Episode 44
44 | Silence in a Noisy Season: Practical Ways for Catholic Moms to Hear God
Feeling a bit lost in the hustle and bustle of motherhood—especially during the Advent and Christmas season? You’re not alone.
In week two of our Prepare Him Room mini-series, we’re talking about how to create silence in the middle of a busy, noisy season so you can begin hearing God’s voice.
As busy Catholic moms, it can feel nearly impossible to carve out time for prayer when kids, work, and responsibilities never stop. In this episode, I share simple, practical ways to quiet the noise, trust in God, and sit with Him in silence—even if you only have a minute. These small, intentional moments lay the foundation for discernment and living out your God-given purpose.
If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t hear God or felt discouraged in your prayer life, this episode will encourage you and give you one gentle, doable step to start today.
Grab your pen and notebook—this is a beautiful invitation to slow down, listen, and prepare your heart for Jesus this Advent.
I pray that this episode blesses and encourages you!
Michelle
✨ Next Steps:
- Join the Facebook community — Here
- Subscribe to the weekly The Inner Flame — Here
- Take "What is my God-Given purpose: Where to Begin?" quiz — Here
- Book a 1:1 Discernment Coaching Session — Here
✨ Email: hello@michellebrannam.com
✨ Website: https://MichelleBrannam.com
✨ Listen to Related Episodes:
- 05 | Is it God? How to Recognize His Voice Amidst the Noise?
- 19 | How to Become Closer to God While You Wait to Hear His Voice
- 42 | How Gratitude Strengthens Your Trust in God (and Helps You Hear His Guidance)
🕊️ Scripture Mentioned:
- Matthew 22:37
📖 Catechism of the Catholic Church Mentioned:
- CCC 2083
Bible Translation Used: All Scripture is quoted from the Revised Standard Version – Second Catholic Edition (RSV-2CE), The Great Adventure Catholic Bible, © Ascension Press. Used with permission.
Catechism of the Catholic Church Translation Used: Catechism of the Catholic Church, Ascension Edition © Ascension Press. Used with permission.
Transcript
In this part, it might feel uncomfortable at first, and that's okay.
Speaker A:We have to become comfortable with uncomfortable if we want to grow and become closer in God and grow towards who he created us to be.
Speaker A:Do you ever sit down to pray and wonder, why can't I hear God?
Speaker A:In today's Advent episode of our Prepare Him Room miniseries, we're going to be talking about how to create the silence in the middle of the noise and one simple way to begin hearing God.
Speaker A:Even with the kids work and a full schedule, grab your notebook and pen and let's do this.
Speaker B:If you're ready to break free from stuck, gain clarity and take steps towards discerning your unique purpose, all while following God's guidance to become the person he created you to be.
Speaker B:If so, you're in the right place.
Speaker B:Hello, I'm Michelle, a Catholic discernment mentor and spiritual coach who went from lost and questioning my purpose to confident in my unique calling using a Catholic based strategy that places God and the Catholic.
Speaker A:Faith at the center.
Speaker B:Are you ready to dive in?
Speaker B:Grab your pen and notebook and get.
Speaker A:Comfy, Open your heart and mind and.
Speaker B:Invite God in as we get ready to become who God created you to be.
Speaker B:Let's do this.
Speaker A:When I first began searching for my purpose, I tried so many little things.
Speaker A:Reading, I was listening to trusted Catholic priests.
Speaker A:I I was journaling, praying, hoping that just one of them would unlock clarity.
Speaker A:But I still felt stuck.
Speaker A:Like something wasn't right.
Speaker A:I had pieces but no path.
Speaker A:And if you've looked into this before and you're still exactly where you started, you're not doing anything wrong.
Speaker A:This is where so many women get stuck.
Speaker A:Not because they aren't trying, but because they don't have a clear path to move them forward.
Speaker A:That's why I offer purpose coaching.
Speaker A:In our personalized session, we'll take what you've already explored and begin shaping it into a simple, doable next step.
Speaker A:One that brings clarity, peace and confidence through God's guidance.
Speaker A:So go to Bit ly catholicpurposecoaching Bit ly catholicpurposecoaching to book your session.
Speaker A:Let's get you in Stuck together with God leading the way, let's get started.
Speaker A:When I first started seeking my purpose, I wanted so desperately to hear God's voice.
Speaker A:I kept thinking if I could just hear Him, I could finally know what my purpose is, what I'm supposed to do.
Speaker A:I searched online from reliable Catholic Resources.
Speaker A:I listened to Catholic praise.
Speaker A:I woke up early for prayer in my mindset routine and I journaled I tried listening to him during my Bible study time in the evenings, and over and over again, nothing.
Speaker A:And I honestly started to wonder if something was wrong with me.
Speaker A:I would ask myself, why can't I hear Him?
Speaker A:Why can everyone else hear God?
Speaker A:But I can't.
Speaker A:I remember listening to Fr.
Speaker A:Mike Schmidt talk about sitting with God in silence.
Speaker A:And I took that advice to heart.
Speaker A:So I sat in silence by our fireplace for over 30 days straight, asking Jesus to show Himself to me.
Speaker A:And even then, I still felt like I wasn't hearing anything.
Speaker A:That season of my life was really discouraging.
Speaker A:It was lonely and it was confusing.
Speaker A:And around that same time, I just had become a mom.
Speaker A:My time was limited, my life was loud.
Speaker A:And I just kept wondering, how am I supposed to hear God in the middle of the diapers, exhaustion, and just constant noise around me.
Speaker A:So when I tell you that I understand the frustration of the wondering and the feeling of, why can't I hear Him?
Speaker A:I truly mean it.
Speaker A:I've been there.
Speaker A:And that's why exactly I'm talking about this today.
Speaker A:I want you to know something with your whole heart.
Speaker A:You can hear God's voice in your busy season of motherhood.
Speaker A:And Advent is actually one of the most beautiful times to begin.
Speaker A:And remember, God is not distant.
Speaker A:He is gentle, and he is always near.
Speaker A:What I eventually learned is that hearing God, it didn't start with trying harder.
Speaker A:It started with learning how to slow down and make space for Him.
Speaker A:And I want to share exactly how you can begin starting that today.
Speaker A:So here's what I realized through all of that.
Speaker A:If God truly comes first, then my time has to reflect that.
Speaker A:I had to start beginning intentional with my time with him and truly decide that God comes first.
Speaker A: And Jesus tells us in Matthew: Speaker A: cism echoes that in paragraph: Speaker A:Love of God is our first priority.
Speaker A:So in other words, God is meant to come first in our lives.
Speaker A:So when we put him at the center, everything else begins to fall in place, even our purpose.
Speaker A:So if you remain focused on God and give him your time, your purpose will come in his timing.
Speaker A:So the first step is simple, but it's a decision we have to actually make.
Speaker A:We must make time for God.
Speaker A:Our life is loud.
Speaker A:Kids, work, home, responsibility.
Speaker A:And because of that, it can feel like quiet time with God.
Speaker A:It just isn't realistic.
Speaker A:And if we're not intentional, the outside world, that noise will dictate and Take over our time.
Speaker A:So we have to decide ahead of time.
Speaker A:I will not let the world take the time that belongs to God.
Speaker A:And if we're not careful, we will say, I don't have time.
Speaker A:I don't have time.
Speaker A:Then we won't make time.
Speaker A:We won't be intentional with our time.
Speaker A:We'll always use that as an excuse.
Speaker A:We need to be careful of saying that.
Speaker A:And I have been in the past guilty of that as well.
Speaker A:So I'm not calling you out.
Speaker A:I know this happens because I've done it myself.
Speaker A:Now, here are some practical ways that you can schedule and be intentional with your time with God.
Speaker A:You can use a planner or a calendar and just write in your time with God and treat it like an appointment.
Speaker A:You could set a daily alarm for the same time each day to remind you to sit down with God.
Speaker A:Or you can create an event on your phone calendar so when it goes off, you know it's the time to go to your quiet place.
Speaker A:You can do a combination of two of these.
Speaker A:You can do a combination of all three.
Speaker A:So that way you stick to it.
Speaker A:You have that reminder.
Speaker A:And then the next step is if we don't quiet the noise around us, it's very hard to quiet what's happening inside of us now, especially during Advent and Christmas, the noise around us only gets louder.
Speaker A:And it seems like the closer we get to Christmas, the louder it becomes.
Speaker A:So we have to be intentional about creating silence in this very busy season, because silence is where God is often able to speak and not in the chaos.
Speaker A:So we have to quiet our minds and quiet that chaos that's outside of us and take control.
Speaker A:Now that we've went over some ways that you could schedule and be intentional with your time with God and that we need to quiet the outer noise and why it's important.
Speaker A:Now you're thinking, okay, perfect.
Speaker A:I know, Michelle, you want me to sit in silence.
Speaker A:So, so exactly how do I sit in silence with God?
Speaker A:And I've actually seen this come through in the Facebook group asking, what do you do during the silence?
Speaker A:How long do you go?
Speaker A:Various questions came up on that.
Speaker A:So this is what my advice is to you.
Speaker A:If you're wondering, what do I do?
Speaker A:How do I sit in silence with God in this part, it might feel uncomfortable at first, and that's okay.
Speaker A:We have to become comfortable with uncomfortable if we want to grow and become closer in God and grow towards who he created us to be.
Speaker A:So just get comfortable with the uncomfortable.
Speaker A:And then this starts small.
Speaker A:So you want to sit with God in silence.
Speaker A:And this is something you can do to start small.
Speaker A:I don't want you to go sit and go, okay, I'm knocking out 30 minutes.
Speaker A:Oh, okay.
Speaker A:I'm going to sit with God for an hour.
Speaker A:That's unrealistically, unless you've got really great discipline.
Speaker A:But that's just something that you need to build into it in order to achieve and build that time over time.
Speaker A:So we want to start small.
Speaker A:We want to sit with God in silence for one minute today.
Speaker A:So I challenge you.
Speaker A:Today, sit for one minute with him in silence.
Speaker A:And then tomorrow, sit for two minutes, and then the next day, three, slowly spending this time with him and increasing that time.
Speaker A:And if you miss a day, because that can happen, don't quit, don't give up.
Speaker A:Just take this time.
Speaker A:As an observant.
Speaker A:I miss my time with God today.
Speaker A:What happened?
Speaker A:How can I prevent this happening again?
Speaker A:And then I want you to just start again where you left off.
Speaker A:And if you're already thinking, I'm going to forget doing this, I made a really simple Silence with God tracker to help you stay consistent.
Speaker A:And I'll tell you then how to grab it.
Speaker A:And if you're wondering, okay, so what do I say in the silence?
Speaker A:So when you're sitting in silence with God, you basically just want to do that.
Speaker A:You want to sit in silence with him.
Speaker A:And you can also, before you start to sit in silence with him, you can honor him and give glory to him.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:And it can just be something simple as saying, come, Jesus.
Speaker A:Come, Jesus.
Speaker A:Come, Jesus.
Speaker A:Or since we're in the season of Advent, you might want to say, oh, come, Emmanuel.
Speaker A:Oh, come, Emmanuel.
Speaker A:Oh, come, Emmanuel.
Speaker A:I open my heart and mind to you, and then just sit in silence.
Speaker A:And if you find yourself or you find your mind wandering, which is something that happens to me, still happens to me to this day, then you can just bring your mind back to Jesus and just say, come, Jesus.
Speaker A:Or since we're in the season of Advent, you can say, oh, come, Emmanuel.
Speaker A:And that'll bring you back to his presence to be in the silence with Him.
Speaker A:And then when your time is up, just thank him for being present with you, because that is gratitude and that shows appreciation to Him.
Speaker A:And I've talked about gratitude in the previous episode and how it strengthens your trust in God.
Speaker A:And I just want to encourage you.
Speaker A:I first started seeking God's voice when I became a mom.
Speaker A:I had limited time then, and I still do now.
Speaker A:I want you to know that you can hear God's Voice in this busy season of motherhood, and especially during Advent, when we're preparing our hearts for Jesus, God is not distant.
Speaker A:He is gentle and he meets us right where we are.
Speaker A:Just recap.
Speaker A:Before we go into the steps that you can start taking today, just remember, if God comes first, my time has to reflect that.
Speaker A:And hearing God begins when I intentionally make space for Him.
Speaker A:And lastly, God speaks in the quiet.
Speaker A:But I have to choose the quiet.
Speaker A:Let us pray in the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Jesus, as we wait and prepare for your coming during this Advent season, help us to sit in silence with you.
Speaker A:You invite us to be still and know that you are God.
Speaker A:Please quiet the noise around us and the noise within us.
Speaker A:Teach us how to be still, how to listen, and how to rest in your presence.
Speaker A:We offer you this time and place in our hearts before you.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:In the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
Speaker A:Now let's take this from head to heart.
Speaker A:Knowing the truth is powerful, but that real change comes when we act.
Speaker A:So let's make this really simple.
Speaker A:Your only action step today is to sit with God in silence for one minute.
Speaker A:Put it in your calendar, set the alarm, choose your quiet spot and just say, come Jesus, just be with him.
Speaker A:And that's how this journey of hearing God begins.
Speaker A:Small, faithful, quiet steps.
Speaker A:And now if you're thinking, I want to do this, but I know how easy it is to forget.
Speaker A:So if you want to stay consistent with this, I created a simple Silence with God tracker for you to help you build this habit gently and you can grab it for free inside my Catholic Moms Facebook Group community, Finding youg Discernment and Strategy for Catholic Moms.
Speaker A:The link is in the show notes or you can search for Finding youg Discernment Strategy for Catholic Moms within Facebook.
Speaker A:And remember, my beautiful sister in Christ, that God uniquely created you for a unique purpose.
Speaker A:You were made to do great things.
Speaker A:God is within you and you will not fail.
Speaker A:I look forward to continuing this journey with you.
Speaker B:I'll meet you next Tuesday for another conversation.
Speaker A:Until then, may God bless you and bring you peace.
Speaker B:Thank you so much for joining me today.
Speaker B:I pray that today's episode blesses and encourages you.
Speaker B:If so, would you please share it with someone you know that would be blessed by it?
Speaker B:If you felt inspired or learned something Today, please take 30 seconds to leave.
Speaker A:A written review on Apple Podcasts.
Speaker A:This is the number one way to let me know that you are liking.
Speaker B:The show and for me to reach other Catholic women like yourself.
Speaker B:If you're feeling uncertain or lost on your discernment journey, you're not alone.
Speaker B:Join us over in the free Facebook community, where Catholic women just like you are sharing, supporting, and growing together in faith.
Speaker B:I look forward to continuing this journey with you.
Speaker B:God bless you.
