People are often surprised to discover that the priest who just finished celebrating Mass had a prior life; yet, most people have a natural curiosity about the priest and are too afraid to ask.
I was amazed when I arrived at the Mount Angel Seminary in 1995 at just how many men had successful professional careers before hearing God’s call. Medical Doctors, Lawyers, Bankers, Heavy Equipment Operators, Civil Engineers, Physicists, Musicians, Computer Software Designers, Butchers (think meat counter) and even former IRS Tax Agents were present when I arrived at the seminary. All of a sudden, being a former Air Force Target Intelligence Analyst (think war planner) was not so unusual; maybe God really could be calling me to the priesthood.
This wasn’t exactly a bunch of losers who couldn’t make a living in the real world. They were all professionals who chose to let go of their previous way and standard of living once they heard the voice of Christ saying, “Come follow me.”
Marriage? Actually, there were a fair number of us who were dating when we first heard Christ’s call; imagine being the girlfriend watching her boyfriend approach her and hear him say, “there’s something I have to do.” Silence.
Most of the men in the seminary had plans for marriage; they had a desire to be married and a strong desire for children, but they had a love for the Lord that far exceeded any other love, “Come follow me” rang in their ears.
Seminarians come from differing sized families, some very large, others very small; some families more Catholic then others. Christ's call to "follow me" leaves even the best of families with the strongest identity as catholics searching for answers as their son departs for the seminary.
It’s not unusual for a man to hear painful off-the-cuff comments made by others when his decision to pursue the priesthood becomes public. Each of us experience some form of extreme reaction from our family, friends, and neighbors; these range from exuberance to disbelief; I’ll never forget that in a span of thirty seconds I was slapped on the back out of joy by a friend and then immediately have a woman pass by saying, “What a waste!” And, these comments were made by people who went to mass daily.
Sometimes men get so caught up in the journey to the seminary and veer from the road less travelled because of their struggles. Doubts enter. Second guessing occurs. New and tempting offers are presented; it’s not unusual for a past love to re-emerge. “Come follow me” still rings in our ears; how committed are we? The Lord always asks, “Are you willing to pick up your cross and follow me?”
If the thought of entering the seminary doesn’t scare a man off then usually the call to sacrifice does. However, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving coupled with the Eucharist and Reconciliation provides the necessary grace to stay the course. The application process itself can be grueling; at the time I applied, we all needed to fill out an application but mine was over 22 pages long, single spaced, and type written; this from a guy who had never written a paper of more than five pages long in his life. There were multiple meetings with the vocation director, a journey to the psychologist to make sure I wasn’t nuts, full dental and medical exams, a security check, and then the interview board meeting! Once the board was through a recommendation was sent to the bishop who pondered the application. Eventually, I received the phone call (actually it was only two hours later when it usually took 3-4 weeks at that time) from the vocation director that I had been accepted. Then, it was time to meet the bishop. Meet the bishop? One on one? Talk about nervous.
Does every man who enters the seminary become a priest? No. For some, their journey to the seminary ultimately leads them to another sacrament-marriage, others are called to be single; yes, being single is also a good and noble vocation. In either case, the men who left the seminary don’t have to look back and think “what if” later because they gave God the first shot. Other times, like for myself, men enter the seminary only to leave after a few months or years because it just wasn’t time; their vocational calling needed some more time to mature and be nurtured elsewhere. And yes, some even return to the seminary at a later date.
In my case, I departed for the seminary full of zeal only leave the seminary after my first semester. My heart longed for marriage and the professors and students were all too human for me, and all too filled with sin. Yet, even after I left, I kept hearing the words, “Come follow me.” What I learned very quickly is that God doesn’t choose the ready-made man for priesthood; he chooses the unpolished one, and like a stone, He throws you into the polishing machine, called a seminary, to take off some of the jagged edges.
No matter how many reasons a man might have not to be a priest, it only takes one reason to be called to priesthood: Jesus saying, “Come follow me.”
