Ancient Faith
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Desire or the Holy Spirit: Fr. Stephen De Young on Why No One Truly Seeks the Priesthood's Burden
7:40
What the video says
The speaker reflects on St. Paul's warning that not many should presume to be teachers, arguing that people often pursue ordained office out of desire—for power, money, or escape from sin—rather than for the true burden of the priesthood. He explains that following desire never brings fulfillment, and instead we should become sensitive to the Holy Spirit, doing what we know is right and what we feel compelled to do.
He shares advice he received about the priesthood: try everything else first, because if God calls you, you will be unable to do anything else. This applies not only to clergy but to all forms of priesthood, such as parents and community leaders.
Key moments
- St. Paul said not many should presume to be teachers because many people were presuming to be teachers, a tendency that continues today.
- People treat choices and others as instruments to gain what they think they want—power, control, freedom—including ordained office.
- Some view the priesthood as a position of power, money, or a way out of poverty; others think dedicating themselves to the church will free them from sin, but struggles often worsen.
- No one desires the real burden of priesthood: bearing the sins of the community and giving an account at the last judgment for everyone served.
- Following desire never fills our lack; getting what we want only leads to pursuing the next thing, eventually leading to despair that nothing will make us happy.
- The alternative is sensitivity to the Holy Spirit: doing what we know is right, since the commandments are written on our hearts.
- We foster this sensitivity through prayer and by doing hard things even when we don't feel like it.
- Advice from a Roman Catholic priest: try everything else before clergy; if God calls you to priesthood, you'll be compelled to it—this applies to all priesthoods, including parents and leaders.
In this talk, Fr. Stephen De Young reflects on St. Paul's warning that not many should presume to become teachers, applying it to the contemporary pursuit of ordained ministry. He observes that people often seek the priesthood out of desire—for power, money, status, or as an escape from sin—rather than out of a genuine calling. Some imagine that dedicating themselves to the Church will free them from their passions, yet experience shows struggles often intensify instead.
Fr. Stephen stresses that no one naturally desires the true burden of priesthood: bearing the sins of the community and giving an account at the last judgment for every soul served. More broadly, he argues that following desire never fills our inner lack; obtaining what we want only leads to chasing the next thing, ending in despair.
The alternative he proposes is cultivating sensitivity to the Holy Spirit—doing what we already know is right, since the commandments are written on our hearts. This sensitivity is fostered through prayer and through doing difficult things even when we do not feel like it. He closes with advice once given to him by a Roman Catholic priest: try everything else first, because if God is calling you to the priesthood, you will find yourself unable to do anything else.
He notes this principle extends beyond clergy to every form of priesthood, including parents and community leaders. The discussion, drawn from an Ancient Faith Ministries podcast, centers on discerning vocation, the deceptive nature of desire, and the practical life of obedience and prayer by which one learns to hear the Spirit rather than one's own appetites.
Main points
- St. Paul's warning that not many should presume to be teachers remains relevant: many still seek ordained office presumptuously.
- People often pursue priesthood for power, money, or as an escape from sin, but no one desires its real burden—bearing the community's sins and answering for them at the last judgment.
- Following desire never brings fulfillment; getting what we want only leads to pursuing the next thing and eventually despair.
- The alternative is sensitivity to the Holy Spirit: doing what we know is right, nurtured through prayer and doing hard things even without feeling like it.
- Advice for discerning a call: try everything else first—if God calls you, you will be unable to do anything else; this applies to all vocations, including parents and leaders.