catholic prayer Archives

IP#77 Anthony DeStephano – Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:20 — 25.9MB) | Embed

I love the book! “Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To: Divine Answers to Life’s Most Difficult Problems” by Anthony
DeStephano is filled with a bazillion “ah-ha” moments…you knew that, but you didn’t know you knew that. Anthony has a wonderful way of breaking down daunting theological questions to easily understood basics in order to nurture a healthy prayer life. With all the “driven-life-Jabez-easy-answer” books out there, this is the one you should pick up and pass on to friends. Anthony, who is the executive director of Priest for Life, offers rock solid Catholic perspective, rooted deeply in the Scriptures, to life’s toughest challenges. Take a listen to the podcast and hear for yourself. Visit the 10 Prayers website

You can pick up the book here

“Anthony DeStefano has once again drawn his readers into the mystery of God’s love and invited us to reflect more deeply on our relationship with Him. In a simple yet profound way, Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To offers insights, and indeed a practical wisdom, that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled with personal prayer. I recommend this book to any and all who are searching for a fresh perspective on the meaning and value of a life of prayer, and, ultimately, for a more fulsome encounter with the Living God.”

Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino
President, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
The Vatican

IP#3 Sr. Ann Shields – “To Be Like Jesus” on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:21 — 24.1MB) | Embed

It was great to talk with Sr. Ann Shields, of “Food for the Journey”, about her new book “To Be Like Jesus – Inspiration From the Gospel of Luke” . In her maternal nurturing way she encourages us to “feed” on the great gift of God’s Holy Word.

You can find the book here.

From the book description:

God’s plan for your life is not as mysterious or unknowable as you might think. As Sister Ann Shields demonstrates in her probing reflections on the Gospel of Luke, the key to knowing what God is asking of you is to discover, first, who God is. If you are willing to spend time daily in his presence, ruminating on his word as it comes to you in Scripture, he will reveal himself and help you make the choices that conform to his will for your life.

To Be Like Jesus will enable you to distinguish God’s voice from the voices, noise and distractions of the world. As you let his word soak into your soul, you’ll find there the power to surrender to him and play your part in building his kingdom.

ST12 – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran – The Blessed Virgin Mary, “The Head-Crushing” Immaculately Conceived Handmaid of the Lord

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:15 — 30.4MB) | Embed

Episode 12 – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran, hosted by Bruce McGregor. Ep 12 – The Blessed Virgin Mary, “The Head-Crushing” Immaculately Conceived Handmaid of the Lord

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.

Episode 12 – Sharon and Bruce discuss the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary is the new Eve! The sin-free woman who will crush the head of the serpent. Sharon breaks open Genesis chapter 2, the Gospel of Luke, Revelation 12 and the Old Testament teachings on the two other woman who are “blessed” and how this shines a light on our understanding of Mary!

“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

Litany of Loreto – text and mp3 audio download

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 4:46 — 4.4MB) | Embed

V. Lord, have mercy.
R. Christ have mercy.
V. Lord have mercy. Christ hear us.
R. Christ graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of Virgins, [etc.]
Mother of Christ,
Mother of divine grace,
Mother most pure,
Mother most chaste,
Mother inviolate,
Mother undefiled,
Mother most amiable,
Mother most admirable,
Mother of good Counsel,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Savior,
Virgin most prudent,
Virgin most venerable,
Virgin most renowned,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most merciful,
Virgin most faithful,
Mirror of justice,
Seat of wisdom,
Cause of our joy,
Spiritual vessel,
Vessel of honor,
Singular vessel of devotion,
Mystical rose,
Tower of David,
Tower of ivory,
House of gold,
Ark of the covenant,
Gate of heaven,
Morning star,
Health of the sick,
Refuge of sinners,
Comforter of the afflicted,
Help of Christians,
Queen of Angels,
Queen of Patriarchs,
Queen of Prophets,
Queen of Apostles,
Queen of Martyrs,
Queen of Confessors,
Queen of Virgins,
Queen of all Saints,
Queen conceived without original sin,
Queen assumed into heaven,
Queen of the most holy Rosary,
Queen of families,
Queen of peace,

V. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
R. Spare us, O Lord.
V. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
R. Graciously hear us, O Lord.
V. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, that we thy servants may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body, and by the glorious intercession of blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may we be freed from present sorrow, and rejoice in eternal happiness. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

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.

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

IP#127 Dale Ahlquist – In Defense of Sanity on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:51 — 26.4MB) | Embed

How can you possibly pick the best of G. K. Chesterton’s essays? Thank goodness for Dale Ahlquist, Joseph Pearce, Aidan Mackey! Leading authorities on all things G. K. they’ve done it for us…and what a feast! From cheese to Jane Austen, barbarians to “what is right with the world,” G. K. covers it all. And the beauty is that it is still as relevant today as it was in his day…that’s the mark of genius, or more accurately, authentic wisdom and grace. It is always a joy to talk with Dale Ahlquist! He is the “good son” of G. K. Have fun with the listen and then read “In Defense of Sanity: The Best Essays of G.K. Chesterton.”

You can find the book here

From the book description:

The variety of topics are astounding: barbarians, architects, mystics, ghosts, fireworks, rain, juries, gargoyles and much more. Plus a look at Shakespeare, Dickens, Jane Austen, George MacDonald, T.S. Eliot, and the Bible. All in that inimitable, formidable but always quotable style of GKC. Even more astounding than the variety is the continuity of Chesterton’s thought that ties everything together. A veritable feast for the mind and heart.

While some of the essays in this volume may be familiar, many of them are collected here for the first time, making their first appearance in over a century.

IP#228 Mary Eberstadt – How the West Really Lost God on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:12 — 24.0MB) | Embed

“How the West Really Lost God: A New Theory of Secularization” is a phenomenal book on this subject. Mary Eberstadt delivers a compelling theory about the decline of the Christian religion in the Western world. By the analysis of data on the family, from pre-Revolutionary France to contemporary culture in the West, she demonstrates how the natural family is the prime nurturing force for Christianity in society. When that family structure dissolves, so does the Christian religion in a culture and the rise of secularization is fostered. While presenting the problem, she also offers hope for the future. Another fascinating and provocative read by Mary Eberstadt!

You can find the book here

“An absolutely brilliant and strikingly fresh portrait of the ‘double-helix’ of faith and family, coupled with a potentially game-changing analysis of the why and how of secularization, all written with the sparkle and empathy that characterize the work of one of America’s premier social analysts.” —George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington, D.C.

“Mary Eberstadt’s account of the synergistic relationship between the fracturing of the family and declining religiosity is both chilling and utterly convincing. No theorist of secularization has come close to Eberstadt in sociological insight or explanatory power.”

— Mary Ann Glendon, author of The Forum and the Tower: How Scholars and Politicians Have Imagined the World from Plato to Eleanor Roosevelt

“A brilliant contribution to the really big question about the future of the West, and a pleasure to read.”—Rodney Stark, author of The Rise of Christianity

The Holy Rosary for Discerning Hearts – Our Lady’s Garden of Prayer – Mp3 Audio downloadable

Outside of the Sacramental prayers of the Church, there is no other prayer more important than the prayerful recitation of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Our late great Holy Father, St. John Paul II put it beautifully in His Apostolic Letter On the Rosary of the Virgin Mary:

“A path of contemplation”

“But the most important reason for strongly encouraging the practice of the Rosary is that it represents a most effective means of fostering among the faithful that commitment to the contemplation of the Christian mystery which I have proposed in the Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte as a genuine “training in holiness”: “What is needed is a Christian life distinguished above all in the heart of The Rosary belongs among the finest and most praiseworthy traditions of Christian contemplation. Developed in the West, it is a typically meditative prayer, corresponding in some way to the “prayer of the heart” or “Jesus prayer” which took root in the soil of the Christian East.”– His Apostolic Letter On the Rosary of the Virgin Mary

Please take some time to check out the Discerning Hearts “Holy Rosary Page”

Audio mp3 download/podcasts of the Holy Rosary

Joyful Mysteries

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:56 — 21.9MB) | Embed

Sorrowful Mysteries

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

Luminous Mysteries

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

Glorious Mysteries

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

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Fr. Mark Cyza – Discerning Hearts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:39 — 28.1MB) | Embed

Join Bruce and I as we discuss the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the wonderful Fr. Mark Cyza.

From Pope Benedict XVI 2005 found at vatican.va:

I am also thinking of the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church that we recently published, in which the Word of God is applied to our lives and the reality of our lives interpreted; it helps us enter into the great “temple” of God’s Word, to learn to love it and, like Mary, to be penetrated by this Word.

Thus, life becomes luminous and we have the basic criterion with which to judge; at the same time, we receive goodness and strength.

Mary is taken up body and soul into the glory of Heaven, and with God and in God she is Queen of Heaven and earth. And is she really so remote from us?

The contrary is true. Precisely because she is with God and in God, she is very close to each one of us.

While she lived on this earth she could only be close to a few people. Being in God, who is close to us, actually, “within” all of us, Mary shares in this closeness of God. Being in God and with God, she is close to each one of us, knows our hearts, can hear our prayers, can help us with her motherly kindness and has been given to us, as the Lord said, precisely as a “mother” to whom we can turn at every moment.

She always listens to us, she is always close to us, and being Mother of the Son, participates in the power of the Son and in his goodness. We can always entrust the whole of our lives to this Mother, who is not far from any one of us.

On this feast day, let us thank the Lord for the gift of the Mother, and let us pray to Mary to help us find the right path every day. Amen.