What advice would you give someone considering becoming a priest?
It's very difficult, in terms of who's asking it. First of all, I will just tell them to take time to pray, because priesthood is about a relationship with God. A priest is trying to live out a calling where God is asking him to represent Him to the people, and so it's always about a prayer life. Anyone who's thinking about becoming a priest, I would first tell them to pray about it. Then we'll help them to get in touch with another priest who will accompany them in whatever they're doing in life, and just talking to them about their life, and try to work through with them as to why they feel they're being called. Firstly, it's because the person themself feels they want to give of themselves to others, of service to others. They want to somehow make the world a better place - that's part of being a priest. But firstly, prayer. Secondly, accompaniment by another fellow priest who would encourage them to meet with other people who are thinking about priesthood. Because we arrange weekends twice a year for men who are thinking about priesthood, to bring them together to throw ideas together and throw their struggle. Also, I'd invite them to share it with their friends. Initially, it's a personal decision, or a personal thought, and it's difficult to share it with anyone else. As they're thinking serious about it I would invite them to share it with their family, and their friends, so that they can see what others think of his decision or his thinking. Eventually, as I journey with them, I would ask them to think about doing some kind of work that will be in relationship to what they are going to be about. If they have been in touch with me for about six months, I'd be saying to them, are you doing any volunteer work, are you involved in your local community, or in your church? Is there any work you could be taking on? And especially in terms of the missionary oblates, who we are, we work with the poor. I will try to help the person to look at, can you work where there are people who are in great need, where the poor are present? So it could be just as a basic element of volunteering in a soup kitchen - I try to look at how they give of themselves voluntarily, out of their paid time, because that would indicate how much they are willing to give as a priest. That's important because it's not about am I being paid for it or not, it's about actually just being of service to the community, to the people.
