A Special Holy Thursday Reflection with Msgr. John Esseff – Building a Kingdom of Love – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcast

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A Special Holy Thursday Reflection with Msgr. John Esseff – Building a Kingdom of Love

Msgr. Esseff reflects on the meanings within the Holy Thursday liturgy of the Church. He discusses the action of Jesus when He washes the feet of the apostles and what that means for us today. Can we be Jesus to others and wash the feet of even our enemies? He also discusses the institution of the Eucharist and what it truly means to have devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.

Gospel JN 13:1-15

Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come
to pass from this world to the Father.
He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.
The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over.
So, during supper,
fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power
and that he had come from God and was returning to God,
he rose from supper and took off his outer garments.
He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciples’ feet
and dry them with the towel around his waist.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
“Master, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“What I am doing, you do not understand now,
but you will understand later.”
Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered him,
“Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”
Simon Peter said to him,
“Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.”
Jesus said to him,
“Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed,
for he is clean all over;
so you are clean, but not all.”
For he knew who would betray him;
for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”So when he had washed their feet
and put his garments back on and reclined at table again,
he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another’s feet.
I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

IP#353 Sally Read – Annunciation on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor Podcast

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It was truly a delight to once again to talk with Sally Read! This time we discuss her beautiful new book “Annunciation: A Call to Faith in a Broken World”.

You can find the book here

From the book description:

Sensing the precarious nature of faith in an overwhelmingly secular world, Read, through meditation and anecdote, began writing down the compelling reasons for holding onto both God and Church. Taking the Annunciation as her template (that most fundamental yes to God), she explores common experiences of the spiritual life: His presence and invitation (And he came to her); the fears we have to let go of (Do not be afraid); the realization of our identity in God (Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord) and what our vocation might be (Let it be to me according to your word); and when God feels very distant from us (And the angel departed from her).

Drawing on Scripture, lives of the saints, and the lives of people she has known personally and professionally as a nurse, Read shows how God is with us always―through suffering, spiritual dryness and depression, as well as in joyful and mystical ways. This book was inspired by a mother’s loving response to a daughter―but what has resulted is something that will speak to any believer engaged in the bliss and bewilderment of a relationship with God.

Check out our previous conversation: IP#309 Sally Read – Night’s Bright Darkness on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Preparing for Lent – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Msgr. Esseff teaches the importance of fasting, almsgiving and the Liturgy of the Hours during the season of Lent. He shares his experience of fasting in a desert found in Peru. From this he learned the importance of FASTING and PRAYER. Msgr. Esseff challenges us to discern what the Father in Heaven is asking us to do this Lent through fasting, so we can purely and perfectly follow His Holy Will. And he describes ALMSGIVING, and story from an experience he had with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity Sisters.

The Church prepares a spiritual retreat for all of us during Lent. The Holy Spirit is transforming you in a radical way so that you become more like Jesus Christ…the day by day exercise of Morning Prayer, the Eucharist and Evening Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving, and the other moments of contemplative prayer aids in the transformation…our ego decreases and Jesus increases in our minds and in our hearts.

Pray the Liturgy of Hours

Morning PrayerMid-morningPrayerMid-dayPrayerAfternoon PrayerEvening PrayerNight PrayerOffice of Readings

Dr. Peter Kreeft – Practical Theology on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Dr. Peter Kreeft – Practical Theology on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

“Practical Theology: Spiritual Direction from St. Thomas Aquinas” by Dr. Peter Kreeft is outstanding! An incredible work that transforms the potentially intimidating Summa Theologiae into a vital life-giving, soul-nurturing work for the pilgrim soul. Dr. Kreeft offers us the religious wisdom of Aquinas in 359 bite-size pieces that can aid our growth in holiness. He has framed these readings as answers to questions that people actually ask their spiritual directors. Each answer is taken word for word from Aquinas. So many topics are covered. You’ll be returning to this book over and over again throughout your spiritual journey. An excellent gift to give yourself and those you love! Highly Recommended!!!

You can find the book here

“Its notoriously difficult to synopsize Aquinas on anything. However, if I were to choose someone to do the job well, it would be Peter Kreeft. Many will find this presentation helpful to develop their own replies to the questions that bother the minds of today’s searchers.”
– Romanus Cessario, O.P., Saint John’s Seminary, Brighton, Mass.

“How can we know the living God and attain to everlasting union with God? This is really the only question of life. Kreeft’s dialogue with Aquinas shows us what it means–existentially, not solely academically–to learn from a saint.” —Matthew Levering, Professor of Theology, Mundelein Seminary

IP#318 Fr. John Burns – Lift Up Your Heart on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor podcast

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“Lift Up Your Heart: A 10-Day Personal Retreat with St. Francis de Sales” is outstanding. A wonderful “introduction to the devout life”… literally! Fr. John Burns breaks open up the teachings of the great spiritual director and Doctor of the Church St. Francis de Sales in a wonderfully fresh new way. Very practical and perfect for meditation during prayer times during the day, this is a mini-retreat we can all benefit from.

You can find the book here

From the book description:

This practical book goes right to the heart of helping you kick the habit of floating along on your spiritual journey to start actively pursuing holiness and devotion to God. During the course of the retreat, you ll learn the basics of forming a daily prayer routine, including how to offer yourself to God, meditate on his love, and maintain peace in the face of suffering and clarity in the midst of temptation.

The meditations will help you:

Adopt gratitude as a daily prayer practice.

Examine and reorder your priorities and relationships to better reflect your love for God.

Discern between good and evil in your life.

Desire to love and serve as Jesus did.

In a very real sense, Burns helps you take St. Francis de Sales as your spiritual director for ten days. As you do so, you’ll feel God’s fatherly love and restart your faith life, equipped with the tools to connect with God and live for heaven now.

SJC21 – Parting Advice: Loss of Self for the Greater Love – St. John of the Cross with Fr. Donald Haggerty – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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SJC21 – Parting Advice: Loss of Self for the Greater Love – St. John of the Cross: Master of Contemplation with Fr. Donald Haggerty – Discerning Hearts Podcast

In this series Fr. Donald Haggerty and Kris McGregor discuss the depths of prayer as explored by St. John of the Cross, the Mystical Doctor of the Church.

An excerpt from St. John of the Cross: Master of Contemplation

The last counsel regarding solitude is not directed simply to physical solitude in a monastery. The desire of Saint John of the Cross is to see the soul detached and empty, no longer dependent for security or any other interest upon the outside world. “You should deem everything in the world as finished. . . . Pay no heed to the things out in the world, for God has already withdrawn and released you from them. . . . It is very fitting for you to desire to see no one and that no one see you” (CR 7, 8).

Naturally, duties may require dealings with the world, but the religious man should remain focused on a task, not seeking to entertain himself by contact with the outside world. An inner solitude must be cultivated that remains separated from indulgence in unnecessary interests of curiosity. Saint John of the Cross urges the Carmelite Brother to take care with his thoughts so that a solitary fixation on God may be uninterrupted as much as possible. “This is very necessary for inner solitude, which demands that the soul dismiss any thought that is not directed to God” (CR 9). This last counsel is too much for most of us surely in our circumstances of distraction and busy occupations. But let us not be too dismissive. A forgetfulness of worldly concerns has the reward of bringing a soul mysteriously into the proximity with God in the midst of common occupations. We can assume that Saint John of the Cross was speaking from his own experience, as evidently he did on every page of his works.

Haggerty, Donald. Saint John of the Cross: Master of Contemplation (pp. 357-358). Ignatius Press. Kindle Edition.

For more episodes in this series, visit Fr. Haggerty’s Discerning Hearts page here.

You find the book on which this series is based here

Identifying and Battling the Irrational Spirits – Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles

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Identifying and Battling the Irrational Spirits – The Mystery of Faith in the Wisdom of the Saints.

In this episode Dr. Lilles discusses the nature of prayer. The use of “methods” or “techniques” is cautioned by Dr. Lilles. The relationship with the person of Jesus Christ is paramount. He discusses the struggles in prayer and the real “enemies” which assault us in prayer. He points to the experience and teachings of St. Anthony of the Desert, who battled the irrational spirits opposed to our relationship with God. Dr. Lilles then relates that teaching to the places of “death” which confront our lives today, the importance of naming the irrational “spirit” and using the “Word of Truth” to fight the battle.

Dr.Anthony Lilles is a Catholic husband and father of three teaching Spiritual Theology at St. Patrick’s Theological Seminary. He teaches spiritual theology and spiritual direction to transitional deacons, and the spiritual classics to the men who enter the Spirituality Year, a year of prayer in preparation for seminary formation. He is the author of the “Beginning to Pray” Catholic blog spot.

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

SJC20 – Suffering for Love of a Crucified Beloved – St. John of the Cross with Fr. Donald Haggerty – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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SJC20 – Suffering for Love of a Crucified Beloved – St. John of the Cross: Master of Contemplation with Fr. Donald Haggerty – Discerning Hearts Podcast

In this series Fr. Donald Haggerty and Kris McGregor discuss the depths of prayer as explored by St. John of the Cross, the Mystical Doctor of the Church.

An excerpt from St. John of the Cross: Master of Contemplation

Certainly an atmosphere of great challenge pervades the writings of Saint John of the Cross. It is possible that the recurring accent on purification, interior trials, dissatisfaction in prayer, or the wounds of love in certain sections of Saint John of the Cross’ writings has a jarring or intimidating effect. His attention to painful experiences may seem to propose a spirituality of endless burdens and impossible endurance. From our perspective, this focus may be too excessive. It is not that we lack struggles and tribulations. Who does not experience them?

Yet our own thought may be that matters of trial and difficulty should be kept to a minimum and brought to a conclusion as quickly as possible. For many people, even of strong religious conviction, the common experiences of fatigue and pain compete with the pursuit of pleasures and comforts. We often find a way to compensate ourselves with worldly enjoyment if for a time we have faced trial and difficulty. Perhaps we do not ponder the Gospel deeply enough. Suffering for the sake of a profound love of God can be a neglected notion in our understanding of love, though clearly not for Saint John of the Cross: “Let Christ crucified be enough for you, and with him suffer and take your rest, and hence annihilate yourself in all inward and outward things” (SLL 92). That kind of advice is not commonly heard at any time in the Church.

Haggerty, Donald. Saint John of the Cross: Master of Contemplation (p. 317). Ignatius Press. Kindle Edition.

For more episodes in this series, visit Fr. Haggerty’s Discerning Hearts page here.

You find the book on which this series is based here

SJC19 – Wounds of Love – St. John of the Cross with Fr. Donald Haggerty – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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SJC19 – Wounds of Love – St. John of the Cross: Master of Contemplation with Fr. Donald Haggerty – Discerning Hearts Podcast

In this series Fr. Donald Haggerty and Kris McGregor discuss the depths of prayer as explored by St. John of the Cross, the Mystical Doctor of the Church.

An excerpt from St. John of the Cross: Master of Contemplation

The concealment of God’s presence, mysteriously near to our soul, yet known only by love, is at the heart of contemplation. The hidden presence of God is a truth of inescapable provocation, never fully lifted or overcome in a lifetime, showing many variations in the experience of a soul. Sometimes the hidden presence of God is stronger in the silence of prayer; other times it is met outside prayer in the sudden opportunity for sacrifice or in the disguised face of Jesus hiding in a poor person. God as elusive, hiding behind shadows, speaking in quiet whispers, disappearing from sight even in the encounter with him, is all a realization of greater faith. His presence has no predictable quality and offers no promise of an easy recognition. Shadows and darkness can become for lengthy periods the ordinary ambiance of prayer. When the darkness stretches over time and is greater, the thought of God’s withdrawal can trouble souls in their silent prayer, despite how close they may be to God.

The contemplative paradox of darkness as the setting for a very personal contact with God implies a need at times for reassurance. This comes as we deepen a calm certitude of faith in prayer and continue to long for our Lord in love and yield to him in surrender. All the while, over years of committed daily prayer, God works to bring a soul to a greater surrender to his mysterious personal love.

Haggerty, Donald. Saint John of the Cross: Master of Contemplation (pp. 290). Ignatius Press. Kindle Edition.

For more episodes in this series, visit Fr. Haggerty’s Discerning Hearts page here.

You find the book on which this series is based here

IP#326 Fr. Vincent Twomey – The Dynamics of Liturgy, Part 2 on Inside the Pages w/ Kris McGregor Podcast

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Fr. Vincent Twomey – The Dynamics of Liturgy, Part 2 on Inside the Pages w/ Kris McGregor

The Dynamics of the Liturgy is a constructive critique of the post–Vatican II liturgical reform through the lens of Joseph Ratzinger’s liturgical and sacramental theology—written by a former student of the great pope emeritus. For Ratzinger, liturgy is the oxygen of the sacraments, and his sacramental theology, still largely unknown, is the key to understanding his theology of liturgy.

This work highlights the specifically ritual dimension of liturgy, and the significance this has for Pope Benedict XVI’s proposed “reform of the reform”. Father Vincent Twomey warns that the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the Roman Rite—which Pope Benedict XVI had promoted to enrich liturgical practice—are dangerously drifting apart rather than, as the pope emeritus intended, complementing each other as part of an authentic renewal of the liturgy.

You can find the book here

“This book is simply a delight — from its grounding in the sacramental thought of Romano Guardini, through its wonderfully practical, beautifully written, step-by- step ‘how to’ guide to experiencing every key element of the Mass. It’s exactly what the title says it is: a deeply satisfying journey to the heart of Catholic worship.”
Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Philadelphia

“Christopher Carstens offers a guide at once profound and practical into the ways of full, conscious, and active participation in the Sacred Liturgy. By reading this volume prayerfully and attentively, we can all share more fruitfully in the celebration of Holy Mass.”
William E. Lori, Archbishop of Baltimore