Day Seven
Mystical Rose, your miraculous signs of Castilian roses in winter and your image on the tilma of Juan Diego led to the conversion of eight million Aztec people to Catholicism in just seven years. Mary, Mother of the Americas, intercede again for your children in the Americas, and convert the hearts of all who deny the sanctity of every human life.
Our Father … Hail Mary … Glory be …
Saturday of the 1st Week of Advent – An Advent Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart
As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord.
Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over”
Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart…
From the Holy Gospel of Matthew 9:35-10:1,5,6-8
Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness.
And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’
He summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows: ‘Go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge.’
What word made this passage come alive for you?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:
Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness.
And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’
He summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows: ‘Go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge.’
What did your heart feel as you listened?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:
Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness.
And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’
He summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows: ‘Go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge.’
What touched your heart in this time of prayer?
What did your heart feel as you prayed?
What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?
We thank you, Lord Jesus for this time with you.
Keep us alert, we pray, O Lord our God,
as we await the advent of Christ your Son,
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever
Amen
Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Advent, and Caryll Houselander – a reflection by Deacon Omar Gutierrez – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Deacon Omar F.A. Gutierrez, M.A.
Join Omar Gutierrez as he explores the profound themes of Advent in Caryll Houselander’s “The Reed of God.” Focusing on the anticipation and spiritual preparation that characterize this liturgical season, Gutierrez brings to life Houselander’s unique insights into the Blessed Virgin Mary’s role during Advent. Through his thoughtful presentation, listeners are invited to deepen their understanding of Mary’s journey, mirroring the waiting and hopeful expectation central to Advent. This episode is a journey through the themes of waiting, contemplation, and spiritual awakening, as presented in Houselander’s visionary work. It offers an enriching perspective for anyone seeking a deeper spiritual experience during Advent and a renewed appreciation for Mary’s role in the mystery of the Incarnation.
First published in 1944 and now a spiritual classic for Catholics across the globe, The Reed of God contains meditations on the humanity of Mary, Mother of God. British Catholic writer and artist Caryll Houselander lovingly explores Mary’s intimately human side, depicting Our Lady as a musical instrument who makes divine love known to the world.
While the Second Vatican Council led to a renewed interest in the theology and person of Mary, Caryll Houselander offered a simple yet profound reflection on the Mother of God almost fifteen years before the council began
00:00 – 05:00: Introduction to the podcast and the significance of Advent in Catholic tradition.
05:01 – 15:00: Omar Gutierrez’s insights on Advent themes in “Reed of God” and their connection to Mary.
15:01 – 25:00: Exploring the concept of waiting and spiritual preparation as portrayed by Houselander.
25:01 – 35:00: Reflections on Mary’s journey and its parallels to the Advent season.
35:01 – 45:00: Discussion on the relevance of “Reed of God” for contemporary Advent practices and spiritual growth.
45:01 – End: Concluding thoughts on integrating Houselander’s insights into personal Advent devotion.
The Evangelism Institute seeks to bring a deeper understanding of the faith to Catholic school teachers, teens, college students, and other interested adults. For more information visit eicatholic.org
Episodio 1 – Introducción – El discernimiento de los espíritus: Liberar a los cautivos
En esta conversación con la presentadora Kris McGregor, el Padre Timothy Gallagher habla sobre la formación y el significado de “El Discernimiento de Espíritus”. Explica cómo esta enseñanza tiene sus raíces en los ejercicios espirituales de San Ignacio de Loyola y su aplicación práctica en diversos ámbitos, desde retiros formales a la vida cotidiana.
El Padre Gallagher destaca que el Discernimiento de Espíritus consiste en comprender las fluctuaciones de la propia vida espiritual, los momentos de cercanía a Dios y los tiempos de desolación espiritual. Las enseñanzas de San Ignacio se destilan en catorce directrices prácticas, que proporcionan claridad y utilidad para las personas que buscan profundizar en su camino espiritual.
Subraya que el discernimiento no consiste sólo en tomar decisiones, sino que implica reconocer las experiencias espirituales interiores, los pensamientos y las emociones. Ofrece herramientas para distinguir entre lo que es de Dios y lo que no lo es, especialmente en momentos de oscuridad o pesadez en la vida espiritual.
El Padre Gallagher aconseja a los principiantes que comiencen con la instrucción y crezcan gradualmente en su comprensión del Discernimiento de Espíritus. Menciona que esta enseñanza es relevante y accesible para personas de todas las vocaciones, no se limita a una orden religiosa específica, y ha sido una fuente de crecimiento espiritual para innumerables generaciones.
Por último, anima a los oyentes a explorar y adoptar esta enseñanza como una valiosa herramienta para liberarse del cautiverio espiritual y experimentar una conexión más profunda con Dios en su vida cotidiana.
El Padre Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., fue ordenado en 1979 como miembro de los Oblatos de la Virgen María, una comunidad religiosa dedicada a los retiros y a la formación espiritual según los Ejercicios Espirituales de San Ignacio. El P. Gallagher aparece en la serie de EWTN “Living the Discerning Life: Las enseñanzas espirituales de San Ignacio de Loyola”.
Para más información sobre cómo obtener copias de los diversos libros y audios del P. Gallaghers que están disponibles para su compra, por favor visite su website: www.frtimothygallagher.org
Blessed Lady, sky and stars, earth and rivers, day and night – everything that is subject to the power or use of man – rejoice that through you they are in some sense restored to their lost beauty and are endowed with inexpressible new grace. All creatures were dead, as it were, useless for men or for the praise of God, who made them. The world, contrary to its true destiny, was corrupted and tainted by the acts of men who served idols. Now all creation has been restored to life and rejoices that it is controlled and given splendour by men who believe in God. The universe rejoices with new and indefinable loveliness. Not only does it feel the unseen presence of God himself, its Creator, it sees him openly, working and making it holy. These great blessings spring from the blessed fruit of Mary’s womb.
Through the fullness of the grace that was given you, dead things rejoice in their freedom, and those in heaven are glad to be made new. Through the Son who was the glorious fruit of your virgin womb, just souls who died before his life-giving death rejoice as they are freed from captivity, and the angels are glad at the restoration of their shattered domain.
Lady, full and overflowing with grace, all creation receives new life from your abundance. Virgin, blessed above all creatures, through your blessing all creation is blessed, not only creation from its Creator, but the Creator himself has been blessed by creation.
To Mary God gave his only-begotten Son, whom he loved as himself. Through Mary God made himself a Son, not different but the same, by nature Son of God and Son of Mary. The whole universe was created by God, and God was born of Mary. God created all things, and Mary gave birth to God. The God who made all things gave himself form through Mary, and thus he made his own creation. He who could create all things from nothing would not remake his ruined creation without Mary.
God, then, is the Father of the created world and Mary the mother of the re-created world. God is the Father by whom all things were given life, and Mary the mother through whom all things were given new life. For God begot the Son, through whom all things were made, and Mary gave birth to him as the Saviour of the world. Without God’s Son, nothing could exist; without Mary’s Son, nothing could be redeemed.
Truly the Lord is with you, to whom the Lord granted that all nature should owe as much to you as to himself.
Day 4 – St. John of the Cross Contemplative Novena
St. John of the Cross you have said:
The road and ascent to God, then, necessarily demands a habitual effort to renounce and mortify the appetites; the sooner this mortification is achieved, the sooner the soul reaches the top. But until the appetites are eliminated, a person will not arrive, no matter how much virtue he practices. For he will fail to acquire perfect virtue, which lies in keeping the soul empty, naked, and purified of every appetite.
… Until slumber comes to the appetites through the mortification of sensuality, and until this very sensuality is stilled in such a way that the appetites do not war against the spirit, the soul will not walk out to genuine freedom, to the enjoyment of union with its Beloved.
The Ascent Of Mount Carmel, I.5.6; Kavanaugh & Rodriguez, 1973; p. 83
Prayer for Peace from St. John of the Cross
O Blessed Jesus, grant me stillness of soul in You. Let Your mighty calmness reign in me. Rule me, O King of gentleness, King of peace. Give me control, control over my words, thoughts and actions. From all irritability, want of meekness, want of gentleness, O dear Lord, deliver me. By Your own deep patience give me patience, stillness of soul in You. Make me in this, and in all, more and more like You. Amen.
Lord God, you gave Saint John of the Cross
the grace of complete self-denial
and an ardent love for the cross of Christ.
Grant that by following always in his footsteps
we may come to the eternal vision of your glory.
And through his intercession, if it be in accord with your holy will,
Grant the petition we bring before you in this novena.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Day Six
Holy Mary, comfort of the troubled, you sought out Juan Diego when in fear and confusion he took a different route to avoid encountering you. Then you restored his hope and confidence so he could carry out the task you had entrusted to him. Many people today face decisions of life and death filled with fear and confusion. Mother, we ask you to restore their trust and hope in God so that their actions will always affirm the sanctity of human life.
Our Father … Hail Mary … Glory be …
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception – An Advent Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart
As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord.
Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over”
Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart…
From the Holy Gospel of St. Luke 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.
What word made this passage come alive for you?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:
The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.
What did your heart feel as you listened?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:
The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.
What touched your heart in this time of prayer?
What did your heart feel as you prayed?
What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?
We thank you, Lord Jesus for this time with you.
Keep us alert, we pray, O Lord our God,
as we await the advent of Christ your Son,
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever
Amen
Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.
Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to Church history, the papacy, the saints, and Catholic culture. He is faculty chair at Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co-author of over 50 books including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History, The Pope Encyclopedia, We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, The Saints Encyclopedia and best-selling biographies of St. Damien of Molokai and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
Episode 4 –Palliative Care, Hospice, and Pain Control– The Final Journey with Dr. Stephen Doran, M.D.
In this thoughtful episode of the Discerning Hearts Podcast, Dr. Stephen Doran joins Kris McGregor to discuss the complex and often emotional journey of end-of-life care. Covering topics from palliative care to the difficult decisions surrounding hospice and pain control, Dr. Doran brings a compassionate perspective to these challenging situations.
The conversation delves into the importance of preparing for end-of-life scenarios, emphasizing the need for thoughtful discussion and decision-making well in advance. They discuss the principle of double effect in medical ethics, which allows for actions that have both good and bad effects, as long as the intention is to bring about the good effect.
Dr. Doran shares personal anecdotes and professional insights, highlighting the unique nature of each individual’s end-of-life journey and the role of hope and faith in these moments. This episode offers a blend of medical ethics, personal reflection, and spiritual guidance, aimed at helping listeners navigate the intricacies of end-of-life care with grace and understanding.
Stephen Doran, M.D., a board-certified neurosurgeon with over twenty-five years of experience, is an ordained permanent deacon and serves as the bioethicist for the Archdiocese of Omaha. His writings in bioethics, neurosurgery, and gene therapy for brain disorders have been widely published in national media outlets, academic journals, and neurosurgery textbooks. He is married with five sons. He co-founded Seeking Truth Catholic Bible Study with his wife, Sharon.
Discerning Hearts reflection questions for this episode:
Dr. Stephen Doran draws from his vast experience as a neurosurgeon, a bioethicist, and a permanent deacon to present the Catholic perspective on the art of dying well. The spiritual and moral issues related to death and the process of dying can be challenging and complicated. To Die Well provides a detailed yet readily understandable guide to these topics.
Each chapter begins with a story from Dr. Doran’s personal or professional life that not only provides context for the topic at hand but also gently draws the reader toward the personal realities of dying. The first part focuses on the moral issues that surround death and dying, including end-of-life medical decisions. The second part is devoted to the Catholic spiritual understanding of dying and the rites that accompany the death of a Catholic.
To Die Well will help readers contemplate, pray about, and prepare for the end of their earthly lives.
