Review: Psychology of a Vocation
A review of the book Psychology of a Vocation, by the Rector of Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland, Rev. Msgr. Andrew R. Baker, STD.
As rector of the largest Catholic seminary in the country, I have the humble mission of accompanying many young men as they discern and respond to a vocation to the priesthood. Father Wenceslao Vial’s book Psychology of a Vocation is a very helpful handbook for those considering a vocation to the priesthood or for those helping to guide others in the discernment process.
The timing of this book is providential since the new Program of Priestly Formation from the US bishops puts human formation squarely in the center of any priestly formation program. This book provides formators with the essential signs of a healthy psychology for embracing celibacy and the priestly vocation while, at the same time, explaining the warning signs and pitfalls that need to be avoided.
Healthy psychology of vocation
Father Vial points out that at the center of a healthy psychology of vocation is the ability to love selflessly. Therefore, freedom and maturity are necessary for a man to truly discern his divine call. He then presents those healthy habits necessary in the life of a celibate priest, along with the clear signs of an integrated and healthy sexuality, which aid a man to persevere in his vocation. I appreciate very much how the book deals with spiritual fatherhood, loneliness, and burnout as well as the pathways to deal positively with these realities in the life of a priest.
One of the most important elements in this book is the examination of conscience based on the Beatitudes in chapter 2. These questions can help any seminarian or priest discover who he is and how much he has yet to achieve the realization of the Beatitudes in his life. With this self-knowledge, he can move toward self-possession and finally to self-gift, which lies at the heart of a truly happy, holy, and zealous priest.
Rev. Msgr. Andrew R. Baker, STD
Rector, Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland
Wenceslao Vial, Psychology of a Vocation, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, 2023 (View on Amazon)
