Once, my School Principal looked at me and said, “Sebastian, you have a priestly look”. I was only 11 years old. As soon as I returned home, I looked in the mirror and said to myself: “Father Sebastian!” Everyday, the whole family prayed rosary together. My mom used to add a few more prayers after the rosary. Prayer for vocations was one of them. I used to hear her pray “Lord, bless our family with priestly vocations”. The comment of the principal and the prayer of my mom helped me think about the possibility of becoming a priest. I am sure every priest has stories to share about their vocations.
Today, the fourth Sunday of Easter is dedicated to pray for priests and priestly and religious vocations. The vocation to the priesthood is a unique ministry in the Church. Jesus himself instituted the priesthood. During the Last Supper, after the institution of the Eucharist, Jesus said to his apostles: “Do this in memory of me”. Jesus ordered them to make the bread of life available until the end of time. Jesus established the priesthood to make the Eucharist available. Since the Eucharist is the summit of our Catholic faith, the Church cannot exist without priests. The teaching, sanctifying and shepherding ministries of the Church continue through Holy Orders.
The Church, in certain parts of the world today, is suffering from a shortage of priests. Without genuinely searching for the reasons why, if we only look for other alternatives, we may not be doing a great service to the church. The problem is not with God, it is with us. God is still calling men to the priesthood, but they either do not recognize his call or fail to respond to it. If a person fails to respond to God’s call not only he/she, but the whole community suffers.
It is, therefore, important to look for the reasons for this decline in vocations and take necessary steps to alter it. A number of factors are contributing to the cold response of the young people to the call of the priesthood.
1. The clergy fail to express their enthusiasm and personal satisfaction in their priesthood.
2. Wrong understanding of the priestly ministry. Jesus had a mission to fulfill. In order to continue his mission, he called Disciples and Apostles. He empowered them with the Holy Spirit and commissioned them to go to the end of the earth. This conferring of the Spirit and sending constitute the heart of ministry. Through the reception of Baptism, every Christian inherits this commissioning from the Lord. They are mandated to perform this ministry according to one’s calling and abilities (Talents). Ministry to the Priesthood is, however, different from other ministries that are spontaneously emerging from the sacrament of Baptism. Holy Orders is a sacrament, a unique call to live out one’s baptismal commitment in a particular way. This is a Sacrament at the Service of Communion (Vat. II). It is a special call to serve the Church through the three fold ministries: - teaching, sanctifying and governing. It is a life long commitment. The tendency to equate priestly ministry with other ministries downplays the importance of priestly vocation.
3. Lack of community involvement. Traditionally the parish community played a crucial role in identifying young people with leadership qualities, and encouraging them to consider the possibilities of becoming a priest/ religious. Today, many parishes do not have active programs towards this direction.
4. Secular influence. It is an undeniable fact that our culture is becoming more and more materialistic in nature. A culture that focuses on self promotion and individualism discourages people to think about a life style that demands voluntary sacrifice. Moreover, a better understanding of the benefits celibacy is somehow or other missing.
6. Broken families and redefinition of marriage. Family is the domestic church that nurtures and nourishes vocations. A story is told about Pope Pius the X. After being elected Pope, one day he visited his Mom. As soon as he saw his Mom, he showed his Papal ring and said: “Mom, kiss this ring. I am the Pope!” After a little pause, his mom showed her wedding ring and said: “Son, see this ring. Because I was faithful to this ring, you were born, you had a holy family environment, became priest, bishop and now pope”. Yes, everything good and beautiful will emerge from a healthy and a holy family. Parents need to encourage their children to consider priesthood as one of the options in their future planning. They need to set the example for Christian living through, prayer, charitable works and sacramental lives.
God is faithful. He will not abandon his church unattended. We need to create an atmosphere where our young people can listen to his voice and discern his plan for them. It is a collective responsibility. Let us do our role responsibly.
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