The Vows of Priesthood
Part of discerning a call to the priesthood or religious life is discerning the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. As the world grows more modern and secular, the life of a priest or religious becomes more countercultural. Vows within today’s global community seem especially hard to understand and often make someone considering the priesthood second-guess themselves. Here’s something to keep in mind: Consecrated life spells out a particular way to go about what every Christian must do anyhow. Living the values of the Gospel now will be the best preparation for living them in consecrated life.
Poverty: We have to fast before receiving Holy Communion. The lesson here is that, to be in communion with Christ, we have to become “poor” for his sake. We go to communion hungry, and we leave some of our money in the collection basket. We make a sacrifice that teaches us detachment from worldly goods. Other opportunities for fasting and almsgiving—especially during Lent—can help us make gains in poverty of spirit.
Chastity: Chastity means fidelity according to our state of life. Married people practice this through mutual and exclusive fidelity to their spouse. Single persons live out chastity by being faithful to a future spouse, whether human, mystical (the Church, the bride of Christ), or divine (our Lord). Persons who derive great satisfaction and strength from the intimacy experienced with Christ and his Church at Sunday Mass will be led to desire for daily Mass and the Eucharist. We learn from this how to be intimate and share our lives with others in ways that are both fulfilling and chaste.
Obedience: Obedience is the act of union with the will of another. This often entails a certain humbling of self. We have to prepare well in order to receive Jesus worthily in Holy Communion. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we humbly confess our sins and renounce our own will in anything that leads us away from God. We also pray at Mass as Jesus taught: “Thy will be done.” The surrender that puts us in union with the Father’s will can give us a great sense of freedom. Obedience to the teaching and discipline of our Holy Mother Church is a proof of our growth in this evangelical counsel.