/christian/ - Christian Discussion and Fellowship

I think I'll join the Deaconate, but I don't know when.

>>551355

God willing

It's not quite the priesthood, but I've been considering the monastic life and have been considering bringing it up to my spiritual father. I feel that if I don't give my life in service to God I'm never going to truly repent of my sins.

>>551384

I've thought about monastic life for quite a while now, but there is too much trepidation in my heart regarding the actual commitment. I feel like it is the only thing that will bring satisfaction; after all, everything is vanity and the only thing for us to do is to fear God and keep His commandments. I feel like withdrawing from today's corrupt society to a dedicated brotherhood for this purpose is the only way to. go about it. However, my priest says I am too young yet, and to wait to see if I find a life or another vocation. This frustrates me as I don't really see myself finding a good woman (as if there are any) nor finding any other calling.

>>551413

find a wife* not a life

I'm also considering joining the priesthood. I considered for a while joining a monastery, but I can't see myself doing simple, menial work every day and not growing to despise just about everything. I'm still quite a ways away from making any commitment, but I don't really see any other ways I'd be both productive and walking in the light of the Lord.

I have always struggled with the concept of sexual abstinence for priests. There is so much temptation.

Here in NZ we have a place named gloriavale. It is a very christian community in a rural area. I think finding something like this would be a much better idea. This way, you have a family to help keep you on the straight and narrow.

I feel that all that time, and denial of the basest human instincts, provides a vulnerability that the evil one can easily exploit.

But sadly for both gloriavale, and the priesthood, there is always space for temptation.

>>551413

That sounds pretty frustrating. But hey, do your best to trust your spiritual father and see where God leads you for a few short years. I believe that if the monastic life is meant for you that nothing on Heaven or Earth will be able to stop you from reaching it (in due time).

To be honest, a similar trepidation is what keeps me from discussing the ascetic life with my own spiritual father – I'm worried that he'll tell me that I'm not strong enough or somesuch and dismiss it entirely. I hope that I can work past the hesitation. God have mercy on us both!

>>551443

Sorry, I meant catholic priests.

>>551422

>There is so much temptation.

If you can't handle something as basic as keeping your penis in your pants, you shouldn't be a priest in the first place.

>>551462

That's a lot of judgement to be making on an anonymous image board.

Humans sin, and nothing ruins the image of an otherwise good religion like pedophilia.

Doomed to fail

>>551466

>Humans sin

The gravity of the sins of priests ought to be less than those of the general population. Otherwise they are not fit to be vicars of Christ.

A man such as myself is tempted by something so common as a pleasant female figure.

A man like Christ could only be tempted by godly things, such as turning stones into bread or seizing the kingdoms of the world.

This is why I should not be a priest while a man capable of refusing the former temptations should at least consider it.

>>551469

Keeping your penis in your pants isn't basic, otherwise I agree

Furthermore, you won't know if you're fit to be a catholic priest straight off the bat, it may take months or years to determine if you have that kind of fortitude to resist temptation

i have always struggled with lust and that stuff. am i fucked? i know that God has called me to suffer and the priesthood would be a good choice. also my spiritual father is a big inspiration, he is very intense.

I am. It's been a long time coming, too. I first felt the call when I was Confirmed, but I ignored it, went to college, and then got lost in the hedonism of being on my own and dropped the faith. When I came back to it around the time of my graduation (three years later), the calling to become a priest came back full-force.

What really sucks, though, is that my Bishop dislikes me. I've met with him several times, and he really doesn't have a good impression of me. My vocation director says he has no intention of ordaining me despite my parish priest, vocation director, spiritual director, and many other people thinking that I legitimately have a calling. He's incredibly liberal (being 100% on board with the refugees and illegal immigrants and anti-gun stuff) and I'm moderately conservative.

The problem is that when I was in college and faithless, I briefly got caught up in the pro-LGBT group on campus. As a Resident Adviser, it was literally my job to be pro-LGBT and they have the paper-work saying I'm an "Ally" and everything, despite me not supporting homosexuality. What's more, is that the Bishop found out I had a conversation with a priest regarding age of consent and culture and stuff, and knows that I admitted there being nothing morally wrong with a marital union between men as young as 16 and women as young as 14 provided that there is no fornication, sodomy, adultery, or other inherently immoral sexual perversions going on and as long as it is legal in the host-country. Because I said it was okay for 14 year-olds to get married, he thinks I'm a homosexual pedophile despite me having only had girlfriends who were significantly older than me.

The Bishop sent me to therapy. I don't care. I feel my calling is genuine, and I will jump through whatever hoops he throws at me. I'm entering my fourth year of formal discernment, and I haven't even been admitted into Seminary yet. It's infuriating.

I wish I could pick it as an option, but I suffer from Same Sex Attraction.

I like women, but there are moments where all I want is…well, be in the arms of a true man, maybe because I missed my father in my youth or because I cannot see myself as a true man and I need one to "complete" me.

I'd be a ticking time bomb.

>>551720

> maybe because I missed my father in my youth or because I cannot see myself as a true man and I need one to "complete" me.

Yep that's pretty much it. Don't worry about not being called to a certain vocation, God knows what's best for you.

>>551466

There is no link between celibacy and pedophilia. This is just a myth.

Honestly, if you are thinking of being a priest but think you're going to uncontrolably molest people simply because you can't have sex, then don't become a priest. Go and get help, that kind of obsession is unhealthy.

>>551470

Dissernment does take a long time. Usually you're put into some kind of monastic life for a minimum of a year (at least where I live).

>>551938

I am pretty sure he is lapsed

>>551930

Alter Christus vs Persona Christi (taken from catholicforum [biased source, I know]):

"As an alter Christus, the priest is profoundly united to the Word of the Father who, in becoming incarnate took the form of a servant, he became a servant (Phil 2: 5-11). The priest is a servant of Christ, in the sense that his existence, configured to Christ ontologically, acquires an essentially relational character: he is in Christ, for Christ and with Christ, at the service of humankind. Because he belongs to Christ, the priest is radically at the service of all people: he is the minister of their salvation, their happiness and their authentic liberation, developing, in this gradual assumption of Christ's will, in prayer, in "being heart to heart" with him. Therefore this is the indispensable condition for every proclamation, which entails participation in the sacramental offering of the Eucharist and docile obedience to the Church." - Pope Benedict XVI 24 June 2009

However, during the celebration of the Mass, he serves in persona Christi, that is, in the very person of Christ, who is truly present.

>>551787

Thank you, brother.

>>551892

I just keep thinking to myself, "This is an Apostle through whom the Spirit speaks. If he denies me, even if it's for his own errant reasoning, then I can take comfort in knowing that the Spirit has its own reasons. If my calling is legitimate, and I respond to it, then nothing on Earth can keep me from becoming a priest. If I don't become a priest, then I was simply mistaken about my calling."

>>551661

I remember you from months back. I'll pray for you.

>>552341

Whatever happens, happens. You'll end up were you need to be, so long as you keep your heart open to God's will, anon.

Do you guys know of any saints that had bad problems with sexual lust or anything like that? I want to serve God in some capacity, but I think I’m out of luck.

>>551965

there was some discussion a few years ago about his religion because people assumed he was Jewish and he said he's Roman Catholic

>>552554

>St. Mary of Egypt

>St. John the Long-Suffering

>St. Justina

>St. Moses the Black

Does anyone know if you can enter the seminary and become a priest if you are an adult convert to Catholicism?

I'm 25 and in RCIA right now and I think I might be called to the priesthood, but I'm not even sure if its possible. Is there a waiting period after baptism before you can proceed with officially discerning?

>>554208

>Does anyone know if you can enter the seminary and become a priest if you are an adult convert to Catholicism?

Yes, you can.

>Is there a waiting period after baptism before you can proceed with officially discerning?

This probably will answer your question:

https://forums.catholic.com/t/can-a-recent-catholic-convert-be-admitted-into-a-seminary-for-training-to-become-a-priest/385900

>>561447

what does he mean about being governor of a primary school?

couldn't find anything on this

>>561452

Primary Schools in the UK have a board of Governors that decide how money is spent, who is employed and choose who runs a school as principal.

A board of Governors is present for each school, or each collection of schools.

The local priest or priests are automatic Governors for schools.

If you want to be a teacher, there will always be a priest on the interview panel. The priest can pretty much shoot down any applicant if the applicant doesn't seem moral enough for the job (however liberal priests will not care or others may fear a massive lawsuit if a faggot applies.)

In one school in which I worked, they were trying to decide where to put their charity money to good use. To all of their liberal rustling, the priest shot down the charity they wanted to choose because that charity also uses money to send contraceptives to Africa, so they had to choose another charity.

>>561472

Honestly if I was a priest in charge of a school, I would never hire a non-(practicing) Catholic for any subject besides maybe mathematics.

I would hire an actually competent religion teacher with the qualifications for it and I would make daily Eucharistic adoration a thing.

>>561476

Same tbh BUT

That's very doable in Northern Ireland but not England. In Northern Ireland it is rare and unheard of to have any kind of non-Catholic staff in a Catholic school - Cleaners and all.

England however is not a Catholic nation, and has comparably small Catholic communities, never mind practising Catholics. The schools I worked in England were shocked to hear of the idea that there are whole Catholic schools across the water.

They simply have to make the best of who apply, and make sure that whoever they do get in knows who the boss is and that they must follow the Catholic R.E. lessons - which are barely discernible from generic lessons on good citizenship.

I've heard of traditionalist Catholic schools getting popular in mainland Europe that pray the Rosary everyday, but are now being targeted non stop with legal action and funding cuts for being bad goys.

>competent religion teacher with the qualifications

Qualifications are misleading. I am qualified with a Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies which means I can teach in Catholic schools, however the same Certificate teaches that the Gospel writers were Anti-Semites and that the role of the Jews in Christ's crucifixion was overplayed to make look the Romans look better.

I know lesbians and other degenerates that got an R.E. degree to have an easier time getting into the Post Graduate teaching course.