Posted by
Anthony on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 5:23:01 PM
I work with seminarians, over seeing seven years of academic preparation of the priesthood. Only about half of them make it through the whole process. Most of them who leave go out believing God is calling them to something else. Some who leave are discouraged and not sure what God is calling them to. But I admire these young men. In a world of banality and compromise, they found God's love and attempted to offer Him a gift of love in return. Even those who did not become priests were part of a great enterprise -- the greatest endeavor of our culture and our time. In years to come, we will see them as the real heroes - both those who go on into the priesthood and those others who go on to engage the world.
Sadly, most people do not value what these young men are trying to take up. Many Catholics do not see what is at stake in the current cultural war - and that for such young men, our battle would be lost. Such Catholics really do not see the greatness of what a vocation is. For them, one social contract is as good as another, if thats what winds your clock. Such Catholics honestly believe that it would be better if the Church were just a little more liberal about such things. Unfortunately, their pragmaticism is poison for the rest of us. They discourage young people from believing that we have something important to offer the world, and they are especially threatened when young people try to do something great with their lives - like speak up for the defenseless or to embrace a life of sacrifice for others. Out of envy or ignorance, they make cynical quipts - fiery darts aimed at the heart. We do not know the full extent of the damage this skepticism causes. But we know it is not universal. In the link below, statistics show that more than half the men entering the priesthood were discouraged by someone close to them along the way - but they did not let this hold them back. They pushed on so that not only the Church but the world is blessed by their generosity. http://tiny.cc/ojGgo.