IP#353 Sally Read – Annunciation on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

Annunciation – Annunciation on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor Kris McGregor speaks with Sally Read about Annunciation: A Call to Faith in a Broken World, a book Sally wrote as a letter to her daughter and as a reflection on faith, motherhood, and conversion. Sally describes the Annunciation as a pattern for every life: God calls, the soul answers, and trust must continue even when prayer feels dry or difficult. She presents Mary not as weak or passive, but as courageous, powerful, and deeply faithful, and shares how her own view of Mary changed after moving from atheism to Catholicism. The book explores how to pass faith on to children in a world marked by anxiety, despair, and distraction. Sally recounts her daughter’s honest questions about Mass, Communion, and belief, and explains that faith is less about dramatic feelings than about opening oneself to God. Kris and Sally connect Scripture, suffering, grief, identity, and contemplation, showing how prayer and the Eucharist can transform ordinary pain and confusion into grace. By the end, the Annunciation becomes a living invitation in daily life, with each moment offering another chance to say yes to God. You can find the book here Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

1. How do I respond to God’s invitations in my daily life, especially when I feel uncertain or afraid?
2. In what ways can I grow in trust like Mary, even when I do not fully understand what God is asking of me?
3. Do I rely too much on feelings in my prayer life, or am I willing to remain faithful during spiritual dryness?
4. How can I better communicate the truths of the faith to others, especially children or those struggling with belief?
5. What fears or anxieties keep me from fully surrendering to God’s will?
6. How do I bring my grief, struggles, or suffering to God in prayer and the Eucharist?
7. In what ways can I cultivate a deeper habit of contemplation and interior silence in my life?
8. Do I truly understand my identity as someone loved and called by God?
9. How can I recognize each moment of my life as an opportunity to say yes to God?
10. What practical steps can I take to grow in faith and trust in a world marked by distraction and despair?

From the book description Sensing the precarious nature of faith in an overwhelmingly secular world, Read, through meditation and anecdote, began writing down the compelling reasons for holding onto both God and Church. Taking the Annunciation as her template (that most fundamental yes to God), she explores common experiences of the spiritual life: His presence and invitation (And he came to her); the fears we have to let go of (Do not be afraid); the realization of our identity in God (Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord) and what our vocation might be (Let it be to me according to your word); and when God feels very distant from us (And the angel departed from her). Drawing on Scripture, lives of the saints, and the lives of people she has known personally and professionally as a nurse, Read shows how God is with us always―through suffering, spiritual dryness and depression, as well as in joyful and mystical ways. This book was inspired by a mother's loving response to a daughter―but what has resulted is something that will speak to any believer engaged in the bliss and bewilderment of a relationship with God. About the Author Sally Read is the author of Night's Bright Darkness: A Modern Conversion Story (Ignatius Press, 2016) and three books of poetry published by Bloodaxe Books. She is poet in residence with the Hermitage of the Three Holy Hierarchs, and she lives with her family near Rome.