Dear Friend,

A new Footsteps to Heaven podcast episode has been published, and I believe you'll really like this one. Meet Ken Ogorek.

In this issue:
Is God's will sometimes a mystery? Unlock it with these 7 Keys

Have you ever wished God would make His will unmistakably clear? Well, I want you to rest assured that He has provided you with 7 keys that open doors to hearing His responses to your questions: "What is my divine purpose? What plan did You design for me?"

Meet Ken Ogorek

Recently I interviewed Ken Ogorek. He is Executive Director of the Secretariat for Evangelizing Catechesis in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. He is also a co-author with Scott Hahn of the 3-year set of Sunday reflections entitled Breaking the Bread. I highly recommend this beautiful, full-color, clothbound companion for Sunday Mass.

Buy one or all 3 volumes here: https://stpaulcenter.com/search?q=breaking%20the%20bread&type=store

Breaking the Bread includes carefully selected passages from the Catechism to deepen your understanding of the scriptures -- providing an overview of the Church's basic doctrinal and moral teaching. Reflection questions and prayers challenge readers to strive for greater fidelity to Christ.

Seven Keys That Unlock Our Awareness of God's Plan

In our discussion about the 7 keys of discernment, Ken and I chatted about how God communicates with His people and how we can become more attentive to His guidance. After listening to this episode of my Footsteps to Heaven podcast show, you'll be able to confidently move forward in God's plans for you, trusting the Holy Spirit to guide you. And if you make a mistake along the way -- relax. He will redirect you.

Watch the episode today and discover how God is already guiding your life: https://youtu.be/6s6k6cYwPho

In this episode we discuss:

• Why God isn’t hiding His will from you
• Practical ways God speaks
• Why you don’t have to wait for perfect certainty
• How the Holy Spirit will gently direct you when you walk in faith

Key takeaway: The Catholic Church offers us 7 keys for discerning God’s will for our lives. When we seek His will using these keys He faithfully leads us toward the purpose for which He created us.

Video Excerpt:

Terry: When somebody comes to you and they’re trying to figure out what God’s plan for them is, in your particular environment, how do you lead them? What advice do you give them?

Ken Ogorek: I usually spend a little time just sharing with them a little bit about what I referred to earlier, that there are identifiable ways that God tends to lean on in sharing His mind and heart with us. First off and foremost would be Sacred Scripture, right? I encourage people to make sure that every day they’re reading or listening to and prayerfully reflecting on at least a brief passage of Sacred Scripture.

I don’t want to overstate these things, but let’s just say that’s really important, because sometimes God will use Sacred Scripture to speak to us in a direct and personal way. Sometimes it’s like a bolt of lightning, it’s like a one-and-done or one-off experience. Oftentimes though it’s patterns: we’re immersing ourselves at least a little bit in Sacred Scripture every day, and in the course of a few days we really start to sense that our Lord is nudging us in a specific direction….

He also speaks to us in Sacred Tradition when we read and reflect on the teaching of the Church. So I encourage people—and there are simple ways to do it—but spend a little time daily or frequently just reflecting on one or more basic doctrinal or moral teachings of the Church. There are plenty of resources out there that help you do that, because again, God will use Sacred Tradition….

I also encourage people to say their prayers every day, you know, the classic, the classic memorized or written prayers of the Church. They’ve endured with good reason, so we shouldn’t ever cast them aside, especially focusing on: Is there a word or phrase in the Hail Mary or the Our Father, for example, that’s really jumping out at me today, and why might that be?

And silence, doesn’t God reach out to us at times in silence? So I encourage people to make sure they’re not filling their mind and their head with noise all day long.

Watch this episode at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s6k6cYwPho.

For more help in discerning God’s plans for you, get my workbook: Knowing God's Will and Doing It Well. Visit Amazon @ https://a.co/d/0bbQ3TXv. (And please remember to leave a review.)

Maybe you know someone else who could use this help. Please recommend this workbook to your friends, family, social media followers, young adults at church, your parish faith formation director, and young men who would make awesome priests. Buy the book for them as a gift of faith, or give them this link:

KnowingGodsWillAndDoingItWell.com

 Thank you for subscribing to Ministry Excellence. This newsletter is your guide to thriving in your calling and maximizing your impact in the Kingdom of God.

Blessings of Peace and Grace,
Terry Modica

"Most people guess at God's will. You don't have to."
Author, Podcaster, and
Director Emeritus of Good News Ministries
GNM.org