Recent Archives

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:09 — 19.3MB) | Embed

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

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

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:13 — 25.8MB) | Embed

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:18 — 25.0MB) | Embed

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.

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

IP#163 Vivian Dudro – Evelyn Waugh’s “Edmund Campion” on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:59 — 26.5MB) | Embed

IP#281 Vivian Dudro - Meriol Trevor's "Shadows and Images" on Inside the Pages 1 — Vivian Dudro

I love the writing of Evelyn Waugh…his prose are some of the best of our time, if not of all time. And when that talent is used to pen a biography of the heroic English martyr, Edmund Campion, a tremendous blessing has been given to all who glean it’s pages. What a story…what a life. We are joined once again by the wonderful Vivian Dudro to discuss this incredible work, as well as the life and times of this great saint.

You can find the book here

From the description:

Evelyn Waugh presented his biography of St. Edmund Campion, the Elizabethan poet, scholar, and gentleman who became the haunted, trapped and murdered priest as “a simple, perfectly true story of heroism and holiness.”

But it is written with a novelist’s eye for the telling incident and with all the elegance and feeling of a master of English prose. From the years ofsuccess as an Oxford scholar, to entry into the newly founded Society of Jesus and a professorship in Prague, Campion’s life was an inexorable progress towards the doomed mission to England. There followed pursuit, betrayal, a spirited defense of loyalty to the Queen, and a horrifying martyr’s death at Tyburn.

USCCA35 – The Fifth Commandment: Promote the Culture of Life Part 1 – U. S. Catholic Catechism for Adults w/ Arch. George Lucas

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

Archbishop Lucas offers insights on the US Catholic Catechism for Adults Chapter 29:

Modern technology has enabled us to appreciate how quickly the growing child in the womb takes on human features. This has made many more people aware of the fact that human life begins at conception, the moment that the egg is fertilized. Many common forms of artificial birth control cause abortions by not allowing the newly conceived human child to implant in the mother’s womb. The pro-life commitment of the Church is reflected in her compassion for those who so often regret having had an abortion, her understanding for those who are facing difficult decisions, and her assistance for all who choose life. People who have been involved with an abortion are encouraged to get in touch with the Project Rachel ministry and other ministries that enable them to seek the mercy of God in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation and to obtain the necessary counseling. Pro-life ministries work with expectant mothers who are considering abortion by encouraging them to choose life for their children. They also provide alternatives to abortion through prenatal care, assistance in raising children, and adoption placement services.

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.

RC#7 Reformation Inside and Out – The Resilient Church /w Mike Aquilina

RC-V7 Reformation Inside and Out – The Resilient Church /w Mike Aquilina from Discerning Hearts on Vimeo.

Episode 7 – Reformation Inside and Out

The Lutherans and the Anglicans tried to retain some semblance of traditional Christian doctrine and worship. But if—as Luther claimed—the individual interpretation of Scripture was to be the only standard for Christianity, then the result was predictable. Other sects arose, and soon Protestants were split into dozens of sects and subsects, each one based on a particular interpretation of Scripture—often just a few verses in Scripture.

For the audio podcast:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:58 — 25.6MB) | Embed

Pick up a copy of Mike’s book.

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

An Advent On-Line Retreat – The First Sunday of Advent with Msgr. John Esseff

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:12 — 14.7MB) | Embed

This marks the start of a very special daily Advent retreat offered by Msgr. Esseff. He recommends to begin a journal and find a particular time of the day to reflect on the readings and reflections offered everyday prayerfully. He would also like to encourage comments and e-mails if you feel called to share and ask questions.

Reading 2 ROM 13:11-14

Brothers and sisters:
You know the time;
it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.
For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed;
the night is advanced, the day is at hand.
Let us then throw off the works of darkness
and put on the armor of light;
let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day,
not in orgies and drunkenness,
not in promiscuity and lust,
not in rivalry and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

Gospel

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
In those days before the flood,
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day that Noah entered the ark.
They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.
So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man.
Two men will be out in the field;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

IP#196 Mark Brumley – “Knowing God” on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

It’s great to be joined once again by Mark Brumley, this time to discuss “Knowing God: God and the Human Condition” (previously titled God and the Human Mind) authored by the great Catholic writer, teacher, and publisher Frank Sheed. Written in 1966 during the time of the Second Vatican Council, Sheed addresses the most challenging questions the human mind can pose about God, without presenting answers in dry academic way. Instead, because of his gifted writing style, he engages the reader with a desire to discover “mystery” in all its forms.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:00 — 12.8MB) | Embed

You can find the book here

“This book is vintage Sheed: clear, commonsensical, and convincing. This is the Sheed of the two masterpieces of apologetics Theology and Sanity and Society and Sanity. But this is also a new Sheed: older and wiser, more practical and human–the post-Vatican II Sheed. I mean this in all the good senses, the John Paul II senses: he is sensitive to the dangers of “the good old days”: verbalism, “dead orthodoxy,” rationalism, deism, what Sheed calls “theometry” instead of theology: an abstract, formal theological geometry that only wants to define terms and win debating points. Instead, this book is a kind of theological midrash, a deepening, a spelunking in the caves of the deepest mysteries with the clear light of honest words–honest with heart as well as head. It unites dogmatic theology with lived religion. It is precisely the breath of fresh air that Pope John XXIII opened the windows for, and in terms the layman can clearly grasp. —– Peter Kreeft, Author, Because God is Real

RC#6 Crusades Abroad and at Home – The Resilient Church /w Mike Aquilina

RC-V6 Crusades Abroad and at Home – The Resilient Church /w Mike Aquilina from Discerning Hearts on Vimeo.

Episode 6– Crusades Abroad and at Home

The Church in the West had survived the fall of Rome, and now it was the most powerful institution in Western Europe. But in the East, where the Church was born, the gradual erosion of the Byzantine Empire and the constant inroads of Islam threatened the very existence of Christianity.

Didn’t the Church in the West owe something to the Christians of the East? Wasn’t it the responsibility of all Christians to come to the aid of their brothers and sisters in distress?

That was the question that launched the crusades.

In the Middle East, whose history spans thousands of years, the crusades seem as fresh as yesterday’s headlines. And the same religious feelings that fueled both sides of the medieval wars are still with us today. Jerusalem—which has never been a very large city—is still, in world politics, probably the most important spot on the globe.

Today it’s easy to portray the crusades as a simple act of Christian aggression against the innocent and bewildered Muslims; or, alternatively, as a desperate last-ditch defense of Christianity against the relentless drive of the Islamic forces. Both portrayals are wrong. There was aggression on both sides, sincere religious zeal on both sides, and a surprising amount of respect for the other on both sides. There was also simple greed and avarice on both sides, and sometimes the greed managed to pervert the religious zeal.

Aquilina, Mike (2011-07-26). The Resilient Church (Kindle Locations 848-860). Mobile Merchandise Services, LLC. Kindle Edition.

For the audio podcast:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:05 — 62.0MB) | Embed

Pick up a copy of Mike’s book.

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

RC#5 Light in the Dark Ages – The Resilient Church /w Mike Aquilina

RC-V5 Light in the Dark Ages – The Resilient Church /w Mike Aquilina from Discerning Hearts on Vimeo.

Episode 5– Light in the Dark Ages

When so many Christians could only lament the ruins and fallen stones of Rome’s former glory, Gregory, Cassiodorus, Benedict, and Augustine had faith in the God who could “from these stones … raise up children to Abraham” (Luke 3:8). In a time of declining civic leadership and vanishing culture, God did indeed raise up Christians who could take those stones and build bridges so that Christians could carry the faith—and civilization—forward from one age to the next.

For the audio podcast:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:59 — 64.1MB) | Embed

Pick up a copy of Mike’s book.

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

Episode 6 – The Process of the Prayer – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

For more episodes in this series visit Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Praying 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

Episode 7 – The Experience of the Liturgy of the Hours – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

For more episodes in this series visit Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Praying 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

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

For more episodes in this series visit Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Praying 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

Reading 2 ROM 13:11-14

Gospel

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine