Continues the subject begun in the first chapter and persuades the sisters to busy themselves constantly in beseeching God to help those who work for the Church. Ends with an exclamatory prayer.
THE WAY OF PERFECTION by ST. TERESA OF AVILA Translated & Edited by E. ALLISON PEERS from the Critical Editon of P. SILVERIO DE SANTA TERESA, C.D.
Another phenomenal book from the prolific Mike Aquilina! Filled with historical perspective and faith-filled insight, “How the Choir Converted the Word: Through Hymns, With Hymns, and In Hymns” isn’t just for the church choir! Our conversation covers the spectrum and encourages all of us to remember we are called not a perfect song to the Lord, but a joyful song! And isn’t that what our faith fills our hearts with? As always, Mike’s enthusiasm for the subject is contagious and encourages us to spread the “Good News” with a hymn in our heart! Highly recommended.
“This is the perfect gift for your parish music director—and the whole choir—and everyone who should be singing in the congregation. When we sing, we pray, and we evangelize too. That’s one way the early Christians changed the world.”
—Scott Hahn, Professor of Theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville and best-selling author of The Creed
“Aquilina has all the qualities that a good guide should possess: he knows the terrain (taking the reader through Scripture, antiquity, and the Church Fathers), he has a discerning eye (spotting the place of music in the Church), and is an engaging wit (the reader feels like he has been brought to stand outside the Jerusalem Temple, or in Ephrem’s choir, or beside Ambrose in the great cathedral at Milan). This book considers an important but overlooked element of theologia prima, namely, how the Church performs her theology in what is actually sung doctrine. Easily accessible, fascinating, and inspiring to believers today.”
—David Fagerberg, Professor of Liturgical Studies at Notre Dame University and author of On Liturgical Asceticism
The third step – REVIEW – this is the point where the “Discernment of Spirits – the 14 Rules” and the Examen intersect. With God, we discuss the day. We look for the stirrings in our hearts and the thoughts that God has given us this day. We also look for those that have not been of God. We review our choices in response to both, and throughout the day in general.
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”.
As outlined from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola
(translated from the autograph by Fr. E. Mullan, S.J. 1909 in the public domain)
METHOD FOR MAKING THE GENERAL EXAMEN
It contains in it five Points.
First Point.The first Point is to give thanks to God our Lord for the benefits received. Second Point.The second, to ask grace to know our sins and cast them out. Third Point.The third, to ask account of our soul from the hour that we rose up to the present Examen, hour by hour, or period by period: and first as to thoughts, and then as to words, and then as to acts, in the same order as was mentioned in the Particular Examen. Fourth Point. The fourth, to ask pardon of God our Lord for the faults. Fifth Point.The fifth, to purpose amendment with His grace.
The Church was now entering the most dangerous era in her history—a time when some even inside the Church questioned whether the institution would survive. By the mid-nineteenth century, all the forces that had been gathering against the Church in the previous centuries—Protestantism, revolutionary philosophy, nationalism, and industrial regimentation—were combining to attack it. The pope had been deprived of his temporal power and was shut up in the Vatican. All over Europe, anticlerical governments were taking away the Church’s property and putting severe restrictions on priests. Yet the Church would come out of the fire refined and stronger. As Christ had promised, the gates of hell would not prevail against it.
The conversation continues on the subject of the first step in the Examen – GRATITUDE. Why? Because first, above all things, God is love. So at the start of the prayer, we should recall the gift of love God has blessed us with that day and give Him thanks and praise….and be concrete. Fr. Gallagher offers examples of what that could look like. Then the conversation begins on the next step – PETITION. Asking God to show you what see clearly the spiritual realities of that day.
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”.
As outlined from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola
(translated from the autograph by Fr. E. Mullan, S.J. 1909 in the public domain)
METHOD FOR MAKING THE GENERAL EXAMEN
It contains in it five Points.
First Point.The first Point is to give thanks to God our Lord for the benefits received. Second Point.The second, to ask grace to know our sins and cast them out. Third Point.The third, to ask account of our soul from the hour that we rose up to the present Examen, hour by hour, or period by period: and first as to thoughts, and then as to words, and then as to acts, in the same order as was mentioned in the Particular Examen. Fourth Point. The fourth, to ask pardon of God our Lord for the faults. Fifth Point.The fifth, to purpose amendment with His grace.
Michael Novak is a shining witness of what occurs in the soul when the head makes the journey to the heart. What a gift he is to all of us and what a profound sage of wisdom…when he so gently speaks, I listen….we all should! In “Living the Call: An Introduction to the Lay Vocation,” Michael, along with his co-author William E. Simon, Jr, establishes, in Part 1, of the book, the need for the lay vocation in the Church today. They chronicle that need with a national and global perspective. They also present how “living the call” looks in the lives of nine committed lay faithful working in parish life today.
Part 2 is worth its weight in gold! It outlines the absolute necessity of growth in the interior life of the laity. How essential it is to deepen the spiritual life. They give voice to the need to appreciate the desert experiences of our lives as opportunities for greater unity with Christ; such periods provide the fonts of grace which nurtures the work in ministry. For anyone who severs in a ministry of any kind, either as an employee or as a volunteer, if you pass this indispensable book by, you do so at your peril!
“This is the book that countless Catholic laypeople have been waiting for as they ponder how to respond to Vatican II’s challenge to take more active roles in the life of the Church and to bring Christian principles to life in the secular world. It’s a gem of a book that speaks to laypeople in all walks of life and at all stages of their earthly journeys.”
Mary Ann Glendon, Learned Hand Professor of Law, Harvard University
The First Step in the Examen Prayer: Gratitude. Taking time out of the day when our hearts are free to receive the Lord’s presence. Prayer always takes two persons in relationship…ourselves and God. Then together with the Lord, we see what the gifts of love God has poured out upon us. The key in this first step, is not to look for our missteps (that may come later), but to look for the gifts and give thanks.
As outlined from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola
(translated from the autograph by Fr. E. Mullan, S.J. 1909 in the public domain)
METHOD FOR MAKING THE GENERAL EXAMEN
It contains in it five Points.
First Point.The first Point is to give thanks to God our Lord for the benefits received. Second Point.The second, to ask grace to know our sins and cast them out. Third Point.The third, to ask account of our soul from the hour that we rose up to the present Examen, hour by hour, or period by period: and first as to thoughts, and then as to words, and then as to acts, in the same order as was mentioned in the Particular Examen. Fourth Point. The fourth, to ask pardon of God our Lord for the faults. Fifth Point.The fifth, to purpose amendment with His grace.
“True comfort comes when iniquity is pardoned.” With these words, Sharon begins the first of three lessons covering Paul’s monumental work, the book of Romans. One of the overarching themes of this book is that through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are pardoned for our sins. Paul begins his letter with the bad news: we are dying in our sins. But then, he delivers the good news: Jesus Christ provides a way out of sin. Sharon emphasizes that in order to fully understand Romans, we have to know that Paul is addressing the tension between the Jewish and Gentile Christians of Rome, explaining that righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ and not through adherence to the laws of the old covenant. Another theme of Romans is the obedience of faith, which is beautifully illustrated through the story of Abraham, whose faith continued to grow throughout his entire life. To be righteous, (that is, in right relationship with God), we must have faith in his only son, Jesus. Furthermore, Sharon teaches us of the importance of worship. When we fail to worship our Creator and, instead, worship the creation, we fall into idolatry, which invariably leads to sexual immorality.
Sharon Doran serves as the teaching director of “Seeking Truth.” An experienced Bible Study teacher, Sharon has a passion for scripture that will motivate and challenge you to immerse yourself in God’s Word and apply His message to your everyday life.
“Seeking Truth” is an in-depth Catholic Bible Study, commissioned by the Archdiocese of Omaha in response to John Paul II’s call to the New Evangelization as well as Pope Benedict XVI’s exhortation for all Catholics to study scripture. To learn more go to:www.seekingtruth.net