Media Archives

IP#114 Michael Novak – Living the Call: An Introduction to the Lay Vocation on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Michael Novak is a shining witness of what occurs in the soul when the head makes the journey to the heart. What a gift he is to all of us and what a profound sage of wisdom…when he so gently speaks, I listen….we all should! In “Living the Call: An Introduction to the Lay Vocation,” Michael, along with his co-author William E. Simon, Jr, establishes, in Part 1, of the book, the need for the lay vocation in the Church today. They chronicle that need with a national and global perspective. They also present how “living the call” looks in the lives of nine committed lay faithful working in parish life today.

Part 2 is worth its weight in gold! It outlines the absolute necessity of growth in the interior life of the laity. How essential it is to deepen the spiritual life. They give voice to the need to appreciate the desert experiences of our lives as opportunities for greater unity with Christ; such periods provide the fonts of grace which nurtures the work in ministry. For anyone who severs in a ministry of any kind, either as an employee or as a volunteer, if you pass this indispensable book by, you do so at your peril!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:15 — 26.8MB) | Embed

Michael Novak’s website can be found here

You can find “Living the Call” here

“This is the book that countless Catholic laypeople have been waiting for as they ponder how to respond to Vatican II’s challenge to take more active roles in the life of the Church and to bring Christian principles to life in the secular world. It’s a gem of a book that speaks to laypeople in all walks of life and at all stages of their earthly journeys.”

Mary Ann Glendon, Learned Hand Professor of Law, Harvard University

DPD2 – Gratitude – The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Examen Prayer w/ Fr. Timothy Gallagher

The First Step in the Examen Prayer: Gratitude. Taking time out of the day when our hearts are free to receive the Lord’s presence. Prayer always takes two persons in relationship…ourselves and God. Then together with the Lord, we see what the gifts of love God has poured out upon us. The key in this first step, is not to look for our missteps (that may come later), but to look for the gifts and give thanks.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:46 — 25.4MB) | Embed

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 books and audio available for purchase from Fr. Timothy Gallagher check out his website: www.frtimothygallagher.org

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

ST-V14 Romans 1-4 Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran Video Podcast

“Romans 1-4” – Seeking Truth Catholic Bible Study from Discerning Hearts on Vimeo.

“True comfort comes when iniquity is pardoned.” With these words, Sharon begins the first of three lessons covering Paul’s monumental work, the book of Romans. One of the overarching themes of this book is that through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are pardoned for our sins. Paul begins his letter with the bad news: we are dying in our sins. But then, he delivers the good news: Jesus Christ provides a way out of sin. Sharon emphasizes that in order to fully understand Romans, we have to know that Paul is addressing the tension between the Jewish and Gentile Christians of Rome, explaining that righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ and not through adherence to the laws of the old covenant. Another theme of Romans is the obedience of faith, which is beautifully illustrated through the story of Abraham, whose faith continued to grow throughout his entire life. To be righteous, (that is, in right relationship with God), we must have faith in his only son, Jesus. Furthermore, Sharon teaches us of the importance of worship. When we fail to worship our Creator and, instead, worship the creation, we fall into idolatry, which invariably leads to sexual immorality.

For the audio-only version of this podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:32 — 73.5MB) | Embed

Sharon Doran serves as the teaching director of “Seeking Truth.” An experienced Bible Study teacher, Sharon has a passion for scripture that will motivate and challenge you to immerse yourself in God’s Word and apply His message to your everyday life.

“Seeking Truth” is an in-depth Catholic Bible Study, commissioned by the Archdiocese of Omaha in response to John Paul II’s call to the New Evangelization as well as Pope Benedict XVI’s exhortation for all Catholics to study scripture. To learn more go to:www.seekingtruth.net

IP#217 Pat Gohn – Blessed, Beautiful and Bodacious on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:55 — 25.6MB) | Embed

What a sheer delight to talk with Pat Gohn about “Blessed, Beautiful, and Bodacious: Celebrating the Gift of Catholic Womanhood”! This book is a tour de force of insight on the unique gift of the authentic feminine nature. Pat has an engaging writing ability which richly and warmly blends the teachings of the Church and the Saints with her personal experience and witness. She is informative, sensitive, affirming and challenging; in her you will find the best qualities of the maternal nurturing nature. Pat Gohn can be considered a trusted spiritual mentor for the seeking hearts of women. After reading this book, if a woman is ever asked “Do you believe you are a beloved daughter of God?” she will more than likely be compelled to answer beautifully and bodaciously, “YES”!

You can find the book here

Be sure to visit Pat Gohn’s wonderful website found here

“In a simple and heartfelt manner, Pat Gohn breaks open the meaning of being a woman, offering insights and encouragement from her own experience. In a world filled with messages distorting the real beauty of womanhood, Blessed, Beautiful, and Bodacious is a breath of fresh air. Inspirational, yet very practical!” —Anastasia Northrop, President of Theology of the Body International Alliance, Founder of the National Catholic Single Conference

“Pat Gohn makes a convincing argument that–contrary to most media messaging–the Catholic Church has been sharing a view of the fullness of feminine genius, strength, and beauty that is downright holistic at its well-rounded depths. Blessed, Beautiful, and Bodacious is such a perfectly-timed (and sanely, gently offered) look at the ‘being’ part of modern womanhood that I cannot help but think the Holy Spirit wants this message out!” —Elizabeth Scalia, Author of Strange Gods: Unmasking the Idols in Everyday Life

IP#221 Dr. Scott Hahn – Consuming the Word on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:58 — 26.5MB) | Embed

What a delight to be joined once again by Dr. Scott Hahn to share in a conversation about the delicious meal contained in our Sacred Scriptures. In “Consuming the Word: The New Testament and the Eucharist in the Early Church”, Dr. Hahn helps us to make an important paradigm shift in our contemplation of the Word of God. Not just words transmitted in the pages of a book, The Word is meant to be seen as an action of Love. That action is best related in the gift of the Eucharist. St. John Paul II asked Catholics to “base the New Evangelization on the Eucharist”. As Catholics, we know Christ as the Eucharistic Lord and that is how the early Church proclaimed him. Dr. Hahn reminds us that in the early Church there was no book that could be called the “New Testament”. That phrase was used to describe the Mass. Dr. Hahn will also go on to warn us of the dangers found in “intellectualizing the Bible, by recalling for us what St. Paul has said, “Knowledge puffs up, love builds up… It’s not love instead of knowledge, but knowledge ordered to love, because you can’t love what you do not know, but you can know and not love”. What an outstanding book, yet again, brought to us by Dr.Scott Hahn!

You can find the book here

“Scott Hahn has a well-earned reputation as a vivid guide to the Word of God. That skill is elegantly on display here. Consuming the Word is erudite and accessible, rich in content and lucid in style — an engaging read for anyone who seeks to better understand the profound interplay of Scripture, Liturgy and the role of the Church in Christian life.” Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Philadelphia

“With words that are both accessible and erudite, Dr. Scott Hahn introduces us anew to the Eternal Word of the New Testament, a word that is given to us, not simply as a text in a book, but as the living and real presence of the Lord Jesus himself.” Very Reverend Robert Barron, author of Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith

RC#9 The World Goes Mad – The Resilient Church /w Mike Aquilina

RC-V9 The World Goes Mad – The Resilient Church /w Mike Aquilina from Discerning Hearts on Vimeo.

Episode 9 – The World Goes Mad

Europeans were amazed by these events happening across the sea. The French especially, who were instrumental in the success of the American Revolution, were fascinated by men like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, who seemed to combine European refinement with colonial common sense. Inevitably, French intellectuals began to ask the obvious question: if it had worked in America, might it not also be possible for a European country to throw off tyranny and substitute liberty?

For the audio podcast:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:00 — 25.6MB) | Embed

Pick up a copy of Mike’s book.

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

DPD1 – “What is an “Examen” – The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Examen Prayer w/ Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts

Episode 1 Serves as an introduction to the coming series and the Examen Prayer.

Can we live with our spiritual eyes open to catch the action of God? The Examen Prayer is the one prayer St. Ignatius could not imagine doing without. You can’t stand still in the spiritual life if you are praying the Examen Prayer.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:04 — 24.8MB) | Embed

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.

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

LOH1 – Introduction – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:30 — 26.1MB) | Embed

Episode 1 – Introduction – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

From “Praying the Liturgy of the Hours,” Fr. Gallagher shares:

When we consider the potential of the Liturgy of the Hours for spiritual growth, that significance deepens beyond measure. The Liturgy of the Hours is a part of life, an experience of prayer that merits our explicit attention and reflection.

The Second Vatican Council taught with great emphasis that the Liturgy of the Hours is a prayer for the entire people of God.

For more episodes in this series visit Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours

Check out here to hear the podcast referenced here by Fr. Gallagher: IP#260 Daria Sockey – The Everyday Catholic’s Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours

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

LOH2 – Praying the Psalms – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:16 — 20.8MB) | Embed

Episode 2 – Praying the Psalms – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

From “Praying the Liturgy of the Hours,” Fr. Gallagher shares:

My psalter is my joy. —Saint Augustine

SINCE THE OLD TESTAMENT times when they were written, people of faith have loved the Psalms. Devout Jews turned to these one hundred fifty prayers in times of joy and sorrow, of peace and desperate need. Jesus knew, quoted, and prayed the Psalms; in him, the fullness of divine revelation, the Psalms acquired their deepest meaning. 1 The early Christians likewise prayed them and, when the persecutions of the first centuries ceased, gathered for this prayer in their churches.

For more episodes in this series visit Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours

Check out here to hear the podcast referenced here by Fr. Gallagher: IP#260 Daria Sockey – The Everyday Catholic’s Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours

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

LOH3 – The Theology of the Liturgy of the Hours – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:41 — 27.2MB) | Embed

Episode 3 – The Theology of the Liturgy of the Hours – Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

From “CONSTITUTION ON THE SACRED LITURGY “, Fr. Gallagher discusses:

CHAPTER IV THE DIVINE OFFICE 83. Christ Jesus, high priest of the new and eternal covenant, taking human nature, introduced into this earthly exile that hymn which is sung throughout all ages in the halls of heaven. He joins the entire community of mankind to Himself, associating it with His own singing of this canticle of divine praise.

For he continues His priestly work through the agency of His Church, which is ceaselessly engaged in praising the Lord and interceding for the salvation of the whole world. She does this, not only by celebrating the eucharist, but also in other ways, especially by praying the divine office.

84. By tradition going back to early Christian times, the divine office is devised so that the whole course of the day and night is made holy by the praises of God. Therefore, when this wonderful song of praise is rightly performed by priests and others who are deputed for this purpose by the Church’s ordinance, or by the faithful praying together with the priest in the approved form, then it is truly the voice of the bride addressed to her bridegroom; It is the very prayer which Christ Himself, together with His body, addresses to the Father.