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| The priest follows Jesus Christ, the Son of God |
CALLED TO THE PRIESTHOOD? GUIDANCE ON HOW TO BECOME A PRIEST
CALL FROM GOD
The initial stages of becoming a priest often involves the experience of
a call from God/Jesus Christ to follow
Him in a special way.
Becoming a priest entails the
process of coming to deeper understanding of your call.
The priest requires
awareness of the need to train comprehensively in order to ensure effective,
skilled and confident priestly ministry.
It is advisable to continue to
refresh and update priestly training post ordination in order to continue to
minister effectively and to keep pace with ever changing societal trends and
developments.
AM
I CALLED TO PRIESTHOOD?
So you have felt that call from Jesus to follow Him in a special way.
Your heart goes out in compassion to the homeless, the lost, the fearful, those
in need.
And Jesus has put the call on
your heart to be a pastoral shepherd to His people.
You have prayed about it;
you have thought about it.
And now you have decided; you
wish to become a priest following in the footsteps of Jesus.
This is a sacred calling, and is for life.
It is also a great honour, and a
blessed opportunity for your own soul to grow in ways you never imagined, as
you quietly go about your ministry.
HOW
TO BECOME A PRIEST
Step 1; Seek advice
Seek advice from another priest, someone you admire as a true ambassador of God.
Seek advice from another priest, someone you admire as a true ambassador of God.
Find out what being a priest means, and decide if this is really what
you want to do.
Step 2; Attend church
services
Attend church services regularly. Observe the duties of a priest;
preaching the Word of God to people, baptizing people into the community of
Jesus, officiating at the sacraments such as baptisms, weddings and funerals.
Realize that counselling people
and their families forms part of being a good priest.
Step 3; Attend Seminary
A seminary is a center of learning for priests in order to learn how to
become effective priests for Christ.
Locate a seminary in your area
and follow their accredited training to becoming a priest.
A trustworthy priest
of known integrity will be able to guide you with this choice.
Often, study for
the priesthood entails practical periods of ministry under priestly guidance in
a parish or ministry, in order for the student priest prayerfully and
competently to integrate theory with praxis.
A seminary Degree, Honours
Degree, Master’s Degree or Doctorate are qualifications that enable the priest
to present credentials in order to minister effectively.
Various qualifications can be sought in areas such as;
& Prison chaplaincy,
hospital chaplaincy
& Spiritual
direction, clinical pastoral counselling, pastoral family counselling
& Music ministry
& Youth ministry
& Specialized areas
such as ministering to those affected by war, violence, human trafficking,
abducted war brides or child soldiers
It is helpful to complete a seminary training before ordination.
The
newly ordained priest thus has an excellent grasp of what is required before
beginning pastoral ministry.
Step 4; Seek ordination
Apply for ordination and become a priest through the sacrament of
ordination.
This enables you to carry out your ministry within a recognized and
godly structure, and to gain strength and support from your priestly
colleagues.
Ordination further empowers you
to grow in knowledge and wisdom as your ministry in Christ grows with you.
Step 5; Know your Bible
Seminary training includes Old Testament Bible Courses, New Testament
Bible Courses, Eschatological Bible Courses, Prophets of the Old Testament, and
the study and interpretation of the Bible by means of exegesis, Concordance
skills and Church History.
Courses which involve study and
interpretation of the Bible are important to you as priest when you preach to
the people of God.
You need to know the Bible and
the life-giving message of Jesus’ love, wisdom and selflessness it contains.
Once you know the Bible well,
you will be confident when preaching to church members and people needing to
hear the Word of God.
Step 6; Attain a
Counselling Qualification
An excellent course in counselling, pastoral counselling or clinical
pastoral counselling will aid you to understand how to assist people with their
daily lives, challenges and problems.
Step 7; Internship
You will require experience in the pastoral field in order to practise
your ministry as a priest.
Follow the guidance of an accredited priest with a
good track record of priestly experience in the pastoral field.
Remember to gain all necessary
permissions from authorities in any place you wish to minister.
Keep safe your original
ordination document, as well as your current letter of good standing with your
church.
Also helpful is an up-to-date copy of your police clearance to work
with children, the vulnerable and disabled.
Copies may need to be presented
to relevant authorities, together with proof of your ecclesiastical education.
Ensure you have a number of
endorsed copies. Helpful, too, is a supply of Baptism certificates, Marriage
certificates, First Holy Communion certificates, Confirmation certificates,
House Blessing certificates, renewal of Marriage Vows certificates.
Keep a verified Credentials of
Ministry card as well as a Clergy Identification Card on your person at all
times.
This is helpful when you travel, and is an endorsement of your status as
ordinee in other parishes and countries.
The ordination status of the
bearer of the card can thus be verified by contacting the headquarters of the
ordinee’s church.
Unseemly behaviour or criminal
activity can result in the removal of the ordinee’s name from the accredited
roll of those deemed suitable for practice within the holy ministry of the
church.
The credentials of ministry and
certificate or letter of good standing with the church are removed from those
deemed unsuitable for continuing ministry.
It is therefore important for
the priest to act at all times as if within the Presence of God.
Ordination is granted for life and the holder thereof is entitled to
perform all priestly services such as baptisms, marriages and funerals.
The priest must check and adhere
to local laws before marriages.
The sacrament of Marriage celebrated by an
ordinee in church may not have legal status if the ordinee is not legally
registered as an accredited marriage registrar.
Step 8; Ordination
Ordination is the process whereby you commit yourself to the service of
Jesus Christ in order to bring His good news to others as priest.
This is a sacred calling; as
priests follow our sacred God.
This means that ordinees, as priests of God,
must live good lives.
The elements you need for ordination are;
1. Your personal call
and conviction that Jesus Christ wishes you to seek ordination as a priest in
order to serve Him
2. You need to be of
good heart, and live a good life
3. You need training
in order to be a good priest
Rev Catherine
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