Simply Holy with Marge Fenelon

 Charity means donating to a humanitarian organization or taking a carload of gently used household items to the thrift shop, right? Those are charitable actions, but they are only a small part of charity itself. Real charity is loving God for himself and loving others for God’s sake. Learn more about real charity and how you can live it in your life.

 Recent news has included articles about the removals of Bishop Daniel Fernandez Torres of the Diocese of Arecibo, PR from his office by Pope Francis and the removal of Fr. Peter Williams from his Burlington, Vt parish by Bishop Christopher Coyne. These two items have given way to thought about Jesus as a rebel in his time. What’s the difference? We, too, are called to be rebels in the way we live our faith. Learn what made Jesus a holy rebel and how you can answer his call to become one as well. 

 Everyone hits a roadblock in their prayer life at one time or another. Sometimes the block is temporary and inconsequential. But sometimes the roadblock is more like a concrete wall built across the roadway. The basis for these types of seemingly insurmountable roadblocks are assumptions we make about God, ourselves, and prayer itself. Learn how to remove the roadblock in your prayer life regardless of it size.

 Having her speedometer break while on the highway is one of the best things that could have happened to Marge Steinhage Fenelon. Trying to gauge how fast she should go based on the speeds of the other cars on the road taught her a valuable lesson about her spiritual life. Judging the speed of your spiritual striving by that of others is not only fruitless, but detrimental to your spiritual growth. Learn how to find your personal MPH (Miles Per Hour) and how to make God your ultimate speedometer this Lent.

 Who is the one person your heart refuses to forgive? We all have that one. It’s that one person who you feel has wronged you to the point that forgiveness seems out of the question. Sometimes it can be a whole group of people.  Whether it’s one person or many, the only way to real forgiveness is by seeing each of them as a valued child of God. Once you get to that point, the rest will come naturally. Listen as Marge shares her own experience and leads you through the process to forgiving the person your heart refuses to forgive.

 Why would anyone want to have an empty heart? Empty hearts are cold, lonely, and miserable. That’s true if you’re talking only about emotions and human desires. But if you’re talking about humility and God’s grace, an empty heart is exactly what you need. Spiritually speaking, an empty heart is one that is completely empty of self and fully open for God’s grace. Once we open our emptied hearts to God’s grace, we’ll be able to follow his will perfectly. When we follow his will perfectly, great things happen. Listen as Marge shares wisdom from Ven. Fulton Sheen and the real meaning – and necessity – of an empty heart.

When something goes wrong, do you immediately try to tackle the situation yourself and remember to ask God for help later? Do you bemoan hardship, suffering, and loss without first seeking Divine intervention? For many, God is an afterthought – someone to call on only after human efforts have failed? In this episode, Marge explains why your first response in any circumstance should be to praise God and offer prayers of gratitude. Listen as she demonstrates using examples from her own life. This practice has changed her life and it will change yours, too!

 Barbara Lee is a practicing spiritual director who lives in New York City. She is a retired attorney, a former US magistrate judge, and a long-serving member of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps – an organization of retired people inspired by Ignatian spirituality who perform volunteer work among the poor. She is the author of God Isn’t Finished with Me Yet and Answering God’s Call: A Scripture-Based Journey for Older Adults. In this episode, Barbara chats with Marge about the workings of the Holy Spirit in her life and how she was led to start a ministry for the aging.

 Paul (Saul) believed he was doing the right thing by rounding up Christians and executing them out on the streets. They were blasphemers and idolaters. They dishonored God and needed to be destroyed. Then one day Jesus appeared and literally knocked him off his high horse, blinding him and rendering him powerless. Paul had two questions for this Being who spoke to him: “Who are you, Sir?” and then, finally, “What shall I do, Sir?” These two questions should be the guidelines for our lives in imitation of St. Paul.

 In this first podcast of 2022, Marge shares updates and exciting news, explains why it’s taken SO long to do a New Year episode, and delves into the real issue at hand on January 22: Every body belongs to God.