Slumdog Vocation

While my new son was being baptized, Danny Boyle was arriving for the Oscars, where he would win big for Slumdog Millionaire. Now, Mr. O’Boyle would have us believe that, if things happened a little differently, it could have been Father Daniel Boyle baptizing my baby.

For the past few months, Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle has been quoted saying he “seriously contemplated” becoming a priest when he was younger.

In an interview with The Telegraph of London, Boyle said he applied to a seminary at the age of 14. But a priest there suggested he may not be suited to the vocation.

“Whether he was saving me from the priesthood or saving the priesthood from me, I don’t know,” Boyle said. “But quite soon after, I started doing drama.”

Now, there are a few things to notice here.

First of all: The priesthood isn’t a career choice. It’s a call. If God called Daniel Boyle to be a priest, then he would have given him all the graces necessary for him to be a good one. If God didn’t call him (and the priest he mentions didn’t think so) then the headline of the story could just as easily be: “Test Your Call: It Works, Says Director.”

Second: When you’ve just won eight Academy Awards for a great movie, it may be tempting to think, “Gee, it’s a good thing God didn’t call me to be a priest.”

But seeing the newest Hoopes get baptized, and hearing the words of the sacrament, and looking at his seven brothers and sisters, I beg to differ.

Eight baptized babies beats eight golden statues any day.