S13 E8 - “I Thirst” Part 1 - St. Teresa of Calcutta’s Varanasi Letter
In this episode, we discuss the first half of the Varanasi Letter written by St. Teresa of Calcutta to her MC Community. We talk about how Jesus thirsts for our souls and what we can do to care for His Heart. We reflect on what it means to let Jesus gaze upon our souls and receive Him in the areas we have been wounded and experience pain. It can be challenging to allow Jesus to see these broken places in our lives, but through this communion and vulnerability, He can reveal the truth about our belovedness. Jesus is a real living person with whom we can build an intimate relationship and we end the episode by sharing ways we can grow closer to Our Lord.
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S13 E7 - Cultivating Silence and Solitude
In this episode, we discuss the importance of cultivating silence and solitude in a world full of distractions. Our Lord speaks to us in the still small voice of our hearts and we talk about how the goal of silence is ultimately communion with God. We also chat about the difference between solitude versus isolation, reasons why we may be afraid of silence, and provide practical ways to cultivate silence in our daily lives. Jesus is the rest our souls yearn for and it is in the quiet where we meet Him most deeply.
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S13 E6 - St. Thérèse - "C'est la Confiance" (Part 2)
In this episode, we conclude our two part series on Pope Francis’ recent Apostolic Exhortation about St. Thérèse of Lisieux entitled “C’est la Confiance: On Confidence in the Merciful Love of God”. We discuss how we are all called to a bridal relationship with Jesus and how our desire to love and be loved is a call to Heaven. We also chat about our vocation to love and the importance of growing in this discipline of love even when it is not reciprocated.
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S13 E5 - St. Thérèse - "C'est la Confiance" (Part 1)
In this episode, we begin a two part series on Pope Francis’ recent Apostolic Exhortation about St. Therese of Lisieux entitled “C’est la Confiance: On Confidence in the Merciful Love of God”. We reflect on what it looks like to abandon ourselves with total confidence in God's love and how to overcome places in our lives where we feel orphaned or forgotten by God. We also chat about how a praying church is a powerful church and what it means to be childlike instead of childish. St. Therese’s “little way” can guide us in learning to pray, trust, and love.
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S13 E4 - Sacrament of the Present Moment
In this episode, we chat about the importance of living in the present moment and recognizing the beauty of ordinary life. In today’s modern world, we are constantly surrounded by distractions and can be tempted to focus on the past or the future and can lose sight of the gifts and graces right in this present moment. We share practical ways we live in the moment, we discuss the struggle of being in the culture, yet living differently from it, and ponder the power of prioritizing people over productivity. We invite you to take the present moment and see how the Lord is working in your life through the people and world around you.
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S13 E3 - Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Boniface Hicks O.S.B. (Hearing the Voice of God Series Part 2)
In this episode we welcome back Fr Boniface Hicks, OSB, a Benedictine monk and spiritual director at Saint Vincent Archabbey, to talk about the discernment of spirits. We chat about the reality of spiritual warfare, why we need not be afraid, and how to practically discern God’s voice versus our own thoughts. Fr. Boniface also defines the difference between spiritual desolation and psychological depression as well as clarity on whether we should seek spiritual direction or counseling.
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S13 E2: How to Pray with Fr. Boniface Hicks O.S.B. Hearing the Voice of God (Series Part 1)
In this episode we welcome Fr Boniface Hicks, OSB, a Benedictine monk and spiritual director at Saint Vincent Archabbey, to talk about prayer and hearing the voice of God. We discuss the beauty of learning to recognize God’s voice and various practical steps we can take to listen to and understand what God is saying in our lives. Fr. Boniface also shares examples of common stumbling blocks and how our woundedness can affect how we pray.
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S13 E1: Pilgrims into the Mysteries
In this episode, we discuss what happens in our lives during the summer, through the lens of the four mysteries of the rosary: joyful, sorrowful, luminous, and glorious. We chat about how each of our lives are a pilgrimage and how even when we cannot feel or see it, God is continuously working. Today, we invite you to reflect upon your recent faith journey and discover the beautiful ways God has been shaping your soul.
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S12 E24: Christifideles Laici Chapter 5: That You Bear Much Fruit
In this episode, we conclude our five part study of Christifideles Laici. We discuss how life is a continual maturation process and in order to bear new fruit, we need to put in the effort to grow. Community is an integral part of this formation and we chat about how allowing others into our lives is necessary for this maturation and healing. We have deeply enjoyed journeying with you this summer and are excited to announce that Season 13 will begin on September 25th! God bless you friends and thank you for being a part of our community!
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S12 E23: Christifideles Laici Chapter 4: Laborers in the Lord’s Vineyard
In this week’s episode, we continue with part four of our study on Christifideles Laici. We dive deep into the role of women and discuss how embracing the fullness of our femininity can uniquely help heal the culture. We also reflect on how the Church is like a loving mother and each one of us belongs and is deeply cherished. Whether we are young or old, a man or a woman, healthy or sick, each of us are invited to offer our gifts in God’s vineyard.
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S12 E22: Christifideles Laici Chapter 3: I Have Appointed You to Go Forth and Bear Fruit
In this episode, we continue with part three of our study on Christifideles Laici. We discuss how we are all called to evangelization, how our unique gifts allow us to bring Christ’s light to the world in different ways, and how our lives can be a living witness of what we believe. We also reflect on why community with family, friends, and our parishes is essential in cultivating mission, and how our mission is reciprocally accomplished within communion.
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S12 E21: Christifideles Laici Chapter 2: In All Branches of a Single Vine
In this episode, we continue with part two of our study on Christifideles Laici. We chat about unity within the Catholic Church, the role of your local parish, and the importance of community. We reflect on how easy it is to focus on the differences we encounter instead of the beauty of its complementarity and rich diversity. We discuss the need to restore the culture and how participation in our parish communities can build communion and encourage others to develop an authentic love of Jesus.
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S12 E20: Christifideles Laici Chapter 1: I Am the Vine, You Are the Branches
In this episode, we begin our five part summer study of St. Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Exhortation, Christifideles Laici. We share why we are excited for the study, ways we have been personally convicted to grow in faith, and what the universal call to holiness looks like in our everyday lives. In a time when darkness seems to be growing, we ponder how Jesus is the hope for humanity and the sense of urgency we should feel in being His light bearers to the world. The Lord has called you to holiness and to bear fruit in this world, wherever you may find yourself.
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S12 E19: Where is the Fruit?
In our final episode of Season 12, we dive deep into how the Lord has been working in our lives since we began the season in January. We acknowledge how easy it is to get caught up in the struggles of life and forget to take time to stop, pause, and remember the blessings we have received. We open up about the seeds the Lord has planted in our hearts, the areas in our lives He is re-awakening, and the spiritual fruit we have seen blossoming. Through our vulnerability, we hope you are inspired this summer to reflect on how the Lord has been working in your life and share it with someone you’re close to. Friends, we have enjoyed every moment of season 12 and are excited for where the Lord takes us next. Thank you for being on this journey of life with us. We hope you join us for our summer study that begins July 17 and our next season beginning in September.
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S12 E18: Family Systems with Special Guest Sr. Josephine
In this episode we welcome Sr. Josephine Garrett, a Sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth, to talk about family systems. As a licensed counselor both in private practice and schools, Sr. Josephine shares the insights she has learned from working with children and parents to heal their relationships with each other and with themselves. We chat about the pain parents feel when their own wounds impact their kids, practical ways we can find hope and restoration, and how the sanctification within families contributes to the sanctification of the Church.
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S12 E17: Charisms with Special Guest Jill Simons
In this episode, we welcome Jill Simons as our guest to talk about Charisms. A charism is a grace from God we are called to use to build up His Kingdom here on earth. We acknowledge a deep lie that many people believe they don’t have anything special to offer our communities or the Church, but the truth is that charisms are given to every person by God. Jill offers practical tools to help discern your charisms, the theology behind charisms, and how charisms work within our vocations.
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S12 E16: Remember Your First Love
In this episode, we discuss Pope Francis’ Easter Vigil homily about the hope that comes from remembering Jesus, our first love. We reflect on his meditations about how the women in scripture are grieved to find Jesus’ empty tomb, and like these women, we all too often become hopeless and see joy as belonging to the past. We discuss moments of personal encounter with the love of Jesus that has healed us and offer an invitation to a renewed hope in Jesus by remember the great joy and power that comes through relationship with Him. Let us allow our ‘sealed tombs’ to be opened and restored by hope this Easter season.
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S12 E15: How to Root Your Kids in the Soil of Faith
In this episode, we chat about helping children cultivate a deep relationship with God. In today’s culture, with entertainment and distractions at our fingertips, this can seem like a difficult task. We discuss the importance of being a good witness to our children and living out daily what you want them to learn. We also share examples of what we have done well, what we need to improve upon, and the amazing power of intercessory prayer.
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S12 E14: Lent Book Study Part 7: Conclusion
In this episode, we conclude our Lenten book study Be Transformed by Dr. Bob Schuchts. We share what stood out to us most from the book study, how the Holy Spirit has been moving in our lives this Lent, and practical tips to continue your healing transformation this Easter season. Friends, God’s presence is always there, He does not leave us to fend for ourselves. As we journey through Holy Week and into Easter, we have the perfect opportunity to receive the Sacraments with a renewed and transformed heart. We are praying for you!
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S12 E13: Lent Book Study Part 6: Anointing of the Sick
In this episode, we continue with part six of our Lenten book study Be Transformed by Dr. Bob Schuchts. We discuss how the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick heals the wound of hopelessness and share the different ways we approach these dark and sometimes scary places in life. While, in the moment, it may appear that we are alone, God never leaves us and wants to restore our hope in Him. Whenever you experience hopelessness, we invite you to surrender your sorrows to Him and courageously place your hope in our faithful God.
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