Preparation

I was recently speaking with a good friend of mine who is currently studying in seminary for the priesthood. Although he has been studying for the diocesan priesthood he is seriously discerning a vocation to a religious order. If he makes this switch, it will 'delay' his ordination by several years and the friends he made when he first entered seminary will be ordained long before he's even ordained to the deaconate. I was commenting to him that if he really thinks he's called to the priesthood I'd imagine he'd find it frustrating to delay his ordination by several years. His response to me was, "Christ spent thirty years preparing for three years of ministry." Hmmm. Yeah. I guess so. His comment just gave me food for thought.