Day 6: A Home for Christ Within – From the writings of Caryll Houselander – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

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Day 6: A Home for Christ Within

“Christ asks for a home in your soul, where he can be at rest with you, where he can talk easily to you, where you and he, alone together, can laugh and be silent and be delighted with one another.“

Commentary: Houselander’s vision of Christ seeking a “home” in our souls is a beautiful and intimate portrayal of His desire for closeness with us. This isn’t a distant or formal relationship; instead, she describes a place where Christ can rest, talk, laugh, and simply be with us. This invitation to create a “home” for Christ within our hearts is about nurturing a familiar, joyful, and personal connection with Him. Through this image, Houselander encourages us to make space in our lives where we can freely enjoy His presence.

Personal Reflection: Reflect on your inner life. How can you make it a welcoming place where Christ feels truly at home? Consider setting aside a moment today to simply “be” with Him, enjoying His presence without any formal prayers or requests.

Houselander quote from: Caryll Houselander, Thomas Hoffman (2000). “A Child in Winter: Advent, Christmas and Epiphany with Caryll Houselander”, Rowman & Littlefield

For more reflections visit:
Caryll Houselander – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

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Embracing Hope and Presence – Advent Reflections w/ Dr. Anthony Lilles – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

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Advent #2 – Embracing Hope and Presence – Advent Reflections w/ Dr. Anthony Lilles – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

In this episode of the Discerning Hearts podcast, Dr. Anthony Lilles focuses once again on the profound insights of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) from his work “Seeking God’s Face.” The episode explores the concept of waiting with hope during Advent and understanding the significance of Christian time and history.

Dr. Lilles reflects on a passage from Pope Benedict about the different aspects of waiting – from the anticipation of something better in life to the endurance of illness. The conversation highlights how waiting becomes meaningful when filled with the presence of Christ. This presence, not limited to the future, is active and transformative in the present, offering comfort and direction.

The podcast delves into the idea that Christian hope elevates every moment of life, making it precious. It contrasts this with the despair and nihilism prevalent in society, where people often wait without purpose. Dr. Lilles emphasizes that Christian hope sees God’s love in all circumstances, whether in joy, sorrow, success, or failure.

The episode concludes with the notion that the blessings received now are just a foretaste of the greater joy and fulfillment to come in heaven, urging listeners to live in gratitude and expectation of God’s inexhaustible goodness. This Advent reflection encourages embracing each moment as a gift from God, filled with His loving presence.

A Novena to the Immaculate Conception – Day 6

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A Novena to the Immaculate Conception – Day 6

O God,
who by the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son,
we beseech You that,
as by the foreseen death of this, Your Son,
You did preserve Her from all stain,
so too You would permit us,
purified through Her intercession,
to come unto You.
Through the same Lord Jesus Christ,
Your Son, who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, world without end.

Amen.

Glorious and immortal Queen of Heaven,
we profess our firm belief in your Immaculate Conception
preordained for you in the merits of your Divine Son.
We rejoice with you in your Immaculate Conception.
To the one ever-reigning God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
three in one Person,
one in nature,
we offer thanks for your blessed Immaculate Conception.
O Mother of the Word mad Flesh,
listen to our petition as we ask
this special grace during this novena…

(State your intention here…)

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception,
Mother of Christ,
you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth;
you have the same influence now in heaven.
Pray for us
and obtain for us from him
the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.

Amen.

For the complete 9 day novena visit the Discerning Hearts:

The Immaculate Conception Novena page

Keep Watch – St. Ephrem from the Office of Readings – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

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A commentary on the Diatessaron by St Ephrem

Keep watch: He is to come again

To prevent his disciples from asking the time of his coming, Christ said: About that hour no one knows, neither the angels nor the Son. It is not for you to know times or moments. He has kept those things hidden so that we may keep watch, each of us thinking that he will come in our own day. If he had revealed the time of his coming, his coming would have lost its savour: it would no longer be an object of yearning for the nations and the age in which it will be revealed. He promised that he would come but did not say when he would come, and so all generations and ages await him eagerly.

Though the Lord has established the signs of his coming, the time of their fulfilment has not been plainly revealed. These signs have come and gone with a multiplicity of change; more than that, they are still present. His final coming is like his first. As holy men and prophets waited for him, thinking that he would reveal himself in their own day, so today each of the faithful longs to welcome him in his own day, because Christ has not made plain the day of his coming.

He has not made it plain for this reason especially, that no one may think that he whose power and dominion rule all numbers and times is ruled by fate and time. He described the signs of his coming; how could what he has himself decided be hidden from him? Therefore, he used these words to increase respect for the signs of his coming, so that from that day forward all generations and ages might think that he would come again in their own day.
Keep watch; when the body is asleep nature takes control of us, and what is done is not done by our will but by force, by the impulse of nature. When deep listlessness takes possession of the soul, for example, faint-heartedness or melancholy, the enemy overpowers it and makes it do what it does not will. The force of nature, the enemy of the soul, is in control.

When the Lord commanded us to be vigilant, he meant vigilance in both parts of man: in the body, against the tendency to sleep; in the soul, against lethargy and timidity. As Scripture says: Wake up, you just, and I have risen, and am still with you; and again, Do not lose heart. Therefore, having this ministry, we do not lose heart.

Día 2 – Novena a la Virgen de Guadalupe – Podcasts De Corazones Discernidores

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Novena a la Virgen de Guadalupe

En el nombre del Padre, del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo. Amén.

“Señor mío, Jesucristo, Dios y Hombre verdadero, creador y redentor mío, por ser vos quien sois, y porque os amo sobre todas las cosas, me pesa de todo corazón haberos ofendido.

Propongo enmendarme y confesarme a su tiempo y ofrezco cuanto hiciere en satisfacción de mis pecados, y confío por vuestra bondad y misericordia infinita, que me perdonaréis y me daréis gracia para nunca más pecar. Así lo espero por intercesión de mi Madre, nuestra Señora la Virgen de Guadalupe. Amén”.

Segundo día

¡Oh Santísima Virgen de Guadalupe! ¡Qué bien se conoce que eres Abogada nuestra en el tribunal de Dios, pues esas hermosísimas manos que jamás dejan de beneficiarnos las juntas ante el pecho en ademán de quien suplica y ruega, dándonos con esto a ver que desde el trono de gloria como Reina de los Ángeles y hombres haces también oficio de abogada, rogando y procurando a favor nuestro!

¿Con qué afectos de reconocimiento y gratitud podré pagar tanta fineza? Siendo que no hay en todo mi corazón suficiente caudal para pagarlo.

A ti recurro para que me enriquezcas con los dones preciosos de una caridad ardiente y fervorosa, de una humildad profunda y de una obediencia pronta al Señor.

Esfuerza tus súplicas, multiplica tus ruegos, y no ceses de pedir al Todopoderoso me haga suyo y me conceda ir a darte las gracias por el feliz éxito de tu intermediación en la gloria. Amén.

Padre Nuestro
Padre nuestro, que estás en el cielo, santificado sea tu nombre, venga a nosotros tu reino, hágase tu voluntad, en la tierra como en el cielo. Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día, perdona nuestras ofensas, como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden. No nos dejes caer en la tentación, y líbranos del mal. Amén

Ave Maria
Dios te Salve, María, llena eres de gracia, el Señor está contigo. Bendita tú eres entre todas las mujeres y bendito es el fruto de tu vientre, Jesús. Santa María, Madre de Dios, ruega por nosotros pecadores, ahora y en la hora de nuestra muerte. Amén

Gloria
Gloria al Padre y al Hijo y al Espíritu Santo. Como era en el principio ahora y siempre, por los siglos de los siglos. Amén

Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, ruega por nosotros. Amén

En el nombre del Padre, del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo. Amén

Para consultar la novena completa, visite:
Novena A La Virgen De Guadalupe – Podcasts De Corazones Discernidores

Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe – Day 2 – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe – Day 2

Mary, Mother of divine grace, you appeared to Juan Diego standing on the moon and robed in a royal mantle adorned with stars, showing that you are the Queen of Heaven and Earth, yet far from a haughty or distant Queen. With hands folded in supplication, eyes cast downward in humility and compassion, you did not ask for a temple where you could be honored, but one where you could attend to the “weeping and sorrows of … all the people of this land, and of the various peoples who love me….”

May all who are sorrowing due to abuse, violence, exploitation, neglect, and all sins against the dignity of life, fly to you, Mother, for comfort and hope.

Our Father …

Hail Mary …

Glory be …

Please visit the Discerning Hearts Our Lady of Guadalupe page for the text and audio for the remaining days.

Day 5 – Stillness – An Advent Journey for the Discerning Heart – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

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An Advent Journey for the Discerning Heart:
Prepare your heart for Christ through Scripture, the saints, and the gentle practice of daily listening.

Week One: Awakening the Listening Heart

DAY 5 – Stillness

“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Psalm 46.10 RSV

Stillness is the interior calm that allows the soul to recognize God’s presence. It is different from silence. Silence quiets the environment. Stillness settles the heart. Advent invites us into stillness so the deeper truth of God’s nearness can be known rather than merely thought about.

Stillness is not inactivity. It is the freedom from interior agitation. It gathers the scattered heart into one place and brings the mind and soul together before God. When the heart is restless, God feels far away. When the heart becomes still, His presence becomes gently perceptible.

Stillness requires trust. It asks the soul to rest without striving and to set aside the inner rush that pushes toward the next thing. The discerning heart learns to recognize that God often speaks when the heart rests rather than when it works. God moves in the quiet center of the soul.

Advent teaches us this stillness so we can know, in the depth of our being, that He is God and He is here.

Journey with the Saints –

St. Teresa of Avila

“Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things pass away. God never changes.”
St. Teresa of Avila, Poem “Nada te turbe,” line 1

St. Teresa knew the power of a still heart. Her teaching and her life remind us that interior stillness is not found by force. It is found by grounding the heart in God’s faithfulness. When the heart remembers who God is and how He loves, fear loosens and rest becomes possible.

For St. Teresa, stillness is rooted in trust. As long as the soul tries to control every outcome, the interior life will stay restless. But when the soul yields to God and remembers His constancy, a deep stillness forms that no circumstance can disrupt. This stillness allows the soul to hear God with clarity.

St. Teresa teaches us that stillness is both gift and discipline. We make space for it, and God fills that space with His peace.

Reflection for the Listening Heart

Today invites you to notice where you feel restless, tense, or scattered. Stillness begins when you acknowledge those places and let them soften in the presence of God. You do not need to force peace. You only need to stop resisting His nearness.

Listening grows in a still heart. When agitation quiets, even slightly, the presence of God becomes more recognizable. Stillness allows the heart to know what noise often hides.

Ask yourself: What steals my stillness today. What might God be asking me to release so my heart can rest in Him.

A Simple Practice for Today

Choose one moment today to sit quietly and breathe slowly. Say, “You are God, and You are here.” Let your heart settle. Later in the day, pause again for one slow breath and place your hand over your heart as a gesture of stillness before God.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, draw my heart into stillness. Quiet the restlessness that distracts me from Your presence. Teach me to rest in You with trust and peace. Help me to know, deep within, that You are God and that I am held in Your love. Amen.

For more of the episodes of
An Advent Journey for the Discerning Heart with Kris McGregor visit here

Citations for Day 5

Psalm 46.10 RSV
St. Teresa of Avila, Poem “Nada te turbe,” line 1

AR#5 – God’s Patience – Advent Reflections with Deacon James Keating Ph.D. – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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AR#5 – Advent Reflections with Deacon James Keating, Ph.D.

As human beings, we tend to sin. We all know this about our characters. And many times, it moves us to despair. God sees our sin, but He never loses his patience with us. And one of the reasons why God never loses His patience with His creation, is, of course, because He loves us. But also because His happiness is already fully possessed by Himself. He’s not like us when we get angry at our children, and try to move time forward; try to make things happen quickly. God is perfectly happy in Himself, and so He does no violence to time, or to people’s development. He waits. He calls. He shares His own happiness with us. And He knows in this patience that He fully possesses, that someday we will be attracted to such a powerful person, to such a peaceful person as He revealed Himself to be in Jesus. This Advent, don’t lose patience with yourself. Convert all desires to sin into Jesus’ own heart. Give it to him and He will give you a share in His own happiness.

Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO.

Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” page

Day 5: Seeing God’s Love in the Ordinary – From the writings of Caryll Houselander – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

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Day 5: Seeing God’s Love in the Ordinary

“Every ordinary thing in your life is a word of God’s love: your home, your work, the clothes you wear, the air you breathe, the food you eat…. the flowers under your feet are the courtesy of God’s heart flung down on You! All these things say one thing only: “See how I love you.”

Commentary: Caryll Houselander encourages us to see every element of daily life as a tangible expression of God’s love. From the air we breathe to the food we eat and even the flowers on our path, these simple things are “words” spoken by God to remind us of His love and care. By viewing ordinary life through this lens, we begin to recognize the divine presence in all things, each moment filled with grace and meaning. For Houselander, these small blessings are like “courtesies” from God, each whispering, “See how I love you.”

Personal Reflection: Take a moment today to notice the ordinary blessings around you. How does recognizing these simple gifts as signs of God’s love change your outlook on daily life?

Houselander quote from: Caryll Houselander, Thomas Hoffman (2000). “A Child in Winter: Advent, Christmas and Epiphany with Caryll Houselander”, p.38, Rowman & Littlefield

For more reflections visit:
Caryll Houselander – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

Día 1 – Novena a la Virgen de Guadalupe – Podcasts De Corazones Discernidores

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Novena a la Virgen de Guadalupe

En el nombre del Padre, del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo. Amén.

“Señor mío, Jesucristo, Dios y Hombre verdadero, creador y redentor mío, por ser vos quien sois, y porque os amo sobre todas las cosas, me pesa de todo corazón haberos ofendido.

Primer día

“¡Oh Santísima Señora de Guadalupe! Esa corona con que ciñes tus sagradas sienes publica que eres Reina del Universo. Lo eres, Señora, pues como Hija, como Madre y como Esposa del Altísimo tienes absoluto poder y justísimo derecho sobre todas las criaturas.

Siendo esto así, yo también soy tuyo; también pertenezco a ti por mil títulos; pero no me contento con ser tuyo por tan alta jurisdicción que tienes sobre todos; quiero ser tuyo por otro título más, esto es, por elección de mi voluntad.

Ved que, aquí postrado delante del trono de tu Majestad, te elijo por mi Reina y mi Señora, y con este motivo quiero doblar el señorío y dominio que tienes sobre mí; quiero depender de ti y quiero que los designios que tiene de mí la Providencia divina, pasen por tus manos. Dispón de mí como te agrade; los sucesos y lances de mi vida quiero que todos corran por tu cuenta. Confío en tu benignidad, que todos se enderezarán al bien de mi alma y honra y gloria de aquel Señor que tanto complace al mundo. Amén”.

Gloria
Gloria al Padre y al Hijo y al Espíritu Santo. Como era en el principio ahora y siempre, por los siglos de los siglos. Amén

Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, ruega por nosotros. Amén

En el nombre del Padre, del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo. Amén.

For more reflections visit: Caryll Houselander – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

Advent #2 – Embracing Hope and Presence – Advent Reflections w/ Dr. Anthony Lilles – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

A Novena to the Immaculate Conception – Day 6

For the complete 9 day novena visit the Discerning Hearts:

A commentary on the Diatessaron by St Ephrem

Keep watch: He is to come again

Novena a la Virgen de Guadalupe

Segundo día

Para consultar la novena completa, visite: Novena A La Virgen De Guadalupe – Podcasts De Corazones Discernidores

Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe – Day 2

Please visit the Discerning Hearts Our Lady of Guadalupe page for the text and audio for the remaining days.

An Advent Journey for the Discerning Heart: Prepare your heart for Christ through Scripture, the saints, and the gentle practice of daily listening.

Week One: Awakening the Listening Heart

DAY 5 – Stillness

Journey with the Saints –

St. Teresa of Avila

Reflection for the Listening Heart

A Simple Practice for Today

Prayer

For more of the episodes of An Advent Journey for the Discerning Heart with Kris McGregor visit here

For more reflections visit: Caryll Houselander – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

Novena a la Virgen de Guadalupe

Primer día

Para consultar la novena completa, visite: Novena A La Virgen De Guadalupe – Podcasts De Corazones Discernidores

For more reflections visit:
Caryll Houselander – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

Para consultar la novena completa, visite:
Novena A La Virgen De Guadalupe – Podcasts De Corazones Discernidores

An Advent Journey for the Discerning Heart:
Prepare your heart for Christ through Scripture, the saints, and the gentle practice of daily listening.

For more of the episodes of
An Advent Journey for the Discerning Heart with Kris McGregor visit here

For more reflections visit:
Caryll Houselander – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

Para consultar la novena completa, visite:
Novena A La Virgen De Guadalupe – Podcasts De Corazones Discernidores