The Catholic Church teaches that we share in the tasks of Christ, and, as such, we share in the “common priesthood of the faithful” (as the Catechism of the Catholic Church calls it). This means a general call to the laity to share and spread the Word of God. But beyond this general call, there is the special call to the ordained priesthood: the sacrament of Holy Orders.

Priests preach Christ's Gospel in their efforts to bring people to Catholic maturity. Once “signed with a special character” — in other words, once they are ordained — priests are, in a sense, set apart. This helps them dedicate themselves to God's ministry with complete devotion. Laypeople who take on the important work of helping priests assist them in being the leaders of the faithful that they need to be.

Called to the Priesthood

Many men are called, but few are chosen. Until about twenty-five years ago, it was very common among ardent Catholic families for at least one son to choose the priesthood. For one thing, it was a badge of honor. For boys raised in a thickly atmospheric Catholic environment, the call to the priesthood was often glamorous and appealing. These boys were first initiated into some of the rites of the Church by becoming altar boys. They went to Catholic schools and were taught every day about the glory of the Church. Many might have had a charismatic priest as a mentor. The boys who thought they had the gift went to seminary fairly young, midway through their teens.

Nowadays, the secular world has greatly encroached on the call to Holy Orders. Catholics live in a culture that trivializes religion and instead seems to exalt consumerism, materialism, and moral relativism. There are more distractions, and hence fewer men are joining the priesthood. It is difficult in such a busy world to heed a call or indeed even to be aware of it.

Still, there are men to whom, for one reason or another, the call gets through. They go through a variety of stages before they are anointed. But one of the most important is doing a lot of thinking — and praying. After these men are accepted into the seminary, they undergo a number of tests — not paper examinations so much as tests of doubt — before they are sure their vocation is true. Along the road, a number drop out.

It isn't easy being a priest in today's world. There are many more complex problems to deal with. Priests have to counsel women about birth control and abortion. Families seem to be under particular stress. Sometimes the priest must take on a role of a social worker, conducting marital therapy sessions or helping children of broken homes.

It takes a man with a particular set of skills to deal with both the ministry and the mission, especially in the dynamic urban centers. Today's Catholics have easy access to almost every temptation there is, and priests need to be sophisticated enough to understand this world and help guide their assembly through it.

Discernment

Knowing whether you have a calling is called “discernment.” Certain questions and considerations come up time and again for those considering the priesthood. Those who go into religious orders have to take vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience. Understandably, this may be upsetting to family and friends.

To reach discernment, men often go through a period of doubt. They have many questions that have not been answered, such as the following:

• How do I tell if God is really calling me to become a priest?

• How do I know if he wants me to enter into the vocation of marriage instead?

• My faith is growing and with it my wish to become a priest. I have been praying to God for answers, but I haven't heard anything. Will I really recognize the call from God, when it comes?

These types of questions could easily apply to a woman trying to decide whether to become a nun. It is an agonizing one for young people and not easily answered. To help them, they might turn to a mentor or a vocational adviser. The advice to these young people is to continue in their life of faith, to continue to pray and receive the sacraments, and to read a lot so that their feelings will develop from a vague idea to real conviction.

Once he achieves a certain degree of certainty, the young man must then turn to a priest he trusts. The priest's guidance will help him figure out whether he has really experienced the call to priesthood. The next step is to enroll in a seminary or to join a religious order that most closely corresponds to the young man's religious aims or convictions.