4 Archives - Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts
A Novena to St. Padre Pio – Day 6 – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 6
St. Padre Pio you have said:
In the most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, in this sacrament of Love, we have true life, a blessed life, and true sacrament of Love; we have true life, a blessed life, and true happiness. Because in it we receive not only those graces that perfect us but the very Author of those graces.
Gracious God, you generously blessed your servant, Padre Pio, with the gifts of the Spirit. You marked his body with the five wounds of Christ Crucified, as a po...
A Novena to St. Padre Pio – Day 5 – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 5
St. Padre Pio you have said:
St Therese of the Child Jesus used to say, “I don’t want to choose either to die or to live, but let Jesus do as He likes with me.” I see clearly that this is the image of all souls who are stripped of self and filled with God… What St. Therese has said ought to be said by every soul inflamed with love of God.
Gracious God, you generously blessed your servant, Padre Pio, with the gifts of the Spirit. You marked his...
A Novena to St. Padre Pio – Day 4 – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 4
St. Padre Pio you have said:
I often think that there is only one thing in this base world which can soothe the most acute pain which pierces the heart when we see ourselves far from God, the source and consolation of distressed souls. That one thing is solitude, for here the soul enjoys sweet rest in the One who is its true peace. I want the heavenly Father to grant you the grace of stability in all your resolutions, not least of all your resolution to grow in holiness and to be...
A Novena to St. Padre Pio – Day 3 – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 3
St. Padre Pio you have said:
I am greatly comforted and very content in Jesus’ company, and who could describe the help it is to me to have Him continually by my side? This company makes me much more careful not to do anything which would displease God. It seems to me as if Jesus is constantly watching me. If it sometimes happens that I lose the presence of God, I soon hear Our Lord calling me back to my duty. I cannot describe the voice He uses to call me back, but I k...
St. Hildegard von Bingen Novena – Day 9
Day 9
St. Hildegard you have said:
“A human being is a vessel that God has built for himself and filled with his inspiration so that his works are perfected in it.”
“Now, O son of God, set in the valley of true humility, walk in peace without pride of spirit, which, like a precipitous mountain, offers a difficult, or near-impossible, ascent or descent to those who attempt to scale it, and on its summit no building can be built. For a person who tries to climb higher than he can achieve...
A Novena to St. Padre Pio – Day 2 – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 2
St. Padre Pio you have said:
I implore you to be faithful and humble and always to keep the great Mother of God before your mental gaze, she who humbled herself more profoundly the more she was exalted. Never, ever be exalted at your virtues but repeat that everything comes from God, and give Him the honor and glory.
Gracious God, you generously blessed your servant, Padre Pio, with the gifts of the Spirit. You marked his body with the five wounds of Christ Crucified, as a powerful witness to t...
St. Hildegard von Bingen Novena – Day 8
Day 8
St. Hildegard you have said:
“People have within themselves struggles of confession and of denial… And in this struggle the question is: Is there a God or not? The answer comes from the Holy Spirit Who dwells in the person:
God is, and created you, and also redeemed you.
As long as this question and answer are in a person, the power of God will not be absent from him, for this question and answer carries with it penitence. But when this question is not in a perso...
St. Hildegard von Bingen Novena – Day 7
Day 7
St. Hildegard you have said:
Don’t let yourself forget that God’s grace rewards not only those who never slip, but also those who bend and fall. So sing! The song of rejoicing softens hard hearts. It makes tears of godly sorrow flow from them. Singing summons the Holy Spirit. Happy praises offered in simplicity and love lead the faithful to complete harmony, without discord. Don’t stop singing.
O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the univers...
A Novena to St. Padre Pio – Day 1 – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 1
St. Padre Pio you have said:
Jesus keeps nothing for Himself of what is done for love of Him, and He will repay us very lavishly, Don’t let us make our happiness depend on enjoying wonderful health, or else we should be just like those foolish worldly people to whom it is not given to know the secrets of heaven…. Continue to love Jesus, and make an effort to love Him more and more, without wanting to know anything else He alone will steer us to the haven of salvation.
Gra...
St. Hildegard von Bingen Novena – Day 6
Day 6
St. Hildegard you have said:
Sometimes when we hear a song we breathe deeply and sigh. This reminds the prophet that the soul arises from heavenly harmony. In thinking about this, he was aware that the soul itself has something in itself of this music…
O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer you taught us….
God is the foundation for everything
This God undertakes, God gives.
Such that...
St. Hildegard von Bingen Novena – Day 5
Day 5
St. Hildegard you have said:
Dare to declare who you are. It is not far from the shores of silence to the boundaries of speech. The path is not long, but the way is deep. You must not only walk there, you must be prepared to leap.
The mystery of God hugs you in its all-encompassing arms.
O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer you taught us….
God is...
St. Hildegard von Bingen Novena – Day 4
Day 4
St. Hildegard you have said:
Listen: there was once a king sitting on his throne. Around Him stood great and wonderfully beautiful columns ornamented with ivory, bearing the banners of the king with great honour. Then it pleased the king to raise a small feather from the ground, and he commanded it to fly. The feather flew, not because of anything in itself but because the air bore it along. Thus am I, a feather on the breath of God.
O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the or...
St. Hildegard von Bingen Novena – Day 3
Day 3
St. Hildegard you have said:
Holy Spirit, the life that gives life: You are the cause of all movement. You are the breath of all creatures. You are the salve that purifies our souls. You are the ointment that heals our wounds. You are the fire that warms our hearts. You are the light that guides our feet. Let all the world praise you.
O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer yo...
St. Hildegard von Bingen Novena – Day 2
Day 2
St. Hildegard you have said:
These visions which I saw were not in sleep nor in dreams, nor in my imagination nor by bodily eyes or outward ears nor in a hidden place; but in watching, aware with the pure eyes of the mind and inner ear of the heart.
O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer you taught us….
God is the foundation for everything
This God unde...
St. Hildegard von Bingen Novena – Day 1 – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 1
St. Hildegard you have said:
Just as a mirror, which reflects all things, is set in its own container, so too the rational soul is placed in the fragile container of the body. In this way, the body is governed in its earthly life by the soul, and the soul contemplates heavenly things through faith.
O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer you taught us….
God is the foundation for everything
Novena to St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta – Day 9
Ninth Day – Holiness is Jesus Living and Acting in Me
Thought for the day:
“Charity for each other is the surest way to great holiness.”
Ask for the grace to become a saint.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.
Obtain from the Heart of Jesus (here make your request).
Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so comp...
Novena to St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta – Day 8
Eighth Day – Jesus Made Himself the Bread of Life and the Hungry One
Thought for the day: “Believe that He, Jesus, is in the appearance of Bread and that He, Jesus, is in the hungry, naked, sick, lonely, unloved, homeless, helpless and hopeless.”
Ask for the grace of a deep faith to see Jesus in the Bread of Life and to serve Him in the distressing disguise of the poor.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became th...
Novena to St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta – Day 7
Seventh Day – God Loves a Cheerful Giver
Thought for the day:
“Joy is the sign of union with God, of God’s presence. Joy is love, the normal result of a heart burning with love.”
Ask for the grace to find joy in loving and to share this joy with all you meet.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.
Obtain from the Heart of Jesus (here make...
Novena to St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta – Day 6
Sixth Day – True Love is Surrender
Thought for the day:
“Allow God to use you without consulting you.”
Ask for the grace to surrender your whole life to God.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.
Obtain from the Heart of Jesus (here make your request).
Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may ra...
Novena to St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta – Day 5
Fifth Day – Trust Jesus Blindly
Thought for the day:
“Confidence in God can do all things. It is our emptiness and lowliness that God needs and not our plenitude’”
Ask for the grace to have an unshakeable trust in God’s power and love for you and for all.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.
Obtain from the Heart of Jesus (here make your request).
Teach...
Novena to St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta – Day 4
Fourth Day – Our Lady Will Help You
Thought for the day:
“How close we must keep to Our Lady who understood what depth of Divine Love was being revealed as she stood at the foot of the Cross and heard Jesus cry out: ‘I thirst.’”
Ask for the grace to learn from Our Lady to quench Jesus’ thirst as she did.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.
Obtain...
Novena to St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta – Day 3
Third Day –
Hear Him Say to You: “I Thirst”
Thought for the day:
“Just think! God is thirsting for you and me to come forward to satiate His thirst.”
Ask for the grace to understand Jesus’ cry of thirst.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.
Obtain from the Heart of Jesus (here make your request).
Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess m...
Novena to St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta – Day 2
Second Day – Jesus Loves You
Thought for the day:
“Do not be afraid – you are precious to Jesus. He loves you.”
Ask for the grace to be convinced of Jesus’ unconditional and personal love for you.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.
Obtain from the Heart of Jesus (here make your request).
Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so co...
St. Augustine of Hippo Novena – Day 9 – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 9
St. Augustine has written:
“Late have I loved you, beauty so old and so new: late have I loved you. And see, you were within and I was in the external world and sought you there, and in my unlovely state I plunged into those lovely created things which you made. You were with me, and I was not with you. The lovely things kept me far from you, though if they did not have their existence in you, they had no existence at all. You called and cried out loud and...
Novena to St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta – Day 1
First Day – Know the Living Jesus
Thought for the day:
“Don’t search for Jesus in far lands; He is not there. He is close to you; He is in you.”
Ask for the grace of an intimate knowledge of Jesus.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.
Obtain from the Heart of Jesus (here make your request).
Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrat...
St. Augustine of Hippo Novena – Day 8 – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 8
St. Augustine has written:
“I look forward, not to what lies ahead of me in this life and will surely pass away, but to my eternal goal. I am intent upon this one purpose, not distracted by other aims, and with this goal in view I press on, eager for the prize, God’s heavenly summons. Then I shall listen to the sound of Your praises and gaze at Your beauty ever present, never future, never past. But now my years are but sighs. You, O Lord, are my only solace. You...
St. Augustine of Hippo Novena – Day 7 – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 7
St. Augustine has written:
“As Christians, our task is to make daily progress toward God. Our pilgrimage on earth is a school in which God is the only teacher, and it demands good students, not one who play truant. In this school we learn something every day. We learn something from commandments, something from examples, and something from sacraments. These things are remedies for our wounds and materials for study.”
Heavenly Father,
we turn to you now with the intentions we hold in our hearts,
as pray as St. A...
St. Augustine of Hippo Novena – Day 6 – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 6
St. Augustine has written:
“As Christians, our task is to make daily progress toward God. Our pilgrimage on earth is a school in which God is the only teacher, and it demands good students, not one who play truant. In this school we learn something every day. We learn something from commandments, something from examples, and something from sacraments. These things are remedies for our wounds and materials for study.”
Heavenly Father,
we turn to you now with the intentions we hold in our hearts,
as pray as S...
St. Augustine of Hippo Novena – Day 5 – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 5
St. Augustine has written:
“A person who is a good and true Christian should realize that truth belongs to his Lord, wherever it is found, gathering and acknowledging it even in pagan literature, but rejecting superstitious vanities and deploring and avoiding those who ‘though they knew God did not glorify him as God or give thanks but became enfeebled in their own thoughts and plunged their senseless minds into darkness. Claiming to be wise they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for the image of corruptible mortals and a...
St. Augustine of Hippo Novena – Day 4 – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 4
St. Augustine has written:
“You are surprised that the world is losing its grip, that the world is grown old? Think of a man: he is born, he grows up, he becomes old. Old age has its many complaints: coughing, shaking, failing eyesight, anxious, terribly tired. A man grows old; he is full of complaints. The world is old; it is full of pressing tribulations. . . . Do not hold onto the old man, the world; do not refuse to regain your youth in Christ, who says to you, ‘The world is passing away, the world is lo...
St. Augustine of Hippo Novena – Day 3 – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 3
St. Augustine has written:
“The wisdom of what a person says is in direct proportion to his progress in learning the holy scriptures–and I am not speaking of intensive reading or memorization, but real understanding and careful investigation of their meaning. Some people read them but neglect them; by their reading they profit in knowledge, by their neglect they forfeit understanding.” (from “On Christian Doctrine“)
Heavenly Father,
we turn to you now with the intentions we hold in our hearts,
as pray as St. Augustine has taught:
Spiri...
St. Bernard of Clairvaux Novena – Day 9 – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 9
St. Bernard you have said:
“Let us not imagine that we obscure the glory of the Son by the great praise we lavish on the Mother; for the more she is honored, the greater is the glory of her Son. There can be no doubt that whatever we say in praise of the Mother gives equal praise to the Son. O Blessed Mary, whoever loves you honors God; whoever serves you pleases God; whoever invokes your holy name with a pure heart will infallibly receive the object of his petition.“
St. Bernard you h...
St. Augustine of Hippo Novena – Day 2 – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 2
St. Augustine has written:
“Though good and bad men suffer alike, we must not suppose that there is no difference between the men themselves, because there is no difference in what they both suffer. For even in the likeness of the sufferings, there remains an unlikeness in the sufferers; and though exposed to the same anguish, virtue and vice are not the same thing. For as the same fire causes gold to glow brightly, and chaff to smoke; and under the same flail the straw is beaten small, while the grain is cle...