Vocations: Everybody's Business

Signs of a vocation

When a person has the desire to serve as a priest or religious, and has the spiritual, physical, and psychological health necessary, and the Church pronounces on that vocation, one can be morally certain that God is calling that individual to priesthood or religious life.

Some people think that a call is something dramatic like St. Paul “being knocked off his horse.” Most vocations are manifested in a growing awareness of the desire to serve God as a priest. The desire to serve as a priest needs to be tested. “Why do I want to become a priest?” is an important question. As a young lad, my cousin told me he wanted to drive a big car, so he thought he would like to be a priest. If someone wants to become a priest for social status or personal gain, or to avoid the responsibilities of marriage, or because he was just jilted by his girlfriend, such an individual does not have a vocation and should pursue other career opportunities.

An authentic vocation is always contingent on a firm desire to know God’s will in our life and put that will into practice. Each time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we say the words: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” But sometimes what we really mean is “my Kingdom come, my will be done.” It takes great faith to really believe that what God wants is truly what is best. When we do God’s will, heaven becomes present on earth. When we are guided by selfish ambitions, rather than make God’s Kingdom more present and visible, we impede the growth of the Kingdom around us.

Our ability to embrace God’s will with trust presupposes that we know God and His love. If we really know that God is all loving and that He is at the same time all-powerful, we will not be afraid to entrust our lives into His hands. Sometimes people feel called to the Priesthood or religious life, but fear that it is too challenging and that they would fail to live out their commitment. We need to have trust in the Lord. If He gives us a vocation, He will also give us the strength we need. “His grace and His love are enough for me.” It takes a lot of trust to take the first step toward a vocation.

Besides the desire or inclination, we must look to see if we have the spiritual and physical health, as well as the intellectual and human qualities, needed for a vocation. When the rich young man in the Gospel approaches Jesus with the question: “What do I have to do?” Jesus says that first you need to follow the Ten Commandments; and secondly, you have to be detached from some very legitimate goods in order to be completely available to be at the service of the Kingdom of God.

The discernment process must take place in the context of a life of prayer and growth in virtue. Spiritual direction, confession, and frequent participation in the Eucharist are part of the path that leads to a knowledge of God’s will and our own inner life.

Because the call to Priesthood is a call to pastoral service, a man who is discerning a vocation should be involved in the life of the parish and the works of service of the community of faith. Oftentimes, young people are involved in serving Mass, or as lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, or in the choir; others are helping as catechists, or in youth ministry programs. Retreat programs and service projects with those in need are also valuable ways to grow in a priestly vocation.

Academic Requirements

The theological training required for a Catholic priest demands at least average intelligence and a capacity for intellectual development. The usual academic preparation consists in four years of college followed by four years of theology. When a man comes to the seminary with his undergraduate work completed, he would usually have a year or two of philosophy before beginning the four years of theology. The priest is called upon to be a teacher of the faith, and the seminary training is aimed at preparing him to do that and to have a love for learning that will be translated into an ongoing pastoral and theological formation after ordination.

Lord, I am not worthy…

Sometimes very good candidates for the priesthood are overwhelmed by a sense of unworthiness. St. Francis of Assisi never aspired to the Priesthood because of his sense of not being worthy. Many great priests hesitated to take the step because of similar feelings of unworthiness. The Gospel should be reassuring when we see how Jesus calls ordinary people to be His disciples. Some of them had histories that would seem to preclude a vocation. Levi, a publican, worked for the enemies, the Romans, and enriched himself by exploiting the poor. Saul, the Pharisee, was an enemy and persecutor of the Church and even participated in the martyrdom of St. Stephen. Peter tried to kill the servant of the high priest; but, being a feckless swordsman, only manages to sever his ear. After this pitiful display of bravado, Peter flees and eventually denies Jesus three times, intimidated not by a soldier with a lance, but by a waitress who notices his accent. It is reassuring to see that the Gospels do not try to hide the defects and failings of Jesus’ first disciples.

Obviously, no one is worthy to be a priest. A vocation is not a reward for a virtuous life, but does presuppose a conversion of heart and a spiritual journey that begins with repentance and a commitment to ongoing growth in the spiritual life. In Baptism we are all called to holiness of life. A vocation to Priesthood or religious life is a call to a radical form of discipleship that aspires to follow Jesus teaches an example ever more closely.

Celibacy

One of the stumbling blocks to a priestly vocation is that the gift of celibacy is not understood in contemporary society. Just as marriage as an institution has been debunked and trivialized by contemporary culture, the witness of consecrated virginity and celibacy has been dismissed as irrelevant and impossible. And yet so many of the problems of modern society are a direct result of the hedonistic approach to sexuality that is being promoted in our contemporary culture.

The U. S. Bishops’ document on Priestly Formation defines celibacy as one of the most fundamental responses to Christ’s invitation to radical discipleship for the sake of the kingdom: “The ideal of a celibate, single life is based on Scripture (Mt. 19:12 and 1 Cor, 7:7 ff., and 36-38). Living without a wife and family as Jesus did is a powerful witness in the world. In addition, celibacy creates a heightened relationship between the priest and the people.” This radical commitment makes a priest more available to serve God’s people.

The priest’s life of celibacy does not mean a life in isolation and without friendship. Jesus’ celibacy did not cut Him off from other people; it made Him even more available for His mission to people. A priest’s celibacy is not a rejection of marriage, but rather a call to be married to the community, the Church. Not everyone receives a call to celibacy; but the Church does receive all the gifts She needs. There will always be some of the baptized called to consecrate themselves to the Lord and the service of His people in such ways that marriage is not an option. It is one way that the Church continues to witness to our faith in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Church always needs new witnesses who proclaim with their lives that Jesus Christ is alive. This faith gives us the strength, with God’s grace, to do difficult things for the sake of the Kingdom.

Since the time of Jesus and the Apostolic Church, there has been a link between Holy Orders and celibacy. In the vocation of a priest in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, the call to celibacy is part of the vocation and needs to be a part of the process of discernment. If a young man determines that he cannot lead a celibate life, then it is clear that he does not have a vocation to priesthood or religious life. A personal prayer life, spiritual direction, and frequent reception of the sacraments of confession and communion are vital ingredients in the discernment process. The Program of Priestly Formation provides that psychological assessment should be an integral part of the admissions process into our seminaries. The Bishops also insist that “those employed in the psychological evaluation of seminarians be well-versed in and supportive of the Church’s expectations of candidates for the priesthood, especially in regard to celibacy.”

A vocation is “for keeps”

Another difficulty in discerning a priestly vocation is the fear of making a commitment. Yet our relationship with God is built on a covenant, a commitment. Our Baptismal vows are our acceptance of God’s plan that allows us to enter into the covenant God has made with His people. Love and fidelity are the heart of our commitment and require permanence, a direction in our life, an ongoing conversion, and a turning of our back on the false gods of our times: materialism, hedonism, and individualism.

Without permanent commitments to God and to His plan of salvation, we risk jeopardizing the purpose of our existence. A life without commitments is a life adrift in the high seas of fads and impulses, peer pressure, and rebellion – all without a compass. Commitment brings direction, purpose to a person’s life. To a believer, commitments are based on our faith and trust in God and lend meaning to our existence. A sense of vocation and mission are essential for a believer. This inevitably demands a permanent commitment in life.