Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts

Day 7 – Mercy for Others – St. Faustina Novena for the Discerning Heart From the Diary of St. Faustina, 367 – Jesus speaks to Faustina: “My heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners. If only they could understand that I am the best of Fathers to them and that it is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overf...

Day 7 – St. Francis of Assisi Novena for the Discerning Heart with Msgr. John Esseff Day 7: Service St. Francis, you lived out the Gospel commandment to love your neighbor as yourself, serving the poor, the sick, and the marginalized with great humility and love. You saw in each person the image of Christ, especially in the suffering and the outcast. You remind us that charity is the heart o...

Day 6 – Strength from the Cross – St. Faustina Novena for the Discerning Heart From the Diary of St. Faustina, 1558 – Faustina writes: “In difficult moments I will fix my gaze upon the silent heart of Jesus, stretched upon the cross, and from the exploding flames of His merciful heart will flow down upon me power and strength to keep fighting.” St. Faustina drew stren...

Thursday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly.  For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord. Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over” Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting...

St. Jerome – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson Born : 347 AD, Štrigova, Croatia Died : September 30, 420 AD, Bethlehem Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor explore the life and contributions of St. Jerome, a Doctor of the Church best known for his translation of the Bible into Latin, creating the Vulgate. His fiery personality, shaped by his intellectua...

Day 6 – St. Francis of Assisi Novena for the Discerning Heart with Msgr. John Esseff Day 6: Joy St. Francis, your heart was filled with heavenly joy, even in the midst of trials and sufferings. You understood that true joy comes from a heart that is united with Christ and surrendered to God’s will. You rejoiced in the Lord always, knowing that even the Cross, when borne with love, leads to e...

St. Thérèse of Lisieux Novena – Day Nine St. Therese you have said: “When I die, I will send down a shower of roses from the heavens, I will spend my heaven by doing good on earth.” Saint Therese, flower of Carmel, you said you would spend your heaven doing good upon the earth. Your trust in God was complete. Listen to my prayer; bring before God my special intention… Pray for me that I may...

Day 5 – Overcoming Discouragement and Anxiety – St. Faustina Novena for the Discerning Heart From the Diary of St. Faustina, 1488 – Jesus speaks to Faustina: “The greatest obstacles to holiness are discouragement and an exaggerated anxiety. These will deprive you of the ability to practice virtue. All temptations united together ought not disturb your interior peace, not ev...

 Wednesday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly.  For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord. Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over” Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, want...

St. Thérèse of Lisieux Novena – Day Eight St. Therese you have said: “And it is the Lord, it is Jesus, who is my judge. Therefore I will try always to think leniently of others, that He may judge me leniently, or rather not at all, since He says: “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged.” Saint Therese, flower of Carmel, you said you would spend your heaven doing good upon the earth. Your trus...

Day 5 – St. Francis of Assisi Novena for the Discerning Heart with Msgr. John Esseff Day 5: Poverty St. Francis, you embraced Lady Poverty, imitating Christ who was born in a humble manger and died naked upon the Cross. By detaching yourself from the things of this world, you found the riches of Heaven, for “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). You remind us...

Day 4 – Humility Before God – St. Faustina Novena for the Discerning Heart From the Diary of St. Faustina, 593 – Faustina writes: “A humble soul does not trust itself, but places all its confidence in God. God defends the humble and delivers him from snares and miseries. The humble man, though he be amidst great sufferings, keeps his peace, for he trusts in God and does not...

 Feast of the Archangels – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly.  For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord. Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over” Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within...

  When to Apply the Rules Temptation Under the Appearance of Good – Second Week Rule One In this episode, Fr. Timothy Gallagher explains when the Second Week Rules become necessary. As a person grows in prayer, generosity, and love of God, the enemy may change tactics. Instead of discouraging through spiritual desolation, he may tempt under the appearance of good . A thought can be good and holy...

Day 4 – St. Francis of Assisi Novena for the Discerning Heart with Msgr. John Esseff Day 4: Love of Creation St. Francis, you praised God through all of His creation, seeing in every creature the hand of the Creator. In your “Canticle of the Creatures,” you praised the Lord for Brother Sun and Sister Moon, recognizing that all of nature reflects God’s goodness and beauty. You rem...

St. Thérèse of Lisieux Novena – Day Seven St. Therese you have said: “Do you realize that Jesus is there in the tabernacle expressly for you – for you alone? He burns with the desire to come into your heart… don’t listen to the demon, laugh at him, and go without fear to receive the Jesus of peace and love…” Saint Therese, flower of Carmel, you said you would spend your heaven doing good upo...

Day 9 – The Celestial Choir of  Angels – St. Michael and the Holy Angels Novena V/.  O God,  +  come to my assistance R/.  O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory Be Day 9 – The Celestial Choir of Angels The ANGELS primary focus is the caretakership of humanity and the world. While the lowest ranked of all angelic beings—if one accepts the idea of a regulated angelic organization—an...

Day 3 – The Power of Suffering – St. Faustina Novena for the Discerning Heart From the Diary of St. Faustina, 57 – Faustina writes: “Suffering is a great grace; through suffering, the soul becomes like the Savior; in suffering, love becomes crystallized; the greater the suffering, the purer the love. This true, pure love gives the soul strength and power.” Suffering,...

Monday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly.  For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord. Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over” Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting t...

Which Son Are You? The Call to Conversion – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff In this episode of Building a Kingdom of Love , Msgr. John Esseff reflects on Jesus’ parable of the two sons and the uncomfortable truth that both sons can be found within each of us . One son refuses his father and later changes his mind. The other says yes but fails to act. Jesus directs the parab...

Day 3 – St. Francis of Assisi Novena for the Discerning Heart with Msgr. John Esseff Day 3: Humility St. Francis, you embraced the profound humility of Christ, who “emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:7). You considered yourself the least of all and sought not your own glory, but the glory of God. You saw in humility the path to holiness and the surest way to imitat...

St. Thérèse of Lisieux Novena – Day Six St. Therese you have said: “My whole strength lies in prayer and sacrifice, these are my invincible arms; they can move hearts far better than words, I know it by experience.” Saint Therese, flower of Carmel, you said you would spend your heaven doing good upon the earth. Your trust in God was complete. Listen to my prayer; bring before God my special intent...

Day 8 – The Celestial Choir of  Archangels – St. Michael and the Holy Angels Novena V/.  O God,  +  come to my assistance R/.  O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory Be Day 8 – The Celestial Choir of Archangels The ARCHANGELS primary duty, as is clear from their appearances in Scripture, is to carry out the will of God as it relates directly to humanity. They bring to the world the...

Day 2 – Mercy for All Sinners – St. Faustina Novena for the Discerning Heart From the Diary of St. Faustina, 699 – Jesus speaks to Faustina: “Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world. Who can measure the extent of My goodness? For you I descended from heaven to earth; for you I...

Sunday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly.  For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord. Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over” Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting t...