Fr. Bethge’s Corner

Be Not Afraid

Perhaps priesthood has crossed your mind, but fear pushes the idea away: My friends would laugh if they heard I was thinking about the priesthood! My parents would be shocked. My mom wants grandkids. ...

Gaining Peace Through Prayer

Is God calling me to be a priest? How can I know for sure? What’s the best way to make a decision like this? As you contemplate what to do with your life, be confident that God has a spec...

The Most Important Decision You’ll Ever Make

If you were about to make one decision that would dramatically impact the rest of your life, how would you go about it? If you were contemplating a cross-country move, you’d probably learn ev...

Ordination is Just the Beginning

One of the most beautiful liturgies in the Catholic Church is when a man becomes a priest of Jesus Christ. At the Mass of Ordination, the men to be ordained kneel in front of the bishop one by ...

St. Vincent de Paul

Holy priests don’t always start out holy. Take the case of St. Vincent de Paul. His beginning was rough, but in time, Vincent became an exemplar of priestly virtue and holiness. Being from a poor fa...

Nihilism vs. Vocation

“We’re accidents floating on a rock in the emptiness of space. Billions of years preceded humanity, and after our inevitable extinction, there will be billions more years of silent emptiness. ...

The Shepherd’s Voice

Our Lord said that His sheep would know His voice; but when it comes to discerning your vocation, you’ve probably found that it’s not as simple as it sounds. How can you tell if what you’re ...

Reconsidering the Sacred Office of the Priesthood

It’s easy to forget the awesome office of the priest. We see him daily offering the Mass, hearing confessions, anointing, counseling, helping his people to overcome their difficulties and sins. How ...

Vocation and Free Will

Did you realize that you do not get to choose your vocation? That does not mean you have no free will regarding your vocation. On the contrary, a vocation cannot be lived without free will. Thi...

Vocation Cultivation

From a perspective of faith, everyone shares some common fundamental questions: What is the true meaning for my existence? What is God’s plan for my life? To what fruitfulness am I called? To d...

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