Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts

Monday of the Twenty-Ninth 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 12:13-21 A man in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Master, tell my brother to give me a share of our inheritance.’ ‘My friend,’ he replied, ‘who appointed me your judge, or the arbitrator of your claims?’ Then he said to them, ‘Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for a man’s life is not made secure by what he owns, even when he has more than he needs.’ Then he told them a parable: ‘There was once a rich man who, having had a good harvest from his land, thought to himself, “What am I to do? I have not enough room to store my crops.” Then he said, “This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them, and I will say to my soul: My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat, drink, have a good time.” But God said to him, “Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?” So it is when a man stores up treasure for himself in place of making himself rich in the sight of God.’ 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: A man in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Master, tell my brother to give me a share of our inheritance.’ ‘My friend,’ he replied, ‘who appointed me your judge, or the arbitrator of your claims?’ Then he said to them, ‘Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for a man’s life is not made secure by what he owns, even when he has more than he needs.’ Then he told them a parable: ‘There was once a rich man who, having had a good harvest from his land, thought to himself, “What am I to do? I have not enough room to store my crops.” Then he said, “This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them, and I will say to my soul: My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat, drink, have a good time.” But God said to him, “Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?” So it is when a man stores up treasure for himself in place of making himself rich in the sight of God.’ 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: A man in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Master, tell my brother to give me a share of our inheritance.’ ‘My friend,’ he replied, ‘who appointed me your judge, or the arbitrator of your claims?’ Then he said to them, ‘Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for a man’s life is not made secure by what he owns, even when he has more than he needs.’ Then he told them a parable: ‘There was once a rich man who, having had a good harvest from his land, thought to himself, “What am I to do? I have not enough room to store my crops.” Then he said, “This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them, and I will say to my soul: My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat, drink, have a good time.” But God said to him, “Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?” So it is when a man stores up treasure for himself in place of making himself rich in the sight of God.’ 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.

Pope John Paul II by Krzysztof Annusewicz, A Novena to St. John Paul II – Day Six Reflection by Saint John Paul II: “The Good News which she received from her divine Founder obliges the Church to proclaim the message of salvation and human dignity and to condemn injustices and attacks on human dignity.” Prayer for the Intercession of St. John Paul II O Blessed Trinity, we thank you for having graced the Church with Saint John Paul II and for allowing the tenderness of your fatherly care, the glory of the Cross of Christ and the splendor of the Spirit of love to shine through him. Trusting fully in your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, he has given us a living image of Jesus the Good Shepherd. He has shown us that holiness is the necessary measure of ordinary Christian life and is the way of achieving eternal communion with you. Grant us, by his intercession, and according to your will, the graces we implore, through Christ our Lord. Amen. A Prayer composed by St. John Paul II And behold: we who… are standing… beneath the cross of the ages, wish, through Your cross and passion, O Christ, to cry out today that mercy [which] has irreversibly entered in to the history of man, into our whole human history—and which in spite of the appearances of weakness is stronger than evil. It is the greatest power and force upon which man can sustain himself, threatened as he is from so many sides… Holy is God. Holy and strong. Holy immortal One, have mercy on us. Have mercy: eleison: misere. May the power of Your love once more be shown to be greater than the evil that threatens it. May it be shown to be greater than sin… May the power of Your cross, O Christ, be shown to be greater than the author of sin, who is called “the prince of this world.” For by your blood and Your passion You have redeemed the world! [L’Osservatore Romano, 4-27-81,8] St. John Paul II, pray for us. Amen For the full 9-day Novena to St. John Paul II with Mp3 audio and text visit here

A Novena to St. John Paul II – Day 5 Reflection by Saint John Paul II: “As we ask for forgiveness, let us also forgive. This is what we say every day when we recite the prayer Jesus taught us: ‘Our Father . . . forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.’” Prayer for the Intercession of St. John Paul II O Blessed Trinity, we thank you for having graced the Church with Saint John Paul II and for allowing the tenderness of your fatherly care, the glory of the Cross of Christ and the splendor of the Spirit of love to shine through him. Trusting fully in your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, he has given us a living image of Jesus the Good Shepherd. He has shown us that holiness is the necessary measure of ordinary Christian life and is the way of achieving eternal communion with you. Grant us, by his intercession, and according to your will, the graces we implore, through Christ our Lord. Amen. A Prayer composed by St. John Paul II Save us from “grieving Your Spirit”: –by our lack of faith and lack of readiness to witness to Your Gospel “in deed and in truth”, –by secularism and by wishing at all costs to conform to the mentality of this world; –by a lack of that love which is “patient and kind,” which “is not boastful” and which “does not insist on its own way,” which “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” – that love which “rejoices in the right” and only in the right. Save us from grieving Your Spirit: –by everything that brings inward sadness and is an obstacle for the soul; –by whatever causes…divisions; –by whatever makes us a fertile soil for all temptations. [L’Osservatore Romano, 4-5,12-82,3] St. John Paul II, pray for us. Amen For the full 9-day Novena to St. John Paul II with Mp3 audio and text visit here

A Novena to St. John Paul II – Day 4 Reflection by Saint John Paul II: “Faith is strengthened when it is given to others! It is in commitment to the Church’s universal mission that the new evangelization of Christian peoples will find inspiration and support.” Prayer for the Intercession of St. John Paul II O Blessed Trinity, we thank you for having graced the Church with Saint John Paul II and for allowing the tenderness of your fatherly care, the glory of the Cross of Christ and the splendor of the Spirit of love to shine through him. Trusting fully in your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, he has given us a living image of Jesus the Good Shepherd. He has shown us that holiness is the necessary measure of ordinary Christian life and is the way of achieving eternal communion with you. Grant us, by his intercession, and according to your will, the graces we implore, through Christ our Lord. Amen. A Prayer composed by St. John Paul II May your faith be strong; may it not hesitate, not waver, before the doubts, the uncertainties which philosophical systems or fashionable movements would like to suggest to you. May it not descend to compromise with certain concepts, which would like to present Christianity as a mere ideology of historical character, and therefore be placed at the same level as so many others, now outdated. May your faith be joyful, because it is based on awareness of possessing a divine gift. When you pray and dialogue with God and when you converse with me, [may you] manifest the you of this enviable possession. [L’Osservatore Romano, 11-3-80, 3] St. John Paul II, pray for us. Amen For the full 9-day Novena to St. John Paul II with Mp3 audio and text visit here

St. Teresa of Avila on friendship with Christ, his sacred humanity, and why growing deeper in prayer always brings us closer to Jesus About This Episode What does it mean to grow deeper in prayer? St. Teresa of Avila gives us a simple answer: stay close to Jesus and learn to know him as a true friend. In this episode of The Spiritual Journey for the Discerning Heart, Kris McGregor reflects on St. Teresa’s teaching that even at the heights of contemplation, Christ remains the way. Prayer does not lead us beyond Jesus. It draws us into a deeper relationship with him. St. Teresa speaks especially about the sacred humanity of Christ. Jesus is truly God and truly man, and his human life remains essential to our prayer. We come to know him by returning to the Gospel, watching how he receives people, how he prays, how he suffers, how he loves, and how he entrusts himself to the Father. For St. Teresa, this is not simply a matter of studying the example of Jesus. It is friendship. Christ is the one who strengthens us, teaches us, accompanies us when we are troubled, and never abandons us. She also reminds us that prayer should be lived in freedom. We do not have to manufacture spiritual experiences or compare our prayer with someone else’s. We place ourselves in God’s hands and allow him to lead. At the heart of the reading is one of St. Teresa’s simplest and most beautiful insights: “love calls for love in return.” As we remember the love Christ has shown us and recognize his faithfulness in our own lives, prayer becomes our response to the love we have already received. For anyone searching for a deeper spiritual life, St. Teresa points us toward a path that remains both simple and demanding: behold the life of Jesus, remember his love, keep him near, and allow friendship with Christ to deepen. Discerning Hearts Reflection Question When you think about growing deeper in prayer, what are you hoping to find? How does St. Teresa’s emphasis on friendship with Christ change the way you understand that desire? St. Teresa tells us to remain close to the sacred humanity of Christ. Is there a particular moment in the life of Jesus that helps you know him more personally or trust him more deeply? St. Teresa says that a person should “walk along this path in freedom, placing himself in God’s hands.” Where might anxiety, comparison, or the desire to make something happen be affecting your prayer? St. Teresa writes that “love calls for love in return.” How has remembering the love and faithfulness of Christ helped you respond to him more freely? From The Office of Readings on the feast of St. Teresa of Avila If Christ Jesus dwells in a man as his friend and noble leader, that man can endure all things, for Christ helps and strengthens us and never abandons us. He is a true friend. And I clearly see that if we expect to please him and receive an abundance of his graces, God desires that these graces must come to us from the hands of Christ, through his most sacred humanity, in which God takes delight. Many, many times I have perceived this through experience. The Lord has told it to me. I have definitely seen that we must enter by this gate if we wish his Sovereign Majesty to reveal to us great and hidden mysteries. A person should desire no other path, even if he is at the summit of contemplation; on this road he walks safely. All blessings come to us through our Lord. He will teach us, for in beholding his life we find that he is the best example. What more do we desire from such a good friend at our side? Unlike our friends in the world, he will never abandon us when we are troubled or distressed. Blessed is the one who truly loves him and always keeps him near. Let us consider the glorious Saint Paul: it seems that no other name fell from his lips than that of Jesus, because the name of Jesus was fixed and embedded in his heart. Once I had come to understand this truth, I carefully considered the lives of some of the saints, the great contemplatives, and found that they took no other path: Francis, Anthony of Padua, Bernard, Catherine of Siena. A person must walk along this path in freedom, placing himself in God’s hands. If God should desire to raise us to the position of one who is an intimate and shares his secrets, we ought to accept this gladly. Whenever we think of Christ we should recall the love that led him to bestow on us so many graces and favours, and also the great love God showed in giving us in Christ a pledge of his love; for love calls for love in return. Let us strive to keep this always before our eyes and to rouse ourselves to love him. For if at some time the Lord should grant us the grace of impressing his love on our hearts, all will become easy for us and we shall accomplish great things quickly and without effort. 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 for Reflection Philippians 4:13, RSV-CE “I can do all things in him who strengthens me.” John 15:15, RSV-CE “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” John 14:6, RSV-CE “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.’” 1 John 4:19, RSV-CE “We love, because he first loved us.” St. Teresa of Avila “If Christ Jesus dwells in a man as his friend and noble leader, that man can endure all things, for Christ helps and strengthens us and never abandons us. He is a true friend.” “A person should desire no other path, even if he is at the summit of contemplation; on this road he walks safely.” “All blessings come to us through our Lord. He will teach us, for in beholding his life we find that he is the best example.” “Blessed is the one who truly loves him and always keeps him near.” “For love calls for love in return.” Continue the Journey with Discerning Hearts ➜ Explore Discerning Hearts ➜ Discerning Hearts Series Programming ➜ The Spiritual Journey with Kris McGregor Continue Exploring ➜ St. Teresa of Avila – Mystic and Doctor of the Church Explore Discerning Hearts resources on St. Teresa’s life, writings, prayer, and spiritual teaching. ➜ The Interior Castle with Dr. Anthony Lilles Journey through St. Teresa’s teaching on the interior life, prayer, and the soul’s growth in union with God. ➜ The Interior Castle – Complete Audiobook by St. Teresa of Avila Listen to the complete spiritual classic read by Kris McGregor. ➜ Carmelite Spirituality and Prayer – Discerning Hearts Explore St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and the wider Carmelite tradition of prayer and contemplation.

St. Teresa of Avila, Part 1– The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson Born: March 28, 1515, Gotarrendura, Spain Died: October 4, 1582, Alba de Tormes, Spain Nationality: Spanish Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor discuss the life and legacy of St. Teresa of Ávila, a Spanish Carmelite nun and one of the first female Doctors of the Church. St. Teresa was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI in 1970, recognizing her profound teachings on prayer and the mystical life. Her autobiography reveals her early influences, like her father’s piety and her desire to become a martyr, as well as her struggles with pride and materialism. Despite these challenges, she entered the Carmelite convent and later reformed the Carmelite order, emphasizing a return to simplicity, prayer, and devotion. Her encounter with the Inquisition was due to her family’s Jewish heritage and how, like many saints of her time, she submitted to Church authority, deepening her commitment rather than rebelling. St. Teresa’s relationship with other saints, including St. John of the Cross, was instrumental in establishing the Discalced Carmelites, a reformed branch of the Carmelites devoted to austerity and contemplative prayer. Her death in 1582 marked the culmination of a life dedicated to mystical union with Christ, evident in her final words expressing her readiness to meet her Lord. For more on St. Teresa of Avila and her teachings, visit her Discerning Hearts page Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions How does St. Teresa’s teaching that holiness and deep prayer are accessible to everyone challenge your view of your own spiritual life? In what ways could reflecting on your own life’s journey, including your struggles and triumphs, bring you closer to God? How might you open yourself to a deeper understanding of mystical prayer and contemplation, as modeled by St. Teresa? What does Teresa’s respect for the Church’s authority, even amid the Inquisition, teach you about obedience and trust in your own faith? Where do you see a need for personal or communal reform in your life, and how can you bring about positive change with humility and dedication? How can you foster a prayer life that allows you to experience God’s presence more deeply, as Teresa did through her devotions? In what areas of your life might you be called to abandon personal pride and embrace a deeper, self-giving humility? How can you draw inspiration from Teresa’s writings to enrich your own journey toward spiritual growth and understanding? From Vatican.va, an excerpt from the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI From the General Audience on St. Teresa of Avila ”St. Teresa, whose name was Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada, was born in Avila, Spain, in 1515. In her autobiography she mentions some details of her childhood: she was born into a large family, her “father and mother, who were devout and feared God”, into a large family. She had three sisters and nine brothers. While she was still a child and not yet nine years old she had the opportunity to read the lives of several Martyrs which inspired in her such a longing for martyrdom that she briefly ran away from home in order to die a Martyr’s death and to go to Heaven (cf. Vida, [Life], 1, 4); “I want to see God”, the little girl told her parents. A few years later Teresa was to speak of her childhood reading and to state that she had discovered in it the way of truth which she sums up in two fundamental principles. On the one hand was the fact that “all things of this world will pass away” while on the other God alone is “for ever, ever, ever”, a topic that recurs in her best known poem: “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”. She was about 12 years old when her mother died and she implored the Virgin Most Holy to be her mother (cf. Vida, I, 7). If in her adolescence the reading of profane books had led to the distractions of a worldly life, her experience as a pupil of the Augustinian nuns of Santa María de las Gracias de Avila and her reading of spiritual books, especially the classics of Franciscan spirituality, introduced her to recollection and prayer. When she was 20 she entered the Carmelite Monastery of the Incarnation, also in Avila. In her religious life she took the name “Teresa of Jesus”. Three years later she fell seriously ill, so ill that she remained in a coma for four days, looking as if she were dead (cf. Vida, 5, 9). In the fight against her own illnesses too the Saint saw the combat against weaknesses and the resistance to God’s call: “I wished to live”, she wrote, “but I saw clearly that I was not living, but rather wrestling with the shadow of death; there was no one to give me life, and I was not able to take it. He who could have given it to me had good reasons for not coming to my aid, seeing that he had brought me back to himself so many times, and I as often had left him” (Vida, 7, 8). In 1543 she lost the closeness of her relatives; her father died and all her siblings, one after another, emigrated to America. In Lent 1554, when she was 39 years old, Teresa reached the climax of her struggle against her own weaknesses. The fortuitous discovery of the statue of “a Christ most grievously wounded”, left a deep mark on her life (cf. Vida, 9). The Saint, who in that period felt deeply in tune with the St Augustine of the Confessions, thus describes the decisive day of her mystical experience: “and… a feeling of the presence of God would come over me unexpectedly, so that I could in no wise doubt either that he was within me, or that I was wholly absorbed in him” (Vida, 10, 1). Parallel to her inner development, the Saint began in practice to realize her ideal of the reform of the Carmelite Order: in 1562 she founded the first reformed Carmel in Avila, with the support of the city’s Bishop, Don Alvaro de Mendoza, and shortly afterwards also received the approval of John Baptist Rossi, the Order’s Superior General. In the years that followed, she continued her foundations of new Carmelite convents, 17 in all. Her meeting with St John of the Cross was fundamental. With him, in 1568, she set up the first convent of Discalced Carmelites in Duruelo, not far from Avila. In 1580 she obtained from Rome the authorization for her reformed Carmels as a separate, autonomous Province. This was the starting point for the Discalced Carmelite Order. Indeed, Teresa’s earthly life ended while she was in the middle of her founding activities. She died on the night of 15 October 1582 in Alba de Tormes, after setting up the Carmelite Convent in Burgos, while on her way back to Avila. Her last humble words were: “After all I die as a child of the Church”, and “O my Lord and my Spouse, the hour that I have longed for has come. It is time to meet one another”. Teresa spent her entire life for the whole Church although she spent it in Spain. She was beatified by Pope Paul V in 1614 and canonized by Gregory XV in 1622. The Servant of God Paul VI proclaimed her a “Doctor of the Church” in 1970. Teresa of Jesus had no academic education but always set great store by the teachings of theologians, men of letters and spiritual teachers. As a writer, she always adhered to what she had lived personally through or had seen in the experience of others (cf. Prologue to The Way of Perfection), in other words basing herself on her own first-hand knowledge. Teresa had the opportunity to build up relations of spiritual friendship with many Saints and with St John of the Cross in particular. At the same time she nourished herself by reading the Fathers of the Church, St Jerome, St Gregory the Great and St Augustine. Among her most important works we should mention first of all her autobiography, El libro de la vida (the book of life), which she called Libro de las misericordias del Señor [book of the Lord’s mercies].” For more visit Vatican.va For more from Dr. Matthew Bunson, check out his Discerning Hearts page. Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and a senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to Church history, the papacy, the saints and Catholic culture. He is faculty chair at Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co-author of over 50 books including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History, The Pope Encyclopedia, We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, The Saints Encyclopedia and best-selling biographies of St. Damien of Molokai and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.

Thursday 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 11:47-54 Jesus said: ‘Alas for you who build the tombs of the prophets, the men your ancestors killed! In this way you both witness what your ancestors did and approve it; they did the killing, you do the building. ‘And that is why the Wisdom of God said, “I will send them prophets and apostles; some they will slaughter and persecute, so that this generation will have to answer for every prophet’s blood that has been shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was murdered between the altar and the sanctuary.” Yes, I tell you, this generation will have to answer for it all. ‘Alas for you lawyers who have taken away the key of knowledge! You have not gone in yourselves, and have prevented others going in who wanted to.’ When he left the house, the scribes and the Pharisees began a furious attack on him and tried to force answers from him on innumerable questions, setting traps to catch him out in something he might say. 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 said: ‘Alas for you who build the tombs of the prophets, the men your ancestors killed! In this way you both witness what your ancestors did and approve it; they did the killing, you do the building. ‘And that is why the Wisdom of God said, “I will send them prophets and apostles; some they will slaughter and persecute, so that this generation will have to answer for every prophet’s blood that has been shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was murdered between the altar and the sanctuary.” Yes, I tell you, this generation will have to answer for it all. ‘Alas for you lawyers who have taken away the key of knowledge! You have not gone in yourselves, and have prevented others going in who wanted to.’ When he left the house, the scribes and the Pharisees began a furious attack on him and tried to force answers from him on innumerable questions, setting traps to catch him out in something he might say. 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 said: ‘Alas for you who build the tombs of the prophets, the men your ancestors killed! In this way you both witness what your ancestors did and approve it; they did the killing, you do the building. ‘And that is why the Wisdom of God said, “I will send them prophets and apostles; some they will slaughter and persecute, so that this generation will have to answer for every prophet’s blood that has been shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was murdered between the altar and the sanctuary.” Yes, I tell you, this generation will have to answer for it all. ‘Alas for you lawyers who have taken away the key of knowledge! You have not gone in yourselves, and have prevented others going in who wanted to.’ When he left the house, the scribes and the Pharisees began a furious attack on him and tried to force answers from him on innumerable questions, setting traps to catch him out in something he might say. 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.

Day 9: CHARITY St. Teresa you have said The blessings gained through true poverty I think are many, and I wouldn’t want to lose them. I am often aware of a faith within me so great that I think God cannot fail anyone who serves Him. I know that there never is or will be any time in which His words will fail; for I cannot persuade myself otherwise, nor can I fear…It seems to me I have much more compassion for the poor than I used to. I feel such great pity and desire to find relief for them that if it were up to me I would give them the clothes off my back. I feel no repugnance whatsoever toward them, toward speaking to or touching them. This I now see is a gift given by God. For even though I used to give alms for love of Him, I didn’t have the natural compassion. I feel a very noticeable improvement in this matter.” —Spiritual Testimonies II.3-4 According to Teresa, while interior development necessarily involves continued progress in self-knowledge and self-awareness, it is not egotistical, because it also encourages us to look beyond ourselves to God and to others. Thus progress in the spiritual life really authenticates itself in charity. God’s love, as the evangelist John tells us, is for all, and is so profound that He sent His Son for our redemption. For those engaged in a life of prayer, we must also love with this Divine love. It is a transformative love that changes the way we see and approach our fellow men and women, as Teresa illustrates in the passage above. May we, therefore, learn to love others with the love that God loves us, that our prayer may be truly perfected. 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, 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

Day 1 – A Novena to St. John Paul II Reflection by Saint John Paul II: “It is Jesus in fact that you seek when you dream of happiness; he is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; he is the beauty to which you are so attracted . . .” Prayer for the Intercession of St. John Paul II O Blessed Trinity, we thank you for having graced the Church with Saint John Paul II and for allowing the tenderness of your fatherly care, the glory of the Cross of Christ and the splendor of the Spirit of love to shine through him. Trusting fully in your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, he has given us a living image of Jesus the Good Shepherd. He has shown us that holiness is the necessary measure of ordinary Christian life and is the way of achieving eternal communion with you. Grant us, by his intercession, and according to your will, the graces we implore, through Christ our Lord. Amen. A Prayer composed by St. John Paul II O God, You are our Creator. You are good and Your mercy knows no bounds. To You arises the praise of every creature. O God, You have given us an inner law by which we must live. To do Your will is our task. To follow Your ways is to know peace of heart. To You we offer our homage. Guide us on all the paths we travel upon this earth. Free us from the evil tendencies which lead our hearts away from Your will. Never allow us to stray from You. O God, judge of all humankind, help us to be included among Your chosen ones on the last day. O God, Author of peace and justice, give us true joy and authentic love, and a lasting solidarity among peoples. Give us Your everlasting gifts. Amen! [The Pope Speaks 37/4, 1992, 213]   For the full 9-day Novena to St. John Paul II with Mp3 audio and text visit here

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.

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

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] 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]