Media Archives

ST-V10 – Acts of the Apostles, Chapters Acts 15 – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran – Video Podcast

“Acts 15” – Seeking Truth Catholic Bible Study from Discerning Hearts on Vimeo.

In Acts Chapter 15, we hear about the controversy in the early church regarding the need for circumcision. To resolve this issue, the first council of the church takes place in Jerusalem. At first glance, this might seem to be some obscure problem that is interesting, but not really pertinent to our faith. But Sharon gives us a masterful teaching about the importance of circumcision, showing us how it was the outward sign of God’s covenant with Israel. However, with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God establishes His final universal covenant with the entire world. The mediator of this new covenant is Jesus, and the sign of this new covenant is the Eucharist. And just as circumcision takes place on the 8th day after birth, so too does the celebration of the Eucharist take place on the 8th day, the day when we celebrate the resurrection of Christ and the dawn of a new creation.

For the audio-only version of this podcast

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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 every day 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

Chap 20 – The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus – Mp3 audio

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The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus,
of the Order of Our Lady of Carmel

Chapter 20

The Difference between Union and Rapture—What Rapture is—The Blessing it is to the Soul—The Effects of it

For the pdf containing the complete text and footnotes click here

For other chapters of the audio book visit: The Life of Teresa of Avila (autobiography) audio page

The Life
St. Teresa of Jesus,
of the Order of Our Lady of Carmel.
Written by Herself.
Translated from the Spanish by
David Lewis.
Third Edition Enlarged

BKL203 – Spiritual Direction for the Self-Reliant – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff

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Msgr. Esseff reflects on the story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector through the lens of a spiritual director.

Gospel LK 18:9-14

Jesus addressed this parable
to those who were convinced of their own righteousness
and despised everyone else.
“Two people went up to the temple area to pray;
one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself,
‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity —
greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’
But the tax collector stood off at a distance
and would not even raise his eyes to heaven
but beat his breast and prayed,
‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’
I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former;
for whoever exalts himself will be humbled,
and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

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. Msgr. Esseff assisted the founders of the Institute for Priestly Formation and continues to serve as a spiritual director for the Institute. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters and seminarians and other religious leaders around the world.

To obtain a copy of Msgr. Esseff’s book by visiting here

#12 The Tenth Rule – The Discernment of Spirits /w Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV – Video Podcasts

#12 The Tenth Rule The Discernment of Spirits /w Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV from Discerning Hearts on Vimeo.

Episode 12 – The Tenth Rule:

Let him who is in consolation think how he will be in the desolation which will come after, taking new strength for then.

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

You can obtain just the audio podcast, if you would prefer

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#11 The Ninth Rule – The Discernment of Spirits /w Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV – Video Podcasts

#11 The Ninth Rule The Discernment of Spirits /w Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV from Discerning Hearts on Vimeo.

Episode 11 -The Ninth Rule:

There are three principal reasons why we find ourselves desolate.
The first is, because of our being tepid, lazy or negligent in our spiritual exercises; and so through our faults, spiritual consolation withdraws from us.
The second, to try us and see how much we are and how much we let ourselves out in His service and praise without such great pay of consolation and great graces.
The third, to give us true acquaintance and knowledge, that we may interiorly feel that it is not ours to get or keep great devotion, intense love, tears, or any other spiritual consolation, but that all is the gift and grace of God our Lord, and that we may not build a nest in a thing not ours, raising our intellect into some pride or vainglory, attributing to us devotion or the other things of the spiritual consolation.

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

You can obtain just the audio podcast, if you would prefer

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RC#3 – The Case for Christianity – The Resilient Church w/ Mike Aquilina

RC-V3 The Case for Christianity – The Resilient Church /w Mike Aquilina from Discerning Hearts on Vimeo.

Episode 3 – The Case for Christianity

So the early believers were misunderstood by both pagans and Jews. Wild rumors flew about the Christians’ secret ceremonies. Both pagans and Jews charged them with cannibalism, infanticide, and (of course) disloyalty to the emperor. We’ve just seen how Nero found the Christians a convenient target when someone had to be blamed for the fire in Rome. If people believed that the Christians were cannibals, it was easy to believe that they were arsonists, too.

But at the beginning of the second century, a movement of Christian teachers spoke up to set the record straight. These teachers are known as the “apologists.” Perhaps the greatest of their first generation was St. Justin, who was born about the year 100.

The apologists set out to give reasoned explanations of Christian doctrines. (An “apology” in this sense is not the admission of a fault, but a speech or writing that defends some idea.) They were not so much preachers as debaters. Amid a hostile and confused culture, they methodically explained and defended all that Christians really believed.

For the audio podcast:

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Pick up a copy of Mike’s book.

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

BTP#12 Heaven In Faith Day 6 Prayer 2 – St. Elizabeth of the Trinity w/Dr. Anthony Lilles

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Episode 12 Beginning to Pray: “Heaven in Faith” Day 6 Prayer 2 – “If your eye is single, your whole body will be full of light.”

From “Heaven in Faith” found in The Complete Works vol 1:

19. …What is this single eye of which the Master speaks but this “simplicity of intention” which “gathers into unity all the scattered forces of the soul and unites the spirit itself to God. It is simplicity which gives God honor and praise; it is simplicity which presents and offers the virtues to Him. Then, penetrating and permeating itself, permeating and penetrating all creatures, it finds God in its depths.

We would like to offer heartfelt thanks to Miriam Gutierrez for providing for us “the voice” of Blessed Elizabeth for this series

For other episodes in the series visit the Discerning Hearts page for 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 Blessed Elisabeth of the Trinity.

USCCA32 – The Second Commandment: Reverence God’s Name – U. S. Catholic Catechism for Adults w/ Arch. George Lucas

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Archbishop Lucas offers insights on the US Catholic Catechism for Adults Chapter 25:

The first three Commandments treat our relationship to God. The last seven concern our relationship with each other. The First Commandment calls us to have faith in the true God, to hope in him, and to love him fully with mind, heart, and will. We respond to God, who has created and redeemed us and extends his providential care to us every minute of each day. The First Commandment fosters the virtue of religion that moves us to adore God alone because he alone is holy and worthy of our praise.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

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 here.

We wish to thank the USCCB for the permissions granted for use of relevant material used in this series.
Also we wish to thank Matt Wilkom for his vocal talents in this episode.

ST-V9 – Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 13-14 – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran – Video Podcast

“Acts 13-14” – Seeking Truth Catholic Bible Study from Discerning Hearts on Vimeo.

Our journey through the Acts of Apostles continues. Sharon gives us a nice summary of the series of progressive covenants that God has made throughout salvation history, showing us that each has both a covenant mediator and covenant sign. For example, Abraham was the covenant mediator and circumcision the covenant sign. Jesus Christ is the final covenant mediator and Eucharist the final covenant sign. We take a look at the stories of Peter’s vision at Joppa and the Baptism of Cornelius, both of which underscore the universal nature of God’s gift of salvation. Sharon goes on to give us a beautiful exhortation to use spiritual charisms granted to all of us by the Holy Spirit through the grace of our Baptism. From there, we focus on the execution of James, the first apostle to suffer martyrdom and the supernatural jailbreak of Peter. The lesson concludes with the commissioning of Paul and Barnabas who are sent to preach the kerygma, the good news, to anyone and everyone, Jew and Gentile alike.

For the audio-only version of this podcast

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BTP#11 Heaven In Faith Day 6 Prayer 1 – St. Elizabeth of the Trinity w/Dr. Anthony Lilles

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Episode 11 Beginning to Pray: “Heaven in Faith” Day 6 Prayer 1 – “To approach God we must believe”

From “Heaven in Faith” found in The Complete Works vol 1:

19. “We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.” That is our great act of faith, the way to repay our God love for love; it is “the mystery hidden” in the Father’s heart, of which St. Paul speaks, which, at last, we penetrate and our whole soul thrills!”

We would like to offer heartfelt thanks to Miriam Gutierrez for providing for us “the voice” of Blessed Elizabeth for this series