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IP#122 Fr. Robert Spitzer – Ten Universal Principles on Inside the Pages

It’s always a joy to talk with Fr. Robert Spitzer! With his latest book , “Ten Universal Principles: A Brief Philosophy of the Life Issues” he has brought solid philosophy that is easy to read and understand. Not just for those who are interested in a prolife discussion, the “Ten Universal Principles” is perfect for anyone who wishes to grow in the use of faith and reason. Fr. Spitzer addresses many questions including: How do we make sense of life? How should we treat others? How should we reasonably be expected to be treated by others? When human life is at stake, are there reasonable principles we can rely on to guide our actions? How should our laws be framed to protect human life? What kind of society should be built?

The Four Levels of Happiness described in the last section is worth it’s weight in gold.

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The Four Levels of Happiness^®

Happiness is the only goal that people pursue for its own sake, which makes it an ideal lens for explaining why people and organizations behave as they do. The Four Levels of Happiness model shows leaders how to elevate the powerful drive for happiness and direct it toward shared goals, strong ethics, and great performance. Click here for a full description of the Four Levels.

You find the book here

You can listen to more Fr. Spitzer as he discusses the “5 Pillars of the Spiritual Life” on the Inside the Pages interview #56

RC#10 – The Resilient Church with Mike Aquilina – The Secular Age

Episode 10– The Secular Age

The Resilient Church with Mike Aquilina, offers a fascinating look at the trials and triumphs of the Catholic Church over the past two thousand years. Fast-paced sketches of critical periods in church history give readers perspective on the challenges faced by the church today. Mike Aquilina does not shrink from the realities of the past, including badly behaved leaders and those who betrayed the Lord. Yet he also leaves us all with well-founded hope for the future: God remains faithful in every circumstance and fulfills his promise to remain with his church always. Hosted by Kris McGregor

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Pick up a copy of Mke’s book. You’ll find so much more and invaluable references and resoources, as well

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

When a Good Man Passes – by Omar Gutierrez – Discerning Hearts

My good friend Omar Gutierrez describes the ache and the joy in our hearts better than I ever good…Rob, May the choir of angels bring you home…pray for us!

From Regnum Novum – Some readers may have heard of the passing of Deacon Robert Jergovic, a Deacon of the Archdiocese of Omaha. Apparently, Deacon Greg Kandra shared the prayer request for Rob on his blog The Deacon’s Bench and has since then reported that the request has received more responses and activity than any other. The original post received over 400 facebook likes. As he noted, this is a testament to the man that Deacon Rob was.

Deacon Rob

I only had the pleasure of meeting him and his wife once. My wife and I were graced with sharing a meal with them at a mutual friend’s inviting home. We were taken with Rob and Lisa, with their faith, with their attitude about life, their quiet surety. Who wouldn’t be? After five kids they adopted two girls from China and are in the process of adopting another girl who is deaf. These are “kingdom people” folks. Rob struck me as just such a self-possessed man of faith…not just sincere, but good. Sometimes that is the only word to use. It is “good.” He was “good.”

After his heart attack, the community here in Omaha truly came out in prayerful support of him and his family. One evening, many gathered to pray the rosary for him, and not just one mystery but all four. When the young priest came out to lead us, a priest himself full of God’s grace, he said that we prayed for Our Lady’s intercession and that of John Paul II’s and that we prayed for “a miracle.”

The word and the frankness of the intention jarred me at first. How radical is that, after all… to pray for a miracle. Emotions welled up within me. They were mixed. On one hand I was uncomfortable with praying for something so…well…big. On the other hand I was encouraged by the faith of the priest and of those there.

As we began the Joyful Mysteries, it didn’t take me long to note all the wondrous things of salvation history. An angel appears to a virgin, who conceives a child without knowing man. An old woman becomes pregnant and carries a healthy boy to term. Wise men from afar travel miles to see the king who is a baby, and angels appear to the simple shepherds as the world slept. What is not possible with such a God? If it were His will…

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ST10 – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran – Holy Week – from the perspective of history

Episode 10 – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran, hosted by Bruce McGregor. Ep 10 – Holy Week – from the perspective of history

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

Episode 10 – Sharon and Bruce discuss the state of the world during Holy Week. What is the historical backdrop that set the stage for the events of Holy Week. The conditions in the world at that time. What was happening culturally and politically….and spiritually.

“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

Pope Benedict on Prayer 13 – Psalm 119: “Open to hope and permeated with faith”

VATICAN CITY, 9 NOV 2011 (VIS) –

In his general audience this morning Benedict XVI focused his catechesis on Psalm 119, the longest of the Psalms, constructed as an acrostic in which each stanza begins with one of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Its subject matter is “the Torah of the Lord; that is, His Law, a term which in its broadest and most complete definition comprehends teaching, instruction and life guidance. The Torah is revelation, it is the Word of God which is addressed to man and which arouses his response of faithful obedience and generous love”, the Pope said.

“The Psalmist’s faithfulness arises from listening to the Word, from keeping it in his heart, meditating upon it and loving it, like Mary who ‘treasured in her heart’ the words addressed to her, the marvellous events in which God revealed Himself and asked for her response of faith”, he explained. The Psalmist describes those who walk in the Law of the Lord as blessed, and indeed “Mary is blessed because she bore the Saviour in her womb, but above all because she accepted God’s annunciation and treasured His Word attentively and lovingly”.

Psalm 119 is constructed around this Word of life and blessing. Its central theme is the Word and the Law, and its verses are replete with synonyms thereof such as “precepts, decrees, promises”, associated with verbs such as “to know, to love, to meditate, to live”, the Holy Father explained. “The entire alphabet features in the twenty-two verses of the Psalm, as does the entire vocabulary of the believer’s relationship of trust with God. We find praise, thanksgiving and trust, but also supplication and lamentation; however, all of them are pervaded by the certainty of divine grace and the power of the Word of God. Even those verses most marked by suffering and darkness remain open to hope and are permeated with faith”.

The Law of God, which is “the centre of life”, must be “listened to with obedience but not servility, with filial trust and awareness. To listen to the Word is to have a personal encounter with the Lord of life. … The fulfilment of the Law is to follow Jesus”. Thus Psalm 119 “guides us towards the Gospel”, the Pope explained.

In this context he focused particularly on verse 57: “The Lord is my portion; I promise to keep your words”.

“The term ‘portion'”, he explained, “evokes the partition of the Promised Land among the tribes of Israel, when the Levites were given no part of the territory because their ‘portion’ was the Lord Himself. … These verses are also important for us today, especially for priests, who are called to live from the Lord and from His Word alone, with no other guarantees, no other wealth, and having Him as their one source of true life. It is in this light that we can understand the free choice of celibacy for the Kingdom of heaven, which must be rediscovered in all its beauty and power.
“These verses are also important for the faithful, the People of God who belong only to Him”, the Pope added in conclusion. “They are called to experience the radical nature of the Gospel, to be witnesses of the life brought by Christ, the new and definitive ‘High Priest’ Who offered Himself in sacrifice for the salvation of the world. The Lord and His Word are our ‘land’ in which to live in communion and joy”.

ST9- Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran – “Do You Want to be Healed?” John Chapter 5

Episode 9 – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran, hosted by Bruce McGregor. Ep 9- “Do you want to be healed?”, John Chapter 5

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Episode 9- John Chapter 5 Sharon and Bruce discuss the pool of Bethesda and the healing of the paralytic. Jesus is announcing a great blessing for all the world.

Cardinal Arinze on the Sacred Liturgy and the changes in the English translation

Cardinal Arinze, on September 21, 2011, spoke with priests of the Archdiocese of Omaha on the Sacred Liturgy of the Church and the changes in the English language translation.

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Francis Cardinal Arinze discussed the Sacred Liturgy and the history of the new English translation. Why is it necessary? The importance of the text and flaws currently in place.

This is a very important prospective for all the members of the Church to hear!

Event sponsored by the Pro Sanctity Movement

RC#8 – The Resilient Church with Mike Aquilina – The Conversion of the New World

Episode 8– The Conversion of the New World

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Pick up a copy of Mke’s book. You’ll find so much more and invaluable references and resoources, as well

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

IP#118 Msgr. John Esseff – Building a Kingdom of Love in a special Inside the Pages

From Paray le Monial, France, I had the chance to catch up with Msgr. John Esseff at the First Sacred Heart World Congress. Msgr. Esseff is one of the founders of the Sacred Heart Apostolate, sponsor of this event which brought laity, religious, and priests from around the world. Talks where given by Cardinal Raymond Burke, Bishop Robert Herman, Christendom College President Timothy O’Donnell, and EWTN show host and author Fr. Mitch Pacwa, as well as many others Why did they come to this small French community nestled in Eastern France? Because our Lord choice this place and two very remarkably humble saints to communicate the message of his Sacred Heart. He said to St. Margaret Mary:

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“My divine Heart is so inflamed with love for mankind … that it can no longer contain within itself the flames of its burning charity and must spread them abroad by your means.” She described that His Heart was on fire and surrounded by a crown of thorns. Our Lord told her that the flames represented His love for humanity, and the thorns represented man’s sinfulness and ingratitude. Jesus informed her that her mission was to establish the devotion to His Most Sacred Heart, and He revealed twelve promises that He would bestow upon all those who practice the devotion.

She had three more visions over the next year and a half in which Jesus instructed her in a devotion that was to become known as the Nine Fridays. Christ also inspired Margaret Mary to establish the Holy Hour and to receive Holy Communion on the first Friday of every month. In the final revelation, the Lord asked that a feast of reparation be instituted for the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi.

Blessed Claude de la Colombiere, a holy and experienced Jesuit, arrived as confessor to the nuns, and in him Margaret Mary recognized the understanding guide that had been promised to her in the visions. He became convinced that her experiences were genuine and adopted the teaching of the Sacred Heart that the visions had communicated to her.

Msgr. Esseff talks about that message, what it means for us today, and how we can live it out.

Cardinal Arinze on the Sacred Liturgy and the life of the Priest

Cardinal Arinze, on September 21, 2011, spoke with priests of the Archdiocese of Omaha on the Sacred Liturgy of the Church and unique and specific role of the priest.

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Francis Cardinal Arinze discussed the Sacred Liturgy as central to the life and ministry of the priest. He discusses what the Sacred Liturgy is, he summarizes the ministry of the priest in its three-fold aspect and then sets out how the Sacred Liturgy effects the personal life of the priest. How he celebrates it matters very much.

This is a very important prospective for all the members of the Church to hear!

The Four Levels of Happiness®

My good friend Omar Gutierrez describes the ache and the joy in our hearts better than I ever good…Rob, May the choir of angels bring you home…pray for us!

Episode 10 – Sharon and Bruce discuss the state of the world during Holy Week. What is the historical backdrop that set the stage for the events of Holy Week. The conditions in the world at that time. What was happening culturally and politically….and spiritually.

In this context he focused particularly on verse 57: “The Lord is my portion; I promise to keep your words”.

Episode 9- John Chapter 5 Sharon and Bruce discuss the pool of Bethesda and the healing of the paralytic. Jesus is announcing a great blessing for all the world.

Cardinal Arinze, on September 21, 2011, spoke with priests of the Archdiocese of Omaha on the Sacred Liturgy of the Church and the changes in the English language translation.

Francis Cardinal Arinze discussed the Sacred Liturgy and the history of the new English translation. Why is it necessary? The importance of the text and flaws currently in place.

This is a very important prospective for all the members of the Church to hear!

Event sponsored by the Pro Sanctity Movement

Cardinal Arinze, on September 21, 2011, spoke with priests of the Archdiocese of Omaha on the Sacred Liturgy of the Church and unique and specific role of the priest.

Event sponsored by the Pro Sanctity Movement

The Four Levels of Happiness^®