General Audiences

Pope at Audience: Possessiveness is the enemy of goodness and kills affection

  Paul VI Audience Hall, Rome

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In the process of discernment, it is also important to remain attentive to the stage that immediately follows the decision taken, in order to either catch the signs that confirm it or those that disprove it. I have to make a decision, [so] I make the discernment, pro or con, my feelings, I pray… then this process ends and I make the decision and then comes that part where we have to be careful, see… Read more »

Pope at Audience: An invitation to learn from experience to not repeat the same mistakes

  St Peter's Square, the Vatican

Għeżież ħuti, l-għodwa t-tajba!

Inkomplu bir-riflessjoni tagħna fuq id-dixxerniment, u b’mod partikulari fuq l-esperjenza spiritwali msejħa “konsolazzjoni”, li dwarha tkellimna l-Erbgħa li għaddiet, u nistaqsu: kif nagħrfu liema hi l-vera konsolazzjoni? Hija mistoqsija importanti ħafna għal dixxerniment tajjeb, biex ma niġux imqarrqa fit-tiftixa tal-ġid veru tagħna.

Nistgħu nsibu xi kriterji f’silta mill-Eżerċizzi spiritwali ta’ Sant’Injazju ta’ Loyola… Read more »

Pope at Audience: “Consolation is an interior movement that touches our depths”

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

We continue the catechesis on the discernment of spirits and how to discern them when they take place in our hearts and in our souls. After having considered several aspects of desolation – that darkness in the soul – today let us talk about consolation – which is light in the soul and another important element in discernment, which is not to be taken for granted, because it can lend itself to misunderstandings… Read more »

Pope at Audience: “Read what happens and then make decisions”

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!

Today, let us resume the catecheses on the theme of discernment. We have seen how important it is to read what stirs within us, so as not to make hasty decisions, spurred by the emotion of the moment, only to regret them when it is too late. That is, to read what happens and then make decisions… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Dialogue, encounter and journey even in Islamic countries

  The Vatican

Catechesis – The Apostolic Journey to the Kingdom of Bahrein

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

It’s a bit cold, isn’t it? But it’s beautiful.

Before beginning to speak about what I have prepared, I would like to draw attention to these two children who have come up here. They did not ask permission. They did not say, “I am afraid”… Read more »

Pope at Audience encourages us to learn how to read sadness

  St Peter's Square at the Vatican

Catechesis on Discernment. 7. The subject of discernment. Desolation 

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Discernment, as we have seen in the previous catecheses, is not primarily a logical procedure; it is based on actions, and actions also have an affective connotation, which must be acknowledged, because God speaks to the heart. Let us then enter into the first affective mode, an object of discernment: desolationRead more »

Pope at Audience: Grumbling stops desire from growing

  St Peter's Square at the Vatican

Catechesis on Discernment: 5. The elements of discernment. The desire

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In these catecheses on discernment we are reviewing the elements of discernment. After prayer, one element, and self-knowledge, another element, that is, praying and knowing oneself, today I would like to talk about another indispensable, so to speak, “ingredient”: today I would like to talk about desireRead more »

Pope at Audience: An examination of conscience helps us see our heart

  St Peter's Square at the Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Let us continue to explore the theme of discernment. Last time we considered prayer, understood as familiarity and confidence with God, as its indispensable element. Prayer, not like parrots. No: prayer as familiarity and confidence with God; prayer of the sons of the Father; prayer with an open heart. We saw this in the last CatechesisRead more »

Pope at Audience: Prayer is an indispensable aid for spiritual discernment

  St Peter's Square at the Vatican

Catechesis On Discernment: 3. The elements of discernment. Familiarity with the Lord

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

We resume our catecheses on the theme of discernment — because the theme of discernment is very important in order to know what is going on within us, to know about our feelings and ideas, we have to discern where they come from, where they lead me, to what decisions — and today we focus on the first of its constituent elements, which is prayerRead more »

Pope at Audience asks us: do you know how to listen to your heart?

  St Peter's Square at the Vatican

Catechesis On Discernment: 2. An example: Ignatius of Loyola

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

We are continuing our reflection on discernment – in this time we will speak every Wednesday about spiritual discernment – and for this it can help us to refer to a specific witness.

One of the most instructive examples is offered to us by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, with a decisive episode in his life… Read more »