Priesthood

The importance of the priesthood

priesthood1Everyone has a God-given vocation which they must seek to discover and give effect to in life. This is how we find true happiness in this world and hope to attain our eternal salvation. There are two vocations raised to the level of a sacrament because they concern not just the good of the individual himself, but the wider good of the Church and society; these are holy matrimony and Holy Orders (priesthood). We need strong, loving families and good, holy priests – the two go together and support each other.

Is God calling me to priesthood?

That is a question every young, single Catholic man should ask himself. Is God calling me to serve Him and His people in this way – by celebrating the sacraments in the person of Christ, by preaching the Gospel, and by leading others in the ways of truth, charity, and prayer?

This call from God might make itself in a number of ways, often through the example of a priest we know. If we find this question keeps coming up, then we need to explore it further. God will make matters clear to us if we take the issue seriously – that means doing a number of things :

  • Listening to Him in prayer: we should pray regularly every day – the familiar prayers we know by heart, but also giving time for silent prayer.
  • We should be going to Mass regularly: every Sunday, certainly, but also during the week where possible. We might consider offering to serve at the altar during Mass, if we do not already do so.
  • We should be trying to keep the Commandments and to live by the teaching of the Church in all areas of our lives.
  • We should go to Confession regularly (at least once a month).
  • We should contact our parish priest – or another priest we feel able to speak with. He can give us some insight into the reality of priesthood. He can also help us in our spiritual lives, by talking about the life of prayer, suggesting parish activities we might get involved with, reading we might find helpful, or areas of our life that might need reflecting upon.

If through prayer and conversation with the priest this calling to priesthood is growing stronger, then you should contact the Westminster Vocations Director.

You will find more details on the Diocese of Westminster’s main website.

The Vocations Director will help you discover the right vocation for you. Making contact can seem a big step to take, but we discover that we are not alone. There are many other young men thinking about priesthood. We are fortunate that many young men enter the seminary every year.

communionYou need to consider what form of priesthood you might be called to, that is, in a parish, a monastery, or the type of work undertaken by various religious or missionary orders. The application procedure is thorough so both you and the Church are confident you are following the right path. If you apply to the Diocese, the final decision rests with the Bishop who will send you to the seminary for a number of years. During this time you study, receive formation in the spiritual life, and experience various aspects of priestly life – always with a view to becoming closer to Christ, our great High Priest.

The Church needs today, as much as at any other time, priests who receive the power to make present the Body and Blood of Christ, to absolve sin, etc. The path to ordination can be long and the priestly ministry is challenging, but for those who are called, it is the most privileged and rewarding life to serve God and the Church in this way.

“When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; so pray to the Lord of the harvest to send labourers into His harvest,”” (Matthew 9:36-38)