"Your Faith Anew!"
Your Faith Anew! exists to help souls grow in their knowledge of the Catholic Faith, strive to remain in a state of grace, and encounter the transforming joy of the Gospel. Its mission is simple yet eternal: to save souls, glorify God, and become saints.
Hosted by David Russell, this daily reflection podcast draws deeply from Sacred Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the writings of the Servant of God, Luisa Piccarreta—especially The Book of Heaven—guiding listeners into a deeper understanding of living in the Divine Will.
David is the author of four spiritually rich works: Magi Theology: The Essence of Illusion, The Little Magician – Discovers Bigger and Better, Our Pilgrimage with the Pilgrim Virgin, and his newest release, Our Mother in the Divine Will. With a lifelong fascination for the mystical, David discovered a profound connection between the art of illusion and deeper spiritual realities—an insight that inspired both his theological and children’s writings. His work Magi Theology received both the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur from the Diocese of Knoxville.
In 2010, David was introduced to the writings of Luisa Piccarreta, which deeply resonated with his own spiritual insights. This encounter helped shape the foundation of his ministry.
In 2017, he founded the Your Faith Anew! prayer and study group to help Catholics rediscover and fall in love with their Faith. At the heart of his message is this conviction:
“The Catholic Faith prepares us to receive the Gift of Living in the Divine Will—and this Gift enables us to live our Faith in a divine manner most pleasing to God.”
Join us daily as we seek not only to understand our Faith—but to live it fully, joyfully, and in union with the Divine Will.
Song: Buddy Comfort - vocals and guitar from the album, "Brother Sun, Sister Moon", www.buddycomfort.com
"Your Faith Anew!"
"The Cross and the Triumph of the Divine Will"
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NEW BOOK FOR MAY DEVOTIONS "Our Mother in the Divine Will" click here
May 16, 1899 - Volume 2
Luisa writes,
Jesus continued for a few more days to manifest Himself in the same way – not wanting to detach Himself from me. It seemed that that little bit of sufferings He had poured into me attracted Him so much, that He could not be without me. This morning He poured a little bit more of bitterness from His mouth into mine, and then He told me: “The cross disposes the soul to patience. The cross opens Heaven, and unites Heaven and earth together – that is, God and the soul. The virtue of the cross is powerful, and when it enters into a soul, it has the virtue of removing the rust of all earthly things. Not only this, but it causes her boredom, bother and contempt for the things of the earth, giving her, instead, the flavor and the enjoyment of celestial things. However, few are those who recognize the virtue of the cross; therefore they despise it.”
Who can say how many things I understood about the cross while Jesus was speaking? The speaking of Jesus is not like ours, in which one understands only as much as is said. Rather, one single word leaves an immense light, and to ruminate well on it one could remain occupied the whole day in most profound meditation. Therefore, if I wanted to tell everything I would be too long, and I would also lack the time to do it.
After a little while, Jesus came back again, but a little more afflicted. I immediately asked the reason for it, and Jesus showed me many devout souls, and told me: “My daughter, what I look at in the soul is when she strips herself of her will. Only then does my Will invest her, divinize her, and make her all Mine. Take a look at these souls who call themselves devout… as long as things go their way. But then, one little thing – if their confessions are not long enough, if the confessor does not satisfy them – is enough for them to lose peace; and some reach the point of no longer wanting to do anything. This says that it is not my Will that predominates in them, but their own. Believe, O my daughter, that they have taken the wrong way, because when I see that they really want to love Me, I have many ways to give my Grace.” How pitiful it was to see Jesus suffer for this kind of people! I tried to compassionate Him as much as I could, and so it ended.
– Servant of God, Luisa Piccarreta
Buddy Comfort – vocals and guitar from the album, ‘Brother Sun, Sister Moon’, http://www.buddycomfort.com, words and music by Donovan Leitch.
If you want your dream to be, build it slow and surely. Small beginning, greater and heartfelt work grows purely.
SPEAKER_01Welcome. This is David Russell and Your Faith Anew. Daily Reflections guiding you to live in the divine will. Today's reflection is from the Book of Heaven by the servant of God Louisa Picaretta, may sixteenth, eighteen ninety nine, volume two. Let us begin in the will and name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Heavenly Father, through the light of your divine will, help us to understand the mystery and beauty of the cross. Teach us to embrace every suffering, disappointment, and sacrifice as a path that unites earth to heaven. Strip us of all self will, and transform our hearts so that your most holy will may reign within us completely. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may we learn to love what you permit and trust completely in your divine plans. Amen. Saint Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians, chapter six, verse fourteen. But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. The cross is not merely a burden to endure, it is the sacred bridge through which the soul is transformed and detached from earthly things. Through suffering, united to Christ, the soul begins to taste heaven even while still on earth. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches in paragraph fourteen thirty. Jesus' call to conversion and penance, like that of the prophets before him, does not aim first at outward works sack cloth and ashes, fasting and mortification, but on the conversion of the heart, interior conversion. Without this, such penances remain sterile and false. However, interior conversion urges expression in visible signs, gestures, and works of penance. Today's reading reminds us that Jesus desires more than external devotion. He looks for the soul that willingly surrenders its own will so that the divine will may reign completely within. The cross becomes fruitful when it transforms the heart interiorly, teaching patience, trust, humility, and peace even amid difficulties. Now let us enter into today's reading from the Book of Heaven. Louisa writes Jesus continued for a few more days to manifest himself in the same way, not wanting to detach himself from me. It seemed that that little bit of sufferings he had poured into me attracted him so much that he could not be without me. This morning he poured a little bit more of bitterness from his mouth into mine, and then he told me The Cross disposes the soul to patience. The cross opens heaven and unites heaven and earth together, that is God and the soul. The virtue of the cross is powerful, and when it enters into a soul, it has the virtue of removing the rust of all earthly things. Not only this, but it causes her boredom, bother, and contempt for the things of the earth, giving her instead, the flavor and the enjoyment of celestial things. However, few are those who recognize the virtue of the cross, therefore they despise it. Who can say how many things I understood about the cross while Jesus was speaking? The speaking of Jesus is not like ours, in which one understands only as much as is said. Rather, one single word leaves an immense light, and to ruminate well on it one could remain occupied the whole day in most profound meditation. Therefore, if I wanted to tell everything, I would be too long, and I would also lack the time to do it. After a little while Jesus came back again, but a little more afflicted. I immediately asked the reason for it, and Jesus showed me many devout souls and told me, My daughter, what I look at in the soul is when she strips herself of her will. Only then does my will invest her, divinize her, and make her all mine. Take a look at these souls who call themselves devout, as long as things go their way. But then one little thing if their confessions are not long enough, if the confessor does not satisfy them, is enough for them to lose peace, and some reach the point of no longer wanting to do anything. This says that it is not my will that predominates in them, but their own. Believe, O my daughter, that they have taken the wrong way, because when I see that they really want to love me, I have many ways to give my grace. How pitiful it was to see Jesus suffer for this kind of people. I tried to compassionate him as much as I could, and so it ended. Today Jesus reveals two life altering truths the transforming power of the cross and the necessity of surrendering our human will. The world flees suffering because it sees the cross only as pain. But Jesus teaches that the cross is actually a doorway. It opens heaven and joins the soul to God. The cross strips away attachment to earthly things and begins to awaken within the soul a taste for what is eternal. This is why suffering accepted in the divine will has immense value. Every contradiction, disappointment, humiliation, illness, delay, or hidden sacrifice can become a divine meeting place with Jesus. The cross purifies the soul from self-love and teaches holy patience. Jesus also warns about a subtle danger in the spiritual life. Devotion that still revolves around self-will. A soul may appear devout while everything is going smoothly, but when inconveniences arise, peace disappears. Why? Because the human will still wants control. Living in the divine will means remaining peaceful even when things don't go according to our expectations. It means trusting that God is working even through interruptions, dryness, misunderstandings, and delays. Jesus says that when the soul truly desires to love him, he himself finds many ways to give grace. The obstacle is not God's generosity, it is our resistance. The cross therefore becomes the sacred instrument that empties us of ourselves so that the divine will can reign. What the world calls loss, heaven calls transformation. What the world despises, heaven crowns with glory. When we unite our sufferings to Jesus in the divine will, nothing is wasted. Every hidden cross becomes an eternal act of love. Let us pray. Jesus, teach me to embrace the crosses you permit in my life with trust and peace. Remove my self-will, and let your divine will reign within me completely. May every suffering become united to your love and transformed into grace for souls. Blessed Mother, help me remain faithful beneath every cross, and always say fiat to the will of God. Amen. Thank you for joining your faith anew today. May we learn to see every cross as an invitation to deeper union with Jesus and greater surrender to the divine will. Until tomorrow, stay in his will, and your faith will be made anew.
SPEAKER_00If you want your dream to be, build it slow and surely. Small beginning, greater and heartfelt work grows pure.