Fr. Bethge’s Corner

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...

Discernment Advice from St. Ignatius

I’ve always wanted to be a priest and heal souls! That’s why I’m discerning the priesthood. But lately, I’ve lost interest and think maybe God isn’t calling me any more. One of the most diff...

Discerning with a Screen

You can’t discern totally online — you need to talk to a person! The Internet has made it really easy to find all kinds of information about discerning a vocation, and that’s great! Information ...

What St. Joseph Can Teach Us About Discernment

We know almost nothing about St. Joseph. Scripture tells us relatively little, and pious tradition should be taken with a grain of salt. But what we do know about his life can be a great help a...

Wait & See

“…if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to stop it.” (Acts 5:38-39) In the first chapter of John’...

Discernment & Desire

When Pope Francis was a young seminarian in his twenties, he had to think about celibacy very carefully. A few years ago, when he was a cardinal, he recalled in an interview: “I was dazzl...

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