What a delight to talk once again speak with Fr. George Rutler! This we discuss his book “The Stories of Hymns: The History Behind 100 of Christianity’s Greatest Hymns”! A gifted story teller and a devotee of great hymnody, Fr. Rutler guides us into the richness of prayer through our sacred song.
Hymns are more than beautiful musical compositions; they provide us with a heightened language for praising and speaking to God, all while teaching us theology that reflects both the depth and complexity of Our Lord.
Sacred hymns in our day have given way to “fifth-rate poetry set to fourth-rate music,” as C.S. Lewis once remarked. At times, the music used in worship can make us feel as though the culture is usurping the Church rather than being transfigured by it. There is a clear and present need to resurrect those distinctively different songs with a distinctively different vocabulary for people who want to live distinctive lives as followers of Christ.
In these pages, Fr. George William Rutler introduces and reflects upon dozens of the greatest hymns written from the earliest years of the Church through the Twentieth Century. The text and composition of each hymn is included, as well as inspiring accounts of their authors and composers, fascinating stories and historical events connected with them, and notes on the significant contributions each one made to theology and music.
Fr. Rutler has recovered here a rich musical legacy that will help us to give glory to our God who is Lord of all.
Episode 4 – Great Works in Western Literature with Joseph Pearce podcast – Oscar Wilde and “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
In true Faustian tradition, The Picture of Dorian Gray authored by Oscar Wilde tells the tale of a young man who sells his soul to the devil in return for youthful immortality, only to discover that the “devil’s bargain” is no bargain at all. “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?
When Dorian Gray is asked this question he knows the answer. He has learned his lesson the hard way and has added the destroyed lives of others into the bargain. The moral is inescapable, making The Picture of Dorian Gray more than merely a classic of Victorian literature. It is a classic of Christian literature also. Joseph Pearce can speak about the heart and mind of Oscar Wilde in a unique way, he is the author of “The Unmasking of Oscar Wilde”
Based on the Ignatius Critical Edition, this series examines, from the Judeo-Christian perspective, the life, the times, and influence of authors of great works in literature.
Joseph Pearce is currently the Writer-in-Residence and Visiting Fellow at Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in Merrimack, New Hampshire. He is also Visiting Scholar at Mount Royal Academy in Sunapee, New Hampshire. He is also Visiting Scholar at Mount Royal Academy in Sunapee, New Hampshire. He is co-editor of the Saint Austin Review (or StAR), an international review of Christian culture, literature, and ideas published in England (Family Publications) and the United States (Sapientia Press). He is also the author of many books, including literary biographies of Solzhenitsyn, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, G. K. Chesterton, and Oscar Wilde.
Episode 8 “GAUDETE ET EXSULTATE” by Pope Francis pt.2 – Why it Matters: An Exploration of Faith with Archbishop George Lucas
In this episode, Archbishop Lucas continues the conversation on various aspects of the April 2018 Apostolic Exhortation “Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice and be glad)” given to the faithful by Pope Francis. We conclude our conversation of Chapter 2, “The Two Subtle Enemies of Holiness,” with the subject of “contemporary Pelagianism.” We then discuss Chapter 3 and 4, entitled “In the Light of the Master” and “Sign’s of Holiness in Today’s World.”
63. There can be any number of theories about what constitutes holiness, with various explanations and distinctions. Such reflection may be useful, but nothing is more enlightening than turning to Jesus’ words and seeing his way of teaching the truth. Jesus explained with great simplicity what it means to be holy when he gave us the Beatitudes (cf. Mt 5:3-12; Lk 6:20-23). The Beatitudes are like a Christian’s identity card. So if anyone asks: “What must one do to be a good Christian?”, the answer is clear. We have to do, each in our own way, what Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount.[66] In the Beatitudes, we find a portrait of the Master, which we are called to reflect in our daily lives.
64. The word “happy” or “blessed” thus becomes a synonym for “holy”. It expresses the fact that those faithful to God and his word, by their self-giving, gain true happiness.
Episode 20 – Great Works in Western Literature with Joseph Pearce – G. K. Chesterton and “The Man Who Was Thursday”
“A powerful picture of the loneliness and bewilderment which each of us encounters in his single-handed struggle with the universe.”
–C. S. Lewis —
Chesterton’s own response, and riposte, to the Decadence of the 1890s can be found in his novel “The Man Who Was Thursday”. Whereas the Decadents–taking their own perverse inspiration from the dark romanticism of Byron, Shelley and Keats-had stripped the masks off reality” and discovered darkness, Chesterton stripped the masks off reality” (from the “anarchists” in his novel) and discovered light — Joseph Pearce “Ignatius Insight” May 2005
Joseph Pearce is Director of the Center for Faith and Culture and Writer in Residence at Aquinas College in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a renowned biographer whose books include his autobiography, Race with the Devil: My Journey from Racial Hatred to Rational Love (Saint Benedict Press, 2013); Candles in the Dark: The Authorized Biography of Fr. Ho Lung, Missionaries of the Poor (Saint Benedict Press, 2012), Through Shakespeare’s Eyes: Seeing the Catholic Presence in the Plays (Ignatius Press, 2010); and Tolkien: Man and Myth, a Literary Life (HarperCollins, 1998). He is the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Higher Education from Thomas More College for the Liberal Arts and also received the Pollock Award for Christian Biography. He is co-editor of the St. Austin Review and has hosted two series on Shakespeare for EWTN, as well as hosting several EWTN productions on J. R. R. Tolkien.
Roots of the Faith – From the Church Fathers to You with Mike Aquilina, makes clear that just as an acorn grows into a tree and yet remains the same plant, so the Catholic Church is a living organism that has grown from the faith of the earliest Christians into the body of Christ we know today. Hosted by Kris McGregor
Episode 3 The Mystery of Mercy with Sr. Gill Goulding C.J.
In this episode, Sr. Gill will explore the significant continuity of the centrality of mercy for Pope Francis and for his predecessors Pope Benedict XVI and Pope St John Paul II. The common resonance of their language and the scriptural depth each brings to their understanding of mercy is both illuminating and encouraging. It is also very moving to see how Pope Francis owns his indebtedness to his predecessor when he says in Evangelii Gaudium [7], “I never tire of repeating those words of Benedict XVI which take us to the very heart of the Gospel: “Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.” Both Popes reference the writings of Pope John Paul II: The joy of mercy becomes ever more evident.
Sr Gill Goulding CJ is a member of the Congregatio Jesu an order founded by Mary Ward in 1609. The Congregation has the same constitutions as the Society of Jesus. Sr Gill is Professor of Systematic Theology at Regis College, the Jesuit Graduate School of Theology at the University of Toronto. She is a member of the Theological Commission of the Conference of Religious in Canada and was appointed by the Conference of Canadian Bishops as one of two RC members of the Council of Canadian Churches. In 2012 she was honored and humbled to be appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as a theological expert to the 2012 Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization and the transmission of the Christian Faith. In 2017 Sr Gill was awarded a Henry Luce III Fellowship for a project looking at the dynamic impact of mercy on the mission of the Church. During this sabbatical year, she spent a number of months in Rome and was thrilled to meet Pope Frances and to present to him an outline of her project and to receive his blessing on her work.
Sr. Gill’s project was made possible by a grant from the Luce Foundation
To obtain a copy of the book on which this series is based visit here
“Gill Goulding, C.J. invites readers to move beyond a debilitating polarization in the Church and to adopt an ecclesiology of communion. She presents the ecclesial disposition of St Ignatius of Loyola, rooted in love for Christ, alive to the inseparable union between Christ and the Church, and aware that to love Christ is to love the Church – the real, concrete, hierarchical, “institutional” Church, the people of God, the spouse of Christ infused by His Spirit. Goulding’s love for the Church is evident in all she writes and suffuses the exposition with warmth. One cannot read this book without feeling the call to communion in the Church. A Church of Passion and Hope also serves to highlight an underemphasized part of the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises – the Rules for Thinking (sentir) with the Church – a valuable contribution to Ignatian writing and practice.” ―Fr Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V., Saint Clement Eucharistic Shrine, USA
Join us May 24 -27, 2018 for a Heaven In Faith Seminar/Retreat with Dr. Anthony Lilles in Schuyler, NE at the St. Benedict Retreat Center!!!!
Technically, we met our goal and we are full, but we are opening a few more rooms and extending registration to our special “Heaven in Faith: A spiritual retreat with St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Seminar/Retreat! We felt there might be some others being called to this unique encounter with this special saint and her mission of prayer, so we are keeping the “doors open” a little longer for those discerning their participation. Registration will now close May 10.
Click on the blue button to be taken to the registration page!
Elizabeth of the Trinity understood her mission to be to help people enter into deep prayer. A Carmelite nun, she saw self-occupation as a considerable block to prayer and said that she would help lead souls out of themselves and into God. She was convinced that once we are free of our ego – God can transform us in love. She called this transforming encounter with the Lord “the divine impact.”
With her love for the Scriptures, her devotion to the Trinity, her captivation with Christ’s salvific work – her writings are filled with helpful insights. Not everyone finds her easy to read – her flow of thought follows a musical composition rather than the rules of logic – and she is dense with quotations from the mystical tradition of the Catholic Church. Although she only lived to the age of 26, from the beginning of the Twentieth Century to today, many contemplatives have found her solid teaching helpful.
Sessions :
The seminar is addressed to those who wish to live in an atmosphere of fraternity and evangelical simplicity for a time of study, prayer, and social interaction, learning how to integrate Christian spirituality with their engagement with the world.
The sessions comprise of an initial lecture, individual silent reading on selected texts, small-group discussion and big group sharing then synthesis. The directors of the seminar initially will present the texts, and the group coordinators will guide the discussions.
The celebration of the Holy Eucharist will be offered daily. Reconciliation will be available, as well as times of Eucharistic Adoration.
Seminar Director: Dr. Anthony Lilles, S.T.D.
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.
Collaborators:
Fr. Marie-Robert Torczynski, a Carthusian monk featured in the movie “Into Great Silence.”
Kris McGregor, Executive Director/Founder of Discerning Hearts
Teresa Monaghen, A.O. Pro Sanctity Movement
Miriam Gutierrez
The Event officially begins at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 24.
It concludes on Sunday, May 27 at 2 p.m.
***IMPORTANT***
If you are flying in from another part of the country, please plan on arriving sometime on Wednesday, May 23, 2017.
We can help in making special arrangements for your accommodations and transportation to the Retreat Center due to your early arrival. Please arrange your flight to arrive by 6 p.m. Central time. Contact Patty at patty@discerninghearts.com for details.
“From Star Wars to Superman: Christ Figures in Science Fiction and Superhero Films” is outstanding! Dr. James Papandrea is an engaging writer, as well as a solid theologian, who brings the lens of faith to our viewing of the beloved genres of science fiction and superhero films. Perfect for the “discerning heart!” The book and our conversation was great fun and a fantastic thought provoker. We can’t wait for the sequel!
Batman * Captain * America * Doctor Who * The Fifth Element * I, Robot * Iron Man * LOST * The Matrix * Planet of the Apes * Pleasantville * Spider-Man * Star Trek * Star Wars * Superman * The Terminator * The Time Machine * Tron * Wonder Woman
Here you’ll read about:
The pervasive Christian imagery in Doctor Who
Star Trek s predicted “death of God”
Free-will: the stumbling block in the first Matrix
The crucifixion of Spider-Man
Why Wonder Woman is an image of a gnostic savior
The meaning of salvation in Star Wars (It masquerades as Christian)
How Superman’s life begins as a parallel of Moses.
I, Robot: the religious reason why the robot is called “Sonny”
Whether, in any Christian sense, Neo is The One?
Captain American and Iron-Man: one defends the innocent, the other brings justice to the guilty
The tomb scene in the Fifth Element: it s not the resurrection we need
Matter vs. Spirit in Tron: gnostic to the core
The anti-Christian bias of Planet of the Apes
Why the Force in Star Wars is no analogy to Grace or the Holy Spirit
The Star Wars Christ figure: Obi-Wan? Luke? Or even, ultimately, Darth Vader
What Heaven is understood to be in the LOST universe
Time travel as incarnation in The Terminator: a compelling analogy
Regeneration as resurrection in Doctor Who: Is it Christ-like?
How Pleasantville reverses the dynamism of the Fall
The baptismal significance of the plane crash in LOST
Pleasantville: a twisted version of Eden
The incarnation of the Christ-figure in Planet of the Apes
Tron’s parallels between Christianity and the Roman Empire
. . . and much more about other science fiction and superhero shows!
Episode 7 “GAUDETE ET EXSULTATE” by Pope Francis pt.1 – Why it Matters: An Exploration of Faith with Archbishop George Lucas
In this episode, Archbishop Lucas reflects on the April 2018 Apostolic Exhortation “Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice and be glad)” given to the faithful by Pope Francis. We discuss Chapter 1, entitled “The Call to Holiness” which brings us the example of the saints as role models in holiness and how we too are called this type of sanctity while responding to God’s “personal mission” for us. We also begin the conversation on Chapter 2, “The Two Subtle Enemies of Holiness,” in which his Excellency helps us to understand “contemporary Gnosticism.”
32. Do not be afraid of holiness. It will take away none of your energy, vitality or joy. On the contrary, you will become what the Father had in mind when he created you, and you will be faithful to your deepest self.To depend on God sets us free from every form of enslavement and leads us to recognize our great dignity. We see this in Saint Josephine Bakhita: “Abducted and sold into slavery at the tender age of seven, she suffered much at the hands of cruel masters. But she came to understand the profound truth that God, and not man, is the true Master of every human being, of every human life. This experience became a source of great wisdom for this humble daughter of Africa”.[30]
33. To the extent that each Christian grows in holiness, he or she will bear greater fruit for our world. The bishops of West Africa have observed that “we are being called in the spirit of the New Evangelization to be evangelized and to evangelize through the empowering of all you, the baptized, to take up your roles as salt of the earth and light of the world wherever you find yourselves”.[31]
34. Do not be afraid to set your sights higher, to allow yourself to be loved and liberated by God. Do not be afraid to let yourself be guided by the Holy Spirit. Holiness does not make you less human, since it is an encounter between your weakness and the power of God’s grace. For in the words of León Bloy, when all is said and done, “the only great tragedy in life, is not to become a saint”.[32]
Episode 6 “Baptism: Liberation and Communion” – Why it Matters: An Exploration of Faith with Archbishop George Lucas
In this episode, we continue our conversation on why baptism matters. We will discuss, among other things, the experience of exorcism contained within the rite, the blessing of the water, and the action of baptism with the invocation of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and that Trinitarian formula is matters.
1271 Baptism constitutes the foundation of communion among all Christians, including those who are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church: “For men who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in some, though imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church. Justified by faith in Baptism, [they] are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers by the children of the Catholic Church.”81 “Baptism therefore constitutes the sacramental bond of unity existing among all who through it are reborn.”82
What a delight to talk once again speak with Fr. George Rutler! This we discuss his book “The Stories of Hymns: The History Behind 100 of Christianity’s Greatest Hymns”! A gifted story teller and a devotee of great hymnody, Fr. Rutler guides us into the richness of prayer through our sacred song.
You can find the book here
Based on the Ignatius Critical Edition, this series examines, from the Judeo-Christian perspective, the life, the times, and influence of authors of great works in literature.
Episode 20 – Great Works in Western Literature with Joseph Pearce – G. K. Chesterton and “The Man Who Was Thursday”
Chesterton’s own response, and riposte, to the Decadence of the 1890s can be found in his novel “The Man Who Was Thursday”. Whereas the Decadents–taking their own perverse inspiration from the dark romanticism of Byron, Shelley and Keats-had stripped the masks off reality” and discovered darkness, Chesterton stripped the masks off reality” (from the “anarchists” in his novel) and discovered light — Joseph Pearce “Ignatius Insight” 
