Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts

Suffering for One More Soul: The Testimony of Madilyne “Maddy” Miller In a world with so much fear, this is the testimony of a brave woman who, in the midst of her suffering, sees the hand of God. Dcn. Omar F. A. Gutiérrez introduces us to Maddy Miller, a convert to Catholicism who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor some months ago. Through this interview, arranged by her and her family, Maddy shares with us how the Lord has prepared her for this life-threatening illness as an opportunity for trust and for bringing one more soul to Jesus and His Church. We invite you to listen to this story of suffering that has been turned into joy. Since the recording of the interview, Maddy did pass away from her illness. To the very end, she prayed for souls to come to know Jesus.

The Stations of the Cross according to the method of St. Francis of Assisi +In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Preparatory Prayer Most merciful Lord, * with a contrite heart and penitent spirit * I bow down before Thy divine Majesty. * I adore Thee as my supreme Lord and Master. * I believe in Thee, * I hope in Thee, * I love Thee above all things. * I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, * my only and supreme God. * I firmly resolve to amend my life; * and although I am unworthy to obtain mercy, * yet looking upon Thy holy Cross * I am filled with peace and consolation. * I will, therefore, meditate on Thy sufferings, * and visit the Stations * in company with Thy sorrowful Mother * and my holy Guardian Angel, * to promote Thy honor and to save my soul. * I desire to gain all indulgences granted to this holy exercise * for myself and for the souls in Purgatory. * O Loving Jesus, * inflame my cold heart with Thy love, * that I may perform this devotion as perfectly as possible, * and that I may live and die in union with Thee. Amen. First Station – Jesus Is Condemned to Death V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee. R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world. Jesus, the most innocent of beings, is condemned to death, yes, to the shameful death of the cross. In order to remain a friend of Caesar, Pilate delivers Jesus into the hands of His enemies. O fearful crime, to condemn Innocence to death and to displease God in order to please men. O innocent Jesus, * I have sinned and I am guilty of eternal death; * but that I may Live, * Thou dost gladly accept the unjust sentence of death. * For whom then shall I henceforth live * if not for Thee, my Lord? * If I desire to please men, * I can not be Thy servant. * Let me, therefore, rather displease the whole world * than not please Thee, O Jesus! Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be. V. Lord Jesus, crucified. R. Have mercy on us. Through her heart, His sorrow sharing, All His bitter anguish bearing, Now at length the sword had passed. Second Station – Jesus Carries His Cross V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee. R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world. When our divine Redeemer beheld the Cross, He most willingly reached out to it with His bleeding arms. He embraced it lovingly, kissed it tenderly, took it on His bruised shoulders, and, exhausted as He was, He carried it joyfully. O my Jesus, * I can not be Thy friend and follower * if I refuse to carry my cross. * O beloved cross, * I embrace Thee, * I kiss Thee, * I joyfully accept Thee from the hand of my God. * Far be it from me to glory in anything * save in the Cross of my Lord and Redeemer. * By it the world shall be crucified to me, * and I to the world, * that I may be Thine forever. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be. V. Lord Jesus, crucified. R. Have mercy on us. O, how sad and sore distressed Was that Mother, highly blest, Of the sole begotten One! Third Station – Jesus Falls the First Time V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee. R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world. Carrying the Cross, our dear Savior was so weakened with its heavy weight that He fell exhausted to the ground. The Cross was light and sweet to Him, but our sins made it so heavy and hard to carry. Beloved Jesus, * Thou didst carry the burden and the heavy weight of my sins. * Should I then not bear in union with Thee * my light burden of suffering...

Conference 3: The Holy Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday) – That All May Be One:  A Holy Week Retreat /w Msgr. Esseff & Sr. Cor Immaculatum Heffernan – Discerning Hearts Online Retreat Retreat Directors: Monsignor John A. Esseff and Sister Cor Immaculatum Heffernan, IHM The Paschal Mystery The Last Supper…Passion…Death…Burial Theme: Jesus’ love, humility, suffering, dying – John 13 – 18  Holy Thursday The Lord’s Supper * Jesus washes the disciples’ feet John 13: 1-20 * Jesus announces Judas’ betrayal John 13: 21-30 * The Bread of Life Discourse John 6: 22-51 * Take and eat…this is my body 26: 26-30 * Jesus’ passion, death, resurrection Eucharist is the gift of Jesus, suffering, dying, rising. We are Baptized into Jesus, we are to suffer, die, and rise… My Suffering: Wounds in the Sacred Heart of Jesus – When did I suffer, die, rise? * As a child – sexual & physical abuse; being made fun of; called names; rejected; did I relate my suffering to Jesus’ suffering? * As a teenager – bullying; rejection; divorce of parents; did I realize that the depth of my suffering could be united to the wounds of Jesus? * Throughout my life, what were – and are – my little and big crosses? Have I united them to Jesus’ wounded Heart?   Good Friday: The Passion, Death, and Burial of Jesus * You are invited to reflect on Jesus and your own experiences of suffering during these days of rejection, abandonment, condemnation, torture, death, and burial. * When were you lied about? falsely accused? rejected?  scorned? abandoned? * Who was your Peter? Judas? The friend who deserted you?  The person who ruined your reputation? * Who was your Simon? Veronica?  Mary?  John? Suffering and death are not the final answer… * The Christian life is one of JOY…always ends in happiness…in GLORY. * Mary took Jesus down from the Cross…held Him in her arms… prepared Him for burial…laid Him in the tomb…went home with John – John 19: 38-42 Holy Saturday with Mary           Spend Saturday with Mary…be with her…talk to her… listen to her Forgiveness Litany The Lord spoke very clearly when He said: “And so, when you stand in prayer, forgive whatever you have against anybody so that your Father in Heaven may forgive you your failings, too”. Mark 11: 25 Lord Jesus, I ask that You give me the grace to forgive any person who has hurt me at any time in my life.  I ask, too, that I may be forgiven those persons whom I have hurt. Significant areas of forgiveness may include: God, I forgive YOU for: Lord, I forgive MYSELF for: Lord, I truly forgive my MOTHER for: Jesus, I forgive my FATHER for: Lord, I extend my forgiveness to my BROTHERS and SISTERS for: Lord, I forgive my RELATIVES for: Jesus, I forgive my HUSBAND/WIFE for: Jesus, I forgive the PEOPLE with whom I work for: Jesus, I forgive my BOSS for: Lord, I forgive those of DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS BELIEFS for: Lord, I forgive those who have harmed me ETHNICALLY or RACIALLY for: Jesus, I pray especially the grace to forgive the ONE PERSON who has HURT ME the MOST: Lord, I beg pardon of all those persons whom I HAVE HURT most deeply: Thank You, Jesus, that I am being freed of the evil of unforgiveness.  May Your Holy Spirit fill me with light and let every dark area of my mind be enlightened. Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton. He 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.  He has lived in areas around the world,

Episode 10 –  Learning How To Love James has returned home and begins in earnest, practicing his newfound life of prayer. However, we find him writing to Peter when he feels his prayer is floundering. Peter explains through their correspondence, that James is now finding himself on the threshold of contemplative prayer, and he encourages James to persevere and describes how he should proceed. This episode finishes many years later when Peter meets James again, but this time in his home in the New Forest. Peter has been giving lectures in London and James expresses his gratitude for his mentor in prayer, who changed the direction of his life completely.   You can find more episodes of the series here: Wisdom from the Western Isles: The Hermit w/ David Torkington page. You can find the book here. David Torkington, the author of Wisdom from the Western Isles has re-edited and abridged the work for broadcast; he is also the narrator. The book was published originally as three separate spiritual novels: Peter Calvay – Hermit, Peter Calvay – Prophet and Peter Calvay – Mystic. We begin with the first part, The Hermit but including some passages from Peter Calvay – Mystic so as to give an overall view of the spiritual journey for listeners. David Torkington is an English Spiritual Theologian, author, and speaker, specializing in Prayer, Christian Spirituality, and Mystical Theology. Educated at the Franciscan Study Centre, England, he served as Dean of Studies at the National Catholic Radio and Television Centre, London. He was an extra-mural lecturer in Mystical Theology at the Angelicum, the Dominican University in Rome, and has received invitations to speak to Religious, Monks, Diocesan Priests, and laypeople from all over the world, including Equatorial Africa, where he gave three prolonged lecture tours speaking on Christian prayer. 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.  

Conference 2: Holy Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday – That All May Be One:  A Holy Week Retreat /w Msgr. Esseff & Sr. Cor Immaculatum Heffernan – Discerning Hearts Online Retreat Retreat Directors: Monsignor John A. Esseff and Sister Cor Immaculatum Heffernan, IHM The Paschal Mystery Unbelief…Darkness…Betrayal…Abandonment… Theme:      The Coming of Jesus’ Hour  John 12: 20-50          The Anointing at Bethany  John 12: 1-8                                  * Jesus knows He’s going to suffer and die although the apostles and friends are unaware * Mary’s anointing, thought useless and extravagant by Judas, foretells the anointing for Jesus’ burial  * Reflection: In my life, what are those events that have made me say:  If only I had known, I would have……… * Jesus’ Hour of Darkness John 12: 27-50 * Jesus is troubled…it was for this purpose that He came to this hour * Judas betrays Jesus Luke 22: 1-6       Reflection:  What is my darkness…sinfulness…sin?  1 John 1: 5-10                O Holy Spirit to reveal to me my sinfulness.                                                                      What is my hour of darkness…when have I turned away from the light?  John 3: 16-21 Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton. He 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.  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. He is a founding member of the Pope Leo XIII Institute. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters and seminarians, and other religious leaders. Sister Cor Immaculatum Heffernan, IHM is a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Scranton, PA. “ She holds several degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in English/Art and a Master of Science degree in Counseling, both from Marywood; a Master of Arts degree in Sculpture from the University of Notre Dame; and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Illustration from Syracuse University. Her multi-faceted life is in itself a masterpiece: she is a teacher, a mentor, and a consultant; she is a sculptor, a harpist, a calligrapher, and a creator of mosaics; she is a counselor, a spiritual director, and above all, she is a servant of God to others”.

Conference 1: Palm Sunday – That All May Be One:  A Holy Week Retreat /w Msgr. Esseff & Sr. Cor Immaculatum Heffernan – Discerning Hearts Online Retreat Retreat Directors: Monsignor John A. Esseff and Sister Cor Immaculatum Heffernan, IHM Theme:  KINGSHIP OF JESUS Why does God, Who made all of creation, love US so much? * 3 galaxies for every one person in the entire world…ex. keystone college telescope – * 7 billion people in the world on planet earth… why is God so interested in humankind? This is a great mystery. * God leaves the 99… for example the angelic world, all creation, and comes to our human world…WHY? g.  Adam and Eve – original sin * God the Father’s Plan – Ephesians 1: 3-6 – God wanted to save humans He made because He LOVES US. * Jesus – Only-begotten Son of God the Father – it is in and through HIM that we are saved. * Through the Holy Spirit, all mankind has become ONE – universality of all the living * Jesus – the Way, the Truth, and the Life * “My kingdom is not of this world… John 18: 33-38  Scriptural References to Kingship                   Isaiah 24: 23 – The Lord of hosts will reign on Mt. Zion and in Jerusalem, glorious in the sight of the elders…                     Zechariah 14: 4. – Messiah would come to Jerusalem from the Mount of  Olives                    Matthew 21: 1-11 – All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet saying: Tell ye the daughters of Sion, behold the king comes to thee, meek and sitting upon an ass, and a colt, the foal of an ass.    John 12: 12-16                                                  John 18: 33-37.   Jesus before Pilate – Are you a king?     Reflections:    What is it to belong to the universal Kingship of Jesus?      Is Jesus able to enter into my heart and my life?  * Commandments – Love of God…love of neighbor * The Beatitudes: – Luke 6: 11-36. OR Matthew 5: 1-12 – Who is my neighbor today? * Excerpts from: Homily on the Feast of Our Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem “The sole conqueror of the human heart is Christ the King…there was never any king simultaneously just, a redeemer, gentle and seated on a donkey, who came to Jerusalem, unless this is He who alone is King of kings, God the Redeemer, Jesus.  He is kind, gentle, and abundant in mercy for all those who call upon Him, as it is written.” Reflection: Is Jesus, my Lord and King, able to enter into my heart for and my life… and remain as my King? Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton. He 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.  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. He is a founding member of the Pope Leo XIII Institute. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters and seminarians, and other religious leaders. Sister Cor Immaculatum Heffernan, IHM is a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Scranton, PA. “ She holds several degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in English/Art and a Master of Science degree in Counseling, both from Marywood; a Master of Arts degree in Sculpture from the University of Notre Dame; and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Illustration from Syracuse University. Her multi-faceted life is in itself a masterpiece: she is a teacher, a mentor, and a consultant; she is a sculptor,

Episode 14 – Rule 8 and Conclusion – The Second Week Rules for the Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide to a Greater Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher Fr. Gallagher offers instruction on Rule 8 and comes to the conclusion of the Second Week Rules for the Greater Discernment of Spirits. Eighth Rule The eighth: When the consolation is without cause, although there is no deception in it, since it is of God our Lord alone, as has been said, nevertheless the spiritual person to whom God gives such a consolation should, with much vigilance and attention, look at and distinguish the time itself of such an actual consolation from the time following, in which the soul remains warm and favored with the favor and remnants of the past consolation; for frequently, in this second time, through his own reasoning by associating and drawing consequences from ideas and judgments, or through the good spirit, or through the bad, he forms different proposals and opinions which are not given immediately by God our Lord; and therefore they must be very well examined before entire credit is given them or they are put into effect. (336) Through a series of compelling conference talks, Fr. Gallagher carefully breaks open St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Second Week Rules for Greater Discernment.  This set of 8 “rules” (or guidelines) helps us to discern whether a seemingly good, noble, holy idea or feeling, often understood as a “spiritual consolation,” could be a working of the enemy intending to lead us astray. He shows how all of us can learn to listen to and follow God’s gentle leading in our daily lives. For other episodes in this series, visit The Second Week Rules for the Discernment Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – DH Page. You can find the book here. Also, here are the 2 handouts mentioned by Fr. Gallagher in Talk 2: Guidance for a Greater Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher O.M.V. For the  PDF document:   Handout Number 1 – The Text of the 8 Rules of the Second Week https://www.discerninghearts.com/Gallagher/The_Text_of_the_Rules.pdf Handout Number 2 – Examples – Discernment of Spirits – 2nd Week rules https://www.discerninghearts.com/Gallagher/EXAMPLES-DISCERNMENT_OF_SPIRITS-SECOND_WEEK_RULES.pdf   For more from Fr. Gallagher on Discerning Hearts: The Discernment of Spirits: The First Week Rules /w Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Examen Prayer with Fr. Timothy Gallagher The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallager

Episode 9 –  True Christian Contemplation It is James’ last meeting with Peter before climbing aboard the island plane and returning to the mainland. Peter begins to advise James on what to expect when Christian meditation has led us into Contemplation, true Christian Contemplation. Peter draws on the writings of the two saints that the Church has canonized and made Doctors of the Church, St John of the Cross and St Teresa of Avila, to explain what the church teaches us about true Christian Contemplation and how to pray when your meditation has led you to the verge of contemplative prayer.   You can find more episodes of the series here: Wisdom from the Western Isles: The Hermit w/ David Torkington page. You can find the book here. David Torkington, the author of Wisdom from the Western Isles has re-edited and abridged the work for broadcast; he is also the narrator. The book was published originally as three separate spiritual novels: Peter Calvay – Hermit, Peter Calvay – Prophet and Peter Calvay – Mystic. We begin with the first part, The Hermit but including some passages from Peter Calvay – Mystic so as to give an overall view of the spiritual journey for listeners. David Torkington is an English Spiritual Theologian, author, and speaker, specializing in Prayer, Christian Spirituality, and Mystical Theology. Educated at the Franciscan Study Centre, England, he served as Dean of Studies at the National Catholic Radio and Television Centre, London. He was an extra-mural lecturer in Mystical Theology at the Angelicum, the Dominican University in Rome, and has received invitations to speak to Religious, Monks, Diocesan Priests, and laypeople from all over the world, including Equatorial Africa, where he gave three prolonged lecture tours speaking on Christian prayer. 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.  

Episode  9 – A Brief Reflection on Prudence In this final episode, Mike Aquilina and Kris McGregor discuss St. Joseph and the virtue of prudence An excerpt from St. Joseph and His World: The prudent way—the way of St. Joseph—begins with self-knowledge. People cannot see reality clearly as long as they have those planks in their eyes. They cannot have radical openness to reality if they harbor fears of the truth. In his discussion of prudence, Pieper warns of something called falsification of memory. He sees this as the great destroyer of the sense of reality. People tend to mythologize their days. They make themselves out to be heroes. They make their adversaries and rivals out to be villains, just because they want the same things. It is hard not to see life in this way. But there is no doubt that it is a falsification of memory—and it is corrosive to our sense of reality. The Christian tradition offers remedies for this. A good spiritual director will not permit his charges to hold on to this kind of thought. He will humanize the rivals they demonize. Anyone can cultivate that attitude, too, by means of a daily examination of conscience and regular confession. Reality is something that must be faced squarely, deliberately, consciously, with the means God has provided—first, the inner reality of one’s self and then the reality of the world. Joseph can be misunderstood, as prudence is misunderstood. His silence can be mistaken for passivity, but it is not. Joseph is the prudent man whose thoughts correspond to reality, and whose actions flow from those thoughts. He is the image of God and yet a model for every Christian. He is the one who keeps the constant company of Jesus Christ. Aqualina, Mike. St. Joseph and His World (pp. 75-76). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition. For more episodes in this series visit – St. Joseph and His World with Mike Aquilina page You can find the book on which this series is based here. Mike Aquilina is a popular author working in the area of Church history, especially patristics, the study of the early Church Fathers.[1] He is the executive vice-president and trustee of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, a Roman Catholic research center based in Steubenville, Ohio. He is a contributing editor of Angelus (magazine) and general editor of the Reclaiming Catholic History Series from Ave Maria Press. He is the author or editor of more than fifty books, including The Fathers of the Church (2006); The Mass of the Early Christians (2007); Living the Mysteries (2003); and What Catholics Believe(1999). He has hosted eleven television series on the Eternal Word Television Network and is a frequent guest commentator on Catholic radio. Mike Aquilina’s website is found at fathersofthechurch.com Other Mike Aquilina series’ found on Discerning Hearts: Roots the Faith

On this Fifth Sunday of Lent, Msgr. Esseff discusses the need to believe in Holy Trinity: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Taken from Gospel of St. John Chapter 11   The Death of Lazarus 11 Now a certain man was ill, Laz′arus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Laz′arus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness is not unto death; it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Laz′arus. 6 So when he heard that he was ill, he stayed two days longer[a] in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were but now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any one walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if any one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 Thus he spoke, and then he said to them, “Our friend Laz′arus has fallen asleep, but I go to awake him out of sleep.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Laz′arus is dead; 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Jesus the Resurrection and the Life 17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Laz′arus[b] had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles[c]off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary sat in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life;[d] he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world.” Jesus Weeps 28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying quietly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Then Mary, when she came where Jesus was and saw him, fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping,

With Fr. Gary Caster, we discuss  “Joseph – The Man Who Raised Jesus”.  Thanks to his mother’s encouragement, Fr. Gary received a rich devotion to the “silent” man who witnessed to the faith in an extraordinary way.     He shares personal stories, passages from Scripture, and teachings from the Catechism of the Catholic Church to demonstrate what a  model of virtue and a protector of the Church and family, St. Joseph is in our lives today.  Another wonderful work by Fr. Gary Caster.  Good St. Joseph, pray for us! You can find the book here From the book description: Who was St. Joseph? Was he just a passive, incidental figure in the drama of salvation? On the contrary, in every way that Jesus needed a father, St. Joseph was that for him. And how overwhelming it must have been for Joseph to be asked to stand in the Father s place! No man has ever been asked to do so in such an unthinkable way. Every priest, and certainly every man who is a father (biologically or otherwise), should take this to heart. Caster s book will provide a unique, in-depth presentation of Joseph from the perspective of the evangelical counsels and the theological and cardinal virtues. Each section will begin with an explanation of what each counsel or virtue means and then show how Joseph models it for us. The descriptions of St. Joseph s life and character found in this book, while rooted in the Scripture passages that mention him, are chiefly inspired by Jesus, who spent the majority of his life at home with Joseph and Mary. For years, the three of them lived, prayed, celebrated, studied, and shared, all the while uniting their lives more intimately with God s own. Those years in Nazareth were a real preparation for the foundation upon which Jesus would build his saving ministry. And as much as Joseph and Mary offered Jesus, he offered them an ever-expanding awareness of the God that had changed both their lives. The reciprocity of love that perfectly defines the home in Nazareth is the very pattern for all family life—and therefore of the Church itself.

Episode 13 – More Rule 7 and Intro to Rule 8 – The Second Week Rules for the Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide to a Greater Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher Fr. Gallagher concludes his teaching on Rule 7 and begins an introduction to Rule 8, which discusses the importance of understanding “an actual consolation from the time following.” Seventh Rule. The seventh: In those who proceed from good to better, the good angel touches such a soul sweetly, lightly and gently, as a drop of water that enters a sponge; and the bad touches it sharply and with noise and disquiet, as when the drop of water falls on a stone; and in those who proceed from bad to worse the above-said spirits touch in a contrary way; the cause of which is that the disposition of the soul is contrary or similar to the said angels; for when it is contrary, they enter with clamor and sensible disturbances, perceptibly; and when it is similar, they enter with silence, as in their own house through an open door. (335) Eighth Rule The eighth: When the consolation is without cause, although there is no deception in it, since it is of God our Lord alone, as has been said, nevertheless the spiritual person to whom God gives such a consolation should, with much vigilance and attention, look at and distinguish the time itself of such an actual consolation from the time following, in which the soul remains warm and favored with the favor and remnants of the past consolation; for frequently, in this second time, through his own reasoning by associating and drawing consequences from ideas and judgments, or through the good spirit, or through the bad, he forms different proposals and opinions which are not given immediately by God our Lord; and therefore they must be very well examined before entire credit is given them or they are put into effect. (336) Through a series of compelling conference talks, Fr. Gallagher carefully breaks open St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Second Week Rules for Greater Discernment.  This set of 8 “rules” (or guidelines) helps us to discern whether a seemingly good, noble, holy idea or feeling, often understood as a “spiritual consolation,” could be a working of the enemy intending to lead us astray. He shows how all of us can learn to listen to and follow God’s gentle leading in our daily lives. For other episodes in this series, visit The Second Week Rules for the Discernment Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – DH Page. You can find the book here. Also, here are the 2 handouts mentioned by Fr. Gallagher in Talk 2: Guidance for a Greater Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher O.M.V. For the  PDF document:   Handout Number 1 – The Text of the 8 Rules of the Second Week https://www.discerninghearts.com/Gallagher/The_Text_of_the_Rules.pdf Handout Number 2 – Examples – Discernment of Spirits – 2nd Week rules https://www.discerninghearts.com/Gallagher/EXAMPLES-DISCERNMENT_OF_SPIRITS-SECOND_WEEK_RULES.pdf   For more from Fr. Gallagher on Discerning Hearts: The Discernment of Spirits: The First Week Rules /w Fr.

DAY EIGHT O blessed Joseph, to whom it was given not only to see and to hear that God whom many kings longed to see and saw not; to hear and heard not; but also to carry Him in your arms, to embrace Him, to clothe Him, and to guard and defend Him, come to our assistance and intercede with Him to look favorably on our present petition. (State your request here...) Amen. Saint Joseph, pray for us!

I bind to myself today The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity: I believe the Trinity in the Unity The Creator of the Universe. I bind to myself today The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism, The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial, The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension, The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day. I bind to myself today The virtue of the love of seraphim, In the obedience of angels, In the hope of resurrection unto reward, In prayers of Patriarchs, In predictions of Prophets, In preaching of Apostles, In faith of Confessors, In purity of holy Virgins, In deeds of righteous men. I bind to myself today The power of Heaven, The light of the sun, The brightness of the moon, The splendour of fire, The flashing of lightning, The swiftness of wind, The depth of sea, The stability of earth, The compactness of rocks. I bind to myself today God’s Power to guide me, God’s Might to uphold me, God’s Wisdom to teach me, God’s Eye to watch over me, God’s Ear to hear me, God’s Word to give me speech, God’s Hand to guide me, God’s Way to lie before me, God’s Shield to shelter me, God’s Host to secure me, Against the snares of demons, Against the seductions of vices, Against the lusts of nature, Against everyone who meditates injury to me, Whether far or near, Whether few or with many. I invoke today all these virtues Against every hostile merciless power Which may assail my body and my soul, Against the incantations of false prophets, Against the black laws of heathenism, Against the false laws of heresy, Against the deceits of idolatry, Against the spells of witches, and smiths, and druids, Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man. Christ, protect me today Against every poison, against burning, Against drowning, against death-wound, That I may receive abundant reward. Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ at my right, Christ at my left, Christ in the fort, Christ in the chariot seat, Christ on the deck, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. I bind to myself today The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity, I believe the Trinity in the Unity The Creator of the Universe. Amen   The Breastplate of St. Patrick

Episode 8 –  True Christian Meditation Peter was surprised to hear that James had been introduced to the practice of Indian meditation and had been unsuccessfully trying to adapt it to Christian prayer. He explained to James that his experience will help him to understand the meaning of true Christian meditation. The new form of meditation that Christianity introduced, grew out of reflecting and ruminating on the life and teaching of Jesus, which depicted the most loving and loveable person, who has ever lived. Peter explained that this is why all authentic Christian prayer begins, not by flinging oneself into obscure transcendental states of awareness, but by trying to get to know and love Jesus Christ.   You can find more episodes of the series here: Wisdom from the Western Isles: The Hermit w/ David Torkington page. You can find the book here. David Torkington, the author of Wisdom from the Western Isles has re-edited and abridged the work for broadcast; he is also the narrator. The book was published originally as three separate spiritual novels: Peter Calvay – Hermit, Peter Calvay – Prophet and Peter Calvay – Mystic. We begin with the first part, The Hermit but including some passages from Peter Calvay – Mystic so as to give an overall view of the spiritual journey for listeners. David Torkington is an English Spiritual Theologian, author, and speaker, specializing in Prayer, Christian Spirituality, and Mystical Theology. Educated at the Franciscan Study Centre, England, he served as Dean of Studies at the National Catholic Radio and Television Centre, London. He was an extra-mural lecturer in Mystical Theology at the Angelicum, the Dominican University in Rome, and has received invitations to speak to Religious, Monks, Diocesan Priests, and laypeople from all over the world, including Equatorial Africa, where he gave three prolonged lecture tours speaking on Christian prayer. 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.