“If you don’t change direction, you’ll end up where you’re heading.” – Chinese proverb Failure to Launch was the title of a popular movie a few years ago about a shiftless young man with no direction in life. The term “launch” in the movie’s title is used...
What can the words of the Mass teach us about the priesthood? Plenty, says Msgr. James Maroney, a liturgical scholar who has traveled the country preparing priests to understand and celebrate Mass better. “The liturgy itself tells us who the priest is,” explains Msgr. Moroney. “The prayers...
If you wanted to be a journalist, it would make sense to talk to someone who works at a newspaper. If you wanted to be a chef, it would make sense to talk to someone who works at a restaurant. Just so, if you feel an...
Many people, even many Catholics, have a vision of seminary as a very strict monastery. They imagine men walking around in hooded robes with folded hands, observing strict silence, and never smiling or laughing. But that is not even true of a monastery, much less...
“The unexamined life is not worth living,” Socrates famously said. He really meant it, too, as he also said that a man must “interrogate his own nature” and “work precisely” or else he will “miss what is good and become involved in what is bad.” Every...
Spirituality is the individual approach to one's relationship with God. It involves making use of the tools of prayer and devotion which help you to live as a Christian the best way possible. Spirituality is, therefore, personal and many details of your spirituality will be...
"It does makes sense to become a priest: the world needs priests, pastors, today, tomorrow and always, until the end of time." In an open letter on October 18, 2010, Pope Emeritus Benedict spoke from his heart to seminarians throughout the Church. Addressing the confusion and...
What does it take to be a priest? This is the remarkable true story of an American priest martyred for his ministry. Fr. Stanley Rother, a priest for the diocese of Oklahoma City, graduated from Mount St. Mary’s Seminary back in the 1970s. He was not...
I’m my own man! I’m self-made, and I alone should determine my destiny! I will let nothing stand in the way of what I want. There is no other road to happiness! At least that’s what contemporary society would have us believe. But the Christian viewpoint is...
Maybe you’re considering the priesthood and you feel peaceful about following God’s call and applying for seminary. But what about your family and friends? What if they don’t understand? What if they reject your choice, or — even worse — you? It’s true that breaking the...