Heart to Heart Spiritual Direction

Drawing on the wisdom of St. Teresa of Avila, Fr. Michael explains that we are never alone in our suffering. Others have gone before us, including Jesus Himself, experiencing the same pains we do.

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Fr. Michael gives an overview of the difference between temptation and sin, the difference between mortal and venial sin, and the basics of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

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Fr. Michael explains what it means to love God, love your neighbor, and love yourself, and why love is the basis of all Christian morality.

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Drawing on Theology of the Body, Fr. Michael explains why it is important that we were created with both bodies and souls.

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Fr. Michael explains the different types of laws and who has authority at which level.

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Father Michael Stalla reminds us that Jesus the Bridegroom is our model of trust in the goodness of the Father's plans even when all hope seems lost.

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Join Laura Ercolino and Fr. Michael Stalla in praying the Womb of My Heart Rosary.

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Father Michael Stalla, spiritual director of Hope's Garden, explains how St. Joseph is the perfect model for men today.

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Father Michael Stalla, spiritual director of Hope's Garden, shares his wisdom on spiritually healthy ways to cope during stressful times.

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Fr. Michael gives an brief overview of sexual morality, including topics such as adultery, abortion, and contraception.

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"Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion." Diary of St. Faustina, 1146

Mercy is not just a characteristic of God, it is an essential part of Who He is. Mercy is a core attribute of God. Jesus reveals the infinite depths of God's mercy and compassion to us - in His life and ministry, in His revelations to saints such as St. Faustina, in our own lives, and in...

Fr. Michael explains why it is so important to attend Mass in community with other believers.

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Fr. Michael explains the effects of childhood experiences on the way we develop, think, and act. Because our families have such a big impact on us, it is important for us to unpack those experiences, both the good and the bad, so that we can create the best possible environment for raising the next generation.

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Fr. Michael explains why "follow your heart" is actually bad advice. Instead, we should do our best to put on the Heart of Christ and look through His eyes.

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Fr. Michael explains that what our culture tells us about sex, relationships, masculinity, and femininity is very different from God's plan for us. God created us as male and female, revealing a beautiful vision of what marital love should be.

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Fr. Michael Stalla offers reflections on masculine spirituality, self-discipline, and the immense dignity of men, who have been entrusted with the care of Creation and the job of developing the wilderness into paradise.

Fr. Michael gives an overview of the complexities of confessing your sins to a priest, including why we do it and what level or authority the priest has in the confessional.

Fr. Michael Stalla reflects on the different ways children respond when their parents divorce and provides practical tips for parents about how to help their children through this difficult time.

Fr. Michael Stalla gives a teaching on anger: what it is, why we have it, and how to manage it appropriately so as not to fall into the sin of wrath.

Father Michael Stalla helps us to understand Jesus's teaching on the sacredness of the human person and why we must not tolerate the desecration of our bodies.

For more spiritual reflections by Father Michael, the spiritual advisor of Hope's Garden, join our virtual community for Catholic men or women. Father Michael offers free live spiritual direction events for members throughout the year.

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What was God's intention for marriage "in the beginning"? What did Jesus mean when He said, “For your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so."?

Father Michael Stalla gives us a brief introduction to St. John Paul II's teachings known as the Theology of the Body and then answers the above questions through this lens.

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Father Michael shares practical advice on why we need to rest in Jesus and how to actually do this.

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Become a member of our Catholic women or men's communities and participate in Father Michael's monthly live spiritual direction sessions.

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Father Michael Stalla takes us on a journey through the prophets of the Old Testament and shows us how the fulfillment of the hope they spoke of is Jesus the Bridegroom.

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Father Michael gives us wise advice on how to overcome our fears.

Father Matthew Cortnick explains the importance of the feast of the Ascension and gives us a deeper understanding of how we are invited to participate in Christ's Ascension during every Holy Mass.

You can find all the Hope's Garden podcasts, our resources on the Song of Songs and Christ the Bridegroom, and more spiritual direction from Father Michael Stalla and Father Matthew Cortnick at our website hopesgarden.com.

Father Michael shares with us how he heard and responded to the Lord's call to the priesthood. The Lord has a mission, a call, for each of us. Father Michael's story can help us in our discernment.

This episode is Father Matthew Cortnick's homily from Sunday April 14, 2024. Father asks us to ponder how well we really know Jesus. Do we have an intimate friendship with Him? When we arrive at Heaven's doorstep will He welcome us as His friends or shut the door on us because we are strangers to Him?

Father Michael Stalla, spiritual director of Hope's Garden, explains the spiritual discipline of fasting.

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"From my very first session of spiritual direction with Father Michael in 2016, he has continually impressed upon me the need to discern everything and to reject all that is not from Jesus. Learning to distinguish the voice of the tempter from the voice of my Bridegroom has been life-changing. I highly recommend listening to this episode of Heart to Heart Spiritual Direction and putting Father Michael's wisdom into practice." - Laura Ercolino, Foundress of Hope's Garden

Join our Catholic men's or women's community and participate in live spiritual direction events with Father Michael.

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Father Michael helps us to understand the differences between clinical depression and desolation.

Anger is the emotion we feel in reaction to an injustice. It is holy when accompanied by courage and hope we direct it toward righting wrongs. But when we allow our anger to cloud our judgment and react with violence or hatred then it becomes the sin of wrath. Father Michael gives us wisdom for being angry and not sinning in this episode of Heart to Heart Spiritual Direction.

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Father Michael Stalla, spiritual director of Hope's Garden, talks about anchor experiences in our spiritual life and the importance of returning to these moments of consolation again and again.

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Father Michael helps us learn to recognize the "voices of trauma" and distinguish them from the voice of Jesus.

Father Michael unpacks the second chapter of Genesis through the lens of St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body.

In this episode, we welcome Father Matthew Cortnick to the Hope's Garden family. Father Matt proclaims the Gospel for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary time, Mark 1:29-39 and in his homily stresses the need to go with Jesus to a desert place every day and enter into conversation with Him. Prayer is our source of strength in the midst of our busy and stressful lives.

Father Michael speaks to us, heart to heart, about the truth of chastity and how every person is called to live a chaste life regardless of vocation.

Father Michael helps us to shift our perspective and see problems as opportunities to open to God's grace and grow in faith and trust.

Father Michael shares with us his encounter with God the Father and how he came to truly know that he is God's beloved.

Father Michael gives us a beautiful description of the Holy Trinity.

Father Michael Stalla helps us to understand what it means to pray without ceasing and how we can do this.The Hope's Garden Prayer Podcast can help us to pray without ceasing. Pray along with beautiful prayers honoring Christ the Bridegroom and inspired by The SOng of Songs as you go through your day.You can find the Hope's Garden Prayer Podcast and The Bridegroom Speaks Podcast on all major podcast platforms.