Media Archives

BTP30 St. Benedict, Listening, and Discernment – Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:35 — 20.3MB) | Embed

St. Benedict, Listening, and Discernment – Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles

Dr. Lilles introduces four key concepts from St. Benedict’s Rule that are essential for deep listening and obedience to God: the search for God (quaerere Deum), sacred reading (Lectio Divina), conversion of life (conversatio morum), and living with oneself (arbitrium suum). He explains that Lectio Divina is more than a technique; it is a way of life that transforms the heart and aligns it with God’s will. This transformation leads to a deeper conversion and the ability to live peacefully with oneself, free from the distractions of the world. The series encourages listeners to prepare through prayer and attentiveness, allowing the wisdom of the saints to deepen their spiritual journey and lead to meaningful changes in their lives.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

The Significance of Saints: How do the lives and teachings of saints deepen your understanding of prayer and spirituality?
Faith and Union with God: In what ways can you seek a deeper, loving union with God in your daily life?
Discernment: How can you better discern God’s voice amidst the various influences in your life?
St. Benedict’s Rule: How can the concepts of quaerere Deum, Lectio Divina, conversatio morum, and arbitrium suum guide your spiritual journey?
Lectio Divina: How can you incorporate Lectio Divina into your daily routine to transform your heart and align with God’s will?
Conversion of Life: What steps can you take to foster a deeper conversion and live peacefully with yourself, free from worldly distractions?
Preparation through Prayer: How can you prepare yourself through prayer and attentiveness to allow the wisdom of the saints to influence your spiritual growth?

Dr. Lilles offers 4 key points we should keep in mind as we move forward in this series

The Search for God
Listening to God – Lectio Divina
Conversion to God – Conversatio Morum
Living with oneself and letting God fashion one into His image

All four points can be found in the “Holy Rule of St. Benedict” paragraph #58:

CHAPTER LVIII
Of the Manner of Admitting Brethren

Let easy admission not be given to one who newly cometh to change his life; but, as the Apostle saith, “Try the spirits, whether they be of God” (1 Jn 4:1). If, therefore, the newcomer keepeth on knocking, and after four or five days it is seen that he patiently beareth the harsh treatment offered him and the difficulty of admission, and that he persevereth in his request, let admission be granted him, and let him live for a few days in the apartment of the guests.

But afterward let him live in the apartment of novices, and there let him meditate, eat, and sleep. Let a senior also be appointed for him, who is qualified to win souls, who will observe him with great care and see whether he really seeketh God, whether he is eager for the Work of God, obedience and humiliations. Let him be shown all the hard and rugged things through which we pass on to God.

If he promiseth to remain steadfast, let this Rule be read to him in order after the lapse of two months, and let it be said to him: Behold the law under which thou desirest to combat. If thou canst keep it, enter; if, however, thou canst not, depart freely. If he still persevereth, then let him be taken back to the aforesaid apartment of the novices, and let him be tried again in all patience. And after the lapse of six months let the Rule be read over to him, that he may know for what purpose he entereth. And if he still remaineth firm, let the same Rule be read to him again after four months. And if, after having weighed the matter with himself he promiseth to keep everything, and to do everything that is commanded him, then let him be received into the community, knowing that he is now placed under the law of the Rule, and that from that day forward it is no longer permitted to him to wrest his neck from under the yoke of the Rule, which after so long a deliberation he was at liberty either to refuse or to accept.

Let him who is received promise in the oratory, in the presence of all, before God and His saints, stability, the conversion of morals, and obedience, in order that, if he should ever do otherwise, he may know that he will be condemned by God “Whom he mocketh.” Let him make a written statement of his promise in the name of the saints whose relics are there, and of the Abbot there present. Let him write this document with his own hand; or at least, if he doth not know how to write, let another write it at his request, and let the novice make his mark, and with his own hand place it on the altar. When he hath placed it there, let the novice next begin the verse: “Uphold me, O Lord, according to Thy word and I shall live; and let me not be confounded in my expectations” (Ps 118[119]:116). Then let all the brotherhood repeat this verse three times, adding the Gloria Patri.

The let that novice brother cast himself down at the feet of all, that they may pray for him; and from that day let him be counted in the brotherhood. If he hath any property, let him first either dispose of it to the poor or bestow it on the monastery by a formal donation, reserving nothing for himself as indeed he should know that from that day onward he will no longer have power even over his own body.

Let him, therefore, be divested at once in the oratory of the garments with which he is clothed, and be vested in the garb of the monastery. But let the clothes of which he was divested by laid by in the wardrobe to be preserved, that, if on the devil’s suasion he should ever consent to leave the monastery (which God forbid) he be then stripped of his monastic habit and cast out. But let him not receive the document of his profession which the Abbot took from the altar, but let it be preserved in the monastery.

For other episodes in the series visit the Discerning Hearts page for Dr. Anthony Lilles

Anthony Lilles, S.T.D., has served the Church and assisted in the formation of clergy and seminarians since 1994. Before coming to St. Patrick’s, he served at seminaries and houses of formation in the Archdiocese of Denver and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The son of a California farmer, married with young adult children, holds a B.A. in theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville with both the ecclesiastical licentiate and doctorate in spiritual theology from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome (the Angelicum). An expert in the writings of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity and the Carmelite Doctors of the Church, he co-founded the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation and the High Calling Program for priestly vocations. He also founded the John Paul II Center for Contemplative Culture, which hosts symposiums, retreats, and conferences. In addition to his publications, he blogs at www.beginningtopray.com .

“Put Christ before everything”- St. Benedict of Nursia from the Office of Readings

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 4:17 — 2.9MB) | Embed

St Benedict of Nursia, abbot
Put Christ before everything

From the Holy Rule
(Prologus 4-22; cap. 72, 1-12: CSEL 75, 2-5, 162-163)

Whenever you begin any good work you should first of all make a most pressing appeal to Christ our Lord to bring it to perfection; that he, who has honored us by counting us among his children, may never be grieved by our evil deeds. For we must always serve him with the good things he has given us in such a way that he may never, as an angry father disinherits his sons or even like a master who inspires fear, grow impatient with our sins and consign us to everlasting punishment, like wicked servants who would not follow him to glory.

So we should at long last rouse ourselves, prompted by the words of Scripture: Now is the time for us to rise from sleep. Our eyes should be open to the God-given light, and we should listen in wonderment to the message of the divine voice as it daily cries out: Today, if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts; and again: If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. And what does the Spirit say? Come my sons, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Hurry, while you have the light of life, so that death’s darkness may not overtake you.

And the Lord as he seeks the one who will do his work among the throng of people to whom he makes that appeal, says again: Which of you wants to live to the full; who loves long life and the enjoyment of prosperity? And, if when you hear this you say, I do, God says to you: If you desire true and everlasting life, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceit; turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. And when you have done these things my eyes will be upon you and my ears will be attentive to your prayers; and before you call upon my name I shall say to you: Behold, I am here. What could be more delightful, dearest brothers, than the voice of our Lord’s invitation to us? In his loving kindness he reveals to us the way of life.

And so, girded with faith and the performance of good works, let us follow in his paths by the guidance of the Gospel; then we shall deserve to see him who has called us into his kingdom. If we wish to attain a dwelling-place in his kingdom we shall not reach it unless we hasten there by our good deeds.

Just as there exists an evil fervor, a bitter spirit, which divides us from God and leads us to hell, so there is a good fervor which sets us apart from evil inclinations and leads us toward God and eternal life. Monks should put this fervor into practice with an overflowing love: that is, they should surpass each other in mutual esteem, accept their weaknesses, either of body or of behavior, with the utmost patience; and vie with each other in acceding to requests. No one should follow what he considers to be good for himself, but rather what seems good for another. They should display brotherly love in a chaste manner; fear God in a spirit of love; revere their abbot with a genuine and submissive affection. Let them put Christ before all else; and may he lead us all to everlasting life.

COLLECT
O God, who made the Abbot Saint Benedict
an outstanding master in the school of divine service,
grant, we pray,
that, putting nothing before love of you,
we may hasten with a loving heart
in the way of your commands.
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. Bonaventure Novena – Day 6 – Discerning Hearts podcast

St. Bonaventure Novena – Day 6

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:15 — 5.1MB) | Embed

DC35 St. Bonaventure pt. 2 – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom w/ Dr. Matthew Bunson

St. Bonaventure you have said:

The Blessed Virgin brought forth that price by the holiness of Her prompt obedience. As everlasting foundations upon a solid rock, so the commandments of God in the heart of a woman.To found the Church, it was necessary to lay a foundation, namely, the commandments of God, and to place them in the heart of some person. This could be none but the Virgin…the One who was obedient. Thus, the commandments were rooted in Her heart. Blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it. Not only is the Virgin blessed, but all who follow Her as well. And who are these? All who hear the word of God and fulfill it.

Dear St. Bonaventure
Cardinal, Bishop and Doctor of the Church,
you chose a life that embraced mortification and great humiliation.
Choosing to serve those individuals who were rejected and sick you risked illness for yourself.
You made your life a continuous prayer and spent hours meditating on the wounds of Christ.
Please pray for us that we may have a sincere and humble heart.
Pray that we may not lose sight of Jesus’ wounds and thus walk on the straight path to eternal salvation.

All-powerful Father,
may we who celebrate the feast of St. Bonaventure
always benefit from his wisdom
and follow the example of his love.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

BTP-L9 – Letter 185 – The Letters of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity – Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:15 — 30.5MB) | Embed

Letter 185 – The Letters of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity – Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles

Dr. Anthony Lilles and Kris McGregor discuss a significant letter from St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, written on November 28, 1903, to her brother-in-law. At this point, St. Elizabeth has been in the Carmelite order for about two years, emerging from a difficult postulancy and undergoing intense spiritual trials.

The discussion highlights how St. Elizabeth is influenced by the writings of St. Thérèse of Lisieux and St. John of the Cross, which profoundly shape her spiritual journey. St. Thérèse’s “Story of a Soul” deeply impacts Elizabeth, offering guidance and support during her dark night of the soul. Elizabeth integrates Thérèse’s teachings, particularly the “little way” of spiritual childhood, into her own spiritual practice, finding solace and strength in these principles.

St. John of the Cross also significantly influences Elizabeth, especially his doctrines on the dark night and the indwelling of the Trinity. Elizabeth quotes his teachings, emphasizing the transformative power of the Trinity’s presence within the soul. She views her spiritual trials as a path to deeper mystical union with God, embracing the vulnerability and surrender required to navigate this dark night.

The letter reflects Elizabeth’s profound contemplative insights as she describes her mystical experiences and aspirations. She expresses a desire to respond to God’s love by living in profound unity with the Trinity, akin to the Blessed Virgin Mary’s example of pondering divine mysteries in her heart. Elizabeth’s reflections underscore the importance of spiritual reading, prayer, and the guidance of saints in her spiritual formation.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

Elizabeth’s Spiritual Growth and Suffering: Reflect on how Elizabeth’s trials during her postulancy deepened her faith and led to a greater spiritual maturity.
Influence of St. Thérèse of Lisieux: Consider how reading “The Story of a Soul” influenced Elizabeth’s spirituality and helped her navigate her own dark night.
Role of Spiritual Reading: How can spiritual reading, like Elizabeth’s engagement with St. Thérèse and St. John of the Cross, aid in our own spiritual formation and growth?
Dark Night of the Spirit: What lessons can we learn from Elizabeth’s perseverance and faith during her dark night, and how can we apply these lessons to our own spiritual trials?
Mystery of the Trinity: Reflect on Elizabeth’s profound understanding of the indwelling of the Trinity and how this mystery can become a source of strength and transformation in our own lives.
Mary as a Model: How can we, like Elizabeth, look to the Blessed Virgin Mary as a model for pondering and accepting the mysteries of God in our hearts?
Vocation and the Trinity: In what ways does Elizabeth’s vocation as a Carmelite nun illustrate the universal call to live within the love of the Holy Trinity?
Living Out Our Faith: How does Elizabeth’s determination to live out her faith in every circumstance challenge and inspire us to do the same in our own lives?
Communion with the Trinity: How can we foster a deeper communion with the Trinity in our daily lives, following Elizabeth’s example of contemplation and prayer?
Spiritual Solidarity: Reflect on Elizabeth’s prayers and intentions for her correspondents, and how we too can support and uplift others through our own spiritual practices.

Letter 185

[November 28, 1903]
Dijon Carmel,
November 28

J. M. + J. T.

“Ipsi sum desponsata cui Angeli serviunt.” Monsieur l’Abbé, Thank you for your good prayers, thank you for your letter. What you tell me about my name does me much good; I love it so much, it expresses my entire vocation; when I think of it my soul is carried away in the great vision of the Mystery of mysteries, in the Trinity that even here below is our cloister, our dwelling, the Infinite within which we can pass through everything. At the moment I am reading some very beautiful pages in our blessed Father Saint John of the Cross on the transformation of the soul in the three Divine Persons. Monsieur l’Abbé, to what an abyss of glory we are called! Oh! I understand the silence, the recollection of the saints who could no longer leave their contemplation; thus God could lead them to the divine summits where union is made perfect between Him and the soul who has become His bride, in the mystical sense of the word. Our blessed Father says that then the Holy Spirit raises it to so wonderful a height that He makes it capable of producing in God the same spiration of love that the Father produces in the Son and the Son in the Father, the spiration that is the Holy Spirit Himself ! To think that God calls us by our vocation to live in this holy light! What an adorable mystery of charity! I would like to respond to it by living on earth as the Blessed Virgin did, “keeping all these things in my heart,”6 burying myself, so to speak, in the depths of my soul to lose myself in the Trinity who dwells in it in order to transform me into itself. Then my motto, “my luminous ideal,” as you said, will be accomplished: it will really be Elizabeth of the Trinity! . . .

I am very grateful to you for having sent me your instruction; it can apply to a Carmelite as well as to a priest, and I loved reading it on the 21st, the day we had the beautiful ceremony of the renewal of our holy vows. You see how perfectly it suited the occasion!

Monday I will say the Office of Saint Andrew for you, and I will offer Holy Communion for that same intention. May you be submerged, invaded by the great river of Life, may you feel the springs of living water well up from the deepest part of your soul, so that God may be your All. I have entrusted this desire you formed in my soul into the hands of her who was so completely God’s “thing,” and she will speak to you in the silence of your soul. With you, I remain wholly adoring the Mystery.

Sr. M. Eliz. of the Trinity r.c.i.

The death of Monsieur Chapuis grieved me deeply: to think God has loved so much and that some souls close themselves off to the action of this love. . . .

Catez, Elizabeth of the Trinity. The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity volume 2: Letters from Carmel (pp. 135-137). ICS Publications. Kindle Edition.

We would like to thank Miriam Gutierrez for providing “the voice” of St. Elizabeth for this series

For other episodes in the series visit the Discerning Hearts page for Dr. Anthony Lilles

St. Bonaventure Novena – Day 5 – Discerning Hearts podcast

St. Bonaventure Novena – Day 5

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:31 — 1.7MB) | Embed

St. Bonaventure you have said:

“Christ is both the way and the door. Christ is the staircase and the vehicle, like the throne of mercy over the Ark of the Covenant, and the mystery hidden from the ages. A man should turn his full attention to this throne of mercy, and should gaze at him hanging on the cross, full of faith, hope and charity, devoted, full of wonder and joy, marked by gratitude, and open to praise and jubilation. Then such a man will make with Christ a pasch, that is, a passing-over. Through the branches of the cross he will pass over the Red Sea, leaving Egypt and entering the desert. There he will taste the hidden manna, and rest with Christ in the sepulcher, as if he were dead to things outside. He will experience, as much as is possible for one who is still living, what was promised to the thief who hung beside Christ: Today you will be with me in paradise.”

PSM5 – The Marian Mystery and the Liturgy – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:55 — 24.1MB) | Embed

Episode 5 – The Marian Mystery and the Liturgy – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg Ph.D.

Dr. David Fagerberg and Kris McGregor delve into the Blessed Virgin Mary’s role within Liturgy. Kris shares her personal relationship with Mary, describing her as a tender and guiding mother figure, contrasting this with her relationship with God the Father, which she feels lacks the same emotional warmth but is deeper. They explore C.S. Lewis’s reassurance that love for imagined figures, like Aslan, does not compete with love for Jesus, highlighting how God works through our imaginations. This leads to a discussion on the different types of veneration in Catholicism: dulia for saints, hyperdulia for Mary, and latria for God alone, with Mary exemplifying the church’s path to glorifying God through liturgy.

They also discuss Marian apparitions, noting their role in leading the faithful to the Eucharist and liturgy, with McGregor emphasizing the Eucharist’s centrality. Pope Paul VI’s “Marialis Cultus” is referenced, highlighting Mary as a model for Christians in the liturgy, exemplifying the attentive Virgin, the Virgin in prayer, the Virgin Mother, and the Virgin presenting offerings. Fagerberg stresses that Mary is not a replacement for Christ but a masterpiece of grace, leading the church to glorify God.

Here are some of the topics explored in this episode:

What is the relationship between Mary and the liturgy of the Church?
What is Liturgical Dogma?
Why is dogma important?
What is the authentic nature of “full and active participation”?

From the discussion with Dr. Fagerberg:

“There’s a relationship between Mary and the liturgy. She’s the model of the spiritual attitude with which the church celebrates and lives. The divine mysteries, any names for Mary is the attentive Virgin. She’s the Virgin in prayer. She’s the Virgin Mother and the Virgin presenting offerings. What do we do in liturgy? This is what Paul VI goes through. In this document, we seek to be attentive, to offer a prayer, to be the maternal church that gathers the world under the wings and heals its sufferings and presents offerings. Mary is a model of a spiritual attitude, which every Christian should have when he or she celebrates and lives the divine mysteries. So she’s not a replacement of the mystery. She’s the model for how we live and express those mysteries.

More taken from the discussion:

The words which are vehicles for Spirit are revelatory in Scripture, but they’re dogmatic in other forms. And dogmas are words, and you have to use the right words. The doctor is writing the prescription for you. He can’t prescribe arsenic instead of aspirin, it matters which words he writes down on the pad. It matters what terms we use in our dogma. And that’s why the Church argues over these things. You have to have the wording just right. As Chesterton has said, the Church is a lion tamer, and she’s running with tigers and lions and dragons. And everything has to be just right in order to keep the balance. One wrong slip of words, Chesterton finishes, and all the stained glass would be broken and all the Christmas trees destroyed. Yeah. As it happened, when we goofed up our understanding of the sacramentality of the church, broke windows, and whitewashed the art, you have to be very careful in how you prescribe it.

We prefer to have a kind of loosey-goosey why can’t we just say, be healthy? Why do we have to have doctors and med school and big medical manuals? Well, because it matters how strong a dose you prescribe. You have to argue about this. And sometimes the arguments have to go on for 300 years before we pinned down our correct definition of transubstantiation in order to make sense out of reality and symbol…John Carbone, again in his book, Wellspring of Worship writes The Virgin Mary is the Church as it dawns in a single person. Let’s see who knew that? Oh yeah. Second Vatican Council Lumen Gentium, the document on the Church. How should we end this with a chapter on Mary? Mary is the Church as it dawns in a single person.”

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

Personal Relationship with Mary: How can you deepen your personal relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary and see her as a tender and guiding mother figure?
Understanding Different Types of Veneration: How does understanding the distinctions between dulia, hyperdulia, and latria help you in your spiritual practice?
Role of Marian Apparitions: In what ways do Marian apparitions lead you closer to the Eucharist and the liturgy?
Eucharistic Centrality: How can you ensure the Eucharist remains the central focus of your faith and spiritual practice?
Imagination in Faith: How does God work through your imagination to deepen your faith and love for Him?
Marian Model in Liturgy: How can you emulate Mary as a model in your liturgical practice, particularly in her roles as the attentive Virgin, the Virgin in prayer, the Virgin Mother, and the Virgin presenting offerings?
Mary and Grace: How does viewing Mary as a masterpiece of grace help you in your own journey to glorify God?

For more podcast episodes of this series visit the Pathways to Sacred Mysteries w/Dr. David Fagerberg page

David W. Fagerberg is Professor in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He holds masters degrees from Luther Northwestern Seminary, St. John’s University (Collegeville), Yale Divinity School, and Yale University. His Ph.D. is from Yale University in liturgical theology.

Fagerberg’s work has explored how the Church’s lex credendi (law of belief) is founded upon the Church’s lex orandi (law of prayer). This was expressed in Theologia Prima (Hillenbrand Books, 2003). He has integrated into this the Eastern Orthodox understanding of asceticism by considering its role in preparing the liturgical person. This was treated in On Liturgical Asceticism (Catholic University Press, 2013). And these two themes come together in Consecrating the World: On Mundane Liturgical Theology (Angelico Press, 2016).

He also has an avocation in G. K. Chesterton, having published Chesterton is Everywhere (Emmaus Press, 2013) and The Size of Chesterton’s Catholicism (University of Notre Dame, 1998).

Here are a few of Dr. Fagerberg’s books:

St. Bonaventure Novena – Day 4 – Discerning Hearts podcast

St. Bonaventure Novena – Day 4

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:58 — 4.5MB) | Embed

St. Bonaventure you have said:

I confess before God that what made me love Saint Francis’ way of life so much was that it is exactly like the origin and the perfection of the Church itself, which began first with simple fishermen and afterward developed to include the most illustrious and learned doctors. You find the same thing in the Order of Saint Francis; in this way God reveals that it did not come about through human calculations but through Christ.

DPD5 – Journeying with the Examen Prayer – The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Examen Prayer with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:06 — 18.7MB) | Embed

Journeying with the Examen Prayer – The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Examen Prayer with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

Fr. Timothy Gallagher and Kris McGregor discuss the third step of the Examen prayer, which is the review of one’s day. Fr. Gallagher explains that the term “examen” comes from the Spanish word for examination, and he refers to this step as “review.” This involves looking back over the day to see where God was present and where the enemy tried to lead one astray. The goal is to develop “eyes of faith” that are vigilant and can recognize the action of God and the enemy in daily life.

Fr. Gallagher uses a reflective example of “Susan,” a composite character from his experiences. Susan has been attending daily Mass for six months and incorporates the Examen into her routine. One day, after Mass, she feels deep spiritual consolation, realizing that attending daily Mass has brought her closer to God and improved her patience and availability to others. This reinforces her commitment to the practice. On another day, Susan experiences spiritual desolation, feeling distant from God and lacking energy for spiritual activities. Despite this, she gets herself to Mass, albeit late. In her review, she identifies this as an instance of the enemy’s tactic to discourage her and recognizes the importance of being faithful to her spiritual commitments.

The Examen helps one become more aware of spiritual consolations and desolations, allowing for growth and a deeper understanding of God’s grace and the enemy’s tactics. This practice, combined with knowledge of St. Ignatius’ rules for the discernment of spirits, enriches one’s spiritual life.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

Understanding the Purpose of the Examen: How does the Examen prayer help us see the action of the Lord and the enemy in our daily lives?
Spiritual Consolation and Desolation: Can you identify moments of spiritual consolation and desolation in your recent experiences, and how did you respond to them?
Practicing Discernment: What steps can you take to incorporate the daily review of spiritual experiences into your prayer routine?
The Impact of Daily Mass: How has attending daily Mass influenced your spiritual life and relationship with God?
Responding to Desolation: When facing spiritual desolation, what strategies can you employ to remain faithful to your spiritual commitments?
The Role of Forgiveness: How does asking for God’s forgiveness daily affect your sense of spiritual growth and personal peace?
Recognizing the Enemy’s Tactics: Are there specific times or situations where you find it challenging to stick to your spiritual plans, and how can you better recognize and counteract these tactics?
The Joy of Forgiveness: Reflect on a time when you felt profound joy after experiencing God’s forgiveness; how did this affect your spiritual journey?
Living the Ordinary with Awareness: How can you bring greater spiritual awareness to the seemingly ordinary events of your day?
Applying Ignatian Principles: How familiar are you with St. Ignatius’ rules for discernment of spirits, and how can you apply them to deepen your practice of the Examen?

As outlined from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola

(translated from the autograph by Fr. E. Mullan, S.J. 1909 in the public domain)

METHOD FOR MAKING THE GENERAL EXAMEN
It contains in it five Points.

First Point. The first Point is to give thanks to God our Lord for the benefits received.
Second Point. The second, to ask grace to know our sins and cast them out.
Third Point. The third, to ask account of our soul from the hour that we rose up to the present Examen, hour by hour, or period by period: and first as to thoughts, and then as to words, and then as to acts, in the same order as was mentioned in the Particular Examen.
Fourth Point. The fourth, to ask pardon of God our Lord for the faults.
Fifth Point. The fifth, to purpose amendment with His grace.

OUR FATHER.

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

For the other episodes in this series check out Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s “Discerning Hearts” page

St. Bonaventure Novena Day 3 – Discerning Hearts podcasts

St. Bonaventure Novena Day 3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:12 — 5.0MB) | Embed

St. Bonaventure you have said:

In beautiful things St. Francis saw Beauty itself, and through His vestiges imprinted on creation he followed his Beloved everywhere, making from all things a ladder by which he could climb up and embrace Him who is utterly desirable. If you desire to know … ask grace, not instruction; desire, not understanding; the groaning of prayer, not diligent reading; the Spouse, not the teacher; God, not man; darkness not clarity; not light, but fire that totally inflames and carries us into God by ecstatic unctions and burning affections.

Sunday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:00 — 5.6MB) | Embed

Sunday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast

As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all 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. Mark 6:1-6

Jesus went to his home town and his disciples accompanied him. With the coming of the sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue and most of them were astonished when they heard him. They said, ‘Where did the man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been granted him, and these miracles that are worked through him? This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joset and Jude and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here with us?’ And they would not accept him. And Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country, among his own relations and in his own house’; and he could work no miracle there, though he cured a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.

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 went to his home town and his disciples accompanied him. With the coming of the sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue and most of them were astonished when they heard him. They said, ‘Where did the man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been granted him, and these miracles that are worked through him? This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joset and Jude and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here with us?’ And they would not accept him. And Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country, among his own relations and in his own house’; and he could work no miracle there, though he cured a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.

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 went to his home town and his disciples accompanied him. With the coming of the sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue and most of them were astonished when they heard him. They said, ‘Where did the man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been granted him, and these miracles that are worked through him? This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joset and Jude and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here with us?’ And they would not accept him. And Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country, among his own relations and in his own house’; and he could work no miracle there, though he cured a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.

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. Benedict, Listening, and Discernment – Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

Dr. Lilles offers 4 key points we should keep in mind as we move forward in this series

All four points can be found in the “Holy Rule of St. Benedict” paragraph #58:

St Benedict of Nursia, abbot Put Christ before everything

St. Bonaventure Novena – Day 6

Letter 185 – The Letters of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity – Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

Letter 185

St. Bonaventure Novena – Day 5

Episode 5 – The Marian Mystery and the Liturgy – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg Ph.D.

Here are some of the topics explored in this episode:

From the discussion with Dr. Fagerberg:

More taken from the discussion:

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

For more podcast episodes of this series visit the Pathways to Sacred Mysteries w/Dr. David Fagerberg page

Here are a few of Dr. Fagerberg’s books:

St. Bonaventure Novena – Day 4

Journeying with the Examen Prayer – The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Examen Prayer with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

As outlined from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola

St. Bonaventure Novena Day 3

Sunday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast

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 Benedict of Nursia, abbot
Put Christ before everything