God or the Girl

So reads the title of a new series which chronicles the lives of four men discerning a call to the Catholic priesthood. All of the candidates have significant others in their lives. A Fox News report claims the title is most provocative element of the series, but the title reflects a misunderstanding of vocation. Catholics are called to discern the way God calls them to service. It is not meant be a choice between God or a girl. We are all called to choose God and we are all called to love our neighbor. The only question is how?

The series has the potential to demonstrate the beauty of the ministerial priesthood. It also gives the audience the opportunity to see four deeply spiritual Catholic men in action. My concern is that it, like most Hollywood attempts at documenting the Catholic Church, will end up fundamentally misunderstanding the Catholic belief in celibacy. Pitting God against "the girl" already reflects this phenomenon. Still I plan to watch the series before I rush to judgment. It premiers on Easter Sunday on A&E. I'd recommend taping it to avoid spoiling your Easter if the show turns out to be a flop.