Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts - Series: Recent Episodes
Discerning Hearts
Podcasts with the best of Catholic Spirituality and Prayer Dedicated to those on the spiritual journey
What a delight to be joined once again by Fr. Donald Haggerty! He has become one of our favorite spiritual writers of our present-day! In this episode, we discuss "Contemplative Engimas: Insights and Aid on the Path to Deeper Prayer." We cannot more highly recommend this beautiful work. If all you do is read a couple of pages a day that would more then enough for you to feel like you’ve been sitting at the feet of a spiritual master for an entire day! Every page is a gem! You can find the book here From the book description:
Despite signs in recent decades of a crisis in the Church, a countercurrent of intense interest in prayer and serious spiritual life is clearly at work today. A deeper esteem for a contemplative dimension of spiritual life has accompanied this turning to prayer, and many people have a need for some form of direction and guidance. Written by a recognized expert on contemplative spirituality, this book concentrates on the mystery of interior trial and difficulty in contemplative prayer. The hardships experienced in the interior life by souls who give themselves to God wholeheartedly are often little acknowledged; yet they are seen with some regularity in contemplative lives. This work offers more than a summary of the symptoms of trial in a contemplative spirituality. The poignant observations have a source in the author's long years of experience in retreat work with souls of contemplative depth. Personal experience, not simply knowledge of the spiritual tradition, informs these insightful reflections. The concise, carefully crafted comments of this book delve into spiritual difficulties and conundrums in a uniquely personal and penetrating manner. Throughout the book, the writing invites the reader to ponder the subject of spiritual darkness and perplexity and simple struggle in the spiritual life always in the light of the loving hand of God drawing the soul into a greater surrender to himself. The work offers a unique aid and stimulus in the quest for a deeper spirituality. Other conversations with Fr. Haggerty on Inside the Pages: Fr. Donald Haggerty -Contemplative Hunger on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor Fr. Donald Haggerty - Conversion on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor Podcast
Episode 12 - In this conversation, Fr. Gallagher reflects on St. Therese's "charism of wisdom" and her "little way" as compassionate, often hidden, expressions of love.
St. Therese of Liesuex[/caption] Here are some of the various texts Fr. Gallagher refers to in this episode: The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. I: 1877-1890 (Critical edition of the complete works of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux)
Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. II
From the "Story of a Soul The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Study Edition" I remember an act of charity God inspired me to perform while I was still a novice. It was only a very small thing, but our Father who sees in secret and who looks more upon the intention than upon the greatness of the act has already rewarded me without my having to wait for the next life. [20] It was at the time Sister St. Pierre was still going to the choir and the refectory. She was placed in front of me during evening prayer. At ten minutes to six a Sister had to get up and lead her to the refectory, for the infirmarians had too many patients and were unable [29r °] to attend to her. It cost me very much to offer myself for this little service because I knew it was not easy to please Sister St. Pierre. She was suffering very much and she did not like it when her helpers were changed. However, I did not want to lose such a [5] beautiful opportunity for exercising charity, remembering the words of Jesus: “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers, you do to me.” 335 I offered myself very humbly to lead her, and it was with a great deal of trouble that I succeeded in having my services accepted! I finally set to work and had so much good will that I succeeded perfectly.
[10] Each evening when I saw Sister St. Pierre shake her hourglass I knew this meant: Let’s go! It is incredible how difficult it was for me to get up, especially at the beginning; however, I did it immediately, and then a ritual was set in motion. I had to remove and carry her little bench in a certain way, above all I was not to hurry, and then [15] the walk took place. It was a question of following the poor invalid by holding her cincture; I did this with as much gentleness as possible. But if by mistake she took a false step, immediately it appeared to her that I was holding her incorrectly and that she was about to fall. “Ah! my God! You are going too fast; I’m going to break something.” If I tried to go more [20] slowly: “Well, come on! I don’t feel your hand; you’ve let me go and I’m going to fall! Ah! I was right when I said you were too young to help me.”
Finally, we reached the refectory without mishap; and here other difficulties arose. I had to seat Sister St. Pierre and I had to act skillfully in order [29v °] not to hurt her; then I had to turn back her sleeves (again in a certain way), and afterward I was free to leave. With her poor crippled hands she was trying to manage with her bread as well as she could. I soon noticed this, and, each evening, I did not leave her until after I had rendered [5] her this little service. As she had not asked for this, she was very much touched by my attention, and it was by this means that I gained her entire good graces, and this especially (I learned this later) because, after cutting her bread for her, I gave her my most beautiful smile before leaving her all alone.
Foley OCD, Marc. Story of a Soul The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Study Edition (pp. 390). ICS Publications. Kindle Edition.
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series "Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola". For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org For the other episodes in this series check out "The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux with Fr. Timothy Gallagher - Discerning Hearts” page
Episode 4 - Simon the Magician - "Villains of the Early Church: And How They Made Us Better Christians" In this episode, Mike Aquilina and Kris McGregor discuss Simon the Magician and learning from pride and hubris. An excerpt from Villains of the Early Church:
IF THERE had been supermarket tabloids in Rome of the first century, Simon Magus, or Simon the Magician, would have been on the front pages every week. His story gives us zombies, levitation, a talking dog, a jewel heist, and a prophesying baby, just to name a few of the highlights. But it all begins with a true story in the Acts of the Apostles. Aquilina, Mike. Villains of the Early Church: And How They Made Us Better Christians (Kindle Locations 528). Emmaus Road Publishing. Kindle Edition. For more episodes in the Villians of the Early Church podcast visit here - Villains of the Early Church - Discerning Hearts Podcast You can find the book on which this series is based here Mike Aquilina is a popular author working in the area of Church history, especially patristics, the study of the early Church Fathers.[1] He is executive vice-president and trustee of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, a Roman Catholic research center based in Steubenville, Ohio. He is a contributing editor of Angelus (magazine) and general editor of the Reclaiming Catholic History Series from Ave Maria Press. He is the author or editor of more than fifty books, including The Fathers of the Church (2006); The Mass of the Early Christians (2007); Living the Mysteries (2003); and What Catholics Believe(1999). He has hosted eleven television series on the Eternal Word Television Network and is a frequent guest commentator on Catholic radio. Mike Aquilina's website is found at fathersofthechurch.com
Heart of Hope Part 2 - The agony of emotional suffering and opportunities for deeper union with Jesus; the reason for pastoral ministry Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., the director of Theological Formation for the Institute for Priestly Formation, located at Creighton University, in Omaha. This extraordinarily popular series explores the work of suffering in the Christian life and how God can use it to transform the heart of the individual and the world.
The “Heart of Hope” tackles a very tough subject…the gift of suffering in the Christian life. Deacon Keating guides us well. You can find other episodes in the Heart of Hope - Discerning Hearts series page
In this episode, Dr. Lilles discusses the Fifth Mansions Chapter 2 of the "Interior Castle" which covers:
EXPLAINS THE PRAYER OF UNION BY A DELICATE COMPARISON AND SPEAKS OF THE EFFECTS IT LEAVES UPON THE SOUL. THIS CHAPTER SHOULD RECEIVE GREAT ATTENTION. 1. The soul compared to a butterfly. 2. The grandeur of creation. 3. Symbol of the soul and the silkworm. 4. Preparation of the soul for God’ s indwelling. 5. Mystic death of the silkworm. 6. Effects of divine union. 7. Increase of fervor and detachment. 8. Trials succeeding the prayer of union. 9. Longing for death and zeal for God’s honor. 10. This zeal supernatural. 11. God alone works this grace. 12. The same zeal as that felt by our Lord on earth. 13. Christ’s keenest suffering.
For the Discerning Hearts audio recording of the "Interior Castle" by St. Teresa of Avila you can visit hereFor other audio recordings of various spiritual classics you can visit the Discerning Hearts Spiritual Classics page For other episodes in the series visit The Discerning Hearts "The Interior Castle with Dr. Anthony Lilles" Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. is an associate professor and the academic dean of Saint John's Seminary in Camarillo as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years he served the Church in Northern Colorado where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Through the years, clergy, seminarians, religious and lay faithful have benefited from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of St. Elisabeth of the Trinity.
Dr. Matthew Bunson discusses the life, times and teachings of St. Isidore of Seville
Born: c. 560 Cartagena, Spain
Died: 4 April 636 Seville, Spain
For more on St. Isidore of Seville and his teachings From Vatican.va, an excerpt from the teachings ofPope Benedict XVI General Audience 2008 To understand Isidore better it is first of all necessary to recall the complexity of the political situations in his time to which I have already referred: during the years of his boyhood he was obliged to experience the bitterness of exile. He was nevertheless pervaded with apostolic enthusiasm. He experienced the rapture of contributing to the formation of a people that was at last rediscovering its unity, both political and religious, with the providential conversion of Hermenegild, the heir to the Visigoth throne, from Arianism to the Catholic faith. Yet we must not underestimate the enormous difficulty of coming to grips with such very serious problems as were the relations with heretics and with the Jews. There was a whole series of problems which appear very concrete to us today too, especially if we consider what is happening in certain regions in which we seem almost to be witnessing the recurrence of situations very similar to those that existed on the Iberian Peninsular in that sixth century. The wealth of cultural knowledge that Isidore had assimilated enabled him to constantly compare the Christian newness with the Greco-Roman cultural heritage, however, rather than the precious gift of synthesis it would seem that he possessed the gift of collatio, that is, of collecting, which he expressed in an extraordinary personal erudition, although it was not always ordered as might have been desired.
In any case, his nagging worry not to overlook anything that human experience had produced in the history of his homeland and of the whole world is admirable. Isidore did not want to lose anything that man had acquired in the epochs of antiquity, regardless of whether they had been pagan, Jewish or Christian. Hence, it should not come as a surprise if, in pursuing this goal, he did not always manage to filter the knowledge he possessed sufficiently in the purifying waters of the Christian faith as he would have wished. The point is, however, that in Isidore's intentions, the proposals he made were always in tune with the Catholic faith which he staunchly upheld. In the discussion of the various theological problems, he showed that he perceived their complexity and often astutely suggested solutions that summarize and express the complete Christian truth. This has enabled believers through the ages and to our times to profit with gratitude from his definitions. A significant example of this is offered by Isidore's teaching on the relations between active and contemplative life. He wrote: "Those who seek to attain repose in contemplation must first train in the stadium of active life; and then, free from the dross of sin, they will be able to display that pure heart which alone makes the vision of God possible" (Differentiarum Lib. II, 34, 133: PL 83, col 91A). Nonetheless, the realism of a true pastor convinced him of the risk the faithful run of reducing themselves to one dimension. He therefore added: "The middle way, consisting of both of these forms of life, normally turns out to be more useful in resolving those tensions which are often aggravated by the choice of a single way of life and are instead better tempered by an alternation of the two forms" (op. cit. 134; ibid., col 91B).
Isidore sought in Christ's example the definitive confirmation of a just orientation of life and said: "The Saviour Jesus offers us the example of active life when during the day he devoted himself to working signs and miracles in the town, but he showed the contemplative life when he withdrew to the mountain and spent the night in prayer" (op. cit. 134: ibid.). In the light of this example of the divine Teacher, Isidore can conclude with this precise moral teaching: "Therefore let the servant of God, imitating Christ, dedicate himself to contemplation without denying himself active life. Behaving otherwise would not be right. Indeed, just as we must love God in contemplation, so we must love our neighbour with action. It is therefore impossible to live without the presence of both the one and the other form of life, nor can we live without experiencing both the one and the other" (op. cit., 135; ibid. col 91C). I consider that this is the synthesis of a life that seeks contemplation of God, dialogue with God in prayer and in the reading of Sacred Scripture, as well as action at the service of the human community and of our neighbour. This synthesis is the lesson that the great Bishop of Seville has bequeathed to us, Christians of today, called to witness to Christ at the beginning of a new millennium.
For more visit Vatican.va
For more from Dr. Matthew Bunson check out his Discerning Hearts page Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and a senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to Church history, the papacy, the saints and Catholic culture. He is faculty chair at Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co-author of over 50 books including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History, The Pope Encyclopedia, We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, The Saints Encyclopedia and best-selling biographies of St. Damien of Molokai and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
Heart of Hope Part 1 – The role of the Cross in the Christian life, suffering, prayer and how it conquers evil
Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., the director of Theological Formation for the Institute for Priestly Formation, located at Creighton University, in Omaha. This series explores the work of suffering in the Christian life and how God can use it to transform the heart of the individual and the world. The “Heart of Hope” tackles a very tough subject…the gift of suffering in the Christian life. Deacon Keating guides us well.
You can find other episodes in the Heart of Hope - Discerning Hearts series page
Episode 3 - Pontius Pilate - "Villains of the Early Church: And How They Made Us Better Christians" In this episode, Mike Aquilina and Kris McGregor discuss Pontius Pilate and learning from his weakness. An excerpt from Villains of the Early Church:
Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate. Countless millions of Christians recite that simple historical fact when they profess their faith. It reminds us that this is real history we’re dealing with. The death and Resurrection of Jesus are not just metaphors or allegories: they really happened at a particular moment in history. Pilate is our anchor to that historical moment. He is our grounding in historical fact. But he’s also one of the most fascinating characters in the Gospels. His doubt and dithering in the face of an unpredictable mob make him more than just a villain. They make him human, and we feel real sympathy for him. He’s doing a bad job, but in his position it was nearly impossible to do a good job. For more episodes in the Villians of the Early Church podcast visit here - Villains of the Early Church - Discerning Hearts Podcast Aquilina, Mike. Villains of the Early Church: And How They Made Us Better Christians (Kindle Locations 391). Emmaus Road Publishing. Kindle Edition. You can find the book on which this series is based here Mike Aquilina is a popular author working in the area of Church history, especially patristics, the study of the early Church Fathers.[1] He is the executive vice-president and trustee of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, a Roman Catholic research center based in Steubenville, Ohio. He is a contributing editor of Angelus (magazine) and general editor of the Reclaiming Catholic History Series from Ave Maria Press. He is the author or editor of more than fifty books, including The Fathers of the Church (2006); The Mass of the Early Christians (2007); Living the Mysteries (2003); and What Catholics Believe(1999). He has hosted eleven television series on the Eternal Word Television Network and is a frequent guest commentator on Catholic radio. Mike Aquilina's website is found at fathersofthechurch.com
Episode 11 - In this conversation, Fr. Gallagher reflects on the ordinary quality of St. Therese's holiness by reading from the testimony of those who knew her. He answers the question, "Could St. Therese be considered a mystic?"
Here are some of the various texts Fr. Gallagher refers to in this episode: The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. I: 1877-1890 (Critical edition of the complete works of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux)
Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. II
From the Witnesses of the ordinary trial - Witness one: Agnes de Jesus (Pauline Martin) One of them said that it wasn’t difficult being holy when one had everything one could wish for as she did, and when one lived with one’s family and was pampered. I am obliged to say that this senior professed nun, who was not of very sound judgement, decided to leave the monastery and is now living out in the world. Another, during her last illness, said, “I wonder what our Mother Prioress could possibly write about Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus. What can you say about someone who has been constantly cosseted and hasn’t acquired virtue at the cost of struggles and suffering like us? She is meek and good, but these things come naturally to her.” [LC 29-7] I heard these words through Sr Thérèse herself, who had heard them. The nun who pronounced them is now dead. On the other hand, that same nun, who was a Lay Nun, said on other occasions that Sister Thérèse of the Child [241v] Jesus was a saint
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series "Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola". For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org For the other episodes in this series check out "The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux with Fr. Timothy Gallagher - Discerning Hearts” page
Dr. Matthew Bunson discusses the life, times and teachings of St. Gregory the Great part 2
Born: 540 AD, Rome, Italy
Died: March 12, 604 AD, Rome, Italy
For more on St. Gregory the Great and his teachings Gregory the Great, Pope (c. 540-604) - Pastoral Rule - Register of Letters From Vatican.va, an excerpt from the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI General Audience 2008 In the theological plan that Gregory develops regarding his works, the past, present and future are compared. What counted for him more than anything was the entire arch of salvation history, that continues to unfold in the obscure meanderings of time. In this perspective it is significant that he inserted the news of the conversion of the Angles in the middle of his Book of Morals, a commentary on Job: to his eyes the event constituted a furthering of the Kingdom of God which the Scripture treats. Therefore, it could rightly be mentioned in the commentary on a holy book. According to him the leaders of Christian communities must commit themselves to reread events in the light of the Word of God: in this sense the great Pontiff felt he had the duty to orient pastors and the faithful on the spiritual itinerary of an enlightened and correct lectio divina, placed in the context of one's own life.
Before concluding it is necessary to say a word on the relationship that Pope Gregory nurtured with the Patriarchs of Antioch, of Alexandria and of Constantinople itself. He always concerned himself with recognizing and respecting rights, protecting them from every interference that would limit legitimate autonomy. Still, if St Gregory, in the context of the historical situation, was opposed to the title "ecumenical" on the part of the Patriarch of Constantinople, it was not to limit or negate this legitimate authority but rather because he was concerned about the fraternal unity of the universal Church. Above all he was profoundly convinced that humility should be the fundamental virtue for every Bishop, even more so for the Patriarch. Gregory remained a simple monk in his heart and therefore was decisively contrary to great titles. He wanted to be - and this is his expression -servus servorum Dei. Coined by him, this phrase was not just a pious formula on his lips but a true manifestation of his way of living and acting. He was intimately struck by the humility of God, who in Christ made himself our servant. He washed and washes our dirty feet. Therefore, he was convinced that a Bishop, above all, should imitate this humility of God and follow Christ in this way. His desire was to live truly as a monk, in permanent contact with the Word of God, but for love of God he knew how to make himself the servant of all in a time full of tribulation and suffering. He knew how to make himself the "servant of the servants". Precisely because he was this, he is great and also shows us the measure of true greatness.
For more visit Vatican.va
For more from Dr. Matthew Bunson check out his Discerning Hearts page Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and a senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to Church history, the papacy, the saints and Catholic culture. He is faculty chair at Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co-author of over 50 books including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History, The Pope Encyclopedia, We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, The Saints Encyclopedia and best-selling biographies of St. Damien of Molokai and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
A NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION FOR LIFE!!! Have a relationship with God and know your identity! Msgr. Esseff asks the question, "Do you truly know how to pray?" in this Discerning Hearts Podcast. We need to learn to listen. How can we learn to listen? Why is a journal important? He then brings forward a basic of prayer, R.I.M.: Relationship, Identity, and Mission. He breaks this open for us in a concrete, practical way using, among other things, the "Our Father."
Matthew 6:9-13 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) 9 Pray then like this:
Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread;[a] 12 And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors; 13 And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.[b]
In this episode, Dr. Lilles discusses the Fifth Mansions Chapter 1 of the "Interior Castle" which covers:
- Graces of the fifth mansions. 2. Contemplation to be striven for. 3. Physical effects of the Prayer of union. 4. Amazement of the intellect. 5. The Prayer of union and of quiet contrasted. 6. Divine and earthly union. 7. Competent directors in these matters. 8. Proof of union. 9. Assurance left in the soul. 10. Divine union beyond our Power to obtain.
For the Discerning Hearts audio recording of the "Interior Castle" by St. Teresa of Avila you can visit hereFor other audio recordings of various spiritual classics you can visit the Discerning Hearts Spiritual Classics page For other episodes in the series visit The Discerning Hearts "The Interior Castle with Dr. Anthony Lilles" Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. is an associate professor and the academic dean of Saint John's Seminary in Camarillo as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years he served the Church in Northern Colorado where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Through the years, clergy, seminarians, religious and lay faithful have benefited from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of St. Elisabeth of the Trinity.
Episode 2 - Caiaphas - "Villains of the Early Church: And How They Made Us Better Christians" In this episode, Mike Aquilina and Kris McGregor discuss Caiaphas and the temptation of unholy compromises. An excerpt from Villains of the Early Church:
CAIAPHAS IS mentioned everywhere in the Church Fathers, but almost as furniture—“ and Jesus was brought before Caiaphas.” If the early Christian writers are interested in anything about him, it’s that he could prophesy truly because of his office. Otherwise, they don’t seem to find much remarkable in him. He’s the banality of evil. A bureaucrat. Yet, Caiaphas, like many of the characters caught up in the Passion story, was in a complicated position—more complicated than we may realize when we hear the story in the Gospels. Aquilina, Mike. Villains of the Early Church: And How They Made Us Better Christians (Kindle Locations 304). Emmaus Road Publishing. Kindle Edition. You can find the book on which this series is based here Mike Aquilina is a popular author working in the area of Church history, especially patristics, the study of the early Church Fathers.[1] He is executive vice-president and trustee of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, a Roman Catholic research center based in Steubenville, Ohio. He is a contributing editor of Angelus (magazine) and general editor of the Reclaiming Catholic History Series from Ave Maria Press. He is the author or editor of more than fifty books, including The Fathers of the Church (2006); The Mass of the Early Christians (2007); Living the Mysteries (2003); and What Catholics Believe(1999). He has hosted eleven television series on the Eternal Word Television Network and is a frequent guest commentator on Catholic radio. Mike Aquilina's website is found at fathersofthechurch.com
Episode 10 - In this conversation, Fr. Gallagher continues his reflection on "the little way" and then discusses the Christmas moment that St. Therese described as her "complete conversion" moment.
St. Therese of Liesuex[/caption] Here are some of the various texts Fr. Gallagher refers to in this episode: The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. I: 1877-1890 (Critical edition of the complete works of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux)
Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. II
It was December 25, 1886, that I received the grace of leaving my childhood, in a [5]word, the grace of my complete conversion. We had come back from Midnight Mass where I had the happiness of receiving the strong and powerful God. Upon arriving at Les Buissonnets, I used to love to take my shoes from the chimney corner and examine the presents in them; this old custom had given us so much joy in our youth that Céline wanted to continue treating me as a baby since I was the youngest in the family. Papa [10]had always loved to see my happiness and listen to my cries of delight as I drew each surprise from the magic shoes, and my dear King’s gaiety increased my own happiness very much. However, Jesus desired to show me that I was to give up the defects of my childhood and so He withdrew its innocent pleasures. He permitted Papa, tired out after the Midnight Mass, to experience annoyance when seeing my shoes at the fireplace, and that he speak [15]those words which pierced my heart: “Well, fortunately, this will be the last year!” I was going upstairs, at the time, to remove my hat, and Céline, knowing how sensitive I was and seeing the tears already glistening in my eyes, wanted to cry too, for she loved me very much and understood my grief. She said, “Oh, Thérèse, don’t go downstairs; it would cause you too much grief to look [20]at your slippers right now!” But Thérèse was no longer the same; Jesus had changed her heart! Forcing back my tears, I descended the stairs rapidly; controlling the poundings of my heart, I took my slippers and placed them in front of Papa, and withdrew all the objects joyfully. I had the happy appearance of a Queen. Having regained his own cheerfulness, Papa was laughing; Céline believed it was all a dream! Fortunately, it was a sweet reality; Thérèse had discovered once again the strength of soul which she had lost at the age of four and a half, and she was to preserve it forever! [45v°] On that night of light began the third period of my life, the most beautiful and the most filled with graces from heaven. The work I had been unable to do in ten years was done by Jesus in one instant, contenting himself with my good will which was never lacking. Foley OCD, Marc. Story of a Soul The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Study Edition (pp. 152-153). ICS Publications. Kindle Edition.
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series "Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola". For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org For the other episodes in this series check out "The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux with Fr. Timothy Gallagher - Discerning Hearts” page
What a delight to have a conversation with Gretchen Crowe about two of my favorite topics - the Holy Rosary of Our Lady and St. Pope John Paul II! Gretchen has authored a beautiful book entitled "Praying the Rosary with St. John Paul II" which is filled with reflections and images which illuminate the mysteries of this treasured prayer through the gaze of this beloved saint. We highly recommend this book! You can find the book here From the book description:
With this book, you can pray the Rosary with the saint who loved it so much. For each mystery of the Rosary, you will find: * The spiritual fruit that accompanies each mystery * A short reflection on how Pope St. John Paul II embodied the spiritual fruit * A Scripture passage for reflection * An excerpt from a talk or writing of John Paul II
Whether the Rosary is already your favorite prayer or you're just learning to pray it, Praying the Rosary with St. John Paul II will help you "rediscover the Rosary in the light of Scripture, in harmony with the Liturgy, and in the context of your daily lives."
Dr. Matthew Bunson discusses the life, times and teachings of St. Gregory the Great
Born: 540 AD, Rome, Italy
Died: March 12, 604 AD, Rome, Italy
For more on St. Gregory the Great and his teachings Gregory the Great, Pope (c. 540-604) - Pastoral Rule - Register of Letters
From Vatican.va, an excerpt from the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI General Audience 2008
Today I would like to present the figure of one of the greatest Fathers in the history of the Church, one of four Doctors of the West, Pope St Gregory, who was Bishop of Rome from 590 to 604, and who earned the traditional title of Magnus/the Great. Gregory was truly a great Pope and a great Doctor of the Church! He was born in Rome about 540 into a rich patrician family of the gens Anicia, who were distinguished not only for their noble blood but also for their adherence to the Christian faith and for their service to the Apostolic See. Two Popes came from this family: Felix III (483-492), the great-great grandfather of Gregory, and Agapetus (535-536). The house in which Gregory grew up stood on the Clivus Scauri, surrounded by majestic buildings that attested to the greatness of ancient Rome and the spiritual strength of Christianity. The example of his parents Gordian and Sylvia, both venerated as Saints, and those of his father's sisters, Aemiliana and Tharsilla, who lived in their own home as consecrated virgins following a path of prayer and self-denial, inspired lofty Christian sentiments in him.In the footsteps of his father, Gregory entered early into an administrative career which reached its climax in 572 when he became Prefect of the city. This office, complicated by the sorry times, allowed him to apply himself on a vast range to every type of administrative problem, drawing light for future duties from them. In particular, he retained a deep sense of order and discipline: having become Pope, he advised Bishops to take as a model for the management of ecclesial affairs the diligence and respect for the law like civil functionaries . Yet this life could not have satisfied him since shortly after, he decided to leave every civil assignment in order to withdraw to his home to begin the monastic life, transforming his family home into the monastery of St Andrew on the Coelian Hill. This period of monastic life, the life of permanent dialogue with the Lord in listening to his word, constituted a perennial nostalgia which he referred to ever anew and ever more in his homilies. In the midst of the pressure of pastoral worries, he often recalled it in his writings as a happy time of recollection in God, dedication to prayer and peaceful immersion in study. Thus, he could acquire that deep understanding of Sacred Scripture and of the Fathers of the Church that later served him in his work.
But the cloistered withdrawal of Gregory did not last long. The precious experience that he gained in civil administration during a period marked by serious problems, the relationships he had had in this post with the Byzantines and the universal respect that he acquired induced Pope Pelagius to appoint him deacon and to send him to Constantinople as his "apocrisarius" - today one would say "Apostolic Nuncio" in order to help overcome the last traces of the Monophysite controversy and above all to obtain the Emperor's support in the effort to check the Lombard invaders. The stay at Constantinople, where he resumed monastic life with a group of monks, was very important for Gregory, since it permitted him to acquire direct experience of the Byzantine world, as well as to approach the problem of the Lombards, who would later put his ability and energy to the test during the years of his Pontificate. After some years he was recalled to Rome by the Pope, who appointed him his secretary. They were difficult years: the continual rain, flooding due to overflowing rivers, the famine that afflicted many regions of Italy as well as Rome. Finally, even the plague broke out, which claimed numerous victims, among whom was also Pope Pelagius II. The clergy, people and senate were unanimous in choosing Gregory as his successor to the See of Peter. He tried to resist, even attempting to flee, but to no avail: finally, he had to yield. The year was 590.
For more visit Vatican.va
For more from Dr. Matthew Bunson check out his Discerning Hearts page Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and a senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to Church history, the papacy, the saints and Catholic culture. He is faculty chair at Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co-author of over 50 books including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History, The Pope Encyclopedia, We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, The Saints Encyclopedia and best-selling biographies of St. Damien of Molokai and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
In this episode, Dr. Lilles discusses the Fourth Mansions Chapter 3 part 2 of the "Interior Castle" which covers:
- The Prayer of recollection compared to the inhabitants of the castle. 2. The Shepherd recalls His flock into the castle. 3. This recollection supernatural. 4. It prepares us for higher favours. 5. The mind must act until God calls it to recollection by love. 6. The soul should here abandon itself 8. into God’s hands. 7. The prayer of recollection, and distractions in Prayer. 8. Liberty of spirit gained by consolations. 9. The soul must be watchful. 10. The devil specially tempts such souls. 11. False trances and raptures. 12. How to treat those deluded in this way. 13. Risks of delusion in this mansion.
For the Discerning Hearts audio recording of the "Interior Castle" by St. Teresa of Avila you can visit hereFor other audio recordings of various spiritual classics you can visit the Discerning Hearts Spiritual Classics page For other episodes in the series visit The Discerning Hearts "The Interior Castle with Dr. Anthony Lilles" Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. is an associate professor and the academic dean of Saint John's Seminary in Camarillo as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years he served the Church in Northern Colorado where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Through the years, clergy, seminarians, religious and lay faithful have benefited from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of St. Elisabeth of the Trinity.
Msgr. Esseff reflects on the teaching of the Sacred Scriptures on the feast of Christ the King...the victory of Jesus over sin and the defeat of Satan:
Gospel Lk 23:35-43 The rulers sneered at Jesus and said, "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God." Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine they called out, "If you are King of the Jews, save yourself." Above him there was an inscription that read, "This is the King of the Jews." Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us." The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton. He was ordained on May 30, 1953, by the late Bishop William J. Hafey, D.D. at St. Peter's Cathedral in Scranton, PA. Msgr. Esseff served a retreat director and confessor to St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta. He continues to offer direction and retreats for the sisters of the missionaries of charity around the world. Msgr. Esseff encountered St. Padre Pio, who would become a spiritual father to him. He has lived in areas around the world, serving in the Pontifical missions, a Catholic organization established by St. Pope John Paul II to bring the Good News to the world especially to the poor. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters and seminarians and other religious leaders around the world.
Episode 1 - Judas - "Villains of the Early Church: And How They Made Us Better Christians" In this episode, Mike Aquilina and Kris McGregor discuss the "mystery of Judas." An excerpt from Villains of the Early Church:
What happened to Judas? Was it simple greed that snapped him? That seems unlikely. Thirty pieces of silver was a good bit of money, but Judas was doing all right with his embezzling racket. The Gospels don’t tell us his motivation most likely because their writers just didn’t know. It was a mystery to them as it is to us. And a lot of the Christian legends that later grew up about Judas seem like popular attempts to psychoanalyze him. Judas was also present for the Last Supper, having a miserable time as Jesus told the disciples that one of them would betray him: “The Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born” (Matthew 26:24). John tells us that the disciple whom Jesus loved—John himself—asked Jesus who the betrayer would be. “It is he to whom I shall give this morsel when I have dipped it,” Jesus responded, and then dipped the morsel and handed it to Judas. Yet the others still didn’t understand what Jesus meant when he said to Judas, “What you are going to do, do quickly” (John 13:26–27). Was he sending Judas out to buy more food? Or to make a donation to the poor from the money box? “So, after receiving the morsel, he immediately went out,” John says, adding the significant detail “and it was night.” Judas walked out of the Last Supper and into the very symbolic darkness (John 13:30). But he knew where to look for Jesus when he came with the police. Judas and the rest of the disciples had often been with Jesus in that pleasant park across the Kidron Valley, the garden of Gethsemane (see John 18:2; Mark 14:32). That was where Judas led the soldiers to arrest Jesus. Aquilina, Mike. Villains of the Early Church: And How They Made Us Better Christians (Kindle Locations 190-203). Emmaus Road Publishing. Kindle Edition. You can find the book on which this series is based here Mike Aquilina is a popular author working in the area of Church history, especially patristics, the study of the early Church Fathers.[1] He is executive vice-president and trustee of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, a Roman Catholic research center based in Steubenville, Ohio. He is a contributing editor of Angelus (magazine) and general editor of the Reclaiming Catholic History Series from Ave Maria Press. He is the author or editor of more than fifty books, including The Fathers of the Church (2006); The Mass of the Early Christians (2007); Living the Mysteries (2003); and What Catholics Believe(1999). He has hosted eleven television series on the Eternal Word Television Network and is a frequent guest commentator on Catholic radio. Mike Aquilina's website is found at fathersofthechurch.com
Episode 9 - In this conversation, Fr. Gallagher reflects on the suffering of St. Therese and her experience of it in light of the "Little Way" as seen in her letters and the observations from others.
Here are some of the various texts Fr. Gallagher refers to in this episode: The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. I: 1877-1890 (Critical edition of the complete works of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux)
Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. II
This is one of the letters Fr. Gallagher refers to in this episode An Excerpt from LT 226 From Thérèse to P. Roulland. May 9, 1897 I do not understand, Brother, how you seem to doubt your immediate entrance into heaven if the infidels were to take your life. I know one must be very pure to appear before the God of all Holiness, but I know, too, that the Lord is infinitely just; and it is this justice which frightens so many souls that is the object of my joy and confidence. To be just is not only to exercise severity in order to punish the guilty; it is also to recognize right intentions and to reward virtue. I expect as much from God’s justice as from His mercy. It is because He is just that “He is compassionate and filled with gentleness, slow to punish, and abundant in mercy, for He knows our frailty, He remembers we are only dust. As a father has tenderness for his children, so the Lord has compassion on us!!” 6 Oh, Brother, when hearing these beautiful and consoling words of the Prophet-King, how can we doubt that God will open the doors of His kingdom to His children who loved Him even to sacrificing all for Him, who have not only left their family and their country to make Him known and loved, but even desire to give their life for Him whom they love.... Jesus was very right in saying that there is no greater love than that! 7 How would He allow Himself to be overcome in generosity? How would He purify in the flames of purgatory souls consumed in the fires of divine love? It is true that no human life is exempt from faults; only the Immaculate Virgin presents herself absolutely pure before the divine Majesty. Since she loves us and since she knows our weakness, what have we to fear? Here are a lot of sentences to express my thought, or rather not to succeed in expressing it, I wanted simply to say that it seems to me all missionaries are martyrs by desire and will and that, as a consequence, not one should have to go to purgatory. If there remains in their soul at the moment of appearing before God some trace of human weakness, the Blessed Virgin obtains for them the grace of making an act of perfect love, and then she gives them the palm and the crown that they so greatly merited. This is, Brother, what I think of God’s justice; 8 my way is all confidence and love. I do not understand souls who fear a Friend so tender. At times, when I am reading certain spiritual treatises in which perfection is shown through a thousand obstacles, surrounded by a crowd of illusions, my poor little mind quickly tires; I close the learned book that is breaking my head and drying up my heart, 9 and I take up Holy Scripture. 10 Then all seems luminous to me; a single word uncovers for my soul infinite horizons, perfection seems simple to me, I see it is sufficient to recognize one’s nothingness and to abandon oneself as a child into God’s arms. Leaving to great souls, to great minds the beautiful books I cannot understand, much less put into practice, I rejoice at being little since children alone and those who resemble them will be admitted to the heavenly banquet. 11 I am very happy there are many mansions in God’s kingdom, 12 for if there were only the one whose description and road seems incomprehensible to me, I would not be able to enter there. I would like, however, not to be too far from your mansion; in consideration of your merits, I hope God will give me the favor of sharing in your glory, just as on earth the sister of a conqueror, were she deprived of the gifts of nature, shares in the honors bestowed on her brother in spite of her own poverty. St. Therese of Lisieux. Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Volume II: General Correspondence 1890-1897 (Critical Edition of the Complete Works of Saint Therese of Lisieux Book 2) (Kindle Locations 7175-7190). ICS publications. Kindle Edition..
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series "Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola". For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org For the other episodes in this series check out "The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux with Fr. Timothy Gallagher - Discerning Hearts” page
What a delight to have an extended conversation with the marvelous Kathryn Jean Lopez about her book "A Year with the Mystics: Visionary Wisdom for Daily Living." Among our topics, we discuss the life of prayer and the gift that we have in the holy witnesses found within the mystical tradition of the Church. I love this book! Kathryn tenderly and prayerfully chose each writing from a saint (or from those on their way) and she composed helpful meditations that complement their teachings. This is a must-have for those on the spiritual journey!
You can find the book here
From the book description:
Mysticism is not some foreign and remote life of prayer for poets and saints in heaven; rather, it is the call for every Christian to draw more deeply and profoundly from the heart of Christ in prayer. A Year with the Mystics is a tour, a retreat, and a love story in which God seeks you out. With the small commitment of a few minutes a day to prayer with mystic saints and other holy ones, you will be making time for communication and peace in the heart of the Trinity. Your faith will grow and you will see that the life of a contemplative in the world can be yours; it can become for you the air you breathe and a wellspring of renewal in your life as a Catholic, rooted in the sacraments. This beautiful Premium UltraSoft gift edition features two-tone sewn binding, ribbon marker, gold edges, and designed interior pages.
In this episode, Dr. Lilles discusses the Fourth Mansions Chapter 3 part 1 of the "Interior Castle" which covers:
- The Prayer of recollection compared to the inhabitants of the castle. 2. The Shepherd recalls His flock into the castle. 3. This recollection supernatural. 4. It prepares us for higher favours. 5. The mind must act until God calls it to recollection by love. 6. The soul should here abandon itself 8. into God’s hands. 7. The prayer of recollection, and distractions in Prayer. 8. Liberty of spirit gained by consolations. 9. The soul must be watchful. 10. The devil specially tempts such souls. 11. False trances and raptures. 12. How to treat those deluded in this way. 13. Risks of delusion in this mansion.
For the Discerning Hearts audio recording of the "Interior Castle" by St. Teresa of Avila you can visit hereFor other audio recordings of various spiritual classics you can visit the Discerning Hearts Spiritual Classics page For other episodes in the series visit The Discerning Hearts "The Interior Castle with Dr. Anthony Lilles" Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. is an associate professor and the academic dean of Saint John's Seminary in Camarillo as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years he served the Church in Northern Colorado where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Through the years, clergy, seminarians, religious and lay faithful have benefited from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of St. Elisabeth of the Trinity.
Episode 8 - In this conversation, Fr. Gallagher reflects on an important aspect of "the little way" as imaged by St. Therese of "casting flowers." This is demonstrated by her relationship with a challenging novice, Sister Marie of Saint-Joseph
[caption id="attachment_24881" align="alignleft" width="269"] St. Therese of Liesuex[/caption] Here are some of the various texts Fr. Gallagher refers to in this episode:
The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. I: 1877-1890 (Critical edition of the complete works of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux)
Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. II
This is one of the letters Fr. Gallagher refers to in this episode LT 194 From Thérèse to Sister Marie of Saint-Joseph.(Fragment.)
September 8-17 (?), 1896 LC lost
I am delighted with the little child, and the one who carries her in His arms is still more delighted than I.... Ah! how beautiful is the little child’s vocation! It is not one mission that she must evangelize but all missions. How will she do this?... By loving, by sleeping, by THROWING FLOWERS to Jesus when He is asleep. Then Jesus will take these flowers, and, giving them an inestimable value, He will throw them in His turn; He will have them fly over all shores and will save souls (with the flowers, with the love of the little child, who will see nothing but will always smile even through her tears!... (A child, a missionary, and even a warrior, what a marvel!)
St. Therese of Lisieux. Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Volume II: General Correspondence 1890-1897 (Critical Edition of the Complete Works of Saint Therese of Lisieux Book 2) (Kindle Locations 5315-5322). ICS publications. Kindle Edition..
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series "Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola". For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org
For the other episodes in this series check out "The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux with Fr. Timothy Gallagher - Discerning Hearts” page
It's always a delight to talk with Fr. Donald Calloway, particularly when it's about Our Lady! In "Champions of the Rosary: The History and Heroes of a Spiritual Weapon", Fr. Calloway proves once again to be one of the Blessed Mother's great knights in our modern-day spiritual battle. His humble, joy-filled witness is inspiring! Along with the Sacraments of the Church and Sacred Scripture, Fr. Calloway knows exactly what we need to enhance and deepen our experience of grace in these crazy challenging times which we now live in - The Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary! For the restless contemplative heart, there is no place better to ponder the presence and mysteries of God than in Our Lady's "garden of prayer." In that prayer, she will bring us to encounter Christ, and through Him, with Him, and in Him, the world will be transformed. This fantastic book is like a multi-faceted diamond. In its pages, Fr. Calloway shares the rich history of the Holy Rosary, beautifully pious devotional reflections (with stunning artwork as well), and the stories of those whose lives encourage us to become champions of this devotion as well! This is a must have in every Catholic home and parish!
You can find the book here
"Champions of the Rosary is an encyclopedic and inspiring work on the rosary, the spiritual weapon that has been given to the Church. In a remarkable way, it presents the fascinating saga of the birth and development of the devotion so linked to the Dominican Order! This is a wonderful tool for better understanding the rosary, promoting its use, and championing it in our troubled world. I am certain that these pages will inspire us all to take up our rosary!" Fr. Louis-Marie Arino-Durand, OP. Promotor Generalis pro Rosario. Rome, Italy
"Champions of the Rosary is an extremely insightful, pious, and scholarly work on the rosary. Father Calloway's insights and contributions into the history and heroes of the rosary will not go unnoticed or unappreciated." -- His Eminence Christoph Maria Cardinal Schonborn, OP, STD Archbishop of Vienna, Austria
Dr. Matthew Bunson discusses the life, times and teachings of St. Peter Chrysologus
-
Born: 406 AD, Imola, Italy
-
Died: July 31, 450 AD
For more on St. Peter Chrysologus and his teachings
From Wikipedia: Peter was born in Imola, where Cornelius, bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Imola, baptized him, educated him, and ordained him a deacon. He was made an archdeacon through the influence of Emperor Valentinian III. Pope Sixtus III appointed Peter as Bishop of Ravenna (or perhaps archbishop) circa 433, apparently rejecting the candidate whom the people of the city ofRavenna elected. The traditional account, as recorded in the Roman Breviary, is that Sixtus had a vision of Pope Saint Peter the Apostle and Saint Apollinaris of Ravenna, the first bishop of that see, who showed Sixtus a young man, the next Bishop of Ravenna. When a group from Ravenna arrived, including Cornelius and his archdeacon Peter from Imola, Sixtus recognized Peter as the young man in his vision and consecrated him as a bishop.
People knew Saint Peter Chrysologus, the Doctor of Homilies, for his short but inspired talks; he supposedly feared boring his audience. His piety and zeal won universal admiration. After hearing oratory of his first homily as bishop, Roman Empress Galla Placidia supposedly gave him the surname Chrysologus, meaning "golden-worded." Empress Galla Placidia patronized many of projects of Bishop Saint Peter.
In his extant homilies, bishop Peter explained Biblical texts briefly and concisely. He also condemned Arianism and Monophysitism as heresies and explained beautifully the Apostles' Creed, the mystery of the Incarnation, and other topics in simple and clear language. He dedicated a series of homilies to Saint John the Baptist and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Peter advocated daily reception of Eucharist. He urged his listeners to confide in the forgiveness offered through Christ. He shared the confidence of Saint Pope Leo I the Great (440-461), another doctor of the Church.
A synod held in Constantinople in 448 condemned Eutyches for Monophysitism; Eutyches then appealed to Saint Peter Chrysologus but failed in his endeavour to win the support of the Bishop. The Acts of the Council of Chalcedon(451) preserves the text of letter of Saint Peter Chrysologus in response to Eutyches; Peter admonishes Eutyches to accept the ruling of the synod and to give obedience to the Bishop of Rome as the successor of Saint Peter.
Archbishop Felix of Ravenna in the early eighth century collected and preserved 176 of his homilies. Various authors edited and translated these works into numerous languages.
Death and veneration
St Peter died circa or after 450 during a visit to Imola, the town of his birth. Older reference books say he died on 2 December, but a more recent interpretation of the ninth-century "Liber Pontificalis Ecclesiae Ravennatis" indicated that he died on 31 July. When in 1729 he was declared a Doctor of the Church, his feast day, not already included in the Tridentine Calendar, was inserted in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints for celebration on 4 December. In 1969 his feast was moved to 30 July, as close as possible to the day of his death, 31 July, the feast day of Saint Ignatius of Loyola.
For more from Dr. Matthew Bunson check out his Discerning Hearts page Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and a senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to Church history, the papacy, the saints and Catholic culture. He is faculty chair at Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co-author of over 50 books including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History, The Pope Encyclopedia, We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, The Saints Encyclopedia and best-selling biographies of St. Damien of Molokai and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
In this episode, Dr. Lilles discusses the Fourth Mansions Chapter 2 part 2 of the "Interior Castle" which covers:
- Physical results of sensible devotion. 2. Effects of divine consolations. 3. The two fountains. 4. They symbolize two kinds of prayer. 5. Divine consolations shared by body and soul. 6. The incense within the soul. 7. Graces received in this prayer. 8. Such favors not to be sought after.
For the Discerning Hearts audio recording of the "Interior Castle" by St. Teresa of Avila you can visit here
For other audio recordings of various spiritual classics you can visit the Discerning Hearts Spiritual Classics page
For other episodes in the series visit The Discerning Hearts "The Interior Castle with Dr. Anthony Lilles"
Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. is an associate professor and the academic dean of Saint John's Seminary in Camarillo as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years he served the Church in Northern Colorado where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Through the years, clergy, seminarians, religious and lay faithful have benefited from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of St. Elisabeth of the Trinity.
Episode 7 - In this conversation, Fr. Gallagher continues to reflect on the illuminating personality of St. Therese, by examining several letters written about her and letters she wrote to extended family members.
St. Therese of Liesuex[/caption] Here are some of the various texts Fr. Gallagher refers to in this episode: The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. I: 1877-1890 (Critical edition of the complete works of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux)
Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. II
This is one of the letters Fr. Gallagher refers to in this episode LT 166 From Thérèse to Mme. Pottier (Céline Maudelonde).
J.M.J.T.
Carmel, July 16, 1894
Dear little Céline,
Your letter gave me real joy. I marvel at how the Blessed Virgin is pleased to answer all your desires. Even before your marriage, she willed that the soul to whom you were to be joined form only one with yours by means of an identity of feelings. What a grace for you to feel you are so well understood, and, above all, to know your union will be everlasting, that after this life, you will still be able to love the husband who is so dear to you!...
They have passed away, then, for us both the blessed days of our childhood! We are now at the serious stage of life; the road we are following is different, however, the goal is the same. Both of us must have only one same purpose: to sanctify ourselves in the way God has traced out for us.1
I feel, dear little friend, that I can speak freely to you; you understand the language of faith better than that of the world, and the Jesus of your First Communion has remained the Master of your heart. In Him, you love the beautiful soul who forms only one with yours, and it is because of Him that your love is so tender and so strong.
Oh! how beautiful is our religion; instead of contracting hearts (as the world believes), it raises them up and renders them capable of loving, or loving with a love almost infinite since this love must continue after this mortal life which is given to us only for meriting the homeland of heaven where we shall find again the dear ones whom we have loved on earth!
I had asked for you, dear Céline, from Our Lady of Mount Carmel the grace you have obtained at Lourdes. How happy I am that you are clothed in the holy scapular!2 It is a sure sign of predestination, and besides are you not more intimately united by means of it to your little sisters in Carmel?...
You ask, dear little cousin, that I pray for your dear husband; do you think, then, I could fail in this?... No, I could not separate you in my weak prayers. I am asking Our Lord to be as generous in your regard as he was formerly to the spouses at the wedding of Cana. May He always change water into wine!3... That is to say, may He continue to make you happy and to soften as much as possible the trials that you encounter in life.
Trials, how could I place this word in my letter, when I know everything is happiness for you?...
Pardon me, dear little friend; enjoy in peace the joy God is giving you, without disturbing yourself regarding the future. He is reserving for you, I am sure, new graces and many consolations.
Our good Mother Marie de Gonzague is very appreciative of your kind remembrance of her, and she herself is not forgetting her dear little Céline. Our Mother and Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart are also very happy because of your joy, and they ask me to assure you of their affection.
I dare, dear little cousin,4 to beg you to offer my respectful regards to Monsieur Pottier, whom I cannot refrain from considering also as my cousin.
I leave you, dear Céline, remaining always united to you in my heart, and I shall, throughout my life, be happy to call myself, Your little sister in Jesus,
Thérèse of the Child Jesus rel. carm. ind.
St. Therese of Lisieux. Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Volume II: General Correspondence 1890-1897 (Critical Edition of the Complete Works of Saint Therese of Lisieux Book 2) (Kindle Locations 3118-3148). ICS publications. Kindle Edition.
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series "Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola". For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org For the other episodes in this series check out "The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux with Fr. Timothy Gallagher - Discerning Hearts” page
In this episode, we discuss Day 7 - 8 and the significance of the Sea of Galilee and the Mount of the Beatitudes. Then we are on the beauty of Bethlehem.
Make your way through the Holy Land to experience Him, follow in His footsteps, and see Him in the works He performed – your footsteps will become His. Celebrate votive Masses in the very places where these miraculous gifts became pages in the Gospel. See where He was back then, and feel how He is still there today!
Places we will visit:
Holy Land · The Negev · Ein Gedi · Jordan · Jericho · Nazareth · Mount Carmel · Stella Maris · Muhraka ·Carmelites · Tabor · Cana · Capharnahum · Mount of Beatitudes · Tabgha · Jerusalem · Bethlehem · Temple Mount · Mt. of Olives · Gallicantu · Via Dolorosa · Mt. Zion · Emmaus
In this episode:
Friday, May 29 | Boat ride – Capharnahum – Mount of Beatitudes – Tabgha
After breakfast, we will embark for a Boat ride to Capernaum. Capernaum is now in ruins but was once a thriving town where Peter lived and hosted Jesus (Mt 4:13). In this Synagogue Jesus gave the discourse on the Bread of Life (Jn 6:35-70). Drive to the Mount of the Beatitudes. Visit the Church that commemorates where Christ taught the Eight Beatitudes to his Disciples (Mt 5). Walk down the Mount to the altar of the Beatitude grotto. Celebrate Mass in open air. Go to lunch. After lunch, the bus will drive us to the Primacy of Peter and after to Tabgha the site of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fish (Mt14). Visit the Church and its famous mosaics. Afterward, we will have a time of adoration on the seashore (called Dalmanoutha). Back to the Hotel. Dinner. Free evening.
Day 8 Saturday, May 30 | Ascent to Jerusalem – Panorama – Bethlehem
After breakfast, we depart from Tiberias directly to Jerusalem. While ascending the mountains, we will shift from ‘the Son to the Holy Spirit’ in our Trinitarian journey. Make the ascent to Jerusalem while reading the Psalms of Ascent. Enter in Jerusalem and drive directly to Bethlehem. Visit the Basilica of the Nativity, built over the site of the birthplace of Jesus, born amongst the Jewish people. Visit the Cave where Christ was born and the cave of St. Jerome, who lived here for many years translating the Bible into Latin. Celebrate Mass Go to Bet Sahour for lunch. at the Shepherds field, recalling the “great throng of the heavenly hosts” that appeared to the Shepherds announcing to them of the birth of the Savior (Lk2:8). After lunch, we will have time for shopping. While driving home if time permits, stop at the panorama view of the Tayelet above the Gehenna and Kidron Valleys. Dinner and overnight at our hotel. Teaching on the Holy Sepulcher in the evening.
A Trinitarian Holy Land Pilgrimage In the Company of Elijah Walk Where Jesus Walked!
May 23 – June 02, 2020
Our pilgrimage organized by: A few words: Dear Pilgrim, I invite you prayerfully to discern joining me in undertaking a once in a lifetime journey with a remarkable woman of faith, Sr. Magdalit of the Community of the Beatitudes. Her years of lived experience in Israel and leading pilgrimages throughout the Holy Land will avail us of unique opportunities for prayer, spiritual teaching, and fellowship. Together, we hope to lead you into a new encounter with the great mysteries of our faith and a renewal of your devotion to the Lord. Our eyes will see and our hands will touch the great marvels that live among the people and in the sacred geography on which God was born, walked, died and rose. I hope that the Lord calls you to join us.
In Christ,
Dr. Anthony Lilles
I cannot recommend this book and the work of Joel Stepanek more highly! Based on the great Litany of Humility, "Chasing Humility: 8 Ways to Shape a Christian Heart" is a game-changer in the formation of the Christian heart. It's no wonder St. Teresa of Calcutta had her Missionaries of Charity pray this prayer every morning (and they still do)! It's a challenging prayer when you first contemplate exactly what it is you are asking of the Lord. But if you trust in the fruits which it brings into your life, your spiritual journey will never be the same. Run, don't walk, to get this book! A modern-day spiritual classic!
You can find this book here “In Chasing Humility, Joel Stepanek does a masterful job giving the reader practical steps for cultivating authentic humility. Drawing on scripture, engaging stories, and good old common sense, this book is funny and wise, raw and relatable. Stepanek’s insights offer a soul-stirring read to any soul looking to improve. The question isn’t whether we need to be humble, but who can be humble enough to do something about it.
This book is the perfect way to grow in holiness and ultimately, happiness, one achievable step at a time.” --Mark Hart, Executive Vice President, Life Teen International
“This book was like a punch to the gut—a much needed, very welcome, life-changing gut punch. It is bold, honest, and raw. Joel has given us an absolutely delightful read that is also really challenging, and it was just what we (and so many others) need to be reminded of the necessity to both seek humility and live and walk humbly with the Lord. Read this book. Absorb this book. Let Joel and his words on humility sucker-punch you and you’ll be so grateful.” --Katie Prejean McGrady and Tommy McGrady, Catholic speakers and cohosts of The Electric Waffle
“Joel Stepanek highlights for us the proper and sacred space of humility in the Christian life. Exploring the Litany of Humility, he provides a delightful roadmap for embracing the virtue not as a weakness but as a strength in our personal prayer lives and leadership outreach. There could not be a better time for leaders to be reintroduced to the virtue of humility in a world that very often values self-centeredness overseeing and supporting others.” --Rev. Dan Felton, Vicar General, Diocese of Green Bay
Dr. Matthew Bunson discusses the life, times and teachings of St. Leo the Great
Born: Tuscany, Italy
Died: November 10, 461 AD, Rome, Italy
For more on St. Leo the Great and his teachings Leo the Great, Pope (c. 395-461) - Sermons - Letters
From Vatican.va, an excerpt from the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI General Audience 2008
Aware of the historical period in which he lived and of the change that was taking place - from pagan Rome to Christian Rome - in a period of profound crisis, Leo the Great knew how to make himself close to the people and the faithful with his pastoral action and his preaching. He enlivened charity in a Rome tried by famines, an influx of refugees, injustice and poverty. He opposed pagan superstitions and the actions of Manichaean groups. He associated the liturgy with the daily life of Christians: for example, by combining the practice of fasting with charity and almsgiving above all on the occasion of the Quattro tempora, which in the course of the year marked the change of seasons. In particular, Leo the Great taught his faithful - and his words still apply for us today - that the Christian liturgy is not the memory of past events, but the actualization of invisible realities which act in the lives of each one of us. This is what he stressed in a sermon (cf. 64, 1-2) on Easter, to be celebrated in every season of the year "not so much as something of the past as rather an event of the present". All this fits into a precise project, the Holy Pontiff insisted: just as, in fact, the Creator enlivened with the breath of rational life man formed from the dust of the ground, after the original sin he sent his Son into the world to restore to man his lost dignity and to destroy the dominion of the devil through the new life of grace. This is the Christological mystery to which St Leo the Great, with his Letter to the Council of Ephesus, made an effective and essential contribution, confirming for all time - through this Council - what St Peter said at Caesarea Philippi. With Peter and as Peter, he professed: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God". And so it is that God and man together "are not foreign to the human race but alien to sin" (cf. Serm. 64). Through the force of this Christological faith he was a great messenger of peace and love. He thus shows us the way: in faith we learn charity. Let us therefore learn with St Leo the Great to believe in Christ, true God and true Man, and to implement this faith every day in action for peace and love of neighbour.
For more visit Vatican.va
For more from Dr. Matthew Bunson check out his Discerning Hearts page Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and a senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to Church history, the papacy, the saints and Catholic culture. He is faculty chair at Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co-author of over 50 books including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History, The Pope Encyclopedia, We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, The Saints Encyclopedia and best-selling biographies of St. Damien of Molokai and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
In this episode, Dr. Lilles discusses the Fourth Mansions Chapter 2 part 1 of the "Interior Castle" which covers:
- Physical results of sensible devotion. 2. Effects of divine consolations. 3. The two fountains. 4. They symbolize two kinds of prayer. 5. Divine consolations shared by body and soul. 6. The incense within the soul. 7. Graces received in this prayer. 8. Such favors not to be sought after.
For the Discerning Hearts audio recording of the "Interior Castle" by St. Teresa of Avila you can visit hereFor other audio recordings of various spiritual classics you can visit the Discerning Hearts Spiritual Classics page For other episodes in the series visit The Discerning Hearts "The Interior Castle with Dr. Anthony Lilles" Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. is an associate professor and the academic dean of Saint John's Seminary in Camarillo as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years he served the Church in Northern Colorado where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Through the years, clergy, seminarians, religious and lay faithful have benefited from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of St. Elisabeth of the Trinity.
Episode 6 - In this conversation, Fr. Gallagher continues to reflect on the letters written by St. Therese to her sister Celine who very much needed the contact given their father's illness. He also talks about the depths of St. Therese's devotion to the Suffering Holy Face of Jesus. Fr. Gallagher also reflects on her desire to be a person who loves.
Here are some of the various texts Fr. Gallagher refers to in this episode: The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. I: 1877-1890 (Critical edition of the complete works of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux)
Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. II
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series "Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola". For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org For the other episodes in this series check out "The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux with Fr. Timothy Gallagher - Discerning Hearts” page
In this episode, we discuss Day 6 and how we are ascending Mt. Tabor the place of the Transfiguration of Jesus and his encounter with Elijah and Moses in the presence of Peter, James, and John. And then we journey to Cana!
Make your way through the Holy Land to experience Him, follow in His footsteps, and see Him in the works He performed – your footsteps will become His. Celebrate votive Masses in the very places where these miraculous gifts became pages in the Gospel. See where He was back then, and feel how He is still there today!
Places we will visit:
Holy Land · The Negev · Ein Gedi · Jordan · Jericho · Nazareth · Mount Carmel · Stella Maris · Muhraka ·Carmelites · Tabor · Cana · Capharnahum · Mount of Beatitudes · Tabgha · Jerusalem · Bethlehem · Temple Mount · Mt. of Olives · Gallicantu · Via Dolorosa · Mt. Zion · Emmaus
In this episode:
Day6 Thursday, May 28 | Tabor – Cana
In the morning, we will proceed to Mt. Tabor in the Jezreel Valley (Zc12:11), 11 miles west of the Sea of Galilee. According to Origen, St Jerome and St Cyril of Jerusalem, this is the site of the Transfiguration (Mt 17:1) where Jesus appeared in his Glory between Elijah and Moses. Also, the site in the first covenant, in the mid – 12th century BCE of the battle between Barak and Sisera, under the leadership of Deborah the Israelite Judge of that time (Jg4:5). We will ascend the Mount Tabor by foot in silence (1,886 feet). After praying and contemplating the Moso-Arab Church, a jewel of art, We will celebrate the Eucharist in this magnificent place, ponder on the person of Elijah in Judaism and his presence in the New Testament. Lunch. Descent of Mount Tabor by foot. Cana, where Christ performed his first miracle at the request of his mother is on our way to the Lake. In Cana (Jn2:1-11) we will take time to read and pray. If doable, the couples who wish too can perform the renewal of their wedding vows. After Cana, en-route for the Lake of Galilee called also the Sea of Kinnereth (Nb34:1). The next three days we will ponder on the Public life of Jesus. Dinner and overnight on the Seashore of the Lake. Free evening.
A Trinitarian Holy Land Pilgrimage In the Company of Elijah Walk Where Jesus Walked!
May 23 – June 02, 2020
Our pilgrimage organized by: A few words: Dear Pilgrim, I invite you prayerfully to discern joining me in undertaking a once in a lifetime journey with a remarkable woman of faith, Sr. Magdalit of the Community of the Beatitudes. Her years of lived experience in Israel and leading pilgrimages throughout the Holy Land will avail us of unique opportunities for prayer, spiritual teaching, and fellowship. Together, we hope to lead you into a new encounter with the great mysteries of our faith and a renewal of your devotion to the Lord. Our eyes will see and our hands will touch the great marvels that live among the people and in the sacred geography on which God was born, walked, died and rose. I hope that the Lord calls you to join us.
In Christ,
Dr. Anthony Lilles
It was truly a delight to once again talk with Sally Read! This time we discuss her beautiful new book "Annunciation: A Call to Faith in a Broken World".
You can find the book here 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. Check out our previous conversation: IP#309 Sally Read - Night's Bright Darkness on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor
Dr. Matthew Bunson discusses the life, times and teachings of St. Cyril of Alexandria
-
Born: 378 AD, Alexandria, Egypt
-
Died: June 27, 444 AD, Alexandria, Egypt
For more on St. Cyril of Alexandria and his teachings Clement of Alexandria - Who is the Rich Man That Shall Be Saved? - Exhortation to the Heathen - The Instructor - The Stromata, or Miscellanies - Fragments
From Vatican.va, an excerpt from the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI General Audience 2007 Cyril's writings - truly numerous and already widely disseminated in various Latin and Eastern translations in his own lifetime, attested to by their instant success - are of the utmost importance for the history of Christianity. His commentaries on many of the New and Old Testament Books are important, including those on the entire Pentateuch, Isaiah, the Psalms and the Gospels of John and Luke. Also important are his many doctrinal works, in which the defence of the Trinitarian faith against the Arian and Nestorian theses recurs. The basis of Cyril's teaching is the ecclesiastical tradition and in particular, as I mentioned, the writings of Athanasius, his great Predecessor in the See of Alexandria. Among Cyril's other writings, the books Against Julian deserve mention. They were the last great response to the anti-Christian controversies, probably dictated by the Bishop of Alexandria in the last years of his life to respond to the work Against the Galileans, composed many years earlier in 363 by the Emperor known as the "Apostate" for having abandoned the Christianity in which he was raised.
The Christian faith is first and foremost the encounter with Jesus, "a Person, which gives life a new horizon" (Deus Caritas Est, n. 1). St Cyril of Alexandria was an unflagging, staunch witness of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word of God, emphasizing above all his unity, as he repeats in 433 in his first letter (PG 77, 228-237) to Bishop Succensus: "Only one is the Son, only one the Lord Jesus Christ, both before the Incarnation and after the Incarnation. Indeed, the Logos born of God the Father was not one Son and the one born of the Blessed Virgin another; but we believe that the very One who was born before the ages was also born according to the flesh and of a woman". Over and above its doctrinal meaning, this assertion shows that faith in Jesus the Logos born of the Father is firmly rooted in history because, as St Cyril affirms, this same Jesus came in time with his birth from Mary, the Theotò-kos, and in accordance with his promise will always be with us. And this is important: God is eternal, he is born of a woman, and he stays with us every day. In this trust we live, in this trust we find the way for our life.
For more visit Vatican.va
For more from Dr. Matthew Bunson check out his Discerning Hearts page Dr. Matthew Bunson, Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, is one of the United States’ leading authorities on the papacy and the Church. His books include: The Encyclopedia of Catholic History; The Encyclopedia of Saints; Papal Wisdom; All Shall Be Well; Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire; and The Angelic Doctor: The Life and World of St. Thomas Aquinas; The Pope Encyclopedia; We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, the first Catholic biography of the Holy Father in the English language; the Encyclopedia of U.S. Catholic History; Pope Francis. His also the editor of OSV's "The Catholic Answer" magazine.
In this episode, Dr. Lilles discusses the Fourth Mansions Chapter 1 of the "Interior Castle" which covers:
- Souls in the Third Mansions. 2. Insecurity of this life. 3. Our danger of falling from grace. 4. The Saint bewails her past life. 5. Our Lady’s patronage. 6. Fear necessary even for religious. 7. St. Teresa’s contrition. 8. Characteristics of those in the Third Mansions. 9. The rich young man in the Gospel. 10. Reason of aridities in prayer. 11. Humility. 12. Tepidity. 13. We must give all to God. 14. Our debt. 15. Consolations and aridities For the Discerning Hearts audio recording of the "Interior Castle" by St. Teresa of Avila you can visit hereFor other audio recordings of various spiritual classics you can visit the Discerning Hearts Spiritual Classics page For other episodes in the series visit The Discerning Hearts "The Interior Castle with Dr. Anthony Lilles" Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. is an associate professor and the academic dean of Saint John's Seminary in Camarillo as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years he served the Church in Northern Colorado where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Through the years, clergy, seminarians, religious and lay faithful have benefited from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of St. Elisabeth of the Trinity.
Episode 5 - In this conversation, Fr. Gallagher reflects on letters written by St. Therese to her sister Celine who very much needed the contact given the suffering that was being endured by the family because of their father's illness. Celine bore much of the burden of the situation. The emotional suffering, sorrow, and helplessness are aspects of what Fr. Gallagher refers to as the "crucible of suffering." Also, we discuss the "mother wounds" suffered by St. Therese because of the four separations in her young life from the "mothers" in her life.
Celine (left) and Therese, age 12 & 8[/caption] Here are some of the various texts Fr. Gallagher refers to in this episode: The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. I: 1877-1890 (Critical edition of the complete works of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux)
Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. II
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series "Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola". For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org For the other episodes in this series check out "The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux with Fr. Timothy Gallagher - Discerning Hearts” page
In this episode, we discuss Day 4 and Elijah's confrontation and defeat of Queen Jezebel's 450 prophets of Baal. Then we transition to Nazareth! We discuss the Virgin Mary and the significance of the Annunciation.
Make your way through the Holy Land to experience Him, follow in His footsteps, and see Him in the works He performed – your footsteps will become His. Celebrate votive Masses in the very places where these miraculous gifts became pages in the Gospel. See where He was back then, and feel how He is still there today!
Places we will visit:
Holy Land · The Negev · Ein Gedi · Jordan · Jericho · Nazareth · Mount Carmel · Stella Maris · Muhraka ·Carmelites · Tabor · Cana · Capharnahum · Mount of Beatitudes · Tabgha · Jerusalem · Bethlehem · Temple Mount · Mt. of Olives · Gallicantu · Via Dolorosa · Mt. Zion · Emmaus
In this episode:
Wednesday, May 27 | Mount Carmel – Stella Maris – Muhraka – Carmelites. Nazareth
In the morning we will visit the grotto of Elijah in Stella Maris. The emplacement (ruins) where the first monk started to live modeling their lives on Elijah. From there we will go up to Muhraka were Elijah confronted the 450 Baal of Queen Jezebel (1kg 18:20-40). Mass. Time of Lectio. Lunch. Transition with Mary: she is the one who will protect the order of Carmelite. In the afternoon, head towards Nazareth. Visit the Greek Church the Fountain of St Gabriel and the Basilica of the Annunciation which is built over the remains of the House where the Angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary to announce that she was to become the Mother of God (Lk 1:26). Dinner and overnight in Nazareth. Free evening.
A Trinitarian Holy Land Pilgrimage In the Company of Elijah Walk Where Jesus Walked!
May 23 – June 02, 2020
Our pilgrimage organized by: A few words: Dear Pilgrim, I invite you prayerfully to discern joining me in undertaking a once in a lifetime journey with a remarkable woman of faith, Sr. Magdalit of the Community of the Beatitudes. Her years of lived experience in Israel and leading pilgrimages throughout the Holy Land will avail us of unique opportunities for prayer, spiritual teaching, and fellowship. Together, we hope to lead you into a new encounter with the great mysteries of our faith and a renewal of your devotion to the Lord. Our eyes will see and our hands will touch the great marvels that live among the people and in the sacred geography on which God was born, walked, died and rose. I hope that the Lord calls you to join us.
In Christ,
Dr. Anthony Lilles
Dr. Matthew Bunson discusses the life, times and teachings of St. Jerome
Born: 347 AD, Štrigova, Croatia
Died: September 30, 420 AD, Bethlehem
For more on St. Jerome and his teachings Jerome - Letters - The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary - To Pammachius Against John of Jerusalem - The Dialogue Against the Luciferians - The Life of Malchus, the Captive Monk - The Life of S. Hilarion - The Life of Paulus the First Hermit - Against Jovinianus - Against Vigilantius - Against the Pelagians - Prefaces - De Viris Illustribus (Illustrious Men) - Apology for himself against the Books of Rufinus
From Vatican.va, an excerpt from the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI General Audience 2007 Jerome was born into a Christian family in about 347 A.D. in Stridon. He was given a good education and was even sent to Rome to fine-tune his studies. As a young man he was attracted by the worldly life (cf. Ep 22, 7), but his desire for and interest in the Christian religion prevailed. He received Baptism in about 366 and opted for the ascetic life. He went to Aquileia and joined a group of fervent Christians that had formed around Bishop Valerian and which he described as almost "a choir of blesseds" (Chron. ad ann. 374). He then left for the East and lived as a hermit in the Desert of Chalcis, south of Aleppo (Ep 14, 10), devoting himself assiduously to study. He perfected his knowledge of Greek, began learning Hebrew (cf. Ep 125, 12), and transcribed codices and Patristic writings (cf. Ep 5, 2). Meditation, solitude and contact with the Word of God helped his Christian sensibility to mature. He bitterly regretted the indiscretions of his youth (cf. Ep. 22, 7) and was keenly aware of the contrast between the pagan mentality and the Christian life: a contrast made famous by the dramatic and lively "vision" - of which he has left us an account - in which it seemed to him that he was being scourged before God because he was "Ciceronian rather than Christian" (cf. Ep. 22, 30).
In 382 he moved to Rome: here, acquainted with his fame as an ascetic and his ability as a scholar, Pope Damasus engaged him as secretary and counsellor; the Pope encouraged him, for pastoral and cultural reasons, to embark on a new Latin translation of the Biblical texts. Several members of the Roman aristocracy, especially noblewomen such as Paula, Marcella, Asella, Lea and others, desirous of committing themselves to the way of Christian perfection and of deepening their knowledge of the Word of God, chose him as their spiritual guide and teacher in the methodical approach to the sacred texts. These noblewomen also learned Greek and Hebrew.
After the death of Pope Damasus, Jerome left Rome in 385 and went on pilgrimage, first to the Holy Land, a silent witness of Christ's earthly life, and then to Egypt, the favourite country of numerous monks (cf. Contra Rufinum, 3, 22; Ep. 108, 6-14). In 386 he stopped in Bethlehem, where male and female monasteries were built through the generosity of the noblewoman, Paula, as well as a hospice for pilgrims bound for the Holy Land, "remembering Mary and Joseph who had found no room there" (Ep. 108, 14). He stayed in Bethlehem until he died, continuing to do a prodigious amount of work: he commented on the Word of God; he defended the faith, vigorously opposing various heresies; he urged the monks on to perfection; he taught classical and Christian culture to young students; he welcomed with a pastor's heart pilgrims who were visiting the Holy Land. He died in his cell close to the Grotto of the Nativity on 30 September 419-420.
Jerome's literary studies and vast erudition enabled him to revise and translate many biblical texts: an invaluable undertaking for the Latin Church and for Western culture. On the basis of the original Greek and Hebrew texts, and thanks to the comparison with previous versions, he revised the four Gospels in Latin, then the Psalter and a large part of the Old Testament. Taking into account the original Hebrew and Greek texts of the Septuagint, the classical Greek version of the Old Testament that dates back to pre-Christian times, as well as the earlier Latin versions, Jerome was able, with the assistance later of other collaborators, to produce a better translation: this constitutes the so-called "Vulgate", the "official" text of the Latin Church which was recognized as such by the Council of Trent and which, after the recent revision, continues to be the "official" Latin text of the Church. It is interesting to point out the criteria which the great biblicist abided by in his work as a translator. He himself reveals them when he says that he respects even the order of the words of the Sacred Scriptures, for in them, he says, "the order of the words is also a mystery" (Ep. 57, 5), that is, a revelation. Furthermore, he reaffirms the need to refer to the original texts: "Should an argument on the New Testament arise between Latins because of interpretations of the manuscripts that fail to agree, let us turn to the original, that is, to the Greek text in which the New Testament was written. "Likewise, with regard to the Old Testament, if there are divergences between the Greek and Latin texts we should have recourse to the original Hebrew text; thus, we shall be able to find in the streams all that flows from the source" (Ep. 106, 2). Jerome also commented on many biblical texts. For him the commentaries had to offer multiple opinions "so that the shrewd reader, after reading the different explanations and hearing many opinions - to be accepted or rejected - may judge which is the most reliable, and, like an expert moneychanger, may reject the false coin" (Contra Rufinum 1, 16).
Jerome refuted with energy and liveliness the heretics who contested the tradition and faith of the Church. He also demonstrated the importance and validity of Christian literature, which had by then become a real culture that deserved to be compared with classical literature: he did so by composing his De Viris Illustribus, a work in which Jerome presents the biographies of more than a hundred Christian authors. Further, he wrote biographies of monks, comparing among other things their spiritual itineraries as well as monastic ideal. In addition, he translated various works by Greek authors. Lastly, in the important Epistulae, a masterpiece of Latin literature, Jerome emerges with the profile of a man of culture, an ascetic and a guide of souls.
What can we learn from St Jerome? It seems to me, this above all; to love the Word of God in Sacred Scripture. St Jerome said: "Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ". It is therefore important that every Christian live in contact and in personal dialogue with the Word of God given to us in Sacred Scripture. This dialogue with Scripture must always have two dimensions: on the one hand, it must be a truly personal dialogue because God speaks with each one of us through Sacred Scripture and it has a message for each one. We must not read Sacred Scripture as a word of the past but as the Word of God that is also addressed to us, and we must try to understand what it is that the Lord wants to tell us. However, to avoid falling into individualism, we must bear in mind that the Word of God has been given to us precisely in order to build communion and to join forces in the truth on our journey towards God. Thus, although it is always a personal Word, it is also a Word that builds community, that builds the Church. We must therefore read it in communion with the living Church. The privileged place for reading and listening to the Word of God is the liturgy, in which, celebrating the Word and making Christ's Body present in the Sacrament, we actualize the Word in our lives and make it present among us. We must never forget that the Word of God transcends time. Human opinions come and go. What is very modern today will be very antiquated tomorrow. On the other hand, the Word of God is the Word of eternal life, it bears within it eternity and is valid for ever. By carrying the Word of God within us, we therefore carry within us eternity, eternal life.
I thus conclude with a word St Jerome once addressed to St Paulinus of Nola. In it the great exegete expressed this very reality, that is, in the Word of God we receive eternity, eternal life. St Jerome said: "Seek to learn on earth those truths which will remain ever valid in Heaven" (Ep. 53, 10).
For more visit Vatican.va
For more from Dr. Matthew Bunson check out his Discerning Hearts page Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and a senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to Church history, the papacy, the saints and Catholic culture. He is faculty chair at Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co-author of over 50 books including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History, The Pope Encyclopedia, We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, The Saints Encyclopedia and best-selling biographies of St. Damien of Molokai and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
In this episode, Dr. Lilles discusses the Third Mansions Chapter 2 of the "Interior Castle" which covers:
- Souls in the Third Mansions. 2. Insecurity of this life. 3. Our danger of falling from grace. 4. The Saint bewails her past life. 5. Our Lady’s patronage. 6. Fear necessary even for religious. 7. St. Teresa’s contrition. 8. Characteristics of those in the Third Mansions. 9. The rich young man in the Gospel. 10. Reason of aridities in prayer. 11. Humility. 12. Tepidity. 13. We must give all to God. 14. Our debt. 15. Consolations and aridities For the Discerning Hearts audio recording of the "Interior Castle" by St. Teresa of Avila you can visit hereFor other audio recordings of various spiritual classics you can visit the Discerning Hearts Spiritual Classics page For other episodes in the series visit The Discerning Hearts "The Interior Castle" with Dr. Anthony Lilles" Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. is an associate professor and the academic dean of Saint John's Seminary in Camarillo as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years he served the Church in Northern Colorado where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Through the years, clergy, seminarians, religious and lay faithful have benefited from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of St. Elisabeth of the Trinity.
Episode 4 - In this conversation, Fr. Gallagher begins reflecting on the letters written by St. Therese, which offers a tender glimpse of the life of the Martin family after the death of Zélie and the love the sisters had for their father Louis Martin.
Here are some of the various texts Fr. Gallagher refers to in this episode: The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. I: 1877-1890 (Critical edition of the complete works of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux)
Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. II
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series "Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola". For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org For the other episodes in this series check out "The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux with Fr. Timothy Gallagher - Discerning Hearts” page
"Probes: Deep Sea Diving into St. John's Gospel" is a beautiful union of Scripture Study and the prayer experience of Lectio Divina. I've never seen anything quite like it (and I hope I see more). What the reader will find is that diving deeper is actually climbing higher. Under Dr. Kreeft's guidance, we learn to ask penetrating questions of Sacred Scripture, but more importantly, we learn to listen to the Word for the answers. Designed for community study or individual reflection, this is the "John" book I have been waiting for! Thank you once again Dr. Kreeft! You can find the book here From the book description:
This is no ordinary book. It is a set of probing questions (1,450 in fact) designed to help individuals or groups, especially groups, to dive deeply into Saint John's Gospel. No answers are provided, but the questions are phrased in such a way as to set a person in a reliable direction for finding the answers. The questions correspond to the verses of the Gospel and require active and personal interaction. Some of the questions are easy, some difficult, and they are marked accordingly. Some questions include background information or hints that help the reader along. Some were written with a fair bit of humor. Any person or group using these questions to explore John will find themselves entertained as well as informed and inspired.
In this episode, we discuss Day 3 and the significance of the Jericho for Elijah. We discuss Qumran and the Essenes in relation to John the Baptist.
Make your way through the Holy Land to experience Him, follow in His footsteps, and see Him in the works He performed – your footsteps will become His. Celebrate votive Masses in the very places where these miraculous gifts became pages in the Gospel. See where He was back then, and feel how He is still there today!
Places we will visit:
Holy Land · The Negev · Ein Gedi · Jordan · Jericho · Nazareth · Mount Carmel · Stella Maris · Muhraka ·Carmelites · Tabor · Cana · Capharnahum · Mount of Beatitudes · Tabgha · Jerusalem · Bethlehem · Temple Mount · Mt. of Olives · Gallicantu · Via Dolorosa · Mt. Zion · Emmaus
In this episode:
Tuesday, May 26 | Jordan – Jericho – Nazareth
After breakfast, we will pass in front of Qumran (Jr32:14), the site where some of the Dead Sea Scrolls were found and go towards Jericho to the Baptismal site (Jn1:29) on the Jordan River. We will renew our baptismal vows, feet in the water, or totally immersed. There will be the shift from ‘the Father to the Son’ in our Trinitarian journey. From the Jordan banks, drive to Jericho where Elijah ascended in a chariot of fire (2kg 2:5-15) and were Jesus healed the blind man. We will celebrate the Eucharist at Jericho’s Parish. Enjoy lunch in a beautiful restaurant nearby. After lunch, see a sycamore tree like the one of Zacchaeus the tax collector (Lk19:1-10), and continue along the Jordan Valley to Mount Carmel to our lodging. Dinner and overnight in Stella Maris. In the evening, fraternal time.
A Trinitarian Holy Land Pilgrimage In the Company of Elijah Walk Where Jesus Walked!
May 23 – June 02, 2020
Our pilgrimage organized by: A few words:
Dear Pilgrim, I invite you prayerfully to discern joining me in undertaking a once in a lifetime journey with a remarkable woman of faith, Sr. Magdalit of the Community of the Beatitudes. Her years of lived experience in Israel and leading pilgrimages throughout the Holy Land will avail us of unique opportunities for prayer, spiritual teaching, and fellowship. Together, we hope to lead you into a new encounter with the great mysteries of our faith and a renewal of your devotion to the Lord. Our eyes will see and our hands will touch the great marvels that live among the people and in the sacred geography on which God was born, walked, died and rose. I hope that the Lord calls you to join us.
In Christ,
Dr. Anthony Lilles
Listening with the ear of the heart, Fr. Mauritius Wilde guides us through "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. In this episode, Fr. Mauritius talks about how God wants to meet us in the places we do not want to be and how in our weakness God be strong. He also discusses the essence of true friendship.
One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes. The story of a stranded pilot, an extraordinary little boy, and their remarkable friendship, The Little Prince has become a cherished fable for generations of readers. As enchanting as it is wise, this beloved classic captures the mysteries of the heart and opens us to the meaning of life and the magic of love. taken from the back an edition of the book no longer in print Father Mauritius Wilde, OSB, Ph.D., did his philosophical, theological and doctoral studies in Europe. He is the author of several books and directs retreats regularly. He serves as Prior at Sant’Anselmo in Rome. For more information about the ministry of the the Missionary Benedictines of Christ the King Priory in Schuyler, Nebraska
Dr. Matthew Bunson discusses the life, times and teachings of St. Augustine of Hippo (part 2)
Born: 13 November 354
Died: 28 August 430
For more on St. Augustine of Hippo and his teachings Augustine of Hippo - Confessions - Letters - City of God - Christian Doctrine - On the Holy Trinity - The Enchiridion - On the Catechising of the Uninstructed - On Faith and the Creed - Concerning Faith of Things Not Seen - On the Profit of Believing - On the Creed: A Sermon to Catechumens - On Continence - On the Good of Marriage - On Holy Virginity - On the Good of Widowhood - On Lying - To Consentius: Against Lying - On the Work of Monks - On Patience - On Care to be Had For the Dead - On the Morals of the Catholic Church - On the Morals of the Manichaeans - On Two Souls, Against the Manichaeans - Acts or Disputation Against Fortunatus the Manichaean - Against the Epistle of Manichaeus Called Fundamental - Reply to Faustus the Manichaean - Concerning the Nature of Good, Against the Manichaeans - On Baptism, Against the Donatists - Answer to Letters of Petilian, Bishop of Cirta - Merits and Remission of Sin, and Infant Baptism - On the Spirit and the Letter - On Nature and Grace - On Man's Perfection in Righteousness - On the Proceedings of Pelagius - On the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin - On Marriage and Concupiscence - On the Soul and its Origin - Against Two Letters of the Pelagians - On Grace and Free Will - On Rebuke and Grace - The Predestination of the Saints/Gift of Perseverance - Our Lord's Sermon on the Mount - The Harmony of the Gospels - Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament - Tractates on the Gospel of John - Homilies on the First Epistle of John - Soliloquies - The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms
From Vatican.va, an excerpt from the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI General Audience 2008 After his Baptism, Augustine decided to return to Africa with his friends, with the idea of living a community life of the monastic kind at the service of God. However, while awaiting their departure in Ostia, his mother fell ill unexpectedly and died shortly afterwards, breaking her son's heart. Having returned to his homeland at last, the convert settled in Hippo for the very purpose of founding a monastery. In this city on the African coast he was ordained a priest in 391, despite his reticence, and with a few companions began the monastic life which had long been in his mind, dividing his time between prayer, study and preaching. All he wanted was to be at the service of the truth. He did not feel he had a vocation to pastoral life but realized later that God was calling him to be a pastor among others and thus to offer people the gift of the truth. He was ordained a Bishop in Hippo four years later, in 395. Augustine continued to deepen his study of Scripture and of the texts of the Christian tradition and was an exemplary Bishop in his tireless pastoral commitment: he preached several times a week to his faithful, supported the poor and orphans, supervised the formation of the clergy and the organization of mens' and womens' monasteries. In short, the former rhetorician asserted himself as one of the most important exponents of Christianity of that time. He was very active in the government of his Diocese - with remarkable, even civil, implications - in the more than 35 years of his Episcopate, and the Bishop of Hippo actually exercised a vast influence in his guidance of the Catholic Church in Roman Africa and, more generally, in the Christianity of his time, coping with religious tendencies and tenacious, disruptive heresies such as Manichaeism, Donatism and Pelagianism, which endangered the Christian faith in the one God, rich in mercy.
And Augustine entrusted himself to God every day until the very end of his life: smitten by fever, while for almost three months his Hippo was being besieged by vandal invaders, the Bishop - his friend Possidius recounts in his Vita Augustini - asked that the penitential psalms be transcribed in large characters, "and that the sheets be attached to the wall, so that while he was bedridden during his illness he could see and read them and he shed constant hot tears" (31, 2). This is how Augustine spent the last days of his life. He died on 28 August 430, when he was not yet 76. We will devote our next encounters to his work, his message and his inner experience.
For more visit Vatican.va
For more from Dr. Matthew Bunson check out his Discerning Hearts page Dr. Matthew Bunson, Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, is one of the United States’ leading authorities on the papacy and the Church. His books include: The Encyclopedia of Catholic History; The Encyclopedia of Saints; Papal Wisdom; All Shall Be Well; Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire; and The Angelic Doctor: The Life and World of St. Thomas Aquinas; The Pope Encyclopedia; We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, the first Catholic biography of the Holy Father in the English language; the Encyclopedia of U.S. Catholic History; Pope Francis. His also the editor of OSV's "The Catholic Answer" magazine.
In this episode, Dr. Lilles discusses the Third Mansions Chapter 1 of the "Interior Castle" which covers:
- Souls in the Third Mansions. 2. Insecurity of this life. 3. Our danger of falling from grace. 4. The Saint bewails her past life. 5. Our Lady’s patronage. 6. Fear necessary even for religious. 7. St. Teresa’s contrition. 8. Characteristics of those in the Third Mansions. 9. The rich young man in the Gospel. 10. Reason of aridities in prayer. 11. Humility. 12. Tepidity. 13. We must give all to God. 14. Our debt. 15. Consolations and aridities
For the Discerning Hearts audio recording of the "Interior Castle" by St. Teresa of Avila you can visit here
For other audio recordings of various spiritual classics you can visit the Discerning Hearts Spiritual Classics page For other episodes in the series visit The Discerning Hearts "The Interior Castle" with Dr. Anthony Lilles" Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. is an associate professor and the academic dean of Saint John's Seminary in Camarillo as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years he served the Church in Northern Colorado where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Through the years, clergy, seminarians, religious and lay faithful have benefited from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of St. Elisabeth of the Trinity.
Episode 3 - In this conversation, Fr. Gallagher continues the reflection on the letters of Zélie Martin, which offers a compelling glimpse of the life of the Martin family and the tender love she had for her children and others. She was a beautiful example of what Pope St. John Paul II called "the gift of self."
Here are some of the various texts Fr. Gallagher refers to in this episode: St. Therese of Lisieux by Those Who Knew Her (Testimonies from the Process of Beatification)
Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus (1864-1885)
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series "Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola". For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org For the other episodes in this series check out "The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux with Fr. Timothy Gallagher - Discerning Hearts” page
In this episode, we discuss the reason we have named this a "Trinitarian" pilgrimage. We also discuss why this pilgrimage is "in the company of Elijah"
Make your way through the Holy Land to experience Him, follow in His footsteps, and see Him in the works He performed – your footsteps will become His. Celebrate votive Masses in the very places where these miraculous gifts became pages in the Gospel. See where He was back then, and feel how He is still there today!
Places we will visit:
Holy Land · The Negev · Ein Gedi · Jordan · Jericho · Nazareth · Mount Carmel · Stella Maris · Muhraka ·Carmelites · Tabor · Cana · Capharnahum · Mount of Beatitudes · Tabgha · Jerusalem · Bethlehem · Temple Mount · Mt. of Olives · Gallicantu · Via Dolorosa · Mt. Zion · Emmaus
In this episode: Day1 Saturday, May 23 | Depart US
Departure for your overnight flights to the Holy Land.
Day2 Sunday, May 24 | Arrive Holy Land
Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport. We’ll be met by our representative. A luxury motorcoach will transfer us to the Negev, 18 miles from Beer Sheva (Gn21:25), towards Arad (Judges 1:16) our destination. We will overnight in Kfar ha Nokdim a typical and original Bedouin Style Guest Rooms in the desert. Dinner, time for settling in, late Mass. Special readings adapted to Elijah in the desert. Day3 Monday, May 25 | The Negev – Ein Gedi – Day of walk in the desert
After breakfast, the coach will leave us at the head of a trail for an hour walk. we’ll take a route in a magnificent rocky landscape, perfect to reflect on God the Father’s promises through his prophets and Elijah’s ministry (1kg 17). Mass in the wilderness (open-air). In the afternoon, the coach will drive us on the Arava side (Ez47:8-12). Drive along the Dead Sea to Ein Gedi, a beautiful oasis in the region were King David hid while fleeing Saul (1Sm24:2). Time of teaching and Scripture reading. We will meditate on Elijah and his encounter with God (1Kg 19: 1-14). Finish the day in the beauty of the desert. Dinner and overnight at Ein Gedi Hotel, a few miles from Jericho.
A Trinitarian Holy Land Pilgrimage In the Company of Elijah Walk Where Jesus Walked!
May 23 – June 02, 2020
Our pilgrimage organized by: 206 Tours
Dear Pilgrim, I invite you prayerfully to discern joining me in undertaking a once in a lifetime journey with a remarkable woman of faith, Sr. Magdalit of the Community of the Beatitudes. Her years of lived experience in Israel and leading pilgrimages throughout the Holy Land will avail us of unique opportunities for prayer, spiritual teaching, and fellowship. Together, we hope to lead you into a new encounter with the great mysteries of our faith and a renewal of your devotion to the Lord. Our eyes will see and our hands will touch the great marvels that live among the people and in the sacred geography on which God was born, walked, died and rose. I hope that the Lord calls you to join us. In Christ, Dr. Anthony Lilles
Listening with the ear of the heart, Fr. Mauritius Wilde guides us through "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. In this episode, Fr. Mauritius talks about our differences and the danger of judging others.
One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes. The story of a stranded pilot, an extraordinary little boy, and their remarkable friendship, The Little Prince has become a cherished fable for generations of readers. As enchanting as it is wise, this beloved classic captures the mysteries of the heart and opens us to the meaning of life and the magic of love. taken from the back an edition of the book no longer in print Father Mauritius Wilde, OSB, Ph.D., did his philosophical, theological and doctoral studies in Europe. He is the author of several books and directs retreats regularly. He serves as Prior at Sant’Anselmo in Rome. For more information about the ministry of the the Missionary Benedictines of Christ the King Priory in Schuyler, Nebraska
Dr. Matthew Bunson discusses the life, times and teachings of St. Augustine of Hippo (part 1)
Born: 13 November 354
Died: 28 August 430
For more on St. Augustine of Hippo and his teachings Augustine of Hippo [ - Confessions - Letters - City of God - Christian Doctrine - On the Holy Trinity - The Enchiridion - On the Catechising of the Uninstructed - On Faith and the Creed - Concerning Faith of Things Not Seen - On the Profit of Believing - On the Creed: A Sermon to Catechumens - On Continence - On the Good of Marriage - On Holy Virginity - On the Good of Widowhood - On Lying - To Consentius: Against Lying - On the Work of Monks - On Patience - On Care to be Had For the Dead - On the Morals of the Catholic Church - On the Morals of the Manichaeans - On Two Souls, Against the Manichaeans - Acts or Disputation Against Fortunatus the Manichaean - Against the Epistle of Manichaeus Called Fundamental - Reply to Faustus the Manichaean - Concerning the Nature of Good, Against the Manichaeans - On Baptism, Against the Donatists - Answer to Letters of Petilian, Bishop of Cirta - Merits and Remission of Sin, and Infant Baptism - On the Spirit and the Letter - On Nature and Grace - On Man's Perfection in Righteousness - On the Proceedings of Pelagius - On the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin - On Marriage and Concupiscence - On the Soul and its Origin - Against Two Letters of the Pelagians - On Grace and Free Will - On Rebuke and Grace - The Predestination of the Saints/Gift of Perseverance - Our Lord's Sermon on the Mount - The Harmony of the Gospels - Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament - Tractates on the Gospel of John - Homilies on the First Epistle of John - Soliloquies - The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms
From Vatican.va, an excerpt from the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI General Audience 2008
n Milan, Augustine acquired the habit of listening - at first for the purpose of enriching his rhetorical baggage - to the eloquent preaching of Bishop Ambrose, who had been a representative of the Emperor for Northern Italy. The African rhetorician was fascinated by the words of the great Milanese Prelate; and not only by his rhetoric. It was above all the content that increasingly touched Augustine's heart. The great difficulty with the Old Testament, because of its lack of rhetorical beauty and lofty philosophy was resolved in St Ambrose's preaching through his typological interpretation of the Old Testament: Augustine realized that the whole of the Old Testament was a journey toward Jesus Christ. Thus, he found the key to understanding the beauty and even the philosophical depth of the Old Testament and grasped the whole unity of the mystery of Christ in history, as well as the synthesis between philosophy, rationality and faith in the Logos, in Christ, the Eternal Word who was made flesh. Augustine soon realized that the allegorical interpretation of Scripture and the Neo-Platonic philosophy practised by the Bishop of Milan enabled him to solve the intellectual difficulties which, when he was younger during his first approach to the biblical texts, had seemed insurmountable to him.
Thus, Augustine followed his reading of the philosophers' writings by reading Scripture anew, especially the Pauline Letters. His conversion to Christianity on 15 August 386 therefore came at the end of a long and tormented inner journey - of which we shall speak in another catechesis -, and the African moved to the countryside, north of Milan by Lake Como - with his mother Monica, his son Adeodatus and a small group of friends - to prepare himself for Baptism. So it was that at the age of 32 Augustine was baptized by Ambrose in the Cathedral of Milan on 24 April 387, during the Easter Vigil.
For more visit Vatican.va
For more from Dr. Matthew Bunson check out his Discerning Hearts page Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and a senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to Church history, the papacy, the saints, and Catholic culture. He is faculty chair at Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co-author of over 50 books including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History, The Pope Encyclopedia, We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, The Saints Encyclopedia and best-selling biographies of St. Damien of Molokai and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
In this episode, Dr. Lilles discusses the Second Mansions of the "Interior Castle" which covers:
- Souls in the second mansions. 2. Their state. 3. Their sufferings. 4. They cannot get rid of their imperfections. 5. How God calls these souls. 6. perseverance is essential. 7. Temptations of the devil. 8. Delusion of earthly joys. 9. God alone to be loved. 10. Reasons for continuing the journey. 11. War fare of the devil. 12. Importance of choice of friends. 13. Valour required. 14. Presumption of expecting spiritual consolations at first. 15. In the Cross is strength. 16. Our falls should raise us higher. 17. Confidence and perseverance. 18. Recollection. 19. Why we must practise prayer. 20. Meditation kindles love.
For the Discerning Hearts audio recording of the "Interior Castle" by St. Teresa of Avila you can visit here
For other audio recordings of various spiritual classics you can visit the Discerning Hearts Spiritual Classics page For other episodes in the series visit The Discerning Hearts "The Interior Castle" with Dr. Anthony Lilles" Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. is an associate professor and the academic dean of Saint John's Seminary in Camarillo as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years he served the Church in Northern Colorado where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Through the years, clergy, seminarians, religious and lay faithful have benefited from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of St. Elisabeth of the Trinity.
Episode 2 - In this conversation, Fr. Gallagher reflects on the letters of Zélie Martin, which offers a compelling glimpse of the life of the Martin family and the tender love she had for her children and others. She was a beautiful example of what Pope St. John Paul II called "the gift of self."
Here are some of the various texts Fr. Gallagher refers to in this episode: St. Therese of Lisieux by Those Who Knew Her (Testimonies from the Process of Beatification)
Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus (1864-1885)
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series "Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola". For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org For the other episodes in this series check out "The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux with Fr. Timothy Gallagher - Discerning Hearts” page
St. Ambrose (part 2): "To Us, Christ is All!"
Born: 340 AD
Died: January 1, 397 AD
For more on St. Ambrose of Milan and his teachings Ambrose - On the Christian Faith (De fide) - On the Holy Spirit - On the Mysteries - On Repentance - On the Duties of the Clergy - Concerning Virgins - Concerning Widows - On the Death of Satyrus - Memorial of Symmachus - Sermon against Auxentius - Letters For more from Dr. Matthew Bunson check out his Discerning Hearts page Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to Church history, the papacy, the saints, and Catholic culture. He is faculty chair at Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co-author of over 50 books including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History, The Pope Encyclopedia, We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, The Saints Encyclopedia and best-selling biographies of St. Damien of Molokai and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
Reading "Heaven's Splendor: And the Riches That Await You There" was a shear joy! But so also was my conversation with its author, Sr. Mary Ann Fatula. What a "splendid" delight. Steeped in the teachings of the Doctors of the Church, such as St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Catherine of Siena, and St. Therese of Lisieux, this book is simply a delight. A copy of this book should be in every home! Highly recommended!
You can find this book here
From the book description:
Heaven: it's everything we're made for, the answer to our inmost longings, a place of joy whose depths we can only imagine. And who can tell us more about this blessed realm than the saints? "¬‚¬" the souls closest to God while here on earth who now dwell beside His royal throne. What they say about Heaven has the fragrant anointing of the Holy Spirit who authored the Scriptures and from whom they draw their wisdom. Open these pages, then, and enter the Celestial Kingdom. Ponder all the rapturous beauty that the saints describe. Bask in the consoling warmth of their tender love for us, and grow ever stronger in the desire to share in their heavenly delight. Here you'll come to know the very heart of Heaven: our sharing in the ecstatic love and life of the Trinity. You'll taste the joy of the saints triumphant, ponder the mysteries of our glorious resurrection, and come to understand death as the beautiful gateway to Heaven that it is. The wisdom of the saints in these sublimely beautiful pages will quench your fear of death and awaken in you a blessed hunger to join your departed loved ones and to delight, with the three Divine Persons, in Heaven's splendor.
In this episode, Dr. Lilles discusses, in the first of a two-part conversation, the First Mansions: Chapter two of the "Interior Castle" which covers:
- Effects of mortal sin. 2. It prevents the soul’s gaining merit. 3. The soul compared to a tree. 4. Disorder of the soul in mortal sin. 5. Vision of a sinful soul. 6. Profit of realizing these lessons. 7. Prayer. 8. Beauty of the Castle. 9. Self-knowledge 10. Gained by meditating on the divine perfections. 11. Advantages of such meditation. 12. Christ should be our model. 13. The devil entraps beginners. 14. Our strength must come from God. 15. Sin blinds the soul. 16. Worldliness. 17. The world in the cloister. 18. Assaults of the devil. 19. Examples of the devil’s arts. 20. Perfection consists in charity. 21. Indiscreet zeal. 22. Danger of detraction.
For the Discerning Hearts audio recording of the "Interior Castle" by St. Teresa of Avila you can visit here
For other audio recordings of various spiritual classics you can visit the Discerning Hearts Spiritual Classics page For other episodes in the series visit The Discerning Hearts "The Interior Castle" with Dr. Anthony Lilles" Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. is an associate professor and the academic dean of Saint John's Seminary in Camarillo as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years he served the Church in Northern Colorado where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Through the years, clergy, seminarians, religious and lay faithful have benefited from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of St. Elisabeth of the Trinity.
Listening with the ear of the heart, Fr. Mauritius Wilde guides us through "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. In this episode, Fr. Mauritius gives us some background on the work and it's surprising spiritual overtones. It has been translated into more than 190 languages and sold more than 200 million copies, making it one of the bestselling books ever. It has been adapted to various media over the decades, including stage, screen, and operatic works
One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.
The story of a stranded pilot, an extraordinary little boy, and their remarkable friendship, The Little Prince has become a cherished fable for generations of readers. As enchanting as it is wise, this beloved classic captures the mysteries of the heart and opens us to the meaning of life and the magic of love.
taken from the back an edition of the book no longer in print
Father Mauritius Wilde, OSB, Ph.D., did his philosophical, theological and doctoral studies in Europe. He is the author of several books and directs retreats regularly. He serves as Prior at Sant’Anselmo in Rome.
For more information about the ministry of the theMissionary Benedictines of Christ the King Priory in Schuyler, Nebraska
Msgr. Esseff asks, "Are you a faithful servant?"
Gospel LK 12:35-40 Jesus said to his disciples: “Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have the servants recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton. He was ordained on May 30, 1953, by the late Bishop William J. Hafey, D.D. at St. Peter's Cathedral in Scranton, PA. Msgr. Esseff served a retreat director and confessor to St. Teresa of Calcutta. He continues to offer direction and retreats for the sisters of the missionaries of charity around the world. Msgr. Esseff encountered St. Padre Pio, who would become a spiritual father to him. He has lived in areas around the world, serving in the Pontifical missions, a Catholic organization established by St. Pope John Paul II to bring the Good News to the world especially to the poor. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters and seminarians and other religious leaders around the world.
Episode 1 - Fr. Gallagher discuss the importance of St Therese of Lisieux, who Pope St. Pius X called the most important saint of the 20th century. We discuss the significance of "letters" in revealing aspects of the saints and their relationships. In the case of St. Therese, Fr. Gallagher notices the "other centeredness" of her letters. He also sets into context the age and culture of France and how it touched the lives of the Martin family.
In this conversation, Fr. Gallagher chooses to begin with a look at the lives and letters of her canonized parents, Louis and Zélie Martin as seen through the eyes of St. Therese's family members. Here are some of the various texts Fr. Gallagher refers to in this episode: St. Therese of Lisieux by Those Who Knew Her (Testimonies from the Process of Beatification)
Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus (1864-1885)
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series "Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola". For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org For the other episodes in this series check out Fr. Timothy Gallagher's “Discerning Hearts” page
Dr. John-Mark Miravalle is truly a delight! "Beauty: What It Is and Why It Matters" has become my favorite book on this subject. It is has altered how look and listen to all things. I cannot recommend this book more highly! Don't miss this compelling conversation.
You can find the book here
From the book description:
Rich with the wisdom of Plato, Augustine, Aquinas, and St. John Paul II, these pages unpack perennial truths about beauty and rivet them into your soul, opening the eyes of your understanding to the beauty all around us. Offering an abundance of accessible examples, author John Mark Miravalle demonstrates that beauty is neither in the eye of the beholder, nor for the cultivated, the dreamer, or the “hopeless romantic” alone. On the contrary, the ability to understand, recognize, and delight in beauty readies all souls for heaven—and makes it easier for us to get there.
From these pages, you’ll learn:
• Why beauty is not just a matter of opinion • The virtues we need to perceive beauty and to enjoy it • How to determine whether an artwork is truly beautiful • The respective roles of reason and emotion in appreciating beauty • How the beauty of nature testifies to God’s existence . . . while rejection of God obscures nature’s beauty
With the help of these pages, you’ll receive fresh eyes to marvel again (or for the first time) at the beauty of nature, music, art, architecture, and, most importantly, the beauty of God, the fountainhead and exemplar of all things on earth that are beautiful.
In this episode, Dr. Lilles discusses the First Mansions: Chapter one of the Interior Castle which covers: 1. Plan of this book. 2. The Interior Castle. 3. Our curable self ignorance. 4. God dwells in the center of the soul. 5. Why all souls do not receive certain favours. 6. Reasons for speaking of these ... Read more
The post BTP-IC2 – First Mansions: Chapter 1 – The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila – Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
The following stations of the cross are based on those celebrated by Pope John Paul II on Good Friday 1991. They are presented here as an alternative to the traditional stations and as a way of reflecting more deeply on the Scriptural accounts of Christ’s passion. More can found at the USCCB Catholic Bishops website. ... Read more
The post Scriptural Stations of the Cross & The “Jesus, You Take Over” Prayer – Devotional Reflection Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Listening with the ear of the heart, Fr. Mauritius Wilde guides us through “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. In this episode, Fr. Mauritius gives us some background on the work and it’s surprising spiritual overtones. It has been translated into more than 190 languages and sold more than 200 million copies, making it one ... Read more
The post HR-LP2 Encountering Foreign Worlds with The Little Prince – The Holy Rule of St. Benedict with Fr. Mauritius Wilde O.S.B appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
"Contemplation to Attain the Love of God" Part 1 - Fr. Gallagher looks at an exercise of prayer that St. Ignatius places at the end of the spiritual journey of the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises but because of their richness they can also be fruitful outside of that original context and in daily life. In this episode, he covers an introduction to the prayer, the Notes, the Preludes, and the First Point
The post CALG1 – The Notes, The Preludes and The First Prayer – The Contemplation to Attain the Love of God with Fr. Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V. Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
St. Ambrose (part 1): The catechumen who became a bishop Born: 340 AD Died: January 1, 397 AD For more on St. Ambrose of Milan and his teachings Ambrose – On the Christian Faith (De fide) – On the Holy Spirit – On the Mysteries – On Repentance – On the Duties of the Clergy – Concerning Virgins – Concerning Widows – On the Death of ... Read more
The post DC7 St. Ambrose of Milan (part 1) – The Doctors of the Church /w Dr. Matthew Bunson Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Episode 6 -Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion – “The Oasis of Lent”. Moral conversion occurs in ordinary experience when we hit a wall or break through one. In other words, moral conversion can be ignited when we reach our limits and experience failure or finitude, or it can be ushered in when we ... Read more
The post CTD#6 – “The Oasis of Lent” – Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion with Deacon James Keating Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Msgr. Esseff reflects on the readings for the 5th Sunday of Lent. He guides us through an honest self-examination of conscience and the need to confess our brokenness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation . From the NAB Gospel. JN 8:1-11 Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in ... Read more
The post BKL#255 – An Honest Self-Examination – Building a Kingdom of Love w/ Msgr. John Esseff Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Listening with the ear of the heart, Fr. Mauritius Wilde guides us through "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. In this episode, Fr. Mauritius gives us some background on the work and it's surprising spiritual overtones. It has been translated into more than 190 languages and sold more than 200 million copies, making it one of the bestselling books ever. It has been adapted to various media over the decades, including stage, screen, and operatic works.
"One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.
The story of a stranded pilot, an extraordinary little boy, and their remarkable friendship, The Little Prince has become a cherished fable for generations of readers. As enchanting as it is wise, this beloved classic captures the mysteries of the heart and opens us to the meaning of life and the magic of love."
The post HR-LP1 Encountering Foreign Worlds with The Little Prince – The Holy Rule of St. Benedict with Fr. Mauritius Wilde O.S.B Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Episode 9 – Luke’s Genealogy Traces Jesus Back to Universal Adam, not discrepancies but theological distinctions with Matthew. The Symbolism with St. Luke’s 77 Generations. The Genealogy of Jesus Christ is recorded differently by Matthew and Luke. Each unique author has a particular theological meaning behind their genealogies of Jesus Christ, the Messiah of God. ... Read more
The post ST-Luke-9 – The Genealogy of Jesus Christ – The Gospel of St. Luke – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
This serves as an introduction to the life of Saint Teresa of Ávila, also called Saint Teresa of Jesus, baptized as Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada (28 March 1515 – 4 October 1582). In our opening conversation, we discuss 16th century Spain, events taking place in the world and the people who associated with Teresa. Dr. Lilles also gives introductions to her various spiritual works and the importance of "The Interior Castle".
The post BTP-IC1 – Introduction – The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila – Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
“Hey, Turn Around Bright Eyes” “Hey, Turn Around Bright Eyes,” or conversion, is the lead topic of this episode of “The Spiritual Journey Podcast with Kris McGregor.” A portion of this podcast was originally recorded during an episode of “The Good Book Club” segment on the Spirit Morning Show. Kris reflects on the story of ... Read more
The post SJ4 – “Hey, Turn Around Bright Eyes” – The Spiritual Journey w/Kris McGregor Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
CTD#5 – "Leaving the Desert" - Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion with Deacon James Keating
"Celebrating the sacrament of reconciliation is, for many Catholics, a most daunting prospect. This sacrament has been the source of many jokes, composed perhaps by persons seeking to reduce the level of stress they feel regarding one of its main components: naming personal sin.
The naming of one's own sin to oneself and to a priest is self-revelatory to the point of evoking anxiety. Initially, it can be true that some level of apprehension may accompany this sacrament, but over time with regular celebration of this form of worship, anxiety diminishes. Most positively the sacrament of reconciliation promotes truthful self-knowledge regarding sin in the context of Christ's saving presence. Once someone experiences both the naming of sin and the reception of God's mercy in this sacrament, he or she actually begins to celebrate this sacrament and see it as a great gift from Christ and his Church."
The post CTD#5 – “Leaving the Desert” – Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion with Deacon James Keating Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
What a joy to discuss the 2nd edition of "The Spiritual Direction of St. Claude de la Colombiere" with John Galten, who wrote the forward to the book. Filled with an abundance of wisdom this little work is a must for those seeking solid spiritual guidance. In this podcast, we discuss the great legacy of St. Claude as well as the historical and spiritual richness of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. John is a delight to talk with him, his joy for Christ and deep respect for St. Claude is utterly engaging.
The post IP#323 John Galten – The Spiritual Direction of St. Claude De La Colombiere on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Born: 329 AD Died: January 1, 390 AD For more on St. Gregory of Nazianzus and his teachings Gregory Nazianzen – Orations – Letters For more from Dr. Matthew Bunson check out his Discerning Hearts page Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been ... Read more
The post DC6 St. Gregory of Nazianzus – The Doctors of the Church /w Dr. Matthew Bunson Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Episode 10 – Fr. Gallagher recalls the pointed responses to desolation found in Rules 5 – 14. He then shares some personal reflections which demonstrate how helpful the rules helpful in resisting Spiritual Desolation. From Setting the Captives Free: Personal Reflections on Ignatian Discernment of Spirits “The Enemy Claims Power over the Future” I wrote ... Read more
The post SD10 – Recalling the Responses to Spiritual Desolation – Spiritual Desolation: Be Aware, Understand, Take Action with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Msgr. Esseff reflects on the readings for the 4th Sunday of Lent. He discusses the Sacrament of Reconciliation and how it's key in the area of true inner healing. The healing from the damage done by our sinful choices is more important than even physical healing. He implores us all to see the value of this tremendous gift.
The post BKL#254 – The Key to Inner Healing – Building a Kingdom of Love w/ Msgr. John Esseff Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
An ordinary woman who has experienced extraordinary grace and wow, look what God has done! Abby Johnson, author of “unPlanned: the dramatic true story of a former Planned Parenthood leader’s eye-opening journey across the life line”, is a courageous woman who has brought forward not just the Planned Parenthood story (at times nightmarish in their ... Read more
The post IP#78 Abby Johnson – unPlanned on Inside the Pages appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Everybody seeks for himself a healthy balance in his life. Our whole life is a balancing, to inhale and exhale to the pendulum movement of wakefulness and sleep. We work and recover, we are alone and with others, we talk and listen. As long as we follow this healthy pendulum movement, we are satisfied with ... Read more
The post HR-Soberness- 4 “Finding Balance” – The Holy Rule of St. Benedict with Fr. Mauritius Wilde OSB Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
The Cross of Christ Transforms. . .Our Lives
Steps to Take as You Follow Christ
Ask—Do I trust in God?
Seek—Frequently call upon the Lord for his help throughout the day. Life was not intended to be a solitary venture; recognize that God is always present, and is there for us when we call upon him.
Knock—Meditate on 10:11–13.
The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and bestows his riches upon all who call upon him. For, “every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”
What strikes you in the passage? Dwell on that part and let it enrich your faith in Jesus Christ.
Transform Your Life—Pay attention to the way you think and act throughout the day. What do your actions and thoughts say about what you really trust in? When given choices between what you know God wants for you and what others are asking of you, who wins out? Radically commit to trusting in God and watch your life be transformed in ways that you can’t even imagine at this moment.
The post PoC-23 3rd Thursday of Lent: The Power of the Cross Lenten Meditation appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
What a delight to talk with Ashley Hales about her book “Finding Holy in the Subrubs: Living Faithfully in the Land of Too Much.” This book is about bringing things out into the light. We discuss the “idols” of the suburbs and the challenges of being truly present to our neighbors. .” Can find the ... Read more
The post IP#348 Ashley Hales – Finding Holy in the Suburbs on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
"Any moral conversion, if it is to be real, must work its way into our minds and hearts. The conversion we undergo is one that transforms our entire person, and so our thought processes, habits, perceptions, and affections all become realigned to a new way of seeing good and evil Patience with ourselves, as well as with ohters who are also in the midst of conversion, becomes the key virtue to cultivate. God knows we are on the right track once we embrace such a conversion, and so being gentle on ourselves is not a sign of laxity or weakness of will, but a sign of wisdom.
Of course, the start of a moral conversion can be dramatic and jumpstart a change, but over the long haul of life, the heart of a person must be fully cooperative; otherwise, the person will not adhere to the moral truth for long."
The post CTD#4 – “The Desert of Sin” – Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion with Deacon James Keating appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
“Conversion: Spiritual Insights Into an Essential Encounter with God” is another wonderful offering of spiritual reflections by Fr. Donald Haggerty! What is “conversion”? Fr. Haggerty brings us to a clearer understanding by relating it in our life in God. Sin, mercy, and responding to the will of God are just some of the elements he addresses ... Read more
The post IP#322 – Fr. Donald Haggerty – Conversion on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Episode 8 – Luke’s Genealogy Traces Jesus Back to Universal Adam, not discrepancies but theological distinctions with Matthew. The Symbolism with St. Luke’s 77 Generations. The Genealogy of Jesus Christ is recorded differently by Matthew and Luke. Each unique author has a particular theological meaning behind their genealogies of Jesus Christ, the Messiah of God. Matthew ... Read more
The post ST-Luke-8 – The Genealogy of Jesus Christ – The Gospel of St. Luke – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
“You are bait on the hook” “You are bait on the hook” is the lead topic of this episode of “The Spiritual Journey Podcast with Kris McGregor.” A portion of this podcast was originally recorded during an episode of “The Good Book Club” segment on the Spirit Morning Show. Kris reflects on six martyrs, two ... Read more
The post SJ3 – “You are bait on the hook” – The Spiritual Journey with Kris McGregor – A Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Episode 3 -Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion – “Waiting in the Desert”. “The ancient image of Lent as a time of withdrawal is relevant to the formation of conscience if we perceive that our consciences have been inordinately attached to anemic sources of influence. Christians are called to transform the world of culture, work, ... Read more
The post CTD#3 – “Waiting in the Desert” – Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion with Deacon James Keating appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
What an extraordinary conversation we are allowed to experience! Because of the pious imagination of master philosopher/apologist Dr. Peter Kreeft, we get to eavesdrop as three Christian spiritual masters ponder together the mysteries of the Christian faith. Anyone who picks up a copy "Symbol or Substance: A Dialogue on the Eucharist with C. S. Lewis, Billy Graham and J. R. R. Tolkien" will indeed be in the "presence" of faith-filled transcendence.
The post IP#347 Dr. Peter Kreeft on Symbol or Substance: A Dialogue on the Eucharist on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Born: 313 AD, Caesarea Maritima, Israel Died: March 18, 386 AD, Jerusalem, Israel For more on St. Cyril and his teachings Cyril of Jerusalem – Catechetical Lectures From Vatican.va, an excerpt from the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI General Audience 2007: Taken as a whole, Cyril’s homilies form a systematic catechesis on the Christian’s ... Read more
The post DC-V4 St. Cyril of Jerusalem – The Doctors of the Church w/ Dr. Matthew Bunson – Video Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Episode 9 – Fr. Gallagher offers insights on a form of Spiritual Desolation he terms as “Pre-Event” Desolation. He uses this description to define a type of desolation that can affect someone who, for example, is about to enter into a retreat or pilgrimage, or some type of spiritual or ministry based undertaking. From Setting ... Read more
The post SD9 “Pre-Event” Desolation – Spiritual Desolation: Be Aware, Understand, Take Action with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
"Surrender! The Life Changing Power of Doing God's Will" is another outstanding offering from Fr. LarryRichards! From start to finish Fr. Larry challenges us to place Jesus Christ first in our lives and in our relationships with others and the world. Once we can do that, things begin to fall in place. Then he helps us to recognize the difference between God's will and our will, and to trust that His will be better for us if we trust, love and....SURRENDER!
The post IP#121 Fr. Larry Richards – Surrender on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Msgr. Esseff reflects on the vow we give when we respond to our particular "calling" placed in our hearts by God.
The post BKL250 – The Vow – Building a Kingdom of Love w/ Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
One of my very favorite storytellers is Sr. Joan Mueller...give yourself the gift of hearing her share the story of St. Bakhita in the podcast above...
Witness of love
Every line of the Collect for Saint Bakhita merits attention; every phrase needs to be repeated in meditation.
O God, who led Saint Josephine Bakhita
from abject slavery
to the dignity of being your daughter and the bride of Christ,
give us, we beseech you, by her example,
to follow after Jesus the Crucified Lord with unremitting love
and, in charity, to persevere in a ready mercy.
Her humility, her simplicity and her constant smile won the hearts of all the citizens. Her sisters in the community esteemed her for her inalterable sweet nature, her exquisite goodness and her deep desire to make the Lord known.
“Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know Him. What a great grace it is to know God!”As she grew older she experienced long, painful years of sickness.
Mother Bakhita continued to witness to faith, goodness and Christian hope. To those who visited her and asked how she was, she would respond with a smile: “As the Master desires.”
Final test
During her agony, she re-lived the terrible days of her slavery and more then once she begged the nurse who assisted her: “Please, loosen the chains... they are heavy!”
It was Mary Most Holy who freed her from all pain. Her last words were: “Our Lady! Our Lady!”, and her final smile testifiedto her encounter with the Mother of the Lord.
Mother Bakhita breathed her last on February 8, 1947 at the Canossian Convent, Schio, surrounded by the Sisters. A crowd quickly gathered at the Convent to have a last look at their «Mother Moretta» and to ask for her protection from heaven. The fame of her sanctity has spread to all the continents and many are those who receive graces through her intercession.
The post St. Bakhita, to follow after Jesus the Crucified Lord with unremitting love… In Conversation with Sr. Joan Mueller appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Born: 306 AD, Nisibis, Turkey
Died: June 9, 373 AD, Edessa, Turkey
Full name: Ephrem of Nisibis
From Vatican.va, an excerpt from the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI General Audience 2007:
The figure of Ephrem is still absolutely timely for the life of the various Christian Churches. We discover him in the first place as a theologian who reflects poetically, on the basis of Holy Scripture, on the mystery of man's redemption brought about by Christ, the Word of God incarnate. His is a theological reflection expressed in images and symbols taken from nature, daily life and the Bible. Ephrem gives his poetry and liturgical hymns a didactic and catechetical character: they are theological hymns yet at the same time suitable for recitation or liturgical song. On the occasion of liturgical feasts, Ephrem made use of these hymns to spread Church doctrine. Time has proven them to be an extremely effective catechetical instrument for the Christian community.
Ephrem's reflection on the theme of God the Creator is important: nothing in creation is isolated and the world, next to Sacred Scripture, is a Bible of God. By using his freedom wrongly, man upsets the cosmic order. The role of women was important to Ephrem. The way he spoke of them was always inspired with sensitivity and respect: the dwelling place of Jesus in Mary's womb greatly increased women's dignity. Ephrem held that just as there is no Redemption without Jesus, there is no Incarnation without Mary. The divine and human dimensions of the mystery of our redemption can already be found in Ephrem's texts; poetically and with fundamentally scriptural images, he anticipated the theological background and in some way the very language of the great Christological definitions of the fifth-century Councils.
Ephrem, honoured by Christian tradition with the title "Harp of the Holy Spirit", remained a deacon of the Church throughout his life. It was a crucial and emblematic decision: he was a deacon, a servant, in his liturgical ministry, and more radically, in his love for Christ, whose praises he sang in an unparalleled way, and also in his love for his brethren, whom he introduced with rare skill to the knowledge of divine Revelation.
For more visit Vatican.va
The post DC3 St. Ephrem of Syria – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Mary the Ark of the Covenant and “Do Not Touch the Ark”. The presentation of Jesus in the Temple means the true presence of God is back in the temple again. Simeon and Anna rejoice.
We begin today’s podcast with St. John’s vision at Patmos in REV 11-12.
The contents of the ark are sacred and not to be touched. Everyone knew the rule; do not touch the ark. Recall how in Leviticus 10, Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s sons, offered unauthorized fire and were struck dead. David’s man Uzzah was also struck dead when he touched the side of the Ark to steady it (2 Sam 6). We also recall when the Lord slew 70 men who looked into the Ark of the Covenant (1 Sam 6). We too become a tabernacle of meeting each time we receive Jesus in the Eucharist.
The episode continues with the circumcision of Jesus, and Presentation of Jesus in the temple. We remember from 2 Maccabees 2 that the true presence of God has been absent from the temple ever since Jeremiah sealed the Ark of the Covenant in a cave on the mountain of Moses. As Mary and Joseph bring the infant Jesus for the purification ceremony, the true presence of God has finally returned to the temple, an event long anticipated and recognized by Simeon and the prophetess Anna. The Holy Family returns to Nazareth for the “hidden” years of Jesus as he grows in strength and wisdom with the favor of God upon him. Luke 2 concludes with 12-year-old Jesus teaching in the temple: the true presence of God has returned to the temple yet again, “Why are you looking for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s House?” With the Eucharist present in every tabernacle of every Catholic Church, we have access to the true presence of God at all times.
The post ST-Luke-6 – The presentation of Jesus in the Temple – The Gospel of St. Luke – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Msgr. Esseff reflects what it means to truly encounter Jesus. Do we recognize Him in the poor, the prisoner, the disabled, the stranger? Or do we pass Him by because we truly do not know Him? He offers insight primarily from the teachings found in the letter from St. James Chap 2:
My brothers and sisters, show no partiality
as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.
For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes
comes into your assembly,
and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in,
and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes
and say, "Sit here, please, "
while you say to the poor one, "Stand there, " or "Sit at my feet, "
have you not made distinctions among yourselves
and become judges with evil designs?
Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters.
Did not God choose those who are poor in the world
to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom
that he promised to those who love him?. - NAB
The post BKL16 – How do we truly encounter Jesus everyday? – Building a Kingdom of Love w/ Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth) was a papal encyclical issued by Pope John XXIII on 11 April 1963.
The post RN16 – Regnum Novum – St. Pope John XXIII – Pacem in Terras (Peace on Earth) and the Natural Law – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
With Dr. Adrian Walker, we reflect on various aspects of Adrienne’s insight on mystical life, prayer, relationship with the Trinity, the Cross of Christ and confession. The World of Prayer In prayer God enables man to approach him once more. Most people live so estranged from God that prayer’s first task must be to make ... Read more
The post HM-8 “The World of Prayer” – A Handmaid of the Lord: the Life and Legacy of Adrienne von Speyr with Dr. Adrian Walker appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Msgr. Esseff continues his reflections on the Angelic Realm. He discusses the magnificence of the Throne of God. Isaiah Chap 6:1-4 1 In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne,a with the train of his garment filling the temple. 2 Seraphim were stationed above; each of them ... Read more
The post BKL201 – The Angelic Realm and the Celebration of the Holy Mass – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
“Lift Up Your Heart: A 10-Day Personal Retreat with St. Francis de Sales” is outstanding. A wonderful “introduction to the devout life”… literally! Fr. John Burns breaks open up the teachings of the great spiritual director and Doctor of the Church St. Francis de Sales in a wonderfully fresh new way. Very practical and perfect for ... Read more
The post IP#318 Fr. John Burns – Lift Up Your Heart on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Mike Aquilina shares with us the story of St. Agnes.
A young girl who would help to break open the hearts of many so that grace could pour in. She was "a lamb for Christ". -
A prayer to St. Agnes
Let us gain courage for our own battle
by honoring the martyrdom of the glorious virgin Agnes.
St. Agnes, vessel of honor,
flower of unfading fragrance,beloved of the choirs of Angels,you are an example to the worth of virtue and chastity.
O you who wear a Martyr’s palm
and a virgin’s wreath,
pray for us that,
though unworthy of a special crown,
we may have our names written in the list of Saints.
The post St. Agnes, a lamb for Christ with Mike Aquilina appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
From a treatise On Virgins by Saint Ambrose, bishop Too young to be punished, yet old enough for a martyr’s crown Today is the birthday of a virgin; let us imitate her purity. It is the birthday of a martyr; let us offer ourselves in sacrifice. It is the birthday of Saint Agnes, who is said ... Read more
The post “Too young to be punished, yet old enough for a martyr’s crown” (St. Agnes) – Saint Ambrose from the Office of Readings appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Msgr. Esseff reflects on how we are to daily discern the movement of Christ in us and the movement of the self, the world, and the activity of the enemy. Transition: Become aware of the love with which God looks upon me as I begin this examen. Gratitude Note the gifts that God’s love has given ... Read more
The post BKL#28 – Discerning Daily the Spirit – Building a Kingdom of Love w/ Msgr. John Esseff appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.