The Gathering Place, a Podcast from Blessed is She

How do we bring our Catholic faith into our everyday relationships? 💜 In this episode of Catholicism for Catholics, Dr. MaryRuth Hackett shares how our friendships, workplaces, schools, and homes can become places of mission. Our faith isn’t meant to stay within the walls of a church, it’s meant to transform the way we love, serve, forgive, and encounter the people around us. Together, we’ll expl...

As we close out the month, Jenna and Beth are slowing down for a conversation about rest, abiding, and remaining close to Jesus in every season. So many of us live exhausted spiritually, emotionally, and physically - and yet the Heart of Christ continues to invite us into peace, trust, and communion with Him. We’ll also share a vision for  Abide  and where Blessed is She is heading in this next se...

Real love almost always requires sacrifice. In this vulnerable conversation, Jenna and Beth will talk about the cost of loving well: forgiving when it’s hard, staying when it’s uncomfortable, serving when we’re tired, and choosing charity when resentment feels easier. Together, we’ll look at the example of Jesus and remember that love becomes fruitful when it’s rooted in Him rather than our own li...

Love is easy to talk about but much harder to live. This week, Jenna and Beth are reflecting on how Jesus teaches us to love through Scripture, prayer, sacrifice, and daily encounters with others. We’ll discuss how staying close to the Word of God softens and forms our hearts over time, especially when we feel impatient, disconnected, or spiritually dry. We’ll also be featuring our Compact Bible a...

In this episode, Beth and Jenna talk more about the burning love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We are called to love like Jesus loves, but we can't do that if we don't first receive His love. Whether it be how we respond to those who hurt us, how we love our neighbors, how we talk about people, or what we consume, it all comes down to Love.

Check out our 21 day ebook: https://blessedisshe.net/products/in-his-heart-ebook-by-blessed-is-sheTo watch the full conversation and get started on our 7 Day Heart Speaks to Heart challenge, head to our member community: https://connect.blessedisshe.net/New here? We're SO glad you're here! Hit that *subscribe* button and the bell to be notified when we upload! SUBSCRIBE to our free daily d...

What does it actually look like to live the Catholic faith in marriage and family life? 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 In this episode of Catholicism for Catholics, Dr. MaryRuth Hackett shares honestly about her journey from Protestantism to Catholicism, raising children in the faith, navigating spiritual differences in marriage, and learning how to evangelize first through love and example. 🫶🏽 Together, we explor...

In this episode of Catholicism for Catholics, Dr. Mary Ruth Hackett reflects on how our Catholic faith shapes our relationships, especially with our families of origin. Sharing from her own experience as a Protestant convert to Catholicism, Dr. Hackett opens up about the challenges, misunderstandings, and grace that can come when faith journeys look different within a family. Her story reminds us...

In the spiritual life, following Jesus often means walking the narrow way. It's the path of humility, surrender, and obedience. In this conversation, Jenna and Beth reflect on what it means to lay down our lives with Christ, not only in big moments, but in the small, daily “deaths” that shape our hearts to become more like Him. They talk about how God lovingly reveals our weaknesses, not to sh...

Are you wondering, “How do I become Catholic?” You’re not alone and you’re in the right place! In this episode of Catholicism for Catholics, Alison Oertle walks through the beautiful invitation of the Catholic Church and explains the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), the process through which adults are welcomed into the fullness of the faith. Becoming Catholic isn’t just about joini...

Jesus says something striking in the Gospel of John: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” 🙏🏽 But what does that actually mean for the way we live? In this conversation, Jenna and Beth reflect on the invitation to follow Jesus on the narrow way, a path that isn’t always easy, but leads to the fullness of life we’re truly made for. They talk about what it looks like to choose belief, to walk i...

What does it actually mean to live an abundant life? 🌿 In this episode, Jenna and Beth are talking about the kind of life Jesus promises, not one of control, comfort, or perfectly executed plans, but one marked by trust, surrender, and deep awareness of God at work in the ordinary. They explore what it looks like to move from thinking we depend on God…to actually living with radical dependence. T...

Join Jenna and Beth as they dive into the beautiful rhythm of following Jesus in everyday life. From moments of personal conversion to learning how our lives can witness to others, this conversation explores how intimacy with the Lord transforms not just us, but the people around us. They reflect on the ways God invites us into deeper relationship, whether through prayer, obedience, or simply givi...

This week on the podcast, Jenna + Beth are talking about what it really means to guard your heart and why staying connected to Jesus changes everything. Inspired by Week 2 of our Lent devotional Who Do You Say That I Am? by Debbie Herbeck, we dive into Jesus’ words in Gospel of John 10: “I am the gate… I am the Good Shepherd.”If He’s the gate… what are we letting through? From honest conversation...

In this episode of Catholicism for Catholics , Alison Oertle unpacks the Mass, the Divine Liturgy. What is it? How does one participate fully? And why does it matter? With so many ways to pray and worship as Catholics (personal prayer, small groups, times of praise) the Church calls the liturgy the primary act of worship . It is more than attending; it is coming together as the Body of Christ, joi...

In this episode, Jenna and Beth reflect on Lent as a pilgrimage, not a performance. Together they explore what it means to “settle in” with the Lord, to pray like you would meet a friend for coffee, and to allow God to love every part of your story...even the parts you’d rather throw away. From learning how to be still, to noticing tension in our bodies, to encountering the Father who comes to mee...

In this conversation, Jenna and Beth share a simple, honest look at Lent, not as something to “get right,” but as a season to let Jesus meet us right where we are. They talk about the quiet privilege of knowing Him, why healing takes time, and how the Lord often invites us into small, gentle changes (like slowing down or learning to be still). If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by Lent, unsure what t...

Lent can so easily become about checking boxes… giving things up, adding things in, trying harder. But what if this year was less about routine and more about relationship? In this Weekly Visit, Jenna and Steph will reflect on how to keep Jesus at the center of our Lenten practices, so fasting, prayer, and sacrifice become pathways to intimacy rather than "spiritual busywork." We’ll expl...

Before Lent officially begins, the Church gently invites us to slow down and prepare our hearts. In this Weekly Visit, Jenna and Steph will introduce the often-overlooked season of  Septuagesima : a sacred threshold that helps us transition from Ordinary Time into deeper repentance and renewal. Together, we’ll talk about why preparation matters, how small interior shifts can make a big difference,...

Are we truly hungry for God? In Luke 6, Jesus tells us: “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.” But what kind of hunger is He talking about? In this episode of Catholicism for Catholics, Alison Oertle invites us to reflect on our deepest longings and the gift of the Eucharist, where God makes Himself bread to feed His people. Together, we explore what Scripture says about hung...

We weren’t made to walk the Christian life by ourselves. Yet community can feel intimidating, messy, or out of reach. This week, we’ll talk honestly about the vulnerability it takes to be known, the courage it takes to try again after disappointment, and the practical steps that help us find people who share our faith, lift our hearts, and point us to Christ. Real community  is  possible, not beca...

Join us for a special Author Live conversation with Debra Herbeck, author of our Lent 2026 devotional, Who Do You Say That I Am? Debra shares the heart behind the book, her own journey of faith, and the invitation Jesus extends to each of us this Lent: to encounter Him not as an idea, but as a living Person who desires to reveal Himself to us. We’ll talk about prayer, Scripture, and how walking in...

Life doesn’t stay the same… and thank God for that! The spiritual life isn’t about resisting change, but learning to  abide in Christ  through it .  This week, we’ll talk about embracing the rhythms of life and faith as they unfold across the year. Whether it’s transitions we choose or ones we didn’t see coming, we’ll reflect on how to stay rooted in Jesus, adapt with peace, and recognize the frui...

Sometimes all it takes is a simple beginning again. We invite you, sister, to turn your gaze to Jesus and let Him light your path, one step at a time. Advent can feel like a long, slow reaching toward something we cannot yet name. Then Christmas arrives and the world turns the page. What if instead of rushing on, we learned to hold the graces Advent gave us a little longer? The quiet lessons of wa...

What are the seven sacraments… and why do they matter so much for our life with God? In this video, Steph Salinas walks us through the beauty, meaning, and lived reality of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church and how they root us in God’s grace, strengthen us for the journey, and draw us into deeper union with Christ and His Church. Steph shares from her years as a Director of Religious Ed...