Two friends on the journey to sainthood. Join us as we dive deeper into our Catholic faith, reflect on our call to holiness, and like Mary, ponder all these things in our hearts.
Let’s ponder out loud together!
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” So begins chapter 3 of the Book of Ecclesiastes, and an apt sentiment for this episode. We won’t beat around the bush: in this episode, we share the bittersweet news about taking a step back from A Pondering Heart Podcast. Over the past year, we’ve taken a beautiful journey that has allowed us to dive deeper into our faith, have challenging conversations, and ponder out loud. We’ll talk about what’s next, embracing change in our lives, and extending our gratitude for your continued support and listenership with each episode.
All of you have played such a beautiful role in this journey, and for that, we thank you! Onwards and upwards, ad majorem Dei gloriam! — Emi & Rachel
Things to ponder in this episode:
What’s on our heart?
You can continue to listen to (and re-listen to!) A Pondering Heart on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and beyond. Our Instagram and Facebook is @aponderingheartpodcast.
Here are some ways you can keep in touch with Emi and Rachel beyond A Pondering Heart:
Emi is a Vancouver-based Catholic writer and artist. You can follow her on Instagram @restlessnightwriter. You can also read her reflections on her website at eminamoro.com.
Rachel is the host of The Feminine Genius Podcast, which you can listen to on all major platforms. You can follow her on Instagram @femgeniuspod and @rchlcwng. You can also read some of her reflections at rachelwong.substack.com.
Our theme music is "Yellow" by Scott Buckley. Learn more at scottbuckley.com.au.
"Picture a lot of jagged rocks, and then put them in a blender, and the push 'on.'" This was how Fr. Richard Conlin, one of our guests for this episode, described his experience of being at the seminary. But our relationships with people in general can be characterized in this way: unique beings coming into contact with one another, engaging in fun times and conflict, with the 'end product' being mutual and reciprocal love for the other.
Today, we chat with Fr. Richard and returning guest Fr. Raffaele about the beauty of holy friendships: what the important building blocks are for it, why it's important for our life as Catholics, and the need for prayer as the central part of our relationships.
Fr. Richard Conlin is an ordained priest in the Archdiocese of Vancouver, currently serving at Corpus Christi Parish in Vancouver. Fr. Raffaele Salvino is an ordained priest in the Archdiocese of Vancouver, currently serving at St. Matthew's Parish in Surrey.
Thoughts to ponder in this episode:
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Our theme music is "Yellow" by Scott Buckley. Learn more at scottbuckley.com.au.
For many of us, there probably isn't a day that goes by without checking in on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or the host of other social media sites out there. Social media is a great way to stay connected with friends, learn something new or even share your faith, but as with all things we can also run the risk of spending too much time on our apps and lose sight of our intentions. As Catholics, how can we be good stewards of social media and use is to glorify God? It's a fine balance and a great opportunity: one that God can certainly use and work through, if only we cooperate with Him.
Thoughts to ponder from this episode:
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Our theme music is "Yellow" by Scott Buckley. Learn more at scottbuckley.com.au.
One of the pillars of our faith is prayer. But... sometimes prayer is difficult. Painful. Boring, even! But in the same way that we need to grow and invest in our relationships with our loved ones, we also need to grow in our relationship with God — and prayer is a great way to do that. Join us as we dive deep into what prayer is, share our own prayer routines, and share encouragement and solidarity. We all struggle in prayer: You aren't alone, and God delights in your efforts. He can't wait to share time with you!
Thoughts to ponder from this episode:
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Our theme music is "Yellow" by Scott Buckley. Learn more at scottbuckley.com.au.
Welcome to Season 2 of A Pondering Heart Podcast! In this episode, we share some podcast and life updates, which sets us up quite nicely for the topic of today. Using the story of Jesus visiting His friends Mary and Martha, we dive into the topic of busyness in our lives. We look at what being too busy can do to our lives and relationship with God, the importance of observing the Sabbath (#Sabbathing), and some practical ways we can balance action and contemplation in our daily lives.
Thoughts to ponder from this episode:
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Our theme music is "Yellow" by Scott Buckley. Learn more at scottbuckley.com.au.
How did this happen!? Just three months after starting this podcast, we're here at the end of season 1 — and what an adventure it's been! Join us as we celebrate some of the great ways God has moved through the season: inspiring us and our guests, the incredible conversations we've had, and some takeaways that we'll bring with us into our next season.
A big thank you to our guests from season 1: Deacon Raffaele Salvino, Mike & Camille Mendoza, Sr. Mary Sabina, and Fr. Mark McGuckin. And of course, thank you to all of you for supporting us and listening in! We look forward to bringing you more conversations and things to ponder in season 2!
Thoughts to ponder from this season:
We're taking a break this summer, but we'll be back soon! For all the latest updates on what's next for the podcast, be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook @aponderingheartpodcast.
Our theme music is "Yellow" by Scott Buckley. Learn more at scottbuckley.com.au.
God bless you! — Emi & Rachel
St. Teresa of Avila once said, "You pay God a compliment by asking great things of Him." God delights in us and desires for all of us to dream big and dream with Him. But as we get older, sometimes we find it difficult to open up and dream. We may get self-conscious, afraid of failure, or maybe even afraid of putting in the work. But ultimately, God has made us for more than mediocrity: He calls us to live magnanimously, welcome Him into our dreams, and desires for us to succeed in them. Let's pay Him a compliment by being bold and magnanimously!
Thoughts to ponder from this episode:
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Our theme music is "Yellow" by Scott Buckley. Learn more at scottbuckley.com.au.
Many times we think we know what we want in our life, and we pursue our dreams and desires independent of God. For Fr. Mark McGuckin, he had a desire to work in the TV and film industry. Ultimately, he got his wish: He graduated from the University of British Columbia's film program and then worked in Vancouver's TV and film industry. But through a powerful moment of conversion, Fr. Mark started asking the big questions about what life is all about. This led him to leave his work and followed God to the seminary, and in 2016, he was ordained a priest.
Fr. Mark McGuckin is an ordained priest in the Archdiocese of Vancouver, currently serving at St. Joseph's Parish in Port Moody.
Thoughts to ponder from this episode:
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Our theme music is "Yellow" by Scott Buckley. Learn more at scottbuckley.com.au.
In a recent Wednesday audience, Pope Francis spoke on the communion of saints and their relationship to us, decades and centuries later: "The saints are still here not far from us; and their representations in churches evoke that “cloud of witnesses” that always surrounds us." The saints are not only historical beings and exemplars of holiness — they also are our friends, continuously interceding for us and proving to us that no matter how far we stray from the path, there is always hope. In this episode, we share our love for the saints, the many medals we wear to honour their legacy, and share some of our favourite saints and how they continue to pray for us.
We mentioned:
Thoughts to ponder from this episode:
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Our theme music is "Yellow" by Scott Buckley. Learn more at scottbuckley.com.au.
When it comes to discerning God's will for our lives, it becomes almost impossible when we try to do it all on our own. We may feel scared to reach out to other people because of judgement or insecurity. But in our conversation with Sister Mary Sabina, she challenges us to not be afraid and to be bold in seeking accompaniment.
In this episode, Sr. Mary Sabina shares her beautiful vocation story, the importance of accompaniment, and how she was tasked to create a community for discerning women in the Archdiocese of Vancouver and what a blessing that has been for the community and herself. And as a religious sister, she has a lot of advice when it comes to women who may be discerning a religious vocation!
Sr. Mary Sabina is a Dominican Sister of St. Cecilia currently stationed in the Archdiocese of Vancouver. She teaches at a local Catholic high school and also works for the Archdiocese of Vancouver as the Archbishop’s Delegate for Consecrated Life.
Thoughts to ponder from this episode:
Learn more about the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia by visiting their website, https://www.nashvilledominican.org/.
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Our theme music is "Yellow" by Scott Buckley. Learn more at scottbuckley.com.au.
Everyone's prayer life and relationship to God is unique and personal, but one thing that comes up often is the question of getting real with God and showing our true emotions — especially if it is frustration, anger, or hurt. Many times, we even struggle with telling those around us that we are angry at them! Are we allowed to get angry at Him in prayer, or do we have to put our anger in a box and leave it at the door of the chapel? In this episode, we talk through the misconception of holding our emotions away from God in prayer and discuss the key to openness with Him: trust!
Remember: God created you for joy! We are not meant to stay angry or upset all the time, but God wants to experience our pain and suffering and journey with us. Bring it to Him!
Thoughts to ponder from this episode:
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Our theme music is "Yellow" by Scott Buckley. Learn more at scottbuckley.com.au.
Oftentimes we hear about the need to 'work on ourselves' or 'focus on us' during those times of singlehood. And during our conversation with Michael and Camille Mendoza, this was the thing that they found was the key for their own marriage.
In part 2 of our conversation, we continue to explore this idea of working on ourselves, pursuing our own passions, and the need to put the focus on God, and why spending our time well in singlehood will not only help us in our vocations, it will also naturally help us grow closer to God.
Michael and Camille Mendoza have been married for almost two years at the release of this episode, and are parents to a beautiful girl. They live in the Archdiocese of Vancouver. You can find them on Instagram @mjmendz and @camillermendz, as well as at mendozacollective.com.
Thoughts to ponder from this episode:
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Our theme music is "Yellow" by Scott Buckley. Learn more at scottbuckley.com.au.
We hear stories of happily ever after, and at some level, we all desire to be seen, known, and loved. But behind all the #couplegoals and cute date ideas, there is real and hard work that needs to go into the individuals and the marriage for it to work.
To break this topic open for us, we welcome Michael and Camille Mendoza, a couple living in the Archdiocese of Vancouver. We admire their marriage and partnership dearly, and in part 1 of our conversation we dive into Michael and Camille first as individuals and friends, and how that served as the foundation for their love story and marriage. They recount the story of how intentionality, clarity, and God was the center of their lives, and how by His grace, He brought them together.
Michael and Camille Mendoza have been married for almost two years at the release of this episode, and are parents to a beautiful girl. They live in the Archdiocese of Vancouver. You can find them on Instagram @mjmendz and @camillermendz and also at mendozacollective.com.
Thoughts to ponder from this episode:
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Our theme music is "Yellow" by Scott Buckley. Learn more at scottbuckley.com.au.
As children and adolescents, there is a natural progression to life: you go from one grade to the next and you follow what the rest of the world prescribes as the rational next steps. But at some point, adults come to a place of choice — choosing what's next in their life's plan of growth. It can be overwhelming and scary, especially when you thought you knew where you were going, only to have plans change or fall through. Join us as we live through our own existential crises and place our confidence in Jesus, the True Vine: the master gardener who will help us grow to be who He's called us to be.
Bible passages referenced this episode:
Thoughts to ponder from this episode:
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Our theme music is "Yellow" by Scott Buckley. Learn more at scottbuckley.com.au.
Each of us desire to know God's will for our lives. But despite our best efforts, the answers may not be as clear as we'd like for it to be. What happens when God's timeline doesn't line up with our own?
In this episode, we're blessed to hear the vocation story of Deacon Raffaele Salvino and some of the insights that he's gained from his own journey. We also discuss the anxiety around the beauty of God's invitation to deepen our relationship with Him, vocational timelines, and the spiritual battles that can be fought—and won—with the grace of God. Deacon Raffaele also shares his favourite spiritual book, a childhood memory, and a definitive answer as to whether or not pineapples belong on pizza.
Deacon Raffaele Salvino is currently a deacon ordained in the Archdiocese of Vancouver. You can follow him on Instagram @raffyasco.
Thoughts to ponder from this episode:
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Our theme music is "Yellow" by Scott Buckley. Learn more at scottbuckley.com.au.
The Second Vatican Council makes it clear that there is a "universal call to holiness". We sometimes think that this call is impersonal or reserved for the saints, those who have religious vocations, or our very holy grandmothers. Taking some inspiration from Pope Francis and some of the saints, we unpack this idea of holiness for each of us and how God intentionally built His church to help us succeed in being holy men and women.
Our icebreaker question: What is your favourite apparition or title for Mother Mary?
Emi: Our Lady of Guadalupe and Our Lady of the Smile
Rachel: Our Lady, Undoer of Knots
Quotes from the episode to ponder further:
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Our theme music is "Yellow" by Scott Buckley. Learn more at scottbuckley.com.au.
St. Joseph is a quiet man. No really, he is: in all of the Gospels, St. Joseph doesn't say a single word. And yet, St. Joseph is revered as one of the greatest saints in the universal church. In this episode, we take the time to share our favourite titles for St. Joseph, the reason why we sought St. Joseph's patronage for A Pondering Heart, and the incredible witness and faith of the foster father of Jesus.
Our conversation centered around Pope Francis' apostolic letter Patris Corde ("With a Father's Heart").
This is the Litany of St. Joseph that we were basing our responses off of for our ice breaker question!
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Our theme music is "Yellow" by Scott Buckley. Learn more at scottbuckley.com.au.
In this episode, we introduce you to the voices behind the microphone: Emi Namoro and Rachel Wong! We share the story of our friendship and different parts of our life, including our favourite foods, what we used to want to be when we grew up, our favourite saints, and where we've encountered the heart of God.
Podcasts we love!:
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Our theme music is "Yellow" by Scott Buckley. Learn more at scottbuckley.com.au.
Welcome to A Pondering Heart Podcast — a podcast hosted by two friends learning and growing together in our Catholic faith. In this first episode, hosts Emi and Rachel introduce you to the podcast, share a little bit of the insight behind the name, and where we hope to go with you on this podcast journey!
Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook @aponderingheartpodcast to stay up to date!
Our theme music is called "Yellow" by Scott Buckley. Learn more about him at scottbuckley.com.au.