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Is it wrong to enter the priesthood because the economy is bad?

Gary asks:

Dear Father, 

I come from a tech background and have recently lost most of my money in the stock market and am currently unemployed. I have a degree in Business Management. 

I have been attending mass four times per week - praying constantly and feel a calling to the priesthood. I have never been married or in a serious relationship - but have lived a worldly life. I was also raised Catholic. 

I have a couple of questions. 

1) Am I too old to be a priest? 

2) I read somewhere on the internet that it was wrong to enter the priesthood because the economy is bad. Is this true? 

With each passing day I want to pray more and more and feel like Almighty God is calling me.

Dear Gary,  

If a person's only reason for wanting to enter the priesthood were the bad economy it would mean there is something seriously wrong with him humanly and spiritually.  

If, however, the bad economy makes him think, and this thinking causes a major conversion in his life because he sees that material things are empty and passing, that his soul is most important, that life is for more than riches..., and this sincere and deep conversion leads him to choose God above all things, that would be another case altogether.  

That is a general point. As for the other ones you bring up in your note, they do have a bearing on the vocation and you are going to need to talk to someone (preferably a priest) in detail about them, so I will just mention some aspects to think and speak about. You will need to go into the reasons you never developed a serious relationship or got married; you will need to explain what you mean by a "worldly life", what habits you got into, if you were away from the Church and for how long, etc...; you don't mention your age, that would also be a factor,, and you will need to speak about your health. Of course, going through all of this with a spiritual director will probably lead to other matters, but without doing all of this you won't be able to tell if there is substance to your desires for the priesthood.  

God bless.

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