"Wasting time with God" - A Conversation about Prayer

Ardere

In the spring semester of 2026, I spent time with the super smart students of Székesfehérvár in their awesome media center for another round of interviews. (Can you believe they led all these interviews in what is, for them, a foreign language, namely English?)In this interview, we discuss "foundations of the spiritual life" or, more specifically, the presence of God, community, liturgy, prayer and Scripture. 0:00 Introduction 0:55 Experiencing the Presence of God 6:20 Getting Started in the Spiritual Life (Desire and Community)11:20 Some Spiritual Communities in Dallas and Hungary15:15 The Importance of "Tradition" in Catholic Faith (Liturgy & Distraction)20:41 Finding Our "Originality" in Prayer23:20 Silence and Prayer25:28 Prayer as "Wasting Time" with God29:50 Reading the Bible35:59 Seeking "Results" in Prayer (Results vs. Relationship)

About Podcast

There is only one true and lasting energy -- the love of God. Drawing upon the Cistercian tradition, the Ardere Podcast delivers Catholic content designed to enflame the heart with ardent love for God and neighbor. It is inspired by Bl. John Brenner, a Hungarian Cistercian for whom the motto "to be aflame and to enlighten" (ardere et lucere) was a guiding principle until his martyrdom under communism in 1957. His icon is the image for this podcast.