Of Holy Orders....

My mind was wandering while driving (that's a little dangerous) and I started thinking about the priesthood. Well, priests. to be exact.

Priest take three vows right? At least, Catholic Priests take vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. I knew this even when I was younger but I never really fully understood what it meant. When I saw a priest as a child, I knew that he had taken these vows but to me it was like signing a job contract. The only difference was that this was permanent.

But of course, I know now that the permanence makes all the difference in the world. When I was young, a lifetime of chastity and poverty wasn't such a big deal. Obedience was harder to accept. All in all, though, being a priest really didn't seem that hard. Except maybe the singing and praying all the time.

I know better now.

While driving here, I was thinking about all the things I have and all that I still want. I told myself that I shouldn't be materialistic but also that it was ok to want something once in a while. There's nothing wrong with that, I said (and still believe). But don't forget about people who don't have anything. They are not as blessed as I am. That has to be hard. On the other hand, what about those who can have everything and anything but CHOOSE not to? That's definitely tougher.

Why would you choose to be poor forever? Why would you choose to be single your whole life? And why on Earth would you want to be told what to do all the time, even if it is God who's doing all the telling? I really didn't understand. But now it hits me, it's not about those things. It's about love. Love for God, love for the world. It's all about love.

You see, a priest dedicates his life to doing God's work. To be able to commit to that completely, he has to take these vows. And, hard as it may seem, it's actually not impossible. It just takes a whole lot of discipline, commitment and responsibility. You're doing God's work in the world. It's not an easy task. But look on the bright side, God is always there to help you as long as you ask.

I get it now. Being a priest, committing yourself to a lifetime of serving God, is not a choice that can be made overnight. It takes thought and a real strong love for God. (Not that your love for God isn't as strong if you aren't a priest). It's like committing to a marriage. Not the modern marriage where you can get a divorce in 72 days just because you and your spouse can't decide where to live. No, I'm talking about the traditional marriage where you marry your true love and you work through whatever hurdles. You stay together for life and you wait for each other in death, to be reunited again. That's what priesthood is.

I salute the men who made this decision. They've chosen a path that is difficult and they make it easier with God's help. They prove to everyone in the world that God is not impossible. Hey, they can pray all the time, deal with a myriad of people, do charity work and preach all at the same time for they entire lives. So it shouldn't be so hard for us to take some time of to pray once a day at least. :)