Recognizing the call
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide" (Jn 15:16)
To be called by God is to experience a deep and personal stirring within one's soul. All who believe in the person and power of Jesus Christ, all who are baptized, are called to walk with their brothers and sisters on their journey to the Lord. This is an open call, a call to all Christians. 
Discerning a vocation is hard work, no doubt about it! It can be especially tough if you've just begun to give thought to the priesthood. Simply figuring out how to pray and who to talk to are challenges in themselves. Added to that is the fear of what others might think, especially your family and friends. Perhaps the number one anxiety of many men is the requirement of celibacy; many dismiss the possibility of the priesthood over that single issue! There are so many valuable ways that you can choose to live your life. Our Blessed Lord teaches us not to fear but to trust in Him! He can and will give us happiness if we do His will. Let the Holy Spirit work in your soul.
"Every vocation is a gift from God which must be explored by prayer and merited by the witness of a holy life." (Pope John Paul II)
Q. What would you say to other young men who may be wondering if they have a vocation to the priesthood? A. Why wonder? Pray, and beg God not to allow you to become a priest if it is not His will, but if it is, for him to give you the strength and desire to conform to His will. (Matthew Ericksen, a Diocese of Savannah Seminarian)
