John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God.”
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
“What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” — which translated means Teacher —,
“where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”
So they went and saw where Jesus was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
“We have found the Messiah” — which is translated Christ —.
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
“You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas” — which is translated Peter.
Msgr. Esseff reflects on the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the area of spiritual warfare. He encourages all listeners to engage in a deep reflection on their own ancestry (particularly their parents) and it’s possible influence on our own spiritual battles.
Brothers and sisters:
When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son,
born of a woman, born under the law,
to ransom those under the law,
so that we might receive adoption as sons.
As proof that you are sons,
God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts,
crying out, “Abba, Father!”
So you are no longer a slave but a son,
and if a son then also an heir, through God.
The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.
When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.
Episode 25 – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran – Peter’s Profession of Faith (PART 1)
Episode 25 –
Peter’s Profession of Faith (part 1)
“Who do you say that I am?” It is the fundamental question of our lives. Who is Jesus? In tonight’s lecture, Sharon teaches us about Peter and his profession of faith. This passage is overflowing with significance, for both the entire Church at large and for each individual member. As she does so well, Sharon shows us the Hebrew scripture foundation of the words of Jesus. We learn what it means for Peter to be called “Simon, son of Jonah.” We understand the significance of Peter as “rock” and discover the importance of the “keys of the kingdom” and “binding and loosing” as the basis for the magisterial authority of the Catholic Church. But then, Sharon draws close and tightens her focus on our own hearts, asking us the question that we MUST answer for ourselves: “But who do YOU say that I am?” Who is Jesus? Where is He in your life?
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
Day 1 – The Last Retreat by St. Elizabeth of the Trinity- Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles
Dr. Anthony Lilles and Kris McGregor discuss St. Elizabeth of the Trinity’s Last Retreat, written during her final illness. In this reflection, Elizabeth expresses her desire to know nothing but Christ, embracing suffering as a path to union with Him. She sees contemplation as a transformative encounter, where deeper knowledge of Jesus leads to becoming more like Him. Elizabeth’s vocation as “Laudem Gloriae” (Praise of Glory) reflects her call to glorify God through suffering, prayer, and silence. Her insights remain relevant, especially through practices like Eucharistic adoration and silent scriptural meditation, which open the heart to Christ’s wisdom.
St. Elizabeth presents the Blessed Virgin as the one who most profoundly understood Christ, making her a model and mother in the spiritual life. Connecting this to St. John Paul II’s teaching on Mary’s maternal mediation, she leads us to embrace the cross. Suffering is an inevitable part of Christian life, but through trust in Christ and the intercession of Mary, it becomes a means of revealing God’s glory. St. Elizabeth’s example demonstrates how even in profound weakness, one can offer everything to God, making suffering a pathway to divine love.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
Embracing Christ in Suffering: St. Elizabeth of the Trinity teaches that suffering can be a path to deeper union with Christ—how can you embrace your own trials with faith rather than resistance?
Contemplation as Transformation: Elizabeth describes mystical prayer as a way of forgetting everything but Christ—how can you cultivate silence and stillness in your daily life to grow in deeper awareness of His presence?
The Role of Mary in Spiritual Growth: Elizabeth points to the Blessed Virgin as the one who most deeply understood Christ—how can you entrust your spiritual journey to Mary and allow her to guide you closer to her Son?
Living as a Praise of Glory: Elizabeth saw her vocation as glorifying God in all circumstances—how can you offer your daily life, even in suffering, as a praise of God’s glory?
The Power of Surrender: Elizabeth’s words reflect a total surrender to God’s will—what attachments or fears keep you from fully trusting in God, and how can you begin surrendering them today?
1. “Nescivi.” 1 “I no longer knew anything.” This is what the “bride of the Canticles ” sings after having been brought into the “inner cellar.” 2 It seems to me that this must also be the refrain of a praise of glory on this first day of retreat in which the Master makes her penetrate the depths of the bottomless abyss so that He may teach her to fulfill the work which will be hers for eternity and which she must already perform in time, which is eternity begun and still in progress. 3 “Nescivi”! I no longer know anything, I do not want to know anything except “to
know Him, to share in His sufferings, to become like Him in His death.” 4 “Those whom God has foreknown He has also predestined to become confirmed to the image of His divine Son,” 5 the One crucified by love. When I am wholly identified with this divine Exemplar, 6 when I have wholly passed into Him and He into me, then I will fulfill my eternal vocation: the one for which God has “chosen me in Him ” 7 “in principio,” the one I will continue “in aeternum” when, immersed in the bosom of my Trinity, I will be the unceasing praise of His glory, Laudem gloriae ejus.
Anthony Lilles, S.T.D., has served the Church and assisted in the formation of clergy and seminarians since 1994. Before coming to St. Patrick’s, he served at seminaries and houses of formation in the Archdiocese of Denver and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The son of a California farmer, married with young adult children, holds a B.A. 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). An expert in the writings of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity and the Carmelite Doctors of the Church, he co-founded the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation and the High Calling Program for priestly vocations. He also founded the John Paul II Center for Contemplative Culture, which hosts symposiums, retreats, and conferences. In addition to his publications, he blogs at www.beginningtopray.com .
Day 2 – The Last Retreat by St. Elizabeth of the Trinity- Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles
Dr. Anthony Lilles and Kris McGregor explore St. Elizabeth of the Trinity’s retreat writings, particularly her reflections on interior silence and self-possession in Christ. St. Elizabeth describes how true peace comes from gathering one’s interior faculties through silence and surrendering them to God. She highlights the significance of the phrase Nescivi, meaning “I no longer know anything but Him,” illustrating the soul’s complete focus on God despite external turmoil or inner struggles. Drawing from Carmelite spirituality, holy recollection fosters this unity with God, allowing the soul to become a vessel for divine grace and harmony.
The transformative power of suffering and trials gives us a chance to use them as opportunities for deeper union with God rather than obstacles to peace. Dr. Lilles connects Elizabeth’s teachings to the experiences of Mary Magdalene and the contemplative example of Mary of Bethany, emphasizing the need to choose “the one thing necessary”—a heart undistracted by worldly concerns. He also recounts Elizabeth’s personal battle with suffering in her final days, showing how her unwavering focus on Christ enabled her to endure spiritual and physical affliction with profound trust. This episode offers a compelling call to embrace silence, recollection, and surrender as pathways to deeper intimacy with God.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
The Call to Interior Silence: How can you cultivate a habit of holy recollection in your daily life to remain more present to God?
Self-Possession in Christ: In what ways do distractions, emotions, or external pressures pull you away from maintaining a prayerful awareness of Christ?
The Meaning of Nescivi: What does it mean for you personally to surrender everything to God and say, “I no longer know anything but Him”?
Suffering as an Opportunity for Grace: How can trials and hardships in your life be seen as invitations to deeper union with Christ rather than obstacles to peace?
Learning from Mary Magdalene: What aspects of Mary Magdalene’s transformation and devotion inspire you to grow in your own relationship with Christ?
The Role of Holy Recollection in Spiritual Growth: How can you incorporate moments of silent prayer and reflection into your daily routine to foster greater intimacy with God?
Trusting in God’s Hidden Presence: When God feels distant or silent, how can you strengthen your faith and remain steadfast in trust?
The Soul as a Throne of the Holy Trinity: What steps can you take to align your thoughts, emotions, and desires more fully with God’s will so that your soul becomes a dwelling place for His presence?
5. It is the same for the soul that has entered into the “fortress of holy recollection”: the eye of its soul, opened in the light of faith, discovers its God present, living within it; in turn it remains so present to Him, in beautiful simplicity, that He guards it with a jealous care. Then disturbances from without and tempests from within may arise; its self-esteem may be wounded: “Nescivi”! God may hide Himself, withdraw His sensible grace: “Nescivi .” Or, as St. Paul writes: “For love of Him I have forfeited everything.” Then the Master is free, free to flow into the soul, to give Himself “according to His measure.” And the soul thus simplified, unified, becomes the throne of the Unchanging One, since “unity is the throne of the Holy Trinity.”
Anthony Lilles, S.T.D., has served the Church and assisted in the formation of clergy and seminarians since 1994. Before coming to St. Patrick’s, he served at seminaries and houses of formation in the Archdiocese of Denver and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The son of a California farmer, married with young adult children, holds a B.A. 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). An expert in the writings of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity and the Carmelite Doctors of the Church, he co-founded the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation and the High Calling Program for priestly vocations. He also founded the John Paul II Center for Contemplative Culture, which hosts symposiums, retreats, and conferences. In addition to his publications, he blogs at www.beginningtopray.com .
Day 3 – The Last Retreat by St. Elizabeth of the Trinity- Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles
Dr. Anthony Lilles and Kris McGregor explore St. Elizabeth of the Trinity’s retreat writings, particularly her reflections on interior silence and self-possession in Christ. St. Elizabeth describes how true peace comes from gathering one’s interior faculties through silence and surrendering them to God. She highlights the significance of the phrase Nihi, meaning “I no longer know anything but Him,” illustrating the soul’s complete focus on God despite external turmoil or inner struggles. Drawing from Carmelite spirituality, holy recollection fosters this unity with God, allowing the soul to become a vessel for divine grace and harmony.
The transformative power of suffering and trials gives us a chance to use them as opportunities for deeper union with God rather than obstacles to peace. Dr. Lilles connects Elizabeth’s teachings to the experiences of Mary Magdalene and the contemplative example of Mary of Bethany, emphasizing the need to choose “the one thing necessary”—a heart undistracted by worldly concerns. He also recounts Elizabeth’s personal battle with suffering in her final days, showing how her unwavering focus on Christ enabled her to endure spiritual and physical affliction with profound trust. This episode offers a compelling call to embrace silence, recollection, and surrender as pathways to deeper intimacy with God.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
The Call to Interior Silence: How can you cultivate a habit of holy recollection in your daily life to remain more present to God?
Self-Possession in Christ: In what ways do distractions, emotions, or external pressures pull you away from maintaining a prayerful awareness of Christ?
The Meaning of Nihi: What does it mean for you personally to surrender everything to God and say, “I no longer know anything but Him”?
Suffering as an Opportunity for Grace: How can trials and hardships in your life be seen as invitations to deeper union with Christ rather than obstacles to peace?
Learning from Mary Magdalene: What aspects of Mary Magdalene’s transformation and devotion inspire you to grow in your own relationship with Christ?
The Role of Holy Recollection in Spiritual Growth: How can you incorporate moments of silent prayer and reflection into your daily routine to foster greater intimacy with God?
Trusting in God’s Hidden Presence: When God feels distant or silent, how can you strengthen your faith and remain steadfast in trust?
The Soul as a Throne of the Holy Trinity: What steps can you take to align your thoughts, emotions, and desires more fully with God’s will so that your soul becomes a dwelling place for His presence?
“The soul, by the simplicity of the gaze which it fixes on its divine object, finds itself set apart from all that surrounds it, set apart also and above all from itself. Then it is resplendent with this “knowledge of the glory of God,” of which the Apostle speaks, because it permits the divine Being to be reflected in it, “and all His attributes are communicated to it.” Truly this soul is the praise of glory of all His gifts; through everything, even the most commonplace acts, it sings the canticum magnum, the canticum novum . . . , and this canticle thrills God to His very depths.”
Anthony Lilles, S.T.D., has served the Church and assisted in the formation of clergy and seminarians since 1994. Before coming to St. Patrick’s, he served at seminaries and houses of formation in the Archdiocese of Denver and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The son of a California farmer, married with young adult children, holds a B.A. 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). An expert in the writings of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity and the Carmelite Doctors of the Church, he co-founded the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation and the High Calling Program for priestly vocations. He also founded the John Paul II Center for Contemplative Culture, which hosts symposiums, retreats, and conferences. In addition to his publications, he blogs at www.beginningtopray.com .
Day 4 – The Last Retreat by St. Elizabeth of the Trinity- Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles
Dr. Anthony Lilles and Kris McGregor discuss the fourth day of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity’s 16‑day retreat. They reflect on how contemplative prayer is not about performing spiritual exercises to achieve a measurable outcome but about surrendering one’s own control and expectations to welcome God’s transformative love.
Weaving together insights from scripture and Carmelite spirituality, particularly the teachings of St. John of the Cross, illustrates that moments of doubt or even the dark night of faith are not failures but essential passages toward a profound, unshakeable trust in God.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How can I release my need to control my prayer experience and open my heart to God’s transformative love instead?
In what ways can I view moments of spiritual darkness as opportunities for growth and deeper faith?
How does my current practice of prayer serve as a foretaste of the eternal peace promised in the beatific vision?
How can I deepen my understanding of heaven beyond cultural clichés to experience a profound relationship with God?
What steps can I take to strengthen my trust in God’s plan even when I face uncertainty or doubt?
How can I extend compassionate support to those enduring spiritual trials, mirroring Christ’s presence in their lives?
“10. Here faith, the beautiful light of faith appears. It alone should light my way as I go to meet the Bridegroom. The psalmist sings that He “hides Himself in darkness,” 59 then in another place he seems to contradict himself by saying that “light surrounds Him like a cloak.” 60 What stands out for me in this apparent contradiction is that I must immerse myself in “the sacred darkness” 61 by putting all my powers in darkness and emptiness ; then I will meet my Master, and “the light that surrounds Him like a cloak ” will envelop me also, for He wants His bride to be luminous with His light, His light alone, “which is the glory of God.”
Anthony Lilles, S.T.D., has served the Church and assisted in the formation of clergy and seminarians since 1994. Before coming to St. Patrick’s, he served at seminaries and houses of formation in the Archdiocese of Denver and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The son of a California farmer, married with young adult children, holds a B.A. 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). An expert in the writings of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity and the Carmelite Doctors of the Church, he co-founded the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation and the High Calling Program for priestly vocations. He also founded the John Paul II Center for Contemplative Culture, which hosts symposiums, retreats, and conferences. In addition to his publications, he blogs at www.beginningtopray.com .
12. “I saw a great multitude which no man could number. . . . These are they who have come out of the great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple, and He who sits upon the throne will dwell with them. They shall neither hunger nor thirst anymore, neither shall the sun strike them nor any heat. For the Lamb will be their shepherd, and He will lead them to the fountains of the waters of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. . . .”
All these elect who have palms in their hands, 69 and who are wholly bathed in the great light 70 of God, have had first to pass through the “great tribulation,” to know this sorrow “immense as the sea,” 71 of which the psalmist sang. Before contemplating “with uncovered face the glory of the Lord,” 72 they have shared in the annihilation of His Christ; before being “transformed from brightness to brightness in the image of the divine Being,” 73 they have been conformed to the image of the Word Incarnate, the One crucified by love.
We would like to offer heartfelt thanks to
Miriam Gutierrez for providing for us “the voice” of Blessed Elizabeth for this series
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 benefitted from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of Blessed Elisabeth of the Trinity. After graduating from Franciscan University of Steubenville, he completed licentiate and doctoral studies in spiritual theology at the Angelicum in Rome. In 2012, he published Hidden Mountain, Secret Garden: a theological contemplation of prayer by Discerning Hearts. Married with two young adult children pursuing their careers and a teenager still at home, he has settled in family in Oxnard, California.For other episodes in the series visit the Discerning Hearts page for Dr. Anthony Lilles
16. What a going out from self that implies! What a death! Let us say with St. Paul, “Quotidie morior.” 95 The great saint wrote to the Colossians, “You have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” 96
That is the condition: we must be dead! Without that we may be hidden in God at certain moments; but we do not LIVE habitually in this divine Being because all our emotions, self-seekings and the rest, come to draw us out of Him.
The soul that gazes steadfastly on its Master with this “single eye which fills the whole body with light” 97 is kept “from the depths of iniquity within it 98 of which the prophet complains. “The Lord has brought it into “this spacious place” 99 which is nothing else than Himself; there everything is pure, everything is holy! O blessed death in God! O sweet and gentle loss of self in the beloved Being which permits the creature to cry out: “I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live in this body of death, I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” 100
We would like to offer heartfelt thanks to
Miriam Gutierrez for providing for us “the voice” of Blessed Elizabeth for this series
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 benefitted from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of Blessed Elisabeth of the Trinity. After graduating from Franciscan University of Steubenville, he completed licentiate and doctoral studies in spiritual theology at the Angelicum in Rome. In 2012, he published Hidden Mountain, Secret Garden: a theological contemplation of prayer by Discerning Hearts. Married with two young adult children pursuing their careers and a teenager still at home, he has settled in family in Oxnard, California.For other episodes in the series visit the Discerning Hearts page for Dr. Anthony Lilles
17. “Coeli enarrant gloriam Dei.” 101 This is what the heavens are telling: the glory of God.
Since my soul is a heaven in which I live while awaiting the “heavenly Jerusalem,” 102 this heaven too must sing the glory of the Eternal, nothing but the glory of the Eternal.
“Day to day passes on this message.” 103 All God’s lights, all His communications to my soul are this “day which passes on to day the message of His glory.” “The command of the Lord is clear,” sings the psalmist, “enlightening the eye. . . .” 104 Consequently, my fidelity in corresponding with each of His decrees, with each of His interior commands, makes me live in His light; it too is a “message which passes on His glory.” But this is the sweet wonder: “Yahweh, he who looks at you is radiant!” 105 the prophet exclaims . The soul that by the depth of its interior gaze contemplates its God through everything in that simplicity which sets it apart from all else is a “ radiant” soul: it is “a day that passes on to day the message of His glory.”
18. “Night to night announces it.” 106 How very consoling that is! My weaknesses, my dislikes, my mediocrity , my faults themselves tell the glory of the Eternal! My sufferings of soul or body also tell the glory of my Master! David sang: “How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good He has done for me?” This: “I will take up the cup of salvation.” 107 If I take up this cup crimsoned with the Blood of my Master and, in wholly joyous thanksgiving, I mingle my blood with that of the holy Victim, it is in some way made infinite and can give magnificent praise to the Father. Then my suffering is “a message which passes on the glory” of the Eternal.
We would like to offer heartfelt thanks to
Miriam Gutierrez for providing for us “the voice” of Blessed Elizabeth for this series
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 benefitted from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of Blessed Elisabeth of the Trinity. After graduating from Franciscan University of Steubenville, he completed licentiate and doctoral studies in spiritual theology at the Angelicum in Rome. In 2012, he published Hidden Mountain, Secret Garden: a theological contemplation of prayer by Discerning Hearts. Married with two young adult children pursuing their careers and a teenager still at home, he has settled in family in Oxnard, California.For other episodes in the series visit the Discerning Hearts page for Dr. Anthony Lilles
The Sunday, Sunday, Sunday Podcast is a reflection on the upcoming Sunday Mass readings presented by LifeTeen.com and hosted by Mark Hart.
