For a thorough handbook for discerning priesthood “To save a thousand souls” is a great title. Fortunately the book lives up to the title in that it is both a serious and worthwhile guide to those thinking about and further discerning a call to the priesthood.
As the author points out int the book, this is for those specifically discerning the Diocesan priesthood. I would suggest that even those who are looking at becoming a priest in a religious order also take a look at this book since it so well illustrates what the diocesan priesthood is — plus a lot of the advice would apply to them also.
Even as a layman reading this book there is a lot to recommend in it. I really loved the first chapter “This is Just What Priests Do!” as it tells stories out of the lives of Diocesan priests. As the book progresses it touches on the theology of the priesthood and the issue of what is a vocation in the first place. Fr. Brett Brannen takes great care for the most part in explaining what a vocation is and what indeed is all of our primary vocations — to grow in holiness. As he mentions, so often vocation is talked about in reference to the priesthood only and not the callings to consecrated and married life.
Fr. Brett Brannen has taken his wealth of experience to answer all those questions that someone discerning the priesthood is bound to have. He also provides solid spiritual advice along the way to help in this discernment and how to develop the spiritual life of prayer. Several chapters address this specifically, but the topic is integral to both discernment and to what happens after the man decides he is being called to the priesthood.
There is tons of practical advice spread throughout the book and presented quite simply. One of the best parts of the book are the multiple stories from both his personal experience and from many others in regard to both discernment and being a priest. Fr. Brett Brannen provides lots of clarity and he doesn’t just rollover difficult questions. The book is solidly orthodox and the chapter titled “Celibacy, Chastity, Charity, and Cheerfulness” presents the subject of celibacy forthrightly and also goes into the Vatican document regarding proposed seminarians and same-sex attraction. This chapter was especially well written in regards to sexual integration and what might disqualify someone from the priesthood. The topic of masturbation is also addressed in some detail. Another chapter addresses prerequisites and impediments to the priesthood.
There is also a lot of important information such as what is seminary like and a look a the day to day life as a seminarian along with the educational requirements. The types of assignments a Diocesan priest might experience and a look at ordination day are other important chapters.
In close to 400 pages I only had one quibble with this book. The chapter on vocations talked of the single life led in generosity as a specific vocation. I don’t believe that this is something the Church has really taught. Mary Beth Bonachi wrote an article on this previously that she could find “no mention of an unconsecrated single “vocation” in Church teaching anywhere” and references Mulieris Dignitatem and notes John Paul II says that God calls all women to give themselves in one of two ways — in motherhood or in consecration to Christ. No mention of singleness in there. Though maybe this is an area that will be developed more fully by the Church in the future. Often though I get the feeling people talk about the single life itself as a vocation to keep from hurting feelings. But I am not close to being an expert or really a fully informed layman on this subject.
Like I said I had just the one quibble and otherwise I think this book would make a great resource throughout the Church to help those in discernment and to give much good advice to others that want to help promote vocations to the Diocesan priesthood. Besides as a thorough handbook on the subject people don’t have to read it cover to cover, but could also use it as a handy reference — especially with the question index in the back. This book has also been praised by many people such as the always reliable Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R. and others with a solid reputation.
Available via Vianney Vocations
Update: I found out that the book originally included in the section whether there was indeed a single vocation. They took the section out since the theology is still developing. So I guess I am now quibble free.
7 comments
Thanks for a thorough review. Fr. Brett was our parish priest for a year, and he is a holy, happy disciple of Christ.
Just a comment on single vocations. Two friends of mine recently became consecrated virgins. If I understand it correctly, they remain lay women who have taken a vow of celibacy and will live lives dedicated to prayer and service in their parish and community. There is an official rite for this. Our Bishop came to perform the rite of consecration.
Kelly,
Well that is exactly the point. Either marriage or the consecrated life are the vocations for the laity. The consecrated life includes consecrated virgins and religious life.
The chapter on vocations talked of the single life led in generosity as a specific vocation.
It gets awfully tricky because there’s no single agreed-upon language and meaning of “vocation.” I got into an extended argument with a married man who runs a homeschooling resource – but who claimed that there was no “positive vocation” to marriage; that marriage was nothing but a second-best for those who rejected religious life. Whenever I pointed out magisterial texts, he simply argued that they were using a different meaning of “vocation”.
Anyway, I tend to think that there is a single vocation in two radically different ways:
First, there is the vocation of growth appropriate to adolescence. We are called to be intentionally single in the midst of pursuing our stable adult vocation. But obviously, this is not itself a stable state of life in the sense that marriage or celibacy is.
Second, there are those who seem genuinely called to remain celibate, yet without joining an institute of religious life. These seem to me to be like St. Anthony and the other desert hermits, who spontaneously and without institutional membership abandoned the World for a life of contemplation and/or service. I have known some of these who take the mantle of Consecrated Virginity, or who have made motions to found a new religious community; but I do think there is a place for the idiosyncratic hermit in the Church.
Just my tuppence.
Just my two cents on the matter as well…
Excellent review on the book! I was a bit surprised by your one quibble, the whole unconsecrated single life. This isn’t simply a “default” stage….this ties in the thought with the errant “positive” vocation, Robert mentions–as if God’s love and plan is only one mold—do you remember the verses of 1 Corinthians 12:15-16–” If a foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body,’ it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. Or if an ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body,’ it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.”
Yes, as Robert mentions there is the formative stage, whether it lasts adolescence or stretches to adulthood, that’s another matter. However, even consecrated life is not the only answer (the Sacrament of Holy Orders doesn’t even include “consecrated life” to begin with…so as a matter, it’s not one or the other, per se). I think that the “consecrated virginity” would be implied in that, no matter what, with regards to person who remains in the single life and lives his or her call to holiness with charity, chastity, and sacrifice (obedience). I think you are getting slightly too hung up on that the Church not fully expounding on this.
Robert brings up some excellent points. There’s my quibble with your quibble… I hope it wasn’t too harsh!
Kelly, you are certainly correct. Consecrated virgins are lay women. Just as nuns are laywomen. That is, if you are looking at them from a hierarchical- non hierarchical view point. Consecrated virgins are in the consecrated state and nuns are in the consecrated state… if you are looking at them from a states in life in the Church perspective, and in this perspective they are not laywomen.
John Booke, “consecrated virgin” usually refers to the female virgin (nun or living in the world) who has received the Consecration to a Life of Virginity from a bishop. It is a consecration which ontologically changes the woman into a bride of Christ. Thus, this is not to be confused with the single status per se.
Robert, perhaps you’d be pleased to know that the other two vocations in the consecrated state besides religious life are consecrated virginity and diocesan hermits. For the first time in the history of the Church, canon law elevated the diocesan hermit to canonical status which the hermit may attain under the conditions laid out in canon 603 (Roman Catholic- norms are different for Eastern Catholics).
Just for the record, although I personally recommend this book – eagerly- there are some serious errors in it. Fr. Brennen is theologically off base when he says that virginity is redefined. While a chaste man can become a priest even if he isn’t a virgin, chastity does not equal virginity and virginity- if it is reduced to mere sexual integration – is pretty meaningless as a virtue if understood the way Fr. Brennen presents it. Basically, there is no difference between The Blessed Virgin Mary and the whore who was converted, died, and went to heaven according to Fr. Brennen because both are “virgins” which is absurd. Further, if virginity is merely sexual integration, then the Church should abolish the vocation of consecrated virgins because obviously there is no difference between a chaste woman and a chaste virgin. I did a fuller critique on my website, but this is one error which should not be taught to future seminarians because this helps the culture of those who do not understand virginity and who think consecrated virginity is merely chastity.