Have you thought of becoming a priest?
January 8, 2009 at 6:54 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: have you thought of becoming a pirest, priest
This is a response to a girl asking for advice regarding her vocations. I made this reply pero ako naigo pod sa akong kaugalingong tambag.hehehe
January 8, 2009 at 6:54 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: have you thought of becoming a pirest, priest
This is a response to a girl asking for advice regarding her vocations. I made this reply pero ako naigo pod sa akong kaugalingong tambag.hehehe
Will you open the door?
Hi Jeselle, I’m on the verge of making a big decision in my life. I’m planning to enter the priesthood and as of the moment, I’m pursuing my application to the Society of Jesus.
I also had the kind of dilemma you have before, humans as we are we have those sorts of plans for ourselves-commonly ang umasenso balang araw, to achieve success and share them with our loved ones. I even told myself, as I always do until now that my loved ones will always be a part of my ambitions.
However, at some point in my life I just felt that someone is calling me, that calling may not be as persistent before as it is now but still I can’t deny that there is that voice calling me.
Remember, God is only calling us, He never forces us. Whether to answer it or not, depends solely on us. However, we must weigh the facts whether to listen to the voice of our flesh, which says your future is in the world, or the voice of the Spirit which says you are not of the world. Our flesh keeps on reminding us of our ambitions while the Spirit keeps on reminding us of our vocation. The former concerned about success, the latter concerned about fulfillment. “With success, you can have what you want, but without fulfillment, you can never be happy.”
Now concerning our parents, I think one of Satan’s most effective ploys to destroy our inkling for vocation is through our family-our deep concern for them. “If I pursue my vocation, then what will happen to my plans,my plans for my family?” It gives Satan an honorable and noble excuse to put an end to our calling. Who doesn’t love our family, right? Answering God’s call is to have the willingness to put all our worries and our hopes to Him completely.
“Look at the birds of the air. They don’t plant or gather crops. They don’t put away crops in storerooms. But your Father who is in heaven feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than they are?” -Matthew 6:26
If God loves us, then it goes down to our families as well. God’s love is complete, if He’s going to take care of us, then He will take care of our families also. Aren’t we of so much worth to Him?
“Many are the plans in a man’s heart,
but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.”
-Proverbs 19:21
Once again, God’s is not forcing us, He’s waiting for our answer in order for Him to complete that purpose in our lives.
What is this plan of God for us?
” For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jer. 29:11
If we only open up, these will happen.
Most importantly, “Today if ye hear his voice, harden not your hearts…” Hebrews 3:15
St. Therese of Lisieux, answered God’s calling at the age of 15. But still God is not rushing us, He’s waiting till you are ready.
However, vocation is not only confined within the religious life. Married life is a vocation, being a doctor is a vocation, being a teacher is a vocation. The most important thing there, is how we live our lives as Christians for all the others to see, as a witness of God in our lives. It’s how we put God in all that we do that makes genuine vocations.
Continue in your studies, and continue in your discernment, and someday if you hear his voice again, I hope you know well how to respond. It’s His love that will always be the reason why we will always follow Him.
“We love Him, because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19
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