USCCA34 – The Fourth Commandment: Strengthen Your Family – U. S. Catholic Catechism for Adults w/ Arch. George Lucas

Catholic Spiritual Formation - Catholic Spiritual Direction 3Archbishop Lucas offers insights on the US Catholic Catechism for Adults Chapter 28:

The Fourth Commandment deals with all aspects of family life—parental and filial duties and responsibilities, that is, those of love from child to parent. This includes the duties of children toward their parents, the duties of brothers and sisters toward each other, and the responsibilities of adult children toward their older parents. This Commandment also addresses the duties of government and the duties of citizens (cf. CCC, nos. 2234-2246), including the responsibility of the state and society to foster family values and to strengthen the family in every possible way..

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

The Most Reverend George J. Lucas leads the Archdiocese of Omaha.

For other episodes in the visit our Archbishop George Lucas page

This programs is based on:

More information can be found here.

We wish to thank the USCCB for the permissions granted for use of relevant material used in this series.
Also we wish to thank Bruce McGregor for his vocal talents in this episode.

St. Joseph Novena Day 3 – A Special Intention for Discerning Hearts

Would you please consider adding to your intentions, for this novena, a special intention:

“for the Spiritual and Temporal Needs for the ministry and mission of Discerning Hearts.”  

We have never before asked our listeners to join us in such a specific need for our ministry, but we now humbly ask for your help.  We believe, first and foremost, in the power of prayer. St. Teresa of Avila said that whenever she had serious needs, she looked too good St. Joseph, who never let her down.  So we follow her example at this critical time.  Thank you and God bless.

O glorious Saint Joseph,st.-joseph-12
faithful follower of Jesus Christ,
to you we raise our hearts and hands
to implore your powerful intercession
in obtaining from the benign heart of Jesus
all the helps and graces necessary
for our spiritual and temporal welfare,
particularly for the grace of a happy death
and the special favor we now request…

(State your request here.)

O guardian of the Word Incarnate,
we feel animated with confidence that your prayers
in our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God.

O glorious St. Joseph,
through the love you bear to Jesus Christ
and for the glory of His name,
hear our prayers
and obtain our petitions.

Amen.

DAY THREE

Blessed St. Joseph,
enkindle in our cold hearts a spark of your charity.
May God be always the first
and only object of our affections.
Keep our souls always in sanctifying grace and,
if we should be so unhappy as to lose it,
give us the strength to recover it immediately
by a sincere repentance.
Help us to such a love of our God
as will always keep us united to Him.

O glorious St. Joseph,
through the love you bear to Jesus Christ
and for the glory of His name,
hear our prayers
and obtain our petitions.

(State your request here…)

Amen.

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Please visit here for the entire 9-Day Novena to St. Joseph

RC#6 Crusades Abroad and at Home – The Resilient Church /w Mike Aquilina

RC-V6 Crusades Abroad and at Home – The Resilient Church /w Mike Aquilina from Discerning Hearts on Vimeo.

Episode 6– Crusades Abroad and at HomeMike Aquilina - Fathers of the Church and so much more... 5

The Church in the West had survived the fall of Rome, and now it was the most powerful institution in Western Europe. But in the East, where the Church was born, the gradual erosion of the Byzantine Empire and the constant inroads of Islam threatened the very existence of Christianity.

Didn’t the Church in the West owe something to the Christians of the East? Wasn’t it the responsibility of all Christians to come to the aid of their brothers and sisters in distress?

That was the question that launched the crusades.

In the Middle East, whose history spans thousands of years, the crusades seem as fresh as yesterday’s headlines. And the same religious feelings that fueled both sides of the medieval wars are still with us today. Jerusalem—which has never been a very large city—is still, in world politics, probably the most important spot on the globe.

Today it’s easy to portray the crusades as a simple act of Christian aggression against the innocent and bewildered Muslims; or, alternatively, as a desperate last-ditch defense of Christianity against the relentless drive of the Islamic forces. Both portrayals are wrong. There was aggression on both sides, sincere religious zeal on both sides, and a surprising amount of respect for the other on both sides. There was also simple greed and avarice on both sides, and sometimes the greed managed to pervert the religious zeal.

Aquilina, Mike (2011-07-26). The Resilient Church (Kindle Locations 848-860). Mobile Merchandise Services, LLC. Kindle Edition.

For the audio podcast:

resilient-church-1-1-1Pick up a copy of Mike’s book.

Also visit Mike’s “Discerning Hearts” page for more audio downloads and information!

St. Joseph Novena Day 2 – A Special Intention for Discerning Hearts

Would you please consider adding to your intentions, for this novena, a special intention:

“for the Spiritual and Temporal Needs for the ministry and mission of Discerning Hearts.”  

We have never before asked our listeners to join us in such a specific need for our ministry, but we now humbly ask for your help.  We believe, first and foremost, in the power of prayer. St. Teresa of Avila said that whenever she had serious needs, she looked too good St. Joseph, who never let her down.  So we follow her example at this critical time.  Thank you and God bless.

O glorious Saint Joseph,st-joseph-1-284x300
faithful follower of Jesus Christ,
to you we raise our hearts and hands
to implore your powerful intercession
in obtaining from the benign heart of Jesus
all the helps and graces necessary
for our spiritual and temporal welfare,
particularly for the grace of a happy death
and the special favor we now request…

(State your request here.)

O guardian of the Word Incarnate,
we feel animated with confidence that your prayers
in our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God.

O glorious St. Joseph,
through the love you bear to Jesus Christ
and for the glory of His name,
hear our prayers
and obtain our petitions.

Amen.

DAY TWO

O blessed Saint Joseph,
tenderhearted father,
faithful guardian of Jesus,
chaste spouse of the Mother of God,
we pray and beseech you to offer to God the Father,
His divine son,
bathed in blood on the Cross for sinners,
and through the thrice holy name of Jesus
obtain for us of the eternal Father
the favor for which we implore your intercession…

(State your request here…)

Amid the splendors of eternity,
forget not the sorrows of those who pray,
those who weep;
stay the almighty arm which smites us,
that by your prayers and those of your most holy spouse,
the Heart of Jesus may be moved to pity and to pardon.

Amen

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Please visit here for the entire 9-Day Novena to St. Joseph

BTP#15 Heaven In Faith Day 8 Prayer 1 – St. Elizabeth of the Trinity w/Dr. Anthony Lilles

Anthony-Lilles-292x300

From “Heaven in Faith: Day 8 Prayer 1” found in The Complete Works vol 1:

26. This is how the mystery of predestination, the mystery of divine election appeared to the enlightened gaze of the Apostle. “Those whom He has foreknown” Are not we of that number? Cannot God say to our soul what he once said through the voice of His prophet: “I passed by you and saw you. I saw that the time had come for you to be loved. I spread my garment over you. I swore to you to protect you, and I made a covenant with you, and you became mine.”

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

 

Catholic Devotional Prayers and Novenas - Mp3 Audio Downloads and Text 8

We would like to offer heartfelt thanks to Miriam Gutierrez for providing for us “the voice” of Blessed Elizabeth for this series

For other episodes in the series visit the Discerning Hearts page for 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 Blessed Elisabeth of the Trinity.

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St. Joseph Novena Day 1 – A Special Intention for Discerning Hearts

Would you please consider adding to your intentions for this novena, a special intention:

“for the Spiritual and Temporal Needs for the ministry and mission of Discerning Hearts.”  

We have never before asked our listeners to join us in such a specific need for our ministry, but we now humbly ask for your help.  We believe, first and foremost in the power of prayer. St. Teresa of Avila said that whenever she had serious needs, she looked too good St. Joseph, who never let her down.  So we  follow her example at this critical time.  Thank you and God bless.

St.-Joseph-258x300
O glorious Saint Joseph,
faithful follower of Jesus Christ,
to you we raise our hearts and hands
to implore your powerful intercession
in obtaining from the benign heart of Jesus
all the helps and graces necessary
for our spiritual and temporal welfare,
particularly for the grace of a happy death
and the special favor we now request…

(State your request here.)

O guardian of the Word Incarnate,
we feel animated with confidence that your prayers
in our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God.

O glorious St. Joseph,
through the love you bear to Jesus Christ
and for the glory of His name,
hear our prayers
and obtain our petitions.

Amen.

DAY ONE

O great St. Joseph,
with feelings of unlimited confidence,
we beg you to bless this novena that we begin in your honor.
“You are never invoked in vain” says the seraphic St. Theresa of Jesus.
Be you then to me
what you have been to that spouse of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
and graciously hear me as you did her.

Amen.

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

14 – The Twelfth Rule – The Discernment of Spirits /w Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV – Video Podcasts

#14 The Twelfth Rule The Discernment of Spirits /w Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV from Discerning Hearts on Vimeo.

BA6 - "Refuse to Accept Discouragement" - Begin Again: The Spiritual Legacy of Ven. Bruno Lanteri with Fr. Timothy Gallagher Episode 14 – The Twelfth Rule:

The enemy acts like a woman, in being weak against vigor and strong of will. Because, as it is the way of the woman when she is quarreling with some man to lose heart, taking flight when the man shows her much courage: and on the contrary, if the man, losing heart, begins to fly, the wrath, revenge, and ferocity of the woman is very great, and so without bounds; in the same manner, it is the way of the enemy to weaken and lose heart, his temptations taking flight, when the person who is exercising himself in spiritual things opposes a bold front against the temptations of the enemy, doing diametrically the opposite. And on the contrary, if the person who is exercising himself commences to have fear and lose heart in suffering the temptations, there is no beast so wild on the face of the earth as the enemy of human nature in following out his damnable intention with so great malice.

 

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

You can obtain just the audio podcast, if you would prefer

Chap 27 – The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus – Mp3 audio


The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus,
of the Order of Our Lady of Carmel

Chapter 27St.-Teresa-of-Avila

The Saint prays to be directed in a different way—Intellectual Visions

For the pdf containing the complete text and footnotes click here

For other chapters of the audio book visit: The Life of Teresa of Avila (autobiography) audio page

The Life
St. Teresa of Jesus,
of the Order of Our Lady of Carmel.
Written by Herself.
Translated from the Spanish by
David Lewis.
Third Edition Enlarged

RC#5 Light in the Dark Ages – The Resilient Church /w Mike Aquilina

RC-V5 Light in the Dark Ages – The Resilient Church /w Mike Aquilina from Discerning Hearts on Vimeo.

Episode 5– Light in the Dark AgesMike Aquilina - Fathers of the Church and so much more... 5

When so many Christians could only lament the ruins and fallen stones of Rome’s former glory, Gregory, Cassiodorus, Benedict, and Augustine had faith in the God who could “from these stones … raise up children to Abraham” (Luke 3:8). In a time of declining civic leadership and vanishing culture, God did indeed raise up Christians who could take those stones and build bridges so that Christians could carry the faith—and civilization—forward from one age to the next.

For the audio podcast:

resilient-church-1-1-1Pick up a copy of Mike’s book.

Also visit Mike’s “Discerning Hearts” page for more audio downloads and information!

IP#295 Fr. Robert Spitzer, S.J. – God So Loved the World pt.1 on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

In our conversation with Fr. Robert Spitzer, S.J., we enter into “God So Loved the World: Clues to Our Transcendent Fr.-Robert-SpitzerDestiny from the Revelation of Jesus“, which is the third installment of his “Happiness, Suffering, and Transcendence” series. Not only is Fr. Spitzer a brilliant theologian, but he has the heart of caring pastor who understands the needs of the questing minds of so many lost and wandering souls.  With an extraordinary grasp of philosophy, theology and cosmology, he is able to take complicated concepts and mix them with joy, beauty, and a grace-filled enthusiasm without doing damage to the subject matter.  In this volume, he addresses “What is LOVE”, “Who is LOVE”, and maybe in an even deeper way, “The why of LOVE”.  Of course we know, “God is Love”, but God as a Father?  God as a Son?  God as Holy Spirit?  How is the mind to grasp such penetrating Truth?  And more importantly, how is the heart to perceive this eternal divine mystery?

We were able to meet with Fr. Spitzer for this discussion at his offices located at the Magis Center in Garden Grove, CA.

God So Loved the WorldYou can find the book here

From the book description:

In this volume the brilliant Fr. Spitzer probes in detail the major question that if an intelligent Creator God – manifest in logical proofs, scientific evidence, and near death experiences – who is the source of our desire for the sacred, and the transcendental desires for truth, love, goodness, and beauty, would want to reveal himself to us personally and ultimately.

He then shows this is reasonable not only in light of our interior experience of a transcendent Reality, but also that a completely intelligent Reality is completely positive–implying its possession of a completely positive virtue – namely “love”, defined as agape.

This leads to the question whether God might be unconditionally loving, and if he is, whether he would want to make a personal appearance to us in a perfect act of empathy – face to face. After examining the rational evidence for this, he reviews all world religions to see if there is one that reveals such a God – an unconditionally loving God who would want to be with us in perfect empathy. This leads us to the extraordinary claim of Jesus Christ who taught that God is “Abba”, the unconditionally loving Father.

Jesus’ claims go further, saying that He is also unconditional love, and that his mission is to give us that love through an act of complete self-sacrifice. He also claims to be the exclusive Son of the Father, sent by God to save the world, and the one who possesses divine power and authority. The rest of the book does an in-depth examination of the evidence for Jesus’ unconditional love of sinners, his teachings, his miracles, and his rising from the dead. As well as the evidence for Jesus’ gift of the Holy Spirit that enabled his disciples to perform miracles in his name, and evidence for the presence of the Holy Spirit today.