Practicing Catholic

The Secret to Joy When Life is Hard

August 31, 2026·39 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

What do we do when we're called to Christian joy but find ourselves in difficult, frustrating, or even painful circumstances? Taylor Kemp and Dr. Scott Hefelfinger explore how Catholics can cultivate joy even when life isn't joyful.   Drawing on the witness of Mother Teresa and St. Maximilian Kolbe, they discuss the power of changing our perspective, seeing Christ in others, surrendering our circumstances to God's providence, and turning outward through gratitude and service. They ultimately offer a simple roadmap for difficult seasons: smile, surrender, and serve.   The episode also answers a listener question about what Scripture means by loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.   Have a question or topic idea for future episodes? Submit them here: http://practicingcatholicpodcast.com   Watch Triumph of the Heart on Formed: https://app.formed.org/app/collections/1507373     Check out the Surrender Novena on the Amen app: https://amenapp.org/prayer/aznmzn Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Podzilla Summary coming soon

Sign up to get notified when the full AI-powered summary is ready.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.

Listen to This Episode

Get summaries like this every morning.

Free AI-powered recaps of Practicing Catholic and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.