Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts

 Episode 16 – Knowing Who We Are: The Example of St. Thomas Moore Discerning Hearts is honored to host the reflections of Dr. Regis Martin.  Filled with profound insights, wisdom, and joy, he is one of the most trustworthy guides one can have on the spiritual journey. For years Regis Martin, STD, has been regaling audiences about the mysteries of God and Church, most especially his students at Franciscan University of Steubenville where he teaches theology. Author of half-dozen or more books, including The Suffering of Love (Ignatius, 2006), The Last Things (Ignatius Press, 2011), Still Point (Ave Maria, 2012), The Beggar’s Banquet (Emmaus Road, 2012), Witness to Wonder (Emmaus Road, 2017) his work frequently appears in Crises and The Catholic Thing. .

Old Testament Joseph – Episode 1 – St. Joseph with Sonja Corbitt In this episode we explore Old Testament Joseph’s life, because in order to understand St. Joseph as patron of the Church, we must know something of his ancestor, OT Joseph, for whom he is named. Psalm 105 gives us a snapshot of OT Joseph, and a prophecy of NT Joseph: “When he summoned a famine on the land, and broke every staff of bread, he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. His feet were hurt with fetters, his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what he had said came to pass the word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him, the ruler of the peoples set him free; he made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his possessions, to instruct his princes at his pleasure, and to teach his elders wisdom” (Ps 105:16-22, emphasis mine). For other episodes in this series, visit the Discerning Hearts Sonja Corbitt page Be sure to visit Bible StudyEvangelista webpage at: https://www.biblestudyevangelista.com LOVE the Word™ is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice. Listen (Receive the Word.) Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) One of my favorite things about OT Joseph is how he bore up under injustice and adversity and continued to operate in his gifts wherever he found himself. Ultimately, God used all of Joseph’s sufferings as stepping-stones to something greater and to the benefit of everyone: “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many should be kept alive…” (Gen 50:20). As you observe your own dysfunctional family relationships and circumstances, and the suffering there, can you discern an ultimate good toward which God might be moving all of you? In your family, is there one person who seems to be in the role of Joseph? 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. Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Lord, they may have meant evil against me, but You meant it for good (Gen 50:20). Help me to wait for your vindication, and as I wait, help me to forgive. Amen + READ THE TRANSCRIPT Click here for a written transcript of this episode.    Visit here for more on Sonja’s “LOVE the Word” journal Also:

 Chapter 15 – Lectio Divina “To be ignorant of the scriptures is to be ignorant of Christ.” – Saint Jerome All authentic Christian prayer begins, not by flinging oneself into obscure states of transcendental awareness, but by trying to listen to God’s words, most particularly as embodied in the words of Jesus Christ. You can find the book here. This little book How to Pray – A Practical Guide to the Spiritual life by David Torkington, was published by Our Sunday Visitor. It was written for those prepared to restructure their daily lives to make time for the prayer where they can be transformed by the love that only God can give. In the foreword to this new book from OSV, “How to Pray: A Practical Guide to the Spiritual Life,” Sister Wendy Beckett wrote, “There are no hideaways here, no excuses, but no alarming demands, either. Instead, Torkington seeks only to show us the truth, that truth that sets us free and convinces us that the yoke of Jesus is easy and his burden light. All we need is to understand and to choose. This book offers us the help we need to understand, and then the choice is ours.”⁠ This is not your standard “prayer book” – it is not a compilation of Catholic prayers for you to just read. Rather, this is a series of 40 reflections on prayer intended to open you up to the transformation that is possible through prayer, through the love that God can give us through prayer.⁠ Endorsement “From here to eternity! For those drawn to contemplative prayer, David Torkington offers compelling clarity and common sense. Gentle kindness guides his practical counsel, and he is careful to help us see the solid principles in which he roots his insights. An authentic and reliable guard against counterfeits, his wisdom points to the heights and grounded-ness of the Catholic mystical tradition at a time when it is most needed.” Dr. Anthony Lilles, STD: Associate Professor and Academic Dean of St John’s Seminary in Camarillo, as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the diocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years, he served the Church in Northern Colorado, where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Visit his website:  www.davidtorkington.com. The author of the popular Peter Calvay series, his books include Wisdom from the Western Isles, Wisdom from Franciscan Italy, Wisdom from the Christian Mystics, Prayer Made Simple (CTS), and How to Pray by Our Sunday Visitor. His books have been translated into 13 different languages.  

Dr. Lilles begins the spiritual explorations of the Letters of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity.  In this episode we discuss letter 111 as described below: [April 7, 1902]1 Dijon Carmel, April 7 J. M. + J. T. Dear Monsieur le Chanoine, If you only knew how good it is to spend Lent, Holy Week, and Easter in Carmel—it is something unique! With what joy I sang Alleluia, wrapped in the white mantle, clothed in the dear habit that I have so longed to wear. It was quite wonderful, I assure you, to spend Holy Thursday close to Him, and I would have spent the night as well, but the Master wanted me to rest. But that does not matter, does it? We find Him in our sleep just as we do in prayer, since He is in everything, everywhere, and always! At 2 o’clock I went down to choir; you can guess what a glorious time I had, and also what I said on your behalf! More and more I love the dear grilles that make me His prisoner of love. It is so good to think that we are prisoners, in chains for each other; more than that, that we are but one victim, offered to the Father for souls, so that they may be wholly consummated in Unity. When you think of your little Carmelite, thank Him who has given her so beautiful a part. Sometimes I think that it is an anticipated Heaven: the horizon is so beautiful, it is He! Oh! what will it be like above since here below He already makes our union so intimate? You know my homesickness for Heaven, it does not diminish, for I already live in that Heaven, since I carry it within me; in Carmel it seems that we are already so near. Won’t you come to see me some day and continue through the grille the fine conversations you used to have with your little Elizabeth? Do you remember the first time I confided my secret to you in the cloister of Saint-Hilaire?  I spent some happy moments with you and I am asking God to reward you for the good you have done me. I still remember my joy when I was able to have a little conference with you and entrust my great secret to you. I was only a child, but you never doubted the divine call! I have not seen my dear Mama yet; I am expecting her at the first opportunity. My little Guite came last week. It had been nearly two months since we had seen each other, so you can guess what a meeting it was! I am overjoyed to see all the good God is doing in the souls of my darlings. He has taken me in order to give Himself more, and I can see I am doing them much more good in my dear Carmel than when I was near them; oh, how good God is! I am leaving you to go to prayer where we have the Blessed Sacrament exposed every Sunday. I only have time to ask your blessing; I know it is a fatherly one for your little Carmelite. M. Elizabeth of the Trinity Thank you very much for your pretty holy card. Please give my greetings to my dear Marie-Louise. Tell her she has certainly not been forgotten! Catez, Elizabeth of the Trinity. The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity volume 2: Letters from Carmel (pp. 42-43). ICS Publications. Kindle Edition. Special thanks to Miriam Gutierrez for her readings of St. Elizabeth’s letters For other episodes in the series visit The Discerning Hearts “The Letters of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity” with Dr. Anthony Lilles’ Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. is an associate professor and the academic dean of Saint John’s Seminary in Camarillo as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years he served the Church in Northern Colorado where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Through the years, clergy, seminarians,

 “Holy Trinity, Whom I Adore” a prayer of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity (translated by Dr. Anthony Lilles and offered by Miriam Gutierrez)   Holy Trinity, Whom I Adore O My God, Trinity whom I adore, help me to forget myself entirely so as to be established in you as still and as peaceful as if my soul were already in eternity. May nothing be able to disturb my peace, nor make me depart from you, o my Unchanging One, but may each moment carry me further into the depths of your Mystery. Pacify my soul: make it your heaven, your beloved abode, your resting place. May I never leave you there alone, but may I be entirely present, my faith completely ready, wholly adoring, fully surrendered to your creative action. O my beloved Christ, crucified by love, I would like to be a bride for your heart. I would like to cover you with glory, I would like to love you… unto death. I feel my powerlessness, however, and I ask you to clothe me with yourself, to identify my soul with all the movements of your soul, to overwhelm me, to invade me, to substitute yourself for me, that my life might be but the radiation of your Life. Come into me as Adorer, as Healer, as Savior. O Eternal Word, Word of my God, I want to spend my life listening to you. I want to be completely docile, ready to learn all from you. Then, through all nights, all voids, all weakness, I want always to fixate on you and to remain under your great light. O My beloved Star, fascinate me to the point that I could not forsake your shining light. O Consuming Flame, Spirit of love, come over me until my soul is rendered into an incarnation of the Word; may I be for Him another humanity in which he renews His whole Mystery. And you, O Father, bend over your little creature, cover her with your shadow, and in her only the Beloved in whom You are well-pleased. O my Three, my All, my Beatitude, Infinite Solitude, Immensity in which I lose myself, I surrender myself as prey. Bury yourself in me in order that I might bury myself in you while waiting to contemplate in your light the immeasurable depths of your grandeur .

Msgr. Esseff reflects on the teaching of the Sacred Scriptures and on how we pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory: Reading 1 Wis 3:1-9 The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace. For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; they shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the LORD shall be their King forever. Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect. Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton.  He was ordained on May 30, 1953, by the late Bishop William J. Hafey, D.D. at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton, PA.  Msgr. Esseff served a retreat director and confessor to St. Mother Teresa.    He continues to offer direction and retreats for the sisters of the missionaries of charity around the world.  Msgr. Esseff encountered St.  Padre Pio,  who would become a spiritual father to him.  He has lived in areas around the world,  serving in the Pontifical missions, a Catholic organization established by St. Pope John Paul II to bring the Good News to the world especially to the poor.  Msgr. Esseff assisted the founders of the Institute for Priestly Formation and continues to serve as a spiritual director for the Institute.  He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters and seminarians and other religious leaders around the world.    

Episode 41 – John 20 – I Am Alive: The Resurrection This week we study John 20, the resurrection of Jesus.  This is THE event of the life of Christ, the pivotal moment when death was conquered.  Sharon begins her lecture with a look at Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, two of the individuals who played important roles after the crucifixion.  Nicodemus brings 100 pounds of myrrh and aloe to anoint the body of Jesus in a manner truly fit for a king.  Jesus’ body is placed in the newly hewn tomb gifted by Joseph of Arimathea, which recalls that just as the infant Jesus was carried in the virginal womb of Mary, he was laid to rest in the untouched tomb near Golgotha. As Jesus passed through the walls of Mary leaving her ever-virgin, he can walk through locked doors as well. Sharon goes on to tell us more details about myrrh and the burial customs of first-century Israel.  The Catholic Chrism oil of today, prefigured in Exodus 30, contains myrrh as one of its ingredients.  Myrrh was used not only to anoint Jesus’ body, but it was also a gift of the Magi, showing how this oil was used at Jesus’ birth and when he was born again at the resurrection. Sharon then focused on additional details of this passage, including how John notes that the linen facecloth was rolled up separately from the burial linens.  Had the body of Jesus been stolen, these valuable linens would also have been taken by grave robbers.  We then learn more about Mary Magdalene, a woman of means who traveled with Jesus, providing assistance to him and the apostles.  Mary Magdalene becomes the apostle to the apostles, being the first to proclaim to them the event of the resurrection.  At first, mistaking Jesus for a gardener, Mary recognizes him as he calls her name. By eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the old Adam was banished from the garden by disobedience.   Jesus is the new Adam who, through obedience to the Father, provides entry into the new garden where we now eat from the new tree of life, the Eucharist. Later, Jesus appears to the ten apostles (Thomas and Judas are missing), where they experience a private Pentecost.  As the Father breathed the spirit of life into Adam, Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit into the apostles, giving them the authority to forgive sins, something only God can do.  Because they are acting in persona Christi, in the person of Christ, the apostles and their successors become the permanent solution to the permanent problem of sin, replacing the Jewish high priest who once a year offered sacrifice for the atonement of sin, a temporary solution to the permanent problem of sin. Finally, Sharon concludes this lecture by comparing Jesus’ reaction to Mary Magdalene and Thomas. Jesus does not want Mary to touch and cling to him, yet he invites Thomas to intimately touch his wounds.  Why?  Thomas, as well as the other apostles, are the new priesthood and Jesus invites Thomas to enter fully into the mystery of his humanity and divinity.  Priests are called to immerse themselves into the suffering of Christ in a special way, whereby they become conduits of grace and bring us the sacraments.   This mystery helps us understand the words of St Paul:  “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh, I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the divine office which was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations (Col 1: 24-26).”  By entering into the sufferings of Christ, the priesthood replaces what is lacking (the physical presence of Christ) and makes the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations. Sharon Doran serves as the teaching director of “Seeking Truth.” An experienced Bible Study teacher, Sharon has a passion for scripture that will motivate and challenge y...

Episode 8 – Mary and the Call to Holiness Join Teresa Monaghen, of Pro Sanctity, as she tells us of our “Personal Call to Holiness”.  Listen along with these short, but beautiful meditations which encourage us to continue on our journey as “saints in the making”! Pro Sanctity Mission Statement The Pro Sanctity Movement is a Catholic organization dedicated to promoting the universal call to holiness by seeking to address the needs of the mind with theology, the heart with spirituality, and the hands with ministry. It is open to all, especially to those who wish to deepen their commitment to God and to share the message of holiness with others. Learn more about Pro Sanctity at www.prosanctity.org Also, you may wish to visit the Pro Sanctity Retreat Center in Fullerton, CA.  Learn more at  Pro Sanctity Movement West

 An essay against essays, the evil of nice-sounding words, and much more. We continue our discussion of G.K. Chesterton’s collection In Defense of Sanity. This discussion is part of the FORMED Book Club—an online community led by Fr. Joseph Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro that reads and discusses a different book each month. You can find the book here G.K. Chesterton was a master essayist. But reading his essays is not just an exercise in studying a literary form at its finest, it is an encounter with timeless truths that jump off the page as fresh and powerful as the day they were written. The only problem with Chesterton’s essays is that there are too many of them. Over five thousand! For most GKC readers it is not even possible to know where to start or how to begin to approach them.  So three of the world’s leading authorities on Chesterton – Dale Ahlquist, Joseph Pearce, Aidan Mackey – have joined together to select the best Chesterton essays, a collection that will be appreciated by both the newcomer and the seasoned student of this great 20th-century man of letters. The variety of topics are astounding: barbarians, architects, mystics, ghosts, fireworks, rain, juries, gargoyles, and much more. Plus a look at Shakespeare, Dickens, Jane Austen, George MacDonald, T.S. Eliot, and the Bible. All in that inimitable, formidable but always quotable style of GKC. Even more astounding than the variety is the continuity of Chesterton’s thought that ties everything together. A veritable feast for the mind and heart. While some of the essays in this volume may be familiar, many of them are collected here for the first time, making their first appearance in over a century.  

 Episode 15 – Where Have All The Children Gone? Discerning Hearts is honored to host the reflections of Dr. Regis Martin.  Filled with profound insights, wisdom, and joy, he is one of the most trustworthy guides one can have on the spiritual journey. For years Regis Martin, STD, has been regaling audiences about the mysteries of God and Church, most especially his students at Franciscan University of Steubenville where he teaches theology. Author of half-dozen or more books, including The Suffering of Love (Ignatius, 2006), The Last Things (Ignatius Press, 2011), Still Point (Ave Maria, 2012), The Beggar’s Banquet (Emmaus Road, 2012), Witness to Wonder (Emmaus Road, 2017) his work frequently appears in Crises and The Catholic Thing. .

 Chapter 14 – Perfect Love “You will never love someone unless you know them, but you will never really know them unless you love them.” – William of St. Thierry God became man, so that we could love him in Jesus. I decided to study Him more and more deeply so that I could come to love Him, and in loving Him come to experience the only love that could change me permanently for the better. You can find the book here. This little book How to Pray – A Practical Guide to the Spiritual life by David Torkington, was published by Our Sunday Visitor. It was written for those prepared to restructure their daily lives to make time for the prayer where they can be transformed by the love that only God can give. In the foreword to this new book from OSV, “How to Pray: A Practical Guide to the Spiritual Life,” Sister Wendy Beckett wrote, “There are no hideaways here, no excuses, but no alarming demands, either. Instead, Torkington seeks only to show us the truth, that truth that sets us free and convinces us that the yoke of Jesus is easy and his burden light. All we need is to understand and to choose. This book offers us the help we need to understand, and then the choice is ours.”⁠ This is not your standard “prayer book” – it is not a compilation of Catholic prayers for you to just read. Rather, this is a series of 40 reflections on prayer intended to open you up to the transformation that is possible through prayer, through the love that God can give us through prayer.⁠ Endorsement “From here to eternity! For those drawn to contemplative prayer, David Torkington offers compelling clarity and common sense. Gentle kindness guides his practical counsel, and he is careful to help us see the solid principles in which he roots his insights. An authentic and reliable guard against counterfeits, his wisdom points to the heights and grounded-ness of the Catholic mystical tradition at a time when it is most needed.” Dr. Anthony Lilles, STD: Associate Professor and Academic Dean of St John’s Seminary in Camarillo, as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the diocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years, he served the Church in Northern Colorado, where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Visit his website:  www.davidtorkington.com. The author of the popular Peter Calvay series, his books include Wisdom from the Western Isles, Wisdom from Franciscan Italy, Wisdom from the Christian Mystics, Prayer Made Simple (CTS), and How to Pray by Our Sunday Visitor. His books have been translated into 13 different languages.  

What a delight to have the opportunity to have a conversation with Dr. Scott Hahn about his fantastic new book Hope to Die: The Christian Meaning of Death and the Resurrection of the Body.  Along with Emily Stimpson Chapman, Dr. Hahn brings us an absorbing work that reflects the transcendent nature of our souls and also of our bodies.  He helps us to go deeper into the mystery of the incarnation, as well as, the sheer gift of our own existence in God’s eyes.  Joy and expectation fuel an effervescent hope that we definitely all need today.  So filled with spiritual fruit, you do not want to miss this incredible book! You can find the book here From the book description: As Catholics, we believe in the resurrection of the body. We profess it in our creed. We’re taught that to bury and pray for the dead are corporal and spiritual works of mercy. We honor the dead in our Liturgy through the Rite of Christian burial. We do all of this, and more, because when Jesus Christ took on flesh for the salvation of our souls he also bestowed great dignity on our bodies. In Hope to Die: The Christian Meaning of Death and the Resurrection of the Body, Scott Hahn explores the significance of death and burial from a Catholic perspective. The promise of the bodily resurrection brings into focus the need for the dignified care of our bodies at the hour of death. Unpacking both Scripture and Catholic teaching, Hope to Die reminds us that we are destined for glorification on the last day. Our bodies have been made by a God who loves us. Even in death, those bodies point to the mystery of our salvation.  

 Why “vulgar” can be good—and much more, as we continue to discuss essays by G.K. Chesterton from the collection In Defense of Sanity. This discussion is part of the FORMED Book Club—an online community led by Fr. Joseph Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro that reads and discusses a different book each month. You can find the book here G.K. Chesterton was a master essayist. But reading his essays is not just an exercise in studying a literary form at its finest, it is an encounter with timeless truths that jump off the page as fresh and powerful as the day they were written. The only problem with Chesterton’s essays is that there are too many of them. Over five thousand! For most GKC readers it is not even possible to know where to start or how to begin to approach them.  So three of the world’s leading authorities on Chesterton – Dale Ahlquist, Joseph Pearce, Aidan Mackey – have joined together to select the best Chesterton essays, a collection that will be appreciated by both the newcomer and the seasoned student of this great 20th-century man of letters. The variety of topics are astounding: barbarians, architects, mystics, ghosts, fireworks, rain, juries, gargoyles, and much more. Plus a look at Shakespeare, Dickens, Jane Austen, George MacDonald, T.S. Eliot, and the Bible. All in that inimitable, formidable but always quotable style of GKC. Even more astounding than the variety is the continuity of Chesterton’s thought that ties everything together. A veritable feast for the mind and heart. While some of the essays in this volume may be familiar, many of them are collected here for the first time, making their first appearance in over a century.  

 Episode 14 – St. John Henry Cardinal Newman, Pray for Us Discerning Hearts is honored to host the reflections of Dr. Regis Martin.  Filled with profound insights, wisdom, and joy, he is one of the most trustworthy guides one can have on the spiritual journey. For years Regis Martin, STD, has been regaling audiences about the mysteries of God and Church, most especially his students at Franciscan University of Steubenville where he teaches theology. Author of half-dozen or more books, including The Suffering of Love (Ignatius, 2006), The Last Things (Ignatius Press, 2011), Still Point (Ave Maria, 2012), The Beggar’s Banquet (Emmaus Road, 2012), Witness to Wonder (Emmaus Road, 2017) his work frequently appears in Crises and The Catholic Thing. .

Body and Soul at Rest – Episode 9 – Freedom from Anxiety with Sonja Corbitt Rest is not merely inactivity. Although it certainly includes leisure, rest involves the entire human person, in thoughts, emotions, body, and soul. In this episode we explore what the Bible means when it commands us to observe Sabbath rest. For other episodes in this series, visit the Discerning Hearts Sonja Corbitt page Be sure to visit Bible StudyEvangelista webpage at: https://www.biblestudyevangelista.com LOVE the Word™ is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice. Listen (Receive the Word.) O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) Could a neglect of keeping a proper Sunday observance be contributing to your unrest? What small steps can you begin taking today to make your Sundays more restful for yourself and your family? 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!) Heavenly Father, I ask that Your love flow upon me. May the Blood of Christ cover all wounds and restore all in me to wholeness and life. May the fire from Our Lady’s heart now enter me and anoint everything with the Holy Spirit and blind Satan. May St. Joseph wrap me with blessings and peace, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen READ THE TRANSCRIPT Click here for a written transcript of this episode.    Visit here for more on Sonja’s “LOVE the Word” journal Also: