a sign of your dependence on God, rather than your own efforts, to provide for you. It is also a deeper imitation of Christ who made himself poor by becoming one of us, emptying himself out for us. The vow of poverty doesn't seem to me to be a stumbling block to film making, and it might even be a liberation to make films you want to make, rather than those that will earn you money. 2. If there was a possible way to take on both professions, is there a type diocese or religious order, that will give me some flexibility in my schedule to be a somewhat "Priest Filmmaker"? Yes you can take on both professions, if that is what your community or your bishop agree that you should be doing. If you study film and God calls you to be a priest, I doubt he intends for you to squander your previous training. Something tells me that your film making skills will be used by God somehow. Maybe it will be making great movies . . . or maybe it will be making one small movie that will change millions of lives . . who knows, but God doesn't waste a minute of our lives. 3. Would it be a sin, if I were to join a different Rite to become a priest? So I can get married THEN take a vocation? I'm assuming it would be, but I want your thoughts. (Of course, I can't use the excuse of wanting to get married, since many priests had the same exact desire). You will not be allowed to enter another rite in order to get married and then become a priest. This is explicitly forbidden. So, this is not an option. Moreso, it seems to be a sorry reason to become an Eastern Catholic. I'm sorry Paladin, but you're just going to have to see what God wants you to do, life long celibacy as a spirtual father or life long chaste marriage as a Father and steward of a family. The two vocations are similar, so I can see how you are drawn to both, I am too. However, at some point you're going to have to make a choice and decide where you will best serve God and where God is calling you to best serve him. Neither choice is bad. 4. Any advice in general? Yes. Relax, do what you love, try to be holy. If God wants you to be a priest, he will keep that desire in your heart until you are finally able to pursue it. I know. I've wanted to be a priest for 5 years, and each time I've tried to do something about it, something has happened and has caused me to wait. Not cold feet mind you, other things. So, I wait and see how God is still preparing my heart even though I'm not in a seminary yet. I am faithful to my vocation of the present moment and if God calls me to something else, I go. For all I know, I might one day be the saint who always wanted to be a priest and never got to be, but lived a holy life praying for them. I don't know. But heaven is the goal. I have a gift in film-making, and why would God want me to hide that gift to glorify Him and His Church? Yet again, I wouldn't mind trying to take on both professions, but wouldn't that be time consuming? Why do you think it's an either/or situation. I've told you this before, and I'll say it again. This is a FALSE dichotomy. God doesn't want you to hide your gift. he wants you to use your gifts in the way that bring him the most Glory. He doesn't waste any of your talents only you do. If choose not to follow God's will for your life none of your talents will ever reach their full potential. However, if you are doing with your life what God has desires for you, then all of your talents will be put to use in that vocation. Look at Fr. Pontifex. He's a rapper and a priest. In fact, he's probably a better rapper BECAUSE he's a priest. He was faithful to God's call and God has blessed him abundantly. I don't think God has hidden his talents as a priest. Yes, he's serving God's Church and maybe he's not out there big like Eminem, but I guarantee you that in the long run, God is using Fr. Pontifex more powerfully than most rappers out there. Think about Tom Cruise. Tom was a seminarian who left because he didn't want to hide his acting talent in a seminay . . . he has a lot of talent, but in the process he's been led astray. He's become a scientologist. He has forsaken Christ and his Church. I wonder if the day he left the seminary he ever saw that coming? Whatever you do, Paladin, give all to God. Only then will you ever be what God intends for you. St. Therese lived in a small cloister in France. She died at the age of 24. All her life she never did anything extraordinary. But she has inspired more beauty and glory for God than all of Hollywood combined. I guarantee that her life has inspired more people to follow God than all of Contemporary Christian music put together. Some of the Phatmass rappers owe their inspiration to this Little Flower as well. She did what God wanted and God was generous. That's the way God is Paladin, he's never outdone in generosity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theologian in Training Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 4. Any advice in general? Yes, be patient. You keep struggling with this and constantly seek advice, but it seems what you really want is an immediate answer. Never forget that God works in His own time, not in ours, now matter how frustrating or difficult it is. Everytime you bring these concerns up, it seems that you are taking them back from God. In other words, if you are going to let God work, then give Him everything and He will let you know when the time is right. After that, HE will give it back to you, not you taking it back from Him. Sometimes it is easy to say I have given it all over to God, and yet we miss what our left hand is doing. Most of the time, it is taking bits and pieces back, until finally, it is in our own hands again. Remember a vocation is a call, and that call is not our own. Therefore, you have to be patient and wait, otherwise the call might get lost while you are busy trying to figure it all out on your own. Give it to God, let Him have it, don't worry about it, do what you have to do in the way of prayer and discernment, but I think it might be time you let God work, and stop trying to show Him what it is He should do. If God didn't know better, He wouldn't be God. Being that He created us, I think it is fair to say, He knows what is best for us, and what will assure our salvation. God Bless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paladin D Posted December 31, 2003 Author Share Posted December 31, 2003 Thank you all so very much for your advice. I will certainly be praying more about this, again thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_rev Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 Since I'm new, is Fr. Pontifex is Fr. Stan Fortuna, just curious, It probably is a really really really really really really really stupid question, but someone please answer it please. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paladin D Posted December 31, 2003 Author Share Posted December 31, 2003 Since I'm new, is Fr. Pontifex is Fr. Stan Fortuna, just curious, It probably is a really really really really really really really stupid question, but someone please answer it please. Thanks! Both are rappers, some of their songs are on the Phatmass: Massmatics album. Fr. Pontifex posts on this forum time to time, but I haven't seen Fr. Stan Fortuna post here yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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