Father Justin Huang on Vocational Discernment, the Personal Cost of Ministry, and a Life Anchored in God’s Love

In today’s episode, Father Justin Huang invites us into his journey of faith, vocation, and pastoral ministry. From a teenage conversion to a long and costly discernment of priesthood, Father Justin reflects on the ways that God leads us through surrender, suffering, and trust into deeper freedom and joy.

Father Justin and Jason talk about the heart of Christian discipleship by exploring encounter with Jesus, dying to self in order to receive more of God, and the slow, patient formation of a life rooted in prayer. Father Justin shares honestly about exhaustion, panic attacks and the interior battles of ministry, while offering a hopeful vision for pastors who long to remain alive in Christ despite the weight of care, responsibility, and expectation. 

Together, Father Justin and Jason explore:

• Father Justin’s teenage conversion and his journey toward a lifelong call to priesthood, shaped by fear, surrender, and learning to trust God,
• The difference between surface-level happiness and the deeper peace that comes through obedience, encounter with Jesus, and costly discipleship,
• Why encounter with Jesus must come before asking people to embrace costly discipleship,
• Leading parish renewal by centering ministry on God’s mercy, presence, and love,
• The unseen toll of ministry: exhaustion, panic, burnout, and learning to recognize early warning signs with honesty and humility,
• How patterns of prayer, rule of life, retreat, and silence help pastors create space to receive God’s love without striving or proving.

Father Justin offers a generous window into the interior life of a pastor who has learned, often painfully, that holiness is not found in doing more for God, but in making space to receive more of Him. Whether you’re navigating ministry fatigue, discerning a call, or longing for deeper intimacy with Jesus, this conversation invites you to slow down, listen, and trust the Father’s patient work in your life.

Show Notes:

• St. Anthony of Padua Parish — South Vancouver
• Father Justin's Blog
• Catholic Christian Outreach
• The Liturgy of the Hours
• The Examen Prayer (St. Ignatius of Loyola)

Partners

Special thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for making this episode possible. We invite you to explore their ⁠Bible Course⁠ to help your church grow in Scripture engagement.