The Priesthood

 

By virtue of their ordination, priests are called to serve Christ by sharing in His ministry. The priest is to be a living, breathing, walking Christ for others. In the person of Christ, he is a leader of people, a shepherd to the sheep, and a father to the Christian family. The priest therefore must be a man who is configured to Christ and be able to act in the person of Christ. Through the sacrament of Holy Orders, a priest is called to publicly exercise his office in the Church by offering sacrifice and proclaiming the Gospel in the name of Jesus Christ. The goal of priestly formation is therefore formation to "the ministerial priesthood, or more precisely, the ministerial priesthood as a participation - in the Church - in the very priesthood of Jesus Christ." (PDV n. 11).

As Pope John Paul II says in "Gift and Mystery", "The priestly vocation is a mystery. It is the mystery of a 'wondrous exchange'...between God and man. A man offers his humanity to Christ, so that Christ may use him as an instrument of salvation, making him as it were into another Christ. Unless we grasp the mystery of the 'exchange', we will never understand how it can be that a young man hearing the words 'Follow me!' can give up everything for Christ, in the certainty that if he follows this path he will find complete personal fulfillment." ("Gift and Mystery", pp. 72-73).

 

The Life of the Diocesan Priest

 

The life of the diocesan priest is shaped by his service to the local Church. Through his ordination, he is joined to his bishop and the priests of a particular geographical area called a "diocese". In the Archdiocese of Omaha, this geographical area includes the city of Omaha and 23 counties of Northeast Nebraska. It is here that the diocesan priest of the Archdiocese of Omaha works with the Archbishop and with his brother priests in fulfilling the threefold ministry of Christ - preaching the Gospel, sanctifying souls through the Sacraments and leading the Church through service.

 

The diocesan priest is celibate, yet he stands at the heart of the parish family. The celibate lifestyle reminds him that his deepest meaning and fulfillment is found in his relationship with the Lord and in his freedom to serve Christ's people. The diocesan priest therefore must be a man of prayer, study, and action. He is called to reflect deeply on the Scriptures and Catholic tradition, to study current theology, and to act as the designated leader of the liturgical prayer of the parish community.

 

For the diocesan priest, the celebration of the sacraments is central to his life of ordained service. Through the sacrament of Baptism he brings new members into God's family. In Confirmation classes he prepares them to receive the Holy Spirit. In the Sacrament of Sacraments, the Holy Eucharist, he gathers God's family for divine worship, instructs them with the Word of God, celebrates the death and resurrection of Christ, feeds them His life-giving Body and Blood, and sends them forth to bring Christ to the world. In Penance he reconciles people to God and His family. In the sacrament of Matrimony he witnesses the power of Christ making one flesh from two, a living symbol of Christ's love for the Church. Through the Anointing of the Sick he brings people the comfort of God and the confident hope of eternal life. The diocesan priest ministers by preaching, by teaching, and by helping people make connections between the Gospel and their own lives. He ministers by building community, by drawing people together, by challenging them to serve each other, and by urging them to address the social concerns of our times.

 

The diocesan priest ministers by celebrating Eucharist, and by leading the community at prayer, especially in the sacramental moments of birth, reconciliation, marriage, sickness and death. If God is calling you to consider the priesthood in the Archdiocese of Omaha, you will be joining many other seminarians and priests who are happily responding to God's call. These are men who walk by faith. They are flexible and innovative. In their priestly life, no two days will ever be the same. After their morning prayer and celebration of the Mass our priests are teaching in school, instructing converts, offering counsel to those in need, visiting the sick and bereaved, working with the youth group, preparing for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist and Sacraments, aiding the poor, attending a wedding banquet, and so much more. In all of this the diocesan priest is Christ among His people -- teaching, sanctifying, and serving.

 

Discerning God's Call

 

God has a personal plan for you. That plan began before you were born and will continue to unfold throughout your life. His plan for you includes your call to follow Christ in holiness, and live and love in His Name. If God is calling you to a life of holiness in the priesthood, He will give you the necessary grace to accept this call in your life. As a man discerns a priestly vocation, he needs to be aware of some common indicators which might signify a priestly vocation. The following signs help point the way to God's will:

• Growing Faith -- a man experiences an increased awareness of God in his life. He has a growing love for Jesus Christ, for His way of life, His mission, His holy people the Church, His Body and Blood in the Eucharist, and His Sacraments.
• Growing Zeal -- a young man's developing friendship with Jesus leads to an ever deepening desire to share in His salvific mission.
• Growing Desire To Prayerfulness -- a young man's increasing desire to give himself completely to the Lord in prayer.
• Growing Interest in the Life and Work of the Priest -- a man's growing sense of wonder at what it would be like to give himself completely to the Lord through preaching the Word and celebrating the Sacraments.
• Growing Desire to Lead People -- a young man exhibiting leadership skills in school, community and Church.
• Growing Sensitivity to the Needs of People -- a man who enjoys being around people and has a caring attitude toward all.
• Growing Sense That God Has Something Great Planned for You -- a man with the sense that there is something more important in life than material consumerism and that God is calling him to be part of these deeper mysteries.

In addition to these common indications of a vocation to the priesthood, it is important to realize that each man's call to the priesthood is uniquely personal. In other words, God uses the particular character, abilities, gifts and talents of a man to make him aware of his vocational call. God's unique call to the priesthood, however, is made most evident through prayer.

Through his personal commitment to prayer, a man is able to discern God's call to the priesthood. He develops an ever deepening union with God. The recitation of the Rosary, attendance at daily Mass, frequent Eucharistic adoration and scripture reading are great means for discovering God's will for you. Through prayerful meditation we encounter the Lord and his will.

The regular and honest discussion of your life with a priest is also an important aspect of discernment. Such open discussion will enable you to understand where God is leading you. Through this spiritual direction you can confide in a priest about your deepest questions and concerns, and share with him the state of your prayer life. Through such an experience the priest can help you see God's will in your life. He can only help you, however, for you are the one who must ultimately discern God's will in your life.

In addition to speaking to a spiritual director, it is also important to seek out other happy priests and seminarians and talk to them about the priesthood and seminary life. They will gladly respond to you and share their stories and experiences.

Finally, contact the Vocation Director as soon as possible so that he can introduce you to further information on discernment, seminary life, and the priesthood.