Preparation.
When a young man feels called to a life of religious consecration or priesthood, this vocation is
generally confirmed, by discernments of the Parish Priest, then by the seminary formators. I
remember when I started feeling the desire to become a Catholic priest. It was when I was about 9
years old. After my First Holy Communion, I joined the Altar Servers’ Association in my village
parish. One Saturday, after the daily Mass, I boldly walked up to our Pastor and announced my
intention to join the seminary and subsequently become a priest. He was newly posted to my parish
then, and from that moment, he took a special interest in me, becoming of immense guide and
support to me throughout my seminary formation – a journey that lasted for many years.
Time for Discernment
Many people have had, and still have, similar experiences in the path to their vocation. Throughout
the years that seminary formation lasts, the candidate matures in this path. How can one evaluate
whether God actually calls one to the priesthood? Time is of the essence. The seminary formators,
the pastors, spiritual directors and, in various ways also, the people around the candidate, help to
see this desire confirmed in concrete life. Therefore, one does not enter the seminary and
immediately start being a priest from that moment on. It takes years of spiritual, psychological,
and emotional preparation. Together with the help of the aforementioned people, one discerns that
the Lord is calling him. God calls and God gives the support and make one grow on that path.
Marriage and Preparation
The same thing goes for marriage. If one hasn’t matured and lived a similar journey of
preparedness, one risks entering into marriage unfit, and the collateral effect may be crisis, which
sometimes leads to the unpleasant experience of divorce. However, all does not depend on our
personal strength or sagacity alone. There is a vital place of the grace of God, with which we must
cooperate in order to achieve success. “He who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.” (1 Thess
5:24). Today, it is sometimes said that young people do not want to make definitive decisions
about marriage out of fear of the pains of an “imminent” divorce. In the Gospel of today, Jesus
says a clear NO to divorce.
Is Marriage Worth the Stress?
“If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry” (Matt. 19:10). The peremptory
affirmation of those who asked Jesus about the legitimacy of repudiation clearly expresses the
profound unease that his answer aroused. The practice of “male chauvinist” divorce was
universally recognized, and even attributed to Moses. A man, tired of his wife, could send her back
to her parents’ house simply with a letter of divorce and for laughable reasons. The fact, however,
was accepted by everyone, including women. Was it actually Moses who established this practice?
No, of course, not Moses, but some crafty individuals who, over the centuries, had deemed it fit to
attribute this practice to the prophet. Jesus, attracting the antipathies of the male audience, reveals
to us that God has not thought of this and does not will it. In the heart of God, a couple stays
lovingly united throughout their lives, walking and growing together, in the discovery of happiness
and the meaning of life. But, of course, it is not easy to carry out this project and, therefore,
shortcuts are sometimes taken, resulting in divorce. Jesus restores hope to the experience of
couples: fidelity and indissolubility are God’s very dreams for marriage.
Prayer
We pray for those contemplating and preparing to enter into marriage.
We pray for those already in marriage.
We pray for those undergoing marriage crises.
