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Praying for vocations to the sacred priesthood
June 3rd, 2014, Promulgated by Bernie
| Defending Truth and Tradition in the Roman Catholic Church |
| Defending Truth and Tradition in the Roman Catholic Church |
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The deacon ordination today was for one permanent and four transitional deacons. This is a real reversal of trends that have held for about thirty years. Bishop Matano’s homily was wonderful. We are so blessed.
Just an observation – those men ordained all began their studies under Bishop Clark!
Another observation: Those men ordained all began their studies under Bishop Clark knowing that by the time ordination came there would be a new bishop receiving their vows of obedience.
A further observation: They began their studies perhaps hoping there would be a new bishop, but without any guarantee that that would be the case. And I don’t think that was really a major consideration on their part anyway. If it was, then it raises some questions about their spiritual maturity.
@Ron–we disagree.
Anyone who followed how especially the last 10 years of Bp. Clark’s reign played out (refraining here from putting forth a list of the complaints which reached Rome and the Congregation for Bishops) one would have been blind not to see the writing on the wall — that Bp. Clark would be replaced when he offered his mandatory resignation at age 75. The rapidity of acceptance of that resignation underscored the urgency. That a neighboring bishop rather than a member of Bp. Clark’s diocesan staff was named as administrator, further underscored the point.
I am not so naive as to believe that good, holy men discerning the priesthood would not have noticed and prayed not only to discern whether or not they had a vocation but WHERE they had that vocation, geographically as well as in an order or as a diocesan priest; e.g. missionary or not. If they hadn’t, using your words, “it raises some questions about their spiritual maturity.”
A candidate for the priesthood has to foremost take care of his own soul, or he is not worth much to the people he serves. He can give up much to serve them, even his own life, but never his soul. Thus, to whom a priest vows obedience matters a lot. The bishop is the spiritual father of his priests. Future bishops are inherited,and obedience must follow, but taking vows is a deliberate, reasoned act. I do not criticize those who left the diocese to be seminarians elsewhere, nor do I criticize those who left their home diocese to come to Rochester. May all be following the Lord’s direction.