Listen with Love

Suhail Stephen & Mary Coswin, OSB
  • 5.0 (2)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Conversations about Spiritual Direction. Recorded at St. Benedict’s Monastery in Winnipeg and hosted by good friends Suhail Stephen and Mary Coswin, OSB—both seasoned spiritual directors and teachers of spiritual direction—Listen with Love explores the ministry of spiritual direction within the Christian tradition. With personal stories and meaningful (often humorous) dialogue, the podcast aims to deepen understanding about spiritual direction, encourage the vocation of spiritual directors, and reflect how spiritual direction feels — all with a view to seeing individuals, communities, and the Church flourish. listenwithlove.substack.com

Episodes

  1. Suspicions About Spiritual Direction (E03)

    8 HRS AGO

    Suspicions About Spiritual Direction (E03)

    Recorded on the feast day of St. Thérèse of Lisieux (October 1), Suhail and Mary begin by reflecting on their experience of the podcast so far and on “the Little Flower,” especially her autobiography, Story of a Soul. In anticipation of clarifying terms, they then explore common suspicions people may have about spiritual direction: questions about power dynamics, concerns about trendiness, what “spiritual” really means, and whether human intermediaries are necessary. They also consider what distinguishes spiritual direction from other helping modalities such as coaching, counselling, and psychotherapy. SHOW NOTES Recording * We use two Rode PodMics that go into an Apogee Duet connected to a MacBook Air and record the audio using Logic Pro. The audio is then edited with Auphonic, reimported into Logic, and arranged with music. The intro and middle music are parts of the song “World Without End,” written by Suhail. The outro music is a free sample he found somewhere. People * St. Thérèse of Lisieux — also known as “the Little Flower,” was a French Carmelite nun whose spiritual teaching emphasizes the “little way”: a path of trust, humility, and love in ordinary life. She lived from 1873 to 1897. Books * Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux — St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1898) References * The allusions to two scripture passages from the book of James on joy and confession are James 1:2-4 and James 5:16, respectively. Jesus, characterized as “Wonderful Counsellor,” is from Isaiah 9:6. Traditions * Carmelite — Refers to members of the Carmelite religious tradition, which emphasizes contemplative prayer, interior life, and attentiveness to God’s presence. Carmelite spirituality is shaped by figures such as St. Teresa of Ávila, St. John of the Cross, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux. * “Confessor” — In Christianity, a confessor is a person (often a priest) who receives another’s disclosure of sins or struggles, offers prayer and counsel, and speaks words of forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit listenwithlove.substack.com

    29 min
  2. Who Is Suhail and How Did We Become Spiritual Directors and Teachers? (E02)

    FEB 3

    Who Is Suhail and How Did We Become Spiritual Directors and Teachers? (E02)

    Suhail reflects on his first encounters with spiritual direction—how it seemed to “want” him, resonating deeply with who he was and awakening an unfamiliar joy and desire. Together, Suhail and Mary explore how spiritual direction showed up within their respective Protestant and Catholic upbringings, how they discerned their vocation as spiritual directors, and were invited into the work of training others in this ministry. SHOW NOTES Places * North End — A historic and diverse Winnipeg neighbourhood marked by both economic inequality and deep community resilience, shaped by immigration, Indigenous presence, and strong networks of mutual care. Traditions * Jesuit — Refers to members and the spirituality of the Society of Jesus, a Catholic religious order founded in the 16th century by St. Ignatius of Loyola. Formation * Order of the Common Life — A modern, ecumenical religious order offering monastic formation, spiritual direction training, and church formation. * Supervision / Supervisor — The reflective, regular practice of an experienced spiritual director (a “supervisor”) supporting another director in their ongoing formation and skill in offering spiritual direction. * Suhail’s practice — Offering spiritual direction, spiritual direction training, etc. Programs * School of Mercy and Justice — A formation program (founded and directed by Suhail when he worked in the North End) that offers spiritual formation for those actively engaged in mercy and justice work. * School of Spiritual Direction / Sustainable Faith — A two-year spiritual direction training offered through Sustainable Faith, which also offers various other trainings. Books * The Listener — Taylor Caldwell (1987) People * Sandra Stewart * David Walsh * Sister Maureen Conroy This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit listenwithlove.substack.com

    29 min
  3. What Is This Podcast About and Who Is Mary? (E01)

    JAN 20

    What Is This Podcast About and Who Is Mary? (E01)

    Season 1, Episode 1 Beginning with a land acknowledgement, Mary and Suhail introduce Listen with Love, recorded at St. Benedict’s Monastery in Winnipeg, MB, Canada. They reflect on how the monastery shaped their friendship and led to the creation of the podcast, including the origin of its name. Mary shares how spiritual direction found her and her journey into becoming a spiritual director, and how experiences of beauty and a formative dream she had at age fourteen led her to her vocation as a Benedictine nun. SHOW NOTES Places * Land Acknowledgement — Winnipeg is on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the national homeland of the Red River Métis. Its water is sourced from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation. * St. Benedict’s Monastery — A Benedictine community of prayer and hospitality in Winnipeg, where this podcast was recorded. Prior to moving to its current location in St. Boniface in 2023, the monastery housed a girls’ academy, retreat centre, retirement community, and spiritual direction training program. Traditions * Rule and Order of St. Benedict — The foundational guide of Benedictine monastic life, created by St. Benedict of Nursia in the 6th century. The Order of St. Benedict (O.S.B.) grew out of this tradition. * 19th Annotation / Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius — A classic Christian prayer and discernment resource created by St. Ignatius of Loyola (the founder of the Jesuits) in the 16th century intended form “contemplatives in action.” Formation * Enneagram (Type Four) — A personality framework with nine different types and various movements within. Mary alludes to being a type “Four,” which, incidentally, Suhail is as well. Quotes * “Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person they are almost indistinguishable.” — David W. Augsburger, Caring Enough to Hear and Be Heard (1982) * “To ‘listen’ another’s soul into a condition of disclosure and discovery may be almost the greatest service that any human being ever performs for another.” — Douglas V. Steere, On Listening to Another (1955) * “Hearing to speech” — Concept articulated by Nelle Morton in her essay “Beloved Image,” later included in The Journey Is Home (1985) * In relation to the title of the podcast, Suhail talks about the centrality of love for the earliest Christians in allusion to To Love as God Loves: Conversations with the Early Church — Roberta C. Bondi (1987) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit listenwithlove.substack.com

    33 min
  4. Welcome to Listen with Love

    TRAILER

    Welcome to Listen with Love

    Recorded at St. Benedict’s Monastery in Winnipeg and hosted by good friends Suhail Stephen and Mary Coswin, OSB—both seasoned spiritual directors and teachers of spiritual direction—Listen with Love explores the ministry of spiritual direction within the Christian tradition. With personal stories and meaningful (often humorous) dialogue, the podcast aims to deepen understanding about spiritual direction, encourage the vocation of spiritual directors, and reflect how spiritual direction feels — all with a view to seeing individuals, communities, and the Church flourish. Season One has 12 episodes, with each episode releasing every two weeks. Reflections and conversations live on our Substack. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit listenwithlove.substack.com

    2 min

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Conversations about Spiritual Direction. Recorded at St. Benedict’s Monastery in Winnipeg and hosted by good friends Suhail Stephen and Mary Coswin, OSB—both seasoned spiritual directors and teachers of spiritual direction—Listen with Love explores the ministry of spiritual direction within the Christian tradition. With personal stories and meaningful (often humorous) dialogue, the podcast aims to deepen understanding about spiritual direction, encourage the vocation of spiritual directors, and reflect how spiritual direction feels — all with a view to seeing individuals, communities, and the Church flourish. listenwithlove.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Suhail Stephen & Mary Coswin, OSB
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Listen with Love
  • Show Website
    Listen with Love