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
If you want your dream to be, build it slow and surely. Small beginning, greater and heartfelt work grows purely.
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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, october twenty second, 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, quiet within me everything that resists your loving presence. Free my heart from the need to understand every circumstance of my life. Give me the grace to recognize your goodness even when my feelings cannot perceive it. Jesus, draw me close to your sacred heart, and teach me to trust the Father as you do. Amen. A reading from the first letter of Peter chapter four verses twelve and thirteen beloved Do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as if something strange were happening to you, but rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed, you may also rejoice exultantly. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches in Paragraph fifteen oh five. Moved by so much suffering Christ not only allows himself to be touched by the sick, but he makes their miseries his own. He took our infirmities and bore our diseases. But he did not heal all the sick. His healings were signs of the coming of the kingdom of God. They announced a more radical healing, the victory over sin and death through his Passover. On the cross, Christ took upon himself the whole weight of evil and took away the sin of the world of which illness is only a consequence. By his passion and death on the cross, Christ has given a new meaning to suffering. It can henceforth configure us to him and unite us with his redemptive passion. Let us now listen with a receptive heart to the words entrusted to the servant of God Luisa Picaretta. Louisa writes Jesus continues to make himself seen, afflicted. The moment he came he threw himself into my arms, totally exhausted, almost wanting refreshment. He shared with me a little bit of his sufferings, and then he told me My daughter, the way of the cross is a way strewn with stars, and as one walks through it, those stars change into most luminous suns. What will be the happiness of the soul for all eternity in being surrounded with these suns? Furthermore, the great reward I give to the cross is so great that there is no measure, either of width or of length, it is almost incomprehensible to the human minds, and this because in bearing crosses there can be nothing human. All is divine. There is a particular kind of peace that comes when we stop asking God to explain Himself. Perhaps you've experienced a season when you prayed faithfully, tried to do what is right, and yet circumstances became more difficult rather than easier. You may have wondered whether you misunderstood God's intentions. Perhaps you even questioned whether he was listening. But consider something remarkable about the earthly life of Jesus. The Son of God lived in perfect communion with his Father. Every desire of his human heart was wholly obedient to the Father's loving purpose. And yet his earthly life included rejection, betrayal, loneliness, and suffering. His perfect obedience did not exempt him from these experiences. That truth deserves our attention. Sometimes we unconsciously imagine that holiness should make life easier. We expect prayer to remove our difficulties, obedience to protect us from disappointment, and faithfulness to produce visible results. But Christianity does not promise that following Jesus will spare us every sorrow. It promises something infinitely more important that through his death and resurrection, Christ has opened the way to eternal life, and that his grace can sustain us in whatever we must endure. Saint Peter encourages Christians to remain united with Christ when their faith is tested. He is not suggesting that suffering is desirable for its own sake. Rather, he reminds believers that their relationship with Jesus remains secure even when their circumstances are painful. And this brings us to a beautiful distinction. There is a difference between accepting something because we believe we have no choice and accepting it because we trust the one who loves us. The first may leave the heart resigned. The second can become an act of love. Living in the divine will invites us to deepen that trust. We do not become indifferent to suffering, nor do we stop seeking healing, justice, or relief. Instead, we invite Jesus to guide our response so that fear, resentment, and discouragement do not have the final word. We can still weep. We can still ask questions. We can still pray earnestly for circumstances to change. Even Jesus prayed in Ghessene that the cup might pass from him. But his prayer did not end with his own preference. It rested in the Father's will. Perhaps that is where our deepest spiritual growth begins. Not when we finally understand everything God permits, but when we discover that we can entrust ourselves to Him without understanding. Today, whatever remains unresolved in your life, bring it before Jesus. You do not need to pretend that it is easy. You need only Him to remain with you. And perhaps in the quiet of your heart you can say, Jesus, I don't understand this moment, but I trust you with it.
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Let us pray.
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Jesus, my beloved Savior, I come before you just as I am. You know the burdens I carry, the disappointments I conceal, and the questions I have never spoken aloud. I place them all before your sacred heart. When I'm tempted to withdraw from you, draw me nearer. When my confidence weakens, remind me of your faithfulness. When I cannot discern the Father's purpose, help me remain obedient to his love. Jesus, I enter into your divine will. Receive my thoughts, my desires, my prayers in every act of this day. Live in me, love in me, and guide my heart toward whatever pleases our Heavenly Father. May my life become a quiet offering of trust, united to your perfect obedience. And when words are no longer necessary, let me simply rest in your presence. Amen. Thank you for joining your faith anew today. Until tomorrow, stay in his will, and your faith will be made anew.
