Series Archives

Ten Spiritual Counsels For Our Troubling Times from Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Special Video Podcast

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Ten Spiritual Counsels in a Time of Covid-19

1. This trial is a spiritual opportunity. Many holy men and women found God more deeply
in time of loss, pain, and struggle. Live this time as a special opportunity for spiritual
growth.
2. These days teach us that we are not in control, and that God is, a powerful and healing
lesson for all of life (Mt 5:3).
3. This time, with busyness reduced, offers a priceless opportunity to reflect on our lives,
why we are here, what matters most, the people in our lives. Reflect in this way: it will
pay rich dividends.
4. These weeks offer increased time to be with each other, our spouses, children, parents,
and all the important people in our lives. Spend more time with them, and the
relationships that matter most in your life will be blessed.
5. These anxious days are a time for small, daily, warm, concrete gestures of caring for
others: a helping hand, a phone call, a text, an email, an errand done for another, a
listening ear. Look for such opportunities and respond.
6. “Consolation must now be everyone’s commitment” (Pope Francis). Be a presence that
brings consolation to the worried, the ill, the lonely, the afraid.
7. Follow online the daily words of Pope Francis. He speaks with wisdom, warmth, and
faith about this situation. In this way, you will live these days with the universal Church.
8. In God’s timing, this struggle coincides with Lent. You have more time, and there is
greater need now to live it well. Make this a special Lent. Choose how you will live it.
9. Pray, pray, pray. Spend 15 minutes each day in some form of meditation—you have the
time. It might be lectio divina, Morning and Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the
Hours, the Rosary, Ignatian meditation or contemplation of Scripture . . . whatever way
best helps you to pray. Pope Benedict writes: “Prayer is the school of hope.”
10. Turn to our Blessed Mother in a new and deeper way. In time of struggle, the Church
always turns to her because “Never was it known that anyone who fled to your
protection, implored your intercession, or sought your help, was left unaided” (the
Memorare).

The Spiritual Dynamics and Effects of the Coronavirus Global Pandemic with Dr. Anthony Lilles and Kris McGregor – Discerning Hearts Podcast Special

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Dr. Anthony Lilles took some time out of his extremely busy day to join us to discuss the global pandemic of the coronavirus and COVID-19. He shares his experience in Northern California and reflects on what God might be calling us to. He then shares with us a translation of the Prayer of St. Patrick that he has translated and appears on his Beginning to Pray blog.

From Beginning to Pray:

Over thirty years ago, my spiritual director gave me a small part of this prayer. Later, I discovered songs written based on a much longer text. This Lorica is a frequent part of my daily prayer. In a special way, I ask you to pray this Deer’s Song in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Ireland, England and France – all places that were part of St. Patrick’s pilgrimage of faith — for their safety and protection during these days of great trial.

I arise clad for battle today in
That Mighty Power
of the Name of the Trinity:
Believing in the Three-ness,
Holding fast the One-ness
Creator of Heaven and Earth.

This day I array myself with
The power of Christ’s Birth and Baptism;
The power of his Crucifixion and Burial;
The power of His Resurrection and Ascension;
The Power of His coming to Judge on judgment day.

I stand this day
By virtue of the Seraphim’s devotion,
By angels’ obedience,
By resurrection’s hope unto reward,
By Patriarchs’ prayers
By Prophets’ word of power,
By Apostles’ preaching
By Confessors’ faith,
By Holy Virgins’ purity,
By righteous men’s deeds.

I gird myself this day
With heaven’s might,
With sun’s light,
With moon’s shine,
With fire’s glow,
With lightning flash,
With wind swift,
With sea deep,
With land stable,
With rock solid.

Today, I rise for battle with God’s Power guiding me,
God’s Might upholding me,
God’s Wisdom teaching me,
God’s Eye watching over me,
God’s Ear hearing me,
God’s Word giving me speech,
God’s Hand guiding me,
God’s Way stretching before me,
God’s Shield sheltering me,
God’s terrible Army protecting me,
Against demon’s snares
Against vicious seductions
Against nature’s lusts
Against everyone who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
Whether few or many.

I invoke today all these powers
Against every hostile merciless force
Which may assail my body and my soul,
Against the false seer’s enchantments,
Against paganism’s dark laws,
Against heresy’s false standards,
Against idolatry’s deceits,
Against spells of witches, and smiths, and druids,
Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man.

Christ, protect me today
Against every poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against death-wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ within me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ at my right,
Christ at my left,
Christ keeping the defense,
Christ setting the course,
Christ giving the orders,
Christ in every heart that thinks of me,
Christ in every mouth that speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

Today I bind unto myself
Mighty Power: The Name of the Trinity:
Believing in the Threeness,
Holding Fast the Oneness
Of all Creation’s Creator.

Dominus est salus, Domini est salus, Christi est salusSalus tua, Domine, sit semper nobiscum.

Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. is the St. Patrick’s Seminary & University in Menlo Park, CA. He has served the Church and assisted in the formation of clergy since 1994, and now previously served in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles as Academic Dean of St. John’s Seminary, associate professor of theology and Academic Advisor of Juan Diego House. The son of a California farmer, married with young adult children, he holds a BA in theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville with both the ecclesiastical licentiate and doctorate in spiritual theology from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome (the Angelicum). He was a founding faculty member of Saint John Vianney Seminary in Denver where he also served as academic dean, department chair, director of liturgy and coordinator of spiritual formation for the permanent deacon program. He has recently published Hidden Mountain Secret Garden, Omaha: Discerning Hearts (2012)

The Global Pandemic and Our Spiritual Response – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff Podcast

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Msgr. Esseff addresses the global pandemic of the coronavirus and COVID-19. He offers wise spiritual counsel to guide us through the uncharted waters lay before us. This day many will not be able to go to church and receive the Eucharist. What does that mean? What can your response be to this moment? This is an opportunity for this madly extroverted world of ours to STOP, turn around, and encounter in contemplation God who is before us waiting.

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. Mother Teresa. 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. 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.

POA13 – Help from the Saints – Put On The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare w/Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D. – Discerning Hears Catholic Podcasts

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“Help from the Saints” – Put On The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare w/Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D.

Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 9:

WORDS FROM THE SAINTS

The saints are veterans of the spiritual war that continues to rage in this world. Their insights, born of long experience in combat with the Enemy, can make us wise and strong in battle.

Visit here for other episodes in this series:
Put On The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare w/Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D.

The “Manual for Spiritu al Warfare” can be found here

Paul Thigpen, Ph.D, is the Editor of TAN Books in Charlotte, North Carolina. An internationally known speaker, best-selling author and award-winning journalist, Paul has published forty-three books in a wide variety of genres and subjects: history and biography, spirituality and apologetics, anthologies and devotionals, family life and children’s books, study guides and reference works, fiction and collections of poetry and prayers.

Paul graduated from Yale University in 1977 summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, with Distinction in the Major of Religious Studies. He was later awarded the George W. Woodruff Fellowship at Emory University in Atlanta, where he earned an M.A. (1993) and a Ph.D. (1995) in Historical Theology. In 1993 he was named as a Jacob K. Javits Fellow by the U.S. Department of Education. He has served on the faculty of several universities and colleges.

In 2008 Paul was appointed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to their National Advisory Council for a four-year term. He has served the Church as a theologian, historian, apologist, evangelist, and catechist in a number of settings,speaking frequently in Catholic and secular media broadcasts and at conferences, seminars, parish missions, and scholarly gatherings.

POA12 – Aids in the Battle – Put On The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare w/Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D. – Discerning Hears Catholic Podcasts

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“Aids in the Battle” – Put On The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare w/Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D.

Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 7:

For in spite of all the witness of creation and of the salvific economy inherent in it, the spirit of darkness is capable of showing God as an enemy of his own creature, and in the first place as an enemy of man, as a source of danger and threat to man. In this way Satan manages to sow in man’s soul the seed of opposition to the one who “from the beginning” would be considered as man’s enemy— and not as Father. Man is challenged to become the adversary of God! The analysis of sin in its original dimension indicates that, through the influence of the “father of lies,” throughout the history of humanity there will be a constant pressure on man to reject God, even to the point of hating Him: “Love of self to the point of contempt for God,” as St. Augustine puts it. POPE JOHN PAUL II, DOMINUM ET VIVIFICANTEM (PAPAL ENCYCLICAL, 1986), 38

Visit here for other episodes in this series:
Put On The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare w/Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D.

The “Manual for Spiritu al Warfare” can be found here

Paul Thigpen, Ph.D, is the Editor of TAN Books in Charlotte, North Carolina. An internationally known speaker, best-selling author and award-winning journalist, Paul has published forty-three books in a wide variety of genres and subjects: history and biography, spirituality and apologetics, anthologies and devotionals, family life and children’s books, study guides and reference works, fiction and collections of poetry and prayers.

Paul graduated from Yale University in 1977 summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, with Distinction in the Major of Religious Studies. He was later awarded the George W. Woodruff Fellowship at Emory University in Atlanta, where he earned an M.A. (1993) and a Ph.D. (1995) in Historical Theology. In 1993 he was named as a Jacob K. Javits Fellow by the U.S. Department of Education. He has served on the faculty of several universities and colleges.

In 2008 Paul was appointed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to their National Advisory Council for a four-year term. He has served the Church as a theologian, historian, apologist, evangelist, and catechist in a number of settings,speaking frequently in Catholic and secular media broadcasts and at conferences, seminars, parish missions, and scholarly gatherings.

DC35 St. Bonaventure pt. 2 – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom w/ Dr. Matthew Bunson

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Dr. Matthew Bunson discusses the life, times and teachings of St. Bonaventure

Born: 1221, Bagnoregio, Italy
Died: July 15, 1274, Lyon, France
Education: University of Paris

For more on St. Bonaventure and his teachings

From Vatican.va, an excerpt from the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI

From the General Audience on St. Bonaventure

In this regard, St Bonaventure, as Minister General of the Franciscans, took a line of government which showed clearly that the new Order could not, as a community, live at the same “eschatological height” as St Francis, in whom he saw the future world anticipated, but guided at the same time by healthy realism and by spiritual courage he had to come as close as possible to the maximum realization of the Sermon on the Mount, which for St Francis was the rule, but nevertheless bearing in mind the limitations of the human being who is marked by original sin.

Thus we see that for St Bonaventure governing was not merely action but above all was thinking and praying. At the root of his government we always find prayer and thought; all his decisions are the result of reflection, of thought illumined by prayer. His intimate contact with Christ always accompanied his work as Minister General and therefore he composed a series of theological and mystical writings that express the soul of his government. They also manifest his intention of guiding the Order inwardly, that is, of governing not only by means of commands and structures, but by guiding and illuminating souls, orienting them to Christ.

I would like to mention only one of these writings, which are the soul of his government and point out the way to follow, both for the individual and for the community: the Itinerarium mentis in Deum, [The Mind’s Road to God], which is a “manual” for mystical contemplation. This book was conceived in a deeply spiritual place: Mount La Verna, where St Francis had received the stigmata. In the introduction the author describes the circumstances that gave rise to this writing: “While I meditated on the possible ascent of the mind to God, amongst other things there occurred that miracle which happened in the same place to the blessed Francis himself, namely the vision of the winged Seraph in the form of a Crucifix. While meditating upon this vision, I immediately saw that it offered me the ecstatic contemplation of Fr Francis himself as well as the way that leads to it” (cf. The Mind’s Road to God, Prologue, 2, in Opere di San Bonaventura. Opuscoli Teologici / 1, Rome 1993, p. 499).

The six wings of the Seraph thus became the symbol of the six stages that lead man progressively from the knowledge of God, through the observation of the world and creatures and through the exploration of the soul itself with its faculties, to the satisfying union with the Trinity through Christ, in imitation of St Francis of Assisi. The last words of St Bonaventure’s Itinerarium, which respond to the question of how it is possible to reach this mystical communion with God, should be made to sink to the depths of the heart: “If you should wish to know how these things come about, (the mystical communion with God) question grace, not instruction; desire, not intellect; the cry of prayer, not pursuit of study; the spouse, not the teacher; God, not man; darkness, not clarity; not light, but the fire that inflames all and transports to God with fullest unction and burning affection…. Let us then… pass over into darkness; let us impose silence on cares, concupiscence, and phantasms; let us pass over with the Crucified Christ from this world to the Father, so that when the Father is shown to us we may say with Philip, “It is enough for me‘” (cf. ibid., VII 6).

For more visit Vatican.va

Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and a senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to Church history, the papacy, the saints, and Catholic culture. He is faculty chair at Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co-author of over 50 books including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History, The Pope Encyclopedia, We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, The Saints Encyclopedia and best-selling biographies of St. Damien of Molokai and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.

WOM4 – Introductory Rite and the Liturgy of the Word – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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The Eucharist and Moral Living Deacon James Keating Kris McGregor Discerning Hearts Podcast

Episode 4 – Introductory Rite and the Liturgy of the Word

Prayer and our truly active participation in the Mass: the introductory rite, and the Liturgy of the Word

Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., the director of Theological Formation for the Institute for Priestly Formation, located at Creighton University, in Omaha.

The Vatican II documents remind us that the spiritual journey is not made in a vacuum. God has chosen to save us, not individually, but as The People of God. The Eucharist must help Christians to make their choices by discerning out of Christ’s paschal mystery. For this process to take place, however, Christians must first understand how the Eucharist puts them in touch with Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection, and what concrete implications being in touch with this mystery has for their daily lives.

Check out more episodes at “The Way of Mystery” Discerning Heart podcast page

VEC9 – Diocletian – Villains of the Early Church with Mike Aquilina – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Episode 9 – Diocletian – “Villains of the Early Church: And How They Made Us Better Christians“

In this episode, Mike Aquilina and Kris McGregor discuss Diocletian and the threat of a “police state” to religious freedom. Mike makes suggestions on what the Christian can do to stay true to the faith in times of religious persecution.

An excerpt from Villains of the Early Church:

IN THE 200s, the Roman Empire fell apart. For decades, disaster after disaster rolled across the Mediterranean world. Civil war was the normal state of political affairs. The economy fell to pieces. Plagues ravaged the cities and countryside. Emperors lasted for a few months and then were assassinated by their own guards, who knew that the next emperor would pay them a hefty bonus to get on their good side and that they could repeat the whole process again in a few months’ time and get another hefty bonus.

And then came Diocletian, and suddenly the world worked again. He came very close to being remembered as one of history’s greatest heroes, the man who saved civilization when it was on the brink of collapse.

Instead, he found himself backed into a corner he couldn’t get out of, and the world of the future would remember him as a monster.

Aquilina, Mike. Villains of the Early Church: And How They Made Us Better Christians. Emmaus Road Publishing. Kindle Edition.

For more episodes in the Villains of the Early Church podcast visit here – Villains of the Early Church – Discerning Hearts Podcast

You can find the book on which this series is based here

Mike Aquilina is a popular author working in the area of Church history, especially patristics, the study of the early Church Fathers.^[1] He is the executive vice-president and trustee of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, a Roman Catholic research center based in Steubenville, Ohio. He is a contributing editor of Angelus (magazine) and general editor of the Reclaiming Catholic History Series from Ave Maria Press. He is the author or editor of more than fifty books, including The Fathers of the Church (2006); The Mass of the Early Christians (2007); Living the Mysteries (2003); and What Catholics Believe(1999). He has hosted eleven television series on the Eternal Word Television Network and is a frequent guest commentator on Catholic radio.

Mike Aquilina’s website is found at fathersofthechurch.com

WOM3 – “The Paschal Mystery” – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts

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Episode 3 – The Paschal Mystery

The Paschal Mystery and the importance of the Mass in our life of prayer part 1

Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., the director of Theological Formation for the Institute for Priestly Formation, located at Creighton University, in Omaha.

Check out more episodes at “The Way of Mystery” Discerning Hearts podcast page

ST-John Ep 16 – John 7: Living Water part 2 – The Gospel of St. John – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Episode 16 – John 7 : Living Water pt 2

As we transition from John 6 to John 7, Sharon teaches us about the significance of bread throughout the story of salvation history. We learn that bread was first mentioned at the very beginning in Genesis 3, whereas a result of the fall, we will now toil to eat bread. By choosing the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve turn their back on the free gift of the tree of life, which prefigures the Eucharist. After the fall, the theme of bread runs deep throughout scripture, pointing towards Jesus, the bread of life. We recall that Melchizedek (Gen 14) offered bread and wine, another typology of Eucharist. The Lord rained down free bread from heaven in the form of manna, sustaining the Israelites as they traveled through the desert (Ex 16). The theme of bread is intertwined with the theme of tabernacles. God commanded Moses to build an ark to house a jar of manna, Aaron’s rod and the tablets of the law (Ex 26, Heb 9:4). The tent of the meeting was the first tabernacle, and it housed the Ark of the Covenant within the Holy of Holies. Just outside the Holy of Holies was a lampstand, an altar of incense and a table of 12 loaves of bread. After the Israelites finally arrive in the Promised Land, they built a more substantial, yet still temporary tabernacle at Shiloh (1 Sam 1). 400 years later, the Lord admonishes David about the lack of a permanent tabernacle but forbade David from actually building it, leaving it to his son Solomon to complete the task (2 Sam 7). Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem was dedicated on the Feast of Tabernacles: the Ark of the Covenant was brought from Shiloh and the Spirit of the Lord filled the temple (2 Chron 6-7). Sharon then gives us an in-depth look at the Feast of Tabernacles, one of the three required pilgrimage feast days, along with Passover and Pentecost. Also known as Sukkot or the Feast of Booths, the Feast of Tabernacles and the other six feast days were given to Moses (Lev 23). A joyous celebration, the Feast of Tabernacles was meant to be a feast for all nations and all peoples. Throughout salvation history, many important events occur on the Feast of Tabernacles: the first temple of Solomon was dedicated (1 Kings 8); the second temple of Ezra and Nehemiah was dedicated (Ez 3); Jesus proclaims to be the source of living water and forgives the adulterous woman (John 7-8). Sharon then paints a picture of the Feast of Tabernacles at the time of Christ, describing the week of endless night culminating in the water libation ceremony. As Jesus declared himself the temple in John 2, he is the sanctuary from which the living water of the Holy Spirit will flow upon completion of the Father’s mission. The prophecies of Zechariah 14 and Ezekiel 47 will be fulfilled: with the coming of Messiah, living waters will pour forth from Jerusalem, renewing and refreshing the world.

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.

For more in this series visit the Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran Discerning Hearts page

“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

“Help from the Saints” – Put On The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare w/Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D.

Visit here for other episodes in this series: Put On The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare w/Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D.

The “Manual for Spiritual Warfare” can be found here

“Aids in the Battle” – Put On The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare w/Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D.

Visit here for other episodes in this series: Put On The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare w/Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D.

The “Manual for Spiritual Warfare” can be found here

From the General Audience on St. Bonaventure

Episode 4 – Introductory Rite and the Liturgy of the Word

Episode 9 – Diocletian – “Villains of the Early Church: And How They Made Us Better Christians“

Episode 3 – The Paschal Mystery

Episode 16 – John 7 : Living Water pt 2

For more in this series visit the Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran Discerning Hearts page

Visit here for other episodes in this series:
Put On The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare w/Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D.

The “Manual for Spiritu al Warfare” can be found here

Visit here for other episodes in this series:
Put On The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare w/Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D.

The “Manual for Spiritu al Warfare” can be found here