Discern: Listening for God's Whispers

by Mark E. Thibodeaux

Tune in to the gentle voice of God. 

How are we supposed to notice and pay attention to God amid the chaotic busyness of everyday life? In Listening for God’s Whispers, bestselling author Mark Thibodeaux, SJ, offers a solution that anchors you in spiritual steadiness despite the hectic demands that clamor for your attention.

Spend a few minutes each day to better understand God’s subtle voice through spiritual awareness and connection, regardless of the stress of daily responsibilities.

96 pages, Paperback

Published December 3, 2024

About the author

Rev. Father Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ, is a spiritual director for Jesuits in formation, with a focus on prayer and discernment.

Reviews

[Nicole VanderDoes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Mark Thibodeaux. Discern is written with his usual wisdom and practicality. Thibodeaux does an amazing job of addressing various situations concisely and with incisive questions. His questions are the kind one could spend an entire life contemplating, so don’t rush past them as you read! Discern would be a particularly good resource for someone already familiar with Ignatian spirituality and discernment. However, as accessible as this book is, if you’re looking for a book on discernment, I’d recommend starting with Thibodeaux’s God's Voice Within: The Ignatian Way to Discover God's Will, and then using this as a resource or refresher. Also, I would definitely recommend purchasing this book in hard copy rather than as an ebook, because that will make it much easier to flip through and use as needed. It is designed to be used that way, which I find more difficult with ebooks.

Thank you to Loyola Press and NetGalley for the privilege of reading an advance DRC of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I saw this available on Net Galley I gladly downloaded it. Thank you, Loyola Press, for granting me access.

I've read some of Father Thibodeaux's work previously and found it enlightening. There are nuggets of gold in this short book but they get lost in the brevity and insufficient detail to encourage further pondering.

The author is a disciple of St Ignatius's teaching and this book follows the principles of that teaching. The book is a series of 'soundbites' from the author's reflections of consolation and desolation when it comes to discernment. The 'soundbites are a few lines, with 2 questions to ponder, however, I found myself skipping past the questions due to insufficient detail.

The book feels like a summary of a longer book. I would happily invest in the time reading a longer version if the author was encouraged to write it.

I suspect this would be a very handy summary for those who know St Ignatius's teaching well and seeking to discern a future direction in an aspect of one's life.

[Maggie | TheeReadingRedhead · Rating 4 out of 5]

📕 Standalone
🎭 Genre: Non-fiction/Personal Growth

🥜 In a Nutshell: A short devotional about discerning God's Voice.

✅ Inspired by the works of St. Ignatius
✅ Short Devotions & Reflection Questions
✅ Discusses Consolation vs. Desolation

This was a short read but had many interesting thoughts worth considering. I didn't read this as a daily devotional since I was reading it for a review, however, I think I would have enjoyed it even more if I had taken my time, reading one entry per day. I am not Catholic and did not realize that this would be based on St. Ignatius 's teachings. That being said, I was still able to get wisdom from this book and found the discussion about Consolation and Desolation fascinating. If you are looking for a short, thought-provoking devotional on discerning God's voice, you will probably enjoy this.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ebook provided for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Discern
Listening for God's Whispers
by Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ
Pub DateDec 03 2024
Loyola Press
Christian| Religion & Spirituality

I am reviewing a copy of Discern: Listening for God's Whispers:


I liked the concept of this book, but for a book on Discernment, it lacked substance, for those just learning about what it is to discern in the context of our Christian Faith, i.e listening to God's Whispers it would be a great introduction, but I don't feel it offers much for the seasoned believer!


The book is short, less than a hundred pages, so it would be less intimidating for a new believer, but I would have liked to see more with this book, a deeper dive into what it is to discern!

For these reasons I give Discern Four out of dive stars, it does have potential, but I don't feel
its deserving of five stars!


Happy Reading!

[Linda Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm Learning Much from this Book is the title of my review on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/review/R1W41EW...

I loved this book !!! And I enjoyed this book so much !!!
This godly, person of God reminded me so much of some of the things that Brother Lawrence shared SO MANY YEARS ago !!! I found Bother Lawrence timely with his wisdom and way ahead of the times when it came to sharing what he knew. So many people in the religious field had no idea about anything that he was sharing in this area !!!
With this author, I felt the same way about the wisdom he shared about getting into
and staying in the Presence of God !!!!
I look forward to reading more from this author !!!!
I also left a X mention on my account at https://x.com/LindaWalte89238

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Discern is a perfect companion who are looking for guidance in small and subtle ways to experience God’s presence and guidance in our everyday lives. Some key concepts to be explored in the reflections: consolation and desolation. Pulling heavily from Ignatius teaching’s, readers are given take a thought or practice, a small reflection or example of the practice, and then several reflection questions. Some days I read more than one entry at a time and other days, a single reflection occupied my thought and prayers for several days. Come prepared with a journal and an open heart to receive the most out of this guide.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

[Gen Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I find that reading books like this on a “limited” timeframe as an advance copy means that you don’t always find the current relevance in some parts, that may resonate months later.

Overall it was solid, some interesting questions that I have noted to come back to.

I wouldn’t recommend it widely, as it is more an intermediate level - if I was to see it in the store I would probably purchase for my mother.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very Catholic devotional type book. There are a few nuggets of good information but overall just okay. I wouldn't recommend this book, but I also wouldn't not recommend Discern either. It falls straight in the middle for me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher.