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Day 7

Our intellect is ordinarily full of ideas, opinions and considerations suggested by self-love. This is the root of many conflicts within the soul, putting before us all sorts of reasons dictated by human prudence to justify our pretensions. People who make use of this false prudence, instead of enlightening their intellect, obscure it. They reject advice given to them and let those reasons prevail in their minds which support their own opinions, even wrong ones. Make use of the virtue of prudence because it is good, but make good use of it. Employ it only rarely, with simplicity, and solely for the glory of God. (Sermons 30; O. IX, pp. 297-298)

O blessed Francis de Sales, who on earth did excel in a life of virtue,

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

For the complete 9 day St. Francis de Sales Novena visit here

The post St. Francis de Sales Novena – Day 7 – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

St. Thomas you have taught that:

“God loves his creatures, and he loves each one the more, the more it shares his own goodness, which is the first and primary object of his love. Therefore he wants the desires of his rational creatures to be fulfilled because they share most perfectly of all creatures the goodness of God.

And his will is an accomplisher of things because he is the cause of things by his will. So it belongs to the divine goodness to fulfill the desires of rational creatures which are put to him in prayer.”

― Thomas Aquinas, Faith, Reason and Theology

Through the intercession of St. Thomas Aquinas,

Grant me grace, O merciful God,

In particular, please obtain the favor I ask during this novena.

Grant me, O Lord my God,

Amen.

Background music excerpt: “O Salutaris Hostia”  performed by “Capella Musica Seoul”

The post St. Thomas Aquinas Novena – Day 3 – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Deacon James Keating explains redemptive suffering as the practice of freely offering one’s physical, emotional, or spiritual pain in love for the good of another, uniting that suffering to Christ’s own prayer on the cross. Rather than becoming trapped in self-pity or displaced anger, suffering can be transformed into intercessory prayer through a faith-filled imagination that connects real pain, real love for others, and God’s will for human flourishing. In this way, suffering is no longer isolated or absurd but becomes meaningful participation in Christ’s saving work, not because the cross is lacking, but because Christ draws his whole body into it through freely given love.

Emotional suffering is especially common and often misunderstood in contemporary culture. While affirming the proper place of psychotherapy and medication, he presents prayer and spiritual direction as paths of deep honesty before God, where fears, anger, grief, and temptation are brought into divine intimacy rather than hidden. Drawing on saints such as St. Thérèse of Lisieux and figures like Mother Teresa, he shows how small, daily acts of self-offering prepare the soul for greater trials and guard against bitterness. The path forward is not dramatic heroics but beginning “the little way,” surrendering pain to God step by step, trusting that resurrection follows surrender, and allowing Christ to carry the soul where it cannot go on its own.

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.

Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” page

The post HH4 – The Suffering of Love – The Heart of Hope w/ Deacon James Keating Ph.D. – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

St. Thomas you have taught that:

“Even though the natural light of the human mind is inadequate to make known what is revealed by faith, nevertheless what is divinely taught to us by faith cannot be contrary to what we are endowed with by nature. One or the other would have to be false, and since we have both of them from God, he would be the cause of our error, which is impossible.”

― Thomas Aquinas, Faith, Reason and Theology

Through the intercession of St. Thomas Aquinas,

Grant me grace, O merciful God,

In particular, please obtain the favor I ask during this novena.

Grant me, O Lord my God,

Amen.

Background music excerpt: “O Salutaris Hostia”  performed by “Capella Musica Seoul”

The post St. Thomas Aquinas Novena – Day 2 – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

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Do not pay any attention to the kind of work you do, but rather to the honor that it brings to God, even though it may seem quite trivial. Desire only to do the Divine Will, following Divine Providence, which is the disposition of Divine Wisdom. In a word, if your works are pleasing to God and recognized as such, that is all that matters. Work hard every day at increasing your purity of heart, which consists in appraising things and weighing them in the balance of God’s will. (Letters 280; O. XIII, p. 53)

O blessed Francis de Sales, who on earth did excel in a life of virtue,

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

For the complete 9 day St. Francis de Sales Novena visit here

The post St. Francis de Sales Novena – Day 6 – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Fr. Timothy Gallagher explains that struggles are a normal part of an active spiritual life and often signal growth rather than failure. When these difficulties are unnamed or misunderstood, they can hinder progress; when they are recognized and understood, they can become occasions for freedom and maturity. He introduces offers a wide-ranging map of common struggles, from those rooted in physical and emotional limits to deeper interior trials described in the Christian tradition. By learning to notice interior movements, identify what is happening, and respond wisely, people can move through challenges in a way that deepens rather than diminishes their spiritual journey. The book’s use of relatable stories allows readers to recognize their own experiences and see concrete remedies alongside them.

Before addressing struggles directly, Fr. Gallagher grounds the discussion in the deeper reason for living the spiritual life: communion with God marked by love, joy, clarity, and purpose. Drawing on the writings and experiences of saints and spiritual figures, he describes moments of profound prayer and sacramental grace that leave lasting effects even after the moment passes. These experiences reveal that God’s love, not struggle, stands at the center of the spiritual life. Difficulties arise along the way, but they are permitted because certain kinds of growth only come through them. Rooted in this foundation, the path forward becomes one of freedom, trust, and gradual transformation, lived first personally and then shared fruitfully with others.

“All who walk the spiritual journey undergo, in their individual ways, such struggles. Our spiritual tradition knows these struggles, explains their causes, and supplies their remedies. Such struggles lie within God’s loving providence. Understood and faced well, they will not harm us. They will, on the contrary, lead to growth — the reason for which God permits them.

Struggles are not the heart of the spiritual life. God’s love is — His deep, warm, faithful, and personal love for you. That is the center. That is the source of your joy. Because you know this, you love the spiritual life. And because you love it, you have begun to read this book.

We turn now to a wisdom that will protect this center and guide us into its richness.”

Gallagher O.M.V, Fr. Timothy. Struggles in the Spiritual Life: Their Nature and Their Remedies (p. 11). Sophia Institute Press. Kindle Edition.

From the book’s description: “Here is a powerful, life-changing book that will help you understand and conquer the struggles you face in your spiritual life. It’s a book for those who love the Lord and desire holiness yet often feel adrift or stagnant in their search for spiritual growth.

All of us encounter valleys on our journey with the Lord — those periods of spiritual desolation that are a painful yet unavoidable feature of our prayer life. Spiritual desolation is as complex as we are, so understanding what is happening and responding to it properly are critical to reaching the heights of holiness.

With warmth and understanding, Fr. Gallagher carefully identifies in this book the various forms of spiritual and nonspiritual desolation and supplies the remedy for each. You’ll learn how to discern whether your struggles derive from medical or psychological conditions or whether those struggles are spiritual and permitted by the Lord for reasons of growth. In each case, you’ll be given the remedy for the struggle. You’ll also learn the forms of spiritual dryness and of the Dark Night — and how to respond to them.

In chapter after chapter, Fr. Gallagher presents a particular struggle as experienced by fictional characters and then provides the advice he gives to those who come to him for spiritual direction about that struggle. You’ll gain confidence as you journey through desolation, and you’ll learn to reject the enemy’s ploys to infect you with a sense of hopelessness.”

The post SISL1 – Introduction – Struggles in the Spiritual Life with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

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St. Thomas you have taught that:

“God Himself is the rule and mode of virtue. Our faith is measured by divine truth, our hope by the greatness of His power and faithful affection, our charity by His goodness. His truth, power and goodness outreach any measure of reason. We can certainly never believe, trust or love God more than, or even as much as, we should. Extravagance is impossible. Here is no virtuous moderation, no measurable mean; the more extreme our activity, the better we are.”

Through the intercession of St. Thomas Aquinas,

Grant me grace, O merciful God,

In particular, please obtain the favor I ask during this novena.

Grant me, O Lord my God,

Amen.

Background music excerpt: “O Salutaris Hostia”  performed by “Capella Musica Seoul”

For the complete 9-day Novena with St. Thomas Aquinas

The post St. Thomas Aquinas Novena – Day 1 – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

This poor life is only a journey to the happy life to come. We must not be angry with one another on the way, but rather we must march on as a band of brothers and sisters united in meekness, peace and love. I state absolutely and make no exception: do not be angry at all if that is possible. Do no accept any pretext whatever for opening your heart’s door to anger. Saint James tells us positively and without reservation,” … a man’s anger does not fulfill God’s justice.” [Jas 1:20] (INT. Part III, Ch. 8; O. III, p. 162)

O blessed Francis de Sales, who on earth did excel in a life of virtue,

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

For the complete 9 day St. Francis de Sales Novena visit here

The post St. Francis de Sales Novena – Day 5 – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Day 4

Self-love dies only when our body dies, so we must, while we live in this land of exile, continue to counterattack its assaults on our senses and its underhanded tactics. It is enough if we firmly withstand, giving no willful or deliberate consent … When we feel within ourselves the first movements of self-love or of other passions, let us prostrate ourselves immediately before the heart of God and tell Him, in a spirit of confidence and humility, “Lord, have mercy on me because I am a very weak creature.” Then let us tranquilly rest in peace and put ourselves at God’s disposal. (Letters 1675; O. XIX, pp. 272-273)

O blessed Francis de Sales, who on earth did excel in a life of virtue,

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

For the complete 9 day St. Francis de Sales Novena visit here

The post St. Francis de Sales Novena – Day 4 – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

In this Discerning Hearts conversation, Kris and Bruce McGregor speak with Mike Aquilina about St. Anthony of the Desert and why his life became a defining witness for Christian monasticism. Drawing from St. Athanasius’ Life of Anthony, the discussion traces how Anthony’s radical response to the Gospel shaped generations. Though untrained and simple by worldly standards, Anthony listened attentively to Scripture proclaimed in the liturgy and allowed it to govern concrete decisions. That attentiveness drew him into solitude, spiritual combat and later into moments of public witness during persecution and doctrinal conflict.

The conversation shows how Anthony’s life was not an escape from the Church but a deep service to it. From the desert he offered counsel, strengthened martyrs and confronted error when needed. His holiness attracted others, forming communities that transformed empty places into living centers of prayer. The hosts reflect on how this same dynamic continues today through ordinary people who attend Mass faithfully, pray Scripture daily and quietly allow God’s word to take flesh in their lives. Anthony’s story reveals that the liturgy is never passive. God speaks personally through it and invites a lived response that bears fruit far beyond what we can measure.

When I hear Scripture proclaimed at Mass, do I listen with the expectation that God is speaking personally into my life today

What attachments or comforts might be limiting my freedom to respond more fully to what God asks of me

How do I handle spiritual struggle and temptation and what role do prayer and the sign of the cross play in my daily life

In what ways am I called to witness to truth and charity within my own community or circumstances

Where do I see quiet examples of holiness around me and how does their faithfulness invite me to deeper trust and perseverance

The post St. Anthony of the Desert – Mike Aquilina In Conversation with Bruce and Kris McGregor – Discerning Hearts Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.