By Jorge Enrique Mújica, LC

In the first vocational video produced by the Legionaries of Christ, they asked and answered the question, “Why not be a priest?” The video was well received, with 26,000 views in English and over 13,000 in Spanish.  In their second video, they showed “the way” to follow Christ through an original song and music video entitled “The Way.”  “Vocation Answers” is the title of their third and newest video, released for the occasion of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations this May 15, 2011.

Straight talk about the vocation

This newest video, “Vocation Answers,” offers a series of testimonies from seminarians and priests from all over the world who tell the story of when and how their vocation began.  The answers vary, ranging from one who entered a minor seminary to another whose vocation began after a long period of discernment, several years into his professional career.

What about tough moments?  They share them. What about the family?  How did they explain the vocation to friends? What about leaving “the world” or a girlfriend? 

“It is all about taking that first step,” one of them says, while another comments, “When you begin a new path in life, it always seems difficult.”

They break the taboo of speaking about women, or, more specifically, a girlfriend’s role before a young man enters the seminary.  One of the seminarians was helped by his girlfriend.  Another seminarian never had one since he entered the minor seminary at a young age, while for a third it very difficult to give her up since she was very good and very beautiful.

And that’s not all.  They also speak about the rocks on their path: their moments of difficulty and doubt.  The last two questions in the video provide a wonderful climax: one question for the seminarians and the other for the one watching the video: “Are they happy?”  The different answers can be summarized in that of an Italian priest: extremely.

What about the other question directed toward the audience?  Well, you’ll have to see the video for yourself at http://youtu.be/yIhgKadbEbo.

The Why Not Priest project

The project Whynotpriest.org began as an initiative of a group of Catholic seminarians of the Legion of Christ.  At the site http://www.whynotpriest.org one can ask questions about the religious and priestly vocation in six different languages.

Assisting with vocational discernment is the primary goal and service offered to anyone interested in getting help from a group of seminarians who, through the use of the internet, want to continue responding to and making known the words of John Paul II: “Today is a wonderful time to be a priest!”

Vocations are the responsibility of all

In this year’s message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that following Christ “means learning to keep our gaze fixed on Jesus, growing close to him, listening to his word and encountering him in the sacraments; it means learning to conform our will to his. This requires a genuine school of formation for all those who would prepare themselves for the ministerial priesthood or the consecrated life under the guidance of the competent ecclesial authorities. The Lord does not fail to call people at every stage of life to share in his mission and to serve the Church in the ordained ministry and in the consecrated life. The Church is ‘called to safeguard this gift, to esteem it and love it. She is responsible for the birth and development of priestly vocations’ (John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis, 41).  Particularly in these times, when the voice of the Lord seems to be drowned out by ‘other voices’ and his invitation to follow him by the gift of one’s own life may seem too difficult, every Christian community, every member of the Church, needs consciously to feel responsibility for promoting vocations. It is important to encourage and support those who show clear signs of a call to priestly life and religious consecration, and to enable them to feel the warmth of the whole community as they respond ‘yes’ to God and the Church.”