HEDONISM AND CONSUMERISM STIFLE
VOCATIONS, POPE SAYS
John Paul II´s Message to Carthusians VATICAN CITY, MAY 16, 2001
(Zenit.org).- Hedonism and consumerism are asphyxiating the generosity
of many youths, John Paul II said, in a message to the Carthusians
on the ninth centenary of the death of their founder, St. Bruno.
"Our contemporary culture, marked by a strong hedonistic
feeling, the desire to possess, and a certain mistaken concept
of freedom, does not facilitate the expression of youth´s generosity,
who wish to consecrate their life to Christ, hoping to walk on
the path of a life of sacrificial love, [and] concrete and generous
service," the Pope said.
In his letter, sent to Father Marcellin D. Theewes, prior of
La Grande Chartreuse, and minister general of the Carthusians,
and to all the members of the order, the Bishop of Rome says that
he prays "fervently to the Lord so that he will make resonate
in the heart of numerous youths, the call to abandon everything
to follow the poor Christ, in the demanding but liberating Carthusian
life."
St. Bruno was born around 1035 in Cologne, Germany. Following
studies in Paris, he was ordained a priest and taught theology
at Reims. Inspired to lead a life of greater penance, austerity
and solitude, he founded an eremitical monastery. He went to Italy
in response to a call from Pope Urban II, with whom he collaborated
in the governance of the Church. He died in Calabria in 1101.
In his message, John Paul II recalled that "the vocation
to prayer and contemplation, which characterizes Carthusian life,
demonstrates especially that only Christ can give full meaning
and joy to human hope."
After emphasizing the "simplicity of life" of the Carthusians,
the Holy Father said: "The seeking of God in contemplation
cannot be separated from love for brothers, a love that makes
us recognize Christ´s face in the poorest among men. The contemplation
of Christ lived in fraternal charity is the surest way for the
fruitfulness of every life."
The Carthusian family has close to 450 monks and nuns and embraces
24 houses on three continents.
Like other monks, Carthusians consecrate their entire life to
prayer, and work for their salvation and that of the whole Church.
The contemplative order rests on a combination of solitary and
communal life, and Carthusian liturgy.
Desired Qualities in a Candidate
1 . One who considers a personal relationship with an important
and vital part of life. He shows evidence of working toward deepening
his relationship with God. Prayer is a priority in his life.
2. One who has the ability and willingness to talk about his
faith and experience of God in his life. The way he lives gives
witness to his faith, He shows some current involvement in his
local parish.
3. One who has a desire to serve others and make a difference
in people's lives by showing a genuine care and concern. He is
motivated by the mission of Jesus, and has the ability to articulate
that mission.
4. One who is willing to sacrifice personal and/or material gain
for the service of the Gospel and the Church
S. One who enjoys life, people, and has a sense of humour. He
is comfortable with his humanity and has a sense of humility.
6. One who has a collaborative vision of ministry. He seeks to
develop a variety of baptismal ministries among the people and
enables them to function in those ministries.
7. One who recognizes the importance of the Church and the role
of the church as teachers. He possesses good communication skills
and is open to learning.
8. One who forms and maintains healthy relationships with both
men and women. He recognizes the need to both give and accept
support from others. He is willing to commit himself to a celibate
lifestyle.
9. One who has good physical, mental and emotional health and
is able to balance the various aspects of his life.
Skills that effective priests
must possess:
Priests have a particular role to play in our world, and in
Canada that role is accepted and honoured by society and expected
by the Church itself. Theologically, the priesthood is essential
to the Church, and from the Church's perspective, it is essential
to this! salvation of the world. Secular society, even despite
scandal and impropriety, accepts priests and recognizes and esteems
their value. What skills do priests need?
1. Prayer: In all cultures, priests are mediators between God
and humanity. We have only one mediator, Jesus Christ, but the
priest operates “officially” in the person of Christ." Hence
it is absolutely positively fundamentally essential that a priest
have and develop a deep relationship with Jesus through prayer.
2. Communication: Priests spend vast amounts Of their time communicating
with others, either one on one in confession and counselling situations;
or to large groups through preaching and presiding at Mass. Most
people have first encountered priests in these more public roles,
and hence, perhaps mistakenly, assume that that’s all priests
do. That’s not the case but the priesthood is a very public lifestyle.
In reference to communication, an active priest will be performing
the following tasks:
- Presiding at prayer, through structured rites like the Mass
or a funeral; or being asked to come up with a spontaneous blessing
at a meal or banquet,
- Teaching and preaching, again at the Eucharist or also giving
classroom instruction or giving talks and sermons at funerals,
weddings, baptisms, lectures, etc. - Counselling individuals,
especially through confession, but also through daily appointments.
3. Initiative and problem solving skills- Initiative is a leadership
skill. No one will tell you exactly what to do as a priest; assignments
are given in broad strokes. The details will have to be worked
out by you.
4. Learning skills. Priests have to learn quickly to adapt and
respond to situations. New assignments are frequent and sometimes
difficult. Crises, personal and communal, arise in parishes as
a matter of course, and they look to the priest for guidance.
Conflicts emerge and need to be solved with dignity. People expect
their priests to be good guides in life - a tall order.
5. Kindness: All of the above must be exercised in kindness. There
is no excuse any more forthe functioning of a rude priest; it
is contrary to the Gospel, a Gospel that most Catholic parishioners
are intimately familiar with.
6. Discipline and Self-care. The priesthood is very demanding,
especially with celibacy and the single lifestyle. No one will
hold your hand and tell you to stop, and the demands are extreme:
You could be in a large parish where people make far more demands
on your time than you could possibly meet, or you could be in
a small country parish where there is very little to do, How will,
you make sure your own needs are met.?
There are many more skills that are required and used in the daily
life of a priest, but if a priest is to be healthy in what he
does, these skills are essential. Without these skills, most people
would burn out very quickly as priests.But if a priest is steadily
working on developing these skills every day, his ministry is
richly rewarding, fun, and worth the effort. Remember, all careers,
all jobs, and all walks of life require skills. Finding out what
they are, and learning them is an important step towards living
a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
Contact Father Paul
or Father Stephen at: pjm@vaxxine.com
