How Can I Grow Closer to God?

Most of the time when I walk, I listen to my music, but lately I have been “branching out” and looking for Catholic podcasts to listen to.

Today I came across one that I used to listen to all the time – Discerning Hearts. They consider themselves a “spiritual stop for those who travel on the digital sea.”

And that is exactly what they are.  I have found their content and interviews to always have something informative and interesting.

Today I listed to an interview on contemplation with Fr. Donald Haggerty who was talking about his book, Contemplative Hunger.  He has solid credits to his name, which include being a long time spiritual director for Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity.

Anyway, I wanted to refer you to this podcast because he discusses the importance of prayer and specifically identifies what one Abbott of a monastery required of his monks to do daily, which led to his entire monastery becoming a truly contemplative place. You see, in any religious environment, you can have people who pray, and you can have those who really pray.   

He talks about the Missionaries of Charity and how even among the sisters, you can see a difference. Some of them, as Fr. Haggerty says, really stand out because of their “littleness.”  They do great work among the suffering and find great joy in doing it because of their humility and their love of God.

Fr. Haggerty talks about how if you want to grow closer to God, he will bring you closer to the poor—and not just the physically poor.  They may be in your family or other people close to you just as well.

In this podcast, he talks about the need to not just educate ourselves about the church and its doctrines, but how we can grow closer to God through living those challenges that life brings.

While I have not read his book, I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation and thought you might as well.  You can find this particular podcast here, but be sure to check out everything else they have on this site!

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.blubrry.net
janetcassidyinspirations.wordpress.com

Email:  johnseven38@yahoo.com