Show me, Lord, just for a day

By FATHER WESLEY SCHAWE
Director, Office of Priestly Vocations
In our Christmas issue, we considered the fact that anyone on this earth who is called to be a priest is called from the moment of his conception. It got me to thinking: If I could have one wish granted for a day (and this is definitely a vocation director kind of wish), it would be that God make known in some visible way everyone who He has called to be priest.
How would He make it visible? Here are some of my suggestions:
• Those who are called would have the clothes they’re wearing instantly turn black. Everyone else’s turns green.
• Divinely-printed name tags (in Times New Roman, I presume) to be worn for a day. The names of those called to be priests are all preceded by “Father.”
• The smell of chrism oil exudes from the hands of those called for a 24 hour period, regardless of multiple hand washings. However, I do worry about some of the possible consequences of my wish, were it to be granted. Wouldn’t it be possible (or likely) that a married man would smell his hands and find out that he was, in fact, called to the priesthood—a call that he never heard, or heard but didn’t follow? Would it be possible that someone who is not even Catholic sees his own clothes turn black and realizes that God wants him to be a priest, although he doesn’t know what that really means?
If someone discovers that he is called to be a priest, but has already made a permanent vocational choice (marriage, for example), it doesn’t necessarily mean that he won’t be happy, or that he can’t get to heaven; but it does mean that he can’t possibly be happy to the fullest extent that God intended for him.
But if a boy or single man in the Diocese of Dodge City woke up on that remarkable day and had a name tag waiting for him with “Father” preceding his name—clear proof of God’s plan for his life—that may seem terrifying at first, especially if it’s a surprise. And yet, who doesn’t want to be happy? Who doesn’t want to live a life of maximum fulfillment?
On the contrary, I think many young men in our diocese would not be terrified, but thrilled and relieved to receive such definite confirmation.  They want to do God’s will, but they struggle to know for sure what that is.
Until my wish is granted, we’ll have to rely on some less infallible methods: prayer, spiritual direction, involvement in the parish, discernment retreats, visiting a seminary, just to name a few. In fact, if a young man does all of those, I’m pretty sure that he and I will have a good picture of whether the priesthood is God’s plan for him. Besides, you know how those name tags keep falling off….