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Faith Check 16 – Confession is Good Medicine

Confession is Good Medicine

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FC 16 – Confession is Good Medicine
A trip to the doctor’s office can be a scary thing, but it’s often necessary to go there to get the healing and treatment that we need.
Likewise, going to the confessional can be intimidating, but it’s often the very thing that we need to get us back on the pathway to the Lord.

While we should also privately repent of our sins to God, Jesus instituted the sacrament of reconciliation or penance for our own good. Statistics show that Catholic populations have historically had lower rates of suicide and depression than non-Catholics, which many psychologists attribute directly to the healthy practice of vocally confessing one’s sins.

Few things can be as liberating as getting all of the junk from our lives out there on the table. The priest stands as Christ’s representative whose words of absolution, “I forgive you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” act as a sweet healing balm upon our souls. Priests are not their to scold you, but to offer healing and a fresh start.
So be not afraid, come unload your burdens before the Lord in confession today.

Talk 3 on “In the Footsteps of St. Teresa of Avila” – A Discerning Hearts Pilgrimage w/ Fr. Giles Dimock OP & Dr. Anthony Lilles – Discerning Hearts

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In this conversation, we discuss the significance of St. Teresa of Avila, not only in the area of the interior life, but also who her effect and presence on the world stage. We discuss how vital mental prayer is in the spiritual life and for interior renewal. For more information visit our page dedicated to pilgrimage at: www.pilgrimage.discerninghearts.com

Five hundred years ago, on March 28, a great mystic, founder, reformer, and doctor of the Church was born. From March 27 to April 6, 2015 you are invited to join Kris McGregor of Discerning Hearts on a spiritual journey through Holy Week and Easter in the footsteps of Saint Teresa of Avila in Spain. Fr. Giles Dimock O.P. will serve as Chaplain and Dr. Anthony Lilles will be our spiritual guide for this pilgrimage.

In-the-footsteps-of-Teresa- — Click the picture to download the Brochure

RC#10 – The Secular Age – The Resilient Church with Mike Aquilina – Discerning Hearts

Episode 10– The Secular Age

The Resilient Church with Mike Aquilina, offers a fascinating look at the trials and triumphs of the Catholic Church over the past two thousand years. Fast-paced sketches of critical periods in church history give readers perspective on the challenges faced by the church today. Mike Aquilina does not shrink from the realities of the past, including badly behaved leaders and those who betrayed the Lord. Yet he also leaves us all with well-founded hope for the future: God remains faithful in every circumstance and fulfills his promise to remain with his church always. Hosted by Kris McGregor

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

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

GWML#3 Mary Shelley and “Frankenstein” – Great Works in Western Literature with Joseph Pearce – Discerning Hearts

Episode 3 – Great Works in Western Literature with Joseph Pearce – Mary Shelley

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is one of the most influential and controversial novels of the nineteenth century; but has also become one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted. It has been vivisected critically by latter-day Victor Frankenstein’s who have transformed the meanings emergent from the novel into monsters of postmodern misconception. Rather than understanding Frankenstein and his monster through the lens of tradition, the moderns have seized upon the book and carried off bits to construct their own particular bogeymen.

Seldom has a work of fiction suffered so scandalously from the slings and arrows of outrageous criticism. This critical edition, containing tradition-oriented essays by literary scholars, refutes the errors and serves as an antidote to the poison that has contaminated the critical understanding of this classic gothic novel.

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Based on the Ignatius Critical Edition, this series examines, from the Judeo-Christian perspective, the life,the times, and influence of authors of great works in literature .

Joseph Pearce is currently the Writer-in-Residence and Visiting Fellow at Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in Merrimack, New Hampshire. He is also Visiting Scholar at Mount Royal Academy in Sunapee, New Hampshire. He is also Visiting Scholar at Mount Royal Academy in Sunapee, New Hampshire. He is co-editor of the Saint Austin Review (or StAR), an international review of Christian culture, literature, and ideas published in England (Family Publications) and the United States (Sapientia Press). He is also the author of many books, including literary biographies of Solzhenitsyn, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, G. K. Chesterton, and Oscar Wilde.

To learn more about the authors and titles available in the Ignatius Critical Editions

DWG9 – “What am I to do?” The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions w/Fr. Timothy Gallagher

Episode 9 “What am I to do?” The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions w/Fr. Timothy Gallagher.

In this episode, we continue our conservation on “The Second Mode” of discernment. He breaks open an experience in which St. Ignatius discerns the vow of poverty for the community. Fr. Gallagher gives an overview of the classic discernment of spirits which includes an understanding of “spiritual consolation” and “spiritual desolation”, and how that plays out in vocational discernment.

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For other episodes in the series visit The Discerning Hearts “Discerning the Will of God” page

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

Talk 2 on “In the Footsteps of St. Teresa of Avila” – A Discerning Hearts Pilgrimage w/ Fr. Giles Dimock OP & Dr. Anthony Lilles – Discerning Hearts

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In this conversation, we discuss what we can experience in ESCORIAL. For more information visit our page dedicated to pilgrimage at: www.pilgrimage.discerninghearts.com

Mary of Nazareth – “The Visitation” – Special

Discerning Hearts is a part of the MARY of NAZARETH Blog Tour/Rosary Crawl, of which we are delighted to be a part of, along with many other inspiring bloggers. To learn more, CLICK HERE.

Here is a clip from the movie which features the “mystery” surrounding the events of the “VISITATION” –

How extraordinary this moment is, especially as seen in this film! So often in movie depictions of the “Visitation”, we see only the two women coming together in a private encounter. But in “Mary of Nazareth”, not only does Mary and Elizabeth share a heavenly revelation with each other, but they joyfully share this “good news” with everyone around them. Elizabeth freely “expresses” what the Holy Spirit has revealed, Mary joyfully “proclaims” the glory of the Lord to the seeking hearts caught witnessing the moment! This is “Evangelization” at its finest! This “communication” really becomes a time of “communion” for those who have ears to hear, and eyes to see. Hope, Faith, and Love, all are captured so beautifully in this scene. Mary’s “Magnificat” becomes a glorious expression of faith which touches the hearts that surround her. Oh, and that lovely touch which gives us Elizabeth and her unborn child as the first in that “communion” line to embrace Christ in the womb of the Mother is truly priceless.

Second Joyful Mystery: The Visitation

“In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”‘ (Lk 1:39-42).

“Mary’s visitation to Elizabeth thus became a visit from God to his people” (CCC, 717).

Our Father, 10 Hail Marys (contemplating the mystery), Glory be to the Father.

Alissa Jung shared with us her experience of portraying the Blessed Virgin Mary in this film:

Download (right click & choose “Save Link As”)

Andreas Pietschmann, who portrays Jesus in the film, took time to share with us he experience filming “Mary of Nazareth”:

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Stunning in it’s beauty, breathtaking in it’s scope! “Mary of Nazareth” is simply a joy for the heart. This is the film Catholics in particular have been waiting for. This is the Blessed Mother we have come to know in our hearts and the depiction that we want not only our families and friends to see, but all the whole world as well. A joy-filled expression of faith, hope and love. The Mary of this film is no “pouty teenager” or “hapless victim of circumstance” as she is too often portrayed in film and television today. No, this is our Mary, who says with trust a glorious “Fiat” to the will of the Father. This work, with it’s gorgeous cinematic qualities and touching performances, is worthy to honor the one who would say “I am the Handmaid of the Lord”.

Kris McGregor, of Discerning Hearts

We at Discerning Hearts encourage you to check out tomorrow’s clip at “Stuart’s Study” Stuart Dunn will bring us the “Presentation”.

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sunday, Sunday, Sunday with Mark Hart

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The Sunday, Sunday, Sunday Podcast is a reflection on the upcoming Sunday Mass readings presented by LifeTeen.com and hosted by Mark Hart.

Sunday Readings from the USCCB

Reading 1 IS 25:6-10A

Responsorial Psalm PS 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6

Reading 2 PHIL 4:12-14, 19-20

Gospel MT 22:1-14

The Prayer of Persistence – a reflection by Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Hearts

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Msgr. Esseff discusses prayer and the importance of persistance in faith. What should we be praying for? How should we pray for it? What if we don’t receive the answer we expected?

Gospel LK 11:5-13

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Suppose one of you has a friend
to whom he goes at midnight and says,
‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey
and I have nothing to offer him,’
and he says in reply from within,
‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked
and my children and I are already in bed.
I cannot get up to give you anything.’
I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves
because of their friendship,
he will get up to give him whatever he needs
because of his persistence.

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives;
and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
What father among you would hand his son a snake
when he asks for a fish?
Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit
to those who ask him?”

In the Footsteps of St. Teresa of Avila – Announcing our Discerning Hearts Pilgrimage w/ Fr. Giles Dimock OP & Dr. Anthony Lilles – Discerning Hearts

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We will have more on this pilgrimage in the days ahead. We begin with this conversation with Dr. Lilles. For more information visit our page dedicated to pilgrimage at: www.pilgrimage.discerninghearts.com