BTP-IC30 – Sixth Mansions Chapter 9 part 1- The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila – Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles Podcast

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In this episode, Dr. Lilles discusses the Sixth Mansions Chapter 9 part 1 of the “Interior Castle” which covers:

THIS CHAPTER SPEAKS OF THE MANNER IN WHICH GOD COMMUNICATES WITH THE SOUL BY IMAGINARY VISIONS. STRONG REASONS ARE GIVEN FOR NOT DESIRING TO BE LED IN THIS WAY; THIS IS VERY PROFITABLE READING.

1. The jewel in the locket. 2. The simile explained. 3. The apparition explained. 4. Awe produced by this vision. 5. False and genuine visions. 6. Illusive visions. 7. Effects of a genuine vision. 8. Conviction left by a genuine vision. 9. Its effects upon the after conduct. 10. A confessor should be consulted. 11. How to treat visions. 12. Effects of seeing the face of Christ. 13. Reasons why visions are not to be sought. 14. The second reason. 15. Third reason. 16. Fourth reason. 17. Fifth reason. 18. Sixth reason. 19. Additional reasons. 20. The virtues are more meritorious than consolations. 21. Fervent souls desire to serve God for Himself alone.

For the Discerning Hearts audio recording of the “Interior Castle” by St. Teresa of Avila you can visit here

For other audio recordings of various spiritual classics you can visit the Discerning Hearts Spiritual Classics page

For other episodes in the series visit
The Discerning Hearts “The Interior Castle with Dr. Anthony Lilles”

Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. is an associate professor and the academic dean of Saint John’s Seminary in Camarillo as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years he served the Church in Northern Colorado where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Through the years, clergy, seminarians, religious and lay faithful have benefited from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of St. Elisabeth of the Trinity.

FA7 – Transforming Emotions – Freedom from Anxiety with Sonja Corbitt – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

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Transforming Emotions – Episode 7 – Freedom from Anxiety with Sonja Corbitt

No matter how many big or little sufferings we offer up, if we do not also allow God to transform the thoughts and emotions surrounding our sufferings, we have not really discerned or submitted to their purpose; we have not undergone the deep transformation that Jesus died to give us and that the Bible calls a Sabbath rest.

Because it is such a profound, secret work, only God can identify and accomplish in us the deep soul work of purgatory, or sanctification, as thoroughly as we need it. He does not simply cover our sins with his blood, he scrubs out the deep, set-in wounds, “all unrighteousness.” We can and must dispose ourselves to receive this rest, but is always still a gift, one that God insistently offers us through the repeating circumstances and relationships that are meant to attract our attention and cooperation.

For other episodes in this series, visit the Discerning Hearts Sonja Corbitt page

Be sure to visit Bible StudyEvangelista webpage at: https://www.biblestudyevangelista.com

LOVE the Word™ is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice.

Listen (Receive the Word.)

O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.)

What is your greatest fear? Have you acknowledged it to yourself? To God? Does the emotion of that fear drive your behavior in some way? What do you want to say to the Lord about that?

V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.)

Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin.

E | Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!)

Heavenly Father, I ask that Your love flow upon me. May the Blood of Christ cover all wounds and restore all in me to wholeness and life. May the fire from Our Lady’s heart now enter me and anoint everything with the Holy Spirit and blind Satan. May St. Joseph wrap me with blessings and peace, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

READ THE TRANSCRIPT

Click here for a written transcript of this episode.

Visit here for more on Sonja’s “LOVE the Word” journal

Also:

Chapter 11: Interior Stillness – Silentio – How to Pray with David Torkington – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Chapter 11 – Interior Stillness – Silentio

“As vocal prayer is interiorized and purified it goes beyond itself into the prayer of silence, which characterizes the state of union with God.” – Père Louis Bouyer

Knowledge alone does not change a person permanently for the better, but love does. That is why the saint who was once a self-centered sinner like the rest of us becomes the sort of other-considering person whom we all admire and wish to emulate.

You can find the book here.

This little book How to Pray – A Practical Guide to the Spiritual life by David Torkington, was published by Our Sunday Visitor. It was written for those prepared to restructure their daily lives to make time for the prayer where they can be transformed by the love that only God can give.

In the foreword to this new book from OSV, “How to Pray: A Practical Guide to the Spiritual Life,” Sister Wendy Beckett wrote,

“There are no hideaways here, no excuses, but no alarming demands, either. Instead, Torkington seeks only to show us the truth, that truth that sets us free and convinces us that the yoke of Jesus is easy and his burden light. All we need is to understand and to choose. This book offers us the help we need to understand, and then the choice is ours.”⁠

This is not your standard “prayer book” – it is not a compilation of Catholic prayers for you to just read. Rather, this is a series of 40 reflections on prayer intended to open you up to the transformation that is possible through prayer, through the love that God can give us through prayer.⁠

Endorsement

“From here to eternity! For those drawn to contemplative prayer, David Torkington offers compelling clarity and common sense. Gentle kindness guides his practical counsel, and he is careful to help us see the solid principles in which he roots his insights. An authentic and reliable guard against counterfeits, his wisdom points to the heights and grounded-ness of the Catholic mystical tradition at a time when it is most needed.”

Dr. Anthony Lilles, STD: Associate Professor and Academic Dean of St John’s Seminary in Camarillo, as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the diocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years, he served the Church in Northern Colorado, where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver.

Visit his website: www.davidtorkington.com.

The author of the popular Peter Calvay series, his books include Wisdom from the Western Isles, Wisdom from Franciscan Italy, Wisdom from the Christian Mystics, Prayer Made Simple (CTS), and How to Pray by Our Sunday Visitor. His books have been translated into 13 different languages.

SP12 – Body of Christ, You Miserable Wretch – In Search of the Still Point with Dr. Regis Martin – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Episode 12 – Body of Christ, You Miserable Wretch

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.

A Novena to St. Teresa of Avila Day 4 – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Day 4: THE SOUL

St. Teresa you have said

“It is that we consider our soul to be like a castle made entirely out of a diamond or of very clear crystal, in which there are many rooms, just as in heaven there are many dwelling places. For in reflecting upon it carefully, Sisters, we realize that the soul of the just person is nothing else but a paradise where the Lord says He finds His delight…I don’t find anything comparable to the magnificent beauty of a soul and its marvelous capacity. Indeed, our intellects, however keen, can hardly comprehend it, just as they cannot comprehend God’ but He Himself says that He created us in His own image and likeness.”

—Interior Castle I:1.1

Teresa uses a variety of images to describe the soul, likening it to a beehive, a garden, and in this case, a castle. In doing so, she attempts to explain its innate fecund richness brought about through its creation.

Made in the image and likeness of God, our souls mirror the Divine in our natural interior profundity and in our capacity to do His loving and saving will. Moreover, our souls are where Christ resides and interacts with us, and desires to permeate with his light. The experience of God, therefore, is not something beyond the human experience, but intimately connected to it. Indeed, the work of personal transformation takes place in this interior environment

May we learn from Teresa how to appreciate and care for our souls, that we may radiate Christ to others and give thanks to God for making us his home.

St. Teresa speaks to us today saying:

Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.

O God, who through your Spirit
raised up Saint Teresa of Jesus
to show the Church the way to seek perfection,
grant that we may always be nourished
by the food of her heavenly teaching
and fired with longing for true holiness.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

St. Teresa, pray for us:
That we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.

reflection written by Fr. Emiel Albalahin, O.Carm. Used by permission via the Curia Generalizia dei Carmelitani Please visit http://www.ocarm.org/en/

The prayer offered by Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor

Audio versions of the “Interior Castle” and “The Way of Perfection” by St. Teresa of Avila

Chapter 10: The Mystical Union – Unio – How to Pray with David Torkington – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Chapter 10 – The Mystical Union – Unio

“I do not even begin to think of unity when the Trinity bathes me in its splendour. I do not even begin to think of the Trinity when unity grasps me.” – Saint Gregory of Nazianzus

It is into this Trinity of everlasting life and love that Jesus came to invite us. This is the home for which we were created and for which we yearn the more
we experience “the love that surpasses all understanding” reaching out to embrace us.

You can find the book here.

In the foreword to this new book from OSV, “How to Pray: A Practical Guide to the Spiritual Life,” Sister Wendy Beckett wrote,

Endorsement

Visit his website: www.davidtorkington.com.

FA6 – Emotions at Rest – Freedom from Anxiety with Sonja Corbitt – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

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Emotions at Rest – Episode 6 – Freedom from Anxiety with Sonja Corbitt

If thoughts are sparks of energy, emotions are currents. Emotions do not have boundaries. They cannot be controlled or ignored or silenced; they must be acknowledged and transformed, or they will resurface elsewhere, as in sickness, addiction, and historical emotions. Unaddressed emotion drives negativity and destructive behaviors and makes them circular and uncontrollable. But the Holy Spirit transforms and heals emotions. Find out how.

For other episodes in this series, visit the Discerning Hearts Sonja Corbitt page

Be sure to visit Bible StudyEvangelista webpage at: https://www.biblestudyevangelista.com

LOVE the Word™ is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice.

Listen (Receive the Word.)

O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.)

What is your greatest fear? Have you acknowledged it to yourself? To God? Does the emotion of that fear drive your behavior in some way? What do you want to say to the Lord about that?

V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.)

E | Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!)

READ THE TRANSCRIPT

Click here for a written transcript of this episode.

Visit here for more on Sonja’s “LOVE the Word” journal

Also:

SP11 – Rebuild the Church, Fall On Your Knees – In Search of the Still Point with Dr. Regis Martin – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Episode 11 – Rebuild the Church, Fall On Your Knees

IP#481 – Anthony Ryan – Saint Thérèse of Lisieux by Fr. Didier-Marie Golay on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor podcast

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With Anthony Ryan, Marketing Director for Ignatius Press, we discuss Saint Thérèse of Lisieux by Fr. Didier-Marie Golay, who is Chaplain of Lisieux and a member of the Order of Discalced Carmelites. We discuss the great saint known as the “Little Flower of Lisieux” and the members of her family, and how the witness of their lives continue to shine a light on the pathway to holiness for all of us.

From the book description:

Thérèse of Lisieux is one of the most popular modern saints in the world, but the details of her life and spirituality are still not widely known and are somewhat of a mystery even to her devoted followers.

With over 150 stunning photographs, in-depth text, and plentiful sidebars on history, geography, and themes, this gorgeous work helps us enter into the universe of “the greatest saint of modern times” to discover the simplicity, yet depth of her daily life and of her relationships, both human and spiritual.

It invites us to a personal encounter with Thérèse, who once wrote, “I am your sister, your friend; I will always watch over you.” It invites us also to discover her appealing and rich spirituality of “the little way”. Patroness of missions, Doctor of the Church, this Carmelite sister, who died at only twenty-four, has not ceased to surprise us and to spread her powerful message of love and trust across the world.

Her whole life of can be encapsulated in her poem “Living on Love”: a passionate love of Christ lived out in the everyday, in the joys and trials of life, in inner and outer sufferings. Living on love is a spiritual program for life, but to live it requires a special grace for which we must ask, especially through the intercession of the “Little Flower” of Jesus. This unique, very beautiful and moving work will inspire readers to desire to imitate St. Thérèse in “living on love”.

LST1 – Introduction – The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux with Fr. Timothy Gallagher Podcast

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BA6 - "Refuse to Accept Discouragement" - Begin Again: The Spiritual Legacy of Ven. Bruno Lanteri with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

Episode 1 – Fr. Gallagher discuss the importance of St Therese of Lisieux, who Pope St. Pius X called the most important saint of the 20th century. We discuss the significance of “letters” in revealing aspects of the saints and their relationships. In the case of St. Therese, Fr. Gallagher notices the “other centeredness” of her letters. He also sets into context the age and culture of France and how it touched the lives of the Martin family.

In this conversation, Fr. Gallagher chooses to begin with a look at the lives and letters of her canonized parents, Louis and Zélie Martin as seen through the eyes of St. Therese’s family members.
Here are some of the various texts Fr. Gallagher refers to in this episode:

St. Therese of Lisieux by Those Who Knew Her (Testimonies from the Process of Beatification)

Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus (1864-1885)

Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series “Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola”. For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org