Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry
“Go into all the world and proclaim the
Good News to all creation.” Mark 16:15
The official title for today’s story is “The Donkey in the Pit” but the actual story is about so much more than just the donkey; it is about the donkey’s triumph in rising up and our own triumph in rising to be who God is calling us to be. “Trust in the Lord with all…
“…We know that affliction makes for endurance, and endurance for tested virtue, and tested virtue for hope.” Romans 5:3 Henry Louis Gehrig, better known as Lou Gehrig, played baseball for an amazing 17 seasons with the New York Yankees. His strength and success on the baseball field earned him the nickname “The Iron Man” –…
“Jesus told Martha: ‘I am the resurrection and the life: whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live…’” John 11:25 During the French Revolution, the townspeople in a village in Austria found themselves surrounded by eighteen thousand soldiers led by Andre Massena, one of Napoleon’s generals. Having no defense, they prepared to do…
Fr. Michael introduces and teaches the daily Examen in the context of the current pandemic. For those already familiar with the Examen, you may not need the middle teaching section, if so, skip ahead with the time notations in the YouTube description, or listen through and learn something new! Click here or the thumbnail below…
One of the most painful side effects of the pandemic is that we are, in many cases, not able to visit our loved ones who are sick and suffering. Our hearts go out to them, but we’re not able to be there in person to hug them or whisper words of comfort. Today’s Practices for…
Recorded this week at Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House, Fr. Michael offers some history lessons about our Lenten practices and how this time of “doing less” while staying home is actually not a new idea. John 8:21-30 Jesus said to the Pharisees: “I am going away and you will look for me, but you will die…
https://youtu.be/jq0bxmQ8aAs
This is another homily Fr. Michael gave several weeks ago. We could have titled it many things, Fear Threatens to Overwhelm Us, Unite Your Suffering to Jesus, Fear is a Liar, Despair Knocks at All of Our Hearts, Beware What You Ask For, and on. There is a spiritual depth to the hope offered by…
What is Practices for Pandemic? Practices for Pandemic is a collaboration between Fr. Michael Sparough, SJ, Heart to Heart and Aaron Niequist. Audio meditations will be released each Sunday during the coronavirus mandatory shelter at home order in Illinois. These meditations are available on our YouTube channel or as an album on our Bandcamp page.…
Originally preached on March 4th before stricter measures were put in place to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, Fr. Michael reminds us that the word “repent” means literally to turn around. As our social and spiritual lives are tested these last few weeks of Lent, examine those places where you can turn around…