Why Catholic: The Priesthood

“I am often asked, especially by young people, why I became a priest. Maybe some of you would like to ask the same question. Let me try briefly to reply.

I must begin by saying that it is impossible to explain entirely. For it remains a mystery, even to myself. How does one explain the ways of God? Yet, I know that, at a certain point in my life, I became convinced that Christ was saying to me what he had said to thousands before me: ‘Come, follow me!’

There was a clear sense that what I heard in my heart was no human voice, nor was it just an idea of my own. Christ was calling me to serve him as a priest. And you can probably tell that I am deeply grateful to God for my vocation to the priesthood. Nothing means more to me or gives me greater joy than to celebrate Mass each day and to serve God’s people in the Church. That has been true ever since the day of my ordination as a priest. Nothing has ever changed this, not even becoming Pope.”

-Pope Saint John Paul II

Explaining the Priesthood

The call and vocation of the Priest is one of the great gifts that Jesus has given to the world through the Catholic Church. This week in our Why Catholic series we dive into the priesthood, which often causes confusion or questions from our non-Catholic friends and family.

Why can only men be priests? Why can’t priests get married? What is the difference between the priesthood of all the baptized and the priesthood of the ordained? Is God calling me or someone I love to be a priest?

I pray that this preaching series will bring you to a deeper appreciation of the gift of the Catholic Church and the gift of the priesthood.