Is Jesus Christ Calling You To Be A Catholic Priest?: A Helpful Guide

This is the resource sent to me by the Associate Vocations Director and published by the NCDVD. The booklet is broken down into an introduction and 10 spiritual lessons. If you get your hands on one of these booklets, I will recommend the same that was suggested to me, is to pray through each of these lessons for 11 days instead of reading it cover to cover.

Hard Copy:

• Order from NCDVD

Dominus Vobiscum

Lots of work, little time

Wow, I didn't mean to go quite so long without writing on here. I've had some deadlines at work that have kept me busy and I had to find the time to update here as well as edit my past posts. I've talked to another priest that has the same first name as Fr. JN, so I had to read through all of the previous posts and add another intial to references to him so I could talk about both of them and not get confused. Although not much has been happening on this blog, things have still been happening in my discernment process.

I did meet with Fr. JN before he had a wedding to do on a Saturday and I had a baby party to attend for a soon to be godchild. We had a good discussion about what I've been doing and feeling and about his calling and discernment and some of what he sees and does as a priest. He did tell me that when he was at my home parrish when I was young he thought there were 2 young men that would make good priests and I was one of them. That was nice to hear from him. At the end he gave me the number for the Associate Vocations Director and said that I should definitely give him a call.

Later, as I said, I went to a baby party for my best friends DS and JS. I told them that I talked to Fr. JN earlier that day and hadn't gone into what I talked about before DS said that it was about time and she had been thinking that I would be a good priest for awhile now and wondered when I might start considering it, and she's a baptist. Later on I had a long talk with JS, we've been friends since high school and both stick to Church teachings fairly closely. I was glad that I was able to talk to him about it.

I continued praying about it for about a week before I called Fr. JS, from the vocations office. I had to leave a message with the secretary, but he called me back later the same day and talked with me. It was a fairly similar conversation to what I had with Fr. JN, but a little about his story and that discernment is a process where either the discerner or the Church and step out at any spot along the way. He gave me his personal number and told me to email him all of my information so he could send me a discernment packet with an information booklet from the diocese and another booklet with short lessons that I'm supposed to pray one each day and then contact him if I am still interested afterwards. So, I'll be starting that either today or tomorrow.

Also, with coverage of the Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention on both EWTN and the Catholic Channel, I decided to fill out an inquiry form on the website. There are 3 councils in this county and I think all 3 of them contacted me. So, I met with a young man and we talked over lunch after noon Mass. He said that he would get my information to the right person and he thinks there is a 1st degree ceremony going to be held within the next few weeks. So, I suppose that I'm going to go ahead and join the Knights of Columbus soon.

So, I've been busy. Busy at work. Busy helping with my godson's family. Busy praying and slowing taking each step in this discernment processes. But, I'm still here. I haven't given up on discernment, or this blog. At least not yet. Have a happy Feast of St. Maximillian Kolbe today.

Dominus Vobiscum