Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts Archives

The Stanzas and Prolouge – The Ascent of Mt. Carmel by St. John of the Cross – Mp3 audio & Text Podcast

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The Stanzas and Prologue – “The Ascent of Mt. Carmel” by St. John of the Cross

translated by David Lewis
read by Ed Humpal

THE NATURE OF THE DARK NIGHT, THE NECESSITY OF PASSING AND SPECIALLY THE DARK NIGHT OF SENSE AND DESIRE, THROUGH IT IN ORDER TO ATTAIN TO THE DIVINE UNION J WITH THE EVILS WHICH THESE INFLICT UPON THE SOUL.

ARGUMENT.

The following stanzas are a summary of the doctrine contained in this book of the Ascent of Mount Carmel. They also describe how we are to ascend to the summit of it, that is, to the high state of perfection, called here union of the soul with God. I place all the stanzas together because that which I have to say is founded upon them. Thus the whole substance of my book may be comprehended at once. I shall also transcribe each stanza again, and each line separately, as the nature of my work requires.

STANZAS

I
In a dark night,
With anxious love inflamed,
O, happy lot I
Forth unobserved I went,
My house being now at rest.

II
In darkness and in safety,
By the secret ladder, disguised,
O, happy lot!
In darkness and concealment.
My house being now at rest.

III
In that happy night,
In secret, seen of none,
Seeing nought myself,
Without other light or guide
Save that which in my heart was burning.

IV
That light guided me
More surely than the noonday sun
To the place where
He was waiting for me.
Whom I knew well,
And where none appeared.

V
O, guiding night ;
O, night more lovely than the dawn ;
O, night that hast united The lover with His beloved,
And changed her into her love

VI
On my flowery bosom,
Kept whole for Him alone,
There He reposed and slept ;
And I caressed Him, and the waving
Of the cedars fanned Him.

VII
As His hair floated in the breeze
That blew from the turret,
He struck me on the neck
With His gentle hand,
And all sensation left me.

VIII
I continued in oblivion lost,
My head was resting on my love;
Lost to all things and myself,
And, amid the lilies forgotten,
Threw all my cares away.

Prologue

IP#304 Fr. Ed Broom, O.M.V. – From Humdrum to Holy on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

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What a delight to talk and to LEARN from Fr. Ed Broom, of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary! His book “From Humdrum to HOLY: A Step-by-Step Guide to Living Like a Saint” is great! In our conversation, we discuss the value of the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the great legacy of Ven. Bruno Lanteri and of having a spiritual program in our lives. He offers in this work, among other things, “10 Ways to Start (or Continue) Becoming a Saint” . Through the “10 M’s” he presents practical entryways to help souls who desire to establish spiritual practices in their everyday life. Fr. Ed speaks of the importance of self-knowledge and the practice of the Daily Examen Prayer as well as, the need to form a healthy conscience. We are only able to touch the tip of the iceberg in this episode, but that’s the beauty of having the “From Humdrum to HOLY” your hands! Fr. Ed Broom’s writing is so engaging and filled with clarity. Take an important first step in growing in holiness and get this book!

You can find the book here

“I’m a direct beneficiary of Fr. Ed Broom’s extraordinary zeal for souls. His passionate pastoral concern for ‘lost sheep’ helped bring me back to the practice of my Catholic Faith in high school, and his stirring homilies enkindled in me an ardent desire for holiness. I pray that the potent practical wisdom of these pages will inspire many others to strive for greater sanctity.”
Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC
Author, 33 Days to Merciful Love

“In Fr. Broom’s book, readers will find an accessible and practical guide toward the goal of holiness.”
Fr. Timothy M. Gallagher, OMV

“Those who long for a serious, yet simple and doable, path to spiritual growth, to holiness and to wholeness, will find a treasure in this wonderfully-readable spiritual gem.”
Mother Miriam Of The Lamb Of God, O.S.B.
Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel’s Hope

IP#304 Fr. Ed Broom O.M.V – From Humdrum to Holy on Inside the Pages from Discerning Hearts on Vimeo.

“Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor” now featured in the “Angelus” Magazine

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Discerning Hearts is blessed to announce our association with Angelus News, a New Evangelization outreach of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. “Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor” is now featured in the “Angelus” magazine with audio for the various articles can be found at AngelusNews.com. We encourage you to sign up for the daily digital newsletter, Always Forward, with news and articles which will never disappoint. “A rising tide lifts all boats”, as the saying goes, and we are pleased to be harbored with Angelus News!

Angelus News informs Catholics and non-Catholics alike about the good works in our parishes, schools and ministries not only in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, but around the world. Angelus News features:

A weekly newsmagazine, Angelus. The name was chosen because it is the prayer between our patroness, our Blessed Mother Mary, Queen of the Angels, and St. Gabriel the Archangel, namesake of the first mission built in the archdiocese.

A complete daily digital edition (AngelusNews.com) including video, audio, photo galleries and slideshows, updated throughout the day.

Social media channels (including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram).

Daily digital newsletter, Always Forward, after the motto of our patron, St. Junípero Serra.

Angelus News provides national and worldwide reporting, stunning photography and a design that’s attractive to Catholics of every age.

Angelus is the weekly print “home” for renowned Vatican reporter, John Allen and his colleague, About Inés San Martin, one of the top writers on the Church in Latin America. Nationally known Catholic journalists and essayists regularly contribute. Voices like Ruben Navarrette (USA Today, CNN, NPR); Kathryn Lopez (National Review, Wall Street Journal), Grazie Pozo Christie (CNN, Miami Herald, New York Times, USA Today), and Mike Aquilina(national speaker and author of more than 50 books on Catholic themes). Best-selling Catholic author, Dr. Scott Hahn, writes a weekly Scripture column for us. These new voices complement key contributors like Archbishop Gomez, Bishop Robert Barron, Father Ronald Rolheiser and Heather King.

As the largest archdiocese in the United States, we have a great story to tell. Our parishes, pastors and community of faith are the core of our story. And Angelus News tells it well.

For subscription questions, visit angelusnews.com/subscribe or call (844) 245-6630.
Vida Nueva, our award-winning Spanish-language newspaper, continues to publish monthly.

ROF#1 – Witnesses to Tradition – Roots of the Faith with Mike Aquilina

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Episode 1 – Witnesses to Tradition. A grand overview of Church tradition as passed down to us by the Fathers of the Church…it’s scope and relevance for our lives today!

Roots of the Faith – From the Church Fathers to You with Mike Aquilina, makes clear that just as an acorn grows into a tree and yet remains the same plant, so the Catholic Church is a living organism that has grown from the faith of the earliest Christians into the body of Christ we know today. Hosted by Kris McGregor

Pick up a copy of Mke’s book. You’ll find so much more and invaluable references and resources, as well

Also, visit Mike’s “Discerning Hearts” page for more audio downloads and information!

LOH7-V7 – The Experience of the Liturgy of the Hours – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

Episode 7 – The Experience of the Liturgy of the Hours – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

Fr. Gallagher speaks of the Ignatian connection to the Liturgy of the Hours:

Ignatius expects— and experience confirms— that all who love and seek the Lord will undergo times of spiritual desolation: times when they do not sense God’s closeness and when they feel discouraged, without energy for prayer or service to others. Such desolation, he tells us, is a common tactic of our spiritual enemy. God in his love permits this, Ignatius says, because we grow through resisting such desolation. If we learn, therefore, to be aware of this discouraging tactic of the enemy, to understand it, and to reject it, we are set free to love and serve the Lord. The goal of Ignatius’s rules is to foster such freedom.

5 In his sixth rule, Ignatius counsels the person in desolation to “insist more upon prayer and meditation.” 6 In the discouragement of desolation, we feel a disinclination to pray. Not only, Ignatius says, should we resist the temptation to abandon prayer, but we must “insist” upon prayer and meditation even more in times of desolation. Gradually, I discovered that the Liturgy of the Hours helped me do this.

For the audio podcast only:

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For more episodes in this series visit Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours

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

IP#285 Rod Dreher – How Dante Can Save Your Life on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

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Dreher’s approach helps make Dante’s work accessible. While never claiming to be a literary scholar, he offers plenty of excellent academic commentary on the legendary 12th-century poem. But more importantly, he helps us to see how Dante can aid us in the treacherous journey from “the head to the heart.” For Dreher, The Divine Comedy is “a fantasy about a lost man who finds his way back to life after walking through the pits of hell, climbing up the mountains of purgatory, and ascending to the heights of heaven. But it’s really a story about real life and the incredible journey of our lives, yours and mine.”

After hearing our discussion with Rod Dreher and reading this wonderful book, you to may find yourself seeking out the wisdom found in the spiritual treasure chest known as Dante’s “Divine Comedy.”

You can find the book here

From the book description:

Inspiring, revelatory, and packed with penetrating spiritual, moral, and psychological insights How Dante Can Save Your Life is a book for people, both religious and secular, who find themselves searching for meaning and healing. Dante told his patron that he wrote his poem to bring readers from misery to happiness. It worked for Rod Dreher. Dante saved Rod Dreher’s life—and in this book, Dreher shows you how Dante can save yours.

Other conversations with Rod Dreher: IP#316 Rod Dreher The Benedict Option on Inside the Pages

IP#259 Sheila Liaugminas – Non-Negotiable on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

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“Non-Negotiable: Essential Principles of a Just Society and Humane Culture” by Sheila Liaugminas is a fantastic book which clearly articulates the essence of Catholic Social Doctrine, especially those teachings which touch the lives of Catholic Americans. She addresses important challenges many face in the arena of politics and cultural relativism and offers solid guidance in the struggle to restore respect for human dignity. Excellent!

You can find the book here

“I truly admire Sheila Liaugminas. She is an outstanding journalist. We have dialogued extensively on her radio program about the rights of conscience and the protection of what we call our ‘first principles.’ Sheila has laid out in great breadth and depth the need for a revived understanding of the essentials of human dignity and societal organization.”
– Jeff Fortenberry, Member of Congress

“Both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have spoken of the ‘dictatorship of relativism’ in our world today and its negative impacts not just on our faith, but to the common good of society. Shelia Liaugminas draws upon the universal principle of natural human rights and dignity to address several contemporary moral issues which have suffered as a result of a relativistic mindset. Her book is a valuable resource in the struggle to restore a true, just and virtuous society.”
– Most Reverend Thomas Paprocki, Bishop of Springfield, Illinois

FW5 – Taking Up My Cross – Healing the Father Wound with Sonja Corbitt

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“Others, again, seeing their own imperfections, become angry with themselves with an impatience that is not humble. They are so impatient with their shortcomings as if they would be saints in one day. Many of these make grand resolutions, but being self-confident and not humble, the more they resolve, the more they fall, and the more angry they become; not having the patience to wait for God’s time; this is also opposed to spiritual meekness. There is no perfect remedy for this but in the dark night.

“There are, however, some people who are so patient, and who advance so slowly in their spiritual progress, that God wishes they were not so patient.”

Something for everyone from St. John of the Cross.

For other episodes in this series, visit the Discerning Hearts Sonja Corbitt page

Out now! My newest book with Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers: Ignite, Read the Bible Like Never Before. Get a preview of the introduction and first chapter here.

Here’s the private Facebook discussion page for the Healing the Father Woundseries, if you want to join in the conversation with a little more privacy, as I do.

JPII’s Encyclical Letter, Dives in Misericordia, on God as Father

REFERENCES

Luke 23:26-31, “Jesus was followed by a great multitude of people, also women who beat their breasts and mourned over him, but Jesus turned to them and He said, ‘ It is not for me you should weep, daughters of Jerusalem. You should weep for yourselves and your children’.”

Luke 9:23Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.…

Romans 8:15, For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”

LOVE the Word™ is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. This week’s LOVE the Word™ exercise is according to a Augustinian* personality approach.

Listen (Receive the Word.)

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ²Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. ³More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

⁶While we were yet helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man—though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. ⁸But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. ⁹Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. ¹⁰For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. ¹¹Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received our reconciliation. (Romans 5:1-11)

Observe (Connect the passage to recent events.)

After reading slowly through this passage, how much of your salvation/healing depends on you?

Where do you stand with God?

Take some time to consider how you use obedience to try to earn God’s love or to get Him to do what you want Him to do. Where in your life can you see you have followed God in order to get something you want?

How is scruples, perfectionism, and OCD a lack of grace and charity toward yourself and others?

How do you feel when you do not measure up to your estimation of “how you should be doing,” spiritually or otherwise?

How do you know “how you should be doing”?

Who gave you the right to judge how you or anyone else should be doing?

How does this passage offer you hope?

Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.)

In your journal or on your journal page (get a free page to the right), write down your thoughts and feelings about these verses. What’s the main thing God wants you to know from this passage? What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through the mystery of how Jesus carried His cross?

Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!)

Abba, Father, show me what it means to take up my cross and follow Jesus.

Visit here for more on Sonja’s “LOVE the Word” journal

*LOVE the Word™ exercises vary weekly according to the four personalities, or “prayer forms,” explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Ignatian, Augustinian, Franciscan, and Thomistic. These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types.

Here is the video Sonja refers to in her talk:

LOH6-V6 – The Process of the Prayer – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

Episode 6 – The Process of the Prayer – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

The Psalm passage Fr. Gallagher references in the podcast:

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Awake, lyre and harp, with praise let us awake the dawn.

Psalm 57
Morning prayer in affliction
This psalm tells of our Lord’s passion (St. Augustine).

Have mercy on me, God, have mercy
for in you my soul has taken refuge.
In the shadow of your wings I take refuge
till the storms of destruction pass by.

I call to God the Most High,
to God who has always been my help.
May he send from heaven and save me
and shame those who assail me.

May God send his truth and his love.

My soul lies down among lions,
who would devour the sons of men.
Their teeth are spears and arrows,
their tongue a sharpened sword.

O God, arise above the heavens;
may your glory shine on earth!

They laid a snare for my steps,
my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my path
but fell in it themselves.

My heart is ready, O God,
my heart is ready.

I will sing, I will sing your praise.
Awake, my soul,
awake, lyre and harp,
I will awake the dawn.

I will thank you, Lord, among the peoples,
among the nations I will praise you,
for your love reaches to the heavens
and your truth to the skies.

O God, arise above the heavens;
may your glory shine on earth!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Lord, send your mercy and your truth to rescue us from the snares of the devil, and we will praise you among the peoples and proclaim you to the nations, happy to be known as companions of your Son.

Ant. Awake, lyre and harp, with praise let us awake the dawn.

For the audio podcast only:

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For more episodes in this series visit Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours

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

USCCA13 – Our Eternal Destiny – U. S. Catholic Catechism for Adults w/ Arch. George Lucas

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USCCA13- Episode 13- Our Eternal Destiny

Archbishop Lucas offers insights on the US Catholic Catechism for Adults Chapter 13:

But the reality of death and its finality give an urgency to our lives. Death puts an end to human life as the time open to either accepting or rejecting the divine grace manifested in Christ” (CCC, no. 1021). This teaching recognizes that the death of a person marks an end to our earthly journey with its sorrows and joys, its sinful failures, and the triumphs of Christ’s saving grace and help.

The Most Reverend George J. Lucas leads the Archdiocese of Omaha.

For other episodes in the visit our Archbishop George Lucas page

This programs is based on:

More information can be found .

We wish to thank the USCCB for the permissions granted for use of relevant material used in this series.
Also we wish to thank Fr. Ryan Lewis for their vocal talents in this episode.

The Stanzas and Prologue – “The Ascent of Mt. Carmel” by St. John of the Cross

translated by David Lewis read by Ed Humpal

Episode 7 – The Experience of the Liturgy of the Hours – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

For more episodes in this series visit Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours

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 other episodes in this series, visit the Discerning Hearts Sonja Corbitt page

REFERENCES

Visit here for more on Sonja’s “LOVE the Word” journal

Episode 6 – The Process of the Prayer – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

For more episodes in this series visit Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours

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

translated by David Lewis
read by Ed Humpal