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Europeans were amazed by these events happening across the sea. The French especially, who were instrumental in the success of the American Revolution, were fascinated by men like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, who seemed to combine European refinement with colonial common sense. Inevitably, French intellectuals began to ask the obvious question: if it had worked in America, might it not also be possible for a European country to throw off tyranny and substitute liberty?

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DPD1 – “What is an “Examen” – The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Examen Prayer w/ Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts

Episode 1 Serves as an introduction to the coming series and the Examen Prayer.

Can we live with our spiritual eyes open to catch the action of God? The Examen Prayer is the one prayer St. Ignatius could not imagine doing without. You can’t stand still in the spiritual life if you are praying the Examen Prayer.

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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.

OUR FATHER.

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 books and audio available for purchase from Fr. Timothy Gallagher check out his website: www.frtimothygallagher.org

For the other episodes in this series check out
Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s “Discerning Hearts” page

LOH1 – Introduction – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

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Episode 1 – Introduction – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

From “Praying the Liturgy of the Hours,” Fr. Gallagher shares:

When we consider the potential of the Liturgy of the Hours for spiritual growth, that significance deepens beyond measure. The Liturgy of the Hours is a part of life, an experience of prayer that merits our explicit attention and reflection.

The Second Vatican Council taught with great emphasis that the Liturgy of the Hours is a prayer for the entire people of God.

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

Check out here to hear the podcast referenced here by Fr. Gallagher: IP#260 Daria Sockey – The Everyday Catholic’s Guide to 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

LOH2 – Praying the Psalms – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

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Episode 2 – Praying the Psalms – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

From “Praying the Liturgy of the Hours,” Fr. Gallagher shares:

My psalter is my joy. —Saint Augustine

SINCE THE OLD TESTAMENT times when they were written, people of faith have loved the Psalms. Devout Jews turned to these one hundred fifty prayers in times of joy and sorrow, of peace and desperate need. Jesus knew, quoted, and prayed the Psalms; in him, the fullness of divine revelation, the Psalms acquired their deepest meaning. 1 The early Christians likewise prayed them and, when the persecutions of the first centuries ceased, gathered for this prayer in their churches.

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

Check out here to hear the podcast referenced here by Fr. Gallagher: IP#260 Daria Sockey – The Everyday Catholic’s Guide to 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

LOH3 – The Theology of the Liturgy of the Hours – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

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Episode 3 – The Theology of the Liturgy of the Hours – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

From “CONSTITUTION ON THE SACRED LITURGY “, Fr. Gallagher discusses:

CHAPTER IV THE DIVINE OFFICE 83. Christ Jesus, high priest of the new and eternal covenant, taking human nature, introduced into this earthly exile that hymn which is sung throughout all ages in the halls of heaven. He joins the entire community of mankind to Himself, associating it with His own singing of this canticle of divine praise.

For he continues His priestly work through the agency of His Church, which is ceaselessly engaged in praising the Lord and interceding for the salvation of the whole world. She does this, not only by celebrating the eucharist, but also in other ways, especially by praying the divine office.

84. By tradition going back to early Christian times, the divine office is devised so that the whole course of the day and night is made holy by the praises of God. Therefore, when this wonderful song of praise is rightly performed by priests and others who are deputed for this purpose by the Church’s ordinance, or by the faithful praying together with the priest in the approved form, then it is truly the voice of the bride addressed to her bridegroom; It is the very prayer which Christ Himself, together with His body, addresses to the Father.

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

Check our here to hear the podcast referenced here by Fr. Gallagher: IP#260 Daria Sockey – The Everyday Catholic’s Guide to 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

LOH4 – The Prayer of the Domestic Church – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

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Episode 4 – The Prayer of the Domestic Church – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

From “GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS “, Fr. Gallagher discusses:

Chapter I-IV. Participants in the Liturgy of the Hours27….Finally, it is of great advantage for the family, the domestic sanctuary of the Church, not only to pray together to God but also to celebrate some parts of the liturgy of the hours as occasion offers, in order to enter more deeply into the life of the Church. [106]

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

Check our here to hear the podcast referenced here by Fr. Gallagher: IP#260 Daria Sockey – The Everyday Catholic’s Guide to 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

LOH5 – How do I Pray the Liturgy of the Hours? – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

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Episode 5 – How do I Pray the Liturgy of the Hours? – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

From “Praying the Liturgy of the Hours “, Fr. Gallagher discusses:

The renewed Liturgy of the Hours offers five daily times of prayer: Morning Prayer, to be said as the day begins; Daytime Prayer, to be said in late morning, midday, or midafternoon; Evening Prayer, to be said in the evening; Night Prayer, to be said just before retiring; and the Office of Readings, a longer and more meditative prayer to be said at any convenient time during the day. Morning and Evening Prayer, depending on how they are prayed— alone or in a group, with or without singing, and so forth— may take ten to fifteen minutes. Daytime Prayer is shorter and Night Prayer shorter still. The Office of Readings may take twenty minutes, or more if one has time for further reflection on the readings.

The two “hinge” (principal) hours, Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, follow essentially the same pattern. After an invocation of God’s help and a brief prayer of praise, the hour begins with a hymn. As a hymn, ideally this is sung, though in individual prayer it is often recited. Two psalms and a biblical canticle follow, each introduced and concluded by an antiphon. A short passage from Scripture is next read, together with a prayer of response to its message. A Gospel canticle— Zechariah’s Benedictus in the morning and Mary’s Magnificat in the evening— with its antiphon is then prayed. The hour concludes with intercessions for various needs, the Our Father, and a final prayer.

Daytime Prayer consists of a hymn, three psalms, a short scriptural reading, and a final prayer. Night Prayer follows a similar pattern, shortened, however, to one psalm and with prayers appropriate to the day’s end. The Office of Readings begins with a hymn and three psalms that prepare for two longer readings, one from the Bible and the other from a Church Father, a saint, or another classic spiritual writer. These readings offer daily nourishment for reflection and meditation.

The Liturgy of the Hours harmonizes with the Mass of the day. If, for example, the Mass is for the Second Sunday of Advent, then Morning Prayer, the Office of Readings, and the other hours will focus on the theme of Advent: preparing for the coming

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

Check our here to hear the podcast referenced here by Fr. Gallagher: IP#260 Daria Sockey – The Everyday Catholic’s Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours

Fr. Gallagher mentions iBrevary as a resource that can aid in 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

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

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

Check our here to hear the podcast referenced here by Fr. Gallagher: IP#260 Daria Sockey – The Everyday Catholic’s Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours

Fr. Gallagher mentions iBrevary as a resource that can aid in 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

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

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

Check our here to hear the podcast referenced here by Fr. Gallagher: IP#260 Daria Sockey – The Everyday Catholic’s Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours

Fr. Gallagher mentions iBrevary as a resource that can aid in 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

LOH8 – A Prayer of Praise – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

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Episode 8 – A Prayer of Praise – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

Fr. Gallagher:

THE INSTRUCTION TOLD ME that the Liturgy of the Hours is primarily a prayer of praise. As mentioned, this was new for me. I had seldom thought of praising God and did not understand why this was so important, even the central focus of the Hours. Praise, I thought, was a form of prayer privileged by some and associated with expressive gestures and gospel music. Charismatics praised God. Praise and worship music praised God. In Hispanic ministry, I had encountered warm and compelling prayers of praise. I respected and liked such prayer; but it was not my habitual form of prayer. As I reflected, I realized that I had always centered my prayer of the Hours on two things: meditation on the content of the psalms and readings and petition for various needs. I had never thought of the Liturgy of the Hours as a prayer of praise.

Now I saw that praise situates us in our truth as creatures before our Creator and as those redeemed before our Redeemer. I never doubted that I was God’s creature and that Christ had redeemed me. My awareness of this, however, would often fade in the busyness of the day. I could easily lose sight of God and of who I am before him.