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Day 8 – St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts
St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Day 8 – For the Grace of a Greater Devotion to the Sacred Heart St. Gertrude had a great devotion to her beloved patron, St. John the Evangelist. With aid of his Gospel and the …
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St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Day 8 – For the Grace of a Greater Devotion to the Sacred HeartSt. Gertrude had a great devotion to her beloved patron, St. John the Evangelist. With aid of his Gospel and the action of the Holy Spirit, she deeply perceived the unceasing love of Jesus Christ for us, particularly through His Sacred Heart, which is an enduring symbol of His divine love and mercy. St. Gertrude’s insights laid the groundwork for the devotion that St. Margaret Mary Alacoque would later be known for. In the spirit of St. Gertrude, may we present our heartfelt intentions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, embracing His unfailing love. May she also intercede in the intention we bring to this novena.
We join St. Gertrude in a prayer she composed for the Holy Souls in Purgatory:
Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son,
Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,
for all the holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the Universal Church,
those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.St. Gertrude the Great, pray for us
For the entire novena visit: A Novena to St. Gertrude the Great – Discerning Hearts PodcastThe post Day 8 – St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Saturday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
Saturday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender …
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Saturday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart PodcastAs you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord.
Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over”
Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart…
From the Holy Gospel According to St. Luke 18:1-8
Jesus told his disciples a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart. ‘There was a judge in a certain town’ he said ‘who had neither fear of God nor respect for man. In the same town there was a widow who kept on coming to him and saying, “I want justice from you against my enemy!” For a long time he refused, but at last he said to himself, “Maybe I have neither fear of God nor respect for man, but since she keeps pestering me I must give this widow her just rights, or she will persist in coming and worry me to death.”’
And the Lord said ‘You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’
What word made this passage come alive for you?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:
Jesus told his disciples a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart. ‘There was a judge in a certain town’ he said ‘who had neither fear of God nor respect for man. In the same town there was a widow who kept on coming to him and saying, “I want justice from you against my enemy!” For a long time he refused, but at last he said to himself, “Maybe I have neither fear of God nor respect for man, but since she keeps pestering me I must give this widow her just rights, or she will persist in coming and worry me to death.”’
And the Lord said ‘You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’
What did your heart feel as you listened?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:
Jesus told his disciples a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart. ‘There was a judge in a certain town’ he said ‘who had neither fear of God nor respect for man. In the same town there was a widow who kept on coming to him and saying, “I want justice from you against my enemy!” For a long time he refused, but at last he said to himself, “Maybe I have neither fear of God nor respect for man, but since she keeps pestering me I must give this widow her just rights, or she will persist in coming and worry me to death.”’
And the Lord said ‘You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’
What touched your heart in this time of prayer?
What did your heart feel as you prayed?
What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen
Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.The post Saturday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
CWC4 – God’s Longing For Us – Communion with Christ: Practical Prayer with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Episode 4: God’s Longing For Us – Communion with Christ: Practical Prayer with Deacon James Keating Deacon James Keating and Kris McGregor reflect on the final words of Jesus from the cross, continuing their …
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Episode 4: God’s Longing For Us – Communion with Christ: Practical Prayer with Deacon James KeatingDeacon James Keating and Kris McGregor reflect on the final words of Jesus from the cross, continuing their exploration of Christian prayer through paragraph 2605 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. As Jesus entrusts His mother to the beloved disciple, Deacon Keating considers the Blessed Virgin Mary as a model of prayer for the entire Church. Having held the mysteries of Christ’s life in her heart, Mary teaches us how to receive the Lord and remain attentive to His presence. Jesus’ words, “I thirst,” reveal another profound dimension of prayer: God’s longing for communion with humanity. Deacon Keating explains that our desire for God begins with God’s desire for us. Through grace, the Lord awakens within us a corresponding thirst for Him, transforming prayer from an obligation into an expression of love and a way of living in communion with God.
The conversation continues with Jesus’ cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Deacon Keating reflects on Christ’s solidarity with humanity in its experience of sin, loneliness, and separation from God, revealing a Savior who enters our darkness to bring us back to the Father. When Jesus declares, “It is finished,” His saving work reaches its fulfillment, yet the mystery of His sacrifice remains present to the Church through the Eucharist. The words “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” express Christ’s complete trust in the Father, a trust vindicated in the Resurrection. Deacon Keating also considers the final cry of Jesus as an expression of creation’s longing to return to its source. Through Christ’s death and Resurrection, the way to communion with the Father is opened. Prayer becomes a participation in this saving mystery, sustained by the Holy Spirit and filled with the hope that even death cannot separate us from the life of God.
Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Hearts” page Discerning Hearts Questions for Reflection and Study Personal ReflectionHow does Mary’s example help you become more attentive to God’s presence in prayer?
What does Jesus’ cry, “I thirst,” reveal about His desire for communion with you?
How does recognizing God’s longing for you change the way you approach prayer?
What keeps prayer from becoming a natural expression of your love for God?
How can you become more receptive to the Holy Spirit praying within you?
When God seems distant, what helps you trust that He hasn’t abandoned you?
Where might Christ be inviting you to turn away from sin and return to Him?
How does the sacrifice of Christ on the cross deepen your appreciation of the Eucharist?
What can you learn from Jesus’ complete surrender to the Father’s will?
How does the promise of resurrection shape your understanding of suffering and death?
Why does Deacon Keating present Mary as a model of prayer for the entire Church?
What does Mary’s presence at the foot of the cross teach us about faithfulness to God?
How does understanding God’s thirst for humanity deepen our understanding of Christian prayer?
What distinguishes prayer motivated by obligation from prayer inspired by love?
Why is the Holy Spirit essential to our growing communion with Christ?
What does Jesus’ cry of abandonment reveal about His solidarity with sinful humanity?
How does Deacon Keating’s reflection challenge our understanding of God’s faithfulness?
What is the relationship between Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary and the celebration of the Eucharist?
How does Jesus’ surrender to the Father reveal the meaning of Christian trust?
What does Christ’s Resurrection reveal about the ultimate purpose of prayer and communion with God?
The book addresses their mutual dedication to remain with Christ in prayer even in the service of parishioners. Once prayer finds a place in the heart, compassion grows for those who look for God “like sheep without a shepherd.” Through interior prayerfulness, clerical unity in ministry can be better ensured Remain in Me is for priests and deacons to use as prayer, on retreat, or during the holy seasons of Lent and Advent.
Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO.
The post CWC4 – God’s Longing For Us – Communion with Christ: Practical Prayer with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Day 7 – St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts
St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Day 7 – For the Grace of a Greater Love of the Holy Eucharist St. Gertrude embraced the Mass as a profound encounter with Christ’s redemptive suffering. Let us reflect on this …
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St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Day 7 – For the Grace of a Greater Love of the Holy EucharistSt. Gertrude embraced the Mass as a profound encounter with Christ’s redemptive suffering. Let us reflect on this prayer that she composed,
‘Through this Mass, I offer You in reparation, loving Father, all the sufferings of Your Son from His first cry in the manger to His last breath on the Cross. In my humble state, I praise and adore Your mercy,’ Amen.
Let us ask St. Gertrude to intercede for us as we seek to unite our own joys and sorrows with the Eucharistic sacrifice. May this act of communion inspire us to live out each day in accordance with God’s loving plan for our lives. May she also intercede in the intention we bring to this novena.
We join St. Gertrude in a prayer she composed for the Holy Souls in Purgatory:
Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son,
Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,
for all the holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the Universal Church,
those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.St. Gertrude the Great, pray for us
For the entire novena visit: A Novena to St. Gertrude the Great – Discerning Hearts PodcastThe post Day 7 – St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Friday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
Friday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender …
Shownotes
Friday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart PodcastAs you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord.
Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over”
Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart…
From the Holy Gospel According to St. Luke 17:26-37
Jesus said to the disciples:
‘As it was in Noah’s day, so will it also be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating and drinking, marrying wives and husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. It will be the same as it was in Lot’s day: people were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but the day Lot left Sodom, God rained fire and brimstone from heaven and it destroyed them all. It will be the same when the day comes for the Son of Man to be revealed.
‘When that day comes, anyone on the housetop, with his possessions in the house, must not come down to collect them, nor must anyone in the fields turn back either. Remember Lot’s wife. Anyone who tries to preserve his life will lose it; and anyone who loses it will keep it safe. I tell you, on that night two will be in one bed: one will be taken, the other left; two women will be grinding corn together: one will be taken, the other left.’ The disciples interrupted. ‘Where, Lord?’ they asked. He said, ‘Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather.’What word made this passage come alive for you?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:
Jesus said to the disciples:
‘As it was in Noah’s day, so will it also be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating and drinking, marrying wives and husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. It will be the same as it was in Lot’s day: people were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but the day Lot left Sodom, God rained fire and brimstone from heaven and it destroyed them all. It will be the same when the day comes for the Son of Man to be revealed.
‘When that day comes, anyone on the housetop, with his possessions in the house, must not come down to collect them, nor must anyone in the fields turn back either. Remember Lot’s wife. Anyone who tries to preserve his life will lose it; and anyone who loses it will keep it safe. I tell you, on that night two will be in one bed: one will be taken, the other left; two women will be grinding corn together: one will be taken, the other left.’ The disciples interrupted. ‘Where, Lord?’ they asked. He said, ‘Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather.’What did your heart feel as you listened?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:
Jesus said to the disciples:
‘As it was in Noah’s day, so will it also be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating and drinking, marrying wives and husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. It will be the same as it was in Lot’s day: people were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but the day Lot left Sodom, God rained fire and brimstone from heaven and it destroyed them all. It will be the same when the day comes for the Son of Man to be revealed.
‘When that day comes, anyone on the housetop, with his possessions in the house, must not come down to collect them, nor must anyone in the fields turn back either. Remember Lot’s wife. Anyone who tries to preserve his life will lose it; and anyone who loses it will keep it safe. I tell you, on that night two will be in one bed: one will be taken, the other left; two women will be grinding corn together: one will be taken, the other left.’ The disciples interrupted. ‘Where, Lord?’ they asked. He said, ‘Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather.’What touched your heart in this time of prayer?
What did your heart feel as you prayed?
What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen
Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.The post Friday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Why Pray If God Already Knows? – St. Augustine on the Lord’s Prayer | The Spiritual Journey for the Discerning Heart Podcast
St. Augustine’s Letter to Proba on prayer, desire, asking God for what we need, and learning to trust his will About This Episode If God already knows what we need, why do we pray? And when something matters …
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St. Augustine’s Letter to Proba on prayer, desire, asking God for what we need, and learning to trust his will About This EpisodeIf God already knows what we need, why do we pray? And when something matters deeply to us, is it wrong to ask God for the outcome we’re hoping for?
In this episode of The Spiritual Journey for the Discerning Heart, Kris McGregor reflects on St. Augustine’s letter to Proba, a Christian widow who asked him a question that remains deeply relevant: how should we pray when St. Paul himself says, “we do not know how to pray as we ought”?
St. Augustine brings Proba back to the Lord’s Prayer. The words Jesus gave us aren’t meant to inform God about needs he doesn’t already know. They help us recognize what we’re asking for, clarify what’s happening within us, and gradually form our desires.
That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ask God for concrete things. We can pray for a sick child to recover, for work when a job has been lost, or for help when financial pressures have become difficult. We can tell God honestly what we hope will happen. Jesus himself does this in Gethsemane when he asks that the cup pass from him and then entrusts himself to the Father’s will.
St. Augustine helps us hold those two movements together. We can ask with real hope while allowing prayer to deepen our trust in the Father, who sees more than we can see.
As St. Augustine moves through each petition of the Lord’s Prayer, he shows how prayer forms the heart. “Your kingdom come” awakens a deeper desire for God. “Your will be done” asks for the grace to receive and follow his will. “Give us this day our daily bread” places our real needs before the Father. Forgiveness asks us to receive mercy and gradually become merciful ourselves.
The final petitions also remind us that the spiritual life involves a real struggle. Temptation can come through attraction to sin, but also through discouragement and despair. When we pray, “Deliver us from evil,” we ask for protection from sin, suffering, the deception of the enemy, and anything that would draw us away from God. The devil is real, but he is never God’s equal, and the Christian response isn’t fear or preoccupation with the enemy. It’s trust in God and dependence upon his grace.
The Lord’s Prayer gives us words for every part of the spiritual journey, including those moments when we don’t know what to say. St. Augustine teaches us that prayer doesn’t require us to hide what we want from God. We bring him our real hopes and needs, and in that relationship he continues to form the heart of the person who asks.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Question- When you bring a particular hope or need to God, are you able to tell him honestly what you want while also allowing him to lead you?
- St. Augustine says the words of prayer help us understand what we’re asking. Has prayer ever revealed that something deeper was happening within you than you first realized?
- Which petition of the Lord’s Prayer speaks most directly to where you are on the spiritual journey right now?
- When you pray, “Your will be done,” what helps you move from simply wanting to know God’s will toward trusting him enough to follow it?
We need to use words so that we may remind ourselves to consider carefully what we are asking, not so that we may think we can instruct the Lord or prevail on him.
Thus, when we say: Hallowed be your name, we are reminding ourselves to desire that his name, which in fact is always holy, should also be considered holy among men. I mean that it should not be held in contempt. But this is a help for men, not for God.
And as for our saying: Your kingdom come, it will surely come whether we will it or not. But we are stirring up our desires for the kingdom so that it can come to us and we can deserve to reign there.
When we say: Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, we are asking him to make us obedient so that his will may be done in us as it is done in heaven by his angels.
When we say: Give us this day our daily bread, in saying this day we mean “in this world.” Here we ask for a sufficiency by specifying the most important part of it; that is, we use the word “bread” to stand for everything. Or else we are asking for the sacrament of the faithful, which is necessary in this world, not to gain temporal happiness but to gain the happiness that is everlasting.
When we say: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, we are reminding ourselves of what we must ask and what we must do in order to be worthy in turn to receive.
When we say: Lead us not into temptation, we are reminding ourselves to ask that his help may not depart from us; otherwise we could be seduced and consent to some temptation, or despair and yield to it.
When we say: Deliver us from evil, we are reminding ourselves to reflect on the fact that we do not yet enjoy the state of blessedness in which we shall suffer no evil. This is the final petition contained in the Lord’s Prayer, and it has a wide application. In this petition the Christian can utter his cries of sorrow, in it he can shed his tears, and through it he can begin, continue and conclude his prayer, whatever the distress in which he finds himself. Yes, it was very appropriate that all these truths should be entrusted to us to remember in these very words.
Whatever be the other words we may prefer to say (words which the one praying chooses so that his disposition may become clearer to himself or which he simply adopts so that his disposition may be intensified), we say nothing that is not contained in the Lord’s Prayer, provided of course we are praying in a correct and proper way. But if anyone says something which is incompatible with this prayer of the Gospel, he is praying in the flesh, even if he is not praying sinfully. And yet I do not know how this could be termed anything but sinful, since those who are born again through the Spirit ought to pray only in the Spirit.
Excerpts from the English translation of The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes), © 1974, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.
Scripture for ReflectionMatthew 6:8, RSV-CE
“Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
Romans 8:26, RSV-CE
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.”
Matthew 26:39, RSV-CE
“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
St. Augustine“We need to use words so that we may remind ourselves to consider carefully what we are asking, not so that we may think we can instruct the Lord or prevail on him.”
“We are stirring up our desires for the kingdom.”
“When we say: Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, we are asking him to make us obedient.”
“In this petition the Christian can utter his cries of sorrow, in it he can shed his tears.”
Continue the Journey with Discerning Hearts ➜ Explore Discerning Hearts ➜ Discerning Hearts Series Programming ➜ The Spiritual Journey with Kris McGregor Continue Exploring ➜ “The desire of your heart constitutes your prayer” – St. Augustine
A particularly good companion to this episode because St. Augustine reflects directly on desire as prayer. ➜ Praying with St. Augustine – Sarah Park McLaughlin with Kris McGregor
A conversation about St. Augustine’s prayers and the deeply personal character of his relationship with God. ➜ St. Augustine, Father and Doctor of the Church
More Discerning Hearts resources on the life, conversion, teaching, grace, and spirituality of St. Augustine. ➜ St. Augustine of Hippo – “Late Have I Loved You”
St. Augustine’s famous prayer from the Confessions, centered on the soul’s longing for God.The post Why Pray If God Already Knows? – St. Augustine on the Lord’s Prayer | The Spiritual Journey for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Day 6 – St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts
St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Day 6 – For the Grace of Holy Recollection St. Gertrude cherished the scene of the shepherds in quiet awe as they discovered the Infant Jesus, cradled in the humble stable by …
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St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Day 6 – For the Grace of Holy RecollectionSt. Gertrude cherished the scene of the shepherds in quiet awe as they discovered the Infant Jesus, cradled in the humble stable by Mary and Joseph. This tender image served as her daily reminder to remain conscious of God’s intimate presence and to observe her emotions as carefully as a shepherd tends their flock. Let us ask St. Gertrude to intercede for us, that we might receive the grace to keep our hearts attuned to the gentle movements of the Holy Spirit and to the loving encounters we experience throughout our day, and may she also intercede in the intention we bring to this novena.
We join St. Gertrude in a prayer she composed for the Holy Souls in Purgatory:
Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son,
Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,
for all the holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the Universal Church,
those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.St. Gertrude the Great, pray for us
For the entire novena visit: A Novena to St. Gertrude the Great – Discerning Hearts PodcastThe post Day 6 – St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Thursday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
Thursday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender …
Shownotes
Thursday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart PodcastAs you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord.
Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over”
Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart…
From the Holy Gospel According to St. Luke 17:20-25
Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was to come, Jesus gave them this answer, ‘The coming of the kingdom of God does not admit of observation and there will be no one to say, “Look here! Look there!” For, you must know, the kingdom of God is among you.’
He said to the disciples, ‘A time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man and will not see it. They will say to you, “Look there!” or, “Look here!” Make no move; do not set off in pursuit; for as the lightning flashing from one part of heaven lights up the other, so will be the Son of Man when his day comes. But first he must suffer grievously and be rejected by this generation.’
What word made this passage come alive for you?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:
Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was to come, Jesus gave them this answer, ‘The coming of the kingdom of God does not admit of observation and there will be no one to say, “Look here! Look there!” For, you must know, the kingdom of God is among you.’
He said to the disciples, ‘A time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man and will not see it. They will say to you, “Look there!” or, “Look here!” Make no move; do not set off in pursuit; for as the lightning flashing from one part of heaven lights up the other, so will be the Son of Man when his day comes. But first he must suffer grievously and be rejected by this generation.’
What did your heart feel as you listened?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:
Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was to come, Jesus gave them this answer, ‘The coming of the kingdom of God does not admit of observation and there will be no one to say, “Look here! Look there!” For, you must know, the kingdom of God is among you.’
He said to the disciples, ‘A time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man and will not see it. They will say to you, “Look there!” or, “Look here!” Make no move; do not set off in pursuit; for as the lightning flashing from one part of heaven lights up the other, so will be the Son of Man when his day comes. But first he must suffer grievously and be rejected by this generation.’
What touched your heart in this time of prayer?
What did your heart feel as you prayed?
What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen
Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.The post Thursday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Day 5 – St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts
St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Day 5 – For the Grace of Compassion, especially for the Holy Souls in Purgatory St. Gertrude was given a vision by Jesus of a golden table adorned with luminous pearls, each …
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St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Day 5 – For the Grace of Compassion, especially for the Holy Souls in PurgatorySt. Gertrude was given a vision by Jesus of a golden table adorned with luminous pearls, each representing a prayer for the Souls in Purgatory. Let us join our prayers to this offering, trusting in God’s infinite and divine mercy. May St. Gertrude aid us in lifting our prayers for the holy souls, enveloping them in the love and compassion of Christ. May she intercede for us for the intention we bring to this novena.
We join St. Gertrude in a prayer she composed for the Holy Souls in Purgatory:
Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son,
Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,
for all the holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the Universal Church,
those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.St. Gertrude the Great, pray for us
For the entire novena visit: A Novena to St. Gertrude the Great – Discerning Hearts PodcastThe post Day 5 – St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Wednesday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
Wednesday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender …
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Wednesday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart PodcastAs you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord.
Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over”
Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart…
From the Holy Gospel According to St. Luke 17:11-19
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus travelled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered one of the villages, ten lepers came to meet him. They stood some way off and called to him, ‘Jesus! Master! Take pity on us.’ When he saw them he said, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ Now as they were going away they were cleansed. Finding himself cured, one of them turned back praising God at the top of his voice and threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan. This made Jesus say, ‘Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.’ And he said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.’
What word made this passage come alive for you?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus travelled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered one of the villages, ten lepers came to meet him. They stood some way off and called to him, ‘Jesus! Master! Take pity on us.’ When he saw them he said, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ Now as they were going away they were cleansed. Finding himself cured, one of them turned back praising God at the top of his voice and threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan. This made Jesus say, ‘Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.’ And he said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.’
What did your heart feel as you listened?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus travelled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered one of the villages, ten lepers came to meet him. They stood some way off and called to him, ‘Jesus! Master! Take pity on us.’ When he saw them he said, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ Now as they were going away they were cleansed. Finding himself cured, one of them turned back praising God at the top of his voice and threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan. This made Jesus say, ‘Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.’ And he said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.’
What touched your heart in this time of prayer?
What did your heart feel as you prayed?
What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen
Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.The post Wednesday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
St. Leo the Great – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson – Discerning Hearts Podcasts
St. Leo the Great – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson Born: Tuscany, Italy Died: November 10, 461 AD, Rome, Italy Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor explore the life …
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St. Leo the Great – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson- Born: Tuscany, Italy
- Died: November 10, 461 AD, Rome, Italy
Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor explore the life, teachings, and contributions of Pope St. Leo the Great. They discuss Leo’s background, his significant influence on the papacy, and his role in defending orthodox Christian doctrine amid turbulent times.
Pope St. Leo lived during a period of upheaval within both the Church and the Roman Empire. Notably, he confronted heresies that questioned Christ’s divinity and humanity, such as Arianism and Nestorianism, which led to ongoing debates over Christ’s nature. Leo’s “Tome,” a key theological document, clarified the Church’s stance on Christ’s dual nature as both fully human and divine, shaping the Council of Chalcedon’s doctrine in 451 AD. This affirmation became central to Christian Christology and reinforced the Virgin Mary’s title as Theotokos, or “Mother of God,” which had been confirmed in earlier councils.
Pope Leo’s theological insights and firm defense of the faith earned him the title “Doctor of the Church” and established his legacy as a “Great” saint. His contributions, particularly regarding the papal primacy and the nature of Christ, continue to influence Catholic teaching and underscore the importance of spiritual and doctrinal leadership within the Church.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions- How does Pope Leo’s boldness in confronting both Attila the Hun and the Vandals inspire us to act courageously in defending our faith and values?
- In what ways can we, like Pope Leo, respond to theological and cultural challenges to our faith with clarity and conviction?
- How does Pope Leo’s affirmation of Christ’s full humanity and divinity shape our understanding of who Jesus is and our relationship with Him?
- What does Pope Leo’s role in affirming the primacy of the Pope teach us about the importance of Church unity and obedience to spiritual authority?
- How might Pope Leo’s deep personal holiness and spiritual influence inspire us to cultivate our own sanctity and positively impact those around us?
- How can we follow Pope Leo’s example of striving for peace and reconciliation in our communities and personal lives?
- In what ways does Pope Leo’s theological clarity at the Council of Chalcedon encourage us to seek and proclaim truth, even when it requires perseverance and effort?
- How does the Council’s affirmation of Mary as Theotokos (Mother of God) deepen our devotion to her and understanding of her role in the mystery of Christ?
“Aware of the historical period in which he lived and of the change that was taking place – from pagan Rome to Christian Rome – in a period of profound crisis, Leo the Great knew how to make himself close to the people and the faithful with his pastoral action and his preaching. He enlivened charity in a Rome tried by famines, an influx of refugees, injustice and poverty. He opposed pagan superstitions and the actions of Manichaean groups. He associated the liturgy with the daily life of Christians: for example, by combining the practice of fasting with charity and almsgiving above all on the occasion of the Quattro tempora, which in the course of the year marked the change of seasons. In particular, Leo the Great taught his faithful – and his words still apply for us today – that the Christian liturgy is not the memory of past events, but the actualization of invisible realities which act in the lives of each one of us. This is what he stressed in a sermon (cf. 64, 1-2) on Easter, to be celebrated in every season of the year “not so much as something of the past as rather an event of the present”. All this fits into a precise project, the Holy Pontiff insisted: just as, in fact, the Creator enlivened with the breath of rational life man formed from the dust of the ground, after the original sin he sent his Son into the world to restore to man his lost dignity and to destroy the dominion of the devil through the new life of grace.
This is the Christological mystery to which St Leo the Great, with his Letter to the Council of Ephesus, made an effective and essential contribution, confirming for all time – through this Council – what St Peter said at Caesarea Philippi. With Peter and as Peter, he professed: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”. And so it is that God and man together “are not foreign to the human race but alien to sin” (cf. Serm. 64). Through the force of this Christological faith he was a great messenger of peace and love. He thus shows us the way: in faith we learn charity. Let us therefore learn with St Leo the Great to believe in Christ, true God and true Man, and to implement this faith every day in action for peace and love of neighbour.”
For more visit Vatican.va For more from Dr. Matthew Bunson, check out his Discerning Hearts page.Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and a senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to Church history, the papacy, the saints and Catholic culture. He is faculty chair at Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co-author of over 50 books including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History, The Pope Encyclopedia, We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, The Saints Encyclopedia and best-selling biographies of St. Damien of Molokai and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
The post St. Leo the Great – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson – Discerning Hearts Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
SBN2 – What is Death? – Salvation Begins Now: Last Things First with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Episode 2: What is Death? – Salvation Begins Now: Last Things First Deacon James Keating and Kris McGregor explore deep themes of Catholic theology around death, salvation, and the journey of purification, both …
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Episode 2: What is Death? – Salvation Begins Now: Last Things FirstDeacon James Keating and Kris McGregor explore deep themes of Catholic theology around death, salvation, and the journey of purification, both in life and after death. Humanity’s fear of death often stems from the fear of isolation, as humans are created for communion with God and each other. Death brings an anxiety rooted in the dread of losing this communion. Purgatory is a continuation of this journey toward holiness. For those who die in God’s friendship but are still imperfect, purgatory allows for the purification needed to enter Heaven’s fullness—a process likened to a “fire” of love that cleanses and prepares the soul for eternal communion.
The Catholic belief that life on earth should be seen as an opportunity for ongoing repentance and purification, reducing the need for purgatory after death. Sin, especially mortal sin, can sever one’s connection to God, while venial sin does not fully break this bond, allowing hope of eventual communion. The Mass is the ultimate prayer of salvation, as it directly connects the faithful to Calvary and Christ’s redemptive love. The Mass is uniquely powerful for praying for deceased loved ones, as it is a touchpoint of divine grace where heaven meets earth. Catholics should continually pray for the deceased, highlighting the importance of love, community, and intercessory prayer in the Church’s understanding of salvation and eternal life.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions- Understanding Purgatory’s Purpose – How does viewing purgatory as a relational purification rather than a physical torment change your understanding of its purpose?
- Contemplating the Impact of Sin – Reflect on how even “small” sins disrupt the harmony of the Body of Christ and affect your own spiritual health.
- Identifying Relational Pain – In what ways have feelings of isolation or confusion about your identity impacted your relationship with God and others?
- Embracing the Sacrament of Reconciliation – How might regularly participating in the sacrament of reconciliation deepen your experience of God’s mercy and freedom?
- Confronting Fear of Truth – What specific fears or rationalizations have kept you from fully admitting your sins to God in the sacrament of confession?
- Learning from the Saints – Who in your life exemplifies holiness, and how can you look to them as a guide toward surrender and abandonment to God?
- Trusting in God Through Suffering – How can embracing Christ’s Sacred Heart help you surrender fears about suffering or death and experience God’s peace?
- Striving for Earthly Holiness – What steps can you take to start your purification process on earth, inspired by the examples of saints like Mother Teresa and St. John Paul II?
“1030 All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.”
Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO.
Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” pageThe post SBN2 – What is Death? – Salvation Begins Now: Last Things First with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Day 4 – St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts
Santa Gertrudes de Helfta Museu de Arte Religiosa de Puebla (México) – Foto: Francisco Lecaros St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Day 4 – For the Grace of Right Intention St. Gertrude asked Jesus for fewer …
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Santa Gertrudes de Helfta Museu de Arte Religiosa de Puebla (México) – Foto: Francisco Lecaros St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Day 4 – For the Grace of Right IntentionSt. Gertrude asked Jesus for fewer distractions in her days to have more time for prayer. The Lord answered her, “If I took pleasure only in spiritual exercises, I would have reformed human nature after Adam’s fall so that it would not need food, clothing, or other things. I require only that your will be directed to me with a right intention”. St. Gertrude mastered the Benedictine call to balance the active and contemplative life. Her dialogue with the Lord teaches us that sanctity lies not in tasks but in intention. We pray for her guidance to discern daily God’s will. May she also intercede for the intention we bring to this novena.
We join St. Gertrude in a prayer she composed for the Holy Souls in Purgatory:
Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son,
Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,
for all the holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the Universal Church,
those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.St. Gertrude the Great, pray for us
For the entire novena visit: A Novena to St. Gertrude the Great – Discerning Hearts PodcastThe post Day 4 – St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Tuesday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
Tuesday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all …
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Tuesday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart PodcastAs you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord.
Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over”
Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart…
From the Holy Gospel According to St. Luke 17:7-10
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal immediately”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards”? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.”’
What word made this passage come alive for you?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal immediately”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards”? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.”’
What did your heart feel as you listened?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal immediately”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards”? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.”’
What touched your heart in this time of prayer?
What did your heart feel as you prayed?
What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen
Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.The post Tuesday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
More from Rule 5 – The Second Week Rules for the Discernment of Spirits w/ Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Episode 9 – More from Rule 5 – The Second Week Rules for the Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher Fr. Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V., continues his exploration of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Fifth Rule …
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Episode 9 – More from Rule 5 – The Second Week Rules for the Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher
Fr. Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V., continues his exploration of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Fifth Rule, focusing on how to distinguish the movements of the good spirit from the subtle deceptions of the enemy. St. Ignatius teaches that careful attention must be given to the entire course of our thoughts—the beginning, middle, and end—particularly when discerning a seemingly good and holy inspiration. Fr. Gallagher explains that when a course of thoughts remains entirely good, without diminishing one’s generosity, peace, or desire to love and serve God, it bears the marks of the good spirit. Through practical examples involving individuals discerning changes in ministry, vocation, and service, he illustrates how spiritual discernment unfolds over time and why prayerful reflection and the guidance of a spiritual director are essential.
Fr. Gallagher then examines six signs that may reveal the enemy’s influence, even when an initial inspiration appears holy. Three concern objective diminishment: a proposed course of action may lead to something harmful, distract from God’s true calling, or result in something less good than what was previously intended. The remaining three concern interior diminishment: the soul becomes weakened, disquieted, or troubled, losing the spiritual energy and peace it once possessed. These changes may be subtle, requiring patient observation through prayer, the daily examen, and spiritual direction. By comparing the fruits of an emerging decision with one’s previous spiritual state, a person can better recognize whether an inspiration truly leads toward God. Fr. Gallagher presents these Ignatian principles as a practical path toward greater spiritual freedom, clarity, and fidelity to God’s will.
Fifth Rule.The fifth: We should give much attention to the course of the thoughts; and if the beginning, middle and end is all good, inclined to all good, it is a sign of the good angel; but if in the course of the thoughts that he brings, it ends in something bad, or distractive, or less good than the soul had proposed to do before, or if it weakens it, or disquiets, or troubles the soul, taking away the peace, tranquility and quiet, which it had before, it is a clear sign that it proceeds from the bad spirit, the enemy of our profit and eternal salvation.(333)
Discerning Hearts Questions for Reflection and Study Personal Reflection- When considering an important decision, do I take sufficient time to observe how my thoughts and desires develop, or do I tend to act on my initial enthusiasm?
- Have I ever pursued something that appeared spiritually good but gradually drew me away from my existing responsibilities or relationship with God?
- Are there areas of my life where I have noticed a subtle decrease in peace, generosity, or enthusiasm for prayer and service?
- How attentive am I to the spiritual fruits of my decisions, particularly whether they deepen my love for God and neighbor?
- Have I allowed an attractive new opportunity to distract me from the good work God has already entrusted to me?
- When discerning a possible change in my life, do I honestly consider whether it will lead to greater love and service or simply provide relief from present difficulties?
- How might a more consistent practice of the daily examen help me recognize subtle changes in my spiritual energy and interior peace?
- Is there a decision I am currently discerning that would benefit from patient prayer, spiritual direction, and closer attention to the movements of my heart?
- How can I grow in trust that God’s guidance will ultimately lead me toward greater spiritual freedom and faithful service?
- What concrete step can I take this week to become more attentive to the beginning, middle, and end of my thoughts as I seek to follow God’s will?
- Why does St. Ignatius teach that we must pay close attention to the beginning, middle, and end of our thoughts when discerning God’s will?
- How can a seemingly good and holy inspiration lead someone away from what God truly desires for them?
- What is the difference between objective and subjective diminishment in the discernment of spirits?
- How do the examples of Kathy, Charles, and Barbara illustrate the subtle ways the enemy can influence spiritual decisions?
- Why is comparing our present spiritual condition with our previous state important when discerning a new direction?
- How can an activity that is genuinely good become a distraction from a greater good to which God has called us?
- What role do prayer, the daily examen, and spiritual direction play in recognizing the movements of the good and bad spirits?
- How can St. Ignatius’ six signs of diminishment help us recognize when a spiritual inspiration may not be coming from God?
Guidance for a Greater Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher O.M.V.
For the PDF document:
Handout Number 1 – The Text of the 8 Rules of the Second Week
https://www.discerninghearts.com/Gallagher/The_Text_of_the_Rules.pdfHandout Number 2 – Examples – Discernment of Spirits – 2nd Week rules
https://www.discerninghearts.com/Gallagher/EXAMPLES-DISCERNMENT_OF_SPIRITS-SECOND_WEEK_RULES.pdfThrough a series of compelling conference talks, Fr. Gallagher carefully breaks open St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Second Week Rules for Greater Discernment. This set of 8 “rules” (or guidelines) helps us to discern whether a seemingly good, noble, holy idea or feeling, often understood as a “spiritual consolation,” could be a working of the enemy intending to lead us astray. He shows how all of us can learn to listen to and follow God’s gentle leading in our daily lives.
For more from Fr. Gallagher on Discerning Hearts:The Discernment of Spirits: The First Week Rules /w Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV
The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Examen Prayer with Fr. Timothy Gallagher
The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallager
The post More from Rule 5 – The Second Week Rules for the Discernment of Spirits w/ Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Day 3 – St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts
St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Day 3 – For the Grace of Holy Counsel St. Gertrude, at only 30 years old, became the leader of her monastery. For more than 40 years, she guided her community with love and …
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St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Day 3 – For the Grace of Holy CounselSt. Gertrude, at only 30 years old, became the leader of her monastery. For more than 40 years, she guided her community with love and wisdom. May she inspire us to listen deeply to God’s voice and discern His will for our lives. May she intercede for us with our intention for this novena if it be in alignment with the will of the Father.
We join St. Gertrude in a prayer she composed for the Holy Souls in Purgatory:
Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son,
Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,
for all the holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the Universal Church,
those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.St. Gertrude the Great, pray for us
For the entire novena visit: A Novena to St. Gertrude the Great – Discerning Hearts PodcastThe post Day 3 – St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Dedication of the Lateran Basilica – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
Dedication of the Lateran Basilica – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and …
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Dedication of the Lateran Basilica – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart PodcastAs you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord.
Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over”
Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart…
From the Holy Gospel According to John 2:13-22
Just before the Jewish Passover Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and pigeons, and the money changers sitting at their counters there. Making a whip out of some cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, cattle and sheep as well, scattered the money changers’ coins, knocked their tables over and said to the pigeon-sellers, ‘Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market.’ Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture: Zeal for your house will devour me. The Jews intervened and said, ‘What sign can you show us to justify what you have done?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this sanctuary: are you going to raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body, and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the words he had said.
What word made this passage come alive for you?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:
Just before the Jewish Passover Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and pigeons, and the money changers sitting at their counters there. Making a whip out of some cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, cattle and sheep as well, scattered the money changers’ coins, knocked their tables over and said to the pigeon-sellers, ‘Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market.’ Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture: Zeal for your house will devour me. The Jews intervened and said, ‘What sign can you show us to justify what you have done?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this sanctuary: are you going to raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body, and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the words he had said.
What did your heart feel as you listened?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:
Just before the Jewish Passover Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and pigeons, and the money changers sitting at their counters there. Making a whip out of some cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, cattle and sheep as well, scattered the money changers’ coins, knocked their tables over and said to the pigeon-sellers, ‘Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market.’ Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture: Zeal for your house will devour me. The Jews intervened and said, ‘What sign can you show us to justify what you have done?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this sanctuary: are you going to raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body, and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the words he had said.
What touched your heart in this time of prayer?
What did your heart feel as you prayed?
What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen
Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.The post Dedication of the Lateran Basilica – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
The Oil in Your Lamp: Are You Ready to Meet Christ?- Msgr. John Esseff | Discerning Hearts Podcast
The Oil in Your Lamp: Are You Ready to Meet Christ? – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff podcast In this episode of Building a Kingdom of Love, Msgr. John Esseff reflects on Jesus’ parable of the …
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The Oil in Your Lamp: Are You Ready to Meet Christ? – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff podcastIn this episode of Building a Kingdom of Love, Msgr. John Esseff reflects on Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25 and what it teaches about preparing to meet the Lord. Five virgins are wise and bring oil for their lamps, while five are foolish and find themselves unprepared when the bridegroom arrives. Msgr. Esseff explains that the oil represents something essential to the Christian life: a living relationship with Jesus Christ. The wise virgins know the bridegroom, and he knows them. This becomes the central question for every Christian, especially those entrusted with leadership in the Church. We may accomplish many good things in God’s name, but are we listening to Him and doing what He actually asks of us?
Drawing from Jesus’ warning in Matthew 7, Msgr. Esseff explains that even extraordinary religious accomplishments cannot substitute for obedience to the Father’s will. He recalls St. Teresa of Calcutta, who would ask him to pray that she might stay out of God’s way. Her holiness came from listening to God and allowing Him to accomplish His work through her. Msgr. Esseff compares this relationship to the attentive love between husband and wife, where genuine love involves listening and understanding rather than simply doing things for the other person. Through Baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Christians are drawn into Christ’s own relationship with the Father. As St. Paul teaches in his First Letter to the Thessalonians, the promise of Christ’s return offers hope that we will one day be with the Lord forever.
Kris McGregor raises an important question about those who believe God is calling them to undertake particular works or exercise spiritual gifts. How can they discern whether these desires truly come from the Lord? Msgr. Esseff points to obedience, humility, and the peace that accompanies genuine discernment. He recalls St. Padre Pio, whose extraordinary spiritual gifts remained subject to the authority of the Church. Kris also observes that pride, anger, division, and confusion can reveal the dangers of acting according to one’s own desires rather than submitting those desires to discernment. The episode invites listeners to examine their relationship with Christ and recognize that preparation for eternity begins with listening to Him and faithfully responding to His will.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions:1. In the parable of the ten virgins, the oil represents our relationship with Christ. How am I nurturing that relationship in my daily life?
2. When I undertake something good, do I first seek God’s will, or do I assume that because something is good, He must want me to do it?
3. What does St. Teresa of Calcutta’s prayer to stay out of God’s way teach me about humility and surrender?
4. Do I spend enough time listening to God in prayer, or am I more concerned with telling Him what I intend to accomplish?
5. How does obedience help me distinguish between my own desires and what God may actually be asking of me?
6. When I believe God is calling me to something, am I willing to seek guidance and allow that conviction to be tested?
7. If I were called to meet the Lord, would I be prepared through a living relationship with Him?
The post The Oil in Your Lamp: Are You Ready to Meet Christ?- Msgr. John Esseff | Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Sunday – Praying daily for the Poor Souls – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Sunday O Lord God Almighty, I beseech Thee, by the precious blood which Thy Divine Son Jesus shed in the garden, deliver the souls in purgatory, and especially that one which is the most forsaken of all; and …
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Sunday
O Lord God Almighty, I beseech Thee,
by the precious blood
which Thy Divine Son Jesus shed in the garden,
deliver the souls in purgatory,
and especially that one which is the most forsaken of all;
and bring it to Thy glory,
there to praise and bless Thee forever.Amen.
O Lord, hear my prayer
And let my prayer cry come onto thee.O God
the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful,
grant unto the souls of thy servants and handmaids
the remission of all their sins
that through our devout supplications
they may obtain the pardon they have always desired.
Who live and reign world without end…Amen.Say the following prayers:
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory BeEternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May their souls and the souls of all the faithfully departed rest in peace. Amen.The post Sunday – Praying daily for the Poor Souls – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Day 2 – St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts
St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Day 2 – For the Grace of Holy Zeal St. Gertrude the Great is held in the highest regard for her unwavering love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus and her profound compassion for the …
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St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Day 2 – For the Grace of Holy ZealSt. Gertrude the Great is held in the highest regard for her unwavering love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus and her profound compassion for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Esteemed by many of her fellow saints, including St. Teresa of Avila, St. Gertrude’s spiritual insights have long inspired the faithful. With reverence, we invoke her patronage and beseech her to intercede for us that we may receive the graces most suited to our spiritual growth and needs (mention personal intention). May she also intercede for the intention we bring to this novena.
We join St. Gertrude in a prayer she composed for the Holy Souls in Purgatory:
Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son,
Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,
for all the holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the Universal Church,
those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.St. Gertrude the Great, pray for us
For the entire novena visit: A Novena to St. Gertrude the Great – Discerning Hearts PodcastThe post Day 2 – St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Sunday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
Sunday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all …
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Sunday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart PodcastAs you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord.
Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over”
Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart…
From the Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew 25:1-13
Jesus told this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, “The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.” At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.” But they replied, “There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.” They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. “Lord, Lord,” they said “open the door for us.” But he replied, “I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.” So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.’
What word made this passage come alive for you?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:
Jesus told this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, “The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.” At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.” But they replied, “There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.” They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. “Lord, Lord,” they said “open the door for us.” But he replied, “I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.” So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.’
What did your heart feel as you listened?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:
Jesus told this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, “The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.” At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.” But they replied, “There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.” They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. “Lord, Lord,” they said “open the door for us.” But he replied, “I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.” So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.’
What touched your heart in this time of prayer?
What did your heart feel as you prayed?
What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen
Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.The post Sunday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Saturday – Praying Daily for the Poor Souls – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Saturday O Lord God Almighty, I beseech Thee, by the precious blood which gushed forth from the sacred side of Thy Divine Son Jesus in the presence of and to the great sorrow of His most holy Mother deliver the …
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Saturday
O Lord God Almighty, I beseech Thee,
by the precious blood
which gushed forth from the sacred side
of Thy Divine Son Jesus
in the presence of and to the great sorrow
of His most holy Mother
deliver the souls in purgatory,
and among them all especially that soul
which has been most devout to this noble Lady;
that it may come quickly into Thy glory,
there to praise Thee in her,
and her in Thee,
through all the ages.Amen.
O Lord, hear my prayer
And let my prayer cry come onto thee.O God
the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful,
grant unto the souls of thy servants and handmaids
the remission of all their sins
that through our devout supplications
they may obtain the pardon they have always desired.
Who live and reign world without end…Amen.Say the following prayers:
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory BeEternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May their souls and the souls of all the faithfully departed rest in peace. Amen.The post Saturday – Praying Daily for the Poor Souls – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Day 9 – St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Novena – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day Nine: For the grace to become the praise of the glory of the Holy Trinity In the heart of the Holy Trinity, the music of eternal praise echoes without ceasing in an eternal “now.” The Son reveals to the …
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Day Nine: For the grace to become the praise of the glory of the Holy TrinityIn the heart of the Holy Trinity, the music of eternal praise echoes without ceasing in an eternal “now.” The Son reveals to the Father His glory in the power of the Holy Spirit and through the Holy Spirit the Father blesses His Son anew. This blessing is not a reality of the past or future, but of the eternal present. This means that this very moment we have together resounds with this canticle of love that the Three Divine Persons share with one another. The world came from this music and is directed to it – and the contemplative soul helps this mystery be realized.
The Praise of Glory. Saint Elizabeth believed that this was her vocation – the secret name that God had given her from all eternity. She believed that Saint Paul had revealed it to her.
In Ephesians, we learn that we have been predestined in Christ, the Beloved of the Father, for this great purpose. This is the Father’s plan of love for us. This praise of glory is what the Holy Spirit produces in us – if we will surrender ourselves completely to His Divine touch.
Saint Elizabeth sees us as musical instruments capable of joining in the Holy Trinity’s this great hymn of praise. This music is beautiful, but to produce it, the Holy Spirit must “tune” us first. This is painful. As long as we get caught up in internal emotional storms or else allow ourselves to be distracted by things that are not God’s will, we are out of tune. Conversely the more our interior life is in harmony with His mystery, the more beautiful the praise we are able to offer.
To ponder this is to begin to understand the last petition of Saint Elizabeth’s prayer to the Trinity – namely – she asks the Trinity to be buried in her so that she might bury herself in the Trinity. To be buried – this speaks about a death and being laid to rest. Saint Elizabeth understands the radical extent to which the Holy Trinity has given itself to humanity. Revealed in Christ crucified and buried in the tomb., the humanity of Christ makes known that God will hold nothing back to rescue us from death and to win our heart to join His eternal praise of glory. She sees her own heart as the tomb in which God has buried Himself. The death of Christ is always personal for her – “He gave Himself for me.”
To accept this gift in a personal way is to be caught up in the mystery of salvation. Just as Jesus was laid in the tomb on Good Friday, the Trinity can come into a soul and rest there in a new way – and the more it rests in the soul, the more that soul has the opportunity to rest in the Trinity. This feels like a total annihilation, but it is a radical identification with Christ’s salvific offering. Just as Jesus transformed His tomb into a sign of victory – He transforms hearts that accept his total gift of love on the Cross. If they will die to themselves, He will give them life. To believe in Jesus is to die to oneself in the Trinity, to be laid to rest in the Trinity, to be buried in the Trinity – in order that the mystery of the Holy Trinity through the life of Christ within might raise one up on high.
In this mystical death, the new life of Christ takes root in our souls.
He is the praise of the Father’s glory and when we die to ourselves, we allow His praise to swell up anew within us. The Holy Spirit “tunes’ our hearts by communicating the whole mystery of Christ into us and identifying all the inner movements of our hearts with the movements of Christ’s. Every thought is captive and every inordinate desire dies away, and our inner strength is perfected. The new desires and glorious thoughts of Christ Himself make it possible to praise the Father as the Risen Lord praises Him together with all of the heavenly hosts. Together, delighting the Heart of the Father anew, we have found a way extend the salvific work of Christ in our lives and in our communities – at a time when our neighbors most need a word of hope. Let us pray that the vocation of Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity becomes our own vocation too – to be this praise of glory.
O My God, Trinity whom I adore, help me to forget myself entirely so as to be established in you as still and as peaceful as if my soul were already in eternity. May nothing be able to disturb my peace, nor make me depart from you, o my Unchanging One, but may each moment carry me further into the depths of your Mystery. Pacify my soul, make it your heaven, your beloved abode, your resting place. May I never leave you there alone, but may I be entirely present, my faith completely ready, wholly adoring, fully surrendered to your creative action.
O my beloved Christ, crucified by love, I would like to be a bride for your heart. I would like to cover you with glory, I would like to love you… unto death. I feel my powerlessness, however, and I ask you to clothe me with yourself, to identify my soul with all the movements of your soul, to defeat me, to overwhelm me, to substitute yourself for me, that my life might be but the radiation of your Life. Come into me as Adorer, as Healer, as Savior. O Eternal Word, Word of my God, I want to spend my life listening to you, I want to be completely docile, ready to learn everything from you. Then, through all nights, all voids, all weakness, I want to fixate on you always and to remain under your great light. O My beloved Star, fascinate me so that I would not be able to forsake your shining light.
O Consuming Flame, Spirit of love, come over me until my soul is render into an incarnation of the Word; may I be for Him another humanity in which he renews His whole Mystery.
And you, O Father, bend over your little creature, cover her with your shadow, and see in her only the Beloved in whom You are well-pleased.
O my Three, my All, my Beatitude, Infinite Solitude, Immensity in which I loose myself, I surrender myself as prey. Bury yourself in me in order that I might bury myself in you, while waiting to contemplate in your light the immeasurable depths of your grandeur.Amen
The Novena to St. Elizabeth of the Trinity is authored by Dr. Anthony Lilles S.T.D. For the entire 9-Day Novena to St. Elizabeth of the TrinityThe post Day 9 – St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Novena – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Day 1 – St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts
St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Day 1 – For the Grace of Self-Knowledge and Holy Understanding As we begin our novena on this day, we reflect upon the providential beginnings of St. Gertrude, born on the Feast …
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St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Day 1 – For the Grace of Self-Knowledge and Holy UnderstandingAs we begin our novena on this day, we reflect upon the providential beginnings of St. Gertrude, born on the Feast of the Epiphany in 1256. At the tender age of five, she was entrusted to the care of the holy St. Mechtilde at the Benedictine monastery, which became her lifelong spiritual home. Gertrude acknowledged that had she not been nurtured in such sanctity from her youth; she might have strayed far from her spiritual calling. Let us seek the intercession of St. Gertrude that we may have the grace to acknowledge our own sins of commission and omission. Let us pray together for the knowledge to recognize our missteps and the grace to pursue perfect contrition for our sins. May she also intercede in the intention we bring to this novena.
We join St. Gertrude in a prayer she composed for the Holy Souls in Purgatory:
Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son,
Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,
for all the holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the Universal Church,
those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.St. Gertrude the Great, pray for us
For the entire novena visit: A Novena to St. Gertrude the Great – Discerning Hearts PodcastThe post Day 1 – St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Saturday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
Saturday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender …
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Saturday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart PodcastAs you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord.
Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over”
Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart…
From the Holy Gospel According to St. Luke 16:9-15
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?
‘No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.’
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and laughed at him. He said to them, ‘You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as virtuous in people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is thought highly of by men is loathsome in the sight of God.’What word made this passage come alive for you?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?
‘No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.’
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and laughed at him. He said to them, ‘You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as virtuous in people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is thought highly of by men is loathsome in the sight of God.’What did your heart feel as you listened?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?
‘No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.’
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and laughed at him. He said to them, ‘You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as virtuous in people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is thought highly of by men is loathsome in the sight of God.’What touched your heart in this time of prayer?
What did your heart feel as you prayed?
What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen
Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.The post Saturday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Day 8 – St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Novena – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day Eight: For the grace of possessing heaven already in this life by faith. For Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, the veil between heaven and earth is thin. If we listen carefully with the ear of our heart, we …
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Day Eight: For the grace of possessing heaven already in this life by faith.
For Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, the veil between heaven and earth is thin. If we listen carefully with the ear of our heart, we can hear Mary share with us what she heard from Christ as He offered His great hymn of praise from the Cross. It is a canticle so beautiful, so exquisite, it reaches the very heart of the Father and fills the whole world with a salvific love. Through Mary’s presence in our agony, if we let her, Saint Elizabeth explains that the Mother of the Lord will teach us how to sing this same canticle– so that we can do something beautiful for God. She is with us to the very end. This is why Saint Elizabeth calls Mary “Gate of Heaven.”As beautiful as this is, there are other canticles of praise that Elizabeth invites us to hear. She hears the 144,000 gathered around the throne of the lamb and she hears the elders who cry out “holy, holy, holy” as they cast down their crowns before the Risen Lord. The glory, praise, and silence of the saints echo in this life so that we too might know their joy. Saint Elizabeth wants us to hear this eternal hymn of praise and imitate it. A life lived in humility, simplicity, and recollection avails itself to such imitation – and when it does, heaven becomes present in this life by faith.
By faith, what is in heaven becomes present on earth. In the humble limits of the present moment and circumstances, we can participate in the great praise of glory that the angels and saints offer in heaven.
Heaven is not a remote or future reality. Heaven, even if hidden from our earthly eyes, is close by and present. It is present in the Mass. It is also present in everything – because by faith, everything and anything can become a sacrament that gives us God.
The love of heaven is present to us by faith. This is because faith makes us open to the presence of God dwelling in our souls. Wherever God dwells, there is heaven. The heaven of glory, with all the angels and saints, is present in our soul because this heaven is never separate from God. This means in the heaven of our souls where God dwells, the heaven of glory is already breaking in.
For the person of faith already implicated in the glory of heaven, nothing and no one is ever ordinary or commonplace. Every life event, no matter how small or large, how disappointing or joyful, is always a new opportunity for the soul to encounter the immensity of God’s love. The Trinity’s excessive love changes everything – even the most ordinary tasks become charged with new and everlasting meaning. This means that no one who believes ever really has an “ordinary” life – through faith, this passing life is opened to the greatness of eternity. Time for Saint Elizabeth is nothing other than “eternity begun and still in progress.”
In relation to the grace of living heaven by faith, Saint Elizabeth’s mission finds its footing in the great prayer of Jesus the night before He died. On that night, He offered his supreme prayer and his heart’s desire – that we might dwell where He dwells – the Son of the Father dwells in the Fathers love, and Saint Elizabeth is praying that we might realize Jesus’ divine dream and dwell with Him in this great love too. For this purpose, let us pray:
O My God, Trinity whom I adore, help me to forget myself entirely so as to be established in you as still and as peaceful as if my soul were already in eternity. May nothing be able to disturb my peace, nor make me depart from you, o my Unchanging One, but may each moment carry me further into the depths of your Mystery. Pacify my soul, make it your heaven, your beloved abode, your resting place. May I never leave you there alone, but may I be entirely present, my faith completely ready, wholly adoring, fully surrendered to your creative action.
O my beloved Christ, crucified by love, I would like to be a bride for your heart. I would like to cover you with glory, I would like to love you… unto death. I feel my powerlessness, however, and I ask you to clothe me with yourself, to identify my soul with all the movements of your soul, to defeat me, to overwhelm me, to substitute yourself for me, that my life might be but the radiation of your Life. Come into me as Adorer, as Healer, as Savior. O Eternal Word, Word of my God, I want to spend my life listening to you, I want to be completely docile, ready to learn everything from you. Then, through all nights, all voids, all weakness, I want to fixate on you always and to remain under your great light. O My beloved Star, fascinate me so that I would not be able to forsake your shining light.
O Consuming Flame, Spirit of love, come over me until my soul is render into an incarnation of the Word; may I be for Him another humanity in which he renews His whole Mystery.
And you, O Father, bend over your little creature, cover her with your shadow, and see in her only the Beloved in whom You are well-pleased.
O my Three, my All, my Beatitude, Infinite Solitude, Immensity in which I loose myself, I surrender myself as prey. Bury yourself in me in order that I might bury myself in you, while waiting to contemplate in your light the immeasurable depths of your grandeur.Amen
The Novena to St. Elizabeth of the Trinity is authored by Dr. Anthony Lilles S.T.D. For the entire 9-Day Novena to St. Elizabeth of the TrinityThe post Day 8 – St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Novena – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Friday – Praying daily for the Poor Souls – Discerning Hearts Podcasts
Friday O LORD God almighty, I beseech Thee, by the precious blood which Thy Divine Son, Jesus, did shed on this day, upon the tree of the cross, especially from His sacred hands and feet, deliver the souls in …
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Friday
O LORD God almighty, I beseech Thee,
by the precious blood
which Thy Divine Son, Jesus, did shed on this day,
upon the tree of the cross,
especially from His sacred hands and feet,
deliver the souls in purgatory,
and particularly that soul for whom I am most bound to pray;
in order that I may not be the cause which hinders Thee
from admitting it quickly into the possession of Thy glory
where it may praise and bless Thee forever more.Amen.
O Lord, hear my prayer
And let my prayer cry come onto thee.O God
the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful,
grant unto the souls of thy servants and handmaids
the remission of all their sins
that through our devout supplications
they may obtain the pardon they have always desired.
Who live and reign world without end…Amen.Say the following prayers:
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory BeEternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May their souls and the souls of all the faithfully departed rest in peace. Amen.The post Friday – Praying daily for the Poor Souls – Discerning Hearts Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Friday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
Friday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all …
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Friday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart PodcastAs you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord.
Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over”
Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart…
From the Holy Gospel According to St. Luke 16:1-8
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘There was a rich man and he had a steward denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. He called for the man and said, “What is this I hear about you? Draw me up an account of your stewardship because you are not to be my steward any longer.” Then the steward said to himself, “Now that my master is taking the stewardship from me, what am I to do? Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed. Ah, I know what I will do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to welcome me into their homes.”
Then he called his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, “How much do you owe my master?” “One hundred measures of oil” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond; sit down straight away and write fifty.” To another he said, “And you, sir, how much do you owe?” “One hundred measures of wheat” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond and write eighty.”
‘The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.’What word made this passage come alive for you?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘There was a rich man and he had a steward denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. He called for the man and said, “What is this I hear about you? Draw me up an account of your stewardship because you are not to be my steward any longer.” Then the steward said to himself, “Now that my master is taking the stewardship from me, what am I to do? Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed. Ah, I know what I will do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to welcome me into their homes.”
Then he called his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, “How much do you owe my master?” “One hundred measures of oil” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond; sit down straight away and write fifty.” To another he said, “And you, sir, how much do you owe?” “One hundred measures of wheat” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond and write eighty.”
‘The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.’What did your heart feel as you listened?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘There was a rich man and he had a steward denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. He called for the man and said, “What is this I hear about you? Draw me up an account of your stewardship because you are not to be my steward any longer.” Then the steward said to himself, “Now that my master is taking the stewardship from me, what am I to do? Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed. Ah, I know what I will do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to welcome me into their homes.”
Then he called his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, “How much do you owe my master?” “One hundred measures of oil” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond; sit down straight away and write fifty.” To another he said, “And you, sir, how much do you owe?” “One hundred measures of wheat” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond and write eighty.”
‘The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.’What touched your heart in this time of prayer?
What did your heart feel as you prayed?
What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen
Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.The post Friday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Day 7 – St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Novena – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day Seven – For the grace to become, like Mary, the “prey” of the Trinity – a soul consumed by love. In the spiritual mission of Saint Elizabeth, the Virgin Mary, humble handmaid of the Lord, is the model of …
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Day Seven – For the grace to become, like Mary, the “prey” of the Trinity – a soul consumed by love.In the spiritual mission of Saint Elizabeth, the Virgin Mary, humble handmaid of the Lord, is the model of radical surrender to the Trinity. When we look to her, we see what it means to be the “prey” of the Trinity – a grace that we have been asking for throughout this Novena. When the Angel appeared to her, Mary responded: “I am the handmaid of the Lord, Let it be done to me according to your will.” Out of this humble “yes”, the Holy Trinity was able to bring to fulfillment the loving plan of salvation. This humble “yes” reveals a great spiritual truth for how God desires to work in every soul: God’s saving plan is always unleashed in the world through humble loving obedience to the Trinity.
For Saint Elizabeth, Mary’s obedient “yes” was more than a one-time event – Mary’s “fiat” reveals a continual attitude that she kept throughout her life, as she followed Jesus and stood before the Cross. This attitude was no mere human achievement. Mary’s constant awareness and readiness to respond with obedience to God was itself a work of the Trinity within her. Every act of surrender begets an even deeper act of surrender. In this way, Saint Elizabeth describes the humble handmaid of the Lord as the “prey” of the Trinity. Every prayerful soul, according to Saint Elizabeth, should make this same humble offering and become the “prey “ of the Trinity.
Just as the Virgin Mary became the “prey” of the Trinity through her peaceful and recollected surrender, through our surrender to the Holy Trinity, we can learn to live in humble recollection in each moment. In both peaceful moments of silence and difficult moments of trial, the Lord is just as present to us – He never changes. We simply need to believe in His immense love and have confidence in Him. This means we must renounce every disturbance of worry, anxiety, self-pity, or despair that would interrupt our own “fiat” to the Lord.
Such prayer is difficult, but allowing Mary to show us how to be this humble and recollected is an important aid. Christ has saved her maternal presence for our sake – He wants us to know His Mother because she is ready to help us if we ponder her example. A soul recollected in God’s presence can become like Mary, abandoned to the Father, docile to the Holy Spirit, and devoted to the Son, When this happens, this believer has also become the “prey” of the Trinity – a soul consumed by love.
Let us pray
O My God, Trinity whom I adore, help me to forget myself entirely so as to be established in you as still and as peaceful as if my soul were already in eternity. May nothing be able to disturb my peace, nor make me depart from you, o my Unchanging One, but may each moment carry me further into the depths of your Mystery. Pacify my soul, make it your heaven, your beloved abode, your resting place. May I never leave you there alone, but may I be entirely present, my faith completely ready, wholly adoring, fully surrendered to your creative action.
O my beloved Christ, crucified by love, I would like to be a bride for your heart. I would like to cover you with glory, I would like to love you… unto death. I feel my powerlessness, however, and I ask you to clothe me with yourself, to identify my soul with all the movements of your soul, to defeat me, to overwhelm me, to substitute yourself for me, that my life might be but the radiation of your Life. Come into me as Adorer, as Healer, as Savior. O Eternal Word, Word of my God, I want to spend my life listening to you, I want to be completely docile, ready to learn everything from you. Then, through all nights, all voids, all weakness, I want to fixate on you always and to remain under your great light. O My beloved Star, fascinate me so that I would not be able to forsake your shining light.
O Consuming Flame, Spirit of love, come over me until my soul is render into an incarnation of the Word; may I be for Him another humanity in which he renews His whole Mystery.
And you, O Father, bend over your little creature, cover her with your shadow, and see in her only the Beloved in whom You are well-pleased.
O my Three, my All, my Beatitude, Infinite Solitude, Immensity in which I loose myself, I surrender myself as prey. Bury yourself in me in order that I might bury myself in you, while waiting to contemplate in your light the immeasurable depths of your grandeur.Amen
The Novena to St. Elizabeth of the Trinity is authored by Dr. Anthony Lilles S.T.D. For the entire 9-Day Novena to St. Elizabeth of the TrinityThe post Day 7 – St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Novena – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Thursday – Praying daily for the Poor Souls – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Thursday O LORD God Almighty, I beseech Thee, by the precious body and blood of Thy Divine Son Jesus, which He himself on the night before His passion gave as meat and drink to His beloved apostles, and He …
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Thursday
O LORD God Almighty, I beseech Thee,
by the precious body and blood
of Thy Divine Son Jesus,
which He himself
on the night before His passion
gave as meat and drink to His beloved apostles,
and He bequeathed His Holy Church
be a perpetual sacrifice and life-giving nourishment
of His faithful people,
deliver the souls in purgatory,
and but most of all that soul
which was most devoted to this mystery of infinite love;
in order that it may praise thee, therefore
together with Thy Divine Son,
and The Holy Spirit,
in Thy glory forever.Amen.
O Lord, hear my prayer
And let my prayer cry come onto thee.O God
the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful,
grant unto the souls of thy servants and handmaids
the remission of all their sins
that through our devout supplications
they may obtain the pardon they have always desired.
Who live and reign world without end…Amen.Say the following prayers:
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory BeEternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them.
For every day of the week
May their souls and the souls of all the faithfully departed rest in peace. Amen.The post Thursday – Praying daily for the Poor Souls – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
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