Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts

Episode 9 – More from Rule 5 – The Second Week Rules for the Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide to a Greater Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher Fr. Gallagher breaks open more fully Rule 5 and the need to “give much attention to the course of the thoughts.”  Then he emphasizes the importance of understanding the signs of the good spirit and problematic signs given by the enemy. Fifth Rule. The fifth: We should give much attention to the course of the thoughts; and if the beginning, middle and end is all good, inclined to all good, it is a sign of the good angel; but if in the course of the thoughts that he brings, it ends in something bad, or distractive, or less good than the soul had proposed to do before, or if it weakens it, or disquiets, or troubles the soul, taking away the peace, tranquility and quiet, which it had before, it is a clear sign that it proceeds from the bad spirit, the enemy of our profit and eternal salvation.(333) 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

 A Short Primer for Unsettled Laymen with Dr. Angela Franks – pt. 2 With Dr. Angela Franks, we continue our discussion on the truth of the uniqueness of each person and the danger of the “-isms” of modernity to depersonalize and devalue humanity.   Among other things, Dr. Franks speaks on Balthasar’s understanding of authority which provides a gift of unity for the Church and its members, as well as the receptivity of the Marian assent and the power of the Cross which enters into our daily reality.  She also offers an insight on Balthasar’s stances’ on ecumenism and Biblical exegesis. How does the Christian interact in the body politic, is a question addressed, along with many others, in this conversation as well. Balthasar: Beauty, Goodness, Truth is a series of conversations with noted theological scholars about the life and teachings of Swiss theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar who is considered to be one of the most important Catholic intellectuals and writers of the twentieth century. Find the paperback book here Find the e-book here From the book description: Hans Urs von Balthasar addresses the critical issues that have been unsettling the Catholic laity since the Second Vatican Council. In a clear and readable manner, he focuses on the core elements of the faith: the Word of God; the life, death, and resurrection of Christ; the sacraments; the structure of the Church; and Mary. Speaking plainly about the polarization within the Catholic Church, he also discusses the various ideological trends—such as liberalism, progressivism, and traditionalism—that have undermined the confidence and the unity of the faithful “In this Primer, Balthasar addresses today’s faithful laity who feel that [the] solidity of the Church is shifting beneath their feet. He speaks to those who fear that the Church has done what she ought not to do: that she is in fact relaxing her demands in order to win favor, not from God, but from man. Into this situation Balthasar re-proposes the’form’ of Jesus Christ as revealed in his Church. This form is ‘only the whole’: the whole, concrete reality of Christ, conveyed within Catholic tradition. This form is ‘spun from three strands’ of Word, sacrament, and ecclesial authority. These three provide the Church with the ability to remain on course despite the winds blowing through history.” — Angela Franks, Ph.D., From the Foreword For more podcast episodes with Dr. Angela Franks discussing A Short Primer for Unsettled Laymen – A Short Primer for Unsettled Laymen Podcasts For Audio and Text Excerpts from A Short Primer for the Unsettled Laymen – Audio and Text Excerpts  

Episode 4: Freedom demands discipline James sits at the jetty awaiting Peter’s arrival for their third meeting. Peter takes up the theme of the importance of God’s love because only his love can change human beings decisively and perma­nently for the better. Learning to pray, learning to open ourselves to God’s love is like anything else: it needs practice, and it takes time. Peter emphasizes that there is no accomplishment of any worth that he knows of, that you can attain merely by desiring to have it. Freedom always demands discipline, and prayer is no exception to the rule. 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 4 – Marriage Amid the Madness In this episode, Mike Aquilina and Kris McGregor discuss Mary and Joseph’s marriage and his challenge with her pregnancy.  They also discuss Mary’s need to visit her cousin Elizabeth, commonly referred to as The Visitation. An excerpt from St. Joseph and His World: Commentators down the ages have proposed three approaches to this enigmatic passage:  (1) the suspicion theory, (2) the perplexity theory, and (3) the reverence theory.  Let us examine them briefly. 1. The Suspicion Theory. In this reading of the Gospel passage, Joseph suspects that Mary has been unfaithful. He is devastated, but his love for her remains so great that he cannot bear the thought of her facing public shame—or, worse, the death penalty, since adultery was a capital crime, punishable by stoning. He decides to divorce her, as the Law permitted, until an angel deters him from that course of action. 2. The Perplexity Theory. According to this theory, Joseph cannot understand what has happened. He does not believe Mary could be unfaithful. Yet her pregnancy is undeniable and subject to legal penalties. Since Joseph is a just man, he finds a solution that respects the Law, but protects Mary as well. The angel, in this reading, provides the information that Joseph lacks and helps him to make a plan for going forward. 3. The Reverence Theory. This third theory presents Joseph as a man overwhelmed by awe when he learns of Mary’s miraculous conception. From the beginning, he knows of God’s singular intervention: “she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit.” Joseph feels unworthy to be involved, and so he decides he will cooperate just long enough to protect Mary’s secret and then make a quiet exit. In this reading, Joseph’s first impulse is like St. Peter’s when he said to Jesus, “Depart from me!” (Lk 5:8), or the Centurion’s when he said, “I am not worthy to have you come under my roof” (Lk 7:6). The angel, however, persuades Joseph to put aside his fears. Each theory has saints and doctors of the church among its proponents. St. Justin Martyr and St. Augustine of Hippo advanced the first; St. Jerome the second; and St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, and St. Josemaria Escriva the third. Aqualina, Mike. St. Joseph and His World (p. 39). 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 Etern...

Msgr. Esseff reflects on the Anointing of the Sick, known as one of the Sacraments of Healing.  He speaks of his personal experience with the sacrament and the importance of having it readily available for the faithful.  Msgr. Esseff also addresses particular issues related to laying on of hands.  From the USSCB: Jesus came to heal the whole person, body and soul. In the Church’s Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, through the ministry of the priest, it is Jesus who touches the sick to heal them from sin – and sometimes even from physical ailment. His cures were signs of the arrival of the Kingdom of God. The core message of his healing tells us of his plan to conquer sin and death by his dying and rising. The Rite of Anointing tells us there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament. A careful judgment about the serious nature of the illness is sufficient. When the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given, the hoped-for effect is that, if it be God’s will, the person be physically healed of illness. But even if there is no physical healing, the primary effect of the Sacrament is a spiritual healing by which the sick person receives the Holy Spirit’s gift of peace and courage to deal with the difficulties that accompany serious illness or the frailty of old age. ~from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults | en español Pray * Prayers for the Health and Dignity of the Sick * Order for the Blessing of the Sick Learn * Explore the USCCA to learn about the liturgy for the Anointing of the Sickand its effects within the community and the life of the sick. | en español * Respecting the Dignity of the Human Person at the End of Life Act * Anointing of the Sick: Joined to Christ, Witnesses of Hope and Healing| en español * The Corporal Works of Mercy include visiting the sick and burying the dead. * The Spiritual Works of Mercy include praying for the living and the dead. Scripture: Mark 1:40-45 40 And a leper came to him begging him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him,

What a delight to discuss Bernadette Chovelon’s Salt and Light: The Spiritual Journey of Élisabeth and Félix Leseur with the translator of the book Mary Dudro. This beautiful love story is filled with fascinating characters, panoramic landscapes, and a sweeping view of a time gone by that is nevertheless very much like our own. The tender relationship between an unbelieving husband and a faithful wife who trusts God completely is a compelling witness to the transformative power of love.   You can find the book here From the book description: Élisabeth and Félix Leseur began their life together in France as a carefree young couple with a bright future ahead of them. They were beautifully and compatibly matched, except for one major difference—Élisabeth was a devout Catholic, and Félix was a firmly decided atheist. As they faced the seasons of life together, their relationship was tested, and both were called to deep spiritual transformation. Out of love for her husband, Élisabeth spent her life offering her many sufferings for the sake of his conversion. After her death, and in response to the profound love he encountered in her writings, Félix converted and offered the rest of his life to God as a Dominican priest. This biography is a lovely narrative of their marriage and the transformative power of God’s love and grace in their lives. It also presents a charming picture of upper-middle-class French society at the turn of the last century. The cause for the canonization of Élisabeth Leseur has been opened by the Catholic Church.  

Episode 6 -Baptism: Born from Above – The child is baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…what does this mean?  The anointing with Sacred Chrism, the clothing with the baptismal garment, the baptismal candle…what is the significance of these signs?  The need for discernment. The blessings of the mother, and the father, and the baptized child. Deacon Keating takes a careful look at the Baptismal Rite and offers prayerful reflection and insight to help us live out the faith and nurture the domestic church. Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO.  More episodes of Baptism: Born from Above with Deacon James Keating Ph.D. Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” page Deacon Keating is also the author of: You can find the book here. From the book description: Deacon James Keating’s book Abiding in Christ: Staying with God in a Busy World is a how-to-pray resource. This book helps readers to find a quiet space wherein they can be present to God and offers suggestions of how they can be more open to God s movement within them.

Episode 8 – Rules 4 and 5 – The Second Week Rules for the Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide to a Greater Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher Fr. Gallagher breaks open more fully Rules 4 and 5 and how the behavior of the enemy causes deceptions by appearing as an angel of light bringing good and holy thoughts.  Fr. Gallagher addresses the need to examine the course of thoughts…beginning, the middle, and the end. Fourth Rule The fourth: It is proper to the bad angel, who takes on the appearance of an angel of light, to enter with the devout soul and to go out with himself; that is, to bring good and holy thoughts, conformed to such a just soul, and afterwards, little by little, he endeavors to go out, bringing the soul to his hidden deceits and perverse intentions. (332) Fifth Rule. The fifth: We should give much attention to the course of the thoughts; and if the beginning, middle and end is all good, inclined to all good, it is a sign of the good angel; but if in the course of the thoughts that he brings, it ends in something bad, or distractive, or less good than the soul had proposed to do before, or if it weakens it, or disquiets, or troubles the soul, taking away the peace, tranquility and quiet, which it had before, it is a clear sign that it proceeds from the bad spirit, the enemy of our profit and eternal salvation.(333) 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.

O glorious Mother of God, to you we raise our hearts and hands to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the benign Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly for the grace of a happy death. O Mother of our Divine Lord, as we conclude this novena for the special favor we seek at this time.

Episode 3: Knowledge alone is not enough – Experiencing Love James has been waiting eagerly for Peter’s second visit. He asks Peter to explain what he meant when he said that there is all the difference in the world between knowing that we are loved, and experiencing being loved. Peter describes how the experience of human love can change a person for the better. But he takes the analogy further, describing how God’s love can change us permanently for the better. James is left with the conviction that he has now to learn anew how to welcome God’s love into his life and how to start again at square one, to begin again to learn how to pray” 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 books: 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.  

O Immaculate Mother of God, from heaven itself you came to appear to the little Bernadette in the rough Grotto of Lourdes! And as Bernadette knelt at your feet and the miraculous spring burst forth and as multitudes have knelt ever since before your shrine, O Mother of God, we kneel before you today to ask that in your mercy you plead with your Divine Son to grant the special favor we seek in this novena. (make your request) O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us. Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

Episode 3 – Joseph and His King – “Prosperity and It’s Price” In this episode, Mike Aquilina and Kris McGregor discuss in more detail the life and influence of Herod the Great. Then the conversation turns to St. Joseph.  We learn more about his family background.   Who was his father? What was it like to be a carpenter in those days?  How old was St. Joseph at the time of his marriage to the Blessed Virgin Mary?  What was the influence of the Essene community? An excerpt from St. Joseph and His World: An increasing number of scholars believe that the family of Jesus had contact with the Essenes. St. John the Baptist spent time in the desert and shared the movement’s emphases on asceticism and the coming age of the messiah. Mary and Joseph, too, approached their marriage in ways that seem to conform to Essene asceticism. Mary’s responses to the angel during the Annunciation make sense only if she had intended to observe lifelong virginity. Reviewing the evidence, the archeologist Bargil Pixner concluded that Joseph’s family “had strong ties with the Essene movement.”22 John Bergsma, in his book Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls, arrived at a similar conclusion.23 Aqualina, Mike. St. Joseph and His World (p. 34). 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 The Resilient Church Villains of the Early Church

O Almighty God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary did prepare a worthy dwelling place for your Son, we humbly beseech you that as we contemplate the apparition of Our Lady in the Grotto of Lourdes, we may be blessed with health of mind and body. O most gracious Mother Mary, beloved Mother of Our Lord and Redeemer, look with favor upon us as you did that day on Bernadette and intercede with him for us that the favor we now so earnestly seek may be granted to us.

O glorious Mother of God, so powerful under your special title of Our Lady of Lourdes, to you we raise our hearts and hands to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the gracious Heart of Jesus all the helps and graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare and for the special favor we so earnestly seek in this novena.

Thomas Howard tells us why poetry matters—part two of our series on Chance or the Dance?: A Critique of Modern Secularism. This and more in this week’s discussion of Chance or the Dance.     You can find the book here Contrasting the Christian and secular worldviews, Dr. Thomas Howard refreshes our minds with the illuminated view of Christianity as it imbued the world in times past—showing that we cannot live meaningful lives without this Christian understanding of things. An inspiring apology for Christianity, and a stirring critique of secularism.