Media Archives

IP#215 Joseph Pearce – Candles in the Dark on Inside the Pages

Joseph Pearce is one of my all time favorite writers!!! What a joy to speak to him about “Candles in the Dark: The Authorized Biography of Fr. Richard Ho Lung and the Missionaries of the Poor”. Fr. Ho Lung is a fascinating figure: poet, teacher, mystic, and musician (reggae, no less). The child of Chinese Buddhist immigrants, this Jamaican priest is the founder of one of the fastest-growing religious orders in the world, whose mission is to serve the poorest of the poor. With all those elements found in his story, Joseph Pearce, once again, paints an incredibly compelling portrait. As demonstrated in his numerous other biographies, which include the lives of Oscar Wilde, J.R.R Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, G. K. Chesterton and others (my favorite is “Old Thunder” on the life of Hilaire Belloc), Joseph captures the passion found in the heart of his subject. This work is highly recommended!

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You can find the book here

From the book description:

Pearce takes us from his childhood in Jamaica, the son of impoverished Chinese immigrants, to his education and ordination as a Jesuit priest. He shows us the glamour of Fr. Ho Lung’s life as a celebrity musician, and the deadly danger of missionary work in Kingston s grittiest ghettos. He tells the story of one who has ascended the heights of worldly success, descended into the depths of suffering and discovered a joy there that none can take away.

In the tradition of Malcolm Muggeridge s classic documentary of Mother Teresa,Something Beautiful for God,Candles in the Dark takes us to a place of unimaginable poverty…and shows us the joy that comes from sacrifice, the irresistible attractiveness of holiness, and the power of God still at work in the world today.

IP#214 Dr. Benjamin Wiker – Worshipping the State on Inside the Pages

Dr. Benjamin Wiker once again brings to us a fascinating, well-researched, and informative historical review of the multiple factors which have brought us to the rise of “secular liberalism” in the United States. This is not book about political parties, but rather the overall mindset that has infected every fabric of our society. He demonstrates the interplay between ideas and events. By looking at the teachings of certain influential philosophers (Machiavelli, Hobbes, Spinoza, Rousseau, and Locke) he demonstrates the “step-by-step” descent which has led us to point where various aspects of our culture lift up the “belief of unbelief”, a strange paradox which ultimately undermines the integrity of the moral life of a society. Dr. Wiker is delightfully engaging to talk with. I always look forward to reading his books…over and over again.

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You can find the book here

“Benjamin Wiker’s book is the most forthright and unblinking analysis yet published of the ubiquitous assault on religion in American society. Not only every religious believer but every believer in religious liberty should read it.’

James Hitchcock, Professor of History, St. Louis University and author of What is Secular Humanism?, The Recovery of the Sacred, and The Supreme Court and Religion in American Life.

IP#208 Dr. Matthew Bunson – Pope Francis on Inside the Pages

Yet another very special conversation with good friend and Discerning Hearts contributor, Dr. Matthew Bunson about his new book “Pope Francis”. He once again demonstrates why he is one of our leading Church historians! No one articulates a moment with more grace and vision, than Dr. Bunson. More than just a “biography” of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina (which is offered beautifully in this volume), he places, in context, the extraordinary events and emotions leading to the election of the 265th successor of St. Peter…Pope Francis. The who, what, where, why and how are offered in vivid compelling detail. From the moment of Pope Benedict XVI’s earth shaking resignation and its implications, to the Holy Spirit led deliberations of the Cardinals, Dr. Bunson masterfully sets the stage for the first presentation to the world of Pope Francis on the loggia of St. Peter’s. We get the first in-depth look at the life and times of this “son of St. Ignatius”, the challenges, controversies, triumphs of his life thus far, and what we might expect given Bergoglio’s response to his election as the “bishop of Rome”. Matthew Bunson is a joy to read…don’t miss this definitive account of this truly remarkable story.

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You can find the book here

From the book description:

Get inside access to the entire history-making event, from the startling resignation of Pope Benedict through the gathering of Cardinals for the Conclave and the installation of this Pope of the people.

Examine Pope Francis the man – his background, his ideas, his mission, and his challenges and opportunities as our new pope – including 16 pages of full color photos from Pope Francis’ past and present.

“I want to ask you to walk together, and take care of one another …We need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others.” Pope Francis

“O humdrum days, filled with darkness…” a reflection w/ Dr. Anthony Lilles – Discerning Hearts

Dr. Anthony Lilles offers us a tremendous reflection based on a particular passage found in St. Faustina’s diary, #1373. He shares what it meant when she wrote it in the context of the world in 1937, and what it now means in the world in 2013. But more than that, he helps us to see how we can live this out in our everyday lives.

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From the Diary of St. Faustina:

1373 O humdrum days, filled with darkness, I look upon you with a solemn and festive eye.

This is the scene Dr. Lilles refers to in is talk.

1377 November 5. This morning, five unemployed men came to the gate and insisted on being let in. When Sister N. had argued with them for quite a while and could not make them go away, she then came to the chapel to find Mother [Irene], who told me to go. When I was still a good way from the gate I could hear them banging loudly. At first, I was overcome with doubt and fear, and I did not know whether to open the gate or, like Sister N., to answer them through the little window. But suddenly I heard a voice in my soul saying, Go and open the gate and talk to them as sweetly as you talk to Me. I opened the gate at once and approached the most menacing of them and began to speak to them with such sweetness and calm that they did not know what to do with themselves. And they too began to speak gently and said, “Well, it’s too bad that the convent can’t give us work.” And they went away peacefully. I felt clearly that Jesus, whom I had received in Holy Communion just an hour before, had worked in their hearts through me. Oh, how good it is to act under God’s inspiration!

The opening prayer from St. Faustina’s diary #1411 offered by Dr. Lilles:

O Divine Spirit, Spirit of truth and of light,
Dwell ever in my soul by Your divine grace.
May Your breath dissipate the darkness,
And in this light may good deeds be multiplied.
O Divine Spirit, Spirit of love and of mercy,
Who pour the balm of trust into my heart,
Your grace confirms my soul in good,
Giving it the invincible power of constancy.
O Divine Spirit, Spirit of peace and of joy,
You invigorate my thirsting heart
And pour into it the living fountain of God’s love,
Making it intrepid for battle.
O Divine Spirit, my soul’s most welcome guest,
For my part, I want to remain faithful to You;
Both in days of joy and in the agony of suffering,
I want always, O Spirit of God, to live in Your presence.
O Divine Spirit, who pervade my whole being
And give me to know Your Divine Threefold Life,
Initiating me into Your Divine Essence,
Thus united to You, I will live a life without end.

IP#207 Sr. Janice McGrane – Saints for Healing On on Inside the Pages

Sr.-Janice-McGrane It was a delight to once again talk with Sr. Janice McGrane S. S. J., this time about her book “Saints for Healing: Stories of Courage and Hope”. In this, her second book, she offers a short biography of the lives of 11 saints, their background on relevant cultural issues, and a reflection. Each saint has a special connection to “healing”…some are expected, some are a wonderful surprise. Sr. Janice has introduced us to special companions who can walk with us on the journey to our ultimate destination….an encounter with the Divine Physician. Marvelous, simply marvelous.

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For a copy of the book

From the book description:

With grace and insight, McGrane tells us also about healing that occurs on a larger scale: Joan of Arc healed the morale of France in its most dire hour, Edith Stein and Maximilian Kolbe offered comfort and consolation in the midst of the horror of Auschwitz, Henriette DeLille transceneded the racism of her time to minister with slaves, Hildegard of Bingen shared her knowledge of herbs to heal others, Catherine of Siena helped repair a divided and corrupt church, Damien ministered to the lepers of Molokai. These stories and those about Teresa of Avila, Dorothy Day, Mother Teresa, Archbishop Romero, and Fr. Mychal Judge lead us to these healing saints for compaionship and inspiration when we, too, hurt.

My Nature is Fire – Prayer of St. Catherine of Siena

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My Nature Is Fire

In your nature, eternal Godhead,
I shall come to know my nature.
And what is my nature, boundless love?
It is fire,
because you are nothing but a fire of love.
And you have given humankind
a share in this nature,
for by the fire of love you created us.
And so with all other people
and every created thing;
you made them out of love.
O ungrateful people!
What nature has your God given you?
His very own nature!
Are you not ashamed to cut yourself off from such a noble thing
through the guilt of deadly sin?
O eternal Trinity, my sweet love!
You, light, give us light.
You, wisdom, give us wisdom.
You, supreme strength, strengthen us.
Today, eternal God,
let our cloud be dissipated
so that we may perfectly know and follow your Truth in truth,
with a free and simple heart.
God, come to our assistance!
Lord, make haste to help us!

Amen.

IP#206 Sharon Doran – “The Bible” on an Inside the Pages Special

With “Seeking Truth” founder and teaching director, Sharon Doran, we take a critical look at the History Channel presentation of “The Bible”, produced by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett. While we appreciate the opportunity to have the Bible lifted up in such a way on cable television, this presentation, and in particular the episode entitled “The Mission”, contains some problematic elements which subtly challenge basic tenets of our Catholic Christian understanding of the Gospel. The argument has been made that artistic license needed to be employed to present the scope of the Bible in 10 hours, however certain choices were made by it’s producers which could be questioned by the discerning heart. Also, several prominent Catholic leaders have encouraged the viewing of this presentation. Should we being viewing it as a means of Evangelization or as simply a piece of entertainment? Is there a danger in using this as tool in Catholic catechesis? With Sharon, along with our Bibles in hand, we address some these questions and take a deeper look at some of the more challenging depictions presented in “The Mission” episode.

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For solid teachings on the Sacred Scripture, we encourage you to check out “Seeking Truth” which 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

The Strength of Discernment – What is Spiritual Direction?

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Catholic Spiritual Formation - Catholic Spiritual Direction

Msgr. Esseff, after leading a retreat consisting of over 140 Spiritual Directors from around the country, discusses Discernment. Why is is it such an important aspect of our lives? What is the role of the Spiritual Director? What are the signs of a good spiritual director ? How do we encounter them?

From the NAB

Numbers Chap 21

The Bronze Serpent.4

From Mount Hor they set out by way of the Red Sea, to bypass the land of Edom, but the people’s patience was worn out by the journey;5so the people complained^d against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!”^*

6So the LORD sent among the people seraph^* serpents, which bit^e the people so that many of the Israelites died.7Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you. Pray to the LORD to take the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people,8and the LORD said to Moses: Make a seraph and mount it on a pole, and everyone who has been bitten will look at it and recover.^*9Accordingly Moses made a bronze serpent^* and mounted it on a pole, and whenever the serpent bit someone, the person looked at the bronze serpent and recovered.

Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton. He was ordained on May 30th 1953, by the late Bishop William J. Hafey, D.D. at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton, PA. Msgr. Esseff served a retreat director and confessor to Blessed Mother Teresa. He continues to offer direction and retreats for the sisters of the missionaries of charity around the world. Msgr. Esseff encountered St. Padre Pio, who would become a spiritual father to him. He has lived in areas around the world, serving in the Pontifical missions, a Catholic organization established by Bl. Pope John Paul II to bring the Good News to the world especially to the poor. Msgr. Esseff assisted the founders of the Institute for Priestly Formation and continues to serve as a spiritual director for the Institute. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters and seminarians and other religious leaders around the world.

CTD#3 – “Waiting in the Desert” – Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion with Deacon James Keating

Episode 3 -Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion – “Waiting in the Desert”.

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“The ancient image of Lent as a time of withdrawal is relevant to the formation of conscience if we perceive that our consciences have been inordinately attached to anemic sources of influence. Christians are called to transform the world of culture, work, and politics according to the truths learned through Christ in the Church. It is a powerful and dignified calling. Lent affords us a good opportunity to repent of those habits, attitudes, or behaviors that reflect a preoccupation with the secular. Thus devoid of the religious, we are then called to eagerly respond to our faith and imbue the secular with religious and ethical meaning. To do less than this is to render our baptisms impotent and meaningless.”

Deacon James Keating, PhD, the director of Theological Formation for the Institute for Priestly Formation, located at Creighton University, in Omaha, is making available to ”Discerning Hearts” and all who listen, his series of programs entitled “Crossing the Desert”.

For more information on the “Institute of Priestly Formation” and for oth er material available by Deacon Keating, just click here

Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” page

CTD#4 – “The Desert of Sin” – Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion with Deacon James Keating

Episode 4 -Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion – “The Desert of Sin”.

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“Any moral conversion, if it is to be real, must work its way into our minds and hearts. The conversion we undergo is one that transforms our entire person, and so our thought processes, habits, perceptions, and affections all become realigned to a new way of seeing good and evil Patience with ourselves, as well as with ohters who are also in the midst of conversion, becomes the key virtue to cultivate. God knows we are on the right track once we embrace such a conversion, and so being gentle on ourselves is not a sign of laxity or weakness of will, but a sign of wisdom.

Of course, the start of a moral conversion can be dramatic and jumpstart a change, but over the long haul of life, the heart of a person must be fully cooperative; otherwise, the person will not adhere to the moral truth for long.”

Deacon James Keating, PhD, the director of Theological Formation for the Institute for Priestly Formation, located at Creighton University, in Omaha, is making available to ”Discerning Hearts” and all who listen, his series of programs entitled “Crossing the Desert”.

For more information on the “Institute of Priestly Formation” and for oth er material available by Deacon Keating, just click here

Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” page