We are all told that nothing compares with a sense of real job satisfaction. The joy of getting up in a morning to go and undertake a job of work that you will be happy to do. Sadly for many people however this is not the case. Rather it's a matter of doing the job to get the wages to pay the bills! Real job satisfaction will only come from doing what you are supposed meant to be doing. It is achieved by fulfilling your vocation in life. Not so many years ago people talked about nursing as a vocation, or teaching as a vocation. Perhaps these days even those professions are no longer seen as such by some and it is only, 'How much does it pay?' and 'What are the working conditions like?' These are questions that really matter. If you feel that you have a vocation to the priesthood then those two questions should not form part of your thinking. A vocation to the priesthood will not make you wealthy. The working conditions may seem to the uninitiated quite pleasant, but in reality they are very demanding. You do get a rent free house, usually next door to the workplace, but that can be a mixed blessing. On the whole people treat you kindly, but not always. So if you feel you are called to this service then must understand that it is truly only those who know the meaning of the word Vocation that will make the grade, and more importantly be of true service to God and his Church in this particular ministry. A Vocation is (to quote the dictionary) a `Divine call to, sense of fitness for, a career or occupation.' The important words here are 'Divine call' because a vocation to the priesthood comes from God calling a man to this ministry. Now that is simple to write, but what does it mean? How do I know if God is calling me to the ordained ministry? Hopefully this brochure will begin to give you some insight into the answers to that question. However, that is all we can hope it will do. The road to finding out if a vocation is truly from God is a long one and patience is not just a virtue here ,it is a necessity! Not only must you be sure of your sense of vocation it must then be tested by the Church and through a period of academic training either at a Theological college or on one of the part-time schemes run in most Dioceses. All that can be achieved in these pages is getting you thinking. But remember, your parish priest is there to help, or if he feels you would be helped more by someone outside of your parish circle then he will know who to put you in touch with. Talking through your thoughts at an early stage will certainly help you clarify where you are going, so read on and see if

God is calling YOU?