Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

Day 19 – Spiritual Desolation – 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.

Part Three: Listening Through Trials, Weakness, and Silence

DAY 19 – Spiritual Desolation

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my help and my God.”
Psalm 42: 5 (RSV)

The journey of the discerning heart sometimes moves through experiences of dryness, confusion, weakness, suffering, and fear. Each of these can test our trust in God and, if not understood, can open the door to what St. Ignatius calls spiritual desolation, that deeper interior darkness where faith feels shaken, prayer seems fruitless, and the soul feels far from God.

It is important to distinguish between ordinary desolation and spiritual desolation. Ordinary desolation can arise from natural causes such as fatigue, illness, or emotional strain. These are part of our human condition and often lift with rest or care. Spiritual desolation, however, touches the soul’s relationship with God. It is a spiritual heaviness, a sense of abandonment, or a fading of joy in prayer and faith.

God never causes spiritual desolation, for He is the source of all light and peace. But in His wisdom, He may allow it. He permits this trial so the soul may grow in fidelity and learn to love Him without relying on feelings or visible signs of grace. What feels like absence can become the place where faith matures and love deepens.

The enemy, however, uses this same moment to sow discouragement and doubt. He tempts the soul to believe that God has withdrawn or that past consolations were never real. St. Ignatius warns that these are lies to be resisted firmly. The heart must remember that the truth revealed in light remains true in darkness.

That is why St. Ignatius counsels, “In time of desolation, never make a change.” Never alter a spiritual resolution, practice, or discernment made when the heart was in consolation. The peace God gave then still holds, even when it cannot be felt.

Advent reminds us that Christ entered the world in night and stillness. When the heart feels most deserted, He is not absent. He is quietly forming in us a faith that endures.

Journey with the Saints –

St. Ignatius of Loyola

“In time of desolation, never make a change. Be firm and constant in the resolutions and determination in which you were before the desolation.”
St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises, Rule 5

St. Ignatius understood desolation as a necessary stage of growth. He describes it as “darkness of soul, disturbance, movement to low and earthly things, disquiet, and lack of hope and love.” Yet he also teaches that God allows these moments to help the soul see that peace and joy are gifts of grace, not achievements of effort.

In Rule 6, Ignatius counsels the soul to act “vigorously against the desolation”, to pray more, to examine itself, and to remember that God’s consolation will return. The key is remembrance. Remember what God has done. Remember how He has led you before. Remember that His faithfulness has not changed.

For Ignatius, desolation becomes fruitful when the soul resists discouragement and clings to the memory of light. It is a test of love’s endurance; a school of trust that prepares the heart for greater union with God.

Reflection for the Listening Heart

This Advent, we have seen how dryness can dull the heart, confusion can cloud understanding, weakness can humble, suffering can refine, and fear can narrow trust. These experiences can sometimes accompany spiritual desolation or lead toward it, but they are not the same. Even when they appear together, God is near.

In desolation, you may question whether the joy, peace, or closeness you once felt was ever real. That doubt is the enemy’s voice. Faith remembers. It recalls the mercy of God and refuses to rewrite the story of His goodness.

The discerning heart learns to resist despair by remembering grace. When you cannot see or feel God, you still know Him by what He has already done. Desolation may silence your emotions, but it cannot erase truth.

Ask yourself: When have I felt God’s closeness before? What light of consolation do I need to remember today?

A Simple Practice for Today

Return to a past moment when you clearly knew God was near; a time of peace, consolation, or gratitude.
Thank Him for that grace.
Say aloud:
“Lord, what You revealed then is still true now.”

Later in the day, when discouragement comes, repeat quietly:
“I will not change direction in this darkness. I trust that Your light will return.”

Let both moments be acts of remembrance and faith.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, when my heart is dark and my memory clouded,
help me to remember Your faithfulness.
Teach me to trust You when consolation fades
and to hold fast to what You revealed in the light.
Through the wisdom of St. Ignatius,
grant me patience in desolation and courage in trial.
Strengthen my love, deepen my faith,
and keep me steady until Your peace returns.
Come Lord Jesus.
Make my heart ready.
Amen.

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

Citations for Day 19

Psalm 42:5 (RSV)
St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises, Rules 4 – 6

© Discerning Hearts. All rights reserved.

Thursday of the 3rd Week of Advent – An Advent Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart

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Thursday of the 3rd week of Advent – An Advent Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart

From the Holy Gospel According to St. Luke 1:5-25

In the days of King Herod of Judaea there lived a priest called Zechariah who belonged to the Abijah section of the priesthood, and he had a wife, Elizabeth by name, who was a descendant of Aaron. Both were worthy in the sight of God, and scrupulously observed all the commandments and observances of the Lord. But they were childless: Elizabeth was barren and they were both getting on in years.
  Now it was the turn of Zechariah’s section to serve, and he was exercising his priestly office before God when it fell to him by lot, as the ritual custom was, to enter the Lord’s sanctuary and burn incense there. And at the hour of incense the whole congregation was outside, praying.
  Then there appeared to him the angel of the Lord, standing on the right of the altar of incense. The sight disturbed Zechariah and he was overcome with fear. But the angel said to him, ‘Zechariah, do not be afraid, your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth is to bear you a son and you must name him John. He will be your joy and delight and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he must drink no wine, no strong drink. Even from his mother’s womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and he will bring back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah, he will go before him to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the disobedient back to the wisdom that the virtuous have, preparing for the Lord a people fit for him.’
  Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is getting on in years.’ The angel replied, ‘I am Gabriel who stand in God’s presence, and I have been sent to speak to you and bring you this good news. Listen! Since you have not believed my words, which will come true at their appointed time, you will be silenced and have no power of speech until this has happened.’ Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and were surprised that he stayed in the sanctuary so long. When he came out he could not speak to them, and they realised that he had received a vision in the sanctuary. But he could only make signs to them, and remained dumb.
  When his time of service came to an end he returned home. Some time later his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept to herself. ‘The Lord has done this for me’ she said ‘now that it has pleased him to take away the humiliation I suffered among men.’

What word made this passage come alive for you?

What did you sense the Lord saying to you?

Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:

In the days of King Herod of Judaea there lived a priest called Zechariah who belonged to the Abijah section of the priesthood, and he had a wife, Elizabeth by name, who was a descendant of Aaron. Both were worthy in the sight of God, and scrupulously observed all the commandments and observances of the Lord. But they were childless: Elizabeth was barren and they were both getting on in years.
  Now it was the turn of Zechariah’s section to serve, and he was exercising his priestly office before God when it fell to him by lot, as the ritual custom was, to enter the Lord’s sanctuary and burn incense there. And at the hour of incense the whole congregation was outside, praying.
  Then there appeared to him the angel of the Lord, standing on the right of the altar of incense. The sight disturbed Zechariah and he was overcome with fear. But the angel said to him, ‘Zechariah, do not be afraid, your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth is to bear you a son and you must name him John. He will be your joy and delight and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he must drink no wine, no strong drink. Even from his mother’s womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and he will bring back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah, he will go before him to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the disobedient back to the wisdom that the virtuous have, preparing for the Lord a people fit for him.’
  Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is getting on in years.’ The angel replied, ‘I am Gabriel who stand in God’s presence, and I have been sent to speak to you and bring you this good news. Listen! Since you have not believed my words, which will come true at their appointed time, you will be silenced and have no power of speech until this has happened.’ Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and were surprised that he stayed in the sanctuary so long. When he came out he could not speak to them, and they realised that he had received a vision in the sanctuary. But he could only make signs to them, and remained dumb.
  When his time of service came to an end he returned home. Some time later his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept to herself. ‘The Lord has done this for me’ she said ‘now that it has pleased him to take away the humiliation I suffered among men.’

What did your heart feel as you listened?

What did you sense the Lord saying to you?

Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:

In the days of King Herod of Judaea there lived a priest called Zechariah who belonged to the Abijah section of the priesthood, and he had a wife, Elizabeth by name, who was a descendant of Aaron. Both were worthy in the sight of God, and scrupulously observed all the commandments and observances of the Lord. But they were childless: Elizabeth was barren and they were both getting on in years.
  Now it was the turn of Zechariah’s section to serve, and he was exercising his priestly office before God when it fell to him by lot, as the ritual custom was, to enter the Lord’s sanctuary and burn incense there. And at the hour of incense the whole congregation was outside, praying.
  Then there appeared to him the angel of the Lord, standing on the right of the altar of incense. The sight disturbed Zechariah and he was overcome with fear. But the angel said to him, ‘Zechariah, do not be afraid, your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth is to bear you a son and you must name him John. He will be your joy and delight and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he must drink no wine, no strong drink. Even from his mother’s womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and he will bring back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah, he will go before him to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the disobedient back to the wisdom that the virtuous have, preparing for the Lord a people fit for him.’
  Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is getting on in years.’ The angel replied, ‘I am Gabriel who stand in God’s presence, and I have been sent to speak to you and bring you this good news. Listen! Since you have not believed my words, which will come true at their appointed time, you will be silenced and have no power of speech until this has happened.’ Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and were surprised that he stayed in the sanctuary so long. When he came out he could not speak to them, and they realised that he had received a vision in the sanctuary. But he could only make signs to them, and remained dumb.
  When his time of service came to an end he returned home. Some time later his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept to herself. ‘The Lord has done this for me’ she said ‘now that it has pleased him to take away the humiliation I suffered among men.’

What did your heart feel as you prayed?

What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?

Our Father, who art in heaven,

  hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

 Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

 and forgive us our trespasses,

 as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

 but deliver us from evil.

May the Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.

Amen

Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.

 

VEC8 – Celsus – Villains of the Early Church with Mike Aquilina – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Mike Aquilina Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcast JudasEpisode 8 – Celsus – Villains of the Early Church with Mike Aquilina

Mike Aquilina discusses the second-century pagan intellectual Celsus, a formidable critic of early Christianity whose work unintentionally preserved valuable insight into the objections Christians faced in the ancient world. Celsus was a serious compiler of knowledge who treated Christianity alongside medicine, law, and agriculture, largely because the Church had become impossible to ignore. Drawing heavily from hostile sources, he misunderstood core Christian claims such as the Trinity, the virginal conception, and the role of women in the Church, often filtering them through the cultural and “scientific” assumptions of his time. These critiques, though flawed, are historically important because they reveal how Christianity challenged deeply held norms of Greco-Roman society, especially regarding monotheism, human dignity, and the equal worth of men and women.

The major arguments raised by modern critics of Christianity are often recycled versions of ancient claims, already addressed by early thinkers like Origen and St. Augustine. Rather than seeing intellectual challenges as threats, Mike Aquilina frames them as occasions for growth in understanding, prayer, and maturity. It draws parallels between knowing God and knowing a loved one: surface-level claims lose their power when grounded in lived relationship. Science and faith are not rivals; in fact, Christian ideas about creation, reason, and order laid foundations for scientific progress. We ought to seek thoughtful answers, cultivate a disciplined life of prayer, and allow challenges to deepen one’s relationship with Christ rather than weaken it.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

  1. How does learning about ancient critics of Christianity help me better understand and trust the development of Church teaching today?
  2. In what ways do my own cultural assumptions shape how I hear or judge the claims of the Christian faith?
  3. How do intellectual challenges to Christianity invite me to grow in humility rather than defensiveness?
  4. What practices help me distinguish between surface-level knowledge about God and a lived relationship with Him?
  5. How does the Church’s historical engagement with science inform the way I approach modern scientific questions?
  6. When confronted with difficult teachings, do I seek deeper understanding through prayer, study, and tradition?
  7. How can time spent in prayer strengthen my ability to respond calmly and faithfully to doubts or criticisms?

An excerpt from Villains of the Early Church

“The man’s name was Aulus Cornelius Celsus, and he was one of those remarkable people who seem to know a little bit about everything. Today we remember him most as a physician, because the main work of his that survives is a treatise on medicine; but that book was actually part of a book on practically all the world knowledge that Celsus had put together. He dealt with law, war, politics, farming, and other subjects as well. And if he knew as much about them as he did about medicine, Celsus must have been a one-man Wikipedia.

The fact that Celsus was so insatiably curious about so many things may be why he bothered to try to learn about the Christians. They were a phenomenon to be studied. But his studies did not go so far as to ask the best authorities on the subject—the bishops and teachers he might have found if he had looked around. Instead, he seems to have relied on what he heard secondhand. That was probably because, although he was a scientist, Celsus was, like any good educated man in the Roman Empire, a snob first and foremost.”

Aquilina, Mike. Villains of the Early Church: And How They Made Us Better Christians. Emmaus Road Publishing. Kindle Edition.

You can find the book on which this series is based here.

For more episodes in the Villians of the Early Church podcast visit here – Villains of the Early Church – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Mike Aquilina is a popular author working in the area of Church history, especially patristics, the study of the early Church Fathers.[1] He is the executive vice-president and trustee of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, a Roman Catholic research center based in Steubenville, Ohio. He is a contributing editor of Angelus (magazine) and general editor of the Reclaiming Catholic History Series from Ave Maria Press. He is the author or editor of more than fifty books, including The Fathers of the Church (2006); The Mass of the Early Christians (2007); Living the Mysteries (2003); and What Catholics Believe(1999). He has hosted eleven television series on the Eternal Word Television Network and is a frequent guest commentator on Catholic radio.

Mike Aquilina’s website is found at fathersofthechurch.com

O Sapientia – Come O Wisdom – O Antiphons Reflections with Sharon Doran – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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O Sapientia – Come O Wisdom

O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High,

reaching from one end to the other,

mightily and sweetly ordering all things:

Come and teach us the way of prudence.

Sharon Doran serves as the teaching director of “Seeking Truth.” An experienced Bible Study teacher, Sharon has a passion for scripture that will motivate and challenge you to immerse yourself in God’s Word and apply His message to your everyday life.

“Seeking Truth” is an in-depth Catholic Bible Study, commissioned by the Archdiocese of Omaha in response to John Paul II’s call to the New Evangelization as well as Pope Benedict XVI’s exhortation for all Catholics to study scripture. To learn more go to:www.seekingtruth.net

O Sapientia – The O Antiphon Reflections from Fr. Giles Dimock, O.P. – Discerning Hearts Podcast


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First Antiphon –
December 17th: O Sapientia

O, Wisdom, O holy Word of God,[1] you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care.[2]  Come and show your people the way to salvation.[3]

In this ancient antiphon the Church cries out to Christ, as the Wisdom of the Father, the eternal Word proclaimed by John in his prologue,[4] who was with the Father in the beginning of the creation of the world which he continues to govern.  We, the Church cry “Come,” the most primordial of all prayers, because we know we’ve “messed up” the wonderful order of creation with human sin and manipulation and need God’s Wisdom, whose “thoughts are not our thoughts.”[5]  Only he can show us his Son who is the way to Salvation; to saving us from ourselves and leading us to righteousness in thought and action, which the term salvation implies.

[1] Sir. 24:3

[2] Wis. 8:1

[3] Is. 40:3-5

[4] John 1

[5] Is. 55: 8-9

 

For more visit:  O Antiphons Reflections from Fr. Giles Dimock O.P.

The O Antiphon reflections are from Musings: Liturgical and Charismatic authored by Fr. Giles Dimock, O.P. and published by Discerning Hearts®

You can find the book here

Day 17: Welcoming Christ in Others – From the writings of Caryll Houselander – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

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Day 17:  Welcoming Christ in Others

It is part of God’s plan for us that Christ shall come to us in everyone; it is in their particular role that we must learn to know him. He may come as a little child, making enormous demands, giving enormous consolation. He may come as a stranger, so that we must give the hospitality to a stranger that we should like to give to Christ.

Commentary:  Caryll Houselander beautifully reminds us that Christ often comes to us through other people, inviting us to recognize His presence in each person’s unique role. He may appear in the form of a child who requires our patience and love, or a stranger who calls us to show hospitality and generosity. This teaching echoes Christ’s words in the Gospels, where He says that whatever we do for the least of His brothers, we do for Him. For Catholics, this perspective challenges us to approach each encounter with the reverence we would give to Christ Himself, recognizing His face in those around us.

Personal Reflection: Today, be mindful of seeing Christ in each person you meet. How can you respond to others—as children, strangers, or friends—with the same love and attention you would offer to Christ Himself?

“A Child in Winter: Advent, Christmas and Epiphany with Caryll Houselander”.

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

Image © Trinity Icons / Joseph M. Malham
Image used with permission
To purchase your own copy, visit Trinity Icons

A Christmas Novena – Day 2 – Discerning Hearts Podcast


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A Christmas Novena – Day 2 – Humility

O Lord, infant Jesus, grant us great humility! You gave us the model of perfect humility in your incarnation, life, and death. We pray for a greater Humility this Christmas.

Divine Infant,
after the wonders of Your birth in Bethlehem,
You wished to extend Your infinite mercy to the whole world
by calling the Wise Men by heavenly inspiration to Your crib,
which was in this way changed into a royal throne.
You graciously received those holy men
who were obedient to the Divine call
and hastened to Your feet.
They recognized and worshipped You as Prince of Peace,
the Redeemer of mankind,
and the very Son of God.

Show us also Your goodness and almighty power.
Enlighten our minds,
strengthen our wills,
and inflame our hearts to know You,
to serve You,
and to love You in this life,
that we may merit to find our joy in You eternally in the life to come.

Jesus, most powerful Child,
We implore You again to help us
with the intentions we hold in the depths of our hearts.

Divine Child, great omnipotent God,
I implore through Your most Holy Mother’s most powerful intercession,
and through the boundless mercy of Your omnipotence as God,
for a favorable answer to my prayer during this Novena.
Grant us the grace of possessing You eternally
with Mary and Joseph
and of adoring You with Your holy angels and saints.

Amen.

Day 18 – Fear – 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.

Part Three: Listening Through Trials, Weakness, and Silence

DAY 18 – Fear

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.”
Psalm 56:3 RSV

Fear touches every human heart. We long for security, assurance, and answers. We want to know that we are safe and that there is a solution waiting for what troubles us. Yet fear, when left unchecked, can cripple the very movement of faith that would lead us toward those things. It narrows our vision, boxes us into what we know, and blinds us to the new and unexpected ways God desires to act in our lives.

There is a fear that protects, the kind that keeps us from danger or awakens the conscience to sin. This holy fear is the beginning of wisdom. But there is also a fear that confines. It is the fear that doubts God’s goodness, hesitates to trust His timing, and clings to control. That fear keeps us from receiving grace.

The discerning heart must learn to recognize both kinds. Christ calls us not to eliminate fear but to bring it to Him, where love can transform it. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18) The love of God does not always remove uncertainty. It fills it with His presence. Faith grows when we choose to move toward Him even when the outcome is unclear.

Advent reveals this mystery: divine love enters the world where human fear reigns, and through Christ, teaches the heart to trust again. In Him, we learn that faith is not the denial of fear, but the act of bringing our fear into His presence. When the heart surrenders its need for control, grace restores peace and confidence. God does not remove every uncertainty, but He remains with us in it, guiding and protecting us with His love.

Journey with the Saints –

St. Pio of Pietrelcina

“Pray, hope, and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.”
St. Pio of Pietrelcina, Letters, Vol. III

For St. Padre Pio, fear was not something to wrestle with alone but something to entrust to God. He taught that peace begins when we stop trying to manage everything by our own strength. The things that belong to God—the outcome of events, the timing of answers, the care of those we love—must be placed back in His hands.

Pio endured misunderstanding, illness, persecution, and interior trial, yet his words remained steady: “Fear nothing. God is with you, and He is more powerful than all the evil in the world.” His calm came from knowing that God’s providence governs every circumstance.

He shows the discerning heart that faith does not erase fear. It transforms it. When fear is lifted to God in prayer, grace renews strength and trust begins to grow again.

Reflection for the Listening Heart

Where am I clinging to certainty or control?
Where do I demand answers rather than trust God’s unfolding?

Fear often disguises itself as the desire for safety. But when it leads me to shrink from grace, it becomes a chain that holds me back from the very assurance I seek. God does not want to silence our fears as much as He wants to meet us within them.

The discerning heart learns to tell the difference between the fear that protects and the fear that confines. Faith listens for God’s invitation to move toward love, even when the path is uncertain.

Ask yourself: What fear keeps me boxed into the possible I can imagine, instead of the endless possibilities God can bring?

A Simple Practice for Today

Choose one verse from today’s Scripture, perhaps “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.”
Sit with it for one quiet minute and say, “Speak, Lord, I am listening.”
Later in the day, pause and take a slow breath. Say, “Lord, free me from the fear that limits Your work in me.”
Let both moments open your heart to the greater possibilities of faith.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You know my longing for certainty and control.
When I am afraid, teach me to trust You more than my own plans.
Through the witness of St. Padre Pio, help me to pray with confidence, to hope with peace,
and to believe that Your love holds possibilities beyond what I can imagine.
Let Your perfect love cast out fear and make my heart ready for Your coming.
Come Lord Jesus.
Amen.

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

Citations for Day 18

Psalm 56:3–4 (RSV)
1 John 4:18 (RSV)
St. Padre Pio, Letters, Vol. III

© Discerning Hearts. All rights reserved.

Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Advent – An Advent Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart

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Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Advent – An Advent Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart

From the Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew 1:18-24

This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son
and they will call him Emmanuel,
a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’ When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home.

What word made this passage come alive for you?

What did you sense the Lord saying to you?

Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:

This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son
and they will call him Emmanuel,
a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’ When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home.

What did your heart feel as you listened?

What did you sense the Lord saying to you?

Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:

This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son
and they will call him Emmanuel,
a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’ When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home.

What did your heart feel as you prayed?

What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?

Our Father, who art in heaven,

  hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

 Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

 and forgive us our trespasses,

 as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

 but deliver us from evil.

May the Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.

Amen

Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.

 

WOM18 – The Gift of Grace – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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The Gift of Grace – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating

Deacon James Keating describes the spiritual journey from attachment to sin into a life shaped by Christ’s light. This shift usually begins through pain or restlessness that awakens a desire for something deeper. As a person moves away from sin and leans into virtue, the presence of Christ becomes clearer, forming the mind and heart through prayer, scripture, worship, and especially the Eucharist. Over time, a person stops acting in isolation and instead makes choices with Christ dwelling within, seeking His guidance in every moral question. This inner communion brings freedom, joy, and clarity, not constraint, because the Christian life becomes a relationship of deepening love rather than instant transformation.

Worship shapes moral life because it immerses the soul in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. Practical discernment includes immediately handing temptations over to Christ before they take root in the imagination and lead the will astray. All ethical questions are to be placed within the mystery of Christ rather than secular ideologies. A well-formed conscience draws from scripture, the Eucharist, and the Church’s teaching authority, which safeguards doctrine and prevents confusion born from private theories or theological trends. True renewal in the Church arises where Catholics rediscover authentic teaching, which challenges one toward holiness and aligns life with Christ rather than cultural pressures.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

  1. How has Christ begun to bring light into areas of your life where you once felt restless or dissatisfied?
  2. In what ways does your participation in the Eucharist shape the choices you make throughout the week?
  3. Where do you still rely on your own independence rather than inviting Christ into your decisions?
  4. How quickly do you turn to Christ when you notice temptation arising within you?
  5. What helps you enter worship not as a routine, but as a living encounter with God?
  6. How do you place your daily moral questions within the mystery of Christ rather than cultural or personal preferences?
  7. In what ways could your conscience be more deeply formed by scripture and the Church’s teaching?
  8. How does your relationship with Christ affect the way you evaluate what is truly good or meaningful?
  9. What practices help you remain attentive to Christ dwelling within you throughout the day?
  10. How is God inviting you to grow in humility when receiving teaching or correction within the Church?

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