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Catholic Priesthood

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As Catholics, we believe that God has a special plan for everyone. Life is not random; rather, there is special meaning and purpose to life. The meaning of life is a question that philosophers and scholars have debated for years. As people of faith, we believe that we are called to know, love, and serve God. All people are called to holiness (that is our common baptismal call), but then God calls each us to live out our lives in specific and meaningful ways. For many that ultimately means to marry and raise a family; for some it means living a good holy single life in the world; for still others it is a call to live as a priest or religious. As a parent, you want what is best for your child, but perhaps you are not sure what to do if your son or daughter mentions the possibility of a religious vocation. What should I say or do? Even if they never mention it, is this something that you ought to bring up for them to consider? If your son has thought about the priesthood, this section is for you.

A FEW THOUGHTS TO CONSIDER

As a parent, you try to instill values, to encourage your children in the pursuit of positive goals, and to assure them of your unconditional love. The first step is to understand the differences between your experiences and theirs.

• The "millennial generation" is immersed in remote-controlled, high-tech, competitive-edge materialism
• Lifetime commitment may seem like an irrelevant notion, whether in marriage or priesthood
• Do you go to Mass every weekend, just like your parents did? Today's high school and college students may find spirituality in places you never thought to look
• Be careful of "vicarious living" that is, trying to relive your life through your children. You have been given your children by God to nurture and guide, but not to make all their decisions for them. When thinking about your children, which question is most important: "What do I want for them?" or "What does God want for them?"

CAREER VERSUS LIFETIME COMMITMENT

Sometimes parents are reluctant to encourage their sons to consider priesthood not because they don't want him to make a difference in the world, but rather because they see the lifestyle connected with it as limiting. After all, can't they make a difference in the world and still have a family? A priest dedicates himself to a life of service to God's people. By living a celibate life, the individual is free to respond to people's needs without being torn between commitments to a nuclear family and the larger family of God. In the sacrament of Holy Orders, a priest is ordained to act in the person of Christ Jesus. A priest cannot put on and take off this identity any more than Jesus could be just a spokesperson for God, nine to five, until retirement. The individual promises to dedicate himself to God and service of God's people forever (in good times and bad!) Just as Christ is always faithful to us, so must we remain faithful to him!