VEC6 – Marcion – Villains of the Early Church with Mike Aquilina – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Episode 6 – Marcion – Villains of the Early Church with Mike Aquilina

Mike Aquilina and Kris McGregor discuss the second-century figure Marcian, a wealthy shipbuilder who tried to use his fortune to reshape Christianity according to his own ideas. Marcian believed that the God of the Old Testament and the God revealed in Christ were entirely different, and he rejected the Old Testament as the work of a hostile deity. To support this view, he cut large parts of the Gospel of Luke and edited the letters of Paul, removing passages that connected Christ and the apostles to Israel’s scriptures. When the Church rejected these teachings and returned his donation, Marcian created a parallel movement that imitated Catholic worship and structure, driven by his resources rather than fidelity to apostolic teaching. His movement spread widely and endured for centuries, creating long-lasting damage that even he could not undo near the end of his life.

Marcian’s story is a warning: Material success, autonomy, or influence do not guarantee spiritual maturity, and unchecked ideas—even those that begin small—can warp doctrine and inspire destructive traditions. Leaders and communities may delay correction because of wealth, social standing, or good intentions, which can allow harmful errors to grow. Marcian is not presented as a monster but as a person who lost his way, reminding us that spiritual conflict persists through history, and that vigilance, prayer, and true stewardship are needed to avoid repeating such mistakes.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

How do I respond when I encounter ideas or teachings that conflict with what the Church has handed down through Scripture and Tradition?
In what ways might comfort, wealth, or self-reliance quietly distort my commitment to the Gospel?
Do I treat the entirety of Scripture—including the Old Testament—as part of God’s plan of salvation, or do I selectively accept only what feels agreeable?
How can I cultivate humility so that I remain open to correction, even when I feel confident in my opinions?
What steps am I taking to grow in knowledge of the faith so I can pass it on faithfully to my family and community?
When I see others struggling with error or confusion, do I offer loving correction, or do I remain silent to avoid discomfort?
How do I steward the resources God has given me—time, talent, and treasure—without allowing them to become tools of personal control or influence?

An excerpt from Villains of the Early Church

“Marcion was a rich businessman who thought he had figured out the real meaning of the Gospel. He used the power of money to found a kind of parallel church, and he was very successful for a while—which tells you a little about the state of Christianity at the time, and a lot about what you could do with money in the Roman Empire in those days.”

Aquilina, Mike. Villains of the Early Church: And How They Made Us Better Christians. Emmaus Road Publishing. Kindle Edition.

You can find the book on which this series is based here.

**For more episodes in the Villians of the Early Church podcast visit here – Villains of the Early Church – Discerning Hearts Podcast**

Mike Aquilina is a popular author working in the area of Church history, especially patristics, the study of the early Church Fathers.^[1] He is the executive vice-president and trustee of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, a Roman Catholic research center based in Steubenville, Ohio. He is a contributing editor of Angelus (magazine) and general editor of the Reclaiming Catholic History Series from Ave Maria Press. He is the author or editor of more than fifty books, including The Fathers of the Church (2006); The Mass of the Early Christians (2007); Living the Mysteries (2003); and What Catholics Believe(1999). He has hosted eleven television series on the Eternal Word Television Network and is a frequent guest commentator on Catholic radio.

Mike Aquilina’s website is found at fathersofthechurch.com

Day 4: Bringing Christ to the Everyday – From the writings of Caryll Houselander – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

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Caryll Houselander image used with permission from TRINITY ICONS

Day 4: Bringing Christ to the Everyday

“Sometimes it may seem to us that there is no purpose in our lives, that going day after day for years to this office or that school or factory is nothing else but waste and weariness. But it may be that God has sent us there because but for us, Christ would not be there. If our being there means that Christ is there, that alone makes it worthwhile.”

Commentary: Caryll Houselander speaks to those moments of monotony and purposelessness we all encounter, especially in routine or seemingly mundane work. She reminds us that even in the most ordinary tasks and places, there is a profound purpose when we recognize that Christ is present through us. Our mere presence in these spaces allows Christ to be there too, transforming what seems wearisome into an act of divine purpose. This perspective can reframe our understanding of vocation, showing that any role or task has sacred value when approached with awareness of Christ’s presence.

Personal Reflection: Reflect on a daily task or responsibility that feels tedious or insignificant. How might viewing it as a way of bringing Christ’s presence to that place change your perspective?

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

For more reflections visit:
Caryll Houselander – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

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Image used with permission
To purchase your own copy, visit Trinity Icons

Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe – Day 1 – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

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Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe – Day 1

Pray to Our Lady of Guadalupe
(Pope John Paul II, January 25, 1979)

O Immaculate Virgin, mother of the true God and mother of the Church! You, who … revealed your clemency and your pity to all those who ask for your protection, hear the prayer that we address to you with filial trust, and present it to your Son Jesus, our sole Redeemer.

Mother of Mercy, teacher of hidden and silent sacrifice, to you … we dedicate on this day all our being and all our love. We also dedicate to you our life, our work, our joys, our infirmities, and our sorrows.
Grant peace, justice, and prosperity to our people, for we entrust to your care all that we have and all that we are, our Lady and Mother.

We wish to be entirely yours and to walk with you along the way of complete faithfulness to Jesus Christ and his Church: hold us always in your loving hand.

Virgin of Guadalupe, Mother of the Americas, we pray to you for all the bishops, that they may lead the faithful along paths of intense Christian life, of love and humble service of God and souls. Grant to our homes the grace of loving and respecting life in its beginnings, with the same love with which you conceived in your womb the life of the Son of God.

Blessed Virgin Mary, protect our families, so that they may always be united, and bless the upbringing of our children. Thus, Most Holy Mother, with the peace of God in our conscience, with our hearts free from evil and hatred, we will be able to bring to all true joy and true peace, which come to us from your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns forever and ever.
Amen.

Day One

Holy Mother, you appeared to Saint Juan Diego as a
maiden of his own race to reveal that you are the mother
of all God’s children. Draw close to your heart those who
are facing an unexpected pregnancy, so that like you, they
will say yes to the new life with which God has blessed them.
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 Three Comings of the Lord” – St. Bernard from the Office of Readings – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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From a sermon by Saint Bernard, abbot

The Three Comings of the Lord

We know that there are three comings of the Lord. The third lies between the other two. It is invisible, while the other two are visible. In the first coming he was seen on earth, dwelling among men; he himself testifies that they saw him and hated him. In the final coming all flesh will see the salvation of our God, and they will look on him whom they pierced. The intermediate coming is a hidden one; in it only the elect see the Lord within their own selves, and they are saved. In his first coming our Lord came in our flesh and in our weakness; in this middle coming he comes in spirit and in power; in the final coming he will be seen in glory and majesty.

In case someone should think that what we say about this middle coming is sheer invention, listen to what our Lord himself ways: If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him. There is another passage of Scripture which reads: He who fears God will do good, but something further has been said about the one who loves, that is, that he will keep God’s word. Where is God’s word to be kept? Obviously in the heart, as the prophet says: I have hidden your words in my heart, so that I may not sin against you.

Keep God’s word in this way. Let it enter into your very being, let it take possession of your desires and your whole way of life. Feed on goodness, and your soul will delight in its richness. Remember to eat your bread, or your heart will wither away. Fill your soul with richness and strength.

Because this coming lies between the other two, it is like a road on which we travel from the first coming to the last. In the first, Christ was our redemption; in the last, he will appear as our life; in this middle coming, he is our rest and consolation.

If you keep the word of God in this way, it will also keep you. The Son with the Father will come to you. The great Prophet who will build the new Jerusalem will come, the one who makes all things new. This coming will fulfill what is written: As we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, we shall also bear the likeness of the heavenly man. Just as Adam’s sin spread through all mankind and took hold of all, so Christ, who created and redeemed all, will glorify all, once he takes possession of all.

Dec. 3 St. Francis Xavier – “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel” from the Office of Readings

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A letter from St Francis Xavier to St Ignatius
Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel

We have visited the villages of the new converts who accepted the Christian religion a few years ago. No Portuguese live here, the country is so utterly barren and poor. The native Christians have no priests. They know only that they are Christians. There is nobody to say Mass for them; nobody to teach them the Creed, the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Commandments of God’s Law.

I have not stopped since the day I arrived. I conscientiously made the rounds of the villages. I bathed in the sacred waters all the children who had not yet been baptized. This means that I have purified a very large number of children so young that, as the saying goes, they could not tell their right hand from their left. The older children would not let me say my Office or eat or sleep until I taught them one prayer or another. Then I began to understand: “The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

I could not refuse so devout a request without failing in devotion myself. I taught them, first the confession of faith in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, then the Apostles’ Creed, the Our Father and Hail Mary. I noticed among them persons of great intelligence. If only someone could educate them in the Christian way of life, I have no doubt that they would make excellent Christians.

Many, many people hereabouts are not becoming Christians for one reason only: there is nobody to make them Christians. Again and again I have thought of going round the universities of Europe, especially Paris, and everywhere crying out like a madman, riveting the attention of those with more learning than charity: “What a tragedy: how many souls are being shut out of heaven and falling into hell, thanks to you!”

I wish they would work as hard at this as they do at their books, and so settle their account with God for their learning and the talents entrusted to them.

This thought would certainly stir most of them to meditate on spiritual realities, to listen actively to what God is saying to them. They would forget their own desires, their human affairs, and give themselves over entirely to God’s will and his choice. They would cry out with all their heart: Lord, I am here! What do you want me to do? Send me anywhere you like – even to India.

AR#4 – The Only Pleasure That Lasts – Advent Reflections with Deacon James Keating Ph.D. – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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AR#4 – Advent Reflections with Deacon James Keating, Ph.D.

Human beings are called by God, to find their fulfillment patiently, to a life of cultivating virtue. We don’t become saints immediately; we don’t even grow in disdain of our sins immediately. For we are so attached to them, and the immediacy of pleasure that they give us, that it takes time for us to disconnect from that pleasure, and to cultivate a new love, for the only pleasure that lasts, God sharing His own happiness with us. This Advent lets ask the Lord to open our hearts more deeply so that we can receive this happiness from Him. And in so receiving it, be healed of our impatience. For what is being given, and what is coming to us, is more than we could ever imagine.

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

A Novena to the Immaculate Conception – Day 5

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A Novena to the Immaculate Conception – Day 5

O God,
who by the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son,
we beseech You that,
as by the foreseen death of this, Your Son,
You did preserve Her from all stain,
so too You would permit us,
purified through Her intercession,
to come unto You.
Through the same Lord Jesus Christ,
Your Son, who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, world without end.

Amen.

O Lord, who, by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary,
did prepare a fitting dwelling for your Son,
we beseech you that as by the foreseen death of your Son,
you did preserve her from all stain of sin,
grant that through her intercession,
we may be favored with the granting of the grace
that we seek for at this time…

(State your intention here…)

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception,
Mother of Christ,
you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth;
you have the same influence now in heaven.
Pray for us
and obtain for us from him
the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.

Amen.

For the complete 9 day novena visit the Discerning Hearts:

The Immaculate Conception Novena page

Day 4 – Openness – An Advent Journey for the Discerning Heart – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

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

Week One: Awakening the Listening Heart

DAY 4 – Openness

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
Revelation 3.20 RSV

Openness is the willingness of the heart to receive what God desires to give. It is the posture that says yes before knowing the details. Advent teaches this openness by inviting us to welcome Christ in ways we may not expect and through moments we may not choose.

Openness does not mean passivity. It is an active readiness that springs from trust. It allows the heart to become spacious, uncluttered, and free enough to respond to God’s movements. When the heart closes, grace cannot enter. When the heart opens, even slightly, God works.

Openness also means loosening our grip on expectations. God often arrives in forms we do not recognize. The discerning heart learns to say, “Lord, whatever You desire to do in me today, I receive.” This is the openness that made room for Christ in Mary. It is the openness that prepares the soul for His coming now.

Advent invites you to open the door of your heart so Christ may enter more deeply.

Journey with the Saints –

St. Francis of Assisi

“What a person is before God, that he is, and no more.”
St. Francis of Assisi, Admonition 19

St. Francis of Assisi lived with a heart wide open to God. His openness flowed from humility. He accepted his smallness before God, and because of this, his heart remained available to whatever God wished to give or reveal.

For St. Francis, openness meant letting go of self-protection and allowing God to reshape his desires and priorities. He did not cling to security, success, or control. His openness created space for joy, charity, and trust. He welcomed God in poverty, in simplicity, and in every person he encountered.

St. Francis teaches us that openness is the fruit of humility. When we stand before God honestly, without masks or defenses, the heart can finally open. God fills that openness with His presence.

Reflection for the Listening Heart

Today invites you to look for places within your heart that feel tight, guarded, or closed. Sometimes the heart closes because of fear. Sometimes because of disappointment. Sometimes because we simply want things to go our way. Openness asks us to soften those places so God can enter.

Listening becomes deeper when the heart stops resisting what God is offering. Openness makes room for grace to surprise us. It prepares us to receive something new or unexpected.

Ask yourself: Where is God inviting me to open my heart today. What do I need to release so Christ can come closer.

A Simple Practice for Today

Take a quiet moment and say, “Lord, I open my heart to You.” Notice any resistance and gently release it. Later in the day, repeat the same prayer while opening your hands in a simple gesture of surrender. Let this be an intentional act of openness.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, open my heart to Your presence. Remove whatever keeps me closed or guarded. Give me the grace to welcome You in the ways You desire to come. Teach me the humility that creates space for Your love, and draw me into deeper trust. I open the door of my heart to You today. Amen.

For more of the episodes of
An Advent Journey for the Discerning Heart with Kris McGregor visit here

Citations for Day 4

Revelation 3.20 RSV
St. Francis of Assisi, Admonition 19

Wednesday of the 1st Week of Advent – An Advent Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart

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Wednesday of the 1st Week of Advent – An Advent Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart

From the Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew 15:29-37

Jesus reached the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and he went up into the hills. He sat there, and large crowds came to him bringing the lame, the crippled, the blind, the dumb and many others; these they put down at his feet, and he cured them. The crowds were astonished to see the dumb speaking, the cripples whole again, the lame walking and the blind with their sight, and they praised the God of Israel.

But Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I feel sorry for all these people; they have been with me for three days now and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them off hungry, they might collapse on the way.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Where could we get enough bread in this deserted place to feed such a crowd?’ Jesus said to them, ‘How many loaves have you?’ ‘Seven’ they said ‘and a few small fish.’ Then he instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves and the fish, and he gave thanks and broke them and handed them to the disciples, who gave them to the crowds. They all ate as much as they wanted, and they collected what was left of the scraps, seven baskets full.

What word made this passage come alive for you?

What did you sense the Lord saying to you?

Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:

Jesus reached the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and he went up into the hills. He sat there, and large crowds came to him bringing the lame, the crippled, the blind, the dumb and many others; these they put down at his feet, and he cured them. The crowds were astonished to see the dumb speaking, the cripples whole again, the lame walking and the blind with their sight, and they praised the God of Israel.

But Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I feel sorry for all these people; they have been with me for three days now and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them off hungry, they might collapse on the way.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Where could we get enough bread in this deserted place to feed such a crowd?’ Jesus said to them, ‘How many loaves have you?’ ‘Seven’ they said ‘and a few small fish.’ Then he instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves and the fish, and he gave thanks and broke them and handed them to the disciples, who gave them to the crowds. They all ate as much as they wanted, and they collected what was left of the scraps, seven baskets full.

What did your heart feel as you listened?

What did you sense the Lord saying to you?

Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:

Jesus reached the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and he went up into the hills. He sat there, and large crowds came to him bringing the lame, the crippled, the blind, the dumb and many others; these they put down at his feet, and he cured them. The crowds were astonished to see the dumb speaking, the cripples whole again, the lame walking and the blind with their sight, and they praised the God of Israel.

But Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I feel sorry for all these people; they have been with me for three days now and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them off hungry, they might collapse on the way.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Where could we get enough bread in this deserted place to feed such a crowd?’ Jesus said to them, ‘How many loaves have you?’ ‘Seven’ they said ‘and a few small fish.’ Then he instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves and the fish, and he gave thanks and broke them and handed them to the disciples, who gave them to the crowds. They all ate as much as they wanted, and they collected what was left of the scraps, seven baskets full.

What touched your heart in this time of prayer?

What did your heart feel as you prayed?

What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?

We thank you, Lord Jesus for this time with you.

Keep us alert, we pray, O Lord our God,

as we await the advent of Christ your Son,

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever

Amen

Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.

WOM16 – The Internal World and External Presence of God – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts

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The Internal World and External Presence of God – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating

Deacon James Keating explains that experiencing God’s love begins with grace. God reaches the heart through intellect and affection, but many miss these moments because they are distracted or constantly driven by ego. Silence allows us to perceive God’s presence—whether through beauty, acts of kindness, or gratitude. Asking God directly for the gift of knowing His love, being attentive to the movements of the heart, and recognizing that this union often begins in moments of consoling prayer. Such prayer is not confined to formal worship; it can arise unexpectedly, even outside the church. The Eucharist prepares us to make a space for God rather than forcing His action. Faith—not sensation—is at the core of sacramental life, and remaining faithful in the absence of feelings still brings genuine closeness to God.

Authentic spiritual union deepens when conscience is followed, even when it causes suffering. Acting on truth at personal cost draws us into Christ’s own obedience and sacrifice. This suffering is not a sign of abandonment but a participation in the Paschal mystery, where union with Christ matters more than comfort. Saints such as St. Bernadette, St. Edith Stein, and St. Maximilian Kolbe willingly faced hardship because intimacy with Christ outweighed fear. Daily moral decisions—large or small—are sustained not by human strength but by Christ’s presence received through prayer and the Eucharist. In these ways—consoling prayer, sacramental life, fidelity to conscience, and union in suffering—the soul begins to taste heaven on earth.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

When was the last time I slowed down to notice God reaching out to me through beauty, kindness, or gratitude?
How do I make space for silence in my daily life so that God can communicate His presence to my heart?
Do I pray not only to believe in God’s love, but also to truly know and experience it?
How do I approach the Eucharist—as a demand for spiritual sensation or as an act of faith and readiness?
Have I noticed moments of consolation in prayer outside formal worship, and how did I respond to them?
When my conscience reveals a difficult truth, do I trust Christ enough to follow it even when suffering is involved?
In what areas of life do I cling to comfort or ego instead of surrendering to God’s invitation to deeper union?
How does my experience of sacramental life shape my willingness to put others first in small, everyday sacrifices?
What fears keep me from seeking Christ’s will, and how can I bring those fears into prayer?
Where have I seen God sustain me through a painful decision, and how did that deepen my relationship with Him?

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

Episode 6 – Marcion – Villains of the Early Church with Mike Aquilina

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

An excerpt from Villains of the Early Church

You can find the book on which this series is based here.

For more episodes in the Villians of the Early Church podcast visit here – Villains of the Early Church – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Mike Aquilina’s website is found at fathersofthechurch.com

For more reflections visit: Caryll Houselander – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe – Day 1

Day One

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

From a sermon by Saint Bernard, abbot

The Three Comings of the Lord

A letter from St Francis Xavier to St Ignatius Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel

AR#4 – Advent Reflections with Deacon James Keating, Ph.D.

A Novena to the Immaculate Conception – Day 5

For the complete 9 day novena visit the Discerning Hearts:

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

Week One: Awakening the Listening Heart

DAY 4 – Openness

Journey with the Saints –

St. Francis of Assisi

Reflection for the Listening Heart

A Simple Practice for Today

Prayer

For more of the episodes of An Advent Journey for the Discerning Heart with Kris McGregor visit here

Wednesday of the 1st Week of Advent – An Advent Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart

Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.

The Internal World and External Presence of God – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

**For more episodes in the Villians of the Early Church podcast visit here – Villains of the Early Church – Discerning Hearts Podcast**

For more reflections visit:
Caryll Houselander – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

A letter from St Francis Xavier to St Ignatius
Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel

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

For more of the episodes of
An Advent Journey for the Discerning Heart with Kris McGregor visit here