In this episode, Jessica's friend Theresa shares about the struggles of infertility and her own story of asking the intercession of Servant of God Michelle Duppong. 

Jess and Theresa discuss:

• The common question when struggling with infertility: Should I ask for what I want in prayer or should I pray, "Not my will but yours be done"?
• Theresa's experience of having a baby after praying to Servant of God Michelle Duppong
• Theresa's advice for women struggling with infertility

You can find out more about Servant of God Michelle Duppong here: https://michelleduppongcause.org/ 

You can buy tickets to see the documentary, "Radiating Joy: The Michelle Duppong Story," here.

Theresa Callahan is a wife and mother who lives on the East Coast.

The SEEK conference is just around the corner, and this year's theme is, "Follow Me". In this episode, Mark Bartek joins Jessica to talk about how Servant of God Michelle Duppong answered Jesus' call to follow Him. Mark and Jess discuss:

• The theme of the conference, which comes from the Scripture verse John 8: 12, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
• Mark shares about his time as Michelle's supervisor and how he saw her follow Jesus during her time in FOCUS
• Jess and Mark discuss Michelle's suffering during her illness and Jesus' promise that His followers will not walk in darkness
• Jess and Mark talk about the upcoming documentary, "Radiating Joy: The Michelle Duppong Story", which Mark appeared in

"Radiating Joy: The Michelle Duppong Story" will be in theaters for one night only on November 12th, 2024. You can get tickets here: Fathom Events: Radiating Joy.

Mark Bartek is the Senior Director of FOCUS Mission Partner Development. He has been with FOCUS for 18 years, and he and his wife Angie have 8 children.

Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by our grief and can have difficulty expressing it in prayer. In this episode, counselor Kate Johnson joins Jessica to talk about praying in the midst of grief. Jess and Kate discuss:

• The modern tendency in the Christian community to focus on the resurrection and skip the necessary grieving process
• Why our culture has forgotten how to grieve
• Ancient Jewish practices to mourn the death of loved ones
• How grief can be a springboard for evangelization

Kate Johnson is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Colorado as well as Michigan. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Denver, in Biology Psychology and Chemistry. and went on to join FOCUS, for the next eight years as an on-campus missionary. During her time in FOCUS she also pursued a master’s degree from the Institute for the Psychological Sciences (now Divine Mercy University). After graduate school, she spent several years at Mount St. Mary’s University,  as a counselor and adjunct seminary professor. She then came back to Colorado, and worked with St Raphael Counseling for several years.  Kate currently lives in Centennial with her husband, Greg, and has a private practice, where she continues to see therapy clients. She also continues to work with FOCUS part-time, consulting on mental health issues. 

In this episode, liturgical expert Chris Carstens returns to talk with Jessica about Catholic funerals. Chris and Jess discuss:

• The 3 ceremonies associated with a Catholic funeral: vigil, Mass of Christian Burial, and prayers at the graveside
• The connection between a funeral Mass and the Easter Vigil
• Key symbols and prayers in the Mass of Christian Burial

Chris Carstens is the Director of Worship in the Diocese of La Crosse, a visiting faculty member of the Liturgical Institute at the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, IL, and the Editor of Adoremus Bulletin. Chris lives in Soldiers Grove, WI, with his wife and children.

Servant of God Fr. Walter Ciszek spent 23 years in Siberian prison camps for his faith in Jesus. After being released from prison, he returned to the United States and became a renowned spiritual director. 

In this episode, Fr. Michael Wegenka joins Jessica to dive into a prayer of surrender that Fr. Ciszek wrote for one of his directees. Fr. Michael and Jess discuss:

• Fr. Ciszek's spirituality of surrender and trust in God
• The line of the prayer, "I ask the grace to accept the sadness in my heart as your will for me in this present moment." Is God's will for me to be sad?
• Fr. Ciszek's teaching on finding God in the present moment
• How you can find healing in seeking God in the present moment

Here is the text of Fr. Ciszek's prayer:

Prayer of Surrender
Lord Jesus Christ, I ask the grace to accept the sadness in my heart, as your will for me, in this moment. I offer it up, in union with your sufferings, for those who are in deepest need of your redeeming grace. I surrender myself to your Father's will and I ask you to help me to move on to the next task that you have set for me.
Spirit of Christ, help me to enter into a deeper union with you. Lead me away from dwelling on the hurt I feel:
to thoughts of charity for those who need my love,
to thoughts of compassion for those who need my care, and
to thoughts of giving to those who need my help.
As I give myself to you, help me to provide for the salvation of those who come to me in need.
May I find my healing in this giving.
May I always accept God's will.
May I find my true self by living for others in a spirit of sacrifice and suffering.
May I die more fully to myself and live more fully in you.
As I seek to surrender to the Father's will, may I come to trust that he will do everything for me.

To learn more about Fr. Ciszek, visit his League website here. 

Fr. Michael Wegenka, S.J., is a Jesuit priest from Houston, Texas. He has worked at Regis Jesuit High School as well as his alma mater, Strake Jesuit in Houson. He was ordained in 2018 and is currently working as a vocation promoter for the UCS Province of Jesuits.

In Matthew 7:1, Jesus tell us, "Do not judge, lest you shall be judged". But what does this actually mean? Fr. Joseph-Anthony Kress is back in this episode to talk about judgment. Fr. Joseph-Anthony and Jess discuss:

• Is it a judgment to notice a fault in another person?
• How can you know if you are making rash judgments?
• What advice do you have for someone who is trying to overcome the sin of judging other people?

Fr. Joseph-Anthony Kress is the chaplain at the University of Virginia. He is an Eastern Province Dominican friar and co-host of the Godsplaining podcast with four other Dominican friars. You can listen to Godsplaining here

How do you know if you are gossiping or simply sharing your struggles with friends? 

Fr. Joseph-Anthony Kress joins Jessica today to shed light on St. Thomas Aquinas' teaching on gossip. Jessica and Fr. Joseph-Anthony discuss:

• Gossip's role in spiritual warfare
• How Aquinas breaks verbal sins or injuries into 5 categories: reviling, backbiting, tale-bearing, derision, and cursing
• Ways that you can overcome the sin of gossip in your life, including asking God to "set a guard over your lips" (Ps 141:3).

Fr. Joseph-Anthony Kress is the chaplain at the University of Virginia. He is an Eastern Province Dominican friar and co-host of the Godsplaining podcast with four other Dominican friars. You can listen to Godsplaining here

In this episode, liturgical expert Chris Carstens returns to talk about the rite of baptism. Jess and Chris discuss:

• How baptism restores God's image in the soul
• Why the rite of baptism begins at the front of the church
• What is the role of Godparents?
• And much more!

Chris Carstens is the Director of Worship in the Diocese of La Crosse, a visiting faculty member of the Liturgical Institute at the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, IL, and the Editor of Adoremus Bulletin. Chris lives in Soldiers Grove, WI, with his wife and children.

When leading another person to Jesus, one of the most important tasks you have is teaching that person how to pray. But how can you do this? 

FOCUS Alumna and former Senior Director of TD and RD Formation Shannon Hicks joins Jessica in this episode to talk about how to teach another person how to pray. Jess and Shannon discuss:

• How God Himself teaches each person to pray and we only accompany others while He teaches them
• The value of praying out loud with someone learning to pray
• Teaching ARRR Prayer- Acknowledge, Relate, Receive, Respond

Shannon Hicks is a wife, mother, spiritual director and a former FOCUS missionary. Shannon served in FOCUS for 15 years as a campus missionary, regional director, and a member of the formation team.

After a conversion or reversion to the Catholic faith, many people can struggle in their interactions with family members who don't share their beliefs. 

In this episode, Director of Formation Travis Todd and Director of Retreats Niru de Silva join Jessica to talk about how their conversions impacted their family relationships and their prayer lives. Travis, Niru, and Jess discuss:

• Niru's background growing up with a Buddhist family and Travis' upbringing in a devout Protestant home
• Struggles in family interactions that are common after conversions, including
  • The temptation to let intercession for your family monopolize your prayer life
  • Pressuring yourself to be perfect so that you reflect well on the Catholic faith
  • Scrupulosity about proclaiming truths of the faith to family members
• Advice for FOCUS staff and students who are navigating relationships with family members who don't share their faith

Travis Todd is a convert to Catholicism and has worked for FOCUS for 18 years. Travis served 9 years as a campus missionary and team director before accepting a role at the FOCUS Denver Support Center. He currently serves as Director of Formation. Travis resides in Arvada, Colorado, with his wife, Rebecca, and 7 children.

Niru de Silva is a convert to Catholicism and has worked for FOCUS for 7 years. He has served FOCUS as a campus missionary, Regional Director, and now as the Director of Retreats. Niru's team brings life-changing retreats to people at over 200 FOCUS locations. Niru resides in Denver, Colorado, with his wife, Sarah, and their daughter.