Occasionally priests receive this question and this week someone asked it to me. “If you had the choice all over again to be a priest would you still choose to do so?” If you expected me to answer and immediately say “Oh yes, absolutely, I did not.”

I hesitated to think that question through. If given the chance would I choose to be a priest again, yes, would I like to live my priesthood so far all over again, that is a different question.

It is important to understand this because, I am not sure you would want a priest who would say yes.

If you look at the normal world of business, especially here in the United States, we really have a focus on living the dream and living our life, our way. Indeed, this is the greatest issue we have in our culture today. We can have it all. In other countries, just a small percentage of what we have makes one rich. Even if we have a car that does not work, it is still a car and we are rich compared to others. I am not even going to address such things as computers and smartphones. There are people in this world, who live a life that does not include one tenth of what we have. I remember a group in Ecuador who never went to the movies because they never had the money to go to see one. I am not describing these people as poor. We might, but they live a lifestyle with less money so they cannot afford what we have, but that does not make them destitute. It was there I learned a simple fact: it is the rich who read newspapers, the poor cannot afford them and do not. Therefore, the media’s target audience is always the upper middle class and the upper class, because they have the money. I learned that in Quito Ecuador.

Simultaneously, we have the ability, even if we are not rich by US standards to have so many advantages, we have so
many things. We have so many opportunities. However, that means we can demand many things that others cannot. We can demand our world, our way and that is part of our culture. We also have structures in place to attack others in court when they do not give us our world our way. We have access to the media to make others knuckle under when they do not give us our world our way. Look at the non-stories in the media of the person who was offended by some issue and now the world has to change to accomodate them.

Spiritually, this is intensely destructive. When we demand and get our world our way, we lose a sense of why
we live our Catholic faith. The reason for our Catholic faith is to testify to the truth of Jesus Christ and what He did for us. That requires sacrifice, risk and struggle. It requires us to be as Jesus says, “The light shines in the darkness.” But John says that people prefered the darkness to the light. What kind of a life do you live when you try to be a light and everyone wants darkness. This is why it is a sacrifice to live the Catholic faith including the priesthood.

That is why that question is so important and the answer cannot be given easily. Many people will tell you that living the Catholic faith is not easy but point to the prize at the end of the journey, but that is incorrect. We life the Catholic faith, not for the prize that we will receive at the end of our journey, but what others will receive because of our efforts. Consider the ship captain riding through a terrible storm. He is not going through the storm for his own
survival, but also the others on the ship and non-human cargo as well. Would he still want to be a ship captain, probably, but would he want to go through the storm again? Probably not.

Many times when we think of Padre Pio, we think in overly positive terms. We forget that he suffered greatly. Many
thought his stigmata was false and he had to endure that experience. He did not glory it as many would expect and considered it at times to be a burden. He had a superior who hated him and he was falsely accused sex abuse. He was forbidden to say mass during this time and had to spend his days praying in his cell.

When I received my second letter of reprimand by a current midwest bishop, the nun I worked with reminded me
that St. John Bosco also did not get along with his bishop and the bishop pulled his faculties for a time meaning he could not celebrate any sacraments, yet here is a man considered one of the greatest of saints.

This brings us to today’s gospel. Notice the Apostles are seeking all the glory, they want to be comfortable in the service of Jesus. Not only is that not promised to them, they are promised and agree to great suffering and sacrifice,
which they in fact do encounter. However, if it was not for their sacrifice and suffering you would not be here, nor would your place in Heaven be even considered an option.

Would they want to encounter those trials again? I do not know.

There is an ancient legend about St. Peter called Quo Vadis in which he walks away from Rome to avoid execution. He is met by Jesus carrying his cross. Peter asks him where he is going and the Lord tells him that he is going to Rome to be crucified. Peter gets the message and returns to Rome to be martyred.

Currently, in Rome, there is a discussion of changing our teachings to make it easier for people to live their Catholic faith and some are resisting. Rightly so, the Catholic faith is a challenge that if not met, it is not that one is lost,
it is that many are lost. The language of sacrifice for each and every one of us is essential language and if we do not live it, we fail in our duties as Catholics.

Attending mass on weekends is a sacrifice, minor, but still a sacrifice. Praying everyday is a sacrifice, minor, but still a sacrifice. Living Catholic teaching on all issues including such things as money, family what the Church teaches on
contraception, sexuality, marriage and divorce is part of the sacrifice, more difficult and essential. It is because we are testifying to a truth against a force that wants people to suffer and die by accepting its lie. It is a battle literally for souls. It is not an easy battle. However, the prize is so great hence the intensity of the battle.

This brings me back to my original statement. But I direct it to you. Are you living your Catholic faith as the sacrifice it is called to be? When you do that, you become quite fruitful. So look back at all the difficulties you have had in your life and ask, would you live them again? Now, if you would say no, ask, would you live them again for the sake of salvation of the souls of your loved ones. Now you see the meaning of that question. When it is rooted there, you can see the meaning of all your difficulties. Padre Pio, despite his difficulties, said that he wanted to spend his time in Heaven standing at the bottom of the ladder to the Heavenly Kingdom directing people to salvation.

The question is not whether I would want to choose priesthood again or you would choose your way of life. The real
question is do we so believe in it, that despite the difficulties we’ve encountered we would go through them again for the sake of salvation of souls. Yes, but isn’t that the point in the first place.

God bless you,

Fr. Robert J Carr

Fr. Carr is an alliance member of the New Song Community (Canção Nova). He is the pastor of Holy Trinity Quincy, MA and is the editor of this blog. He is the author of several books, blogs and hundreds of videos all of which you may find on Youtube. He also has a regular radio program on WebRadio Canção Nova. Which he podcasts on Podomatic and here on Catholicismanew. You can follow him on twitter as @frbobcarr and on Google plus as +FrRobertCarr. Thoughts, comments on the homily? Let us know at Facebook