Year IV, Number 13

The Spirit of the Lord anointed Christ and sent him forth to announce the Gospel (cf. Lk. 4:18). The priest's mission is not extraneous to his consecration or juxtaposed to it, but represents its intrinsic and vital purpose: Consecration is for mission. In this sense, not only consecration but mission as well is under the seal of the Spirit and the influence of his sanctifying power.

This was the case in Jesus' life. This was the case in the lives of the apostles and their successors. This is the case for the entire Church and within her for priests: all have received the Spirit as a gift and call to holiness in and through the carrying out of the mission.

Therefore, an intimate bond exists between the priest's spiritual life and the exercise of his ministry, a bond which the Council expresses in this fashion: "And so it is that they are grounded in the life of the Spirit while they exercise the ministry of the Spirit and of justice (cf. 2 Cor. 3:8-9), as long as they are docile to Christ's Spirit, who gives them life and guidance. For by their everyday sacred actions, as by the entire ministry which they exercise in union with the bishop and their fellow priests, they are being directed toward perfection of life. Priestly holiness itself contributes very greatly to a fruitful fulfillment of the priestly ministry."

Q. Dear Fr Anthony,

The other day I was reading the Bible (the non-copyrighted version) and I found something that seems very wrong regarding the Catholic views on vocations. My problem is if someone wants to become a priest, for example, the Catholic view is that you cannot ever become married or enter into a relationship with another person. When I was reading the other day the bible said that running a family is a requirement for being a priest. So where do your ideas come from? Thank you.

- Aaron

A. Dear Aaron,

Fortunately, they are not my ideas, meaning that I did not come up with them. But you probably mean by “your ideas” those of the Catholic Church.

Like most of the ideas of the Catholic Church, this one has its roots in Scripture, the example of Christ, and was then matured and developed under the action of the Holy Spirit in the living Tradition of the Catholic Church. (Bet “Tradition” got a reaction).

The fact is many of the first priests, presbyters, of the Church may have been married, and some of them definitely were. You are probably referring to Titus 1, 5-6, in which Paul says that he left Titus in Crete to appoint “presbyters in every town... on condition that a man be blameless, married only once, with believing children” who basically were not a cause of scandal. Now if you had to be married in order to be a priest, then Paul himself could not have become one. We know he was not married because when he gave advice to the Corinthians about marriage he said that he wished all could be like himself, free of marriage to dedicate themselves wholly to the Lord, but if they did marry it would not be a wrong thing to do. So running a family is not a requirement for becoming a priest. All Paul says is that for a married man to be ordained he cannot have been married more than once, and must have brought up his family well.

But you have opened an interesting question. Is it not a big jump to go from where Paul is to where the Catholic Church (Roman Rite) now stands, and say that only unmarried men can be ordained, and they may not marry afterwards? What justifies such a jump?

A priest is another Christ, and he works “in the person of Christ”. Christ’s example is paramount for a priest, and the pattern for his life. Christ did not marry. Christ spoke about giving up father, mother, wife... for the Kingdom. He said that some are incapable of marriage relationships either by nature or by mutilation, but others have voluntarily given them up for the sake of the kingdom. The apostle John was not married. As we saw, Paul was not married.

From the very beginning of Christianity there were many who gave themselves voluntarily to God as virgins, and lived their call faithfully. What the Church realized was that celibacy so went with the priesthood (it was what Christ chose for himself, it shows you really believe in heaven, it leaves you free to give yourself totally to your people, among other reasons) that it decided in the Latin Church that God did not give the charism of the priesthood without granting the charism of celibacy as well. So nowadays if you cannot live celibacy it means you are not being called to the priesthood.

Sound impossible? Christ told Peter it was impossible for men, but possible with God’s help. God bless.

- Fr Anthony

Q. Dear Fr Anthony,

What I was wondering was if God has a specific vocation for you when you are born, does that vocation never change no matter what life you lead? What I’m trying to say is: throughout your life, is your vocation always the same, or does it change as you make different choices though life? Or on the other hand, can you have two and God gives you a choice between either one? Thank you.

- Ann

A. Dear Ann,

Your question is very speculative, but there are things that God tells us in scripture that can help us to answer it.

I guess the best place to start is by asking ourselves again what ‘vocation’ means. “Before you were conceived in your mother’s womb I set you aside.” What God tells us is that he had something in mind for us when he gave us the gift of life, or rather even from before he gave us the gift. Something he wants us to be, and something he wants us to do. This is God’s plan.

Now, vocation means “call”. This means that as we grow up and develop, and especially as we approach the age where major choices are made in our life, God makes his plan for us felt as a call. God would like me to be a priest, so he calls me to be a priest. He would like someone else to be a missionary, so he calls. In prayer, in one’s personal experience, in the circumstances of life as they develop around us, in the needs of those we see…, in all of these a person discovers in his soul God’s voice inviting, calling him to be and do something specific. God doesn’t appear to us, but he calls us through these secondary signs. It is he who is there behind them, nonetheless.

Does our vocation change? If our vocation is God’s original plan for our lives then no, it doesn’t change. What can change? My understanding of the vocation can. I can join a religious order because God seems to be calling me, but a year or two down the line he might through various signs (not my feelings alone) show me his real plan is something else. Many young men who join the seminary thought for many years they were called to marriage, and lived good lives and went to college, until one day they finally saw and accepted that God was really pointing somewhere else...

Now, what happens if you have a vocation, let’s say, to religious life, and you’re pretty sure, but for whatever reason you choose something else - not something bad, but a good Catholic marriage with a good man? It won’t be what God originally planned - there is no way of changing that - but he is merciful, not vengeful. As long as you do not close your heart to him he will give you in the Sacrament of Matrimony all the graces you need to live it well and live up to what God wants from married Christians. He is merciful and wants us to be saved, and even after our worst faults, as long as we turn to him, he forgives us and raises us up and makes us capable of doing good things in his grace.

In that sense perhaps you could talk about a “second vocation”. The first one will always be in God’s mind as his original plan, but when we go elsewhere he is always there, calling us to holiness, and to our real home, Heaven. Just remember that following Christ, in the ‘first’ or in the ‘second’ vocation will always mean entering the narrow gate, so you can’t talk about an “easier” vocation.

Hope I haven’t confused you. God bless.

- Fr Anthony

If you recall, Abraham's vocation was a journey full of faith and trust in Yahweh's promise: "'Look at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Thus will be the number of your descendents.' Abraham believed Yahweh and his faith was accredited to him as justice" (Gen 15:5-6).

Abraham believed God. He didn't doubt his promise. He didn't feel so wise, enlightened and cultured as to despise Yahweh's words as mythical or superstitious. Nor did his riches - "Abraham was very rich in livestock, silver and gold" (Gen 13:2) - make him feel superior to the God who was calling him to father a great nation. He didn't argue with God. He didn't defend his own plans before the Lord, trying to point out to him how "imprudent" his designs were. Abraham submitted. He accepted Yahweh's direction and guidance, even when human reason had more than sufficient motive to demand an explanation. "God will provide": I see contradictions, it doesn't make sense, a black wall blocks my future; but I believe and trust that God has called me to be "the father of many nations" (see Gen 17:4).

Abraham believed because he was a man who lent himself entirely to God. His paths were God's paths. He didn't keep secret plans or hidden ambitions on the side, away from God. God calls him, reveals his promise and tests him, and Abraham remains faithful.

You too, put your life in God's hands. Perhaps he has dreamed of other things for you, plans different from your own. Heed him; accept his instructions and have faith. "It is not flesh and blood" as Christ told Peter (Matt 16:17) that will enable you to see God's marvels. The measure of our true intelligence is not a vain desire to make ourselves smarter than God, but rather accepting the truth, the truth that he is the Lord, our Father - the truth that I will be free only if I fully accept him.

Gospel: Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

“Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you give alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, in this period of Lent, the Church invites us to turn our hearts to you. Give us the grace so that when we hear your voice, we do not harden our hearts.

Petition: Help me, Lord, to sincerely place you above all things.

1. Christ invites us to give alms, pray and fast.

Lent is a time of conversion, a time to prepare oneself to encounter the risen Christ. This conversion is assisted by almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. However, the conversion sought by Christ is much more than the mere external fulfillment of some acts. “Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time it entails the desire and resolution to change one´s life, with hope in God´s mercy and trust in the help of his grace” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1431).

2. ”Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them.”

At times the temptation might arise to do something good for the wrong reason. It is so easy to do something simply to be accepted or praised by others. This can even be true of our acts of piety and charity. Therefore Christ warns us to give alms, pray, and fast out of love for God and not to be seen. At the same time Christ also said that he would deny those before his Father who denied him before men. So he is not encouraging a false religious modesty, which causes us always to hide our faith. Christians are also called to be the light of the world.

3. “Your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”

The important element is to act sincerely; act seeking to love God and neighbor, then the reward will be union with God and not simply hollow praise: “Restore us to thyself, O Lord, that we may be restored” (Lam 5:21). God who sees all things accompanies us in all our joys and all our sorrows, even the most hidden ones. It is precisely this loving God who wants to reward all our acts of love, even the most hidden ones.

Dialogue: Lord, give me the necessary grace to turn away from sin and to follow you with a sincere heart. Let all my acts be motivated out of love of you and my neighbor, so that in seeking you, you will be my reward.

Questionnaire:

1. How aware am I aware of the constant need for conversion that I have in my life (see CCC, n. 1435)? How often do I compare where God wants me to be to where I am now? What's holding me back from being more like Christ?

2. What concrete goals have I set for Lent in order to do my part in my conversion? How often do I make a small sacrifices, make extra time for prayer, or step up and make an act of charity?

3. Am I aware that the Eucharist is key to our continuous conversion process (CCC, n. 1436)? How well do I prepare myself to receive Our Lord in the Eucharist? How often do I spend time praying before the Blessed Sacrament? How strong is my faith in the Real Presence?

Dom Christian de Chergé, Prior of the Monastery of Notre Dame de l'Atlas (Tibherin, Algeria)

The Trappists of the Monastery of Notre Dame de l'Atlas in Tibherin (Algeria) had devoted their lives to dialogue with Islam and had chosen to remain in their monastery, even though it was located in the mountainous region of Medea, a high-risk area.

Dom Christian de Chergé had written:

"Our state as monks [ruhban] binds us to the choice which God has made for us, which is for prayer and for a life of simplicity, manual labour, hospitality and sharing with all, especially the poor..."

Seized by armed terrorists on the night between March 26 and 27, 1996, they were killed on May 21, 1996.

In his spiritual testament, Dom Christian de Chergé had written:

"When the time comes, I would like to be able to have that moment of lucidity which would permit me to ask forgiveness of God and of my brothers in humanity, forgiving whole-heartedly, at the same time, whoever strikes me. I do not see in fact how I could rejoice in the fact that this people whom I love should be accused of my murder. It would be too high a price a pay, to owe what might be called 'the grace of martyrdom' to an Algerian, whoever he may be, above all if he says he is acting in fidelity to what he believes to be Islam [...].

And you too, friend of the last moment, who will not know what you are doing, yes, even for you I wish to say this THANK YOU, and this A-DIEU, commending you to God in whose face I look upon you.

And may it be granted us to meet anew, joy-filled thieves, in heaven, if it pleases God, our Father, the Father of us both. Amen."

Upcoming Events & Retreats

(( Listed here are retreats directed by the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi members. For a listing of diocesan activities and other events, click here to go to the vocation.com website ))

LEGIONARIES OF CHRIST

Youth Pilgrimage to Rome - April 13-22, 2003. Ages 11-25. Price: $1,495 (includes airfare). Contact Ray Arsenault at arsenaultacres@pei.sympatico.ca or (902) 854-2808.

Cheshire, CT, Apr 16-20, 2003, Test Your Call Retreat. Ages 16-30. Contact Br Branigan Sherman at vocation@legionaries.org or (800) 420-5409. Price: none.

Cornwall, ONT, Apr 16-20, 2003, Test Your Call Retreat. Ages 16-30. Contact Fr William Slattery at wslattery@legionaries.org or (613) 931-1920. Price: none.

Denver, CO, April 25-27, 2003, Young Men's Spiritual Exercises. Ages 16-25. Contact Julie Weidinger at jweidingerykc@yahoo.com or (719) 481-5760.

Sacramento, CA, May 13-14, 2003, Young Men's Retreat. Ages 16-30. Contact Br Robert DeCesare at sgomez@legionaries.org or (916) 716-5506. Price: $15.

May 23-30, 2003, Mega-Pilgrimage to Rome. For college-aged men and high school seniors. Contact Karolee Stauduhar at kstauduhar@msn.com or (407) 869-8263.

REGNUM CHRISTI consecrated women

Washington, D.C., April 1, 2003, Young Women's Lenten Retreat. Ages 17-30. Contact Lucy Honnor at lhonnor@inteducators.org or (301) 536-6931.

North Shore, LA, April 4-6, 2003, Spiritual Exercises. Ages 16-24. Contact Kay Eads at lumenchristikay@juno or (225) 344-0469.

Ottawa, April 6, 2003, Young Women's Spiritual Growth Retreat. Ages 17-30. Contact Lourdes Cano at lcano@inteducators.org or (401) 225-2314.

Los Angeles, CA, April 6, 2003, Young Women's Spiritual Growth Retreat. Ages 16-30. Contact Magdalena Faine at mfaine@inteducators.org or (562) 597-6352.

Atlanta, Georgia, April 7, 2003, Young Women's Spiritual Growth Retreat. Ages 17-30. Contact Dorrie Donahue at ddonahue@inteducators.org or (770) 417-1045.

REGNUM CHRISTI consecrated men

For information, contact Tony McDonnell at (301) 365-3205 or amacdonnell@arcol.org.

ShoreLines welcomes your questions and comments at questions@shorelines.org. If you do not specify otherwise, your question may be posted in the Vocations Q&A section.

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