Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts

Day 1 St. Padre Pio you have said: Jesus keeps nothing for Himself of what is done for love of Him, and He will repay us very lavishly,  Don’t let us make our happiness depend on enjoying wonderful health, or else we should be just like those foolish worldly people to whom it is not given to know the secrets of heaven…. Continue to love Jesus, and make an effort to love Him more and more, without wanting to know anything else He alone will steer us to the haven of salvation. Gracious God, you generously blessed your servant, Padre Pio, with the gifts of the Spirit. You marked his body with the five wounds of Christ Crucified, as a powerful witness to the saving Passion and Death of your Son, and as a stirring inspiration to many people of your infinite mercy, forgiveness and love. In the confessional, Padre Pio labored endlessly for the salvation of souls. Through his powerful intercession, many who suffered were healed of sickness and disease. Endowed with the gift of discernment, he could read people’s hearts. With dignity and intense devotion, he celebrated daily Mass, inviting countless men and women to a greater union with Jesus Christ, in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Through the intercession of Saint Pio, we confidently beseech you to to grant us the grace of (state your petition here). Help us to imitate his example of prayerful holiness and compassion, so that we, too, may faithfully follow the Risen Lord, and one day rejoice in the Kingdom, where you live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

Day 7 St. Hildegard you have said: Don’t let yourself forget that God’s grace rewards not only those who never slip, but also those who bend and fall. So sing! The song of rejoicing softens hard hearts. It makes tears of godly sorrow flow from them. Singing summons the Holy Spirit. Happy praises offered in simplicity and love lead the faithful to complete harmony, without discord. Don’t stop singing.   O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer you taught us…. God is the foundation for everything This God undertakes, God gives. Such that nothing that is necessary for life is lacking. Now humankind needs a body that at all times honors and praises God. This body is supported in every way through the earth. Thus the earth glorifies the power of God.   O God, by whose grace your servant Hildegard, kindled with the Fire of your love, became a burning and shining light in your Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and walk before you as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. St. Hildegard von Bingen, pray for us For the Discerning Hearts 9-Day Novena to St. Hildegard von Bingen page Musical excerpt: Ave generosa, by Hildegard von Bingen (1089 – 1179) Laurence Ewashko, conductor 30 January 2000, St. Matthew’s Church, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada http://www.cantatasingersottawa.ca/listen.php

Chapter 7 Adoration, Praise, and Thanksgiving – Adoratio (Adoration) When we adore God a hidden highway is opened to the holiness of God. It enables his holiness to descend onto and into us as our homage rises to him. Peter Calvay (Hermit) When the full impact of all that God has done for us begins to register in our inmost being, it is time to give him thanks over and over again for what he continually gives to us. 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.  

Day 6 St. Hildegard you have said: Sometimes when we hear a song we breathe deeply and sigh. This reminds the prophet that the soul arises from heavenly harmony. In thinking about this, he was aware that the soul itself has something in itself of this music… O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer you taught us…. God is the foundation for everything This God undertakes, God gives. Such that nothing that is necessary for life is lacking. Now humankind needs a body that at all times honors and praises God. This body is supported in every way through the earth. Thus the earth glorifies the power of God. O God, by whose grace your servant Hildegard, kindled with the Fire of your love, became a burning and shining light in your Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and walk before you as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. St. Hildegard von Bingen, pray for us For the Discerning Hearts 9-Day Novena to St. Hildegard von Bingen page Musical excerpt: Ave generosa, by Hildegard von Bingen (1089 – 1179) Laurence Ewashko, conductor 30 January 2000, St. Matthew’s Church, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada http://www.cantatasingersottawa.ca/listen.php

Join Msgr. Esseff as he reflects on the gospel for the 24th Sunday of Ordinary time. Gospel Mk 8:27-35 Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said to him in reply, “You are the Christ.” Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him. He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.” Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton. Msgr. Esseff served as a retreat director and confessor to St. Teresa of Calcutta. 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  Pope St. John Paul II. 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.

Day 5 St. Hildegard you have said: Dare to declare who you are. It is not far from the shores of silence to the boundaries of speech. The path is not long, but the way is deep. You must not only walk there, you must be prepared to leap. The mystery of God hugs you in its all-encompassing arms.   O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer you taught us…. God is the foundation for everything This God undertakes, God gives. Such that nothing that is necessary for life is lacking. Now humankind needs a body that at all times honors and praises God. This body is supported in every way through the earth. Thus the earth glorifies the power of God. O God, by whose grace your servant Hildegard, kindled with the Fire of your love, became a burning and shining light in your Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and walk before you as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. St. Hildegard von Bingen, pray for us For the Discerning Hearts 9-Day Novena to St. Hildegard von Bingen page Musical excerpt: Ave generosa, by Hildegard von Bingen (1089 – 1179) Laurence Ewashko, conductor 30 January 2000, St. Matthew’s Church, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada http://www.cantatasingersottawa.ca/listen.php

Episode 40 – John 19 – Crucifixion and Death of Jesus Part 2 The Gospel of John reaches a crescendo in Chapter 19:  the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ.  The cosmic battle between good and evil, life and death reaches its climax on the cross.   The prince of light and life triumphs over the prince of darkness and death.  Banished to a life of darkness with the fall of Adam and Eve, mankind is brought back into the kingdom of light as Jesus crushes the head of Satan.  Yet, we are surrounded by a culture of darkness and death that can only be dispelled by Christ through the sacraments of the Church. John’s Gospel is dripping with irony, especially during the trial and crucifixion of Christ.  Pilate asks:  “What is truth?” as he looks upon the source of all truth, Jesus Christ.  Satan suppresses truth, and as we hear in Romans 1, the suppression of truth leads us to go against our very nature.  Sharon then teaches us some facts about the torture that Jesus experienced.  Crucifixion was the preferred method of execution used by the Romans in the first century.   It was often preceded by flogging, which by itself could bring about the death of a victim.  Jewish law forbids more than 40 lashes, but Roman law had no such restrictions.  The shroud of Turin demonstrates that Jesus likely received more than 100 strikes with the whip, weakening him to the point he could not carry his cross unassisted.  The victims of crucifixion experienced a slow, agonizing death, with asphyxiation as the ultimate cause. Drawing from Matthew’s account, Sharon then teaches us about Claudia, the wife of Pilate, who warned him to have nothing to do with Jesus’ death.  Returning to John’s account, Sharon highlights additional examples of irony.  Pilate sits in judgment of Jesus, who is the final judge of the living and the dead.  Also, the Jews proclaim they have no king but Caesar, which puts them in violation of the Lord’s prohibition against idolatry as the emperor was the focus of worship in Roman culture.  The Jews crucify Jesus on the charge of blasphemy, yet they declare allegiance to the false god of the Roman emperor. A final example of irony is Pilate’s inscription placed on Jesus’ cross:  the king of the Jews.  Jesus is truly the king of kings and Lord of lords.  Sharon then gives us interesting teaching about Dismas, the “good thief” who joins Jesus in paradise on the day of the crucifixion.  The hour of the crucifixion is the hour of a new creation.  God is the universal Father, Mary the universal mother, and Jesus the universal brother of all humanity.  The Holy Spirit is the universal language and John represents the universal priesthood established by Christ. 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 you to immerse yourself in God’s Word and apply His message to your everyday life. For more in this series, visit the Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran Discerning Hearts page. “Seeking Truth” is an in-depth Catholic Bible Study commissioned by the Archdiocese of Omaha in response to John Paul II’s call to the New Evangelization as well as Pope Benedict XVI’s exhortation for all Catholics to study scripture. To learn more, go to www.seekingtruth.net

Day 4 St. Hildegard you have said: Listen: there was once a king sitting on his throne. Around Him stood great and wonderfully beautiful columns ornamented with ivory, bearing the banners of the king with great honour. Then it pleased the king to raise a small feather from the ground, and he commanded it to fly. The feather flew, not because of anything in itself but because the air bore it along. Thus am I, a feather on the breath of God.   O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer you taught us…. God is the foundation for everything This God undertakes, God gives. Such that nothing that is necessary for life is lacking. Now humankind needs a body that at all times honors and praises God. This body is supported in every way through the earth. Thus the earth glorifies the power of God. O God, by whose grace your servant Hildegard, kindled with the Fire of your love, became a burning and shining light in your Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and walk before you as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. St. Hildegard von Bingen, pray for us For the Discerning Hearts 9-Day Novena to St. Hildegard von Bingen page Musical excerpt: Ave generosa, by Hildegard von Bingen (1089 – 1179) Laurence Ewashko, conductor 30 January 2000, St. Matthew’s Church, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada http://www.cantatasingersottawa.ca/listen.php

Episode 7 – The Lesson of St. Benedict… 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. .

Day 3 St. Hildegard you have said: Holy Spirit, the life that gives life: You are the cause of all movement. You are the breath of all creatures. You are the salve that purifies our souls. You are the ointment that heals our wounds. You are the fire that warms our hearts. You are the light that guides our feet. Let all the world praise you.   O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer you taught us…. God is the foundation for everything This God undertakes, God gives. Such that nothing that is necessary for life is lacking. Now humankind needs a body that at all times honors and praises God. This body is supported in every way through the earth. Thus the earth glorifies the power of God. O God, by whose grace your servant Hildegard, kindled with the Fire of your love, became a burning and shining light in your Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and walk before you as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. St. Hildegard von Bingen, pray for us For the Discerning Hearts 9-Day Novena to St. Hildegard von Bingen page Musical excerpt: Ave generosa, by Hildegard von Bingen (1089 – 1179) Laurence Ewashko, conductor 30 January 2000, St. Matthew’s Church, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada http://www.cantatasingersottawa.ca/listen.php

Episode 5 – Daily Spiritual Reading Join Teresa Monaghen, of Pro Sanctity, as she offers a “Personal Plan for 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

Day 2 St. Hildegard you have said: These visions which I saw were not in sleep nor in dreams, nor in my imagination nor by bodily eyes or outward ears nor in a hidden place; but in watching, aware with the pure eyes of the mind and inner ear of the heart.   O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer you taught us…. God is the foundation for everything This God undertakes, God gives. Such that nothing that is necessary for life is lacking. Now humankind needs a body that at all times honors and praises God. This body is supported in every way through the earth. Thus the earth glorifies the power of God. O God, by whose grace your servant Hildegard, kindled with the Fire of your love, became a burning and shining light in your Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and walk before you as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. St. Hildegard von Bingen, pray for us Musical excerpt: Ave generosa, by Hildegard von Bingen (1089 – 1179) Laurence Ewashko, conductor 30 January 2000, St. Matthew’s Church, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada http://www.cantatasingersottawa.ca/listen.php

Families, homeschooling, and toll roads. We discuss three more 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.  

Day 1 St. Hildegard you have said: Just as a mirror, which reflects all things, is set in its own container, so too the rational soul is placed in the fragile container of the body. In this way, the body is governed in its earthly life by the soul, and the soul contemplates heavenly things through faith. O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer you taught us…. God is the foundation for everything This God undertakes, God gives. Such that nothing that is necessary for life is lacking. Now humankind needs a body that at all times honors and praises God. This body is supported in every way through the earth. Thus the earth glorifies the power of God. O God, by whose grace your servant Hildegard, kindled with the Fire of your love, became a burning and shining light in your Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and walk before you as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. St. Hildegard von Bingen, pray for us Musical excerpt: Ave generosa, by Hildegard von Bingen (1089 – 1179) Laurence Ewashko, conductor 30 January 2000, St. Matthew’s Church, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada http://www.cantatasingersottawa.ca/listen.php

The Predictable Biological Mechanisms of Anxiety – Episode 3 – Freedom from Anxiety with Sonja Corbitt Brain research and the science of thought are broad fields, but we know now that the brain is not static. Every thought actively changes your brain and body for better or worse. Toxic, negative thoughts and emotions are controllable, transformable, and healable, even after long-term habits of painful negativity! Find out the predictable biological mechanisms of anxiety, and begin working toward rest in this episode. 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.) Do you find knowing the science behind racing, negative, worrisome thoughts and emotions empowering? We are truly fearfully, wonderfully made! What do you need to say to the Holy Spirit about that? 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!) 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: