What's the best way to currently serve the Catholic church? Meme answers from other denominations not welcome, legit answers are.
There seems like there's 3 options for young men
1. Family, and having lots of Christian children
2. Priesthood
3. Joining an order
All have benefits, and the priesthood is in steep decline. Which is honestly the best option? Also if joining an order is, which order?
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I'd say option A would be the best, in the current circumstances.
t.ortho
The best option of the three is that which God calls you for.
If you're coming from the "muh benefits" fraction of people, then I'd suggest praying a Rosary right now - because this is not about benefits for you and me but for the glory of God.
Ok so for starters: Contrary to what many think (and not even speaking of the homos from MGTOW), marriage is not only a bond between you, your wife and God, it is also an institution that requires A LOT of discipline and deep faith. It requires a man to be a man and guide his family, not to break with the smallest problems. The current "divorce situation" doesn't change this very fact - in fact, it reinforces this. Be a patriarch as God intended.
Joining the priesthood or an order are supernatural vocations, both require lives in celibacy (also as layman, people always forget this) and absolute discipline. Both are lives in constant prayer but obviously different from another.
If you become a priest, you become a shepherd. You will have to pray and care not only for yourself but for your parish, these days the organizational/logistic tasks are very much pronounced stemming from the lack of priests as you mentioned. But of course you also have the honor to celebrate the Mass (who wouldn't want that ;D) and care for the soul-wise well being of your flock.
Being in an order is different from being a priest - and different from order to order. Being a Jesuit means to travel, teach and evangelize, to build schools, run universities, pre-schools, you name it. It is also the biggest order of all. Contrary to that for example are Carthusians - they live their lives entirely in silence and contemplation (similar to the Trappists, but Carthusians are more radical in that) and you must not break with that or you're getting in some serious trouble. And so on and so forth, explaining every single order would blast the frame here (but you can look for example here to start with, although it's a but meme'y catholicdoor.com
What's the best to do ? I can't tell you what's the best for you and you need to listen to the Holy Spirit talking to you to understand the vocation that God has for you. All 3 are equally important, well .. one could obviously argue that being a priest is THE most important part in Church and I wouldn't disagree - but it's a whole different "dimension" so to speak.
One thing to consider, however, is this: When you discern and happen to think you found a vocation and follow it, then follow it through. Thomas de Kempis says in De Imitatione Christi that even if you happen to choose the wrong vocation, because you misunderstood or were blinded by ego or whatever, just go through with in until the end, because when you do everything you do to glorify God, the joy will come by itself.
(also you can't easily to either of the 3 things, there are always year-long discernment and learning processes involved so dw)
this is what I'm thinking, the Church is aging and needs more young people. At the same time the Church needs priests, and I can't choose both a large family and priesthood tfw no orthodox married priesthood
thanks for the info brother. The main thing is though, that I think I could feel fullfilled and enjoy life both under celibacy and married. I feel like both leading a large family, and being a priest or religious brother would bring me joy. So really I wonder what the best thing for the Church is right now, as I would feel a lot better serving in the best way I can.
The only thing standing in my way of priesthood is having a degree, as I did university once and struggled with study. So I am considering joining an order, eventually being ordained and just assisting in a parish.
either way thank you for advice
I'd like to suggest a thing more, now that I read your response: Talk to your priest - or maybe better: to a vocations director. Every parish or at least archdiocese should have one. With these guys you have the best chances of finding out what's the right thing for you.
Regarding the degree - I can't speak for other countries, but in Germany they started to instate an "old vocations" thing where you can join seminary without degree as long as you finished an apprenticeship and/or have some serious life experience.
God bless
You could try being an eastern cath, or getting a dispension.
The Church I'm a part of says priests shouldn't marry. I feel like that would be going against the spirit of the teaching. Kinda like jews getting around sabath law
It seems like going hieromonk would be great if you decide that celibacy is for you. I've heard that monasticism is in a pretty bad way in the roman catholic church these days. You sound like an earnest guy to me, keep it up and the Spirit will no doubt guide you rightly.
Melkite Catholic priests can be married, I know a Melkite clergyman, he's got 7 or 8 kids.
Priests, however, shouldn't be married. See what Cardinal Sarah has to say about that:
It's fine if you have your traditions and all, no one is doubting that. But you shouldn't be trying to lurk someone into a particular church with the "muh bagine while briesd"-argument. He shall talk to a vocations director and then he(or she)'ll go from there, if it's that which is of concern.