Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts

Drawing from the Sacred Scriptures, Msgr. Esseff begins his teachings on prayer. First, we must understand that relationship is the primary gift of prayer. Msgr. Esseff answers a question about “storming heaven with prayer.” 2 Corinthians Chapter 5 17k So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. 18* And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.l 20So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.m 21* For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,n so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

  Pray always in readiness to surrender, and you will receive from it great peace and great rewards, even when I confer on you the grace of immolation, of repentance and of love. Then what does suffering matter? It seems impossible to you? Close your eyes and say with all your soul, “Jesus, you take care of it”. Do not be afraid, I will take care of things and you will bless my name by humbling yourself. A thousand prayers cannot equal one single act of surrender, remember this well. There is no novena more effective than this: O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times) Mother, I am yours now and forever. Through you and with you I always want to belong completely to Jesus. Amen For the entire audio 9-day version visit of Surrender to the Will of God Novena To download a PDF version of this novena click HERE (Thanks to www.Surrenderprayer.com)

Episode 5 – The Spiritual Struggle and the Remedy – Begin Again: The Spiritual Legacy of Ven. Bruno Lanteri with Fr. Timothy Gallagher In this episode, Fr. Timothy Gallagher discusses the importance of the “spiritual struggles” in the life Ven. Lanteri.  Outwardly, he was faced with a  hostile secular climate.  He also experienced tremendous physical struggles, as well as an inner resistance to certain virtues.  Prayer, meditation, reflection, and study became a remedy for Ven. Lanteri.  Fr. Gallagher reflects on the tremendous gift of this spiritual program for us and how it can transform our lives today! During the course of this series, we find that the Ven. Bruno Lanteri’s life and mission contain significant spiritual relevance to nurture the hearts of today’s religious and lay faithful. For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org   Visit the “Begin Again: The Spiritual Legacy of the Venerable Bruno Lanteri with Fr. Timothy Gallagher Discerning Hearts podcast” for more episodes of this series 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”.   For books on the life and teachings of Ven. Bruno Lanteri: . For the other episodes in this series check out Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s “Discerning Hearts” page Please visit the site dedicated to Ven. Bruno Lanteri for more information and prayer requests Prayer to Obtain Graces by the intercession of Ven. Bruno Lanteri Heavenly Father, you filled the heart of your servant Bruno with a living and active faith. Grant that our lives be guided by that same faith, and, through his intercession, give us the grace of which we have so great need… Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be. Jesus, uncreated Wisdom, through the hope in your merits and in your Cross, infused into the heart of your servant Bruno, and through the zeal he showed in teaching your goodness and mercy, grant us the same ardor and the grace for which we fervently ask… Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be. Holy Spirit, fount of charity, through the love for God and neighbor that you enkindled in the heart of your servant Bruno, grant also to us that, living far from sin, in charity and justice, we may be worthy of the grace we humbly seek and gain the joy of heaven… Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be. And you, Virgin Mother of God and our Mother, obtain from the Lord the beatification of your servant Bruno, who all his life loved you as a loyal son and zealously sought to lead others to you, and obtain for us through his intercession the grace that with great trust we ask of you… Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.

Drawing from the Sacred Scriptures given to us from the Mass celebrated on the Thursday of the 4th week of Lent. Msgr. Esseff asks “Do you know the power of your prayer?” Responsorial Psalm 106:19-20, 21-22, 23 (4a)  Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people. Our fathers made a calf in Horeb and adored a molten image; They exchanged their glory for the image of a grass-eating bullock. R.    Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people. They forgot the God who had saved them, who had done great deeds in Egypt, Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham, terrible things at the Red Sea. R.    Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people. Then he spoke of exterminating them, but Moses, his chosen one, Withstood him in the breach to turn back his destructive wrath. R.    Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people. Used with permission. Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

  Close your eyes and let yourself be carried away on the flowing current of my grace; close your eyes and do not think of the present, turning your thoughts away from the future just as you would from temptation. Repose in me, believing in my goodness, and I promise you by my love that if you say “You take care of it” I will take care of it all; I will console you, liberate you and guide you. O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times) Mother, I am yours now and forever. Through you and with you I always want to belong completely to Jesus. Amen For the entire audio 9-day version visit of Surrender to the Will of God Novena To download a PDF version of this novena click HERE (Thanks to www.Surrenderprayer.com)

We begin our exploration of Robert Cardinal Sarah’s “The Day Is Now Far Spent”—a tour de force response to the present darkness in the Church. In this week’s reading, the cardinal pays a special tribute to such controversial churchmen as Henri de Lubac, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (all Ignatius Press authors). What he says may surprise you. You can find the book here Robert Cardinal Sarah calls The Day Is Now Far Spent his most important book. He analyzes the spiritual, moral, and political collapse of the Western world and concludes that “the decadence of our time has all the faces of mortal peril.” A cultural identity crisis, he writes, is at the root of the problems facing Western societies. “The West no longer knows who it is, because it no longer knows and does not want to know who made it, who established it, as it was and as it is. Many countries today ignore their own history. This self-suffocation naturally leads to a decadence that opens the path to new, barbaric civilizations.” While making clear the gravity of the present situation, the cardinal demonstrates that it is possible to avoid the hell of a world without God, a world without hope. He calls for a renewal of devotion to Christ through prayer and the practice of virtue.  

Drawing from the Sacred Scriptures given to us from the Mass celebrated on the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord Msgr. Esseff reflects on Our Lady’s word spoken to the angel, “May it be done to me according to your word.” Gospel LK 1:26-38 The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. Used with permission. Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

I perform miracles in proportion to your full surrender to me and to your not thinking of yourselves. I sow treasure troves of graces when you are in the deepest poverty. No person of reason, no thinker, has ever perform miracles, not even among the saints. He does divine works whosoever surrenders to God. So don’t think about it anymore, because your mind is acute and for you it is very hard to see evil and to trust in me and to not think of yourself. Do this for all your needs, do this all of you and you will see great continual silent miracles. I will take care of things, I promise this to you. O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times) Mother, I am yours now and forever. Through you and with you I always want to belong completely to Jesus. Amen For the entire audio 9-day version visit of Surrender to the Will of God Novena To download a PDF version of this novena click HERE (Thanks to www.Surrenderprayer.com)

Episode 5 – The Penitential Rite The penitential rite of the mass, while not the pivotal point, it is one of the most important points of the mass, and key in our moral conversion…it’s about the crucifixion to sin, meeting evil with love. Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., the director of Theological Formation for the Institute for Priestly Formation, located at Creighton University, in Omaha. The Vatican II documents remind us that the spiritual journey is not made in a vacuum.  God has chosen to save us, not individually, but as The People of God. The Eucharist must help Christians to make their choices by discerning out of Christ’s paschal mystery. For this process to take place, however, Christians must first understand how the Eucharist puts them in touch with Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection, and what concrete implications being in touch with this mystery has for their daily lives. Check out more episodes at “The Way of Mystery” Discerning Heart podcast page

Drawing from the Sacred Scriptures given to us from the Mass celebrated on the 4th Monday of Lent, Msgr. Esseff reminds us to take this time to examen ourselves Responsorial Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9 R.    (8)  The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress. Therefore we fear not, though the earth be shaken and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea. R.    The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High. God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed; God will help it at the break of dawn. R.    The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. The LORD of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. Come! behold the deeds of the LORD, the astounding things he has wrought on earth. R.    The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. Used with permission. Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

You are sleepless; you want to judge everything, direct everything and see to everything and you surrender to human strength, or worse – to men themselves, trusting in their intervention, – this is what hinders my words and my views. Oh how much I wish from you this surrender, to help you; and how I suffer when I see you so agitated! Satan tries to do exactly this: to agitate you and to remove you from my protection and to throw you into the jaws of human initiative. So, trust only in me, rest in me, surrender to me in everything. O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times) Mother, I am yours now and forever. Through you and with you I always want to belong completely to Jesus. Amen For the entire audio 9-day version visit of Surrender to the Will of God Novena To download a PDF version of this novena click HERE (Thanks to www.Surrenderprayer.com)

Join Fr. Mauritius Wilde O.S.B. and Kris McGregor in this special Discerning Hearts Video Podcast as they discuss the effects of the novel Coronavirus Global Pandemic in Rome and at Sant’Anselmo all’Aventino Monastery.  Fr. Mauritius offers important spiritual guidance during this time which comes from the Holy Rule of Benedict.   Check out Fr. Mauritius Wilde Podcasts on Discerning Hearts by visiting her Father Mauritius Wilde, OSB, Ph.D., did his philosophical, theological and doctoral studies in Europe. He is the author of several books and directs retreats regularly. He serves as Prior at Sant’Anselmo in Rome.  

Drawing from the Sacred Scriptures given to us from the Mass celebrated on the 4th Monday of Lent, Msgr. Esseff reminds us to remember who we are and union with Christ Jesus.  He also comments on the division that still radiates from the politicians of our day and how we can pray in this situation. Gospel JN 4:43-54 At that time Jesus left [Samaria] for Galilee. For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his native place. When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves had gone to the feast. Then he returned to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, who was near death. Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” The royal official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and left. While the man was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live. He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, “The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.” The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he and his whole household came to believe. Now this was the second sign Jesus did when he came to Galilee from Judea. Used with permission. Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

And when I must lead you on a path different from the one you see, I will prepare you; I will carry you in my arms; I will let you find yourself, like children who have fallen asleep in their mother’s arms, on the other bank of the river. What troubles you and hurts you immensely are your reason, your thoughts and worry, and your desire at all costs to deal with what afflicts you. O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times) Mother, I am yours now and forever. Through you and with you I always want to belong completely to Jesus. Amen For the entire audio 9-day version visit of Surrender to the Will of God Novena To download a PDF version of this novena click HERE (Thanks to www.Surrenderprayer.com)

Msgr. Esseff addresses the global pandemic of the coronavirus and COVID-19.  He speaks of the growing darkness that looming on the horizon becoming every more apparent approaching our land.  Msgr. Esseff reorients us to gaze upon the light that will show us the way.  He offers wise spiritual counsel to guide us through the uncharted waters lay before us.  This is the great wake up call for the world.  Do you truly hear it? Reading 2 EPH 5:8-14 Brothers and sisters: You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth. Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them, for it is shameful even to mention the things done by them in secret; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says:“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”   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 a retreat director and confessor to St. Mother Teresa.    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.  Msgr. Esseff assisted the founders of the Institute for Priestly Formation and continues to serve as a spiritual director for the Institute.  He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters and seminarians and other religious leaders around the world.