"The Fellowship of Christ’s Suffering" Artwork

"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

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"Your Faith Anew!"

"The Fellowship of Christ’s Suffering"

September 17, 2026 • David Russell

0:00 | 15:45

NEW AUDIOBOOK! "LIVING IN DIVINE WILL - Returning to the Purpose of Our Creation" click here

September 17, 1905 – Volume 6

Luisa writes,

Having been in much suffering because of the privation of my most sweet Jesus, this morning, the day of the Sorrows of Mary Most Holy, after I struggled in some way, He came and told me: “My daughter, what do you want, that you so much yearn for Me?”

And I: ‘Lord, what You have for Yourself – that is what I yearn for myself.’ And He: “My daughter, for Myself I have thorns, nails and cross.” And I: ‘Well then, that is what I want for myself.’ So He gave me His crown of thorns and shared with me the pains of the cross.

Then He added: “Everyone can share in the merits and in the goods produced by the sorrows of my Mother. One who, in advance, places herself in the hands of Providence, offering herself to suffer any kind of pains, miseries, illnesses, calumnies, and everything which the Lord will dispose upon her, comes to participate in the first sorrow of the prophecy of Simeon. One who actually finds herself amid sufferings, and is resigned, clings more tightly to Me and does not offend Me, it is as if she were saving Me from the hands of Herod, keeping Me safe and sound within the Egypt of her heart - and she participates in the second sorrow. One who feels downhearted, dry and deprived of my presence, and remains yet firm and faithful to her usual practices - even more, she takes the opportunity to love Me and to search for Me more, without tiring - comes to participate in the merits and goods which my Mother acquired when I was lost. One who, in any circumstance she encounters, especially in seeing Me gravely offended, despised, trampled upon, tries to repair Me, to compassionate Me, and to pray for the very ones who offend Me – it is as if I encountered in that soul my own Mother who, if She could have done it, would have freed Me from my enemies; and she participates in the fourth sorrow. One who crucifies her senses for love of my crucifixion, and tries to copy the virtues of my crucifixion within herself, participates in the fifth one. One who is in a continuous attitude of adoring, of kissing my wounds, of repairing, of thanking etc., in the name of all mankind, it is as if she were holding Me in her arms, just as my Mother held Me when I was deposed from the Cross - and she participates in the sixth sorrow. One who remains in my grace and corresponds to it, giving a place to no one else but Me within her heart, it is as if she buried Me in the center of her heart - and she participates in the seventh one.”

– Servant of God, Luisa Piccarreta

Buddy Comfort – vocals and guitar from the album Brother Sun, Sister Moon, www.buddycomfort.com, words and music by Donovan Leitch.

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Welcome, 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, september seventeenth, nineteen oh five, volume six. Let us begin in the will and name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Jesus, draw us close to you today. Give us the grace to recognize your presence not only in consolation, but also in those moments when following you asks something of us. Through the intercession of our Lady of Sorrows, teach us a love that does not retreat when love becomes costly. May everything we receive today become an offering of trust, united to you and surrendered to the Father. Amen. A reading from the second letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, chapter one verses three through seven. Blessed be God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion, and God of all encouragement, who encourages us in our every affliction, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any affliction with the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God. For as Christ's sufferings overflow to us, so through Christ does our encouragement also overflow. If we are afflicted, it is for your encouragement and salvation. If we are encouraged, it is for your encouragement, which enables you to endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is firm, for we know that as you share in the sufferings, you also share in the encouragement. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches in paragraph nine sixty four. Mary's role in the Church is inseparable from her union with Christ and flows directly from it. This union of the Mother with the Son in the work of salvation is made manifest from the time of Christ's virginal conception up to his death. It is made manifest above all at the hour of his passion. Thus the Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully persevered in her union with her son unto the cross. There she stood, in keeping with the divine plan, enduring with her only begotten Son the intensity of his suffering, joining herself with his sacrifice in her mother's heart, and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this victim, born of her, to be given by the same Christ Jesus dying on the cross as a mother to his disciple with these words Woman, behold your son. There are moments in the spiritual life when Jesus invites us beyond admiration into a deeper companionship with him. Louisa writes Having been in much suffering because of the privation of my most sweet Jesus this morning, the day of the sorrows of Mary Most Holy, after I struggled in some way, he came and told me My daughter, what do you want that you so much yearn for me? And I Lord, what you have for yourself that is what I yearn for myself and he daughter for myself I have thorns, nails and cross. And I Well then, that is what I want for myself. So he gave me his crown of thorns, and shared with me the pains of the cross. Then he added Everyone can share in the merits and in the goods produced by the sorrows of my mother. One who, in advance, places herself in the hands of Providence, offering herself to suffer any kind of pains, miseries, illnesses, calumnies, and everything which the Lord will dispose upon her, comes to participate in the first sorrow of the prophecy of Simeon. One who actually finds herself amid sufferings, and is resigned, clings more tightly to me, and does not offend me, it is as if she were saving me from the hands of Herod, keeping me safe and sound within the Egypt of her heart, and she participates in the second sorrow. One who feels downhearted, dry, and deprived of my presence, and remains yet firm and faithful to her usual practices, even more she takes the opportunity to love me and to search for me more without tiring, comes to participate in the merits and goods which my mother acquired when I was lost. One who, in any circumstance she encounters, especially in seeing me gravely offended, despised, trampled upon, tries to repair me, to compassionate me, and to pray for the very ones who offend me. It is as if I encountered in that soul my own mother, who, if she could have done it, would have freed me from my enemies. And she participates in the fourth sorrow. One who crucifies her senses for love of my crucifixion and tries to copy the virtues of my crucifixion within herself participates in the fifth one. One who is in a continuous attitude of adoring, of kissing my wounds, of repairing, of thanking, etc, in the name of all mankind, it is as if she were holding me in her arms, just as my mother held me when I was deposed from the cross, and she participates in the sixth sorrow. One who remains in my grace and corresponds to it, giving a place to no one else but me within her heart. It is as if she buried me in the center of her heart, and she participates in the seventh one. There's a difference between believing in Jesus and allowing our whole life to become joined to Jesus. Saint Paul speaks today about the abundance of Christ's sufferings and the abundance of his consolation. Christianity never asks us to pretend that suffering is pleasant. Jesus Himself wept. He knew anguish, rejection, loneliness, exhaustion, and physical pain. Yet because the Son of God entered human suffering, suffering is no longer a place where God cannot be found. This is something Mary knew profoundly. The catechism teaches that Mary's union with her son unfolded throughout his earthly life and reached a unique intensity at Calvary. She did not understand love from a safe distance. She remained with Jesus. That word remained is worth carrying into prayer. Many things in us want to flee when life becomes difficult. We want the problem solved, the uncertainty ended, the prayer answered, the burden removed. And certainly we may ask God for those things. Jesus Himself teaches us to ask. But sometimes grace accomplishes something quieter. Grace enables us to remain, to remain faithful when prayer seems empty, to remain loving when another person is difficult, to remain trusting when tomorrow is unclear. To remain near Jesus when we cannot feel his nearness. And this changes the meaning of endurance. Christian endurance is not simply gritting our teeth until trouble passes. It can become communion with Christ. Here we touch something important about living in the divine will. We are not asked to manufacture suffering or desire hardship for its own sake. We are invited to give God what actually arrives in our lives and say Jesus, I want to live this moment with you. Perhaps today that moment is very small an interruption, a disappointment, fatigue, an unanswered message, a concern about someone you love, something that you would rather not have to carry. Before reacting, bring Jesus into it. Jesus, you are here. Let me love you here. That simple movement of the heart can transform an ordinary difficulty into an act of love. Our Lady of Sorrows teaches us that holiness does not always look like doing something extraordinary. Sometimes holiness is simply refusing to leave Jesus. And perhaps that is the grace to ask for today. Jesus, wherever you are in my life today, let me remain with you. Let us pray. Jesus, I adore you and place myself before you just as I am. I give you what is easy today and I give you what is difficult. When I understand what you are doing, let me praise you. When I do not understand, let me trust you. When I experience your consolation, let me receive it grateful. And when I cannot feel your presence, give me the grace to remain faithful. Mary, mother of sorrows, teach me the quiet courage of a heart that stays close to Jesus. Lord, take every burden, disappointment, sacrifice, and hidden struggle of this day and receive it in your divine will. Unite my little offering to your perfect love of the Father. May nothing be wasted. May everything become love. Jesus, live your life in me. Pray in me. Love in me, and accomplish in me whatever gives the greatest glory to the Father. Amen. Thank you for joining your faith anew today. Until tomorrow, stay in his will, and your faith will be made anew.