PRIESTLY VOCATION AND DISCERNMENT : ESPOUSING THE GAMALIAN APPROACH IN SPIRITUAL FORMATION
The priestly vocation is a mystery and its discernment is metaphysical because the reality of the call to the Roman Catholic priesthood is ultimately divine, therefore it calls for proper discernment from both the formandee and the formators. The Letter to the Hebrews Chapter Five makes it clear that “no one takes the honour upon himself”. Vocation to the Priesthood which is a call as well as a precious gift from God “is the love of the heart of Jesus” as congregation for the Clergy reminds us in June 7, 2013, the World Day of prayer for the sanctification of Priests. In this light, Gamalian Spirituality is born out of the way of life, the reputation and the way in which Gamaliel; a Pharisee approached the issue of the conflict between the Sanhedrin and the persecutions of the early Church when Peter and John were persecuted cf. Act 5:34-40. Gamaliel said, “so in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this undertaking is of men, it will fall; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrown them. You might even be found opposing God!” To this effect, in the formation and the discernment of priestly vocation, Gamalian spirituality is very important.
Keywords: