A city trembles at Jesus entering Jerusalem, money changers scatter, and prayer reclaims the Temple—then Isaiah reminds us that God’s word never returns empty. That collision of images frames a hard truth we often dodge: we grieve material losses faster than we grieve the loss of grace. We walk through Isaiah 55 and Matthew 21 before opening Divine Intimacy to explore how charity unites us to God while sin unravels that union, not as theory but as lived reality that shapes how we react, choose, and love.

We talk candidly about why our instincts are upside down—why a totaled car or a hospital scare can feel bigger than mortal sin—and how to retrain the heart. Monthly confession even without grave sin, a nightly examen that names patterns and near occasions, and a daily act of contrition begin the reset. From there, charity becomes fire: it purifies faster and deeper than fear, and it makes our sacrifices mysteriously fruitful for others. The saints understood this solidarity; their burning love helped convert souls because love destroys sin more effectively than punishment alone.

Formation spreads outward. Parents can build a home that hates sin more than loss by tying small fasts to real intercession and by teaching kids that reconciliation restores friendship with God. With Ember Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday upon us, we offer simple, concrete steps: abstain from meat, add a fast you can keep, and pray for priests, seminarians, and future vocations. Along the way there’s a quick behind-the-scenes note about fixing the mic and asking you to flag audio issues—because details matter when the goal is clearer prayer and deeper attention to the Word that always bears fruit.

If this resonates, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who needs a nudge back to confession, and leave a review telling us one practice that helps you love God more and hate sin better.

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