Fr. Bethge’s Corner

Fear of Commitment

We live in an age when life moves fast, information comes nonstop, and sometimes it may seem the best way to deal with millions of options is not to lock into any of them. That’s the consensus of a ...

Saints Not Superheroes

Many saints struggled with temptations; some even led very sinful lives prior to their conversions. As St. Paul said, “I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Rom 7:15). W...

What is Prayer?

We hear a lot about how important prayer is in the Christian life, and especially when discerning one’s vocation. It’s the the essential way we connect with God. So it’s obvious that prayer is i...

Your Vocation: Destiny Or Free Choice?

Take a moment to consider some big questions: Did God make you for a definite purpose? Or can you be happy choosing any number of courses for your life? If God already knows your future, do you...

Celibacy and Fatherhood

Celibacy isn’t just about “not having sex.” There’s an aspect of celibacy that is more important for a man to consider when discerning the priesthood: the inclination to natura...

Dating and Discernment

There are lots of charming Catholic women who want to get married to a good Catholic man. The problem is, when a man feels called to marriage, all these women go into hiding. But when a young man begi...

Mom, Dad, I Have Great News

Ask most seminarians, and they can remember the precise moment when they told their parents they felt called to the priesthood. Some received overwhelming support right away. Some encountered raised e...

Christian Poverty

“How I long for a poor Church for the poor!” Pope Francis voiced this urgent desire shortly after his election, and much of his papacy has been devoted to encouraging the Church to live Christian ...

Missionaries of the New Evangelization

God is calling you to be a missionary. He is calling you to leave behind what may be familiar to you and boldly proclaim the Gospel to everyone you meet. But He may be calling you to do this wi...

St. Isaac Jogues

When people think of strength, of manliness, of courage, how likely is it that they think of the example of a saint? Holiness and virtue are frequently maligned by common opinion, but that certainly d...

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