Ask Seek Knock: A podcast on Catholic discernment

Special episode by Br. Max for those who may be joining him for World Youth Day in Lisbon! Guess how many patron saints have been chosen for the pilgrimage? Stay tuned to find out.

An Intro to Catechesis #2 by Br. Felipe. More on this Catechesis soon...

Inspired by Paul Harvey's speech about farmers, we've made one of our own to show appreciation for our priests and future priests.

"Oh, how great is a priest! The priest will not understand the greatness of his office till he is in Heaven. If he understood it on earth, he would die, not of fear, but of love." ~St. John Vianney

Published on Holy Thursday 2023, the day of the Eucharist and the priesthood.

We continue our reflections from the last episode, ending with the observation that discernment is indeed quite human, made necessary by our freedom and grounded in our relationship to God.

And... WE'RE BACK!!! Starting back up with a new approach as we attempt to connect from different continents this time. And discernment is still as relevant as ever.

Introducing a podcast about discernment. What is it all about anyway?

We share some personal reflections we had on types of charisms, a word which has been used in many contexts and which we attempt to clarify. Perhaps it sheds some light for those discerning clerical, religious, and lay callings in the Church--ultimately seeking to understand that the different charisms are given not to divide but to unite.

We bring on our first guest speaker, Br. Pablo, to discuss the foundational importance of humility for our discernment and not placing too much weight on what others say about us.

"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

This time we took a deeper look at the attitude underlying our discernment. Is it often one of anxiety or fear? Or do our decisions come from a spirit of peace and trust in the Lord, a spirit of prayer?

At times when we are faced with something God wants us to do, we find it difficult to say yes. In this episode, we talk about how the idea we have of God can make a big difference in our decisions, and we used a big word without defining it: importunity ;) 

Here we googled it for you: 

importunity

/ˌɪmpɔːˈtjuːnɪti/

noun

1. persistence, especially to the point of annoyance.
   "you urged me on with untiring importunity"
   

True Marian devotion is rooted in imitation of her virtues. We wanted to dedicate this Holy Week episode to remembering that we need Mary as a guiding star in our discernment. She shows us how to listen to God, take decisions, and act on them even when it's not so easy. Mary, model of discernment, pray for us.

In this episode we ask if it could be possible for God to speak through our distractions... Skeptical of our theory? Hear us out! This could be a game changer for the way you pray. We think that distractions can actually play a role in our discernment.

Do our desires and feelings matter to God? In this episode we talk about role of our feelings, and how they are important to pay attention to in our discernment and decision-making. We also reflect on how the management of our feelings can help or hinder us as we go toward our goal, and that good decisions require the virtue of courage.

Can God really send us signs? In this episode we discuss the ways that God can act through the events of our lives, if we see them in light of his Providence. Listen to this episode if you want to hear about our discussion of the dynamics of "nature and nurture," "opportunity vs. non-opportunity," and whether or not we recommend the nun-run.

Silence can be a privileged moment for God to speak to us. Does it have a place in your day? 

We're finally back on "Ask Seek Knock" after summer and the beginning of the academic year here in Rome. In this episode we wanted to highlight how important silence is for an encounter with God, and thus our daily discernment as Christians. If we limit ourselves to simply living in a world of noises and reactions, it makes it difficult for us to even know ourselves, much less to know God.

God can speak to us when we pray with his Word. In this episode, we comment on how to approach this way of hearing God's voice, and propose a five-step process for praying with scripture.

Wondering what to look for in a spiritual guide? Or what to discuss when it comes to spiritual direction? Here's some more of our thoughts on this topic, as well as a Hallelujah bonus to celebrate the last day of Easter.

One of the temptations on our spiritual journey is to do it on your own. We're here to remind you that discernment is never DIY, but needs a spiritual coach, someone who helps us see things more like God sees them.

We discuss the voice of conscience as one of the ways that God speaks to us, not just as a regret or rebuke, but as something that God uses to show us his plan.

We mention some of the ways God speaks to us, but more importantly, the attitude we need to have in our heart to hear him when he speaks.

We introduce the podcast (and ourselves) from our seminary in Rome, and describe in general terms what we aim to do in the following episodes. This is best summed up as the title of the podcast, taken from the gospel of Matthew 7:7-- Ask Seek Knock. Our focus is on Catholic discernment and the incredible importance it has in decision-making and in our spiritual life.