Parents
My Son is Thinking about Priesthood
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 understanding 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.
Interfering vs.
Interfacing
Q: What if
you encourage your son to look
into priesthood,
he becomes ordained, and it doesn’t
work out?
A: Decision-making
typically involves seeking the
advice of others. Your encouragement
is part of a bigger picture. Your
son will talk with a vocation director
in the process of deciding whether
or not to apply to a seminary or
religious order. Friends may provide
advice and feedback. A vocation
to priesthood is a gift from God,
discerned (discovered and affirmed)
by an individual AND the Church.
It is unrealistic for you to take
responsibility for your son’s
future fulfillment or struggles
in priesthood.
Career vs. Lifetime
Commitment
Q: If I sincerely
believe that my son will make a
difference in the world no matter
what career he chooses, why would
I encourage him to make a career
choice that also has a life-style
choice attached?
A: A priest dedicates
himself to a life of service to
God’s people. By living a
celibate life, he is free to respond
to people’s needs without
being torn between commitments
to a nuclear family and the larger
family of God. A commitment to
priesthood forever makes sense
because, at ordination, a man is
changed—forever. 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.
Remember, everyone
has a vocation:
- Priesthood
- Religious life
as a sister or brother
- Diaconate (being
a deacon)
- Marriage and family
life
- Life as a single
layperson
You can talk about
vocations firsthand. For more tips
on what you can do as a parent,
a person in the work force, a parishioner,
and member of the wider civic community,
click here: More
Ideas!.
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