4 Archives - Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts
Fr. Timothy Gallagher, Dr. Anthony Lilles, Fr. Donald Haggerty, Fr. Mauritius Wilde O.S.B, Fr. Thomas McDermott O.P., Dr. Matthew Bunson, Dr. R. R. Reno, Deacon James Keating, Archbishop George Lucas, Msgr. John Esseeff and so many other Catholic Spiritual leaders and teachers/catechists offer the best teachings in the rich Catholic Spiritual/Discernment tradition. From lives of the saints to the basics of Catholic Social teaching, from the Sacred Liturgy to prayer in everyday moments of our lives, we walk to together as we fulfill our call to "be saints in the making". By the renewal of...
St. Hildegard von Bingen Novena – Day 7
Day 7
St. Hildegard you have said:
Don’t let yourself forget that God’s grace rewards not only those who never slip, but also those who bend and fall. So sing! The song of rejoicing softens hard hearts. It makes tears of godly sorrow flow from them. Singing summons the Holy Spirit. Happy praises offered in simplicity and love lead the faithful to complete harmony, without discord. Don’t stop singing.
O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the univers...
St. Hildegard von Bingen Novena – Day 6
Day 6
St. Hildegard you have said:
Sometimes when we hear a song we breathe deeply and sigh. This reminds the prophet that the soul arises from heavenly harmony. In thinking about this, he was aware that the soul itself has something in itself of this music…
O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer you taught us….
God is the foundation for everything
This God undertakes, God gives.
Such that...
St. Hildegard von Bingen Novena – Day 5
Day 5
St. Hildegard you have said:
Dare to declare who you are. It is not far from the shores of silence to the boundaries of speech. The path is not long, but the way is deep. You must not only walk there, you must be prepared to leap.
The mystery of God hugs you in its all-encompassing arms.
O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer you taught us….
God is...
St. Hildegard von Bingen Novena – Day 4
Day 4
St. Hildegard you have said:
Listen: there was once a king sitting on his throne. Around Him stood great and wonderfully beautiful columns ornamented with ivory, bearing the banners of the king with great honour. Then it pleased the king to raise a small feather from the ground, and he commanded it to fly. The feather flew, not because of anything in itself but because the air bore it along. Thus am I, a feather on the breath of God.
O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the or...
St. Hildegard von Bingen Novena – Day 3
Day 3
St. Hildegard you have said:
Holy Spirit, the life that gives life: You are the cause of all movement. You are the breath of all creatures. You are the salve that purifies our souls. You are the ointment that heals our wounds. You are the fire that warms our hearts. You are the light that guides our feet. Let all the world praise you.
O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer yo...
St. Hildegard von Bingen Novena – Day 2
Day 2
St. Hildegard you have said:
These visions which I saw were not in sleep nor in dreams, nor in my imagination nor by bodily eyes or outward ears nor in a hidden place; but in watching, aware with the pure eyes of the mind and inner ear of the heart.
O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer you taught us….
God is the foundation for everything
This God unde...
St. Hildegard von Bingen Novena – Day 1 – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 1
St. Hildegard you have said:
Just as a mirror, which reflects all things, is set in its own container, so too the rational soul is placed in the fragile container of the body. In this way, the body is governed in its earthly life by the soul, and the soul contemplates heavenly things through faith.
O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer you taught us….
God is the foundation for everything
Novena to St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta Day 9
Ninth Day – Holiness is Jesus Living and Acting in Me
Thought for the day:
“Charity for each other is the surest way to great holiness.”
Ask for the grace to become a saint.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.
Obtain from the Heart of Jesus (here make your request).
Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so comp...
Novena to St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta Day 8
Eighth Day – Jesus Made Himself the Bread of Life and the Hungry One
Thought for the day: “Believe that He, Jesus, is in the appearance of Bread and that He, Jesus, is in the hungry, naked, sick, lonely, unloved, homeless, helpless and hopeless.”
Ask for the grace of a deep faith to see Jesus in the Bread of Life and to serve Him in the distressing disguise of the poor.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became th...
Novena to St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta Day 7
Seventh Day – God Loves a Cheerful Giver
Thought for the day:
“Joy is the sign of union with God, of God’s presence. Joy is love, the normal result of a heart burning with love.”
Ask for the grace to find joy in loving and to share this joy with all you meet.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.
Obtain from the Heart of Jesus (here make...
Novena to St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta Day 6
Sixth Day – True Love is Surrender
Thought for the day:
“Allow God to use you without consulting you.”
Ask for the grace to surrender your whole life to God.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.
Obtain from the Heart of Jesus (here make your request).
Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may ra...
Novena to St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta – Day 5
Fifth Day – Trust Jesus Blindly
Thought for the day:
“Confidence in God can do all things. It is our emptiness and lowliness that God needs and not our plenitude’”
Ask for the grace to have an unshakeable trust in God’s power and love for you and for all.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.
Obtain from the Heart of Jesus (here make your request).
Teach...
Novena to St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta – Day 4
Fourth Day – Our Lady Will Help You
Thought for the day:
“How close we must keep to Our Lady who understood what depth of Divine Love was being revealed as she stood at the foot of the Cross and heard Jesus cry out: ‘I thirst.’”
Ask for the grace to learn from Our Lady to quench Jesus’ thirst as she did.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.
Obtain...
Novena to St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta – Day 3
Third Day –
Hear Him Say to You: “I Thirst”
Thought for the day:
“Just think! God is thirsting for you and me to come forward to satiate His thirst.”
Ask for the grace to understand Jesus’ cry of thirst.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.
Obtain from the Heart of Jesus (here make your request).
Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess m...
“O Eternal Truth, True Love, and Beloved Eternity” – Saint Augustine of Hippo from the Office of Readings
From the Confessions of St. Augustine, bishop
(Lib. 7,10,18; 10,27: CSEL 33,157-163,255)
O eternal truth, true love, and beloved eternity
Urged to reflect upon myself, I entered under your guidance into the inmost depth of my soul. I was able to do so because you were my helper. On entering into myself I saw, as it were with the eye of the soul, what was beyond the eye of the soul, beyond my spirit: your immutable light. It was not the ordinary light perceptible to all flesh, nor was it merely something of greater magnitude...
Novena to St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta – Day 2
Second Day – Jesus Loves You
Thought for the day:
“Do not be afraid – you are precious to Jesus. He loves you.”
Ask for the grace to be convinced of Jesus’ unconditional and personal love for you.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.
Obtain from the Heart of Jesus (here make your request).
Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so co...
St. Augustine of Hippo Novena – Day 9 – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 9
St. Augustine has written:
“Late have I loved you, beauty so old and so new: late have I loved you. And see, you were within and I was in the external world and sought you there, and in my unlovely state I plunged into those lovely created things which you made. You were with me, and I was not with you. The lovely things kept me far from you, though if they did not have their existence in you, they had no existence at all. You called and cried out loud and...
Day 6 – Novena in Honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts
Lord Jesus Christ, You have destroyed the power of death and given the hope of eternal life in body and soul.
You granted your Mother a special place in your glory, and did not allow decay to touch her body.
As we rejoice in the Assumption of Mary, give to us a renewed confidence in the victory of
life over death.
You live and reign forever and ever.
Amen
Day 6
Mary, our dear Mother and mighty Queen, take and receive our poor hearts with a...
The Fourth Way – The Nine Ways of Prayer of St. Dominic
The Nine Ways of Prayer of St. Dominic
The Fourth Way of Prayer
After this, Saint Dominic would remain before the altar or in the chapter room with his gaze fixed on the Crucified One, looking upon Him with perfect attention. He genuflected frequently, again and again. He would continue sometimes from after Compline until midnight, now rising, now kneeling again, like the apostle Saint James, or the leper of the gospel who said on bended knee: “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean” [Matt. 8:2]. He was like Saint Stephen who knelt and calle...
Day 5- Novena in Honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Lord Jesus Christ, You have destroyed the power of death and given the hope of eternal life in body and soul.
You granted your Mother a special place in your glory, and did not allow decay to touch her body.
As we rejoice in the Assumption of Mary, give to us a renewed confidence in the victory of
life over death.
You live and reign forever and ever.
Amen
Day 5
O merciful and loving Mother, may your glorious beauty fill our hearts with a distaste for...
St. Clare of Assisi Novena – Day 9 – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 9
A blessing from St. Clare:
I, Clare, a handmaid of Christ, a little plant of our holy Father Francis, a sister and mother of you and the other Poor Sisters, although unworthy, ask our Lord Jesus Christ through His mercy and through the intercession of His most holy Mother Mary, of Blessed Michael the Archangel and all the holy angels of God, and of all His men and women saints, that the heavenly Father give you and confirm for you this most holy blessing in heaven and on earth. On earth, ma...
The Third Way – The Nine Ways of Prayer of St. Dominic
The Nine Ways of Prayer of St. Dominic
The Third Way of Prayer
At the end of the prayer which has just been described, Saint Dominic would rise from the ground and give himself the discipline with an iron chain, saying, “Thy discipline has corrected me unto the end” [Ps. 17:36]. This is why the Order decreed, in memory of his example, that all the brethren should receive the discipline with wooden switches upon their shoulders as they were bowing down in worship and reciting the psalm “Miserere” or “De Profundis” after Compline on ferial days. This is perf...
The Second Way – The Nine Ways of Prayer of St. Dominic – Discerning Hearts Podcast
The Nine Ways of Prayer of St. Dominic
The Second Way of Prayer
St. Dominic used to pray by throwing himself outstretched upon the ground, lying on his face. He would feel great remorse in his heart and call to mind those words of the Gospel, saying sometimes in a voice loud enough to be heard: “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” [Luke 18:13] With devotion and reverence he repeated that verse of David: “I am he that has sinned, I have done wickedly.” [II Kings 24:17]. Then he would weep and groan vehemently and say: “I...
Day 4 – Novena in Honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Lord Jesus Christ, You have destroyed the power of death and given the hope of eternal life in body and soul.
You granted your Mother a special place in your glory, and did not allow decay to touch her body.
As we rejoice in the Assumption of Mary, give to us a renewed confidence in the victory of
life over death.
You live and reign forever and ever.
Amen.
Day 4
O Dearest Mother Mary, Assumed into Heaven, God placed you at His right hand t...
St. Clare of Assisi Novena – Day 8 – Discerning Hearts podcasts
Day 8
From a letter to St. Agnes of Prague
it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, you have cast aside Your garments, that is, earthly riches, so that You might not be overcome by the one fighting against You, [and] that You might enter the kingdom of heaven through the straight path and narrow gate.
What a great laudable exchange:
to leave the things of time for those of e...
Introduction & The First Way – The Nine Ways of Prayer of St. Dominic – Discerning Hearts Podcast
The Nine Ways of Prayer of St. Dominic
Holy teachers like Augustine, Ambrose, Gregory, Hilary, Isidore, John Chrysostom, John Damascene, Bernard, and other saintly Greek and Latin doctors have discoursed on prayer at great length. They have encouraged and described it, pointed out its necessity and value, explained the method, the dispositions which are required, and the impediments which stand in its way. In learned books, the glorious and venerable doctor, Brother Thomas Aquinas, and Albert, of the Order of Preachers, as well as William in his treatise on the virtues, have considered admirably and in a...
Day 3 – Novena in Honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Discerning Hearts podcast
Lord Jesus Christ, You have destroyed the power of death and given the hope of eternal life in body and soul.
You granted your Mother a special place in your glory, and did not allow decay to touch her body.
As we rejoice in the Assumption of Mary, give to us a renewed confidence in the victory of
life over death.
You live and reign forever and ever.
Amen.
Day 3
O Mother, Assumed into Heaven, because you shared in all the mysteries of our Redemption here...
