The call to a vocation to the priesthood comes from God. God makes the first move. God extends the invitation.
Scripture makes this clear: “No one takes this honor upon himself but only when called by God” (Heb 5:4), as in the days of Moses when God called Aaron and his sons to be his priests (Ex 28:1). If a man approaches his bishop or the vocation director and announces, “I have decided to be a priest,” it must be gently explained to him that God does not work that way, and that “his decision” requires further reflection and review.
The call from God to be a priest comes in a variety of ways, and oftentimes in more than one way. In the Bible, God calls with dreams, visions, voices, whispering sounds, and messengers, and the methods God employed in biblical times are still in use. God may call through a mystical moment when a person has an overwhelming experience of God’s presence, or a dawning awareness that God is calling, or a personal discovery that a person possesses the talents and abilities needed to serve as a priest. God may call through an inspiration to imitate a good and holy priest, or by an invitation to consider the priesthood from someone who recognizes the spiritual gifts and temperament required for the priesthood in a person, or by a thought that comes to mind and does not disappear but returns over and over again, or while caught up in the mystery of the presence of Jesus during Mass or Benediction, or through the words of Scripture, or in silence while listening during personal prayer. God calls in countless other ways, too.
When God calls, it is natural to resist or hesitate. Moses was worried that the people would not believe him (Ex 4:1) and he objected, “I have never been eloquent” and “I am slow of speech” (Ex 4:10). Isaiah felt unworthy because of his sinful past, stating “I am a man of unclean lips” (Is 6:5a) and his associations with other sinful people, “living among a people of unclean lips” (Is 6:5b). Jeremiah objected due to his age: “I am too young” (Jer 1:6). When God asked Jonah to go east to Nineveh, Jonah went west to Tarshish (Jon 1:2-3). When Jesus called Peter, he protested, “I am a sinful man” (Lk 5:8). God is like “The Hound of Heaven” and pursues those he calls down the highways and byways of life. Lack of skill or unworthiness are not excuses. God provides the gifts that are needed. Furthermore, if it was necessary for a person to be perfect to be a priest, there would be no priests. God takes a person who is unworthy and makes him worthy to feed his lambs and tend his sheep (see Jn 21:15-17).
Once a person experiences the call to the priesthood, it is wise to seek guidance and confirmation of the call. Continued personal prayer is essential. The Holy Spirit provides insight, wisdom and direction. It is beneficial to explore one’s call with other individuals: his parish priest, another priest, a deacon, a religious sister, a spiritual director, a counselor, a parent or family member, a person of faith, or a trustworthy friend, classmate, or coworker.
When it becomes clear that God is calling, sacred Scripture provides excellent examples for how to respond. When Samuel heard the voice of God while he was sleeping, he replied, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Sm 3:10). When Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord, he replied, “Here I am … send me” (Is 6:8). When Mary received her call from the Archangel Gabriel, she said, “May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). When Jesus called Peter and Andrew, James and John, they did not say anything but dropped what they were doing and followed him (Mk 1:16-20). When God calls, God expects to be obeyed.
Father Van Sloun is the director of clergy personnel for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. This column is part of a series on the sacrament of holy orders.
