“Do not fear desolation; face it with perseverance, do not evade it,” Pope Francis said in his weekly general audience, continuing on his theme of discernment.

Pope Francis recounts his visit to Bahrain and the interfaith dialogue that occurred there: "Meeting each other and praying together, we felt we were of one heart and one soul."

“We must not remain defeated by a moment of sadness,” Pope Francis said in his Wednesday general audience about desolation, continuing his discussion of discernment.

“The plea for peace cannot be suppressed,” Pope Francis said today. “It rises from the hearts of mothers; it is deeply etched on the faces of refugees, displaced families, the wounded and the dying.”

Discernment is the narrative reading of the good moments and the dark moments, the consolations and desolations we experience in the course of our lives.

Desire is the lack of a reference point that orients the path of life; it evokes a suffering, a lack, and at the same time a tension to reach the good that we miss.

“It is important to know ourselves, to know the passwords of our heart, what we are most sensitive to, in order to protect ourselves from those who present themselves with persuasive words to manipulate us.”

Pope Francis in today's audience: "In our continuing catechesis on discernment, the process of making sound decisions about the God-given meaning and direction of our lives, we now consider the importance of prayer."

In his Sept. 21 general audience, Pope Francis recaps his trip to Kazakhstan, where he met with authorities there as well as with the small Catholic population.

Pope Francis delivers his general audience speech on the conversion and discernment of St. Ignatius, who encountered the unexpected and made the best of it.