Priesthood
A Catholic priest is a man called by God to proclaim the “Good News” of salvation to the world and to lead God’s people in worship, especially in making present the saving sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross in the Eucharist.
He is also privileged to bring Christ to people in the Sacraments: he gives the life of Christ to people in Baptism; he forgives their sins in Reconciliation; he brings Christ’s healing through the Anointing of the Sick; he witnesses an expression of God’s covenant in Marriage; through his life in the Holy Orders, he becomes the presence of Christ in the midst of the Church community.
The priest brings Jesus Christ to people and people to Jesus Christ.
Today, the world needs good priests, just like it always has.
Why Be a Priest?
A sacred ministry to God's people:
“The faithful expect only one thing from priests: that they be specialists in promoting the encounter between man and God. The priest is not asked to be an expert in economics, construction or politics. He is expected to be an expert in the spiritual life.”
– Pope Benedict XVI
Could God be calling you to be a priest?
God made you for a unique purpose. Even before you were born, he knew your vocation, your mission in life. And if you are a faithful Catholic man, God may be calling you for a higher purpose—to become a Catholic priest.
Priests have a critical mission: to bring people to Jesus and Jesus to people. They are spiritual fathers to thousands of Catholics. They preach the Gospel and offer the sacrifice of the Mass. In short, priests are living witnesses of Christ in the world—men of strong character who stand out in our secular culture. A good priest is a man who sacrifices himself for the people of God. Is Jesus calling you to be his priest?
The priesthood is a calling.
Christ asks of some men the sacrifice of their lives in following him as his more intimate companions. From all eternity, certain men are called to the priesthood. It is a call inscribed in their nature and because of this, is a call that will bring them fulfillment.
A priest acts In Persona Christi.
Priests act in persona Christi capitas, which means “in the person of Christ, head of the Church.” That’s why the priest speaks in the first person at Mass, “This is my body, given up for you.” As Pope John Paul II wrote: “The priest offers his humanity to Christ, so that Christ may use him as an instrument of salvation, making him as it were into another Christ.”
A priest wields a Sacred Power.
When a priest makes the sacraments present, he wields a sacred power from God, in Latin, sacra potestas.
A priest’s soul changes forever.
At ordination, a man’s soul undergoes an ontological change—a change of being—which indelibly marks his soul forever. Once a priest, always a priest.
What is it like to be a priest?
The Life of a Priest
The highlight of every priest's day is celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and praying throughout the day. But a day in the life of a priest is full of even more duties than that! A priest's life is busy, demanding, challenging—and incredibly rewarding.
Priests are traditionally seen as fulfilling the biblical role of priest, prophet, and king.
Prophet/Teach: Priests instruct others about the faith.
King/Shepherd: Priests guide, unite, and encourage their parishioners.
Priest/Sanctify: Priests administer the sacraments and encourage holiness.
Individual priests have a very wide variety of tasks within the Church. There are many specialized ministries such as being a chaplain, working at the diocesan offices, or teaching in a seminary. But the majority of priests serve in parishes. Their duties include:
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Celebrate Mass and preach the Gospel
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Lead a parish of Catholic Christians
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Bring new members into the Church through Baptism
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Hear Confessions and provide spiritual direction
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Help teens and young adults come to know Christ
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Prepare couples for marriage and counsel married couples
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Teach people how to pray
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Feed the poor, visit prisons, and advocate for justice
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Counsel people going through difficult times
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Visit the sick in hospitals and anoint them for healing
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Perform funerals and bury the dead
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Manage the temporal affairs of the parish
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Pray daily for the People of God
Signs of a Priestly Vocation
1. God has placed in your heart a desire to be a priest.
If Jesus has placed a desire in your heart for priesthood, don’t ignore it. Talk to a priest you admire about how you feel.
2. You have a deep love for Christ and His Church.
A priest functions in persona Christi capitas—in the person of Christ, head of the Church. Thus a man who wants to be a priest must love Jesus Christ above all else. And like Jesus, he should have a deep love for the Church, the Bride of Christ. In general, a man who wants to be a priest will find himself drawn to Church teachings and “all things Catholic.”
3. Other people have mentioned that you would be a good priest.
Often other people will notice a “priest’s heart” in a young man and say to him, “Have you ever thought about being a priest? I think you’d make a good one.”
In fact, many men report that they grew tired of people making such comments—but that the encouragement eventually led them to seminary!
4. You desire to live a life of virtue and prayer.
Pope Benedict spoke about what people expect of their priests. To paraphrase, he said that people do not expect priests to be experts in anything but the spiritual life. Thus, a good candidate for priesthood attends Mass, prays frequently, receives the sacrament of Confession, serves others, and strives to grow spiritually.
5. You want to help others grow closer to Christ.
A priest brings Jesus to people and people to Jesus. For this reason, a man who wants to be a priest must have a deep concern for the people of God. He wants to help them grow in holiness; he wants to teach them the truths of the faith; he wants to minster to them during the trials of life. The vocation of priesthood is about leading others to heaven.
If you’ve thought about the possibility of priesthood, but don’t yet have all these signs and qualities, don’t despair! All people must strive for holiness. And future priests go through a long and intensive formation period, precisely to help them grow in virtue and be effective in their ministry.
If you’re interested in priesthood, talk to the Vocation Director about the signs above. He can help you further discern your vocation. And remember—true happiness and peace depend on following God’s perfect will for your life. If God wants you to be a priest, trust in his grace to lead you!
Why Celibacy?
A supernatural call to a radical lifestyle
Celibacy is always a top concern for men thinking about the priesthood: “I like girls too much to become a priest.” But rest assured that every priest had the same thought before he went to seminary.
Even Pope Francis himself admitted to having to discern celibacy very carefully as a young seminarian:
“I was dazzled by a girl I met at an uncle’s wedding… I was surprised by her beauty, her intellectual brilliance… and, well, I was bowled over for quite a while. I kept thinking and thinking about her. When I returned to the seminary after the wedding, I could not pray for over a week because when I tried to do so, the girl appeared in my head. I had to rethink what I was doing.”
If even the pope had second thoughts about celibacy, you should not be surprised that you yourself struggle with the issue!
Celibacy isn’t about repressing your sexuality. Rather, it’s about giving up a single woman—a wife—in order to serve all people. Celibacy means giving oneself wholly to the Bride of Christ, the Church. It’s a radical, supernatural call from God.
The difficulty, of course, is that in secular society, celibacy is portrayed as impossible or ridiculous. As Fr. Benedict Groeschel once wrote, “The media trumpets the message that sex brings happiness. If this were true, we would indeed live in an earthly paradise and the world would be ‘happy valley.’” But the truth is that there are over 400,000 celibate priests in the world, and the vast majority report great happiness and fulfillment.
Even if you struggle with chastity right now, God can give you the grace to become sexually pure. Don’t let a concern about celibacy prevent you from considering the priesthood.
Celibacy in the Sacred Scriptures
Matthew 19:29
Giving up Family: “And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life”
Matthew 7:27-34
Freedom to Serve: “Are you free from a wife? Do not seek marriage. . . . Those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. . . . The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided”
Matthew 19:11-12
Celibacy for the Kingdom: “Not all can accept this word, but only those to whom it is granted. Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of God. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.”
Again, the emphasis is on the special nature of celibacy, one for which not all men are suited, but one that nevertheless gives glory to “the Kingdom of God.”
FAQ's about Celibacy
Am I allowed to date while in the seminary?
The seminary is like the engagement period for a couple: you do not date others if you desire to create a true relationship with your fiance. Likewise, to truly prepare for and discern the calling to priesthood in the seminary, you should not be dating.
What if I have been sexually intimate in my past, does that mean I can’t be a priest?
No. But, you must now be in the process of embracing chastity. St. Augustine led a very wild life as a young man, but he gave up his unchaste, sinful ways when he decided to live a fully Catholic life. There must be a significant period of “sexual sobriety” before entering the seminary, usually at least two years.
My attraction to women is so strong at times that I fear I wouldn’t be able to remain chaste.
If you ask God, He gives abundant graces to live a chaste life. You of course, must respond to those graces by using them to make chaste choices. As you grow in chastity, as it becomes a habit of your life, you will experience a strengthening, and an ease to being and remaining chaste. Celibacy is a serious undertaking that must be at the forefront of your discernment; it is not for everyone, but it is possible for those who are called.
It seems unnatural to me to live your whole life without sex.
Most men and women are called naturally to the married life. So, obviously, living a celibate, chaste life goes beyond the ordinary; in fact it is a supernatural call from God to live a life of radical love for the Church. Yes, it is a sacrifice, but the rewards are great. Many great saints, religious, monks, nuns, and priests over the centuries have lived very fulfilled and happy lives.
Why can’t priests marry?
“I’m very impatient with some of the pragmatic arguments for celibacy—that it frees up your time and allows you to focus your energy in different ways. I’d rather see celibacy as a kind of irrational, over-the-top, poetic, symbolic expression of the soul in love.”
– Fr. Robert Barron
Celibacy is a normal requirement for priesthood in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, for several reasons. Practical reasons are often cited—for example, that an unmarried man can more easily dedicate himself to the work of the Church. While this is a valid reason that has roots in scripture (1 Cor 7:32-35), it is not the most important reason. More important are the spiritual realities signified by celibacy:
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Celibacy marks the priest as a man consecrated to the service of Christ and the Church. It shows in a concrete way that he is not merely someone who exercises a set of functions or who holds a certain office but that he has been changed on an ontological level by his reception of the sacrament of Orders.
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Celibacy configures the priest more closely to Christ, the great High Priest, who forsook earthly marriage for the sake of the Kingdom and for the sake of uniting himself more perfectly to his heavenly Bride, the Church.
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It is fitting that the priest who offers this same Jesus in sacrifice to the Father, show in his own person (albeit to an imperfect degree) the purity and holiness of his unspotted Victim.
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Celibacy reminds us of heaven, pointing to the coming of the Kingdom when marriage will no longer exist.
Perhaps priesthood has crossed your mind, but fear pushes the idea away:
·Fear of commitment
·Fear of celibacy
·Fear of being unworthy
These fears are very common, even for men who are already in seminary. But literally thousands of men have had the same concerns and then went on to become holy and effective priests.
The first principle to remember is that God does not speak through fear. Fear is a tactic of the Enemy to keep you from pursuing God’s will; it is like the bite of an animal that paralyzes its prey to keep it from moving. A man in fear will find it difficult to move toward God’s will.
So how do you overcome fear? Here are five ideas:
1) Turn your fears into concerns.
You may have legitimate concerns about celibacy or preaching—but that is not the same as being afraid. Rather than feeling fear, look at the requirements of priesthood objectively. Sure, it’s true that priests need a certain level of self-control and ability for public speaking. These and many other areas require serious self-assessment. Yes, you probably will discover areas that need to change and improve. But go about your discernment with a cool head, not a fearful heart.
“Perfect love casts out all fear” (1 John 4:18). Recall that when Jesus called Peter (Lk 5:1-11), our first pope said, “Leave me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Jesus then assured him that there was nothing to fear in following him. Likewise, Jesus knows your difficulties and weaknesses. If you trust him and “cast your net into the deep,” all will be well.
2) Reflect on God’s love.
Fr. Brett Brannen, in his book To Save a Thousand Souls, recommends this meditation when a man feels fearful: “God is infinite in power and he loves me infinitely. There is no snatching out of his hand. God will never send me where his grace cannot sustain me. If he asks me to do something difficult, like become a priest, he will give me the grace to do it. I will not fail because he is with me. And I will be happy because I am doing his will. Even if I lack some of the needed qualities, God will help me develop them. In his will lies my peace.”
3) Entrust your fears to the Blessed Mother.
Recall that after the angel told Mary to “fear not,” she readily she accepted God’s will for her: “I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Entrust your fears to her intercession, and she will help calm your heart and find the will of Jesus.
4) Remember what seminary is for.
From a purely practical perspective, it’s comforting to know that if God calls you to be a priest, ordination is still years away. Seminary offers a period of intensive formation to help a man address his concerns, grow in holiness, and prepare for an effective priestly ministry. No man enters seminary ready to be a priest!
5) Look to Scripture for Consolation.
If you have some fears concerning priesthood, know that you are not alone. Those prophets and apostles whom Jesus called in the Scriptures also had fears. See the Scriptural references below to see how God encouraged them.
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I’m not holy enough: Isa 6:1-9; Lk 5:1-11
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I’m afraid I will fail: Ex 14: 10-31; Lk 15
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I’ve made mistakes and I’m a sinner: Jn 21:15-23; Mt 9:9-13; Lk 7:36-50
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I’m too young: 1 Sam 3:1-18; 1 Sam 16:1-13; Jer 1:4-10; Lk 1:26-3
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I’m not talented enough: 1 Sam 17:32-51; Lk 1: 26-38
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I want to have a family: Gen 12:1-3; Mt 12:46-50; Mk 10:28-30
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I want “the good life”: Mk 10:17-31; 1 Cor 2:9; Mt 13:44-46; Jn 10:10; Mt16:24-27
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I’m afraid of making a permanent commitment: Ruth 1:15-17; Mt 28:16- 20; 1 Cor 12:5-10
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I’m afraid of public speaking: Ex 4:10-17; Jer 1:4-10; Jer 1: 9-10
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I’m not smart enough: 2 Cor 4:7-18; Ex 4:10-17
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I’m afraid of being alone: Ex 3:4-22; Lk 1:28-38; Mt 28:20
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I want to be happy: Ps 37:4; Mt 5: 1-12; Jn 10:10; Mk 10:28-31; 1 Cor 2:9
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I’m filled with fear: 1Jn 4:18 “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”
As Pope John Paul II reminded us so often throughout his pontificate: Be not afraid! Don’t let fear paralyze you. Instead, ask a priest you trust to help you with your concerns. Remain faithful to daily prayer, trust in God, and your heart will be at peace, no matter what your vocation.
