catholicweekly.com.au 13 12, July, 2020 FEATURE don’t take time to slow down and pray and let the Spirit lead me, then I will go astray fairly quickly, and that is not good. A12 If you are dis- cerning a vo- cation, whether it is to the religious life as a religious brother/sister or to the priesthood, please talk to someone about it! Talk to a priest. Talk to a monk/nun. Ultimately, we have to re- member that discernment is done in action. Therefore, if a call to religious life or priest- hood is on your heart, pursue it in action, enter the semi- nary, visit a religious order. Enter! Go and see. Go and let God guide you. Do not put it off. Your vocation is how God wants to bring you closer to Him. Do not put it off. A1 I think what drives a man to pursue priesthood in this day and age is quite simply the impulse I believe to be at the heart of every man, which is the im- pulse to fight and even die for something valuable. Every- one wants to spend them- selves for the sake of a greater goal. Fathers sacrifice daily for their families, soldiers die for their countries, and even athletes train tirelessly for excellence. For me, all of the inconveniences and pains of priesthood are simply the cost of uniting myself to Christ on the cross, the suffering by which the whole world was saved. Nothing is more wor- thy of sacrifice than that, in my humble opinion. A2 I would describe my upbringing as active. I have three siblings, and we were all incredibly busy with sports, music and other kinds of hobbies. Apart from all the craziness of normal life, my family’s faith life consisted of two main activities: first, we went to mass as a family every Sunday, and second, we ate dinner as a family almost every night. My parents were always incredibly present and supportive in my life. A3 I first thought about a potential voca- tion to the priesthood when I was 18. I was almost finished with high-school when I first considered entering the sem- inary. A4 The moment I knew for sure that I was doing what God wanted me to do was when I decided, at the age of 21, to enter the semi- nary. I was filled with an in- credible amount of peace, joy and confidence once I made that decision. A5 My family and friends were all very supportive when I decided to go to seminary. The only per- son fromwhom I received any resistance was my girlfriend at the time. I had to break up with her in order to enter the seminary, so she was under- standably upset with the idea. A6 When I decided to go to seminary, I was studying biology, psychol- ogy and Italian language in college. I wanted to become a doctor and was about to go to Medical School. I had been dating a girl for two years at the time, and we were talking about getting married. Need- less to say, she was surprised by my discernment decision. A7 I completely agree. I have found that if you make the slightest effort to follow God’s will in your life, He will multiply those ef- forts one hundred fold. Once I knew that I was going to semi- nary, I felt joy, peace and con- fidence in abundance. A8 Seminary is a very unique experience. I have told people many times that most people are never afforded the opportunity to spend 6-8 years simply learn- ing more about themselves and growing in relationship with the Lord. Seminary, when done well, is a great gift for men in learning how not only to be a priest but also a man. Like all things, though, human frailty can sometimes make the process more frus- trating than it has to be, but I think even those frustrating times are a great opportunity to learn how to live with and minister to a fallen people. A9 As a man, I want to go to heaven. As a priest, I want to bring everyone I can with me. A10 It may be uncon- ventional advice, but I would advise someone looking to grow in holiness to find holy friends, or at least find friends who want the same holiness you do. We were not meant to live this life alone, which is why we are called the Body of Christ. We need good mentors, good friends and good examples to help us grow in holiness. A11 I honestly think my biggest chal- lenge in the priesthood will be getting drawn into too many things at once. I am pretty in- dustrious and creative, so I’ll have to be careful not to get so busy that I can’t pray, rest or take care of myself. A12 For anyone dis- cerning a voca- tion, I always begin with this: discernment is something done in motion. Discernment is not about sitting around and waiting for the Lord to drag you somewhere. Discernment is done by pursuing some- thing and listening to the Lord while you do so. For example, if a young man is considering a call to the priesthood, he will never be satisfied with his dis- cernment unless he actually goes and visits a seminary or joins a discernment group. If you are discerning a call to any vocation, go and test it out. It’s the only way to really know. Fr Peyton Plessala he om your s when you minary? d you our life studying, end etc)? 7 Often you hear from seminarians that finally making the decision to enter was themost freeing aspect of their lives, would you agree and why? 8 How would you describe your many years at the seminary? 9 What do you want to achieve as a priest? 10 How would you advise someone asking how they can become closer to God? 11 What do you think will be your biggest challenges? 12 What advice would you give to someone discerning a vocation? Fathers Connor, left, and Peyton Plessala hug their parents, Dr De- neen Plessala and Dr Kirby Plessala, following their ordination to the priesthood. PHOTO: CNS PHOTO/ROB HERBST,THE CATHOLICWEEK Talk it over with the Archdiocesan Vocations Centre. Contact Fr Epeli Qimaqima on (02) 9307 8421 or via
[email protected] Interested in the priesthood? Feel you might be called?