I apologize if this is posted in the wrong forum, and please move it if it is. My youngest brother recently told us he's feeling a call to discernment for the priesthood, and is going to attend St. John Vianney in St. Paul in the fall!! Many close friends are very excited, my parents are thrilled, and me and my husband are also beaming with pride. Even if he ends up deciding that the priesthood isn't where God is calling him, we are still so impressed that he is exploring this whisper he hears right now. I ask that you keep him in your prayers. (His name is Michael.)

The sad thing is, his older 2 brothers (my younger brothers) are much less than supportive. One lives out of state and one in state, and the one in state used to be very close to Michael. Since the announcement he's been very ugly acting and cynical, and brought M to tears in a rant that he had a hard time escaping from. He's always been the most strong willed and outspoken of the siblings, and he hasn't been anything more than a sporadic attender of Mass in several years, but this attack has been hard to see. Today he even texted me and said that either me, my mom, or the priests were "brainwashing" M. I just texted back and said if he couldn't be supportive of his brother's journey then just leave him alone.

I feel scared for his soul, for what work is Satan doing on him for him to react in such an ugly, mean manner? And I also feel sad for him, because he's missing out on hearing about this incredible spiritual journey M is on. His spiritual advisor and the archbishop have been there for him to help support him with so many things, and he's been learning about the prayers and solitary time that have helped him begin discernment before he even leaves.

I have a hard time not wanting to lash out at my other brother when I feel protective of M, but he's made it clear he's going to draw his line in the sand with him very soon. Please pray for both of them.

Prayers from here.

The Vocations office may have some resources for your family.

Pray for your other brother, love him, maybe have a mass said for him.

I hadn't thought of that. I'd have to get permission from the younger brother to talk to the Vocations office, and I'm not sure he would agree since he's a pretty private person. But maybe...I know he's spoken with the Archbishop about the issue, and I would assume his spiritual adviser as well, so he might agree.

We're having a family birthday party for a couple of my kids this Friday where we'll all be together at my parents' house. It'll be the first time since everyone has heard. I'm not sure if I want the topic to come up or not...I'm almost thinking it would be easier if it didn't, so there wasn't any ill feelings, but I don't know how much longer the news could go ignored in the group setting, since he'll likely be moving in to living quarters closer to his adviser shortly. This could be interesting...

Prayers for those two brothers!

Pray the rosary everyday for your brother.

I strongly suggest advising your brother to look into an "Ecclesia Dei" order.

From all my research and interviews with many priests, I am absolutely sure that there are many seminaries that are teaching at least some form of heresy. He must do alot of research first to figure out the best place for him to go to be formed correctly as a priest and taught the Catholic Faith. If a person is called and is not formed properly, or wrongly educated, there can be a temptation to not respond to the call since confusion will result.

Tell him that his mission will be to love Christ, live a sacrificial life for Christ and for the salvation of souls, and convert others to the Catholic Church-the Only True Church of Christ. Any theology that goes against this is certainly NOT the Faith. He must be prudent in whose hands he places himself at this time in the Church.