The Discerning Hearts Blog Archives - Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

Episode 7 – Valentinus – Villains of the Early Church with Mike Aquilina

Mike Aquilina and Kris McGregor explore the figure of Valentinus, an early second-century teacher whose ideas became one of the most significant challenges to the young Church. Valentinus built an exclusive movement that claimed access to hidden teachings unavailable to ordinary Christians, rejected the true incarnation by treating matter as corrupt, and cultivated a social atmosphere that appealed to wealthy Romans seeking prestige and safety. His approach fit within the broader stream of Gnosticism, a recurring pattern in history that appeals to those who want to view them...

Caryll Houselander image used with permission from TRINITY ICONS

Day 11:  Letting Christ Grow Within Us

“We ought to let everything grow in us, as Christ grew in Mary. And we ought to realize that in everything that does grow quietly in us, Christ grows. We should let thoughts and words and songs grow slowly and unfold in darkness in us”

Commentary:  Caryll Houselander invites us to approach our inner life as Mary did, allowing Christ to grow quietly within. She encourages us to embrace a gentle, patient approach to spiritual growth, letting our thoughts, words, and pr...

Novena a la Virgen de Guadalupe

En el nombre del Padre, del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo. Amén.

“Señor mío, Jesucristo, Dios y Hombre verdadero, creador y redentor mío, por ser vos quien sois, y porque os amo sobre todas las cosas, me pesa de todo corazón haberos ofendido.

Propongo enmendarme y confesarme a su tiempo y ofrezco cuanto hiciere en satisfacción de mis pecados, y confío por vuestra bondad y misericordia infinita, que me perdonaréis y me daréis gracia para nunca más pe...

Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe – Day 9

Day Nine
Mother of our Savior, the conversion of your Aztec children brought an end to infant sacrifice in Mexico. Holy Mary, we implore your help to end the infant sacrifice by abortion throughout the Americas.
Our Father … Hail Mary … Glory be …

Please visit the Discerning Hearts Our Lady of Guadalupe page for the text and audio for the remaining days.

The post Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe – Day 9 – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

An Advent Journey for the Discerning Heart:
Prepare your heart for Christ through Scripture, the saints, and the gentle practice of daily listening.

Week Two: Following the Voice of Christ

DAY 12 – Interior Movement

“I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel. In the night also my heart instructs me.”
Psalm 16.7 RSV

Interior movement is the gentle way God guides the listening heart. It is subtle. It often arrives quietly, as a small prompting, a shift of desire, a deepening peace, a check within the conscience, or a quie...

In the area of the new evangelization, we need to receive more in prayer. Even more than give witness to an action or word. The deeper we receive his love in prayer, the fewer our words will have to be to have great effect. God’s harvest awaits those who have received His love deeply. And for those who have received his love deeply, they bring forth great fruit. This Advent, let us overcome our impatience to want to spread the Gospel in haste. Let us first spend time deeply receiving the Gospel ourselves, so...

Mystical Experience and Consoling Prayer – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating

Deacon James Keating explains how God draws the heart toward himself through ordinary prayer and through growth out of serious sin. He describes “consoling prayer,” the simple joy and peace one begins to notice when turning to God—often after the hard early work of conversion, repentance, and regular prayer. Over time, prayer becomes something we desire rather than an obligation, and affection for God gently replaces past attachments to sin. God can unexpectedly visit us during ordinary moments of the day, sti...

Caryll Houselander image used with permission from TRINITY ICONS

Day 10:  Faith in the Hidden Christ

“This time of Advent is absolutely essential to our contemplation too. If we have truly given our humanity to be changed into Christ, it is essential to us that we do not disturb this time of growth. It is a time of darkness, of faith. We shall not see Christ’s radiance in our lives yet; it is still hidden in our darkness; nevertheless, we must believe that He is growing in our lives; we must believe it so firmly that we canno...

Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe – Day 8

Mary, Mother of the Church, your apparitions at Tepeyac and the miraculous image you left fostered unity between Catholic conquerors and clergy and the millions of Aztec converts. Bring unity, Mother, to the various factions within the Church and the wider public so that all may work to establish a culture of life.

Our Father …

Hail Mary …

Glory be …

Please visit the Discerning Hearts Our Lady of Guadalupe page for the text and audio for the remaining days.

The post...

Novena a la Virgen de Guadalupe

En el nombre del Padre, del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo. Amén.

“Señor mío, Jesucristo, Dios y Hombre verdadero, creador y redentor mío, por ser vos quien sois, y porque os amo sobre todas las cosas, me pesa de todo corazón haberos ofendido.

Propongo enmendarme y confesarme a su tiempo y ofrezco cuanto hiciere en satisfacción de mis pecados, y confío por vuestra bondad y misericordia infinita, que me perdonaréis y me daréis gracia para nunca más pe...

An Advent Journey for the Discerning Heart:
Prepare your heart for Christ through Scripture, the saints, and the gentle practice of daily listening.

Week Two: Following the Voice of Christ

DAY 11 – Guidance

“Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in it.”
Isaiah 30.21 RSV

Guidance is one of the most tender ways Christ speaks to the heart. He does not force. He does not overwhelm. He guides. He invites the soul to walk with Him, step by step, in a w...



The impatient one, above all, desires to speed up time and to get what he wants, when he wants it. In this way, impatience is related to violence. Whereas patience takes suffering upon the self. The impatient one makes others suffer. The patient one suffers for the sake of others. This Advent, the one who suffered for our sake, will come and take on flesh; be born into our world and teach all of us the true way of love. It is not to be impatient, but to suffer for the sake of others. To suffer fo...

Trusting God in Vocation Discernment – “What am I to do?” The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

Fr. Timothy Gallagher and Kris McGregor talk about discerning one’s vocation, especially marriage. Fr. Gallagher notes that many already sense a natural orientation toward marriage, but still must prayerfully discover whom God is inviting them to marry. He describes practical growth in three areas—Christian formation, human maturity, and spiritual life—so a person becomes ready for a lifelong union. Because modern culture often wounds people, he suggests honest attention to emotional h...

Novena a la Virgen de Guadalupe

En el nombre del Padre, del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo. Amén.

“Señor mío, Jesucristo, Dios y Hombre verdadero, creador y redentor mío, por ser vos quien sois, y porque os amo sobre todas las cosas, me pesa de todo corazón haberos ofendido.

Propongo enmendarme y confesarme a su tiempo y ofrezco cuanto hiciere en satisfacción de mis pecados, y confío por vuestra bondad y misericordia infinita, que me perdonaréis y me daréis gracia para nunca más pe...

Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe – Day 7

Mystical Rose, your miraculous signs of Castilian roses in winter and your image on the tilma of Juan Diego led to the conversion of eight million Aztec people to Catholicism in just seven years. Mary, Mother of the Americas, intercede again for your children in the Americas, and convert the hearts of all who deny the sanctity of every human life.

Our Father …

Hail Mary …

Glory be …

Please visit the Discerning Hearts Our Lady of Guadalupe page for the text and audi...

An Advent Journey for the Discerning Heart:
Prepare your heart for Christ through Scripture, the saints, and the gentle practice of daily listening.

Week Two: Following the Voice of Christ

DAY 10 – Peace

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
John 14.27 RSV

Peace is not something the world can create. It is the gift of Christ Himself. Advent invites the heart...

I will wait, and wait, and wait with the Lord. I will wait with and in the Lord, rather than violate charity. Wanting to speed up time, and make things happen now is a violation of charity. It does violence to the nature of things. But the patient person keeps a perspective that is beyond expedient. Beyond what is immediate, and sees before him or her, all what serves love. This Advent, let’s ask for the grace to serve only what promotes love.

Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Sp...