The rite the Sacrament of Holy Orders by which the Bishop, through the imposition of  hands and the prayer of consecration, confers the order of bishop, priests, or deacon to exercise a sacred power which come from Christ on behalf of the Church.
 

Signs of a Priestly Vocation

If you have ever thought about being a priest, these qualities may be clues to a future priestly vocation:

1. God has placed in your heart a desire to be a priest.

Surveys of recently ordained priests have found an interesting trend: most priests say they first started thinking about the priesthood at eleven years old or in eleventh grade.  It has become known as the 11-11 rule. If Jesus has placed a desire in your heart for priesthood,  no matter what your age, don’t ignore it.  Talk to a priest you admire about how you feel.

2. You have a deep love for Christ and His Church.

A priest functions  in persona Christi capitas—in the person of Christ, head of the Church.  Thus a man who wants to be a priest must love Jesus Christ above all else.  And like Jesus, he should have a deep love for the Church, the Bride of Christ.  In general, a man who wants to be a priest will find himself drawn to Church teachings and “all things Catholic.”

3. Other people have mentioned that you would be a good priest.

Often other people will notice a “priest’s heart” in a young man and say to him, “Have you ever thought about being a priest?  I think you’d make a good one.”  In fact, many men report that they grew tired of people making such comments—but that the encouragement eventually led them to seminary!

4. You desire to live a life of virtue and prayer.

Pope Benedict recently spoke about what people expect of their priests.  To paraphrase, he said that people do not expect priests to be experts in anything but the spiritual life. Thus, a good candidate for priesthood attends Mass, prays frequently, receives the sacrament of Confession, serves others, and strives to grow spiritually.