"The Longing of the Heart" Part 1, "The Awareness of Longing," is a reflection on our deepest longings as something "deeply human and deeply sacred".

The session encourages viewers not to tame their longings, but to "treasure them as portals to prayer and connection". The core of this reflection is becoming aware of the quiet longing, that subtle ache that exists beneath daily life. This longing is not a problem to solve or something to run from, but a gift that shows where God is already reaching us.

Gary invites listeners to reflect on the specific longing that brought them to the session, meeting it "with openness and acceptance". The reflection concludes with a reading of a poem by John O'Donohue.