Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts Archives

CP11 – Deepening Prayer Beyond Comfort – Reflections from Contemplative Provocations by Fr. Donald Haggerty – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:29 — 3.9MB) | Embed

Reflection 11 – Deepening Prayer Beyond Comfort – Reflections from Contemplative Provocations by Fr. Donald Haggerty – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

The desire for an experience of God’s presence may bring us to prayer, but the same impulse, if not purified, will exact a later cost. If we become anxious for emotional consolation in prayer, a focus on self can begin to affect the life of solitary prayer. It becomes incidental to this whether an hour of prayer is consoling or dissatisfying. The habitual desire for a gratifying experience will turn prayer into a self-centered enterprise. Then, in one of the ironies of spiritual life, a soul that perseveres in prayer comes away from it more turned toward self than toward God. This desire for satisfaction in prayer leads many people simply to give up silent prayer. Indeed the abandonment of prayer in this manner by those who aspired to a serious prayer life is one of the more hidden tragedies in the Church.

Emotion incites the imagination. Religious emotion is no different. If we seem to feel God’s presence, the thought may arise that God must be near in that moment. But surely this perception under the sway of emotion appeals also to self-love. Is God actually closer then to the soul? Is he closer than in times of aridity? Perhaps not, although it can be hard to resist the thought. The error can be consequential if it means that we forsake a purer pursuit of God in his transcendent mystery in exchange for sporadic encounters with our own inflamed desire. A sobering corrective is to remember that God in his immensity cannot be contained, held down, possessed within the human heart.

Sometimes souls serious about spiritual life become demanding of affection and regard from others, desirous to draw others close to themselves. It is a flaw that may have a background in a prayer life that resisted purification. The connection is not difficult to perceive. Purification in prayer is self-emptying. Long aridity if undergone with perseverance burns away our desire for satisfaction. The dryness is a humbling deprivation. But some souls cannot bear this impoverishment. When prayer has settled into chronic dryness and God shows no closeness, the response may be to seek love from others. Instead of embracing poverty, we may react by becoming possessive and demanding of human affections. It is as though we seek to secure a confirmation of being loved which the life of prayer withholds. Finding ourselves needed by others grants a spiritual worth not being received in prayer. It is good to recall that in surrendering to God, we give ourselves to a real poverty. If we make no peace with our poverty in prayer, the pursuit of consolation in human relations may strongly attract us. Without our realizing it, being needed by others placates the anxious thought that God has chosen other souls for his greater love and we have been left behind.

Haggerty, Donald. Contemplative Provocations: Brief, Concentrated Observations on Aspects of a Life with God (pp. 72, 75). Ignatius Press. Kindle Edition.

Discerning Hearts Daily Contemplative Prompts

How can we cultivate a prayer life that is focused on seeking God for His own sake, rather than for the emotional consolations we may desire, and what steps can we take to embrace the spiritual poverty and dryness that may come, seeing them not as signs of God’s absence, but as opportunities for deeper union with Him?

Embrace a disciplined prayer life, focusing on deepening your relationship with God rather than seeking emotional comfort. View spiritual dryness as an opportunity for growth. Aim to purify your prayer intentions, seeking God for His own sake. Engage in acts of service to shift focus from self to others, embodying Christ’s selfless love.

Obtain a copy of the book here

A great many religious people undertake a serious dedication to prayer. They are moved by a longing for a deeper encounter with God that beckons them as a distant light at night on the sea. Yet far fewer become true contemplative souls, for it is difficult to continue the quest for God in the face of many obstacles.

For those who are spiritually courageous and full of desire for God, this book will provoke them to persevere in this ultimate adventure in life-the more complete discovery of the living God. Thematically unified by the notion of God’s ultimate transcendence to our limited human knowledge, this work offers a rich profusion of insights on the life of prayer and the pursuit of God.

A key to spiritual growth is the understanding that the hiddenness of God becomes a paradox in the experience of a soul seeking him wholeheartedly. Rather than enjoying a more intimate familiarity with God, the soul advancing in prayer is likely to experience more intensely the concealment of God. This surprising truth undergirds true contemplative prayer. It is a reason why every contemplative soul, and every saint, is inflamed with a never satisfied thirst for God.

1st Saturday of Lent – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:03 — 7.1MB) | Embed

1st Saturday of Lent- 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 of St. Matthew 5:43-48

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike. For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’

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: ‘You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike. For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’

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: ‘You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike. For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’

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.

CP10 – Longing in Aridity – Reflections from Contemplative Provocations by Fr. Donald Haggerty – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 4:00 — 2.9MB) | Embed

Reflection 10 – Longing in Aridity – Reflections from Contemplative Provocations by Fr. Donald Haggerty – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

The soul experiencing aridity would be more easily reconciled to this condition if it was not joined at times to an anxiety that God’s displeasure for some unknown reason was the cause of it. On the other hand, the purer longing for God beneath feelings is a refinement of the soul’s passion and a significant grace in prayer. Aridity exhausts over time an impulse to seek anything in prayer other than God himself. Desires may flare up, but they taper and fade into unimportance as a deeper passion for God more directly engages prayer. Everything less than God becomes simply a poor object for love, and a soul gradually realizes this. In one sense contemplative life from its inception is a routing of every spurious form of love. And it takes place initially through these purifications. The steady burn of aridity brings a new depth of passion and love to prayer. The soul’s longing turns more exclusively toward God in prayer when there is nothing other than God to draw desire.

Contemplative prayer has its source, then, in an intense passion for God. The strain of wanting God begins to permeate a life, overwhelming other desires. It is in one sense a kind of constraint upon desire, and a discontent within the soul. Prayer becomes a steady, unrelenting passion for someone not possessed, not near enough to be permanently enjoyed, someone who disappears again into hiding after every closer approach. Always a deeper longing in the soul remains unassuaged. Never to appease a quiet, unrelenting need for God, never to find God in a way that would release the soul from searching for him—this is the true measure of contemplative prayer. A notion of prayer that would overcome the concealment of God is deceived. The fire of the soul in prayer burns by not seeing. The flames of the soul’s desire for God are stoked in darkness. Without that fire the soul would flee the distant spaces. It would never know the naked passion for God found in the desert among the dry winds and the sands.

Haggerty, Donald. Contemplative Provocations: Brief, Concentrated Observations on Aspects of a Life with God (pp. 65-66). Ignatius Press. Kindle Edition.

Discerning Hearts Daily Contemplative Prompts

Reflect on a time when you felt a deep longing for God amidst spiritual dryness or aridity.

How did this experience strengthen or change your relationship with God?

Obtain a copy of the book here

1st Friday of Lent – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:52 — 7.6MB) | Embed

1st Friday of Lent- 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 of St. Matthew 5:20-26

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.
‘You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his brother “Fool” he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and if a man calls him “Renegade” he will answer for it in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.’

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: ‘If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.
‘You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his brother “Fool” he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and if a man calls him “Renegade” he will answer for it in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.’

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: ‘If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.
‘You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his brother “Fool” he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and if a man calls him “Renegade” he will answer for it in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.’

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.

CP9 – Dry Discomfort in Prayer – Reflections from Contemplative Provocations by Fr. Donald Haggerty – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:20 — 3.8MB) | Embed

Reflection 9 – Dry Discomfort in Prayer – Reflections from Contemplative Provocations by Fr. Donald Haggerty – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

Contemplative life is initiated undramatically—one might say in a concealed, subtle, confusing manner. One symptom is a dry discomfort in prayer like the bodily ache of a fever that does not subside. The aridity contrasts with the prior experience of prayer, when a consoling sense of God’s presence was enjoyed. Now there is little felt contact with God, nothing savored in emotion. God seems to disappear more and more into hiding. Other symptoms as well seem incongruous as signs of a growth in prayer. A focused attention on Our Lord becomes difficult. Noisy distractions disturb prayer. Petty concerns interfere with prayer and replace quiet reflections about God. The gospel pages no longer offer vivid attraction. Anxious thoughts and unwelcome memories intrude, and the mind is unable to settle down. The struggle for an attentive silence and some serenity can burden an entire period of prayer. The sense of being alone, somehow separated from God, unable to pray, does not let up.

It may seem that something has gone spiritually wrong, that unfaithfulness and neglect have damaged relations with God. The general malaise, it is thought, must be due to offending God in some way. Wrongs committed, minor failures and mistakes, become exceedingly troubling. The insecurity spreads beyond prayer, causing at times scrupulosity. Firmer resolutions in virtue are made, but the confusion continues unrelieved. Vigilance in avoiding sin, more sacrifice and self-giving to others, penitential practices—nothing removes the insipid taste in prayer. The spiritual life becomes forced labor, an exercise of willpower out of proportion to ordinary tasks. Perseverance may keep a soul soldiering on. But it is likely to question its suitability for a serious pursuit of God.

The return each day to silent prayer in this condition means to face the discomfort of silence. There can be a strong temptation to give up prayer or to find some activity in silent prayer to counter frustration. A more superficial prayer can be adopted which discards the effort of listening in silence to God. One might opt, for instance, to spend time in prayer simply reading. In that case the dryness and distraction may lift to a degree because they are less noticed. This may seem to restore relations with God. It would be a poor exchange, however, a step backward. The soul would forfeit a grace it was beginning to taste of a deeper thirst for God. The thirst of the soul for God is stronger in the desert. It is easy, nonetheless, to run for the shade.

Haggerty, Donald. Contemplative Provocations: Brief, Concentrated Observations on Aspects of a Life with God (pp. 59-60). Ignatius Press. Kindle Edition.

Discerning Hearts Daily Contemplative Prompts

How can the experience of spiritual dryness and desolation, as described in the passage, serve as an invitation to deepen one’s relationship with God, rather than as a sign of spiritual failure or distance from Him?

Consider how the challenges of contemplative prayer might be understood as part of the journey towards a more profound faith and trust in God’s presence, even when He seems most absent.

Obtain a copy of the book here

LSB6 – Dealing with Serious Temptation – The Life of St. Benedict – The Holy Rule of St. Benedict with Fr. Mauritius Wilde O.S.B – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:25 — 18.9MB) | Embed

Dealing with Serious Temptation – The Life of St. Benedict – The Holy Rule of St. Benedict with Fr. Mauritius Wilde, O.S.B.

Fr. Mauritius Wilde and Kris McGregor discuss St. Benedict’s struggle with sexual temptation, where he chose to endure pain rather than indulge in harmful behaviors. It contrasts this with modern society’s tendency to avoid pain through self-medication.

Fr. Mauritius also stresses the importance of facing suffering for spiritual growth, emphasizing detachment’s role in achieving true fulfillment and fruitfulness in life.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions:

Engaging with Temptation: How does St. Benedict’s encounter with temptation challenge us to confront our own temptations in life?
Detachment and Self-Medication: How does the podcast critique modern society’s tendency to self-medicate instead of confronting pain and reality?
Embracing Suffering: What insights can we gain from St. Benedict’s willingness to endure suffering as a means of spiritual growth and detachment?
Fruitfulness Through Detachment: Reflect on how St. Benedict’s detachment ultimately led to fruitfulness in his life. How can we apply this principle to our own lives?
Value of Longing: Consider the hosts’ discussion on embracing longing and desire. How might viewing these yearnings positively impact our spiritual journey?

From the Life of Our Most Holy Father St. Benedict by St. Gregory the Great:

CHAPTER I.

“The holy man being on a certain day alone, the tempter was at hand; for a little black bird, commonly called an ousel, began to fly about his face, and that so near as the holy man, if he would. might have taken it with his hand; but no sooner had he made the sign of the cross than the bird vanished. When presently so great a carnal temptation assailed him, that before the holy man had never felt the like. For the remembrance of a woman which some time he had seen, was so lively represented to his fancy by the wicked spirit, and so vehemently did her image inflame his breast with lustful desires, that almost overcome by pleasure, he was determining to leave the wilderness. But suddenly assisted with divine
grace he came to himself, and, seeing near him a thicket full of nettles and briars, he threw off his garments and cast himself naked into the midst of those sharp thorns and nettles, where he rolled himself so long, that, when he rose up, all his body was pitifully rent; thus by the wounds of his flesh he cured those of his soul, by turning pleasure into pain; and by the vehemence of outward torments he extinguished the unlawful flame which burnt within overcoming sin by changing the fire. After which time, as he himself related to his disciples, he was so free from the like temptation, that he never felt any such motion.”

Father Mauritius Wilde, OSB, Ph.D., did his philosophical, theological and doctoral studies in Europe. He is the author of several books and directs retreats regularly. He serves as Prior at Sant’Anselmo in Rome. For more information about the ministry of the Missionary Benedictines of Christ the King Priory in Schuyler, NE

1st Thursday of Lent – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:02 — 7.0MB) | Embed

1st Thursday of Lent- 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 of St. Matthew 16:13-19

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’

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 Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’

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 Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’

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.

CP8 – Understanding God Through Unknowing – Reflections from Contemplative Provocations by Fr. Donald Haggerty – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 4:00 — 2.9MB) | Embed

Reflection 8 – Understanding God Through Unknowing – Reflections from Contemplative Provocations by Fr. Donald Haggerty – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

This way of knowing God in darkness has been called a knowledge by unknowing, as confusing as that phrase initially sounds. It reflects the paradox of deeper relations with God in prayer. A sense of separation and distance from God may for a while intensify in prayer rather than an experience of closer contact with him. The divine mystery can become more dense and unfathomable as mystery. Deeper relations with God may accentuate how unknowable God is. We may seem to know less of God than previously. Yet this is not a backward regression into real ignorance, nor an absence of knowledge. The soul advances by more intense faith and love deeper into truth. It realizes with acute sharpness that the nature of God exceeds comprehension, that he is beyond reflection. To touch the edge of that awareness is not to arrive at a conclusion after a sequence of thoughts. God as someone still unknown seizes the soul in prayer, without an understanding of how this takes place. The truth of God as still unknown cuts like the blade of a knife the sinews of the mind.

There is something else in this knowledge of God. It takes hold of consciousness unlike other forms of knowledge. This knowledge of God does not pass thresholds to particular moments of clarity andapprehension. It is not a knowledge that builds by accumulation. It cannot be examined for its weight and significance. It has rather a qualitative effect, in a subtle manner. Knowledge of God permeates attention and influences perception. God’s living presence becomes a background to daily vision. God is watching and protecting and inviting. The different mode of awareness is a form of knowing, a kind of perpetual anticipation felt toward someone unseen and expected.

Haggerty, Donald. Contemplative Provocations: Brief, Concentrated Observations on Aspects of a Life with God (pp. 47-48). Ignatius Press. Kindle Edition.

Discerning Hearts Daily Contemplative Prompts

In your personal journey of faith, have you ever experienced moments where God seemed more unknowable and distant in prayer, yet you felt your relationship with Him deepening?

How does the concept of ‘knowledge by unknowing’ resonate with your experiences of God’s presence in your life, particularly in times of spiritual dryness or darkness?

Reflect on how this paradoxical understanding might influence your perception of faith, prayer, and the presence of God in your daily life.

Obtain a copy of the book here

1st Wednesday of Lent – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:51 — 6.9MB) | Embed

1st Wednesday of Lent- 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 of St. Luke 11:29-32

The crowds got even bigger, and Jesus addressed them:
‘This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here. On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here.’

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:

The crowds got even bigger, and Jesus addressed them:
‘This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here. On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here.’

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:

The crowds got even bigger, and Jesus addressed them:
‘This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here. On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here.’

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.

CP7 – Faith and Mystery – Reflections from Contemplative Provocations by Fr. Donald Haggerty – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 4:54 — 3.5MB) | Embed

Reflection 7 – Faith and Mystery – Reflections from Contemplative Provocations by Fr. Donald Haggerty – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

There is an irony about faith stressed by Saint John of the Cross. It reflects the truth of God’s concealment even as he is sought with greater fervor. While more intense faith deepens certitude in the soul, it also brings darkness to the mind. The latter does not mean that doubts arise, nor that irresolvable questions intrude into prayer. Questions would imply a curiosity, a seeking of one’s intelligence after God. Rather, as faith advances, the certitude of faith increases. But precisely then a strange dullness of mind may permeate our thought of God in prayer. This peculiar blunting of thought about God can become familiar in prayer. At first it makes no sense; nor can it be overcome. An insight is necessary, and the recognition of a pattern. An impotence of thought before the mystery of God often precedes an act of deeper love for God in prayer. Difficulty in thinking about God, rather than simply a frustration, becomes a provocation to love. Our mind’s incapacity for the plenitude of God becomes a condition for the advancement of our soul’s love for God. In the dark certitudes of faith, in shadows that are alive with his presence, love seeks God blindly, with more intense longing.

Greater certitude in faith while undergoing an impotence of thought might seem incompatible. Or it might sound as though one is embracing convictions that have no reasonable basis. In fact, however, this link is consistent with the nature of faith’s assent to Christian revelation. Revealed truths of the Catholic faith are presented in the clear, precise language of doctrinal propositions. As statements employing concepts they can be understood, and we assent in faith to them. Nonetheless the truths these propositions affirm constitute inexhaustible mysteries. They concern the reality of God in ways that ultimately stretch beyond our comprehension. The propositions of faith are intelligible as true statements and essential to the act of believing. At the same time, however, the expression in human language of the revealed truth is inept for grasping who God really is. This is a cause of tension in our experience of faith. The clarity of a doctrinal proposition can deflect our mind from fully realizing the ultimate transcendence of the mystery it is affirming. The actual mystery may diminish in wonder to the degree it is encountered in words that offer a semblance of comprehension. A corrective is called for. Understanding what we believe, even in limited manner, is of course necessary. But another aspect of believing is equally important. When faith deepens, it is precisely the mystery in God that must animate the soul’s search. Encounter with the personal mystery of God must become the soul’s dominant need.

Haggerty, Donald. Contemplative Provocations: Brief, Concentrated Observations on Aspects of a Life with God (pp. 47-48). Ignatius Press. Kindle Edition.

Discerning Hearts Daily Contemplative Prompts

How does the experience of “darkness” or “dullness” in thinking about God during prayer challenge you to deepen your relationship with God, not through intellectual understanding alone but through a more profound love and trust in the mystery of His presence?

Obtain a copy of the book here