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The Discerning Hearts Blog Archives - Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts episodes

October 13 Tuesday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
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Tuesday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord.
Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over”
Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart…
From the Holy Gospel According to St. Luke 11:37-41
Jesus had just finished speaking when a Pharisee invited him to dine at his house. He went in and sat down at the table. The Pharisee saw this and was surprised that he had not first washed before the meal. But the Lord said to him, ‘Oh, you Pharisees! You clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickedness. Fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside too? Instead, give alms from what you have and then indeed everything will be clean for you.’
What word made this passage come alive for you?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:
Jesus had just finished speaking when a Pharisee invited him to dine at his house. He went in and sat down at the table. The Pharisee saw this and was surprised that he had not first washed before the meal. But the Lord said to him, ‘Oh, you Pharisees! You clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickedness. Fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside too? Instead, give alms from what you have and then indeed everything will be clean for you.’
What did your heart feel as you listened?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:
Jesus had just finished speaking when a Pharisee invited him to dine at his house. He went in and sat down at the table. The Pharisee saw this and was surprised that he had not first washed before the meal. But the Lord said to him, ‘Oh, you Pharisees! You clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickedness. Fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside too? Instead, give alms from what you have and then indeed everything will be clean for you.’
What touched your heart in this time of prayer?
What did your heart feel as you prayed?
What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen
Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.
The post Tuesday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
10 min
October 12 The Second Rule – The Second Week Rules for the Discernment of Spirits w/ Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Episode 5 – The Second Rule – The Second Week Rules for the Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide to a Greater Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher
Fr. Gallagher continues to break open the Second Rule by using examples of different types of Spiritual Consolation. He also delves into the proper understanding of “preceding cause.”
Second Rule
The second: it is of God our Lord alone to give consolation to the soul without preceding cause; because it is proper to the Creator to enter, go out, to move it interiorly, drawing it totally in love of his divine majesty. I say without cause, without any previous sentiment or knowledge of some object, through which such a consolation comes, by means of its acts of understanding and will. (330)
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
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 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
The post The Second Rule – The Second Week Rules for the Discernment of Spirits w/ Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
35 min
October 12 Day 7 – A Novena to St. Teresa of Avila – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 7: SURRENDER
St. Teresa you have said
Myself surrendered and given,
The exchange is this:
My Beloved is for me,
And I am for my Beloved.
When the gentle Hunter
Wounded and subdued me,
In love’s arms,
My soul fallen;
New life receiving,
Thus did I exchange
My Beloved is for me,
And I am for my Beloved.
The arrow he drew
Full of love,
My soul was made one
With her Creator.
Other love I want not,
Surrendered now to my God,
That my Beloved is for me,
And I am for my Beloved.
—On Those Words “Dilectus Meus Mihi”
This beautiful poem is the result of Teresa’s reflection on Songs 2:16: “My Beloved belongs to me and I to him.” In her verse, she expresses a fundamental truth of the interior journey: God himself initiates and sustains the relationship, and invites us to surrender to Him in faith. Our efforts of self-renunciation, sacrifice, and humility about which Teresa constantly discusses in her writings are our personal response to this love. In renouncing ourselves, we allow the Lord to unite us to Himself.
Let us not tire of making our sacrifices of love, but instead take courage, sure in the knowledge that we are already loved.
St. Teresa speaks to us today saying:
“Christ has no body now but yours.
No hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world.
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good.
Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”
O God, who through your Spirit
raised up Saint Teresa of Jesus
to show the Church the way to seek perfection,
grant that we may always be nourished
by the food of her heavenly teaching
and fired with longing for true holiness.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
St. Teresa, pray for us:
That we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.
reflection written by Fr. Emiel Albalahin, O.Carm. Used by permission via the Curia Generalizia dei Carmelitani Please visit http://www.ocarm.org/en/
The prayer offered by Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor
Audio versions of the “Interior Castle” and “The Way of Perfection” by St. Teresa of Avila
The post Day 7 – A Novena to St. Teresa of Avila – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
4 min
October 12 Monday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast

Monday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord.
Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over”
Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart…
From the Holy Gospel According to St. Luke 11:29-32
The crowds got even bigger, and Jesus addressed them:
‘This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here. On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here.’
What word made this passage come alive for you?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:
The crowds got even bigger, and Jesus addressed them:
‘This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here. On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here.’
What did your heart feel as you listened?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:
The crowds got even bigger, and Jesus addressed them:
‘This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here. On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here.’
What touched your heart in this time of prayer?
What did your heart feel as you prayed?
What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen
Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.
The post Monday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
10 min
October 11Do you truly know how to pray? A prayer primer with Msgr. John Esseff Discerning Hearts Podcast
Do you truly know how to pray? A prayer primer with Msgr. John Esseff Discerning Hearts Podcast
In a profound episode of Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts, Msgr. John Esseff and Kris McGregor delve into the essence of prayer and its central role in the Christian life. Msgr. Esseff, with decades of experience in spiritual guidance, emphasizes that prayer is foundational, akin to kindergarten, where one learns the basic, yet crucial aspects of communicating with God. He insists that prayer is not just a ritual but a conversation that necessitates the presence of God. Without this presence, prayer risks becoming an empty gesture.
Drawing on Jesus’ example, Msgr. Esseff encourages finding solitude and silence for prayer, underlining the importance of establishing a relationship with God. He uses the parable of the ten virgins from Matthew’s Gospel to illustrate the difference between merely performing religious acts and cultivating a personal connection with God. This relationship is rooted in understanding one’s identity as God’s child, which then shapes the way one prays.
Kris McGregor broaches the common challenge of discerning God’s voice in prayer. Msgr. Esseff acknowledges this difficulty and suggests that spiritual direction can be invaluable in learning to distinguish and understand the divine communication.
In conclusion, Msgr. Esseff stresses that prayer is not just about asking or saying things to God but also about listening and being open to His will. He urges listeners to approach prayer with a focus on forming a deep relationship with God, which, in turn, empowers them to be channels of God’s peace in the world. The podcast is a reminder of the transformative power of prayer in the Christian journey.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions:
Understanding Prayer as Relationship:
How do you currently perceive prayer in your life? Is it more of a routine or a relational conversation with God?
Reflect on the idea that prayer is like kindergarten. In what ways are you learning the basics of prayer, and how can you grow in this area?
Presence of God in Prayer:
Recall a time when you felt God’s presence strongly during prayer. What was different about that experience compared to other times?
How can you create a conducive environment for recognizing God’s presence in your daily prayer life?
The Role of Solitude and Silence:
What are the distractions that most commonly interfere with your prayer life? How can you minimize these distractions?
How can you incorporate solitude and silence into your daily routine to enhance your prayer experience?
Personal Relationship with God:
Reflect on the parable of the ten virgins. In what ways are you like the wise virgins, and in what ways are you like the foolish ones in your spiritual life?
What practical steps can you take to strengthen your personal relationship with God?
Identity as a Child of God:
How does understanding your identity as a child of God change the way you approach prayer?
In moments of prayer, how can you remind yourself of this identity and its significance?
Listening to God:
What are some of the challenges you face in listening to God during prayer?
How can you develop a more discerning heart to recognize and understand God’s voice?
The Importance of Spiritual Direction:
Have you ever considered seeking spiritual direction? If not, what might be holding you back?
How can a spiritual director assist you in deepening your prayer life and relationship with God?
Applying the ‘Our Father’ Prayer:
Reflect on how you usually pray the ‘Our Father’. How can you pray it more thoughtfully and intentionally, considering Msgr. Esseff’s insights?
How does the ‘Our Father’ encapsulate your relationship with God and your daily spiritual needs?
Msgr. Esseff offers a basic of prayer, R.I.M. – Relationship, Identity, and Mission.
Matthew 6:9-13 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)
9 Pray then like this:
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done,
    On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread;a]">[a]
12 And forgive us our debts,
    As we also have forgiven our debtors;
13 And lead us not into temptation,
    But deliver us from evil.b]">[b]
The post Do you truly know how to pray? A prayer primer with Msgr. John Esseff Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
32 min
October 11 Day 6 – A Novena to St. Teresa of Avila – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 6: THE REALITY OF HELL
St. Teresa you have said
“A long time after the Lord had already granted me many of the favors I’ve mentioned and other very lofty ones, while I was in prayer one day, I suddenly found that, without knowing how, I had seemingly been put in hell…The fact is that I don’t know how to give a sufficiently powerful description of that interior fire and that despair, coming in addition to such extreme torments and pains. I didn’t see who inflicted them on me, but, as it seemed to me, I felt myself burning and crumbling; and I repeat the worst was that interior fire and despair.”
—Autobiography XXXII.1,2
Teresa experiences the vision described above within the context of God’s salvific action, both universal and personal, in order that she might understand the torments from which she was freed because of His mercy, and also to motivate her to realize her personal vocation of reform.
The theme of hell appears often in her writings, and underlines humanity’s gift of free will and its natural consequences. The redemption wrought by Christ is intended for all, and the Divine plan is that all should be saved, but this does not preclude one’s possibility to choose. Hell is the result of a lifetime of choices made of separating oneself from God through sin, resulting in the suffocating experience of being completely bound in the darkness of God’s absence, without freedom and without hope.
Not wanting to see others end like this, Teresa exercised her own free will, dedicating her life to participating in Christ’s own saving action via her life of prayer. May we, like Teresa, give thanks to God for the truths revealed to us about eternal life, for our redemption through Christ’s blood, and for the gift of free will that allows us to choose and love him freely. Let us also pray for all those who most need our prayers for conversion of heart today.
St. Teresa speaks to us today saying:
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.
O God, who through your Spirit
raised up Saint Teresa of Jesus
to show the Church the way to seek perfection,
grant that we may always be nourished
by the food of her heavenly teaching
and fired with longing for true holiness.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
St. Teresa, pray for us:
That we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.
reflection written by Fr. Emiel Albalahin, O.Carm. Used by permission via the Curia Generalizia dei Carmelitani Please visit http://www.ocarm.org/en/
The prayer offered by Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor
Audio versions of the “Interior Castle” and “The Way of Perfection” by St. Teresa of Avila
The post Day 6 – A Novena to St. Teresa of Avila – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
4 min
October 11 Sunday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
Sunday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord.
Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over”
Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart…
From the Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew 22:1-14
Jesus began to speak to the chief priests and elders of the people in parables: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son’s wedding. He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not come. Next he sent some more servants. “Tell those who have been invited” he said “that I have my banquet all prepared, my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding.” But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them. The king was furious. He despatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town. Then he said to his servants, “The wedding is ready; but as those who were invited proved to be unworthy, go to the crossroads in the town and invite everyone you can find to the wedding.” So these servants went out on to the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests. When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment, and said to him, “How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?” And the man was silent. Then the king said to the attendants, “Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.” For many are called, but few are chosen.’
What word made this passage come alive for you?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:
Jesus began to speak to the chief priests and elders of the people in parables: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son’s wedding. He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not come. Next he sent some more servants. “Tell those who have been invited” he said “that I have my banquet all prepared, my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding.” But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them. The king was furious. He despatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town. Then he said to his servants, “The wedding is ready; but as those who were invited proved to be unworthy, go to the crossroads in the town and invite everyone you can find to the wedding.” So these servants went out on to the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests. When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment, and said to him, “How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?” And the man was silent. Then the king said to the attendants, “Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.” For many are called, but few are chosen.’
What did your heart feel as you listened?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:
Jesus began to speak to the chief priests and elders of the people in parables: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son’s wedding. He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not come. Next he sent some more servants. “Tell those who have been invited” he said “that I have my banquet all prepared, my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding.” But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them. The king was furious. He despatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town. Then he said to his servants, “The wedding is ready; but as those who were invited proved to be unworthy, go to the crossroads in the town and invite everyone you can find to the wedding.” So these servants went out on to the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests. When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment, and said to him, “How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?” And the man was silent. Then the king said to the attendants, “Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.” For many are called, but few are chosen.’
What touched your heart in this time of prayer?
What did your heart feel as you prayed?
What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen
Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.
The post Sunday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
13 min
October 10 Saturday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
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Saturday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord.
Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over”
Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart…
From the Holy Gospel According to St. Luke 11:27-28
As Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, ‘Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!’ But he replied, ‘Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it!’
What word made this passage come alive for you?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:
As Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, ‘Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!’ But he replied, ‘Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it!’
What did your heart feel as you listened?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:
As Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, ‘Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!’ But he replied, ‘Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it!’
What touched your heart in this time of prayer?
What did your heart feel as you prayed?
What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen
Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.
The post Saturday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
9 min
October 10 Day 5 – A Novena to St. Teresa of Avila – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 5: HUMILITY
St. Teresa you have said
“O Eternal Father! How much this humility deserves. What treasure do we have that could buy Your Son? The sale of Him, we already know, was for thirty pieces of silver. But to buy Him, no price is sufficient. Since by sharing in our nature He has become one with us here below—and as Lord of His own will—He reminds the Father that because He belongs to Him the Father in turn can give Him to us. And so He says, “our bread.” He doesn’t make any difference between Himself and us, but we make one by not giving ourselves up each day for His Majesty.”
—Way of Perfection XXXIII.5
Teresa composed these words as she reflected on the words of the Our Father: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Her meditation on this phrase brought her immediately to Christ’s experience of the passion and its significance for her and her contemporaries. For her, Jesus is the foundation and model of humility in the spiritual life.
Humility plays an important role in interior progress, because through it we come to appreciate and understand the beauty of our souls and our limitations, to gradually cede control of our lives to God in faith and trust and develop a sensibility for perceiving and carrying out His will, to love others properly, and to accept and cherish the depth of the love God has for us.
So let us ask for the grace of humility, that we may grow in truthful relationship with God, ourselves, and others.
St. Teresa speaks to us today saying:
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.
O God, who through your Spirit
raised up Saint Teresa of Jesus
to show the Church the way to seek perfection,
grant that we may always be nourished
by the food of her heavenly teaching
and fired with longing for true holiness.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
St. Teresa, pray for us:
That we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.
reflection was written by Fr. Emiel Albalahin, O.Carm. Used by permission via the Curia Generalizia dei Carmelitani Please visit http://www.ocarm.org/en/
The prayer offered by Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor
Audio versions of the “Interior Castle” and “The Way of Perfection” by St. Teresa of Avila
The post Day 5 – A Novena to St. Teresa of Avila – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
4 min
October 09Joseph Pearce – St. John Henry Newman on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Joseph Pearce – St. John Henry Newman on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor
***A Note for Listeners
This conversation was recorded before the canonization of John Henry Newman. At the time, he was known as Blessed John Henry Newman. Today, we gratefully honor him as St. John Henry Newman, whose witness continues to guide the Church.
In this episode of Inside the Pages, Kris McGregor speaks with Joseph Pearce about two Ignatius Press books released in honor of the beatification of John Henry Newman: Blessed John Henry Newman: Theologian and Spiritual Guide for Our Times and The Heart of Newman. Pearce reflects on Newman’s immense influence as a theologian, convert, literary figure, and spiritual guide, showing how Newman stands at the heart of the English Catholic revival. From Hilaire Belloc and J.R.R. Tolkien to Gerard Manley Hopkins and countless later converts, Newman’s impact continued to shape Catholic literary and spiritual life long after his own reception into the Church. Pearce also shares how Newman’s Apologia Pro Vita Sua played a major role in his own conversion, helping him overcome misunderstandings about Catholicism through the power of Newman’s mind, heart, and prose.
The conversation also explores Newman’s gift for joining faith and reason, head and heart, in a way that remains deeply relevant today. Pearce describes Newman as a modern intellect with a profoundly orthodox soul, able to engage the great challenges of modernity, including materialism, secularism, relativism, and other intellectual currents that would shape the modern world. He presents Newman not as an inaccessible thinker, but as a saintly guide whose writings speak “from heart to heart” while also giving serious answers to the questions of the mind. This episode invites listeners to rediscover St. John Henry Newman as a master of truth, beauty, conversion, and Christian witness whose influence continues to ripple through the Church and the culture.
About the Books
Blessed John Henry Newman: Theologian and Spiritual Guide for Our Times introduces readers to Newman as one of the great Catholic minds and hearts of the modern era. His life, conversion, writings, sermons, and spiritual insights continue to guide Catholics seeking clarity, courage, and depth in the faith.
The Heart of Newman gathers selections from Newman’s writings and sermons, offering readers a path into his thought without being overwhelmed by the breadth of his work. Through these texts, readers encounter Newman’s profound understanding of conscience, conversion, doctrine, holiness, and the life of grace. As Joseph Pearce emphasizes in this conversation, Newman’s greatness lies not only in the brilliance of his intellect, but in the beauty of a heart surrendered to truth.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions:
How does St. John Henry Newman’s search for truth challenge me to follow Christ more faithfully, even when it comes at personal cost?
In what ways do I allow both faith and reason to guide my spiritual life?
How does Newman’s phrase “heart speaks to heart” help me understand the relationship between truth, love, and conversion?
What fears or misunderstandings keep me from going deeper into the teachings of the Catholic Church?
How has the witness of one person’s faith created a “chain reaction” of grace in my own life?
Where is the Lord asking me to be more courageous in sharing the truth with charity and clarity?
How can great Catholic writers, such as Newman, Chesterton, Tolkien, Hopkins, and others, help me see the beauty of the faith more clearly?
What role does beauty, especially in literature and language, play in opening my heart to God?
How can I better engage the challenges of secularism, relativism, and materialism with a faithful Catholic heart?
What is one writing, sermon, or prayer of Newman’s that I could read slowly and prayerfully this week?
The post Joseph Pearce – St. John Henry Newman on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
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