Episode 2 – Teachings on the Title Statement and a look at the Issue at Hand – 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 the meaning of the term "greater discernment of spirits" and examens the issue at hand when entering second-week rule discernment The Title Statement:  "Rules for the same effect with greater discernment of spirits, and they help more for the second week. (328) First Rule. The first: it is proper to God and to his angels, in their movements, to give true joy and spiritual gladness, taking away all sadness and disturbance which the enemy induces; to whom it is proper to militate against that joy and spiritual consolation, bringing apparent reasons, subtleties and persistent fallacies. (329) 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 PageThis series is based on Spiritual Consolation by Fr. Timothy Gallagher You can find the book here Also, here are the 2 handouts mentioned by Fr. Gallagher in Talk 1: 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   The Discernment of Spirits: The First Week Rules /w Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMVThe Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Examen Prayer with Fr. Timothy GallagherThe Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallager

The Laborers in the Vineyard – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff In this episode of Building a Kingdom of Love, Msgr. John Esseff reflects on Jesus' parable of the laborers in the vineyard and asks us to look again at what the workers actually receive. The landowner promises each laborer a day's wage, whether he begins at dawn or arrives near the end of the day. Msgr. Esseff sees the heart of the parable in the landowner's generosity: the wage is heaven, and ultimately the gift is Jesus Himself. Through Baptism, the Christian has already been called into the vineyard and given a life in Christ that reaches its fulfillment in eternal life. The danger comes when attention shifts from who we are working for to what we expect to receive. Msgr. Esseff applies this to every Christian vocation, including marriage, priesthood, religious life, and the single life. A vocation isn't simply a job to accomplish or a way to earn something from God. It is the place where a person belongs to Christ and bears fruit with Him. St. Paul's words, "For to me life is Christ, and death is gain," become a key for understanding the parable. Whether one's time in the vineyard is long or brief, Christ remains the beginning, center, and fulfillment of the Christian life. The conversation then turns toward one of the most difficult questions of faith: why some people die young while others remain for many years, sometimes through illness, dementia, or prolonged suffering. Kris asks about the "holy silence" encountered when God doesn't give us the explanation we seek. Msgr. Esseff points toward Isaiah's words, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways." We may not understand God's timing from within this life. The invitation is to entrust ourselves to the Father, love Him more than the reward we hope to receive, and allow Christ to remain the source and center of our lives until the Father calls us home. Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

1. Do I think of heaven primarily as a reward, or as the fulfillment of my life with Jesus?
2. Where have I begun focusing more on what I receive from God than on my relationship with Him?
3. How do I understand the particular "vineyard" into which God has called me through my vocation and responsibilities?
4. Can I rejoice in God's generosity toward another person without comparing what that person has received with what I have received?
5. When I don't understand God's timing, especially in suffering or death, how do I respond to the silence?
6. What does St. Paul's declaration, "For to me life is Christ, and death is gain," mean for the way I live today?
7. Can I pray with Msgr. Esseff, "Wherever you want me to be is where I want to be"?

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 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 to bring the Good News to the world especially to the poor.  He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters and seminarians, and other religious leaders.

Temptation, Benedictine Listening, and Remaining Rooted in God with Kris McGregor About This Episode What happens when something God has given us begins to stir fear, self-doubt, anxiety, or even pride? In this episode of The Spiritual Journey for the Discerning Heart, Kris McGregor reflects on St. Hildegard of Bingen’s remarkable counsel to St. Elisabeth of Schönau. Elisabeth, herself a Benedictine nun and mystic, was troubled by what was happening around her spiritual experiences. One of the first lessons in her story is easy to miss: when she became concerned, she sought wise spiritual counsel rather than trying to discern everything alone. That choice reflects the Benedictine roots shared by both women. The Holy Rule begins by calling the disciple to listen “with the ear of the heart.” Hildegard helps Elisabeth listen beneath the fear, excitement, anxiety, and temptation in order to recognize where each movement is leading. What comes from God draws the soul more deeply toward Christ, humility, freedom, and loving service. Hildegard describes this spiritual battle through unforgettable images. God waters his instruments so that they may bear fruit, while the “ancient serpent” notices the beautiful jewel and tries to distort what God is doing. A genuine grace, blessing, prompting, or spiritual gift can become surrounded by spiritual pride, fear, or even false humility. Her answer is discernment rooted in God. We are earthen vessels carrying a treasure that is not our own. We are trumpets that truly sound, but another supplies the breath. We are mirrors reflecting a light that did not begin with us. Hildegard also gives a practical test: look at the fruit. Is what is happening making us more like Christ? Are we becoming more humble, gentle, teachable, and willing to serve? Or are we becoming increasingly preoccupied with ourselves, our importance, our fear, or our inadequacy? Even Hildegard admits that she knows “fainthearted fear.” Her final prayer gives the listener a way forward: “May God help me, so that I may remain in his service.” Discerning Hearts Reflection Question

1. Has God given you something to do, a blessing, a spiritual gift, or a prompting that has also brought up fear, self-doubt, anxiety, or pride?
2. St. Elisabeth sought wise spiritual counsel when she became unsure about what she was experiencing. Is there something in your own life that would benefit from being brought into the light with a trusted spiritual director, confessor, or wise spiritual guide?
3. St. Benedict speaks of listening “with the ear of the heart.” When you listen beneath the strongest emotions surrounding a decision, what movement seems to be drawing you closer to Christ?
4. Hildegard tells us to look at the fruit. Is what you are carrying making you more humble, gentle, teachable, and willing to serve, or more focused on yourself, your reputation, your fear, or your inadequacy?

From St. Hildegard’s letter to Elisabeth of Schönau I, a poor little creature and an earthen vessel, say these things not from myself, but from the serene light: A human being is a vessel that God has fashioned for himself and filled with his inspiration, so that he might accomplish his works within it. For God does not work as a human being does; all things are accomplished at his command. Grasses, woody plants, and trees appeared. The sun, moon, and stars came forth to perform their service. The waters brought forth fish and birds, and herds and wild animals arose, all serving human beings as God ordained. Yet humanity alone did not recognize him. For when God prepared great knowledge for man, man exalted himself in his own mind and turned away from God. God had looked upon him with the intention of accomplishing all his works within him. But the ancient deceiver misled him and infected him with the sin of disobedience through delight in an unruly wind, as he sought more than he should have. Ah, alas! Then all the elements became entangled in the alternation of light and darkness, as man had become entangled through transgressing God’s commandments. Yet God watered certain people, so that humanity would not become utterly an object of scorn. Abel was good, but Cain was a murderer. Many saw the mysteries of God in the light, while others committed many sins, until the time came when the Word of God shone forth, as it is written: “You are the fairest of the sons of men.” Then the Sun of Justice came forth and enlightened people with good works, in faith and in action, just as dawn comes first and the other hours of the day follow until night approaches. In this way, O daughter Elisabeth, the world changes. For the world has already grown weary in all the greenness of its virtues: at dawn, at the first hour, at the third, and most of all at the sixth hour of the day. Therefore, at this time, it is necessary for God to water certain people, so that his instruments will not remain idle. Listen, O anxious daughter: the ambitious prompting of the ancient serpent troubles those whom God’s inspiration has filled in this way. For when that serpent sees a beautiful jewel, he immediately roars, saying, “What is this?” He torments it with the many miseries of a burning mind that longs to fly above the clouds, as though such people were gods, just as he himself does. Now listen again: Those who desire to accomplish the works of God should always remember that they are earthen vessels, because they are human. They should always consider what they are and what they will become, and leave heavenly things to him who is heavenly. For they are exiles who do not know heavenly things, but only sound forth the mysteries of God, like a trumpet that gives a sound without producing it by itself: someone else breathes into it so that it may sound. Let them also put on the breastplate of faith, being meek, gentle, poor, and afflicted, just as the Lamb was, whose trumpet’s sound they are. Let them have the simple ways of a child. For God continually chastens those who sound his trumpet, taking care that their earthen vessel should not perish, but should be pleasing to him. O daughter, may God make you a mirror of life. I too lie in fainthearted fear, sometimes sounding just a little, like the faint sound of a trumpet from the living Light. May God help me, so that I may remain in his service. Letter 201r in the modern edition of her correspondence; also printed in Patrologia Latina 197, columns 216–218. The text below is a DH translation of the public-domain Latin. The Psalm quotation uses the RSV-CE. Scripture and Quotes for Reflection 2 Corinthians 4:7, RSV-CE “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.” 1 Corinthians 4:7, RSV-CE “What have you that you did not receive?” St. Hildegard of Bingen “When that serpent sees a beautiful jewel, he immediately roars, saying, ‘What is this?’” “Those who desire to accomplish the works of God should always remember that they are earthen vessels.” “Someone else breathes into it so that it may sound.” “O daughter, may God make you a mirror of life.” “May God help me, so that I may remain in his service.” Continue the Journey with Discerning Hearts ➜ Explore Discerning Hearts ➜ Discerning Hearts Series Programming ➜ The Spiritual Journey with Kris McGregor Continue Exploring ➜ St. Hildegard von Bingen, Part 1 – The Doctors of the Church with Dr. Matthew Bunson ➜ St. Hildegard von Bingen, Part 2 – The Doctors of the Church with Dr. Matthew Bunson ➜ St. Hildegard von Bingen – Doctor of the Church and Mystic ➜ St. Hildegard and Conversatio Morum – The Conversion of Life with Dr. Anthony Lilles ➜ Benedictine Spirituality and Prayer ➜ Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

St. Bernard of Clairvaux on Sorrow, Longing, and Remaining Open to God with Kris McGregor About This Episode In this episode of The Spiritual Journey for the Discerning Heart, Kris McGregor reflects with Saint Bernard of Clairvaux on Our Lady of Sorrows and the deeper spiritual meaning of sorrow. Sorrow reaches far beyond bereavement. It can arise when a relationship is wounded, health or independence changes, someone we love takes a painful path, a long-held hope is lost, or life unfolds very differently from what we expected. Sorrow enters wherever love encounters something precious that has been changed, wounded, separated from us, or placed beyond our reach. Saint Bernard draws attention to one striking word in describing the Blessed Mother at Calvary: she grieved “intensely.” Mary knew the promises of God and trusted him completely, yet that faith did not remove the pain of watching her Son suffer. Her sorrow flowed from the depth of her love. In this sense, sorrow can become “love realized.” The ache reveals that something or someone truly matters. The heart continues to love and therefore continues to long for communion when that communion has been interrupted. Saint Augustine’s words that the human heart remains restless until it rests in God help illuminate this experience. Our deepest longing is for communion with the Lord, and every authentic human love participates in that desire. Our Lady of Sorrows teaches us to bring our longing to God rather than allowing loss to close the heart in despair or bitterness. Mary also offers practical spiritual direction for circumstances we cannot control. There are times when love calls us to seek healing, reconciliation, protection, or change. There are other losses we cannot simply undo. At the Cross, the Blessed Mother cannot remove Jesus’ suffering. Her fidelity consists in remaining near him and staying receptive to God within something she cannot change. For the discerning heart, this invites honest prayer. What has been lost? What has changed? What is the heart longing for? Rather than denying those desires, we can bring them to Christ and ask Our Lady to help us carry sorrow in a way that remains open to grace. Even at Calvary, Jesus entrusts John to Mary. John does not replace Jesus, and the Blessed Virgin is not asked to forget what has been lost. Yet her vocation to love continues. In the same way, sorrow can profoundly change a life without placing that life outside God’s providence. Our Lady of Sorrows teaches us to honor what has been lost while remaining attentive to what God is giving now. Discerning Hearts Reflection Question

1. What does the word sorrow mean in your life right now? Is there a relationship, hope, ability, circumstance, or person whose loss or change has left an ache in your heart?
2. Saint Bernard emphasizes that Our Lady sorrowed “intensely” while continuing to trust God. Have you ever assumed that deep sorrow meant something was wrong with your faith? What does the Blessed Mother teach you about that?
3. If sorrow is love encountering loss, what does your sorrow reveal about what you love and what your heart is longing for? Can you bring that longing honestly before the Lord?
4. Is your sorrow allowing you to remain open to God, or are discouragement, bitterness, or despair beginning to close your heart? What grace might you ask Our Lady of Sorrows to help you receive today?

From the Office of Readings From a sermon of St Bernard of Clairvaux Our Lady of Sorrows The martyrdom of the Virgin is set forth both in the prophecy of Simeon and in the actual story of our Lord’s passion. The holy old man said of the infant Jesus: He has been established as a sign which will be contradicted. He went on to say to Mary: And your own heart will be pierced by a sword.   Truly, O blessed Mother, a sword has pierced your heart. For only by passing through your heart could the sword enter the flesh of your Son. Indeed, after your Jesus – who belongs to everyone, but is especially yours – gave up his life, the cruel spear, which was not withheld from his lifeless body, tore open his side. Clearly it did not touch his soul and could not harm him, but it did pierce your heart. For surely his soul was no longer there, but yours could not be torn away. Thus the violence of sorrow has cut through your heart, and we rightly call you more than martyr, since the effect of compassion in you has gone beyond the endurance of physical suffering.   Or were those words, Woman, behold your son, not more than a word to you, truly piercing your heart, cutting through to the division between soul and spirit? What an exchange! John is given to you in place of Jesus, the servant in place of the Lord, the disciple in place of the master; the son of Zebedee replaces the Son of God, a mere man replaces God himself. How could these words not pierce your most loving heart, when the mere remembrance of them breaks ours, hearts of iron and stone though they are!   Do not be surprised, brothers, that Mary is said to be a martyr in spirit. Let him be surprised who does not remember the words of Paul, that one of the greatest crimes of the Gentiles was that they were without love. That was far from the heart of Mary; let it be far from her servants.   Perhaps someone will say: “Had she not known before that he would not die?” Undoubtedly. “Did she not expect him to rise again at once?” Surely. “And still she grieved over her crucified Son?” Intensely. Who are you and what is the source of your wisdom that you are more surprised at the compassion of Mary than at the passion of Mary’s Son? For if he could die in body, could she not die with him in spirit? He died in body through a love greater than anyone had known. She died in spirit through a love unlike any other since his. Excerpts from the English translation of The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) © 1974, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved. Scripture and Quotes for Reflection Luke 2:35, RSV-CE “And a sword will pierce through your own soul also.” John 19:25, RSV-CE “Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother.” John 19:26-27, RSV-CE “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” St. Bernard of Clairvaux “And still she grieved over her crucified Son? Intensely.” “Truly, O blessed Mother, a sword has pierced your heart.” “She died in spirit through a love unlike any other since his.” St. Augustine “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” Continue the Journey with Discerning Hearts ➜ Explore Discerning Hearts ➜ Discerning Hearts Series Programming ➜ The Spiritual Journey with Kris McGregor Continue Exploring ➜ Our Lady of Sorrows ➜ The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary ➜ The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart

Episode 1 – Introduction – The Second Week Rules for the Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide to a Greater Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher In this opening episode of The Second Week Rules for the Discernment of Spirits, Fr. Timothy Gallagher reviews the foundation of the First Week Rules. He returns to the basic pattern of discernment: be aware, understand, and take action. He also revisits spiritual consolation and desolation, along with the practical rules that help us receive what is of God and reject the discouraging lies of the enemy. Fr. Gallagher then turns to a new and more subtle challenge. In the life of St. Ignatius, genuine spiritual consolation and good, holy thoughts sometimes appeared at the wrong time. At Manresa, consoling spiritual illuminations interfered with needed sleep. Later, in Barcelona, similar consolations distracted Ignatius from the Latin studies required for priesthood. These experiences opened Ignatius to a deeper level of discernment. A thought can be good in itself and still lead in the wrong direction. The Second Week Rules help us look not only at the apparent goodness of a spiritual movement, but also at where it leads and what its consequences will be. This episode prepares the way for the eight rules that guide this greater discernment. Discerning Hearts Questions for Reflection and Study Personal Reflection

1. How well can you recognize spiritual consolation and spiritual desolation in your own experience?
2. When a thought or spiritual experience seems good, do you also consider where it is leading you?
3. Can you recall a time when something good distracted you from something God was actually asking of you?
4. What do Ignatius’s experiences with sleep and his Latin studies teach you about looking at the consequences of spiritual movements?
5. How might the practice of being aware, understanding, and taking action deepen your discernment?

Group Reflection or Study

1. Why does Fr. Gallagher begin the Second Week Rules with a review of the First Week Rules?
2. What is different about Ignatius’s experiences at Manresa and Barcelona from the spiritual movements addressed in the First Week?
3. Why is it significant that Ignatius never doubts that the thoughts and consolations themselves are genuinely good?
4. What do the consequences of Ignatius’s consolations reveal about their true spiritual source?
5. How does this episode challenge the assumption that anything that feels spiritually consoling must necessarily be followed?

This series is based on Spiritual Consolation by Fr. Timothy Gallagher You can find the book here Also, here are the 2 handouts mentioned by Fr. Gallagher in Talk 1: 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 Examples used by Fr. Gallagher in the first conference talk: A Review of the First Set of Rules: George: “This morning in the chapel, prayer was difficult. In spite of so many and fervent appeals to Christ’s love, there was no feeling in me of response from the Beloved. I then turned to Our Blessed Lady and said something like this – “Please ask your Son to grant me the grace to love Him more and more… This was said only a very few minutes before the end of the half-hour which had been arid. Suddenly I felt a very sweet touch which warmed my whole being and stirred me to feelings of deep and moving gratitude to the Beloved and to his Mother.” William Kernan, My Road to Certainty: “I looked out of the train window to the California countryside which I was rapidly leaving behind me – the orange groves shimmering in the light of the late afternoon sun the little bungalows which appeared here and there for a moment and then were gone as the train sped on, and the mountains far out on the horizon… An upsurge of gratitude swept through me and warmed my heart, and I thanked God for His Providence and goodness that had kept me all the days of my life and which, I was sure, would keep me safe forever. I could go on thinking of tomorrow in terms of today. Something would always be the same in every tomorrow; something would be certain – God.” Married man, 38 years old: I had had a serious knee surgery five months earlier, and things had been slowly getting better with my knee. Recently, however, it seemed worse. This day, I saw the doctor and returned discouraged by his report: If my knee did not improve, how would I ever do my work for the years to come? How would I meet my family’s needs? I had felt tired already on rising, but when I got back from the doctor’s, I felt stripped of all energy. In the evening, I usually pray Evening Prayer. This day, I felt so tired and discouraged that I never said it. When I tried to pray at the end of the day, the same thing happened: I was tired, discouraged, and afraid, and it was hard to pray. Somehow, God seemed very far away, and I felt alone. I wound up spending time on the smartphone that I didn’t really want to spend. I slept poorly that night and rose with a sense that it would be hard to pray at all this new day. The fear and discouragement were still there. I asked the Lord to help me get through this and to help me live the day well. As usual, I went to Mass before work. Mass was helpful; the readings spoke to me: they told of God’s care for his people in distress: “In you the orphan finds compassion,” “I will love them freely” (Hos. 14:2-10); “I relieved his shoulder from the burden” (Ps 81), and of the great commandment to love God with all our heart (Mk 12: 28-34). After Mass, overcoming some initial resistance, I said the Rosary on the way to work, and that too lifted my heart. In the late morning, I had a meeting with a client who was grateful for the help I had given him. That was an uplifting time, and afterward, I was grateful and thanked God for it. Some of the series by Fr. Timothy Gallagher found on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts The Discernment of Spirits: The First Week Rules /w Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMVThe Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Examen Prayer with Fr. Timothy GallagherThe Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallager

Standing on the Rock – St. Bernard of Clairvaux on the Stages of Contemplation with Kris McGregor About This Episode In this episode of The Spiritual Journey for the Discerning Heart, Kris McGregor reflects on Saint Bernard of Clairvaux’s teaching on the stages of contemplation and what it can teach us about discerning God’s will. St. Bernard begins with a powerful image: before trying to determine where God is leading, “take our stand” on Christ, the solid rock. Discernment begins in relationship with Jesus. From that foundation, the soul learns to listen to what the Lord is saying and to consider how it is being called to respond. Bernard describes the first stage of contemplation as asking what God wants, what is pleasing to him, and what is acceptable in his sight. This requires humility because even sincere prayer can be influenced by our own desires, fears, attachments, expectations, and wounds. The answer is not self-condemnation, but honesty beneath the merciful gaze of God: “Heal me, Lord.” As prayer deepens, Bernard describes another movement. The soul gradually turns from concentrating primarily on itself and its particular circumstances toward contemplating God himself. The question begins to move from “What does God want from me?” toward a deeper confidence in who God is and in the goodness of his will. This change is important for discernment. God’s will is not a hidden answer that must somehow be forced out of him. Trust grows as the soul becomes convinced of God’s goodness. Even when his will involves surrender, patience, conversion, or an unexpected road, the discerning heart can place itself in his hands because it has begun to know the One who leads it. Saint Bernard summarizes the movement beautifully: contemplating ourselves brings humility, while contemplating God brings hope and love. For someone whose discernment has become anxious or exhausting, his counsel is deeply practical. Stand again on Christ, acknowledge honestly what is happening within the heart, receive God’s mercy, and allow prayer to lead beyond endless self-examination into confidence in the goodness of the Lord. Discerning Hearts Reflection Question

1. When you are discerning an important question, do you begin by trying to find an answer or by becoming more firmly grounded in your relationship with Christ? What might it mean for you to “stand on the rock” before making a decision?
2. What desires, fears, expectations, or attachments might be influencing the way you currently see a situation? Can you bring those honestly before God without immediately judging or suppressing them?
3. Saint Bernard moves from asking what God wants of us to contemplating the goodness of God himself. Has your prayer become so focused on finding an answer that you have lost sight of the Lord who is leading you?
4. Bernard says that contemplating ourselves brings humility, while contemplating God brings hope and love. Which of those movements seems especially important in your prayer right now?

From the Office of Readings From a sermon of St Bernard of Clairvaux On the stages of contemplation Let us take our stand on the tower, leaning with all our strength on Christ, the most solid rock, as it is written: He has set my feet on a rock, he has guided my steps. Thus firmly established, let us begin to contemplate, to see what he is saying to us and what reply we ought to make to him.   The first stage of contemplation, my dear brothers, is to consider constantly what God wants, what is pleasing to him, and what is acceptable in his eyes. We all offend in many things; our strength cannot match the rightness of God’s will and cannot be joined to it or made to fit with it. So let us humble ourselves under the powerful hand of the most high God and make an effort to show ourselves unworthy before his merciful gaze, saying Heal me, Lord, and I shall be healed; save me and I shall be saved. And again, Lord, have mercy on me; heal my soul because I have sinned against you.   Once the eye of the soul has been purified by such considerations, we no longer abide within our spirit in a sense of sorrow, but abide rather in the Spirit of God with great delight. No longer do we consider what is the will of God for us, but rather what it is in itself.   For our life is in his will. Thus we are convinced that what is according to his will is in every way better for us, and more fitting. And so, if we are concerned to preserve the life of our soul, we must be equally concerned to deviate as little as possible from his will.   Thus having made some progress in our spiritual exercise under the guidance of the Spirit who gazes into the deep things of God, let us reflect how gracious the Lord is and how good he is in himself. Let us join the Prophet in praying that we may see the Lord’s will and frequent not our own hearts but the Lord’s temple; and let us also say, My soul is humbled within me, therefore I shall be mindful of you.   These two stages sum up the whole of the spiritual life: when we contemplate ourselves we are troubled, and our sadness saves us and brings us to contemplate God; that contemplation in turn gives us the consolation of the joy of the Holy Spirit. Contemplating ourselves brings fear and humility; contemplating God brings us hope and love. Excerpts from the English translation of The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) © 1974, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved. Scripture and Quotes for Reflection Romans 12:2, RSV-CE “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” St. Bernard of Clairvaux “Let us take our stand on the tower, leaning with all our strength on Christ, the most solid rock.” “The first stage of contemplation, my dear brothers, is to consider constantly what God wants, what is pleasing to him, and what is acceptable in his eyes.” “For our life is in his will.” “Let us reflect how gracious the Lord is and how good he is in himself.” “Contemplating ourselves brings fear and humility; contemplating God brings us hope and love.” Continue the Journey with Discerning Hearts ➜ Explore Discerning Hearts ➜ Discerning Hearts Series Programming ➜ The Spiritual Journey with Kris McGregor Continue Exploring ➜ St. Bernard and the 12 Steps to Humility and Pride – Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles ➜ St. Bernard and “On Loving God” – Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles ➜ St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Mystical Doctor of the Church

Episode 9 – Know Your Weapons pt. 4 – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare with Dr. Paul Thigpen, Ph.D In this episode of Put on the Armor: A Manual for Spiritual Warfare, Kris McGregor and Dr. Paul Thigpen continue their discussion of sacramentals by focusing on blessings and the way ordinary material things can be set apart for God’s service and protection. Dr. Thigpen explains the difference between blessings any Christian may offer, such as blessing food or a parent blessing a child, and those blessings reserved to clergy. He then turns to holy water, showing how it recalls baptism and the Christian’s rescue from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Christ. Drawing on the testimony of St. Teresa of Avila, the conversation highlights the spiritual power associated with holy water while keeping the emphasis firmly on faith, God’s grace, and the prayer of the Church. The episode also explores blessed salt, medals, crucifixes, and the rosary, while carefully distinguishing sacramentals from superstition or magic. Dr. Thigpen explains that blessed objects do not possess independent power. Rather, they dispose the faithful to receive God’s grace and help create a culture of holiness in the home and in daily life. Particular attention is given to the St. Benedict Medal and the rosary as reminders of Christ’s victory and Our Lady’s intercession in the spiritual battle. The episode closes with a simple but important insight: sacramentals should continually lead us back to prayer, because the safest place in spiritual warfare is to remain deeply rooted in Christ. A SPECIAL NOTE: We mourn the death of Dr. Paul Thigpen on February 24, 2026. He was a good friend, supporter, and contributor to Discerning Hearts. We will miss him deeply and will continue to share his ministry with gratitude and prayer. Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare, Chapter 4: Blessings and blessed objects. Both the blessings that are properly given by clergy (such as those in the Liturgy) and the blessings spoken by lay people as part of their daily lives (such as a table grace) are important sacramentals. They can sanctify our thoughts, our actions, and our surroundings in a way that repels the Enemy. We see their power most clearly when used to remedy the demonic infestation of a building or object through a priestly blessing with holy water. Throughout the centuries, the testimony of many Christians, including a number of saints, confirms that objects blessed by a priest, through the power of the Church’s intercession, can repel demonic powers. Again and again, evil spirits have recoiled in dread, not just from the Sign of the Cross, but also from holy water and blessed oil, crosses, crucifixes, medals, candles, or salt. These can be used by priests in exorcisms as well as by lay Christians in everyday life. So the faithful sometimes keep such sacramentals in their homes. The home itself (as well as other buildings) can be blessed by a priest as well. Discerning Hearts questions for reflection

1. How does this episode help clarify the difference between a sacramental and something superstitious or magical?
2. Why is holy water so closely connected to baptism and spiritual warfare?
3. What stood out to you in St. Teresa of Avila’s testimony about holy water?
4. How can sacramentals help create a culture of holiness in a Catholic home?
5. Why is faith and interior disposition so important when using blessed objects?
6. What did you learn about the spiritual meaning of the St. Benedict Medal?
7. How does the rosary become more than simply a set of beads in the life of prayer?
8. In what ways can blessed crucifixes, medals, holy water, and other sacramentals serve as reminders to turn back to God?
9. Which sacramental has been most meaningful in your own spiritual life, and why?

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Put On The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare w/Dr. Paul Thigpen, Ph.D.The "Manual for Spiritual Warfare" can be found here Paul Thigpen, Ph.D., was the Editor of TAN Books in Charlotte, North Carolina. An internationally known speaker, best-selling author, and award-winning journalist, Paul published forty-three books in a wide variety of genres and subjects: history and biography, spirituality and apologetics, anthologies and devotionals, family life and children’s books, study guides and reference works, and fiction and collections of poetry and prayers.  Paul graduated from Yale University in 1977, summa cum laude, with Distinction in Religious Studies and membership in Phi Beta Kappa. He was later awarded the George W. Woodruff Fellowship at Emory University in Atlanta, where he earned an M.A. (1993) and a Ph.D. (1995) in Historical Theology. In 1993, he was named a Jacob K. Javits Fellow by the U.S. Department of Education. He has served on the faculty of several universities and colleges. In 2008, Paul was appointed to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' National Advisory Council for a four-year term. He served the Church as a theologian, historian, apologist, evangelist, and catechist in a number of settings, speaking frequently in Catholic and secular media broadcasts and at conferences, seminars, parish missions, and scholarly gatherings.

The 14 Rules of the Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher with Kris McGregor Episode Sixteen: Rule Fourteen – Strengthening the Weakest Point Episode 16 – The Fourteenth Rule: Likewise, he behaves as a chief bent on conquering and robbing what he desires: for, as a captain and chief of the army, pitching his camp, and looking at the forces or defenses of a stronghold, attacks it on the weakest side, in like manner the enemy of human nature, roaming about, looks in turn at all our virtues, theological, cardinal and moral; and where he finds us weakest and most in need for our eternal salvation, there he attacks us and aims at taking us. Episode Sixteen of The Discernment of Spirits: Setting the Captives Free brings the First Week rules to completion with Rule Fourteen, the final and culminating insight of St. Ignatius. Fr. Timothy Gallagher, in conversation with Kris McGregor, explains how the enemy studies the whole of our spiritual life and attacks precisely where we are weakest. Ignatius describes the enemy as a leader intent on conquering and robbing. This is not a noble battle. It is theft and destruction. Like a captain surveying a fortified town, the enemy circles patiently. He studies the defenses. He looks for the crumbling wall. When the weakest point is found, the attack begins there. Fr. Gallagher unfolds this image with care. He invites us to picture a fortified town on a hill. Strong walls. Towers. Gates. Yet one section is cracked and fragile. That single weakness renders the entire defense vulnerable. Ignatius teaches that our spiritual life works the same way. The enemy does not attack randomly. He attacks where discouragement most easily takes hold. Fr. Gallagher names how this appears in lived experience. A person notices a repeated pattern. The same exhaustion. The same fear. The same frustration. The same loss of confidence in God’s love. These are not coincidences. They reveal Rule Fourteen terrain. This is the place where the enemy returns again and again. Ignatius does not leave us without a response. Fr. Gallagher explains that the remedy is proactive and hopeful. The town does not wait for attack. During a time of peace, the people examine their defenses. They identify the crumbling wall. They rebuild it with care. Stone by stone. What was weakest becomes strong. This is the goal of Rule Fourteen. The discerning person learns where the enemy is most likely to strike. Even before temptation arises, growth begins there. Virtue is strengthened. Balance is restored. Interior wounds are tended with honesty and patience. When the enemy returns, he finds no easy entrance. Fr. Gallagher draws wisdom from St. John of the Cross, who teaches that growth in one virtue strengthens all the others. When the weakest point is healed, the whole spiritual life gains stability. Freedom deepens across every area. Kris McGregor raises an important connection to healing. Often the weakest point is rooted in a wound. A memory. A fear. A place of pain that continues to influence responses. Fr. Gallagher affirms this insight and turns to the Gospel. Jesus is revealed again and again as the healer. Growth in discernment often includes allowing Christ to heal what lies beneath repeated discouragement. Episode Sixteen presents Rule Fourteen as the doorway into a lifelong discerning life. The rules do not end here. They begin here. When the weakest point is strengthened, the enemy loses ground. The heart grows resilient. Freedom becomes stable and enduring. Captives are set free. Discerning Hearts Questions for Reflection and Study Personal Reflection

1. Do you notice patterns where discouragement returns repeatedly?
2. What situations most often weaken your prayer or confidence?
3. Are there wounds or fears beneath these recurring struggles?
4. How might you begin strengthening this area with patience and grace?
5. Where might Christ be inviting you toward healing?

Group Reflection or Study

1. Why does Ignatius place Rule Fourteen at the end of the First Week?
2. How does the fortified town image clarify the enemy’s tactic?
3. Why is proactive growth more effective than reactive resistance?
4. How does healing relate to long-term spiritual freedom?
5. How can communities help one another strengthen weak points?

 The 14 Rules for Discerning Spirits –
"The Different Movements Which Are Caused In The Soul" as outlined by St. Ignatius of Loyola click hereExplore the complete Discernment of Spirits series with Fr. Timothy Gallagher
  Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.  Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series "Living the Discerning Life:  The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola

The Sacred Heart, Sin, and Confession – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff In this episode of Building a Kingdom of Love, Msgr. John Esseff turns to the reality of sin and the healing power of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The battle between the Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness isn't only visible in war, violence, and suffering throughout the world. That same struggle reaches into every human heart. Msgr. Esseff asks how we recognize what separates us from Christ and recover the grace and union with Him that God desires for us. His answer leads directly to Confession, a sacrament he believes is greatly needed in the Church and the world today. But preparing for Confession requires more than making a mental inventory of mistakes. Msgr. Esseff distinguishes a Christian examination of conscience from simple introspection or self-judgment. The Holy Spirit helps us see where our thoughts, words, actions, and omissions have interrupted our communion with Christ. Humility isn't self-condemnation. It is the recognition that without Christ, we can do nothing and that our lives depend completely upon His grace. The examination of conscience, therefore, takes place before the merciful gaze of God, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal what keeps us from loving with the Heart of Christ. Msgr. Esseff then considers jealousy and envy as examples of how the Sacrament of Reconciliation can lead us beneath individual sins to a deeper spiritual wound. Gossip, comparison, competition, resentment, and division may all grow from the same root. Rather than continually "cutting off the tail of the snake," Confession can help expose the capital sin at its head. As Christ heals that root, we become freer to rejoice in the gifts of others, recognize Christ in our neighbor, and see others with His eyes of love. The sacrament becomes a place not simply for naming sins, but for deeper conversion and growth in union with Jesus Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

1. When I prepare for Confession, do I ask the Holy Spirit to show me what is separating me from deeper union with Jesus?
2. Have I confused an examination of conscience with self-criticism, introspection, or condemnation?
3. Are there recurring sins in my life that may point toward a deeper root or capital sin?
4. Where do comparison and competition enter my relationships with family members, friends, coworkers, or others?
5. Can I genuinely rejoice when another person receives a gift, opportunity, recognition, or blessing that I wanted for myself?
6. How might regular reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation help me grow not only in freedom from sin, but also in Christ's way of seeing and loving others?
7. Whom am I being invited to see today through the loving gaze of Christ rather than through jealousy, resentment, or comparison?

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 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 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 serves as a spiritual director for the Institute. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests, and sisters, seminarians, and other religious leaders around the world.

Trust, Surrender, “I Thirst,” and the Little Way with Kris McGregor About This Episode In this episode of The Spiritual Journey for the Discerning Heart, Kris McGregor reflects on the last letter of St. Teresa of Calcutta to the Missionaries of Charity, dated September 5, 1997, the day Mother Teresa died. At the end of her life, St. Teresa returns to the spiritual truths she had spent years teaching her sisters: remain close to Jesus and Mary, live with loving trust and total surrender, listen to the thirst of Christ, and recognize Jesus in the people placed before you. Her words, “Be only all for Jesus through Mary,” open a reflection on what it means to give the whole of life to Christ. Prayer, work, relationships, disappointments, responsibilities, and even circumstances we would never have chosen can become places of surrender and grace. St. Teresa points to Mary as the model of this trusting response. Mary receives the word of God without being shown everything that will follow from her yes. Her fiat becomes a reminder that God often gives enough grace for the next faithful step rather than revealing the whole road ahead. At the center of St. Teresa’s spirituality is the cry of Jesus from the Cross: “I thirst.” She understood those words personally. Christ thirsts for souls and for our love. Standing with Mary beneath the Cross helps us hear that invitation and consider not only what we are asking of God, but what Jesus may be asking of us. The letter closes with Mother Teresa’s joy over St. Thérèse of Lisieux being named a Doctor of the Church. She immediately recognizes the wisdom of the Little Way: holiness is often formed through ordinary duties, hidden sacrifices, patience, and small acts offered with great love. St. Teresa of Calcutta and St. Thérèse lived very different vocations, but both remind us that sanctity is found in giving ourselves to God within the actual circumstances of daily life. Discerning Hearts Reflection Question

1. St. Teresa of Calcutta asks her sisters to be “only all for Jesus through Mary.” Is there an area of your life that is particularly difficult to entrust completely to Christ?
2. Mary gave her yes without knowing everything that would follow. Where might the Lord be asking you for a faithful next step rather than an understanding of the entire road ahead?
3. St. Teresa invites us to hear Jesus say, “I thirst.” How does prayer change when the question becomes not only “What do I need from God?” but also “What does Jesus desire from me?”
4. St. Thérèse and St. Teresa both recognized the importance of small acts done with great love. What ordinary responsibility, relationship, or hidden sacrifice in your life might be an opportunity for holiness right now?

From the Office of Readings (5 September 1997) From the last letter of Mother Teresa to the Missionary of Charity Sisters My dearest Children,   This brings you Mother’s love, prayer, and blessing that each one of you may be only all for Jesus through Mary. I know that Mother says often – “Be only all for Jesus through Mary” – but that is because that is all Mother wants for you, all Mother wants from you. If in your heart you are only all for Jesus through Mary, and if you do everything only all for Jesus through Mary, you will be a true Missionary of Charity. Thank you for all the loving wishes you sent for the Society Feast.   We have much to thank God for, especially that He has given us Our Lady’s spirit to be the spirit of our Society. Loving Trust and Total Surrender made Our Lady say “Yes” to the message of the angel, and Cheerfulness made her to run in haste to serve her cousin Elizabeth. That is so much our life – saying “Yes” to Jesus and running in haste to serve Him in the poorest of the poor.   Let us keep close to Our Lady and she will make that same spirit grow in each one of us. September 10th is coming very close. That is another beautiful chance for us to stand near Our Lady, to listen to the Thirst of Jesus and to answer with our whole heart. It is only with Our Lady that we can hear Jesus cry, “I Thirst”, and it is only with Our Lady that we can thank God properly for giving this great gift to our Society.   Last year was the Golden Jubilee of Inspiration Day, and I hope that the whole year has been one of thanksgiving. We will never come to the end of the gift that came to Mother for the Society on that day, and so we must never stop thanking for it. Let our gratitude be our strong resolution to quench the Thirst of Jesus by lives of real charity – love for Jesus in prayer, love for Jesus in our Sisters, love for Jesus in the poorest of the poor – nothing else.   And now I have heard that Jesus is giving us one more gift. This year, one hundred years after she went home to Jesus, Holy Father is declaring Little Flower to be a Doctor of the Church. Can you imagine – for doing little things with great love the Church is making her a Doctor, like St Augustine and the big St Teresa! It is just like Jesus said in the Gospel to the one who was seated in the lowest place, “Friend, come up higher.”   So let us keep very small and follow Little Flower’s way of trust and love and joy, and we will fulfil Mother’s promise to give saints to mother Church. Excerpts from the English translation of The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) © 1974, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved. Scripture and Quotes for Reflection St. Teresa of Calcutta “Be only all for Jesus through Mary.” “Loving Trust and Total Surrender made Our Lady say ‘Yes’ to the message of the angel.” “It is only with Our Lady that we can hear Jesus cry, ‘I Thirst.’” “So let us keep very small and follow Little Flower’s way of trust and love and joy.” John 19:28, RSV-CE “I thirst.” Luke 1:38, RSV-CE “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1:39, RSV-CE “In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah.” Continue the Journey with Discerning Hearts ➜ Explore Discerning Hearts ➜ Discerning Hearts Series Programming ➜ The Spiritual Journey with Kris McGregor Continue Exploring ➜ St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta Novena ➜ Mother Teresa: In the Shadow of Our Lady ➜ St. Thérèse of Lisieux – Mystic and Doctor of the Church