You will never regret asking

As I noted last time, the vocation directors we’ve heard from indicated that young men today need to form solid connections in order to be encouraged to follow God’s call to the priesthood. When you think about that, it makes perfect sense. Christianity is not a “me and Jesus” religion, as some might believe. Rather, we’re a community — a family — whose purpose is to support one another on our way to Heaven.

I was talking with Fr. Scott Raef, Vocation Director for the Diocese of Amarillo, recently. He shared a great story about how important it is to offer that encouragement to those whom we think might have a priestly vocation. He told me how he had made such comments to a fellow he knew, and that those comments came back to the young man years later, after he had spent time in school and starting a career.

I’ve always made a point of asking boys and young men if they’ve thought about becoming a priest. Once, it even got a good laugh. When I was hosting Catholic Answers Live, we produced a monthly show for kids to ask questions. When we had answered the question of a young caller named Alex, I took the opportunity to pose the question: “So, Alex, have you ever thought about being a priest when you get older?” To my – and, I’m sure, our listeners’ – great surprise, Alex replied, “I’m a girl!”

At least Alex had her theology right. And, while I was sorry I mistook Alex for a young boy, to this day I’m not sorry I asked the question. Neither should you be when you ask the same question of boys or young men you know. It could be just the thing they need to lead them to give their lives to the Church as priests!