Recent Archives

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:07 — 25.7MB) | Embed

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!

RC#12 – The Resilient Church with Mike Aquilina – The History of the Future – Discerning Hearts

Episode 12– The History of the Future

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:00 — 25.6MB) | Embed

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!

IP#123 Michael O’Brien – A Father’s Tale on Inside the Pages

Michael O’Brien has gone beyond his previous work to bring us an incredible tale of love, forgiveness…holiness. “A Father’s Tale” is a pilgrim’s journey told in a way that stands up with greats like Tolkien and Lewis. The prayerful reflection he pours into his work is born from his skill as a writer of icons. Here, his pallette consists of words, and he layers them as carefully as he does his works of art…in plot, character and storytelling. “A Father’s Tale” is deeply statisfying and leaves you desiring more. Our conversation with Michael is is a wonderful one. This is the book you’ll enjoy spending time with.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:52 — 25.5MB) | Embed

“In this epic tale of the complex and mysterious workings of love, O’Brien takes his readers on a harrowing intercontinental odyssey, offering them an inside view both of brutal torture and mystical transport in which the dark incongruities of divine providence reorder faith and hope so that love becomes fully possible.”
– David Lyle Jeffrey, Ph.D. Distinguished Professor of Literature and the Humanities, Baylor University

You can find the book here

Be sure to check out the discussion with Michael about his book “Theophilos” on Inside the Pages #4

Pope Benedict on Prayer 14 – Psalm 110: “ true regality which is to be lived as service and the giving of self, following a path of obedience and love ‘to the end’.”

VATICAN CITY, 16 NOV 2011 (VIS) – During today’s general audience in St Peter’s Square, attended by over 11,000 pilgrims, the Holy Father imparted the final catechesis of his cycle dedicated to the Psalms. He focused on Psalm 110, which “Jesus Himself cited, and which the authors of the New Testament referred to widely and interpreted in reference to the Messiah. … It is a Psalm beloved by the ancient Church and by believers of all times”, which celebrates “the victorious and glorified Messiah seated at the right hand of God”.

The Psalm begins with a solemn declaration: “The Lord says to my lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool”. Benedict XVI explained that “Christ is the Lord enthroned, the Son of man seated at the right hand of God. … He is the true king who by resurrection entered into glory, … higher than the angels, seated in the heavens over all other powers, … and with all His adversaries at His feet until the last enemy, death, is definitively defeated by Him”.God and the king celebrated in the Psalm are inseparably linked. “The two govern together, to the point that the Psalmist confirms that God Himself grants the regal sceptre, giving the king the task of defeating his adversaries. … The exercise of power is a task the king receives directly from the Lord, a responsibility which involves dependence and obedience, thus becoming a sign to the people of God’s powerful and provident presence. Dominion over enemies, glory and victory are gifts the king has received, that make him a mediator of divine triumph over evil”.The priestly dimension, linked to that of regality, appears in verse four. “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind ‘You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek'”. This priest, the king of Salem, had blessed Abraham and offered bread and wine following the victorious military campaign conducted by the patriarch to save Lot from the hands of his enemies. The king of the Psalm “will be a priest forever, mediator of the divine presence among His people, a catalyst for the blessing of God”. Jesus Christ “is the true and definitive priest, Who will complete and perfect the features of Melchizedek’s priesthood”. In the bread and wine of the Eucharist, Christ “offers Himself and, defeating death, brings life to all believers”.The final verses portray “the triumphant sovereign who, with the support of the Lord, having received power and glory from Him, opposes his enemies, defeating adversaries and judging nations”.

Read more

IP#122 Fr. Robert Spitzer – Ten Universal Principles on Inside the Pages

It’s always a joy to talk with Fr. Robert Spitzer! With his latest book , “Ten Universal Principles: A Brief Philosophy of the Life Issues” he has brought solid philosophy that is easy to read and understand. Not just for those who are interested in a prolife discussion, the “Ten Universal Principles” is perfect for anyone who wishes to grow in the use of faith and reason. Fr. Spitzer addresses many questions including: How do we make sense of life? How should we treat others? How should we reasonably be expected to be treated by others? When human life is at stake, are there reasonable principles we can rely on to guide our actions? How should our laws be framed to protect human life? What kind of society should be built?

The Four Levels of Happiness described in the last section is worth it’s weight in gold.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:36 — 26.2MB) | Embed

The Four Levels of Happiness^®

Happiness is the only goal that people pursue for its own sake, which makes it an ideal lens for explaining why people and organizations behave as they do. The Four Levels of Happiness model shows leaders how to elevate the powerful drive for happiness and direct it toward shared goals, strong ethics, and great performance. Click here for a full description of the Four Levels.

You find the book here

You can listen to more Fr. Spitzer as he discusses the “5 Pillars of the Spiritual Life” on the Inside the Pages interview #56

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

Episode 10– The Secular Age

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:07 — 25.7MB) | Embed

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!

When a Good Man Passes – by Omar Gutierrez – Discerning Hearts

My good friend Omar Gutierrez describes the ache and the joy in our hearts better than I ever good…Rob, May the choir of angels bring you home…pray for us!

From Regnum Novum – Some readers may have heard of the passing of Deacon Robert Jergovic, a Deacon of the Archdiocese of Omaha. Apparently, Deacon Greg Kandra shared the prayer request for Rob on his blog The Deacon’s Bench and has since then reported that the request has received more responses and activity than any other. The original post received over 400 facebook likes. As he noted, this is a testament to the man that Deacon Rob was.

Deacon Rob

I only had the pleasure of meeting him and his wife once. My wife and I were graced with sharing a meal with them at a mutual friend’s inviting home. We were taken with Rob and Lisa, with their faith, with their attitude about life, their quiet surety. Who wouldn’t be? After five kids they adopted two girls from China and are in the process of adopting another girl who is deaf. These are “kingdom people” folks. Rob struck me as just such a self-possessed man of faith…not just sincere, but good. Sometimes that is the only word to use. It is “good.” He was “good.”

After his heart attack, the community here in Omaha truly came out in prayerful support of him and his family. One evening, many gathered to pray the rosary for him, and not just one mystery but all four. When the young priest came out to lead us, a priest himself full of God’s grace, he said that we prayed for Our Lady’s intercession and that of John Paul II’s and that we prayed for “a miracle.”

The word and the frankness of the intention jarred me at first. How radical is that, after all… to pray for a miracle. Emotions welled up within me. They were mixed. On one hand I was uncomfortable with praying for something so…well…big. On the other hand I was encouraged by the faith of the priest and of those there.

As we began the Joyful Mysteries, it didn’t take me long to note all the wondrous things of salvation history. An angel appears to a virgin, who conceives a child without knowing man. An old woman becomes pregnant and carries a healthy boy to term. Wise men from afar travel miles to see the king who is a baby, and angels appear to the simple shepherds as the world slept. What is not possible with such a God? If it were His will…

Read more

ST10 – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran – Holy Week – from the perspective of history

Episode 10 – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran, hosted by Bruce McGregor. Ep 10 – Holy Week – from the perspective of history

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:58 — 28.3MB) | Embed

Sharon Doran serves as the teaching director of “Seeking Truth.” An experienced Bible Study teacher, Sharon has a passion forscripture that will motivate and challenge you to immerse yourself in God’s Word and apply His message to your every day life.

Episode 10 – Sharon and Bruce discuss the state of the world during Holy Week. What is the historical backdrop that set the stage for the events of Holy Week. The conditions in the world at that time. What was happening culturally and politically….and spiritually.

“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

Pope Benedict on Prayer 13 – Psalm 119: “Open to hope and permeated with faith”

VATICAN CITY, 9 NOV 2011 (VIS) –

In his general audience this morning Benedict XVI focused his catechesis on Psalm 119, the longest of the Psalms, constructed as an acrostic in which each stanza begins with one of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Its subject matter is “the Torah of the Lord; that is, His Law, a term which in its broadest and most complete definition comprehends teaching, instruction and life guidance. The Torah is revelation, it is the Word of God which is addressed to man and which arouses his response of faithful obedience and generous love”, the Pope said.

“The Psalmist’s faithfulness arises from listening to the Word, from keeping it in his heart, meditating upon it and loving it, like Mary who ‘treasured in her heart’ the words addressed to her, the marvellous events in which God revealed Himself and asked for her response of faith”, he explained. The Psalmist describes those who walk in the Law of the Lord as blessed, and indeed “Mary is blessed because she bore the Saviour in her womb, but above all because she accepted God’s annunciation and treasured His Word attentively and lovingly”.

Psalm 119 is constructed around this Word of life and blessing. Its central theme is the Word and the Law, and its verses are replete with synonyms thereof such as “precepts, decrees, promises”, associated with verbs such as “to know, to love, to meditate, to live”, the Holy Father explained. “The entire alphabet features in the twenty-two verses of the Psalm, as does the entire vocabulary of the believer’s relationship of trust with God. We find praise, thanksgiving and trust, but also supplication and lamentation; however, all of them are pervaded by the certainty of divine grace and the power of the Word of God. Even those verses most marked by suffering and darkness remain open to hope and are permeated with faith”.

The Law of God, which is “the centre of life”, must be “listened to with obedience but not servility, with filial trust and awareness. To listen to the Word is to have a personal encounter with the Lord of life. … The fulfilment of the Law is to follow Jesus”. Thus Psalm 119 “guides us towards the Gospel”, the Pope explained.

In this context he focused particularly on verse 57: “The Lord is my portion; I promise to keep your words”.

“The term ‘portion'”, he explained, “evokes the partition of the Promised Land among the tribes of Israel, when the Levites were given no part of the territory because their ‘portion’ was the Lord Himself. … These verses are also important for us today, especially for priests, who are called to live from the Lord and from His Word alone, with no other guarantees, no other wealth, and having Him as their one source of true life. It is in this light that we can understand the free choice of celibacy for the Kingdom of heaven, which must be rediscovered in all its beauty and power.
“These verses are also important for the faithful, the People of God who belong only to Him”, the Pope added in conclusion. “They are called to experience the radical nature of the Gospel, to be witnesses of the life brought by Christ, the new and definitive ‘High Priest’ Who offered Himself in sacrifice for the salvation of the world. The Lord and His Word are our ‘land’ in which to live in communion and joy”.

ST9- Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran – “Do You Want to be Healed?” John Chapter 5

Episode 9 – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran, hosted by Bruce McGregor. Ep 9- “Do you want to be healed?”, John Chapter 5

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:36 — 28.9MB) | Embed

Episode 9- John Chapter 5 Sharon and Bruce discuss the pool of Bethesda and the healing of the paralytic. Jesus is announcing a great blessing for all the world.

The Four Levels of Happiness®

My good friend Omar Gutierrez describes the ache and the joy in our hearts better than I ever good…Rob, May the choir of angels bring you home…pray for us!

Episode 10 – Sharon and Bruce discuss the state of the world during Holy Week. What is the historical backdrop that set the stage for the events of Holy Week. The conditions in the world at that time. What was happening culturally and politically….and spiritually.

In this context he focused particularly on verse 57: “The Lord is my portion; I promise to keep your words”.

Episode 9- John Chapter 5 Sharon and Bruce discuss the pool of Bethesda and the healing of the paralytic. Jesus is announcing a great blessing for all the world.

The Four Levels of Happiness^®