Mom, dad, I have great news…

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 eyebrows. And some found themselves having to defend their decision...
Christian poverty

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 poverty. But what exactly is Christian poverty? The Holy Father...
Missionaries of the New Evangelization

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 without going anywhere! This is because every Catholic is called to bring the...
St. Isaac Jogues

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 doesn’t mean that a saint is weak, or ignorant, or that he has...
God equips those he calls

God equips those he calls

“Without question, I have spent more time helping Carla than any other person during my priesthood,” says Fr. Joe Hirsch, a priest from Wisconsin. “I remember the first time I saw her. I was working as a high school chaplain, and saw a timid 14-year-old girl nearly...
What will you do with your life?

What will you do with your life?

As part of discerning your vocation, meditate on this powerful passage from British archbishop Maurice Couve de Murville.  If you are wondering what to do with your life,if you feel you want to do something really great with it, if you don’t want to fall into a...
Total abandonment

Total abandonment

The way to perfect happiness is by giving up the pursuit of happiness. While this is not the conventional wisdom of the world, it is a staple of Christian spirituality. Ask most people you meet what makes them really happy and you’ll probably get answers like...
Check your baggage

Check your baggage

“You can forget the past, but it will never forget you.” When discerning your vocation, it’s essential to deal with wounds from your past that may be keeping you from moving toward God’s will for your life. Past events can be damaging even...