Father Justin Huang on Vocational Discernment, the Personal Cost of Ministry, and a Life Anchored in God’s Love
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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.
Fr. Justin Huang
Born in Richmond, BC, Fr. Justin, the youngest of three brothers, felt called to ministry at age 16. He studied at the Seminary of Christ the King in Mission, BC, completing a BA in Liberal Arts, and continued his education at St. Joseph’s Seminary in New York, where he earned his Master of Divinity, Bachelor of Sacred Theology, and Master’s in Moral Theology.
Ordained a priest in 2006, he served in various parishes in the Archdiocese of Vancouver, before three years of advanced formation in Rome at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, where he obtained his J.C.L. (Licentiate in Canon Law).
Fr. Justin is now pastor at St. Anthony of Padua in Vancouver, focusing the last 12 years of his work on parish renewal. As part of the Divine Renovation Network since 2017, he regularly speaks to priests on transitioning parishes from maintenance to mission. Fr. Justin loves prayer, thoughtful conversations and sports. Above all, he loves God and the Church deeply and desires to share God’s love and truth with others.
Show Notes
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.
The work of strengthening pastors across Canada is only possible because of generous partners like you. As we look to the future, would you consider joining us in prayer, sharing this episode, or making a gift to invest in a vibrant, Jesus-centered church in every community?
