Theo 103

Lesson 4 Challenges and Joys of Responding to the Call of Priesthood

Introduction
In this lesson we will be journeying on the challenges and the Joys to the call of priesthood. It is important that
we will study this topic so that we will have a grasp on the challenges as well as the joys of living a life dedicated to
God thought the priesthood. In a way, we will be able to integrate those challenges into our very own challenges and
joys as students. In the activity, you will be asked to summarize what you have learn in this lesson and you will craft
your personal challenges and joys as a student.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:
1. Relate the challenges and joys of the call to the priesthood to their personal life as a student.
2. Formulate their personal challenges and joys as a student.
Stimulating Recall
1. Whenever you see priest in your parish or in the social media, or on the news, have you ever wonder about how
happy or problematic their life?
Presentation of the topic/learning material The Challenges of responding to a call to the Priesthood
Anything worth doing is going to have challenges! It is tempting to remain in our comfort zone, but deep down we know
that remaining where life is secure and comfortable is not really living to our full potential. Men thrive and become who
God made them to be when they take hold of an opportunity to be courageous, bold and heroic. Responding to a call to
serve God as a priest is one of the gutsiest decisions a man could ever make. Yet in all this, he relies on a strength that is
not his own. Through God’s grace and the support of others, saying ‘yes’ to His invitation is possible. Here are some
challenges others have experienced in responding to a call to the Priesthood. You may experience some of these too:
1. Facing home truths. Discerning your vocation is a process of self-discovery because it means asking, ‘Who am
I?’ During this process you may discover things about yourself that are difficult to face. It might be a wound
from your past or something you don’t like about yourself. The Lord allows us to experience this so that we can
learn and grow, and ultimately experience His grace and mercy!
2. Dealing with people’s reactions. Some friends and family might be very supportive of a decision to pursue the
priesthood. Others will not be. In a recent study of men ordained in the USA in 2014, half of the respondents
said they were discouraged from considering the priesthood by one or more persons. Often friends and family are
concerned about you pursuing a path which is unfamiliar to them. During your discernment, your spiritual
director or vocation director can talk these issues through with you: it’s likely they have experienced the same
thing!
3. Facing your fears. Some common fears include fear of making sacrifices, fear of losing your life or your
identity, fear of surrendering your will to God’s, fear of letting go of things you are attached to. Part of the
vocational journey is not to be imprisoned by your fears forever but to face your fears with the help of God and
others.
4. Understanding celibacy. Some men who are called to the priesthood have always assumed they would marry
and have children. Maybe you find it hard to imagine how you could ever live a celibate life or be happy living
one. Maybe you’re wondering what giving up sex means for your manhood. A desire for marriage, children and
sexual intimacy is normal and natural for a priest. Our culture tends to characterize celibacy as unnatural or
impossible. But many saints and holy people were celibate! Being celibate means sacrificing these good things
for a greater good. The best way to proceed in your discernment is to learn more about the meaning of celibacy.
5. Experiencing ‘spiritual dryness’. It is not uncommon for men who are living a committed Christian life to go
through a period where they find it difficult to pray and don’t ‘feel’ God’s presence. This may be God’s way of
drawing forth in you a deeper faith – that you would place your trust in Him even when you are not receiving His
consolations.
6. Moments of discouragement. Many men will feel unworthy when they think of being a priest.
They may feel disappointed at their struggle to be free from sin, or despair at the difficulties they face in their spiritual
life. It is important to recognize that discouragement does not come from God, who seeks to love and affirm us.

*All these challenges you may come across are common experiences for those discerning the priesthood. Of themselves,
they are not indicators that you don’t have a vocation to be a priest. If anything, it is the overcoming of these challenges
which may be a way in which God wants to form you through your vocational journey. It’s a good idea to talk about these
experiences you may be facing with a spiritual director. If you don’t already have a spiritual director who can guide you
as you explore these issues, you can contact the Vocation Centre to find one.

The Joys of the Priesthood

It is a strange quirk of our culture that the priesthood is often presented in terms of what a man gives up: the priesthood
is seen as giving up marriage, giving up children, etc. Imagine if every time a couple got engaged to be married people
looked at them sympathetically and said, “You poor things, you’ll never get to have a romantic relationship with anyone
other than your spouse!” At the same time, we rarely get to hear about the many joys priests experience. Did you know
that survey after survey shows that a high number of priests are happy and satisfied in their vocation? Read about one
study here. All vocations involve sacrifice. All vocations have joys. Below are some Sydney priests sharing about their
own joys of the priesthood:
Theo 103
Lesson 4 Challenges and Joys of Responding to the Call of Priesthood