Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts

 Fr. John Burns – Lift Up Your Heart on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor Fr. John Burns discusses his book, Lift Up Your Heart: A 10-Day Personal Retreat with St. Francis de Sales. The book brings St. Francis de Sales’ practical and profound wisdom to modern readers, guiding them through a structured retreat based on the saint’s classic Introduction to the Devout Life. Fr. Burns explains how the meditations are designed to help busy laypeople integrate faith into their daily lives using St. Francis’ method of creating a “spiritual bouquet” by carrying small graces from prayer into everyday tasks, making holiness accessible and actionable. There’s relevance in St. Francis’ guidance for today’s world, where distractions and busyness often overshadow spiritual growth. Fr. Burns shares his hope that the book will inspire readers to embrace meditative prayer and daily choices for holiness. He suggests it as a tool for individual reflection or group study, particularly in programs like RCIA. By following this approach, readers can move closer to a vibrant, prayerful relationship with God and prepare their hearts for eternal life. Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions How can you incorporate St. Francis de Sales’ teachings into your busy daily life to grow in holiness? What intentional steps can you take each day to prioritize your relationship with God and move toward heaven? How can you carry the fruits of your prayer throughout your day to maintain a connection with God amid distractions? How does reflecting on the ultimate goal of heaven shape your daily decisions and priorities? In what ways can you ensure your prayer life influences your actions, making your entire day a hymn of praise to God? What areas of your life need transformation, and how can you invite God to guide that conversion? How can St. Francis’ practical advice about distractions help you persist in prayer despite challenges? How can viewing St. Francis de Sales as a spiritual director enhance your spiritual journey? How can you create space for deeper reflection and meditation amidst the busyness of life? What choices can you make today to live more intentionally for God and embrace His love? You can find the book here From the book description This practical book goes right to the heart of helping you kick the habit of floating along on your spiritual journey to start actively pursuing holiness and devotion to God. During the course of the retreat, you ll learn the basics of forming a daily prayer routine, including how to offer yourself to God, meditate on his love, and maintain peace in the face of suffering and clarity in the midst of temptation. The meditations will help you: Adopt gratitude as a daily prayer practice. Examine and reorder your priorities and relationships to better reflect your love for God. Discern between good and evil in your life. Desire to love and serve as Jesus did. In a very real sense, Burns helps you take St. Francis de Sales as your spiritual director for ten days. As you do so, you’ll feel God’s fatherly love and restart your faith life, equipped with the tools to connect with God and live for heaven now. About the Author Fr. John Burns is a priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. He is the author of the bestselling books Adore: A Guided Advent Journal for Prayer and Meditation, Return: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation, and Lift Up Your Heart: A 10-Day Personal Retreat with St. Francis de Sales. Ordained in 2010, Burns has served as an associate pastor and pastor in Milwaukee in addition to being an adjunct professor of moral theology at the Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology. He completed a doctorate in moral theology at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome in 2019. His doctoral research focused on the theology of healing through forgiveness. Burns speaks at conferences, preaches for missions, and directs retreats throughout the country. He works extensively with the Sisters of Life and St. Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity, and has given retreats, conferences, and spiritual direction for the sisters in Africa, Europe, and the United States. The post IP#318 Fr. John Burns – Lift Up Your Heart on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Day 6 St. Thomas you have taught us to pray… Virgin full of goodness, Mother of mercy, I entrust to you my body and my soul, my thoughts and my actions, my life and my death. My Queen, come to my aid and deliver me from the snares of the devil. Obtain for me the grace of loving my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, with a true and perfect love, and after him, Mary, of loving you with all my heart and above all things. Amen. Through the intercession of St. Thomas Aquinas, Grant me grace, O merciful God, to desire ardently all that is pleasing to Thee, to examine it prudently, to acknowledge it truthfully, and to accomplish it perfectly, for the praise and glory of Thy name. In particular, please obtain the favor I ask during this novena. [Make your request here…] Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen. Background music excerpt: “O Salutaris Hostia”  performed by “Capella Musica Seoul” For the complete 9-day Novena with St. Thomas Aquinas The post St. Thomas Aquinas Novena – Day 6 – Discerning Hearts Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

 Saturday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time  – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly.  For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord. Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over” Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart… From the Holy Gospel of St. Mark 3:20-21 Jesus went home, and once more such a crowd collected that they could not even have a meal. When his relatives heard of this, they set out to take charge of him, convinced he was out of his mind. 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 went home, and once more such a crowd collected that they could not even have a meal. When his relatives heard of this, they set out to take charge of him, convinced he was out of his mind. 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 went home, and once more such a crowd collected that they could not even have a meal. When his relatives heard of this, they set out to take charge of him, convinced he was out of his mind. 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? Our Father, who art in heaven,   hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread,  and forgive us our trespasses,  as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation,  but deliver us from evil. May the Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. 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.   The post Saturday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

St. Thomas Aquinas Novena – Day 5 St. Thomas you have taught that: “The world tempts us either by attaching us to it in prosperity, or by filling us with fear of adversity. But faith overcomes this in that we believe in a life to come better than this one, and hence we despise the riches of this world and we are not terrified in the face of adversity.” ― Thomas Aquinas, The Catechetical Instructions Through the intercession of St. Thomas Aquinas, Grant me grace, O merciful God, to desire ardently all that is pleasing to Thee, to examine it prudently, to acknowledge it truthfully, and to accomplish it perfectly, for the praise and glory of Thy name. In particular, please obtain the favor I ask during this novena. [Make your request here…] Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen. Background music excerpt: “O Salutaris Hostia”  performed by “Capella Musica Seoul” For the complete 9-day Novena with St. Thomas Aquinas The post St. Thomas Aquinas Novena – Day 5 – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

 Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time  – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly.  For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord. Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over” Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart… From the Holy Gospel of St. Mark 3:13-19 Jesus went up into the hills and summoned those he wanted. So they came to him and he appointed twelve; they were to be his companions and to be sent out to preach, with power to cast out devils. And so he appointed the Twelve: Simon to whom he gave the name Peter, James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges or ‘Sons of Thunder’; then Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the man who was to betray him. 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 went up into the hills and summoned those he wanted. So they came to him and he appointed twelve; they were to be his companions and to be sent out to preach, with power to cast out devils. And so he appointed the Twelve: Simon to whom he gave the name Peter, James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges or ‘Sons of Thunder’; then Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the man who was to betray him. 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 went up into the hills and summoned those he wanted. So they came to him and he appointed twelve; they were to be his companions and to be sent out to preach, with power to cast out devils. And so he appointed the Twelve: Simon to whom he gave the name Peter, James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges or ‘Sons of Thunder’; then Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the man who was to betray him. 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? Our Father, who art in heaven,   hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread,  and forgive us our trespasses,  as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation,  but deliver us from evil. May the Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. 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.   The post Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.