Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts

Seventh Day – “The souls who especially venerate and glorify Jesus’ mercy“ “Today bring to Me the Souls who especially venerate and glorify My Mercy*, and immerse them in My mercy. These souls sorrowed most over my Passion and entered most deeply into My spirit. They are living images of My Compassionate Heart. These souls will shine with a special brightness in the next life. Not one of them will go into the fire of hell. I shall particularly defend each one of them at the hour of death.” Most Merciful Jesus, whose Heart is Love Itself, receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who particularly extol and venerate the greatness of Your mercy. These souls are mighty with the very power of God Himself. In the midst of all afflictions and adversities they go forward, confident of Your mercy; and united to You, O Jesus, they carry all mankind on their shoulders. These souls will not be judged severely, but Your mercy will embrace them as they depart from this life. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls who glorify and venerate Your greatest attribute, that of Your fathomless mercy, and who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls are a living Gospel; their hands are full of deeds of mercy, and their hearts, overflowing with joy, sing a canticle of mercy to You, O Most High! I beg You O God: Show them Your mercy according to the hope and trust they have placed in You. Let there be accomplished in them the promise of Jesus, who said to them that during their life, but especially at the hour of death, the souls who will venerate this fathomless mercy of His, He, Himself, will defend as His glory. Amen. *The text leads one to conclude that in the first prayer directed to Jesus, Who is the Redeemer, it is “victim” souls and contemplatives that are being prayed for; those persons, that is, that voluntarily offered themselves to God for the salvation of their neighbor (see Col 1:24; 2 Cor 4:12). This explains their close union with the Savior and the extraordinary efficacy that their invisible activity has for others. In the second prayer, directed to the Father from whom comes “every worthwhile gift and every genuine benefit,”we recommend the “active” souls, who promote devotion to The Divine Mercy and exercise with it all the other works that lend themselves to the spiritual and material uplifting of their brethren.      

“Mercy and the Psalms” Talk Two presented at the Fullness of Truth Conference entitled “Mercy and the Psalms” In the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis called the Church to contemplate the mercy of God in the face of Christ. Even more fundamentally, he has called us to give and receive mercy, to seek it for ourselves and others. But what is mercy? Is it an emotion? An action? An affront to justice or an expression of justice? Moreover, what does it look like in action? Where do we find it described in Sacred Scripture? What do we need to do to receive it? And how do we share God’s mercy as we go about our lives in the world today? At the 2016 Fullness of Truth Conference, “The Gospel of Divine Mercy,” those questions and more were explored in an attempt to plumb the depths of this all-important manifestation of God’s healing, forgiving, transforming, faithful love with help from the Sacred Page. Held at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Houston, Texas, from June 24–25, 2016, the Fullness of Truth Conference featured six talks by St. Paul Center President Dr. Scott Hahn and St. Paul Center Fellows Dr. John Bergsma and Dr. Michael Barber. Be sure to visit the website for St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology

Msgr. Esseff reflects on the significance of  Easter 2020!  In this podcast, he discusses how to live on the “rollercoaster ride” of this pandemic.  Also, Msgr. Esseff was very touched by a particular comment of a listener, Cecilia from the U.K.  Be sure to listen for it at 27:13 minute mark of the podcast.  From this point forward we will begin to read some of your comments and emails to Msgr. Esseff on the podcast.  If there is something special you would like to share with him, please send it along. Reading 1 ACTS 3:1-10 Peter and John were going up to the temple area for the three o’clock hour of prayer. And a man crippled from birth was carried and placed at the gate of the temple called “the Beautiful Gate” every day to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. But Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. Peter said, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk.” Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong. He leaped up, stood, and walked around, and went into the temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the one who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with amazement and astonishment at what had happened to him. 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.

Sixth Day – “The meek and humble souls and the souls of children“ “Today bring to Me the Meek and Humble Souls and the Souls of  Little Children, and immerse them in My mercy. These souls most closely resemble My Heart. They strengthened Me during My bitter agony. I saw them as earthly Angels, who will keep vigil at My altars. I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace. I favor humble souls with My confidence.” Most Merciful Jesus, You yourself have said, “Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart.” Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart all meek and humble souls and the souls of little children. These souls send all heaven into ecstasy and they are the heavenly Father’s favorites. They are a sweet-smelling bouquet before the throne of God; God Himself takes delight in their fragrance. These souls have a permanent abode in Your Most Compassionate Heart, O Jesus, and they unceasingly sing out a hymn of love and mercy. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon meek souls, upon humble souls, and upon little children who are enfolded in the abode which is the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls bear the closest resemblance to Your Son. Their fragrance rises from the earth and reaches Your very throne. Father of mercy and of all goodness, I beg You by the love You bear these souls and by the delight You take in them: Bless the whole world, that all souls together may sing out the praises of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.

“The Name of God is Mercy: Old Testament Promise” Talk one presented at the Fullness of Truth Conference entitled “The Gospel of Divine Mercy” In the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis called the Church to contemplate the mercy of God in the face of Christ. Even more fundamentally, he has called us to give and receive mercy, to seek it for ourselves and others. But what is mercy? Is it an emotion? An action? An affront to justice or an expression of justice? Moreover, what does it look like in action? Where do we find it described in Sacred Scripture? What do we need to do to receive it? And how do we share God’s mercy as we go about our lives in the world today? At the 2016 Fullness of Truth Conference, “The Gospel of Divine Mercy,” those questions and more were explored in an attempt to plumb the depths of this all-important manifestation of God’s healing, forgiving, transforming, faithful love with help from the Sacred Page. Held at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Houston, Texas, from June 24–25, 2016, the Fullness of Truth Conference featured six talks by St. Paul Center President Dr. Scott Hahn and St. Paul Center Fellows Dr. John Bergsma and Dr. Michael Barber. Be sure to visit the website for St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology

Msgr. Esseff reflects on the significance of  Easter 2020!  In this podcast, he begins by discussing the activity of the Holy Spirit and the activity of the Devil in this present moment.  He asks us to watch out for three evil spirits that can that would divide us, cause conflict and anxiety. Always turn to the Spirit of Truth. Gospel JN 20:11-18 Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he had told 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.

Fifth Day – “The souls of separated brethren“ “Today bring to Me the Souls of those who have separated themselves from My Church*, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. During My bitter Passion they tore at My Body and Heart, that is, My Church. As they return to unity with the Church My wounds heal and in this way they alleviate My Passion.” Most Merciful Jesus, Goodness Itself, You do not refuse light to those who seek it of You. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Church. Draw them by Your light into the unity of the Church, and do not let them escape from the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart; but bring it about that they, too, come to glorify the generosity of Your mercy. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Son’s Church, who have squandered Your blessings and misused Your graces by obstinately persisting in their errors. Do not look upon their errors, but upon the love of Your own Son and upon His bitter Passion, which He underwent for their sake, since they, too, are enclosed in His Most Compassionate Heart. Bring it about that they also may glorify Your great mercy for endless ages. Amen. *Our Lord’s original words here were “heretics and schismatics,” since He spoke to Saint Faustina within the context of her times. As of the Second Vatican Council, Church authorities have seen fit not to use those designations in accordance with the explanation given in the Council’s Decree on Ecumenism (n.3). Every pope since the Council has reaffirmed that usage. Saint Faustina herself, her heart always in harmony with the mind of the Church, most certainly would have agreed. When at one time, because of the decisions of her superiors and father confessor, she was not able to execute Our Lord’s inspirations and orders, she declared: “I will follow Your will insofar as You will permit me to do so through Your representative. O my Jesus ” I give priority to the voice of the Church over the voice with which You speak to me” (497). The Lord confirmed her action and praised her for it.    

Episode 7 – The Nature of Spiritual Direction – Begin Again: The Spiritual Legacy of Ven. Bruno Lanteri with Fr. Timothy Gallagher In this episode, Fr. Timothy Gallagher discusses the importance of spiritual direction in the life of Ven. Lanteri and in his instruction to his spiritual directees.  Fr. Gallagher addresses what is it to be a “spiritual director”?  What are the characteristics of the director-directee relationship?  He will emphasize the importance of the “continuity of contact”  which is vitally important in that relationship.  Also, Fr. Gallagher discusses how that relationship should be a “good fit” for both individuals.  He will stress the importance of “not traveling alone on the spiritual journey”. 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.

Msgr. Esseff now takes us into the richness of the Triduum. He reflects on the significance of Holy Easter 2020!  Alleluia! Reading 1 ACTS 2:14, 22-33 On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: “You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem. Let this be known to you, and listen to my words. “You who are children of Israel, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it. For David says of him: I saw the Lord ever before me, with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted; my flesh, too, will dwell in hope, because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world, nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. My brothers, one can confidently say to you about the patriarch David that he died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to this day. But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld nor did his flesh see corruption. God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses. Exalted at the right hand of God, he poured forth the promise of the Holy Spirit that he received from the Father, as you both see and hear.” 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.

Fourth Day – “Those who do not believe in Jesus and those who do not yet know Him“ “Today bring to Me those who do not believe in God and those who do not know Me; I was thinking also of them during My bitter Passion, and their future zeal comforted My Heart. Immerse them in the ocean of My mercy.” Most compassionate Jesus, You are the Light of the whole world. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who do not believe in God and of those who as yet do not know You. Let the rays of Your grace enlighten them that they, too, together with us, may extol Your wonderful mercy; and do not let them escape from the abode which is Your Most Compassionate Heart. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who do not believe in You, and of those who as yet do not know You, but who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Draw them to the light of the Gospel. These souls do not know what great happiness it is to love You. Grant that they, too, may extol the generosity of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.    

Join Dr. Anthony Lilles and Kris McGregor as they offer a type of “online retreat” based on the spiritual work Heart of the World written by Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar. In fourth “conference” talk, Dr. Lilles reflects upon “Love – A Wilderness” Here is the excerpt that is read in the conference: We fall down and adore you. In the end, only you remain, O Heart at the Center! We are not. Whatever is good in us is you. What we ourselves are is negligible. We pass by before you and aspire to be nothing more than mirrors and windows for our brothers. Our setting before you is your rising over us: our merging into you and your entry into us. For still does our decline before you bear the figure of your own decline, and still does our guilty distance from you belong not to ourselves, since you have made it into a distance of your own, Sin has the form of redemption. And so in the end you remain alone, all in all. You are one with yourself, and without losing yourself you pour yourself out into the many. By remaining in the multiplicity of the members, you bring them all home into the unity of the Body. your self-emptying, even unto uttermost weakness and the renouncing of love, is your deed of uttermost strength and immutable love , and when you are weakest and they all trample you like a worm, it is then you are the Hero and have trampled the serpent. For what is emptiness? What fullness?  Which of them is real privation?  When you are empty and thirst for fullness, the we, the Church, are your fulfillment. But you are always the fullness and we are the void, always, even when you are fatigued and spent with exhaustion, even then do we all receive from your fullness grace upon grace. Your Church is but a vessel, she is only your organ. You are the leaping fountain. And even if out of us also there springs up a stream into life everlasting, this is a draft which you gave, for only from you do streams of living water flow. And when you go through the world poor and gray, cloaked in the garments of the lowly and the disinherited, concealing yourself behind sinners and tax-collectors, and we absent-mindedly perform on you the eight works of mercy, even then you alone are the giver who has made love possible for us from both within and without. You alone remain. You are all in all. Even if your love desires us in order to delight in twoness and in order to celebrate with us the mystery of begetting and conceiving, nevertheless it is always YOUR love in both instances, your love which both gives and is given, at once seed and womb, and, again, the child begotten is none other than you. If love needs two feet in order to walk, still the walker is but one person, and that one is you. And if love needs two lovers, a lover and a beloved, still the love is only one, and that one is you. Everything hearkens back to your throbbing Heart. Time and the seasons still hammer away and create, and your Heart drives the world and all its happenings forward with great painful blows. It is the unrest of the clock, and your Heart is restless until it rests in me. Your Heart is restless until we rest in you, once time and eternity have become interfused. But: Be at peace! I have overcome the world. The torment of sin has already been submerged in the stillness of love. The experience of what the world is has made love darker, more fiery, more ardent. The shallower abyss of rebellion has been swallowed up in unfathomable mercy, and throbbing majestically reigns serene the Heart of God. Hans Urs von Balthasar, Heart of the World (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1979), 217-219. Here is the link to the Divine Mercy Prayer that Dr. Lilles mentions in the conference.

During this podcast, Deacon Keating will offer his insights on the mystery of this Easter. Here a few of his comments: God always is faithful to himself. He is always choosing life. He is always choosing creating. He’s always choosing a way around the obstacles that we put up to him so that he can be faithful to himself. So the greatest obstacle obviously is death and sin. And he’s always found a way around those two to keep finding us. And that’s why hope is such a great theme on Easter Sunday because there’s no one who can stop God from being God. All the conversion stories of the history of Christianity, 2000 years of God finding the lost sheep, God going around the obstacles that we have put up to his own nature of being a creator who gives. And that’s our great hope. Not us, right? It has never been us. Oh, you’re a good man. Oh, you’re a good woman. Oh, you can do this. No. I am a disaster. I’m a mess. I’m weak. I am vulnerable and I need to stay in a stance of vulnerability so that God can actually go around the obstacles I’ve been throwing at him for decades and find me. Reach out to my hand like he did to Adam in the afterlife and take me out of death and keep me in creation and keep me in the cycle of giving and receiving. That’s divinity, creating and the reciprocity of giving and receiving. And he wants us to get into that with him. That’s why he’s always reaching out to us. Easter Sunday is the greatest celebration of that hope. God will always be God. We cannot make him other than what he is. And what he is, is someone who finds us no matter what obstacles we put up.   Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., the director of Theological Formation for the Institute for Priestly Formation, located at Creighton University, in Omaha.   Check out the many series from Deacon James Keating Ph.D. by this Discerning Hearts podcast page  

Msgr. Esseff now takes us into the richness of the Triduum. He reflects on the significance of Holy Easter 2020!  Alleluia! Responsorial Psalm PS 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 R. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.” R. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. The right hand of the LORD has struck with power; the right hand of the LORD is exalted. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. R. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes. R. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. 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.

Third Day – “All devout and faithful souls“ “Today bring to Me all Devout and Faithful Souls, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. These souls brought me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were a drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness.” Most Merciful Jesus, from the treasury of Your mercy, You impart Your graces in great abundance to each and all. Receive us into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart and never let us escape from It. We beg this grace of You by that most wondrous love for the heavenly Father with which Your Heart burns so fiercely. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon faithful souls, as upon the inheritance of Your Son. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, grant them Your blessing and surround them with Your constant protection. Thus may they never fail in love or lose the treasure of the holy faith, but rather, with all the hosts of Angels and Saints, may they glorify Your boundless mercy for endless ages. Amen.    

Join Dr. Anthony Lilles and Kris McGregor as they offer a type of “online retreat” based on the spiritual work Heart of the World written by Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar. In third “conference” talk, Dr. Lilles reflects upon “Jailhouse and Cocoon” Here is the excerpt that is read in the conference: YOU ARE IN PRISON and I am in prison. I know, Lord, that you are in your prison for my sake and that you remain in yours only because I remain in mine. Both of them belong together; both are one and the same dungeon. If you could succeed in freeing me from my confinement, you too would be free. The dividing wall between us would topple and we would – both enjoy the same freedom. I, too, could perhaps free you by freeing myself, and in this case as well we would both be freed. But that’s just it! This is precisely what you can’t do and what I myself can’t do. I know your secret; you want to share my destiny. But I am deeply buried within myself and I cannot burst open the gates to this hell. You thought it would be easier for two, and you offered to help me. You buried yourself in my cave. But, because my solitude is lonely, yours also became lonely. And now we wait one for the other, separated by this wall. I well know that the fault lies with me, and not at all with you. You have done everything that was possible. you have suffered, made atonement in my place, paid for everything in advance, down to the last drop, But there is one th1ng you can’t do, and this is something I can’t do either. I should . . . but I cannot. I should want to, but I don’t. I wish I could want to but I don’t want to want to. How do things stand’ then? How can this be? I don’t understand it. They say you blotted out sin and made atonement for it. They say you effaced sin, not just covered it over, and that henceforth it no longer exists in the eyes of God. And yet sin is precisely this: that I do not want what God wants. And I can’t see how this opposition on my part could be broken. I can’t see how this prison wall which holds me captive could be pierced through. Do you know what I mean, Lord? It isn’t easy to explain this to you. For I myself don’t know exactly how it occurs, how all of this fits together. When I reflect upon it, it’s like knotted briars and my soul gets trapped in them. My soul is like the young lamb that wandered off among the thorns. I’ll try to tell you how it happened.   Hans Urs von Balthasar, Heart of the World (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1979), 133-134. Here is the link to the Jesus, You Take Over prayer that Dr. Lilles mentions in the conference. Though having the “Heart of the World” mentioned in this “retreat” is not necessary, we would encourage you at some to purchase this outstanding spiritual classic.   You find the book here From the book description: A great Catholic theologian speaks from the heart about the Heart of Christ, in a profound and lyrical meditation on Our Lord’s love for his Bride the Church. Avid readers of Hans Urs von Balthasar often describe Heart of the World as a “surprise”. The “pure serenity of a volcano under snow” readers usually find in Balthasar, as translator Erasmo Leiva puts it, gives way to “the poet-theologian” who dares to “bare his own heart”. The sult is what can only be described as lyrical, even  intimate spiritual reflections. “Heart of the World”, the  translator continues,  “deserves a place next to the Imitation of Christ.