The Prinicipal and Foundation of Prayer and Discernment: a teaching from Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Hearts

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I had the opportunity to speak with Msgr. Esseff, who is conducting a spiritual retreat for the Sisters of the

Missionaries of Charity in Sydney, Australia. He shares with us the teachings from the first day, which is on the principal and foundation of prayer as taught by St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Msgr. Esseff begins by reflecting on the Awe of God and the difference between “being” and “becoming”. He shares a special memory of an experience that helped him to understand this which occurred when he was a young boy on his grandfather’s farm. Many years later, he would learn this was a basic teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas on the nature of God and creation. God is being and creation (including man) is becoming.

With that foundation, Msgr. Esseff proceeds to teach us that all of our are becoming therefore because mankind has a soul and has the capacity for reflection, we have the power to glorify God. That is the first call we have, to glorify God. To often we focus on our selves and what serves our needs. St. Ignatius would say, that instead when faced with a decision or direction, each human being is called to discern, to ask whether if this is what God wants or is this is what I want. The key is to take ask the Father “What do you want us to do?” This is discernment at its basic level.

To obtain a copy of Msgr. Esseff’s book byvisiting here

Be sure to visit Msgr. Esseff’s website “Building a Kingdom of Love”

GWML#6 Jonathan Swift and “Gulliver’s Travels” – Great Works in Western Literature with Joseph Pearce

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Episode 6- Great Works in Western Literature with Joseph Pearce – Jonathan Swift

Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift is one of the greatest satirical works ever written. Through the misadventures of Lemuel Gulliver, his hopelessly “modern” protagonist, Swift exposes many of the follies of the English Enlightenment, from its worship of science to its neglect of traditional philosophy and theology. Swift’s satire on the threats posed by the Enlightenment and the embryonic spirit of secular fundamentalism makes Gulliver’s Travels priceless reading for today’s defenders of tradition.

Based on the Ignatius Critical Edition, this series examines, from the Judeo-Christian perspective, the life,the times, and influence of authors of great works in literature .

Joseph Pearce is currently the Writer-in-Residence and Visiting Fellow at Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in Merrimack, New Hampshire. He is also Visiting Scholar at Mount Royal Academy in Sunapee, New Hampshire. He is also Visiting Scholar at Mount Royal Academy in Sunapee, New Hampshire. He is co-editor of the Saint Austin Review (or StAR), an international review of Christian culture, literature, and ideas published in England (Family Publications) and the United States (Sapientia Press). He is also the author of many books, including literary biographies of Solzhenitsyn, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, G. K. Chesterton, and Oscar Wilde..

To learn more about the authors and titles available in the Ignatius Critical Editions

IP#102 Msgr. John Esseff – Building a Kingdom of Love on Inside the Pages

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Msgr. John Esseff is one of the most extraordinary men I have ever spoken with. He is the author of “Building A Kingdom of Love: Your Role in the Triumph of the Sacred Heart”. Msgr. Esseff is widely known as a spiritual master who works with the Institute for Priestly Formation. Ordained a priest in 1953 for the Diocese of Scranton, PA, Msgr. Esseff served in parishes and as an exorcist for the diocese. Serving the poor in areas around the world, he would become a confessor and retreat director for Blessed Mother Teresa, and continues that role today for the

sisters of the Missionaries of Charity. He would encounter St. Padre Pio and would be considered one of the St Pio’s spiritual children.

Msgr. John Esseff is on a mission from God. He is one of the founders of the Sacred Heart Apostolate. He hopes to have the Sacred Heart of Jesus enthroned as King of the entire world, family by family, church by church, dioceses by diocese…country by country.

Everyone can participate and support this mission. For information about enthroning the Sacred Heart of Jesus in your home, go to www.sacredheartapostolate.com. Then, you can keep Msgr. Esseff and his mission in your prayers. For more insights and information about Msgr. Esseff, his website is:http://home.catholicweb.com/msgrjohnesseff/index.cfm.

“BE NOT AFRAID” – Msgr. John Esseff on the role of fear in suffering…and the remedy…faith

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Msgr. Esseff discusses the crippling effects of fear and it’s remedy. Fear, in a very real way, is the opposite of faith.

There’s an adage in spirituality that says that if we can name the demon we can tame it. Jesus wants us not to be afraid. He may challenge us in some ways, so that we can name it and bring it out of the darkness into peace. The Light dispels the fear! Fear fuels sin. Ultimately, it’s a fear of not being loved and losing

relationship in some way. Luke 15 ( the parable of the Prodigal Son) shows us how much the Father loves us…no matter what! He’s waiting with open arms to relieve the pain and suffering. Look at the One who wants to pick you up! Some suffer in silence, especially when falsely accused…stand with Jesus at the first station of the cross. Do not take your eyes off the face of Jesus…we are meant for eternal life. Learn from the examples of the saints… BELIEVE.

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Be sure to visit Msgr. Esseff”s website: “Building A Kingdom of Love”

STSG15 – Beatitudes (PART 1) – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran

Episode 15- Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran -Announcement of the Kingdom Of God (PART 1)

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Episode 15 –

Beatitudes (part 1)

“Blessed are…..”

The Beatitudes. So familiar, yet do we really understand them?

In this lecture, Sharon blazes through the history of Israel, setting the stage for a deeper understanding of the meaning of the Beatitudes.

The occupied, oppressed nation of Israel was yearning for a savior, a savior that would rid them of centuries of foreign occupation.

Then Jesus arrives, working amazing miracles.

Could He be the One??

Expectations are high, but expectations are turned inside-out as Jesus proclaims the paradoxical truths of the Beatitudes.

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

STSG16 – Beatitudes (PART 2) – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran

Episode 16- Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran -Announcement of the Kingdom Of God (PART 2)

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Episode 16 –

Beatitudes (part 2)

“Blessed are…..”

The Beatitudes. So familiar, yet do we really understand them?

In this lecture, Sharon blazes through the history of Israel, setting the stage for a deeper understanding of the meaning of the Beatitudes.

The occupied, oppressed nation of Israel was yearning for a savior, a savior that would rid them of centuries of foreign occupation.

Then Jesus arrives, working amazing miracles.

Could He be the One??

Expectations are high, but expectations are turned inside-out as Jesus proclaims the paradoxical truths of the Beatitudes.

STSG17 – The Lord’s Prayer (PART 1) – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran

Episode 17- Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran -The Lord’s Prayer(PART 1)

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Episode 17 –

The Lord’s Prayer (part 1)

“Our Father…”

In this lecture Sharon takes us on a beautiful journey through the Lord’s prayer, which the Catechism of the Catholic Church describes as the summary of the whole Gospel.

Sharon opens the mystery of each line, beginning with God as father throughout salvation history.
His covenant kinship expands over time, including more and more sons and daughters into His worldwide universal family.

She goes on to explore the struggle we all experience: is it My Will or Thy Will?

She then tackles forgiveness, showing us that the measure of God’s forgiveness is determined by our own willingness to forgive.

Scripture covered are Matthew 6 and Luke 11

STSG18 – The Lord’s Prayer (PART 2) – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran

Episode 18- Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran -The Lord’s Prayer (PART 2)

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Episode 18 –

The Lord’s Prayer (part 2)

“Our Father…”

In this lecture Sharon takes us on a beautiful journey through the Lord’s prayer, which the Catechism of the Catholic Church describes as the summary of the whole Gospel.

She goes on to explore the struggle we all experience: is it My Will or Thy Will?

She then tackles forgiveness, showing us that the measure of God’s forgiveness is determined by our own willingness to forgive.

Scripture covered are Matthew 6 and Luke 11

STSG19 – The Parables of Jesus (PART 1) – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran

Episode 19- Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran -The Parables of Jesus (PART 1)

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Episode 19 –

The Parables of Jesus (part 1)

Through His parables, Jesus both conceals and reveals.

As Sharon teaches us in this lecture,
Jesus uses the parables to reveal the truths of the Kingdom.
Yet, he conceals his true identity as Messiah so that his plan for salvation will not be thwarted before the appointed hour of his death on the cross.
As Sharon shows us, these parables have an even deeper richness when seen through Middle Eastern eyes. Understanding the cultural details contained in parables such as the Sower or the Prodigal Son helps us to appreciate the power of these amazing stories.
Sharon’s lecture breathes new life into our understanding of these familiar stories.