Seeking God's Grace (Grace Roclawska)

I continue my sharing about Lent reflecting on the meaning of FAST. Is fast and dieting the same? What is the history of fast? What else can we abstain from this Lent?

In 1997, Pope Saint John Paul II instituted a day of prayer for women and men in consecrated life. This celebration is attached to the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd. This Feast is also known as Candlemas Day; the day on which candles are blessed symbolising Christ who is the light of the world. 

On that occasion, I am having a conversation with the Capuchin Friar - Fr John Nguyen and the priest of the Diocese of Parramatta - Fr Andrew Rooney.

We chat about the similarities and differences in our way of offering our life to God and living our vocation.

Enjoy the talk.

In this Episode we reflect on each day of the Holy Week. This year I share with you some tips for the Holy Week helping you to focus in the midst of your business.

If you would like to experience a virtual tour of the Holy Land, go to: https://santosepulcro.co.il/tours/road_of_pain/via-eng/index.html

To listen to the Episode 4 of the podcast about the Holy Week in the Bible and Liturgy go to: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/YRgxRoqYEyb.

In this short reflection upon my return from overseas I reflect on gaining life experiences:

- When and how do we gain them?

- How long does it take to learn ?

I share with you a short story found on the Internet and encourage you to reflect on your own life experiences.

Change is in the air? What change? We don't know yet, but the statistics (NCLS research of 2021) and experiences of many people are telling us clearly that some change would need to happen into the future of the Church. We pray that we let Jesus lead us to His Father and help us to listen to the Holy Spirit - for and through this change.

In this episode we explore what does God teach us through his loving kindness which we discover in the book of Psalms, in other people and our own desire to be more like God. 

In this Episode we pray together and reflect on Psalm 33.

Get your Bible ready or open it online and start reading. I wonder if your prayer and reflection will be similar or different than mine?

Fr Gerard O'Dempsey, Parish Priest at The Good Shepherd Parish, explains to us the parts of the Mass and their meaning.

This is Part 1 of our chat about the Eucharist.

- What is the meaning of words: Eucharist and Mass?

- Does Penitential Rite removes our sins?

- What is the Liturgy of the Word?

- Why do we stand and sit during the Mass?

- What does "collect" mean?

and some more important questions have been answered describing what is happening during the Mass from the beginning till the end of the Liturgy of the Word.

What is your understanding of HOPE in your life? What is the meaning of hope in the Bible? When do pray with hope and for hope? What are the moments of hopelessness in your life? How do you overcome them? 

In this episode I had a conversation with Joe Youssef -Chief Investment Officer Areus Asset Management https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-youssef-5a322234/ ; https://vimeo.com/861890047

https://omny.fm/shows/hope-1032-interviews/the-car-accident-that-changed-everything-joe-youss#sharing

about his life and experiences as a person of faith, family and finances.

This is one of the very reflective episodes when I share with you some of my thoughts about getting older as well as life challenges in the second half of life.

In this episode I refer to the story of Eileen Kramer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UTjhx2_CIk

And her turning 109 this year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4PgbLq2PnY

I also mentioned Dashun Wang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5dQRcNtZx4

I finish the sharing with a prayer of Thomas Merton:

My Lord God,

I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me.

I cannot know for certain

where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself,

and that I think I am following your will

does not mean I am actually doing so.

But I believe

the desire to please you

does in fact please you.

And I hope I have that desire

in all I am doing.

I hope

I will never do anything

apart from that desire.

And I know if I do this

you will lead me by the right road

though I may know nothing about it.

I will trust you always

though I may seem to be lost

and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear,

for you will never leave me

to face my perils alone.

In this episode I talk with Anthony Costa https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-costa-1ab8bb48/: A husband, father, musician and the owner of MInistry Digital Media https://www.ministrydigitalmedia.com.au .

Anthony shares with us stories about his journey in life and a desire to stay obedient to God's plan towards him. He talks about many ways he shares his skills and learn continuously.

Anthony talks about the impact of Covid on the milestone in his professional career, how he uses AI and why his daughter will not receive the mobile phone when she will start the high school.

Enjoy the chat.

For the past couple of weeks the topic of "Responding versus Reacting" was coming back to me in many life situations.

This is why I decided to share it with you today. I am reflecting on the human experiences being inspired by some professional resources (great handouts from https://counsellorcronan.com are available from that Website and Etsy).

I am also sharing with you some examples of Jesus's attitude: was He responding or reacting in His life on earth?

Hope this episode will leave you with some food for thought and make you ponder.

In this episode I have a joy of chatting with Sr Speranza Grzebielec, a member of the General Administration of our Congregation

https://www.nazarethfamily.org/?page_id=1058

https://www.nazarethfamily.org/?p=1738)

Sr Speranza taks about her experiences of serving in Nazareth for almost 15 years of her life and the presence of the Holy Family she found there in the ordinary life of this special place.

The word Evangelisation appears in Church world quite often. Very often we are not aware of its meaning and impact on our life in faith. It is very common that people limit the act of Evangelising to the work of priest and religious. In this episode I talk about responsibility of evangelising which each one of us has from the day of our Baptism. I share my thoughts on what is a key to Evangelisation. 

On this first Sunday of Lent, I wanted to share with you my reflection on the meaning of bearing the cross in our life. I hope that you will find it somehow helpful or at least feel encouraged to share your own reflection.

Happy First week of Lent, everyone :)

In this Episode I am chatting with Nick Seemann https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-seemann-6b55942/ about life, faith, passion for community and the reality of living the values of life in the family which shares both Jewish and Catholic traditions.

Join me in listening to the insights ab out life and passion of the Managing Director and a founder of the Constructive Dialogue Architects https://www.constructivedialogue.com.au/ .

In this Episode we talk about Blessed Mary and what we can learn about her as an example of doing what is right.

In this Part 2 of the chat with Dominic Arcamone- we talk about the understanding of the pastoral care, acting pastorally and our holistic approach to life.

Listen to Part 1 to learn more about Dominic's story on https://open.spotify.com/episode/54Q5FMSATsN3XNHHDoFtdM?si=87bbd389a2c4472d

In this Episode we talk about the power of words, value of silence and tips to listen most effectively to God's voice.

How often do you find yourself surprised by unexpected events in your life? How often do you wonder about the meaning of the things which you did not see coming? In this Episode we try to stop, reflect and learn how to "leave to God", how to rely on His immeasurable love. 

With this episode I would like to introduce a new series of shorter Episodes called "10 minutes from the heart" (on the logo marked with the little ❤️) . From time to time I would like to share just one short topic which might encourage your own reflection. Today's "10 minutes from the heart" is about the gift of time. God’s gift of time is precious. We all have it from the day we were conceived to the day we will meet God again. He gives us enough time and asked us to use it the best we can.

Being still overseas and travelling to different places made me ponder about our life as a pilgrimage. Who is a pilgrim and what is a pilgrimage. These are questions I am pausing for myself and others.

On this Pentecost Sunday I share with you the reasons WHY do we need the Holy Spirit in our life and HOW do we use the gifts and fruits receive from the Holy Spirit.

You might like to listen also to the Episode 60 https://open.spotify.com/episode/5MEtRA7KMSotWAzwJno3IG?si=7fc6c9098cad4354 in which I also talk about the Holy Spirit which gives us superpowers.

One year ago I started this journey of seeking God together with you through this podcast. It was a year of learning about myself and others. In this episode I describe my experiences of the past year of journeying with you.

In this episode we talk about 'Belonging' and some possible ways of overcoming feelings of not belonging, especially in the time of transitions in our life.
The main audio track is originally from the video created for the Saturday Sessions, in the Diocese of Parramatta. You can watch this on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Tgp_O17o5w 

In this episode I talk with Fr Robert Riedling, the Dean and Administrator of the Parramatta Cathedral. We talked about his vocation journey from being a teacher, finding faith, being baptised to the Catholic Church and becoming a priest. https://catholicoutlook.org/meet-st-patricks-cathedrals-new-dean/

Enjoy the talk and hopefully find something inspirational for yourself.

In this Christmas edition of the Podcast I share my thoughts on the reality in which God comes to us as Man. I reflect on the impact His coming brings to our life and the fact that we are living in the reality of Kingdom of God on earth and realities of things which are still yet to come.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas.

Many of the episodes shared in this podcast are simply sharing people's stories.

Have you ever reflected what is your story?

I know people who tell me: I don't have a story!

This is not true. You have a story, because you have the gift of life.

We have a story because God wants us to continue ti share His love with others.

Each story is different

Each story is unique

Each story has a purpose

Each story is an integral part of the picture/ puzzle.

Your story matters and you matter.

What is your life story as you see it today?

This is the second part of talking about the Eucharist.

In Part 1 https://open.spotify.com/episode/0L8L8MNgCIzfMToxDsNTGr?si=bc96c8a56fac462b we talked about about the Introductory Rites and the Liturgy of the Word.

In this Episode we learn more about:

- what is happening during the main part of the Mass- Consecration

- why do we kneel in the church

- how to receive the Holy Communion

- and how to implement in daily life the Eucharistic attitude.

Enjoy the talk.

In this Episode I chat with Sr Dominik Karnas, a parish priest of Our Lady of Victories, Horsley Park https://ourladyofvictories.org.au/parish-priest/.

We learn about the story of his vocation and the Congregation of St Michael the Archangel. https://stmichaelhurst.org.au/michaelites/michaelites-in-australia/

Fr Dominik shares with us insights about the role of angels and archangels in our life and explains a special role St Michael plays in his life.

Here is more info about archangels and angels: https://www.catholic.org/saints/angels/archangels.php

https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/archangels-and-guardian-angels.html

https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/the-celestial-intercession-of-the-holy-archangels/

In this episode I  invite you to think about what does the Bible say about Easter and what does it mean for us. This is not a historical reconstruction of the events of Jesus’s resurrection. It is a story told and re-told by people who MET RESSURECTED Jesus and shared it with others.
What do we learn from Easter and resurrection of our Lord?

-Appreciation of the gift of life. God meets us at every stage of our life journey. He knows what works and what doesn’t work for us and meets us there.

-Hope for the life after death. Easter invites us to the invisible but yet to come reality.

-Faith is a continuous journey. Of the life and death cycle which repeats many times in our life in many ways. Happy Easter everyone!

It's almost the end of the year and many of us feel stressed and overwhelmed. How to make these last few weeks of the year meaningful? What is the Church year and how the two are connected? In this episode I talk about some possible ways of making this time more meaningful for us. 

In this Episode I share with you my reflection about significant days of the Holy Week - starting on Palm Sunday and sharing some thoughts of what we see and experience in the churches and our personal experiences of God. I reflect not only on Jesus, but also on those who were creating the context of his last days on earth - those, who most likely were not even mentioned in the story of Jesus's death and resurrection yet form the story as we find it today.

If you are interested in a very detailed description of the Holy Week, please revisit my Episode 4. https://open.spotify.com/episode/7xqdqWhPjlYNP1MquuIYmE?si=75820801fcf54e5b

If you would like to get some tips on how to approach the Holy Week in the busyness of your life, you might like to listen to episode 53. https://open.spotify.com/episode/0u6e3mlqctedC5zmPvBdKu?si=625a1bc703e44b0d

In this episode the roles have changed. Instead of me interviewing others - I am being interviewed. My friend, Ineke and I decided to have an unscripted conversation.

In this Episode we talk about why the Pentecost is called the Birthday of the Church and the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church. We remind ourselves about our Baptism and Confirmation we received the Holy Spirit in the Church for the first time and what does it mean for our life in faith. We ponder about the gifts and fruits of the Spirit we need the most.  

On October 22 we celebrate the liturgical memorial of  Saint John Paul II. This day and a fact that we now have first Sanctuary of JP II in Gosford, motivated me to talk about JP II in my life, about the Church process for sainthood and invite you to reflection on your favourite saints. 

This is another chat with the sister of my Congregation. Her name is Sr Paula Kozlowska. Sr Paula ministers in our mission in Ghana: https://www.nazarethfamily.org/?page_id=1903

Her experiences for the past 7 years of being there include learning new food, customs and bits and pieces of Twi language.

Enjoy the chat.

In this Episode I talk about the main idea behind the season of Advent. What are the Biblical roots of the season? Who are the main heros of the Advent journey? What is the second coming of Saviour? And where we can find reference in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Happy Advent, Everyone!

Listen also: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5iy4xWTMdDcv2ABp0lVCmf?si=28c4719c9c4e4bc0

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6NCiA6WF0TcWKVCCIbFo33?si=fa29d1b081ed4fa0

This is the third episode describing the last Lenten practice: Prayer.  Prayer, which flows naturally from Fasting and Almsgiving and helps us to be people concentrated on others instead of ourselves. Prayer, which is an awareness of God's presence in our hearts and a disposition to serve.

In this Episode I reflect on the Daily Examen- a practice many people include in their daily routine just before they go to sleep.

My reflection is based on years of practising it myself and sometimes forgetting, too :)

This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced.

1. Become aware of God’s presence.
2. Review the day with gratitude.
3. Pay attention to your emotions.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
5. Look toward tomorrow.

Here are some links: https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/ On that page you will find many useful links related to the way of praying the Daily Examen according to St Ignatius of Loyola.

This is one of the shorter episodes - reflection from the heart in which I share with you my reflection about: What and where is HOME? I invite you to share your own thoughts and hope that some of the questions would provide some food for thought for you.

World Youth Days in Lisbon, Portugal (https://www.lisboa2023.org/en), are about to begin. Young Catholics from all over the world are gathering there to meet Pope Francis and one another. In this episode I share my experiences of World Youth Day and reflect on the reasons why they are attracting young people.

Happy Easter everyone! Have you ever looked at what all four Gospels written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John say about the resurrection of Jesus? Here is a reflection about it. How would you imagine your own encounter with Jesus on the morning of His Resurrection? Let's imagine. Let's talk.

 The time of Lent creates for us an opportunity to practice fast, prayer and almsgiving. We focus on our relationship with God and focus on the renewal of our baptismal promises.
In this episode I chat with Fr Gerard O’Dempsey about how Lent is celebrated in our Churches, how we can prepare for the season of Easter Triduum and what happens in our churches during Easter.

Holy Week: how to celebrate it in daily life: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/dQnd5sYUyRb

Enjoy the listening!

Here are some other podcast’s episodes talking about Lent which you might also consider:
Insignificance which matters - about the Holy Week: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/SSl0cKEUyRb
Holy Week: Tips for busy people: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/dOrzFHPUyRb

Who decides what readings are chosen during  the Mass? How many readings are meant to be read on weekdays and Sundays? What to do when our mind drifts away during the homily? Those and more questions are answered in this episode. 

The third and fourth Sunday of Advent bring us the topic of Joy and Peace. In this episode I share yours and mine thoughts on what they mean in our life and how they connect to the simple rules for a happy life. We learn them from Mrs Jones, who has a lot of wisdom to share.

Please note: Attached link is a blog post which I referred to in this episode: https://www.seekinggodsgrace.com/what-a-load-of-rubbish/ 

In this Episode I reflect on different ways of encountering God through the intercession of Blessed Mary. I talk about the Rosary prayer and other Marian prayers and propose some possible ways of overcoming difficulties in finding our connection with Mary, including falling asleep when we pray. 

In this Episode#60 I talk in a very simple terms about the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. What are they? How do they help us in life? What is the significance of the Pentecost. In what ways are we God's superheroes and how can we use the superpowers given us from God on the day of our Baptism .

This time I share with you a very light reflection on three ways how to stay positive when life brings us too much challenges.

Bible suggests that we should focus on God's love. How? Jesus' teachings emphasise the importance of maintaining a positive mindset through prayer, thanksgiving, rejoicing and trust in God's providence.

Enjoy listening and let me know what you discovered.

In this 10th episode we talk about life passions and how do they connect with our own life purpose. We look at Jesus and passions which motivated Him in His life and mission on earth. 

In this Episode we talk about the end of Advent - which is of course the birth of Christ! We reflect on different names of Jesus (and no, His surname is not Christ :) and the origin of  the word "Christmas". 

In this first part of my chat with Dominic Arcamone, https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-arcamone-a97951ab/

we have an opportunity to hear the story of his life and dual vocation of Dominic: from priesthood to married life. We talk about his image of God and the way he experience God through relationships with others, especially his late wife, Anita.

We learn about the books he wrote:

Religion and Violence: A Dialectical Engagement Through the Insights of Bernard Lonergan, https://amzn.asia/d/dtErZ3g

Conversion as Transformation: Lonegran, Mentors, and Cinema, https://a.co/d/7siSlSq

A New Awareness: The Theological Insights of Sebastian Moore, https://a.co/d/0HtbTH5

https://wipfandstock.com/search-results/?keyword=Dominic+arcamone

https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=dominic+arcamone+books&crid=1TK33EMTFY8TS&sprefix=dominic+arcamone+books%2Caps%2C227&ref=nb_sb_noss

And... we pause the conversation till the next time we will talk with him to talk about the pastoral care in life and ministry.

It was a great pleasure to invite back to my podcast two of my sisters:

Sr Amata Nowaszewska: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5W4xgXe1ldN3a1GLxxHjtl?si=ufAz_YUYS2-kx4a9geUIDg

and

Sr Rita Apura: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0PsPEjUp4aQ7lVzhvHZARe?si=UtyoVDVCQpWZSuDHFUu9UQ

Together we shared our experiences of the meaning of the rosary prayer in our life.

You might be also interested in the episode talking about the rosary prayer which I recorded a few years ago: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2cIDKroOMzlYrIPiXQtnLU?si=85f24881ca7347bd

Doing what is right is something we all know we should do, but sometimes have different understanding of what it means in life. In this Episode (Part 1), I look at the general understanding of what the person who does the right thing is: a person of integrity and principles. I talk about St Joseph and how He manifested integrity and principles in his life choices.

In this Episode I share with you my own reflection on the value which silence brings to our life. I connect this topic with the Gospel for the 3rd Sunday of Lent - John 2: 13- 15) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+2%3A13-+25&version=NIV

What is your experience of silence? How does it help your personal life and relationship with God and others?

In this episode I had a great pleasure to chat with Lana Turvey-Collins. Her experience as a facilitator for the Plenary Council in Australia (https://plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au/), did not stop her from starting the family and becoming the person she wants to be. In this grounded in ordinary life conversation we talk about challenges of being a mum, a Catholic and a person whose life and professional mission go hand in hand.

Have you ever thought about what you would say if you were asked to give the homily in the Church on Sunday? Yes, you! What would be the one thing you would want people to hear as they come to the church on Sunday? What would you want to hear yourself every Sunday when you come? What would you want to experience when you pray?

I know that I would want people to feel loved by God and learn how and why God loves us.

What we know about Jesus and His Church is what we learn through the catechism and participating in the sacraments. But ... what if... we meet Jesus face to face and are able to have a conversation with Him - about life, about His vision for the Church. What would He say? What questions would you ask Him?

In this Episode I continue the reflection on the topic of disappointing God. When we think about disappointing, ultimately we might ask ourselves if we can impress God. I offer you my "yes" and "no" answer and invite you to find your own answers.

In this first episode I would like to welcome you to this podcast, share a few words about myself and explain the reasons for podcasting. I hope that you will enjoy with me a journey of seeking God together. I hope that the topics I plan to share with you will be something you will be interested in. I look forward to talking and listening with you where is God in everyday life. 

It was a my great joy to chat about life, vocation, internationality and being a migrant, with Sr Emmanuela Le from the Holy Family Province, USA.

https://nazarethcsfn.org/about-us/sisters-stories?rec_id=15

In this Episode 98, I am having a Zoom chat with an old friend of mine with whom I used to work back in Poland almost 25 years ago, at the beginning of his ordained life. I talk to Fr Tadeusz Zadorozny https://holyapostles.edu/faculty/fr-tadeusz-zadorozny/

about his life as priest ⁠https://stjosephct.org/fr-tad ⁠ and what keeps him going. We talk about his sacramental ministry, finding motivation and fulfilment in life.

We also talk about Ash Wednesday and Lent and our attitude to approaching it the best we can.

In this episode I have a great privilege to chat with Bishop Tim Norton SVD, and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Brisbane. https://brisbanecatholic.org.au/articles/get-to-know-fr-tim-norton/

Bishop Tim explains what is his religious community https://www.divineword.com.au/ , talks about his background as physiotherapist and what it means to stay physically active, shares his joys in his current ministry as bishop and talks about the necessity of positivity in the mission of God.

Below is one of many conferences he delivered in the past while talking about the passion of his ministry, interculturality:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmtT62p6h0E

In this Episode I chat with Sally Hood (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-hood-24781797/)

Sally is an active Catholic who found her vocation in marriage. Mother of two beautiful boys, passionate about motherhood and ecology she offers a very honest and in depth reflection of her own experiences as a mother as well as birth and postpartum doula for other married couples.

https://instagram.com/the_mother_hood_?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

In the midst of busyness before Christmas and at the end of the calendar year, we reflect on our life in many ways. Today's reflection is my way prompting you and me to reflect on God's love to all of us and possibly helping us to find the motivation to keep going no matter what.

In this Episode I talk about the readings for each Sunday of the week:

- What is their structure?

- How do we understand the sermon or homily?

- How can we create our own reflections about the readings from the Mass.

I offer my reflection for the readings for this 6th Sunday of Easter: https://www.ratisbonne.org.il/blog/sunday-readings-commentaries/the-6th-sunday-of-easter/ Which I shared on the Website of the Bat- kol Christian Centre for Jewish Studies.

I invite all of you to reflect on the readings, despite the fact if you go for a Mass or not - and share with me your homily/sermon whatever is the message God send to your heart.

In this Episode I talk about the ethymology of the of the word "Easter" in different languages and I spend some times imagining what was going through the heads of those who lived at the time when Jesus died and rose from the dead. Finally, I suggest some ways of us experiencing Jesus in our lives.

All of it I share through the human eyes and emotions of the fact that it "doesn't make sense" and we can understand it only if we believe, or at least try to believe.

Happy Easter, everyone.

In this Summer Series episode we reflect on a significance of human breath as a sign of life. We learn that Jesus, as human being, need time to breath in the presence of His Father and the Holy Spirit. We talk about the necessity to learn how to breathe in our life - for the body and soul and how it stretches our abilities.

PLEASE NOTE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EFLRDNAx-Y this is the Rob Bell video called "Breath" which I referred to in this episode.

In this episode we will talk about prayer. What is my and your experience of prayer on our life journey. We will unpack different ways of understanding prayer as an expression of our relationship with God. 

In this Episode I reflect on the verse from Psalm 130: In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.

I talk about most common experiences of peace or lack of it. I share a few words about God's peace which help us in all experiences.

Finally, I leave you with some questions for this week:

• What disturb your peace these days?
• How do you create peace for yourself and those around you amid busyness and craziness of life?
• Who did you farewell from earth? Who are you missing and pray for eternal peace for?

This is the last chat/ interview I had privilege to record with our Sisters while attending the meeting in Rome. In this episode I talk to Sr Janice Fuller, a true champion of the leadership in our congregation. We learn about her life, experiences and love to our congregation.

Enjoy the chat.

This is the last Episode of the shorter and lighter Summer Series. I reflect on what does it mean to love God and how does it change our life. I share with you my reflection on the recent death of Pope Benedict and and few observation about The Chosen series (which you can download for free from he Angel App).

Every year around the Ash Wednesday, Catholics around the world go to the churches to pray, receive ashes on their forehead and ... start anew.

This year, I would like to offer my 5 tips for Lent, hoping that it can inspire you to become closer to God, be nicer to yourself and one another.

In this Episode I chat with Peter Gates, Deputy National Director, Catholic Mission https://www.catholicmission.org.au/. We talk about our work and vocation in life. We reflect on the pressing question: is it necessary to love our work? We explore ways of encountering God in our life. We conclude with words of wisdom from Peter's mum, before she passed away saying: Let's go, Jesus.

Happy New Year everyone!

In this episode I reflect with you on the New Year challenges and opportunities given us by the fact that we are alive. How do we make the most of each TODAY? How do we use it the best we can and how do we make it our favourite day.

I pray with you and for you for all the blessings in 2024.

In this Episode I chat with a fellow sister of my congregation in Texas, Sr Josephine Garrett. She is known as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor, serves in vocations ministry, and also serves as a speaker for youth and young adult retreats and conferences. She actively participates in the talks and events on https://hallow.com/

Together we discover her life adventure with God, talk about hope, joy and how God uses everything what happens in our life to let us live to the full.

See her full bio https://nazarethretreats.org/people/sister-josephine-garrett

Her new book, HOPE: An Invitation, is now available for pre-order at osvcatholicbookstore.com.

Recently, she hosted a series of podcast talks “Hope Stories with Black Catholics:

https://open.spotify.com/show/6TrWMzY8WpGx1HYCvvsYGV?si=8bbc2cfae1c64a70

In this first Seeking God's Grace interview, I chat with Danielle Achikian (https://www.danielleachikian.com/) .

We talk about her life goals, ways of finding God and values which drive her life vocation as wife, mother and the person of faith. Join us in pondering about life values and intentionality in all we do.

In this Episode I talk about the challenges of what it means to be at home with your heart, how to connect with Jesus who is: the Way, the Truth and the Life in the context of our life through our prayer and action. We touch the topic of Pope Francis' Encyclical Letter "Laudato Is" and the 7 years Action plan which we are all called to follow. Finally, we try to define  the term "Ecological spirituality" (https://laudatosiactionplatform.org) and share some examples on how to live it. 

Many people remember to pray before they go to bed, but mornings... are more difficult. How to start the day with a simple prayer, ritual or symbol of our offering of the gift of life to God? This is what this episode 96 is all about.

Below are three prayers I mentioned in this episode:

St. Thérèse’s Daily Offering

Oh my God! I offer You all my actions of this day for the intentions and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart, my every thought, my simplest works, by uniting them to His infinite merits; and I wish to make reparation for my sins by casting them in the furnace of His merciful love.

Oh my God! I ask of You for myself and for those dear to me the grace to fulfill perfectly Your holy will, to accept for love of You the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in Heaven for all eternity. Amen.

A Daily Offering for Children

For love of me you came to earth;
You gave your life for me.
So every day you give me now
I give back happily.

Take all my laughter, all my tears,
Each thought, each word, each deed,
And let them be my all-day prayer
To help all those in need.

Daily Offering of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network

Father, here I am. I know you are always with me. I place my heart in the Heart of your Son Jesus, who gives himself to us in the Eucharist each day. May your Holy Spirit strengthen me to live the Gospel in everything I do and say. For my part I give you this day–all my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings–all I am and possess. With Mary, mother of the Church, I pray for the mission of the Church, for all Apostles of Prayer, and for the intentions of the Pope this month. Amen

All taken from: popesprayerusa.net

This shorter reflection shared with you from Rome is to me an opportunity to ponder on the significance of Rome as a centre of our Catholic Faith? What is Rome to me - not only as geographical place but as a symbol of relationship with God? What is Rome to you?

In this Episode we talk about the meaning of Advent, our struggle of being distracted, trying to focus. It is never easy but God understands our struggle and is there for us. 

In this Episode I reflect on the on quite common realities of our life today: loneliness and mental heath.

Loneliness has been described as an epidemic and is one of the most pressing public health concerns in Australia and internationally.

Loneliness and mental health challenges are biggest contributors to people's struggles these days.

Our human interactions, care and support for one another can help us at times when we feel down and depressed.

Our life of faith can be of a great support.

All of us need one another and need help from God.

Go to: https://www.lifeline.org.au if you need an immediate help.

In this episode we will talk about what overthinking is and how to overcome it. Is it possible that the members of the Holy Family: Mary, Joseph and Jesus experienced what is the reality of all of us? Were they overthinking? How do they give us an example to overcome it? 

In this episode I am joined by my best friend and a writer, Elizabeth, as we talk about SUNDAY- what is the significance of the day, why do we have the day off from work and how does Sunday connect with the Jewish tradition of Sabbath. Finally, we will try to see what does Sunday/Sabbath mean for us and how do we connect it with our life in faith.

In this Episode I talk about the ways of overcoming challenges in a meaningful way which take the attention away from ourselves and make us honest about things we do/ or don't do well. I reflect on the ways Jesus overcame life challenges.

Finally, I would like to share with you, as an addition to this episode, a story from YouTube: https://youtu.be/5ZfaPCwjguk?si=UOmZoti9d8PhPjYt

in which we learn from Nancy's Raynes near-death experience how our actions impact others for life.

In this episode I share some thoughts about religious life as a member of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. We talk about some secrets and mysteries of God and the consecrated life. Enjoy!

Did you know the story about St Valentine? We know very little about him, and it is more through the legend than facts that we celebrate his day of martyrdom on 14th of February. In this episode we talk about our relationship with God, what does it mean to be loved by Him and how to love others. 

In this episode we unpack all significant events and moments of Jesus' last week on earth by following what is written in the Bible. We attempt to see the connection between what is happening in Jesus’ life, our lives and the liturgy of the Church. Finally, we think about simple ideas to commemorate each day of this week in action.

In this Episode we explore different ways of learning how to be more patient and how we can learn to be patient like God. We share some scenarios helping us to understand how important is to practice patience. We learn that God understands our impatience and.... does not get impatient with us :).

In this Episode I propose some Biblical reflection on the Gospel of Luke 24:13- 35. The story about the disciples going to Emaus is the story of our life. Let's reflect on the reasons why it's hard to recognise God at times and look at ways to learn to recognise Him where He truly is.

In this Episode we will talk about the importance of listening before speaking. We will explore what it means to listen to the voice of God in our heart and how to become the voice of God in words and action. We will look into some examples from the Old and New Testament on how to be a messenger of the voice of God. Listening and speaking will be something that we will do from the moment we wake up, till the time we will go to sleep again at night. Are words matching our actions? Are we trying to follow God’s voice or allow other voices to take over? Let us be gracious and kind.

The time of travel for the last couple of weeks made me ponder about the topic of LONELINESS. In this sharing I am reflecting with all you on some possible ways of addressing the problem for ourselves and others.

In this episode I share my understanding what does it mean to "let go" of things, people and events in our life. How active and intentional it needs to be. I share my own understanding of what it means to "let God" be in charge of our hearts and minds. I finish with a personal story how hard it sometimes is to pray to God with "boundless confidence" trusting Him at all times. 

Christ the King celebration marks the end of the Liturgical Year and precedes the first Sunday of Advent. It is a great opportunity to use the weeks to come for preparation for Christmas.

In this Episode with Fr Gerard O’Dempsey, we discuss the liturgical customs and symbols found in our churches and practical ways of engaging the whole family in this time of the anticipation of Christmas.

As promised in the episode, below are a few useful links for  resources for individuals and families at this time:
ADVENT

https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/advent-at-home 

https://www.stjeromeonline.org/prayers-for-the-home-advent-wreath.html#:~:text=Leader%3A%20O%20God%2C%20by%20whose,then%20be%20sprinkled%20with%20water.

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=16

https://mycatholicprayers.com/prayers/advent-wreath-prayer/

LITURGICAL YEAR

https://www.macs.vic.edu.au/MelbourneArchdioceseCatholicSchools/media/Documentation/Documents/2025-Liturgical-Calendar.pdf 

https://universalis.com/australia/0/calendar.htm?year=2025&submit=View

https://www.australiancatholics.com.au/calendar

https://www.teachingcatholickids.com/the-liturgical-year-a-journey-with-jesus/

In this shorter episode I reflect on the question which we rarely ask ourselves: Why do I love God? Why do you love God? Something to ponder about this week.

We continue our journey this Lent reflecting on the second lenten practice - almsgiving. Is it only about giving donation to the poor? How do we seek, see and find God in others and ourselves when we give.

This Episode is a general introduction to the Lenten reflections. I share with you what Lent is and is not for me and how my understanding about it changed over the years. I invite you to ponder about what it means for you. In the upcoming Lenten episodes I hope to talk more about the difference between religious fasting and dieting; almsgiving and prayer and its significance at this time.

In this episode I chat with Sr Amata Nowaszewska, a member of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, who currently serves in the Office for Foreign Communication of the Polish Bishops' Conference.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-XcRIFo-009vTaJW4EGCTw

Sr Amata shares with me her passion and knowledge about our Mother Foundress, Blessed Frances Siedliska - Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd and the impact her life has on her vocation. Together we discover less known facts from the life of Blessed Frances Siedliska and reasons why we should be friends with her.

http://csfn.org.au/blessed-mary-jesus-good-shepherd/

https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=7514

We also talk about the book which Sr Amata wrote about Blessed Frances Siedliska and give you an opportunity to win her book, just by listening and leaving a comment under this episode.

Today, on the Divine Mercy Sunday, I reflect on what God's Mercy is. A big question: are our good intentions good enough for God can be understood and answered in the context of God's love and mercy which is bigger than our sinfulness.