Sacred Healing 12:30

Rest, worship, and celebration are not luxury, they are spiritual discipline. Our liturgical feasts help us re-participate in the saving action of God in Christ by making the past events of His life present to us through our observance, by interrupting and ordering all our doing, and by inherently connecting us to all past, present, and future saints. Whose great idea was the liturgical year? It was God’s! Welcome Lisa H, Wendy, Sarah, and Scott, Bible Study Evangelista's newest friends of the show! Thank you for loving and lifting me :) LOVE the Word™ is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan - What's one thing you can do right now, to make your next Sunday more restful for you and your family? Do it or plan it; right now! I | Ignatian - What is the most restful scenario you can imagine? Use all your senses in imagining you are there. What happens when Jesus appears? A | Augustinian - Did anything about today's show convict you about how you treat your Sundays? Do you neglect either worship or rest? T | Thomistic - Practice connecting the Old Testament feast days with their corresponding Church celebrations. (Hint: They're listed on the show pic.) V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O - Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word journal. Or get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Holy Spirit, Thank you for being Lord of both time and history. Inspire me with ideas for how to make my Sundays with you more worshipful and restful for me and my family. Help me become more deliberate in observing the "sacrament of the present moment." + Amen. . *LOVE the Word™ exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Notes and References “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: The following are the festivals of the LORD, my feast days, which you shall celebrate with a sacred assembly” (Lev. 23:2). Leviticus 23, List of the major Old Testament liturgical feasts: Sabbath remembers creation & rest Passover & Unleavened Bread  remembers redemption from Egypt First Fruits & Weeks celebration of first harvest Trumpets celebration of New Year Day of Atonement remembers God’s promise of forgiveness Booths God’s remembers provision in the wilderness   Episode Resources Fulfilled, Uncovering the Biblical Foundations of Catholicism, Chapter 3, Keeping Time with God Ignite, Chapters 5, The When of the Bible Come join the chatter on the Facebook community. How does the Church's liturgical calendar keep you "in time" with God? Tell me your #LOVEtheWordtakeaway for this week's show.   Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, when it becomes available, courtesy of Kristie Hynniman who does our transcriptions for you. Image Credit Image: https://unsplash.com/@heatherz | @hthrzbrsk

Many people believe the Catholic Church arbitrarily “invented” and imposed beliefs and practices on the faithful throughout her history. Why do we believe and practice such “weird” things? Why incense, for instance? Who says we have to listen to the Magisterium of the Church? Is purgatory even real? Catholic worship was God’s idea. So worship is not about me – what I like or what satisfies me most. Worship is about what draws me into the closest proximity to God. We know what that is, because God outlined it for us and left His directives in the Bible. Discover the roots of your worship with me in the tabernacle part of the Making Sense of the Old Testament series. Welcome Jennifer O; Marina; Gabrielle; Mary G; Maria; Carmelita; Shyanne; Joan; Cathy H; Genie; Cieara; Gina K; Elizabeth L; Lindsey D; Doug; Cassandra; and John R; Bible Study Evangelista's newest friends of the show! Thank you for loving and lifting me :) LOVE the Word™ is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan - Someone in your circle of influence needs you to spend time with them. Spend an hour being deliberately present with that person today. I | Ignatian - Spend some time on your porch or take a walk outdoors with someone you love. Use your senses to be in the present moment: what do you see, hear, taste, feel as you spend time quietly with that person? What about the time you spend with Jesus; how does it feel, sound, etc.? A | Augustinian - What single, small act or practice could you begin today to spend more time in His presence and/or practicing His presence throughout your daily duties? T | Thomistic - See if you can truly make the connections in your heart between the Old Testament tabernacle and the Church. Practice memorizing them as you attend your next Mass. V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O - Observe step. E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Holy Spirit, Thank you for being consistent throughout salvation history. Remind me that all Your ways with me also are consistently loving. Help me become more consistent in my heart- and thought-connections with you throughout my day. + Amen. . *LOVE the Word™ exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Notes and References The Kingdom of God “is like the head of a household who can bring from his store both the new and the old” (Matthew 14:46). “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for Me an offering; from every man whose heart makes him willing, you shall receive the offering for Me. And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. According to all that I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it” (Ex 25:2, 8-9). “They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary” (Heb 8:5). “And he erected the court round the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work. Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting, because the cloud abode upon it,

God revealed Himself in a particular time, to a particular race of people, at a particular geographical location. Just like He did in the times and people of the scriptures, God wants to speak to us through our own time, work, relationships, and geographical location. But to understand His ways with us, we must understand His ways with them. For that, we must know something of the when and where and through whom it all happened. We must be able to visualize the places, because the people and time and land constitute the arena in which God chose to uniquely speak, act, and intervene. Welcome Joanna, Elizabeth, and Mark, Bible Study Evangelista's newest friends of the show! Thank you for loving and lifting me :) LOVE the Word™ is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan - Make a virtual pilgrimage to a holy site in Palestine. Why do you think it's important for people to make such pilgrimages? I | Ignatian - Take a look at the view of the Promised Land that Moses and the people would have seen. Imagine what you smell and hear. If you have been to the Holy Land (I am there right now!) take a few moments to remember all you experienced. A | Augustinian - What is the Promised Land in your life that God wants to lead you to? How far have you come? How far is there left to go? T | Thomistic - Memorize the four geographical regions of the Holy Land. V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O - Observe step. E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Holy Spirit, Thank you for the reminder that places are important. Help me make my home and heart a sacred space where you feel welcome. + Amen. . *LOVE the Word™ exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Notes and References Ignite, Chapter 3, The Where of the Bible Get a printable pdf of the maps, below, here.     “If the firstfruit [of Judaism] is holy, then the lump [of Christianity] is holy; and if the root is holy then so are the branches” (Rom 11:16). We Christians are “grafted in” to the olive tree of faith (vs 17). “God created the world like an embryo. Just as the embryo begins at the navel and continues to grow from that point, so too the world. The Holy One, blessed be he, began the world from its navel. From there it was stretched hither and yon. Where is its navel? Jerusalem. And its (Jerusalem’s) navel itself? The altar.” (“Navel In Popular Culture”. 2016. Wikipedia. Accessed July 6 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navel_in_popular_culture#cite_ref-136.) The Philistines are first mentioned in the Bible as descendants of Noah (Gen 10:14). The Promised Land was “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Ex 3:8) and “the most glorious of all lands” (Ez 20:6,15). A single cluster of grapes so heavy that it had to be carried by two men (Num 13:23-24). A popular expression denoting the land from north to south was “from Dan to Beersheba” (Judg20:1, 1 Sam 3:20, 1 Kin 4:25). The “rose of Sharon” (Is 35:2). The temple was built, destroyed, and rebuilt on the temple mount in Jerusalem on the very site on Mt.

God says He is Who He is, and nothing else. In the Bible, in His own words, we see that He is a living, personal God who insists on treating the persons He has made as persons too, by revealing Himself to them. In encountering God in the scriptures we can then consider that the Old Testament, and indeed the whole Bible, is about this same gradual, increasing self-disclosure to a particular race of people just like me: the revelation of a Person to persons, like ourselves, who also actually lived in a certain place at a certain time. Welcome Cathy C and Kathryn R, Bible Study Evangelista's newest friends of the show! Thank you for loving and lifting me :) LOVE the Word™ is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan - What do you know about your spiritual ancestry? Who do you know, for sure or by speculation, in your family line has prayed for you? For whom do you pray, after you, perhaps your spiritual or physical children or grandchildren? I | Ignatian - Read Exodus 3.  Imagine you are Moses. What do you see, hear, smell, feel as you look upon that bush? A | Augustinian - Take some time to research the meaning of your name. If you are able, ask your parent to tell you the story of how they named you. Otherwise, tell your own child or grand-child or spiritual "child" the meaning of his or her name. T | Thomistic - Do further research on I AM. V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O - Observe step. E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Holy Spirit, Thank you for reminding me that I would not exist at all if You did not love me "from the foundation of the world," as the scriptures say. I am who I am because You are Who You are. + Amen. . *LOVE the Word™ exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Notes and References “A name expresses a person’s essence and identity and the meaning of this person’s life. God has a name; he is not an anonymous force. To disclose one’s name is to make oneself known to others; in a way, it is to hand oneself over by becoming accessible, capable of being known more intimately and addressed personally” (CCC 203). St. Irenaeus, who was the bishop of Lyon in late second-century France, said that to understand “the divine program and economy for the salvation of humanity” we have to understand God’s “several covenants with humanity” and also “the special character of each covenant.” (Against the Heresies, Book I, Chapter 10, no. 3).   Ignite, Chapter 2, The Who of the Bible Episode Resources Come join the chatter on the Facebook community. How do "you" feel about being a "who" of the Bible? Tell me your #LOVEtheWordtakeaway for this week's show.   Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, courtesy of Kristie Hynniman who does our transcriptions for you.

Why is the Old Testament so hard to understand? In this show we take a bird’s eye view of the first half of the Bible and break it down into manageable pieces. Welcome Katherine G, Andrea, Rowena, Kelly K, Elise, Renee L, and Jennifer C, Bible Study Evangelista's newest friends of the show! Thank you for loving and lifting me :) LOVE the Word™ is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan - Take a few moments to thumb through your Bible. Look at the Table of Contents. Locate the division between the Old and New Testaments. What's your predominant feeling about it? I | Ignatian - Below is a video of underground Christians in communist China receiving Bibles for the first time. It is illegal to own a Bible or practice Christianity there. Punishments can include imprisonment with hard labor, detention without trial, torture, beatings, and even execution. Do you respond this way when you open your Bible? Imagine you could never again have access to a Bible.  A | Augustinian - Thinking back over your life, try to describe your relationship with scripture, especially the Old Testament, in one word. What, if anything, bothers you most about the Bible? What makes you most uncomfortable about it? How do you hope or anticipate your relationship with the Old Testament to change as you work through this series? T | Thomistic - Commit the genres and covenants of the Old Testament (see below) to memory. V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) All scripture is 'god-breathed,' or inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Tim 3:16). Take a few moments to talk to Him, the "author" of the scriptures, about the gift of the Bible. What, if anything, bothers you most about it? What makes you most uncomfortable about it? How do you hope or anticipate your relationship with the Old Testament to change as you work through this series? E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Holy Spirit, thank you for the gift of the scriptures, and the gift of those who teach them to us. + Amen. . *LOVE the Word™ exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Notes and References Genres Law History Wisdom Prophets, Major and Minor Covenants – not a legal contract but an exchange of persons Adamic – with creation, with Adam and Eve in marriage Noahic – with a family Abrahamic – with a tribe Mosaic – with a nation Davidic – with a kingdom Messianic – with the world Episode Resources Come join the chatter on the Facebook community. Tell me your #LOVEtheWordtakeaway for this week's show.   Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, courtesy of Kristie Hynniman who does our transcriptions for you.

LOVE the Word™ is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Welcome Patricia and Joni, Bible Study Evangelista's newest friends of the show! Thank you for loving and lifting me :) . Weekly LOVE the Word™ exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Come On Over to Instagram and Introduce Yourself! Episode Resources Come and find us in the Facebook community. Tell me how #LOVEtheWord works for you!    

“Complete abstinence is easier than perfect moderation" (St. Augustine of Hippo). Welcome Marisa, Monica, Renee, Allyson, Kristen, Tami, Connie, Toni, Millie, and Laura T., Bible Study Evangelista's newest friends of the show! Thank you for loving and lifting me :) LOVE the Word™ is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan - Take a long look at a crucifix. Consider the self-control it took to make that sacrifice. I | Ignatian - Imagine your Jeep has broken down in the desert and you are stranded there at mid-day while on your way to a vacation destination. You can make it, but you'll have to walk the whole day and part of the next morning, and you're running out of water. Your mouth and eyes and shoes are full of sand. You have a pack of crackers to last the whole day and into the morning. Your phone is dead and you forgot your charger. The sun is causing disorienting heatwaves that confuse your sense of direction. Sit for a few minutes, imagining the scenario. Now that you have nothing to depend on and are not assured of even your own survival, what is most important to you? How do you feel? What are your thoughts and fears? A | Augustinian - During the show, did the Holy Spirit point out a particular desert in your life in which He is attempting to work with you? Are you cooperating? In what area do you lack self-control the most? Is this an area you have struggled with for some time? How does your desert relate to that challenge? T | Thomistic - Call to mind someone in your life who lacks self-control. What is your predominate feeling about that person? Why? V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering you are in His presence and that all of heaven stands by to assist you, make a plan of attack with the Lord in the area of self-control He brought to your mind during the show. Perhaps you'd like to talk to Him about a particular emotional, spiritual, or personal pitfall. You may want to review, recite, and re-write S-T-O-P. Write out your plan in your journal or on your journal page (get a free page and user guide to the right). Resolve to go to Confession for extra grace in that area. You have to go for Lent anyway, right? E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Holy Spirit, As we begin to close out Lent, help me learn to walk in You, so I do not fall in the flesh. + Amen. . *LOVE the Word™ exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Come On Over to Instagram and Introduce Yourself! Episode Resources Come join the chatter on the Facebook community. Tell me your #LOVEtheWordtakeaway for this week's show.   Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, courtesy of Kristie Hynniman who does our transcriptions for you.

“Be gentle to all and stern with yourself" (St. Teresa of Avila). Welcome Grace, Jessica, and Laura, Bible Study Evangelista's newest friends of the show! Thank you for loving and lifting me. LOVE the Word™ is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan - Take an egg outside and drop it on the ground. Reflect on how damaging an out-of-control temper can be. I | Ignatian - Imagine you are sitting in the spring grass by the Sea of Galilee with Jesus and several hundred others as He teaches the Sermon on the Mount. Remember that another name for The Beatitudes is The Blisses. Do you feel the gentle breeze on your skin as Jesus speaks? How is that breeze teaching you gentleness? Is the sun warm on your face? How many of your senses can feel God's gentleness as you sit with Jesus and hear His words: "The gentle shall inherit the earth." A | Augustinian - In what instance this week did your temper get the best of you? Be aware that you may be offered a pop quiz on gentleness in the near future. T | Thomistic - Reiterate the steps of S - T - O - P in your mind. Commit Psalm 4:4 to memory. V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Talk to Jesus about your last angry outburst. Remembering you are in His presence, ask your guardian angel to help you with S - T - O - P this week as you experience your pop quiz on gentleness. Say Psalm 4:4 out loud, or write it in your journal or on your journal page (get a free page and user guide to the right). E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Holy Spirit, Guard the door to my mouth as  you closed the mouths of the lions for Daniel and His friends. I commit myself anew to Your gentleness. + Amen. . *LOVE the Word™ exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Come On Over to Instagram and Introduce Yourself! Episode Resources On our Facebook discussion community, tell me your #LOVEtheWordtakeaway: have you ever been struck by how gentle God is with you? Reflect.  References Thomas Aquinas, Catena Aurea on Matthew 5:5 Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, courtesy of Kristie Hynniman who does our transcriptions for you.

“Jesus is anxious to help the soul, and if it is faithful to this grace from God, it can very soon attain the highest holiness possible for a creature here on earth. God is very generous and does not deny His grace to anyone. Indeed He gives more than what we ask of Him. Faithfulness to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit — that is the shortest route" (St. Faustina, Diary, 291). Welcome Rowena, Erin, Shelly, Muriel, Kristine, Elizabeth, and Lisa, Bible Study Evangelista's newest friends of the show! Thank you for loving and lifting me. LOVE the Word™ is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan - Make a trip to daily Mass, and thank your priest for his faithfulness. As you receive Jesus in the Eucharistic covenant, thank Him for His faithfulness to you even when you are faithless. I | Ignatian - Right now, where you sit, notice your breathing. As you breathe slowly in and out, pay attention to what you hear, smell, and see around you. Feel the pulse of life within your wrist. How is this a mark of God's faithfulness to you? A | Augustinian - Where do you struggle most with faithfulness, either to other people or to God? T | Thomistic - If possible, go to Adoration to do this exercise: meditate on what faithfulness means. Then ask Jesus how you can be more faithful to Him. V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Why does faithfulness to God begin at home? What was the most spiritually faithless time of your life? Can you identify the cause of your faithlessness from that time? In your journal or on your journal page (get a free page and user guide to the right), try to list as many ways as you can remember that God was faithful to you in that season. When have you been most faithful to Him? Write out a prayer of thanksgiving to Him for His faithfulness to you. E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Holy Spirit, O Lord Omnipotent, Who permit evil in order to draw good from it, give ear to our humble petitions, in which we beg of You the grace to be faithful unto death, always conforming ourselves to Your most holy will. + Amen. . *LOVE the Word™ exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Come On Over to Instagram and Introduce Yourself! Episode Resources On our Facebook discussion community, tell me your #LOVEtheWordtakeaway: what circumstance you have experienced that convinced you that God is, indeed, faithful? References Catholic Encyclopedia, faithfulness Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, courtesy of Kristie Hynniman who does our transcriptions for you.

“You are my Lord, because You have no need of my goodness” (St. Augustine, Confessions). Welcome Janet, Amy B., Rebecca, Peggy, Pamelann, and Amy H., Bible Study Evangelista's newest friends of the show! Thank you for loving and lifting me. LOVE the Word™ is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan - Tell the next four people you see how and where you can see God's goodness in or through them. I | Ignatian - Take a walk through the woods or field along the road, and look for signs of God's goodness in all you see, smell, hear, taste, and feel. Think about the mystery of seeing and understanding something of the invisible God through His creation. A | Augustinian - Think about the worst event or episode in your life so far. Can you discern how God somehow drew goodness out of it for you? What about the worst event or episode in human history? How does God want you to share in His goodness by cooperating with Him to bring goodness out of something difficult or "bad" for someone else? T | Thomistic - Meditate for 15 minutes on I AM WHO AM. V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) What is your favorite thing about God's goodness?  In your journal or on your journal page (get a free page and user guide to the right), praise and thank Him for revealing His goodness in creation and events. E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Holy Spirit, show me how to be an example of your goodness to those I connect with this day and this week. + Amen. . *LOVE the Word™ exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Come On Over to Instagram and Introduce Yourself! Episode Resources On our Facebook discussion community,tell me about the clearest experience you've ever had of God's goodness. You can also post or chat with others about your #LOVEtheWordtakeaway. References Summa Theologica, Questions 5 & 6, Thomas Aquinas Catholic Encyclopedia, goodness Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, courtesy of Kristie Hynniman who does our transcriptions for you.

"It is a weakness of righteous men that they cannot discern praiseworthy things in a vice-ridden man" (Souda, a 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia). Welcome Lucille, Jill, and Roxanne, Bible Study Evangelista's newest friends of the show! Thank you for loving and lifting me. LOVE the Word™ is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan - Take a look at a crucifix; if possible, hold it in your hand. Touch His five wounds. Think about the worst sin you can remember committing in your life. Was Jesus ever unkind to you about your sin? I | Ignatian - Imagine Jesus is sitting across from you. Become aware of your breath. Use your five senses to imagine the scenario as Jesus sits across from you, and you talk together about your speech habits. What does he say? A | Augustinian - What was the most significant scripture or idea you heard in the show on kindness? How has God spoken to you about your speech habits? What can you do this week to assure that the Law of Kindness remains in your mouth? T | Thomistic - Who do you routinely encounter that you can go out of your way to be kinder to? Why do you sometimes feel unkind toward this person? Where and when do you usually encounter this person? What sincere, kind thing will you say to this person the next time you see him or her? V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Where has Jesus challenged your habits of speech today? What do you sense He wants from you now? Talk to Him about that in your journal or on your journal page (get a free page and user guide to the right). E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Holy Spirit, guard my speech; convict me before I am unkind. May I anticipate situations in which I can be deliberately kind, so that your Law of Kindness remains in my mouth. + Amen. . *LOVE the Word™ exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Come On Over to Instagram and Introduce Yourself! Episode Resources Tell me about the kindest thing you ever heard a stranger say to you in our Facebook discussion community, where you can also post or chat with others about your #LOVEtheWordtakeaway. References International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Kindness Catholic Dictionary, Kindness On the Pulse of the Morning, Maya Angelou Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, courtesy of Kristie Hynniman who does our transcriptions for you.

"Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, All things are passing away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices" (St. Teresa of Avila). Welcome Liz and Deborah, Bible Study Evangelista's newest friends of the show! Thank you for loving and lifting me. LOVE the Word™ is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan - If you've never heard of Taize, named for the town in France, prepare to lose your breath. The words are below in the Ignatian exercise.  If you're given to musical expression, you might play the music yourself. I | Ignatian - The Taize Community is an ecumenical monastic order that invites people of Catholic and Protestant traditions from all over the world to worship together. A type of Christian Bonaroo or Woodstock, the Taize community is well known for their contemplative hymns in many languages. The following is a popular Spanish Hymn inspired by this week's quote by our mystic saint, Teresa of Avila ( 1515-1582). Listen to the hymn above. Imagine you are present at the gathering, singing this hymn with the other pilgrims gathered in France. Pay close attention to any emotions that arise: Let nothing trouble, Let nothing frighten, Those who seek God, Shall never go wanting. Let nothing trouble, Let nothing frighten, Everything passes, God alone fills us. Let nothing trouble, Let nothing frighten, With patience, Everything is possible. A | Augustinian - As you listen and follow along to the hymn, above, what phrase stands out most? What is Jesus saying to your heart? T | Thomistic - What is patience? How, exactly, does it work? Why does patience "obtain all things"? V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Where do you sense Jesus is calling you to greater patience? What have you attempted to obtain without patience? Why do you think have you not obtained it yet? Speak with Him about that in your journal or on your journal page (get a free page and user guide to the right). E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Holy Spirit, let nothing trouble me, let nothing frighten me. May You alone suffice for me. + Amen. . *LOVE the Word™ exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic. These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Come On Over to Instagram and Introduce Yourself! Episode Resources What makes you the most impatient? Tell us your worst display of impatience in our Facebook discussion community, where you can also post or chat with others about your #LOVEtheWordtakeaway. References International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Patience Patience, Meditations for a Month, Richard Clarke SJ St. Augustine on Patience Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, courtesy of Kristie Hynniman who does our transcriptions for you.

When Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 she was asked what we can we do to promote world peace. Her answer was simple: “Go home and love your family.” Welcome Maureen, Sarah, Kathleen Marie, Kristen, and Beth, Bible Study Evangelista's newest friends of the show! Thank you for loving and lifting me. LOVE the Word™ is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan - Since I've had this song in my head since we started the Fruit of the Spirit series, it's only charitable to share the ear worm with you!  I | Ignatian - Imagine you are one of the disciples gathered with Mary and the others after Jesus' crucifixion. The doors are locked against the murderous mob. You huddle together for prayer, trying to draw a measure of comfort from one another, wondering about the crazy reports that Jesus is alive. What does it mean? Close your eyes and try to relive in your imagination, with as many sensory details as you can, what the feeling and conversation are among the disciples in that room. Now, remembering that you are in His presence, call to mind a current situation in your life in which you lack peace. Imagine your situation is that locked room. You sit among the other disciples talking about your situation. What is said? What is the prevailing emotion? What happens when Jesus appears in the middle of the room and says, "Peace be with you"? A | Augustinian - When Jesus says "Peace be with you," are His words promise, command, suggestion, or encouragement? As He says these words to you, what comes to mind? T | Thomistic - Consider Jesus' words on peace: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you" (Joh 14:27). What is the difference in the world's peace and the peace Jesus gives you? What does the italicized phrase mean? V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) What do you sense God wants you to do this week about what you've heard and observed with Him? Take some time to talk to Him about that in your journal or on your journal page (get a free page and user guide to the right). E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Holy Spirit, may the "peace that passes all understanding keep my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus." + Amen. . *LOVE the Word™ exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic. These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Come On Over to Instagram and Introduce Yourself! Episode Resources What practice brings you the most peace? Tell us how you cultivate peace in our Facebook discussion community, where you can also post or chat with others about your daily #LOVEtheWordtakeaway. References Catechism of the Catholic Church, Joy Gaudium et Spes, Vatican II Document on Joy & Hope This Week's Video  Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, courtesy of Kristie Hynniman who does our transcriptions for you.

"Joy is prayer; joy is strength: joy is love; joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls" (Mother Teresa of Calcutta). Welcome Ginny, Grace, Jo, Allyson, and Jade, Bible Study Evangelista's newest friends of the show! Some are first-time supporters, and some have added to their support. In both cases, I thank you deeply for loving and lifting me! LOVE the Word™ is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Listen (Receive the Word.) Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) Augustinian - Proclaim Nehemiah 8:10 aloud, emphasizing each word in turn, like this, until you have emphasized them all: The joy of the Lord is my strength. The joy of the Lord is my strength. The joy of the Lord is my strength. The joy of the Lord is my strength. The joy of the Lord is my strength. The joy of the Lord is my strength. What comes to mind? Franciscan - This week, sing your favorite praise song every day, especially when you feel sad or down. Ask your guardian angel to remind you. Ignatian - I wonder how it felt, sitting on the grass with the wildflowers nodding in the breeze, watching the ripples glinting on the lake in the distance, the human race hearing such radical things for the first time. “Go the extra mile. . . . Love your enemy. . . . Don’t worry. . . . Stockpile treasure . . . in heaven. . . . Blessed are the poor, the depressed, those who let others go first, the hungry and thirsty, the martyred and persecuted. . . .  Adultery is also a matter of the heart. We are judged in the measure we ourselves judge.” What would it have been like, to be part of that crowd? Did the grass sing? Did the earth pound with the new truths, the new order he unleashed with every word? Thomistic - Write down and memorize the eight Beatitudes from Matthew 5.     Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Verse 3)     Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land. (Verse 4)     Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Verse 5)     Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. (Verse 6)     Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. (Verse 7)     Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. (Verse 8)     Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. (Verse 9)     Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Verse 10) Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) In your journal or on your journal page (get a free page and user guide to the right), write down the most significant idea or scripture from the show. What are your thoughts and feelings regarding your Observe step (above), this verse, the video, and the Word you heard and observed in this episode? What have you learned or remembered about joy? What do you sense God wants you to do this week about what you've heard and observed with Him? Take some time to talk to Him about that. Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Holy Spirit, this week, help me to remember and celebrate the joy of my salvation, and to express in my life the love I celebrate. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, + Amen. . *LOVE the Word™ exercises are offered according to the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Ignatian, Augustinian,

Jesus said they will know us by our fruit. Is the Holy Spirit producing fruit in me, or am I putting forth the rotten fruit of self-indulgence and self-reliance? Here's how to take a spiritual inventory with St. Paul in Galatians 5. Welcome Judith, Susan J., Coletta, Alice, Robert, Kelli, Janet, and Mavis, Bible Study Evangelista's newest friends of the show! LOVE the Word™ is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Listen (Receive the Word.) Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) Augustinian -  Where has the Holy Spirit pointed out the rotten fruit of self-indulgence in your life? What about self-reliance? Remembering that you are in His presence, take a spiritual inventory of the "good fruit": love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. What comes to mind? Franciscan - Take a field trip this week to a vineyard, orchard, or vegetable or flower garden; what do you notice about growth? What will happen to the fruit you see? If there is no fruit, what happened to the fruit that was once present? What would you do with a plant that did not and would never bear fruit? Ignatian - Imagine you are walking with Jesus through the vineyard when He says, " You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 7:16-20). As you walk with Him through the rows of grapes, what is Jesus doing with His hands? Can you smell the sun on the dirt and leaves? Do you hear the wind, or birds? How do the grapes taste on your tongue? How do they feel in your hand? What's in your heart right now? Thomistic - Memorize the nine fruits of the spirit listed in the Augustinian exercise, above, along with the reference (Galatians 5:22). Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) In your journal or on your journal page (get a free page and user guide to the right), write down your thoughts and feelings regarding the Word you heard and observed in this episode. Has He spoken to you about a particular "pet" sin or habit? What do you sense God wants you to do this week about what you've heard and observed with Him? Take some time to talk to Him about that. Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Holy Spirit, this week, please help me abide more and more fully in Jesus, the Vine. Bring to my mind, in those important moments of choice, to turn to You and lean on You for the fruit-bearing that reveals me as a true child of God. In You, I will be a sound tree that bears good fruit. Amen. . *LOVE the Word™ exercises are offered according to the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Ignatian, Augustinian, Franciscan, and Thomistic. These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Episode Resources How is the Holy Spirit also using the daily readings this week to speak to you about your fruit? Here's our Facebook community where you can post or chat with others about your daily #LOVEtheWordtakeaway. References Mat 7:15-20  "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit,