This verse from Jeremiah 31 reveals that the Almighty and Everlasting seeks humanity not because He is our Father, but because He longs to be.  

God reveals Himself to man within the space-time continuum of our universe. Creation reveals His essence in all things as Almighty and Everlasting. The Son reveals the Everlasting Father.

But His Fatherhood is reserved in grace for those who will trust in and adjust to It.

Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friends of the Show, Jeff B; Kimberly Y; Pamela B; and Leanne J, for loving and lifting me! Friends of the Show get all Premium Content! 

Want to join us for our Monthly Meetup Bible study in the Gospel of John?

LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.  

L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.)

O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.)

Is it surprising that God is only our Father by grace, and not by simply creating us? Where have you withheld obedience to the principles of His Kingdom as revealed by the Son, whether by ignorance or rebellion? What do you want to say to Him about that?    

V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.)

Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin.

E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.)

Almighty God, grant us the grace to hope in you with unwavering trust, that we may draw close enough to experience the "too wonderful" of you. As we begin this season of Advent, may our hearts be filled with the hope and wonder that comes from knowing your promises are true. Amen +

Love Heals. Learn More.

Connect

Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing. 

What We Discussed | Show Notes

Overview:

Minutes 00:00-12:00 – eternity: omnipotence; omnipresence; omniscience; quantity vs quality 

Minutes 12:01-24:00 – Father of Israel; genderless; authority and responsibility to care for

Minutes 24:01-36:00 – the limited scope of divine Fatherhood; Almighty vs Father; belonging 

Minutes 36:01-48:00 – "my Father and your Father"; essence vs grace; abba; present and future gift; suffering, death, and security

Transcript

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Perhaps you've heard or seen this John Muir quote on a t-shirt or mug, "The mountains are calling and I must go."

Muir is known as the "Father of National Parks." Born in Scotland, he later moved to Wisconsin to become an inventor and quality control guy by trade. But his love for adventure, wild landscapes, and rugged crags and cliffs continued as he “botanized” at every opportunity.  

When an industrial accident left him temporarily blind, the result was a new seeing: “I made haste with all my heart, bade adieu to all thoughts of inventing machinery, and determined to devote the rest of my life to studying the inventions of God.” 

The Almighty called. 

Muir felt His breath stirring through the Sequoias, and heard His voice in the "sound of many waters" roaring over the 2,500-foot Yosemite Falls. As he dangled precariously over the top in order to observe the motion of the water, it is said that he exclaimed, “Where could a mountaineer find a more glorious death!” 

Calling the wild dangers of wilderness "sanctum sanctorum," or "holy of holies," he preached, "Try the mountain passes. They will kill care, save you from deadly apathy, set you free, and call forth every faculty into vigorous, enthusiastic action.” 

Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friend of the Show, Robert G, for loving and lifting me! Friends of the Show get all Premium Content! 

Want to join us for our Monthly Meetup Bible study in the Gospel of John?

LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.  

L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.)

O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.)

The "secret place of the Most High" is said by the psalmist to be the protective "shadow of the Almighty." Do you ever wonder where - in the untamed wilderness of the Mountain - the Lord's protection for you is? It's primarily in His mercy: "You overlook men's sins, that they may repent ... You spare all things for they are yours, O Lord, who love the living" (Wis 11:22-26). What do you want to say to Him about that?    

V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.)

Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin.

E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.)

Almighty God, grant us the grace to hope in you with unwavering trust, that we may draw close enough to experience the "too wonderful" of you. As we begin this season of Advent, may our hearts be filled with the hope and wonder that comes from knowing your promises are true. Amen +

Love Heals. Learn More.

Connect

Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing. 

What We Discussed | Show Notes

Overview:

Minutes 00:00-12:00 – Isaiah 9; the secret place; Psalm 91 

Minutes 12:01-24:00 – Almighty God, El Shaddai; theophany as word and presence; the flaming sword that guards the Garden's glory; the Word allows entrance to the secret place

Minutes 24:01-36:00 – "knowing" = intimacy; the shadow of the mountain; the Cosmic Butler; temptation to demand that God suspend natural laws 

Minutes 36:01-48:00 – fallen from glory; judgment falls on the serpent, not the children; glory of God restored to man; Moses and the cleft of the rock

Transcript

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The downward pull of the world and its ways might be called "self-consciousness," or darkness, wherein we focus on all that's dark, negative, and painful in ourselves and the world around us. But the spirit of this season is LIGHT:

God-consciousness - His ways of thinking, speaking, and acting - are so different than what we’re used to, that learning to live in the Wonderful Counselor's light is supremely difficult at first. But in order to experience His promises, we must adjust to Him, not vice versa. He’s already done the monumental adjusting to us in the Incarnation. Now we have to do the difficult work of learning His voice and ways, so that He can draw us out of the downward pull of the world and it’s voice and ways.  

Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friends of the Show, Missy P; Abbey F; Mildred C; Antonia R; and Cynthia C, for loving and lifting me! Friends of the Show get all Premium Content! 

Our Monthly Meetup Bible study in the Gospel of John is December 11 at 6:30 PM Central in the Community. You coming?

LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.  

L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.)

O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.)

This adjustment to God-consciousness is sometimes called the anti-Eden motif, in which the Light of Christ reverses the self-focus of the Fall and places it back on God, which illumines and expands us into the former glory. Where do you need this light in your life? 

V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.)

Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin.

E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.)

Almighty God, grant us the grace to hope in you with unwavering trust, that we may draw close enough to experience the "too wonderful" of you. As we begin this season of Advent, may our hearts be filled with the hope and wonder that comes from knowing your promises are true. Amen +

Love Heals. Learn More.

Connect

Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing. 

What We Discussed | Show Notes

Overview:

Minutes 00:00-12:00 – Isaiah 9; Wonderful Counselor; "why is this so hard"?  

Minutes 12:01-24:00 – darkness and light; a single name; John the Baptist must come before the Baby

Minutes 24:01-36:00 – what it means to "repent" or 180; leaning into the darkness and misery; looking toward the light; what "counselor" means

Minutes 36:01-48:00 – The New Law is a Person; the law is love; learning to love and be loved authentically is God-consciousness

Transcript

Friends of the Show, sign in first to download a transcript of this episode: Protected Content. Click Here to sign in

I'm really asking.

Can the smell of rain be too wet? Are a baby's toes too fat? Is spring too fresh, ice cream too cold, grace too amazing? Is football too competitive, or a bass too big? The ocean too noble? What could be so wonderful that it's "too wonderful"?

Have you ever experienced anything that you would describe as "unbearably glorious"? Would you want to?

If your suffering seems to obscure the face of God, this episode is an invitation to look deeper, to push through the veil to the wonder beyond.

Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friends of the Show, Michelle M; Thelma A; Tracy N; and Deborah W, for loving and lifting me! Friends of the Show get all Premium Content! 

Our Monthly Meetup Bible study in the Gospel of John is December 9 at 6:30 PM Central in the Community. You coming?

LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.  

L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.)



O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.)

Have you ever experienced anything unbearably glorious? Does the phrase "too wonderful" put you off, or inspire you to press in? What do you want to say to the Lord about that?

V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.)

Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin.

E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.)

Almighty God, grant us the grace to hope in you with unwavering trust, that we may draw close enough to experience the "too wonderful" of you. As we begin this season of Advent, may our hearts be filled with the hope and wonder that comes from knowing your promises are true. Amen +

Love Heals. Learn More.

Connect

Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing. 

What We Discussed | Show Notes

Overview:

Minutes 00:00-12:00 – Context, history, and background on Isaiah the prophet; the Book of Immanuel 

Minutes 12:01-24:00 – Is 9; throne names; Gideon and Midian; the image of God and the lost glory of God 

Minutes 24:01-36:00 – Manoah's wife, Elizabeth, and Mary; angel of the Lord; beyond understanding; three "too wonderful"s

Minutes 36:01-48:00 – theophanies; sign and word; Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Gideon, Manoah; pressing into the "too wonderful"

Transcript

Friends of the Show, sign in first to download a transcript of this episode: Protected Content. Click Here to sign in

I've heard from many of you who are already experiencing pop quizzes related to holiday celebrations, so here are six Ps for navigating the holidays and making them more peaceful and happy: Predict, Prepare, Plan, Priorities, Peace, Pivot. 

And here's how to elevate your base-line happiness, because thanksgiving is a multiplier!

Don't all of your issues seem to be exacerbated by the holiday season? We're spending increased amounts of time with people and/or family who may have wounded us or still do. We may feel pressured and obligated by Great Expectations for how things "should" be. Perhaps we labor under the financial burden such expectations add; the sometimes extreme changes in environment, sleep, and schedules at work and with travel that can cause burnout; the many occasions for over-stimulation for us or our kids; the sheer amounts and types of food; stifling grief while feeling forced to put on the happy face; sibling rivalries; inferiority complexes; self-medication and addiction triggers; seasonal depression and lack of sunlight; questions and insinuations from others about "where you are" in life. 

If all of that feels overwhelming to you, perhaps you can see why the holiday season causes your inner child to feel distressed and begin "acting out" in order to get your attention? 

And why all the guilt for simply wanting to hibernate until the whole season is over, or needing to limit exposure to the entire bit? What if the guilt is driven by a trauma bond? 

Bonus segment mentioned at the end of the episode. 

Here's the Anxiety Checklist referred to in the episode. Link to study mentioned in the episode.

 

Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friends of the Show, Lidia M; Carl O; Juana N; and Cheryl B (extra thank you!), for loving and lifting me! Friends of the Show get all Premium Content! 

Our Monthly Meetup Bible study is tonight at 6:30 PM Central in the Community. You coming?

LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.  

L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.)

O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.)

Where did you identify instances of abuse in your life? Have you been an abuser? Where do you need better boundaries, either as one who has been abused or as an abuser? Spend some time talking with the Holy Spirit about a peace-plan for this holiday season. 

V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.)

Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin.

E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.)

Dearest Jesus, my love, in the words of little Therese, "For me to become great is impossible." Help me bear with myself and my many imperfections as I seek to follow her means of getting to heaven by a little way--very short and very straight, the little way. Amen +

Love Heals. Learn More.

Connect

Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing. 

What We Discussed | Show Notes

Overview:

Minutes 00:00-12:00 – The distressed inner child; holiday stress and Great Expectations; abuse

Minutes 12:01-24:00 – Trauma bonds: the cycle; the signs; biological process 

Minutes 24:01-36:00 – Predict from the past; Prepare for the worst while hoping for the best; Plan for before and after

Minutes 36:01-48:00 – Protect in the order of Priorities; Peace is your Pivot or anchor

Transcript

Click here for a transcript of the show.

Yeah, me too. I've broken dishes, physically attacked my husband, and once pushed another driver off the road with my car.

I'm not proud of it.

In fact, I only share my embarrassing lack of self-control because after 200+ one-on-one spiritual consultations, I know your anger makes you explode outwardly or seethe inwardly in resentment and bitterness (or both). It's human.

But we have to STOP.

And you can. Without guilt, shame, or condemnation. I promise.

​Click here to see how.

The STOP Tool has been fully updated with the heart, soul, mind, and strength parts of the T step, more complete explanations, audio and video, and updated printables. Get it below:

 

next series

Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friends of the Show for loving and lifting me! :) Friends of the Show get all Premium Content! 

Help us decide our next Monthly Meetup Bible study topic! You coming?

LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.  

L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.)

O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.)

V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.)

E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.)

 

Love Heals. Learn More.

Connect

Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing. 

What We Discussed | Show Notes

Overview:

Minutes 00:00-12:00 –

Minutes 12:01-24:00 –

Minutes 24:01-36:00 – 

Minutes 36:01-48:00 – 

Transcript

Why do you feel so invisible and spiritually depleted? You need a daily LOVE encounter with Jesus. You need daily nourishment from the "one table of the Lord" (CCC 103). 

“You are invited to an encounter with Jesus, Word of God made flesh, as an event of grace that runs through the reading and the hearing of the Sacred Scriptures” (The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church).

L - listen: Reading seeks for the sweetness of a blessed life,

O - observe: meditation perceives it,

V - verbalize: prayer asks for it,

E - entrust: contemplation tastes it.

L - listen: Reading, as it were, puts food whole into the mouth,

O - observe: mediation chews it and breaks it up,

V - verbalize: prayer extracts its flavor,

E - entrust: contemplation is the sweetness itself which gladdens and refreshes.

L - listen: Reading works on the outside,

O - observe: meditation on the pith,

V - verbalize: prayer asks for what we long for,

E - entrust: contemplation gives us delight in the sweetness which we have found.

Adapted from The Ladder of Monks, Guigo (LOVE acronym added)

Click here for the previous series mentioned in this episode, Healing the Father Wound.

Summary video of Healing the Father Wound

 

Enjoy this episode from a previous series while we prepare for the

next series

Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friends of the Show, Lisa S, Sandy M, Janette S, and Katy M, for loving and lifting me! :) Friends of the Show get all Premium Content! 

Help us decide our next Monthly Meetup Bible study topic! You coming?

LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.  

L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.)

O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.)

“If you abide in my word you are my disciples indeed” (Joh 8:31).

Spend some time emphasizing each word of this verse in turn, like this:

“If you abide in my word you are my disciples indeed” (Joh 8:31).

“If you abide in my word you are my disciples indeed” (Joh 8:31).

“If you abide in my word you are my disciples indeed” (Joh 8:31).

“If you abide in my word you are my disciples indeed” (Joh 8:31).

“If you abide in my word you are my disciples indeed” (Joh 8:31).

After you have emphasized each word, return to the Listen section and read it again. Where do you sense this verse is speaking about the events of your own life? What is God saying to you through this verse? Does it connect at all to what you have sensed through His word in other areas recently?

V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.)

Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin.

E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.)

Kyrie, Eleison – Lord, Have Mercy

….‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ Luke 18:13

“Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.”

Love Heals. Learn More.

Connect

Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing. 

What We Discussed | Show Notes

Overview:

Minutes 00:00-12:00 – LOVE the Word summary; the "one table of the Lord" (CCC 103)

Minutes 12:01-24:00 – get answers to direct questions with LOVE the Word, such as, "What should the next podcast series be?"; Healing the Father Wound previous series; discerning through seemingly contradictory messages

Minutes 24:01-36:00 – navigating through a difficult publishing contract; long term messages from LOVE the Word; Listen, Observe,

Faith cannot simply be belief – in God, or in a set of teachings – for “even the demons believe and tremble” (James 2:19). In this show, we discern what faith is, by looking at what it isn’t.

This show is from the previous LOVE the Word® series, the Entrust episode, available here.

next series

Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friends of the Show, Lisa S, Sandy M, Janette S, and Katy M, for loving and lifting me! :) Friends of the Show get all Premium Content! 

Help us decide our next Monthly Meetup Bible study topic! You coming?

LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.  

L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.)

O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.)

Hebrews 11:6,  “And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Do you really believe God wants to reward you? What do you think He might want to reward you with?

V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.)

Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin.

E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.)

Kyrie, Eleison – Lord, Have Mercy

….‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ Luke 18:13

“Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.”

Love Heals. Learn More.

Connect

Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing. 

What We Discussed | Show Notes

This show is from the previous LOVE the Word® series, the Entrust episode, available here.

Overview:

Minutes 00:00-12:00 – Faith in our amount of faith, trying to manipulate God with our "faith," is not real faith 

Minutes 12:01-24:00 – Faith in what we want or think should happen is not real faith

Minutes 24:01-36:00 – Faith is not my ability to discern or know God's will 

Minutes 36:01-48:00 – Faith is not in my timing; faith is in the Person if the Holy Trinity, His goodness

Transcript

Friends of the Show, sign in first to download a transcript of this episode: Protected Content. Click Here to sign in

"Silence is the language of God - sanctity's mother tongue" (Lawrence Lovasik, SVD).

Learning to be comfortable and still in silence is possibly the most important thing we can foster in the spiritual life, because Mary shows us that listening comes first in prayer - not speaking - and true listening can only happen in silence.

Is listening simply reading the scriptures? If I read passage after passage, book after book of the Bible, have I really prayed if I have not discerned God as a Person there, and adjusted my life to what I have heard? Mary goes further than simply hearing or reading the Word in a cerebral way that does not penetrate or move her. She teaches us how to listen to the silence, enflamed with the fire of God's love unto contemplation, union, and incarnation.

___

NOTE: The new 2025 Mary journal I spoke about in this episode will be out in a few weeks at Advent. Until then, you can download a free 2024 journal and guide page in the margin to the right.

The book I mentioned in the podcast that I wrote with Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, Ignite, Read the Bible Like Never Before, is also available in the right margin. 

This is a re-released, vintage podcast from 2017, but the complete resource on LOVE the Word® is How to Pray Like Mary, available in the right margin, in which you'll learn to approach Scripture and lectio divina with a more open and receptive disposition versus a checklist mentality.

Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friend of the Show, Penny S and Mona P, for loving and lifting me! :) Friends of the Show get all Premium Content! 

Our Monthly Meetup Bible study in John is epic! We're in the Book of Glory! You coming?

LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.  

L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.)



O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.)

If you haven't done so already, read the Mass readings for today, available every day, right here. To what is your attention drawn - perhaps a word, phrase, or idea? How is God speaking to you through it? How does His word apply to your circumstances, relationships, and concerns today?

V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.)

Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin.

E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.)

"May it be done to me according to Your Word" (Luke 1:38).

Love Heals. Learn More.

Connect

Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community away from social media to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing. 

What We Discussed | Show Notes

“In an address in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis once compared our ability to hear the voice of God with that of the Blessed Mother and her kinswoman Elizabeth.

‘What gave rise to Mary’s act of going to visit her relative Elizabeth? A word of God’s angel. “Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son . . .” (Lk 1:36). Mary knew how to listen to God. Be careful: it was not merely “hearing” a superficial word, but it was “listening,” that consists of attention, acceptance and availability to God. It was not in the distracted way with which we sometimes face the Lord or others: we hear their words, but we do not really listen. Mary is attentive to God. She listens to God.

‘However Mary also listens to the events, that is, she interprets the events of her life, she is attentive to reality itself and does not stop on the surface but goes to the depths t...

NOTE: The new 2025 Mary journal I spoke about in this episode will be out in a few weeks at Advent. Until then, you can download a free 2024 journal and guide page in the margin to the right.

The book I mentioned in the podcast that I wrote with Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, Ignite, Read the Bible Like Never Before, is also available in the right margin. 

This is a re-released, vintage podcast from 2017, but the complete resource on LOVE the Word® is How to Pray Like Mary, available in the right margin, in which you'll learn to approach Scripture and lectio divina with a more open and receptive disposition versus a checklist mentality.

___

Prayer is about relationship, not technique.

St. Jerome said ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. We pray Scripture, daily, in order to nurture a relationship with Him, to know Him, His purposes, and His ways; to experience Him.

From beginning to end, prayer is about LOVE.

If you've never experienced God's love, here's how to begin. Mary shows you how.

Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friend of the Show, Anthony DiM and Shelly M (special thank you), for loving and lifting me! :) Friends of the Show get all Premium Content! 

Our Monthly Meetup Bible study in John is epic! We're in the Book of Glory! You coming?

LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.  

L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.)

 

O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.)

If you haven't done so already, read the Mass readings for today, available every day, right here. To what is your attention drawn - perhaps a word, phrase, or idea? How is God speaking to you through it? How does His word apply to your circumstances, relationships, and concerns today?

V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.)

Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin.

E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.)

"May it be done to me according to Your Word" (Luke 1:38).

Love Heals. Learn More.

Connect

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What We Discussed | Show Notes

“In an address in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis once compared our ability to hear the voice of God with that of the Blessed Mother and her kinswoman Elizabeth.

‘What gave rise to Mary’s act of going to visit her relative Elizabeth? A word of God’s angel. “Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son . . .” (Lk 1:36). Mary knew how to listen to God. Be careful: it was not merely “hearing” a superficial word, but it was “listening,” that consists of attention, acceptance and availability to God. It was not in the distracted way with which we sometimes face the Lord or others: we hear their words, but we do not really listen. Mary is attentive to God. She listens to God.

‘However Mary also listens to the events, that is, she interprets the events of her life, she is attentive to reality itself and does not stop on the surface but goes to the depths to grasp its meaning. Her kinswoman Elizabeth, who is already elderly, is expecting a child: this is the event. But Mary is attentive to the meaning. She can understand it: “with God nothing will be impossible” (Lk 1:37).

‘This is also true in our life: listening to God who speaks to us, and listening also to daily reality, paying attention to people, to events,