Sunday of the Fifth Week of Eastertide – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast


Sunday of the Fifth Week of Eastertide – 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 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. John 13:31-33,34-35

When Judas had gone Jesus said:
‘Now has the Son of Man been glorified,
and in him God has been glorified.
If God has been glorified in him,
God will in turn glorify him in himself,
and will glorify him very soon.
‘My little children,
I shall not be with you much longer.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another;
just as I have loved you,
you also must love one another.
By this love you have for one another,
everyone will know that you are my disciples.’

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:

When Judas had gone Jesus said:
‘Now has the Son of Man been glorified,
and in him God has been glorified.
If God has been glorified in him,
God will in turn glorify him in himself,
and will glorify him very soon.
‘My little children,
I shall not be with you much longer.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another;
just as I have loved you,
you also must love one another.
By this love you have for one another,
everyone will know that you are my disciples.’

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:

When Judas had gone Jesus said:
‘Now has the Son of Man been glorified,
and in him God has been glorified.
If God has been glorified in him,
God will in turn glorify him in himself,
and will glorify him very soon.
‘My little children,
I shall not be with you much longer.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another;
just as I have loved you,
you also must love one another.
By this love you have for one another,
everyone will know that you are my disciples.’

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.

ST-Luke Ep 22- The Gospel of Luke – Chapter 10 Part 2 – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Episode 22 – The Gospel of Luke – Chapter 10 Part 2

Luke 10:  “The Good Samaritan”

This week’s lecture begins with encouragement to pray the rosary.  Many popes over the years have exhorted the faithful to depend on this powerful spiritual weapon in the battle against evil.  In Luke 10, Jesus referenced the battle between darkness and light, vividly describing how Satan fell like lightning from the sky.    Satan was “murderer from the beginning…and the father of lies” (John 8:44).  He disguised himself as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14).  Satan deceived Adam and Eve, convincing them to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  To prevent Adam and Eve from eating of the tree of life and living forever in a state of mortal sin, God banished Adam and Eve from the garden.  Satan was also thrown out and became the ruler of the world until his final defeat at the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Satan is known as Lucifer, a fallen angel whose name means bearer of light.  Angels are mentioned over 270 times in the Bible.  They are highly intelligent beings of pure spirit who God created before humans.  Revelation 12 describes the battle between Satan, the dragon, and Michael, the archangel.  Michael defeated the dragon who is thrown out of heaven, along with the other 1/3 of the angels who joined in the rebellion against God.  Lucifer and his minions revolted when God revealed his plan of salvation for humanity.  When they learned that God would become a man born of a woman, they refused to serve:  if God could take on human nature, then the lowly humans could take on a divine nature.  Their contempt for lowly humans was fueled by pride and jealousy.  Thomas Aquinas believed that before the angels were given the beatific vision, they underwent a time of testing, much like Adam and Eve.  Having failed their test of fidelity to God, they were cast out of heaven, just as Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden.

From Aquinas we learn of the hierarchy of angelic:  Seraphim angels were the highest, followed in order by the Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels and Angels (which includes our Guardian Angels).  According to Peter Kreeft, both Lucifer and Michael were Seraphim Angels of the highest order.  Archangel can also mean a leader angel, and Michael as the leader of all the faithful angels, defeated Lucifer, the leader of all the rebellious angels.  God had created angels to serve, but their pride kept them from fulfilling their nature:  just like Adam and Eve, the fallen angels wanted to be like gods.  The cosmic battle between good and evil continued until Jesus ushered in a new kingdom to replace Satan’s temporary kingdom.

The kingdom of God is mentioned throughout the Gospel of Luke.  In Luke 9, Jesus sent the 12 apostles to proclaim the kingdom of God, and in Luke 10, Jesus sends 70 disciples to do the same.  The 70 disciples mentioned in Luke 10 recalls the 70 elders that Moses appointed to help govern the Israelites (Numbers 11).  These 70 men (along with two others outside the Israelite camp) received some of the spirit of prophecy that had been given to Moses.  These same 70 also went up Mount Sinai with Moses, where they ate and drank together in the presence of God (Exodus 24).   Luke is the only evangelist to mention the 70 disciples sent on mission.  Hippolytus of Rome (a follower of Irenaeus, who was a follower of Polycarp, who was a follower of John the Evangelist) listed the 70 disciples in one of his commentaries.  Included in this list were Mark and Luke, who Hippolytus said were among the disciples who left Jesus after the Bread of Life discourse (John 6).  Peter was responsible for evangelizing Mark, while Paul evangelized Luke back to the fold.

When the 70 return, they were full of joy because the demons were subject to them in Jesus’ name.  Jesus warned against becoming prideful, telling them their joy should come from their name being written in the book of heaven.  In Revelation 20, we learn that one of the books in heaven is the book of life.  The dead will be judged by their deeds on earth which are written in the books in heaven and “only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life” will be allowed into the new and heavenly Jerusalem (Rev 21:27) and “if any one’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire (Rev 20:15).”  We know from scripture that our names can be blotted out of the book of life: “Whoever has sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book (Ex 32:33).

Luke 10 continues with the story of the Good Samaritan, which is found only in Luke.  A lawyer wanted to put Jesus to the test, asking what it takes to inherit eternal life.  When Jesus asked him what is prescribed in the law, the lawyer responded, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27).”  Wanting to justify himself, the lawyer asks, “Who is my neighbor?”  By the Levitical law, the Jews only counted other Jews as their neighbor (Lev 19:18).  However, Jesus expanded the definition of neighbor to include all humanity.  The roadside between Jerusalem and Jericho was known as the “Way of Blood” and is the same location where King David wrote Psalm 23 (Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil) Elijah was fed bread from ravens while hiding from the evil Queen Jezebel (1 Kings 17).

Using the spiritual sense of scripture, Augustine saw the wounded traveler as symbolic of Adam and humanity.  The wounding of sin is symbolized by the robbers who leave the traveler half dead.  The old covenant is represented by the priests and Levites who fail to save humanity.  Jesus is the Good Samaritan, who heals with the sacraments, as symbolized by the oil and wine poured into the wounds of humanity.  Like the inn, Jesus shelters wounded humanity the Church.  Like the Good Samaritan who paid two denarii for the traveler’s care, Jesus pays with his life to conquer sin and death.

The lecture concludes with the story of Martha and Mary.  Martha prepared the meal, while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, listening to his teaching.   Mary represents contemplative spirituality, while Martha represents active spirituality.  While both are important, Jesus emphasized that one thing is needed:  stay in relationship with the Lord.   Choose the eternal over the worldly.

©2019 Seeking Truth Catholic Bible Study

Sharon Doran serves as the teaching director of “Seeking Truth.” An experienced Bible Study teacher, Sharon has a passion for scripture that will motivate and challenge you to immerse yourself in God’s Word and apply His message to your everyday life.

For more in this series, visit the Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran Discerning Hearts page.

“Seeking Truth” is an in-depth Catholic Bible Study commissioned by the Archdiocese of Omaha in response to John Paul II’s call to the New Evangelization as well as Pope Benedict XVI’s exhortation for all Catholics to study scripture. To learn more, go to www.seekingtruth.net

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Eastertide – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast


Saturday of the Fourth Week of Eastertide – 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 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. John 15:9-17

Jesus said to his disciples:
‘As the Father has loved me,
so I have loved you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments
you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.
I have told you this
so that my own joy may be in you
and your joy be complete.
This is my commandment:
love one another, as I have loved you.
A man can have no greater love
than to lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends,
if you do what I command you.
I shall not call you servants any more,
because a servant does not know
his master’s business;
I call you friends,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.
You did not choose me:
no, I chose you;
and I commissioned you
to go out and to bear fruit,
fruit that will last;
and then the Father will give you
anything you ask him in my name.
What I command you
is to love one another.’

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:
‘As the Father has loved me,
so I have loved you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments
you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.
I have told you this
so that my own joy may be in you
and your joy be complete.
This is my commandment:
love one another, as I have loved you.
A man can have no greater love
than to lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends,
if you do what I command you.
I shall not call you servants any more,
because a servant does not know
his master’s business;
I call you friends,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.
You did not choose me:
no, I chose you;
and I commissioned you
to go out and to bear fruit,
fruit that will last;
and then the Father will give you
anything you ask him in my name.
What I command you
is to love one another.’

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:
‘As the Father has loved me,
so I have loved you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments
you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.
I have told you this
so that my own joy may be in you
and your joy be complete.
This is my commandment:
love one another, as I have loved you.
A man can have no greater love
than to lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends,
if you do what I command you.
I shall not call you servants any more,
because a servant does not know
his master’s business;
I call you friends,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.
You did not choose me:
no, I chose you;
and I commissioned you
to go out and to bear fruit,
fruit that will last;
and then the Father will give you
anything you ask him in my name.
What I command you
is to love one another.’

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.

Fiorella Nash – The Abolition of Woman on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor Podcast


“The Abolition of Woman:  How Radical Feminism is Betraying Women” is a powerful book and so needed today.  Author and international pro-life advocate Fiorella Nash is an incredible advocate for authentic feminism.  With this work, she shines a bright penetrating light on the destructive twistings and distortions projected onto women throughout the world by extraordinarily dark forces that many cannot or do not want to see.

You can find the book here

From the book description:

This book unashamedly calls mainstream feminists, journalists and Western politicians to account for their silence and – in some cases – vocal justification of the persecution of women because of an absolutist loyalty to abortion. It asks uncomfortable questions to those who claim to believe in women’s empowerment: Where is their passionate outrage when Chinese women are forcibly aborted and sterilised? Where is their concern for the thousands of baby girls killed by abortion every year because their lives are held as worthless simply for being female? What about the thousands of women used as surrogates for wealthy Western couples, treated as chattels and denied their most basic human rights?

But the book also tackles difficult issues for the pro-life side—the need for a sensitive, realistic approach to problematic pregnancies and the importance of confronting the continued exploitation and abuse of women within a sexualised society.

Pro-life feminism is not only possible; it is vital if the complex struggles facing women are to be adequately met. The Abolition of Woman is a rallying cry to feminists to stand with the pro-life movement, fighting to build a society in which women are equal and every human life is protected.

 

SP 38 – Episode 38 – From Caterpillar to Butterfly – In Search of the Still Point with Dr. Regis Martin – Discerning Hearts Podcast


Episode 38 – From Caterpillar to Butterfly

Dr. Regis Martin

Discerning Hearts is honored to host the reflections of Dr. Regis Martin.  Filled with profound insights, wisdom, and joy, he is one of the most trustworthy guides one can have on the spiritual journey.

For years Regis Martin, STD, has been regaling audiences about the mysteries of God and Church, most especially his students at Franciscan University of Steubenville where he teaches theology. Author of half-dozen or more books, including The Suffering of Love (Ignatius, 2006), The Last Things (Ignatius Press, 2011), Still Point (Ave Maria, 2012), The Beggar’s Banquet (Emmaus Road, 2012), Witness to Wonder (Emmaus Road, 2017) his work frequently appears in Crises and The Catholic Thing.

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Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Eastertide – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast


Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Eastertide – 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 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. John 12:44-50

Jesus declared publicly:
‘Whoever believes in me
believes not in me
but in the one who sent me,
and whoever sees me,
sees the one who sent me.
I, the light, have come into the world,
so that whoever believes in me
need not stay in the dark any more.
If anyone hears my words and does not keep them faithfully,
it is not I who shall condemn him,
since I have come not to condemn the world,
but to save the world.
He who rejects me and refuses my words has his judge already:
the word itself that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day.
For what I have spoken does not come from myself;
no, what I was to say,
what I had to speak,
was commanded by the Father who sent me,
and I know that his commands mean eternal life.
And therefore what the Father has told me
is what I speak.’

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 declared publicly:
‘Whoever believes in me
believes not in me
but in the one who sent me,
and whoever sees me,
sees the one who sent me.
I, the light, have come into the world,
so that whoever believes in me
need not stay in the dark any more.
If anyone hears my words and does not keep them faithfully,
it is not I who shall condemn him,
since I have come not to condemn the world,
but to save the world.
He who rejects me and refuses my words has his judge already:
the word itself that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day.
For what I have spoken does not come from myself;
no, what I was to say,
what I had to speak,
was commanded by the Father who sent me,
and I know that his commands mean eternal life.
And therefore what the Father has told me
is what I speak.’

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 declared publicly:
‘Whoever believes in me
believes not in me
but in the one who sent me,
and whoever sees me,
sees the one who sent me.
I, the light, have come into the world,
so that whoever believes in me
need not stay in the dark any more.
If anyone hears my words and does not keep them faithfully,
it is not I who shall condemn him,
since I have come not to condemn the world,
but to save the world.
He who rejects me and refuses my words has his judge already:
the word itself that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day.
For what I have spoken does not come from myself;
no, what I was to say,
what I had to speak,
was commanded by the Father who sent me,
and I know that his commands mean eternal life.
And therefore what the Father has told me
is what I speak.’

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.

St. Ephrem of Syria – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson

Dr. Matthew Bunson discusses the life, times, and work of  St. Ephrem of Syria

From Vatican.va, an excerpt from the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI  General Audience 2007:

The figure of Ephrem is still absolutely timely for the life of the various Christian Churches. We discover him in the first place as a theologian who reflects poetically, on the basis of Holy Scripture, on the mystery of man’s redemption brought about by Christ, the Word of God incarnate. His is a theological reflection St.-Ephremexpressed in images and symbols taken from nature, daily life and the Bible. Ephrem gives his poetry and liturgical hymns a didactic and catechetical character: they are theological hymns yet at the same time suitable for recitation or liturgical song. On the occasion of liturgical feasts, Ephrem made use of these hymns to spread Church doctrine. Time has proven them to be an extremely effective catechetical instrument for the Christian community.

Ephrem’s reflection on the theme of God the Creator is important: nothing in creation is isolated and the world, next to Sacred Scripture, is a Bible of God. By using his freedom wrongly, man upsets the cosmic order. The role of women was important to Ephrem. The way he spoke of them was always inspired with sensitivity and respect: the dwelling place of Jesus in Mary’s womb greatly increased women’s dignity. Ephrem held that just as there is no Redemption without Jesus, there is no Incarnation without Mary. The divine and human dimensions of the mystery of our redemption can already be found in Ephrem’s texts; poetically and with fundamentally scriptural images, he anticipated the theological background and in some way the very language of the great Christological definitions of the fifth-century Councils.

Ephrem, honoured by Christian tradition with the title “Harp of the Holy Spirit”, remained a deacon of the Church throughout his life. It was a crucial and emblematic decision: he was a deacon, a servant, in his liturgical ministry, and more radically, in his love for Christ, whose praises he sang in an unparalleled way, and also in his love for his brethren, whom he introduced with rare skill to the knowledge of divine Revelation.

For more visit Vatican.va

Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and 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.

Monday of the Fourth Week of Eastertide – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast


Monday of the Fourth Week of Eastertide – 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 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. John 10:1-10

Jesus said:
‘I tell you most solemnly, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but gets in some other way is a thief and a brigand. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice. They never follow a stranger but run away from him: they do not recognise the voice of strangers.’
Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he meant by telling it to them.
So Jesus spoke to them again:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
I am the gate of the sheepfold.
All others who have come
are thieves and brigands;
but the sheep took no notice of them.
I am the gate.
Anyone who enters through me will be safe:
he will go freely in and out
and be sure of finding pasture.
The thief comes
only to steal and kill and destroy.
I have come
so that they may have life and have it to the full.’

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:
‘I tell you most solemnly, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but gets in some other way is a thief and a brigand. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice. They never follow a stranger but run away from him: they do not recognise the voice of strangers.’
Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he meant by telling it to them.
So Jesus spoke to them again:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
I am the gate of the sheepfold.
All others who have come
are thieves and brigands;
but the sheep took no notice of them.
I am the gate.
Anyone who enters through me will be safe:
he will go freely in and out
and be sure of finding pasture.
The thief comes
only to steal and kill and destroy.
I have come
so that they may have life and have it to the full.’

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:
‘I tell you most solemnly, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but gets in some other way is a thief and a brigand. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice. They never follow a stranger but run away from him: they do not recognise the voice of strangers.’
Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he meant by telling it to them.
So Jesus spoke to them again:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
I am the gate of the sheepfold.
All others who have come
are thieves and brigands;
but the sheep took no notice of them.
I am the gate.
Anyone who enters through me will be safe:
he will go freely in and out
and be sure of finding pasture.
The thief comes
only to steal and kill and destroy.
I have come
so that they may have life and have it to the full.’

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.

Sunday of the Fourth Week of Eastertide – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast


Sunday of the Fourth Week of Eastertide – 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 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. John 10:27-30

Jesus said:
‘The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice;
I know them and they follow me.
I give them eternal life;
they will never be lost
and no one will ever steal them from me.
The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone,
and no one can steal from the Father.
The Father and I are one.’

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:
‘The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice;
I know them and they follow me.
I give them eternal life;
they will never be lost
and no one will ever steal them from me.
The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone,
and no one can steal from the Father.
The Father and I are one.’

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:
‘The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice;
I know them and they follow me.
I give them eternal life;
they will never be lost
and no one will ever steal them from me.
The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone,
and no one can steal from the Father.
The Father and I are one.’

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.

ST-Luke Ep 21- The Gospel of Luke – Chapter 10 Part 1 – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Episode 21 – The Gospel of Luke – Chapter 10 Part 1

Luke 10:  “The Good Samaritan”

This week’s lecture begins with encouragement to pray the rosary.  Many popes over the years have exhorted the faithful to depend on this powerful spiritual weapon in the battle against evil.  In Luke 10, Jesus referenced the battle between darkness and light, vividly describing how Satan fell like lightning from the sky.    Satan was “murderer from the beginning…and the father of lies” (John 8:44).  He disguised himself as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14).  Satan deceived Adam and Eve, convincing them to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  To prevent Adam and Eve from eating of the tree of life and living forever in a state of mortal sin, God banished Adam and Eve from the garden.  Satan was also thrown out and became the ruler of the world until his final defeat at the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Satan is known as Lucifer, a fallen angel whose name means bearer of light.  Angels are mentioned over 270 times in the Bible.  They are highly intelligent beings of pure spirit who God created before humans.  Revelation 12 describes the battle between Satan, the dragon, and Michael, the archangel.  Michael defeated the dragon who is thrown out of heaven, along with the other 1/3 of the angels who joined in the rebellion against God.  Lucifer and his minions revolted when God revealed his plan of salvation for humanity.  When they learned that God would become a man born of a woman, they refused to serve:  if God could take on human nature, then the lowly humans could take on a divine nature.  Their contempt for lowly humans was fueled by pride and jealousy.  Thomas Aquinas believed that before the angels were given the beatific vision, they underwent a time of testing, much like Adam and Eve.  Having failed their test of fidelity to God, they were cast out of heaven, just as Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden.

From Aquinas we learn of the hierarchy of angelic:  Seraphim angels were the highest, followed in order by the Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels and Angels (which includes our Guardian Angels).  According to Peter Kreeft, both Lucifer and Michael were Seraphim Angels of the highest order.  Archangel can also mean a leader angel, and Michael as the leader of all the faithful angels, defeated Lucifer, the leader of all the rebellious angels.  God had created angels to serve, but their pride kept them from fulfilling their nature:  just like Adam and Eve, the fallen angels wanted to be like gods.  The cosmic battle between good and evil continued until Jesus ushered in a new kingdom to replace Satan’s temporary kingdom.

The kingdom of God is mentioned throughout the Gospel of Luke.  In Luke 9, Jesus sent the 12 apostles to proclaim the kingdom of God, and in Luke 10, Jesus sends 70 disciples to do the same.  The 70 disciples mentioned in Luke 10 recalls the 70 elders that Moses appointed to help govern the Israelites (Numbers 11).  These 70 men (along with two others outside the Israelite camp) received some of the spirit of prophecy that had been given to Moses.  These same 70 also went up Mount Sinai with Moses, where they ate and drank together in the presence of God (Exodus 24).   Luke is the only evangelist to mention the 70 disciples sent on mission.  Hippolytus of Rome (a follower of Irenaeus, who was a follower of Polycarp, who was a follower of John the Evangelist) listed the 70 disciples in one of his commentaries.  Included in this list were Mark and Luke, who Hippolytus said were among the disciples who left Jesus after the Bread of Life discourse (John 6).  Peter was responsible for evangelizing Mark, while Paul evangelized Luke back to the fold.

When the 70 return, they were full of joy because the demons were subject to them in Jesus’ name.  Jesus warned against becoming prideful, telling them their joy should come from their name being written in the book of heaven.  In Revelation 20, we learn that one of the books in heaven is the book of life.  The dead will be judged by their deeds on earth which are written in the books in heaven and “only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life” will be allowed into the new and heavenly Jerusalem (Rev 21:27) and “if any one’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire (Rev 20:15).”  We know from scripture that our names can be blotted out of the book of life: “Whoever has sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book (Ex 32:33).

Luke 10 continues with the story of the Good Samaritan, which is found only in Luke.  A lawyer wanted to put Jesus to the test, asking what it takes to inherit eternal life.  When Jesus asked him what is prescribed in the law, the lawyer responded, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27).”  Wanting to justify himself, the lawyer asks, “Who is my neighbor?”  By the Levitical law, the Jews only counted other Jews as their neighbor (Lev 19:18).  However, Jesus expanded the definition of neighbor to include all humanity.  The roadside between Jerusalem and Jericho was known as the “Way of Blood” and is the same location where King David wrote Psalm 23 (Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil) Elijah was fed bread from ravens while hiding from the evil Queen Jezebel (1 Kings 17).

Using the spiritual sense of scripture, Augustine saw the wounded traveler as symbolic of Adam and humanity.  The wounding of sin is symbolized by the robbers who leave the traveler half dead.  The old covenant is represented by the priests and Levites who fail to save humanity.  Jesus is the Good Samaritan, who heals with the sacraments, as symbolized by the oil and wine poured into the wounds of humanity.  Like the inn, Jesus shelters wounded humanity the Church.  Like the Good Samaritan who paid two denarii for the traveler’s care, Jesus pays with his life to conquer sin and death.

The lecture concludes with the story of Martha and Mary.  Martha prepared the meal, while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, listening to his teaching.   Mary represents contemplative spirituality, while Martha represents active spirituality.  While both are important, Jesus emphasized that one thing is needed:  stay in relationship with the Lord.   Choose the eternal over the worldly.

©2019 Seeking Truth Catholic Bible Study

Sharon Doran serves as the teaching director of “Seeking Truth.” An experienced Bible Study teacher, Sharon has a passion for scripture that will motivate and challenge you to immerse yourself in God’s Word and apply His message to your everyday life.

For more in this series, visit the Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran Discerning Hearts page.

“Seeking Truth” is an in-depth Catholic Bible Study commissioned by the Archdiocese of Omaha in response to John Paul II’s call to the New Evangelization as well as Pope Benedict XVI’s exhortation for all Catholics to study scripture. To learn more, go to www.seekingtruth.net