Thirty-five years ago this morning (12 February 1980) I woke for the first time as a seminarian discerning a call to diocesan priesthood for the diocese of Christchurch.  I had arrived at Holy Cross Seminary in Mosgiel just before 5pm the previous afternoon.  At the start of this month I took up the mission of Vocations Director for the diocese of Christchurch and so with renewed interest and energy I am finding and sharing video clips that might help a young man in the situation that I was in back then.

This morning Joseph sent me a Youtube clip that you might appreciate if you have a spare ten minutes. My hope is that over the next few months our diocese rediscovers the beauty of living “vocationally.” This means not just asking “what do I want to do today?” or “what do I want to do with my life?” but “God, what have you created me for today?” Young people must ask this question if they hope to have a chance of living a truly fulfilling life, but so to must young people see their parents, godparents and grandparents asking this question of themselves every day.

For me, looking back 35 years….If I had known what life as a diocesan priest was really like, I would not have hesitated as much as I did before I made the decision to follow…

Here’s the video: