Day 5 – Stillness – 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 5 – Stillness

“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Psalm 46.10 RSV

Stillness is the interior calm that allows the soul to recognize God’s presence. It is different from silence. Silence quiets the environment. Stillness settles the heart. Advent invites us into stillness so the deeper truth of God’s nearness can be known rather than merely thought about.

Stillness is not inactivity. It is the freedom from interior agitation. It gathers the scattered heart into one place and brings the mind and soul together before God. When the heart is restless, God feels far away. When the heart becomes still, His presence becomes gently perceptible.

Stillness requires trust. It asks the soul to rest without striving and to set aside the inner rush that pushes toward the next thing. The discerning heart learns to recognize that God often speaks when the heart rests rather than when it works. God moves in the quiet center of the soul.

Advent teaches us this stillness so we can know, in the depth of our being, that He is God and He is here.

Journey with the Saints –

St. Teresa of Avila

“Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things pass away. God never changes.”
St. Teresa of Avila, Poem “Nada te turbe,” line 1

St. Teresa knew the power of a still heart. Her teaching and her life remind us that interior stillness is not found by force. It is found by grounding the heart in God’s faithfulness. When the heart remembers who God is and how He loves, fear loosens and rest becomes possible.

For St. Teresa, stillness is rooted in trust. As long as the soul tries to control every outcome, the interior life will stay restless. But when the soul yields to God and remembers His constancy, a deep stillness forms that no circumstance can disrupt. This stillness allows the soul to hear God with clarity.

St. Teresa teaches us that stillness is both gift and discipline. We make space for it, and God fills that space with His peace.

Reflection for the Listening Heart

Today invites you to notice where you feel restless, tense, or scattered. Stillness begins when you acknowledge those places and let them soften in the presence of God. You do not need to force peace. You only need to stop resisting His nearness.

Listening grows in a still heart. When agitation quiets, even slightly, the presence of God becomes more recognizable. Stillness allows the heart to know what noise often hides.

Ask yourself: What steals my stillness today. What might God be asking me to release so my heart can rest in Him.

A Simple Practice for Today

Choose one moment today to sit quietly and breathe slowly. Say, “You are God, and You are here.” Let your heart settle. Later in the day, pause again for one slow breath and place your hand over your heart as a gesture of stillness before God.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, draw my heart into stillness. Quiet the restlessness that distracts me from Your presence. Teach me to rest in You with trust and peace. Help me to know, deep within, that You are God and that I am held in Your love. Amen.

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

Citations for Day 5

Psalm 46.10 RSV
St. Teresa of Avila, Poem “Nada te turbe,” line 1

AR#5 – God’s Patience – Advent Reflections with Deacon James Keating Ph.D. – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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AR#5 – Advent Reflections with Deacon James Keating, Ph.D.

As human beings, we tend to sin. We all know this about our characters. And many times, it moves us to despair. God sees our sin, but He never loses his patience with us. And one of the reasons why God never loses His patience with His creation, is, of course, because He loves us. But also because His happiness is already fully possessed by Himself. He’s not like us when we get angry at our children, and try to move time forward; try to make things happen quickly. God is perfectly happy in Himself, and so He does no violence to time, or to people’s development. He waits. He calls. He shares His own happiness with us. And He knows in this patience that He fully possesses, that someday we will be attracted to such a powerful person, to such a peaceful person as He revealed Himself to be in Jesus. This Advent, don’t lose patience with yourself. Convert all desires to sin into Jesus’ own heart. Give it to him and He will give you a share in His own happiness.

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

Day 5: Seeing God’s Love in the Ordinary – From the writings of Caryll Houselander – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

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Caryll Houselander image used with permission from TRINITY ICONS

Day 5: Seeing God’s Love in the Ordinary

“Every ordinary thing in your life is a word of God’s love: your home, your work, the clothes you wear, the air you breathe, the food you eat…. the flowers under your feet are the courtesy of God’s heart flung down on You! All these things say one thing only: “See how I love you.”

Commentary: Caryll Houselander encourages us to see every element of daily life as a tangible expression of God’s love. From the air we breathe to the food we eat and even the flowers on our path, these simple things are “words” spoken by God to remind us of His love and care. By viewing ordinary life through this lens, we begin to recognize the divine presence in all things, each moment filled with grace and meaning. For Houselander, these small blessings are like “courtesies” from God, each whispering, “See how I love you.”

Personal Reflection: Take a moment today to notice the ordinary blessings around you. How does recognizing these simple gifts as signs of God’s love change your outlook on daily life?

Houselander quote from: Caryll Houselander, Thomas Hoffman (2000). “A Child in Winter: Advent, Christmas and Epiphany with Caryll Houselander”, p.38, Rowman & Littlefield

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

Image © Trinity Icons / Joseph M. Malham
Image used with permission
To purchase your own copy, visit Trinity Icons

Día 1 – Novena a la Virgen de Guadalupe – Podcasts De Corazones Discernidores

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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 pecar. Así lo espero por intercesión de mi Madre, nuestra Señora la Virgen de Guadalupe. Amén”.

Primer día

“¡Oh Santísima Señora de Guadalupe! Esa corona con que ciñes tus sagradas sienes publica que eres Reina del Universo. Lo eres, Señora, pues como Hija, como Madre y como Esposa del Altísimo tienes absoluto poder y justísimo derecho sobre todas las criaturas.

Siendo esto así, yo también soy tuyo; también pertenezco a ti por mil títulos; pero no me contento con ser tuyo por tan alta jurisdicción que tienes sobre todos; quiero ser tuyo por otro título más, esto es, por elección de mi voluntad.

Ved que, aquí postrado delante del trono de tu Majestad, te elijo por mi Reina y mi Señora, y con este motivo quiero doblar el señorío y dominio que tienes sobre mí; quiero depender de ti y quiero que los designios que tiene de mí la Providencia divina, pasen por tus manos. Dispón de mí como te agrade; los sucesos y lances de mi vida quiero que todos corran por tu cuenta. Confío en tu benignidad, que todos se enderezarán al bien de mi alma y honra y gloria de aquel Señor que tanto complace al mundo. Amén”.

Padre Nuestro
Padre nuestro, que estás en el cielo, santificado sea tu nombre, venga a nosotros tu reino, hágase tu voluntad, en la tierra como en el cielo. Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día, perdona nuestras ofensas, como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden. No nos dejes caer en la tentación, y líbranos del mal. Amén

Ave Maria
Dios te Salve, María, llena eres de gracia, el Señor está contigo. Bendita tú eres entre todas las mujeres y bendito es el fruto de tu vientre, Jesús. Santa María, Madre de Dios, ruega por nosotros pecadores, ahora y en la hora de nuestra muerte. Amén

Gloria
Gloria al Padre y al Hijo y al Espíritu Santo. Como era en el principio ahora y siempre, por los siglos de los siglos. Amén

Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, ruega por nosotros. Amén

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

Para consultar la novena completa, visite:
Novena A La Virgen De Guadalupe – Podcasts De Corazones Discernidores

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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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

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

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 5 – Stillness

Journey with the Saints –

St. Teresa of Avila

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

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

Novena a la Virgen de Guadalupe

Primer día

Para consultar la novena completa, visite: Novena A La Virgen De Guadalupe – Podcasts De Corazones Discernidores

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.

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

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

Para consultar la novena completa, visite:
Novena A La Virgen De Guadalupe – Podcasts De Corazones Discernidores

**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