The Discerning Hearts Blog Archives - Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

“For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him.”

Silence is the doorway through which the listening heart begins to hear God. Advent invites us into a quieter interior space, not by removing every sound, but by creating room within the soul where God’s presence can be received. Silence is not emptiness. Silence is a posture of readiness.

In the spiritual life, the greatest obstacles to hearing God often come not from the outside, but from within. Thoughts run ahead. Worries circle. Interior noise fills the mind. Silence teaches the soul to slow down, release the clutter, and rest in the presence of the Lord who speaks gently.

Sacred silence is not the absence of activity. It is the presence of attentiveness. It teaches the heart to lean in. It helps us let go of control so grace can soften the places that have become tense or hurried. Silence honors God’s desire to speak in a personal and intimate way.

The discerning heart learns that silence is not something we create. It is something we enter. It is the humble space where God waits for us.

“The Father spoke one Word, which was His Son, and this Word He speaks always in eternal silence, and in silence must it be heard by the soul.”

St. John of the Cross teaches that God speaks His Word within the depths of the silent heart. He reminds us that silence is not a technique. It is the environment of intimacy. Only in silence can the soul receive the One whom the Father continually pours out.

For John, silence purifies the heart’s attention. It clears away the noise that distorts our vision and helps us recognize Christ’s gentle inspirations. In silence, we are not trying to make something happen. We are consenting to God’s presence. Silence frees the heart to listen with love rather than effort.

John of the Cross learned that silence is not emptiness. It is communion. It is the place where the soul rests in the truth that God is already near.

Today invites you to notice your inner landscape. Where is there noise inside you. Where do your thoughts run quickly. Where does worry or distraction pull your attention away from God. Silence is not about pushing these things aside. It is about letting them settle so the heart can remember who is with you.

Listening begins when the interior noise quiets enough for Christ to be received. Even a few seconds of genuine silence can open a space for grace to enter. Ask the Lord to help you listen in that silence, not with strain, but with trust.

Ask yourself: Where is God inviting me into a deeper quiet today. What would it look like for me to enter silence instead of resisting it.

Set aside one intentional moment of silence today. Sit or stand quietly, slow your breathing, and simply say, “Here I am, Lord.” Let your mind settle without trying to control it. Return to that quiet later in the day by pausing for a single slow breath and saying, “Lord, I receive Your peace.”

Lord Jesus, draw my heart into silence. Quiet the thoughts that pull me away and soften the places that feel restless or crowded. Teach me to enter the stillness where You wait for me. Speak Your Word into the silence of my soul and help me to listen with love. Amen.

Citations for Day 2

Psalm 62.5 RSV

© Discerning Hearts. All rights reserved.

The post Day 2 – Silence – An Advent Journey for the Discerning Heart – Discerning Hearts Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

We want everything accomplished right away. God only knows that accomplishment follows one thing after another. He knows that it takes time for us to learn what it means to be human, to be those who are loved so deeply by His most Sacred Heart, His mother, and the saints. He knows that it takes time for us to understand that His love, and the reception of His love, is the very origin of our joy. During Advent, we ask even with more fervor, to receive this love. And we ask for the grace to release this joy, especially through the intercession of the saints and the Blessed Mother.

Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO. 

We highly recommend – The Eucharist and the Hope of Conversion with Deacon James Keating Ph.D. Discerning Hearts Podcast

For more from Deacon James Keating check out his “Discerning Heart” page

The post AR#2 – To Be Loved and To Receive Joy – Advent Reflections with Deacon James Keating Ph.D. – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Day 2: The Gift of Christ in Each Other

“I saw that it is the will of Christ’s love to be put into the hands of sinners, to trust Himself to men, that He may be their gift to one another that they may comfort Him in each other, give Him to each other. In this sense the ordinary life itself becomes sacramental, and every action of anyone at all has an eternal meaning.”

Commentary: Houselander reflects on Christ’s profound willingness to entrust Himself to us, even in our brokenness. This divine humility allows us to share Christ’s love with one another, transforming our daily actions into a form of grace. By seeing each interaction as an opportunity to give and receive Christ, our ordinary lives take on a sacramental quality, where every act holds eternal significance. For Catholics, this resonates with the call to see God in every person, making each encounter a moment of communion with Christ. This perspective deepens our understanding of what it means to live a sacramental life, where our love for others becomes an expression of our love for Him.

Personal Reflection: Today, think about how you can see Christ in the people you meet, especially those you may struggle with. How can you be a gift to them, offering Christ’s love through your actions? Let each interaction become an act of faith, bringing His presence into the world.

Houselander quote from:  Caryll Houselander, A Rocking Horse Catholic by Caryll Houselander (2013) Paperback

Image © Trinity Icons / Joseph M. Malham

The post Day 2: The Gift of Christ in Each Other – From the writings of Caryll Houselander – Discerning Hearts Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

On the First Sunday of Advent, Msgr. Esseff shares two deeply moving testimonies that reveal the power of love, faith, and the kingship of Christ. The first story follows a Christian couple who defied medical advice to abort their “defective” child, trusting instead in God’s providence. Their faith was rewarded with the birth of a healthy baby who grew into a successful firefighter.

In this first Sunday of Advent reflection, Msgr. John Esseff invites listeners into the season with a call to spiritual wakefulness. Drawing from the Gospel of Matthew, he explains Jesus’ warning that some will be united with him at his coming while others will be left behind. The key difference is union with Christ, a union formed through baptism, nourished by grace, and renewed through repentance.

Msgr. Esseff speaks about the early Church, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the ongoing need for every Christian to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” He warns that sin separates the soul from Christ and dims the light God desires to radiate through us. Advent is presented as a time to return to that light, confront the shadows in our lives, and seek healing through confession, prayer, and intentional spiritual discipline.

The episode also explores Advent’s connection to peace. Drawing from Isaiah, Msgr. Esseff prays for a world where nations turn weapons into instruments of cultivation, and where each person commits to the peace Christ brings. He shares personal experiences of confession, transformation, and encounters with families seeking deeper union with God.

As the episode closes, he encourages listeners to begin an Advent journal, undertake a sincere spiritual inventory, and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of darkness that need grace. For Msgr. Esseff, Advent is the doorway to a renewed life in Christ, a season where hearts awaken, grace deepens, and the soul prepares to welcome the light of Christmas.

What area of my life most needs the light of Christ as Advent begins?

Where have I allowed habits or attitudes to separate me from Jesus?

What specific action can I take this week to grow in holiness and peace?

How is God calling me to make room for deeper union with him this Advent?

What step toward reconciliation or virtue is the Holy Spirit prompting in my heart?

Gospel Matthew 27:37-44

.”Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine

Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton.  Msgr. Esseff served as a retreat director and confessor to St. Teresa of Calcutta.    He continues to offer direction and retreats for the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity around the world.  Msgr. Esseff encountered St.  Padre Pio,  who would become a spiritual father to him.  He has lived in areas around the world,  serving in the Pontifical missions, a Catholic organization established by Pope St. John Paul II to bring the Good News to the world, especially to the poor.  Msgr. Esseff assisted the founders of the Institute for Priestly Formation and continues to serve as a spiritual director for the Institute.  He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters and seminarians, and other religious leaders around the world.  

The post The 1st Sunday of Advent – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Day 1: Christ’s Dependence and Our Advent

“By his own will Christ was dependent on Mary during Advent: he was absolutely helpless; he could go nowhere but where she chose to take him; he could not speak; her breathing was his breath; his heart beat in the beating of her heart…. In the seasons of our Advent – waking, working, eating, sleeping, being – each breath is a breathing of Christ into the world.”

Commentary: Caryll Houselander reflects on the profound mystery of Christ’s dependence on Mary during Advent. By His own will, the all-powerful God chose to be utterly vulnerable and reliant on her. This self-giving humility exemplifies divine love and invites us to ponder how our own lives, in their simplest moments, might echo this mystery. Houselander suggests that in our daily activities, our “seasons of Advent,” each breath we take is an opportunity to bring Christ’s presence into the world.

Personal Reflection: Today, consider each task, each interaction, as a moment where you can breathe Christ into your surroundings. How might you, like Mary, be a vessel for His presence in the seemingly ordinary aspects of your life?

Houselander quote from: Caryll Houselander, Marie Anne Mayeski (1991). “A Rocking-Horse Catholic: A Caryll Houselander Reader”, p.73, Rowman & Littlefield

Image © Trinity Icons / Joseph M. Malham

The post Day 1: Christ’s Dependence and Our Advent – From the writings of Caryll Houselander – Discerning Hearts Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

<span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>

O God,

Amen.

Day 2

O Mary, ever-blessed Virgin,

(State your intention here…)

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception,

Amen.

The post A Novena to the Immaculate Conception – Day 2 appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

We do not preach only one coming of Christ, but a second as well, much more glorious than the first. The first coming was marked by patience; the second will bring the crown of a divine kingdom.

We look then beyond the first coming and await the second. At the first coming we said: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. At the second we shall say it again; we shall go out with the angels to meet the Lord and cry out in adoration: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Excerpts from the English translation of The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) © 1974, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.

The post The Twofold Coming of Christ – St. Cyril of Jerusalem from the Office of Readings appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

AR#1 – Advent Reflections with Deacon James Keating, Ph.D.

One of God’s attributes is patience. He suffers His own creation, as it comes to fulfillment in His love. The God that we worship is a God who truly loves us. And in this great love, He waits. He waits for us to respond to all that He has given us. And He doesn’t simply wait in a passive way. He keeps loving us, keeps directing His love toward our hearts to awaken them with a response. This is near the very core of what Advent is about. God-loving us so deeply, directing His love toward us, and Him sharing His life with us so that we might respond in kind. So that we might wait and receive, and then respond to His great love

Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO. 

We highly recommend – The Eucharist and the Hope of Conversion with Deacon James Keating Ph.D. Discerning Hearts Podcast

For more from Deacon James Keating check out his “Discerning Heart” page

The post AR#1 – God’s Patience – Advent Reflections with Deacon James Keating Ph.D. – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

“Besides this you know what hour it is, how it is full time now for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.”


Advent opens with the quiet invitation to wake up spiritually. This is the first movement of a listening and discerning heart. Before the soul can notice God’s presence or receive His guidance, it must become aware, attentive, and ready to hear.

Spiritual sleep is subtle. It appears in distraction, noise, divided attention, discouragement, or the slow drift of the interior life. The mind fills with tasks. The heart loses sensitivity. Without choosing to fall asleep, the soul grows dull and slow to notice the gentle movements of grace.

Wakefulness is not anxious vigilance. It is the calm attentiveness that love creates. When the heart loves, it desires to notice even the smallest approach of the Beloved. St. Paul urges Christians to cast off whatever clouds the inner vision so they can stand ready for the Lord’s coming.

To begin Advent is to choose wakefulness. It is the decision to open the ear of the heart and say, “Lord, I am here. I desire to listen.”

“Listen carefully, my son, to the master’s instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart.”

For St. Benedict, listening is an act of spiritual wakefulness. It is not passive or casual. It requires humility, interior quiet, receptivity, and a readiness to obey God’s movements. Benedict teaches that God speaks not only in moments of prayer, but in the simple, hidden details of ordinary life. Wakefulness helps the heart recognize these small invitations of grace.

Benedict also reminds his monks that listening comes before action. God initiates. God invites. God leads. The discerning heart responds by listening first. Wakefulness is the doorway to discernment because it keeps the soul attentive to the Lord who is always near.

The life of prayer begins when the heart says, “I am ready to listen You.”

Today is about noticing. Noticing is the first gesture of true listening. Hearing happens automatically and without effort. It simply receives sound. Listening, however, is intentional. Listening chooses to attend. Listening turns toward the One who is speaking. Listening makes space for grace to enter.

We often hear without truly listening. We hear Scripture. We hear prayer. We hear the voice of conscience. Yet the heart may remain elsewhere. Listening requires presence. It asks the heart to stay awake to God’s quiet movements and to receive even the smallest whisper of His love.

Ask yourself: Where am I merely hearing God today, and where am I actually listening. What is Christ quietly placing before me that needs my attention.

Choose one verse from today’s Scripture, even a single line, and sit with it for one quiet minute. Say, “Speak, Lord, I am listening.” Later in the day, pause again by stepping outside or standing at a window. Take a slow breath and say, “Lord, I am present to You.” Let both moments become intentional acts of wakefulness.

Lord Jesus, awaken my heart. Clear the fog of distraction and stir the desire within me to listen to Your voice. Teach me to attend with the ear of my heart so I may follow You with love and trust. Come into the quiet places of my soul and make me ready for Your presence. Amen.

Citations for Day 1

Romans 13.11 RSV

© Discerning Hearts. All rights reserved.

The post Day 1 – Wakefulness – An Advent Journey for the Discerning Heart – Discerning Hearts Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Recite the following prayer for nine days from November 29 – December 7

O God,

Amen.

Day 1

O most Holy Virgin,

(State your intention here…)

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception,

Amen.

The post A Novena to the Immaculate Conception – Day 1 appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.