Searching for More

Saying yes to God is at the heart of every Christian prayer: to be wholly his, because he is wholly ours. To answer the call to motherhood is one of the most beautiful and courageous ways of saying yes to God in this way.

The heart of Mary, our Blessed Mother, was full of grace. It was this grace that supplied her with the courage to say yes in spite of the confusion and other emotions she must have experienced.

May we pray for all expectant mothers, that despite their circumstances, they will have the courage to say yes like Our Lady did—like Rachel did.

Our Lady of Hope, pray for us!

References: Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2617)

To learn more about Mary's Shelter, visit: https://marysshelterva.org/.

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Grace is a free gift, given by the Father out of love for us. And when we pray to Mary, we pray to the model recipient of God's grace. God made her full of grace and free from any stain of sin so that she could be fully united and present to Him in this life and the next.

Pray for her intercession for whatever may be on your heart this day: Our Lady of Grace, pray for us!

References: Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 375) Search for More Episodes: https://www.arlingtondiocese.org/searchingformore #SearchingForMore #SFM #Relationship #jesus

"But I have called you friends..." - Jesus Christ

What is true friendship? How to we unlock the treasure therein? Christianity and many philosophers have taught us over time the key to true friendship — a mutual sharing of our hearts and minds.

A friendship with the Lord, first and foremost, is possible, but requires our participation and desire. Time invested in prayer is a perfect exercise of friendship and is most pleasing to God!

References: John 15:15

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"If you really want to love Jesus, first learn to suffer, because suffering teaches you to love." - St. Gemma Galgani How do we make sense of our suffering? Despite the pain and hurt we experience in our humanity, Jesus has great plans of healing for us. We make sense of our suffering by reflecting on these very truths: That Jesus himself brought about our salvation through the very act of suffering. That our savior is with us always. And that our consolation comes from knowing we are never alone in our suffering. Reference: CCC 505-506 #SearchingForMore

"Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought." - Saint Pope John Paul II

How does sin chain us and take away the freedom that God freely gives us and wants for us to live in?

Ask yourself: what are the ways I feel held back first and foremost from my relationship with God and, subsequently, with others?

References: Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1849) Search for More Episodes: https://www.arlingtondiocese.org/searchingformore

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How does God give us the opportunity to find and choose our spouse? By his grace, God accounts for our free will. But we must always cooperate with that grace in prayerfully discerning our spouse — the one we freely choose to become one with through marriage. References: Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1627) Matthew 19:5-6

We've been created for much more than we realize. As we enter the season of Lent, it is good to ask ourselves: Where am I attaching to or finding contentment that is not a share in God's own happiness? When are we settling? Ask God to reveal those times and places and pray for his grace to search for what we were made for — God himself.

Who is the most important person in your life? For Mary, it's Jesus — but it wasn't always.

In this pilot episode of Searching for More, hear her story of how she came to love the Lord and why she continues to put him first before all other relationships.

Come along, in this new adventure as we search for more. www.arlingtondiocese.org/searchingformore

In this trailer episode, you will hear the vision behind this revamped series. Catholics need to know their faith. This podcast is an attempt to address that need. Stay tuned for the upcoming episodes!

Have an idea for a topic to be discussed on the podcast? Please email your idea to [email protected].

Join us to hear from Mr. Robert McConnell, Co-founder of the U.S. Ukraine Foundation. In 1991, amid warnings that if Ukraine tried to break from the Soviet Union there would be civil war and bloodshed, Ukraine's independence was peaceful and supported by 92% of the people of Ukraine. Now, thirty years later, Putin is forcing Ukraine's War of Independence. Our guest was there in 1991 and has been active in Ukraine ever since. Hear him talk about what Russian rule would mean for people of faith in the region. Today's host is Billy Atwell, Chief Communications Officer for the Diocese of Arlington.