[powerpress]Msgr. Esseff offers a teaching on the 3 levels of the heart.  He begins by looking at the Sacred Heart of Jesus, then moves to the examination of the layers of our hearts. In understanding of this is vitally important to appreciate how we make decisions and pray…if we are in our own will or God’s will.

Be sure to visit Msgr. Esseff’s website:  Building a Kingdom of Love

Episode 4 -Stations of the Cross: Reflections with Deacon James Keating –
The Stations of the Cross – one of the most powerful devotionals alive in the heart of the Church. Reflecting and deeply meditating on the Passion of the Christ, Deacon Keating guides us through the 9th station (Jesus fall a 3rd time), the 10th station (Jesus is stripped of His garments), and the 11th station (Jesus is nailed to the Cross) along the Way of the Cross.

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Deacon James Keating, PhD, the director of Theological Formation for the Institute for Priestly Formation, located at Creighton University, in Omaha, is making available to ”Discerning Hearts” and all who listen, his series of programs entitled “Stations of the Cross: Reflections with Deacon James Keating”.

For more information on the “Institute of Priestly Formation” and for other material available by Deacon Keating, just click here

Don’t forget to pickup a copy of “Communion with Christ” ,it is one of the best audio sets on prayer…ever!

Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” page

USCCA4- Episode 4- Bring About the Obedience of Faith

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Archbishop Lucas offers insights on the US Catholic Catechism for Adults Chapter 4:

God makes himself known to us through Revelation in order both to give us something and to draw a response from us.  Both this gift of God and our response to his Revelation are called faith.  By faith, we are able to give our minds and hearts to God, to trust in his will, and to follow the direction he gives us.

The Most Reverend George J. Lucas leads the Archdiocese of Omaha. 

For other episodes in the visit our Archbishop George Lucas page

This programs is based on:

More information can be found here.

We wish to thank the USCCB for the permissions granted for use of  relevant material used in this series.
Also we wish to thank Omar Gutierrez and Denise Wharton  for their vocal talents in this episode.

It’s always a delight to talk with Bert Ghezzi, especially about Jesus.  In his new book, “Discover Christ: Developing a Personal Relationship with Christ” co authored with David Nodar, Bert tackles many of the big questions:

What is the meaning of life?
—Why do I need a savior?
—Why is the Resurrection important?
—What does it mean to believe and belong?
—Why does Jesus matter?

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This is wonderful book to read if your are seeking a closer relationship with the Lord or to pass on to someone you know who is on that quest.

You can find the book here

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O glorious Saint Joseph,faithful follower of Jesus Christ,
to you we raise our hearts and hands
to implore your powerful intercession
in obtaining from the benign heart of Jesus
all the helps and graces necessary
for our spiritual and temporal welfare,
particularly for the grace of a happy death
and the special favor we now request…

(State your request here.)

O guardian of the Word Incarnate,
we feel animated with confidence that your prayers
in our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God.

O glorious St. Joseph,
through the love you bear to Jesus Christ
and for the glory of His name,
hear our prayers
and obtain our petitions.

Amen.

DAY NINE

O good Saint Joseph, help us to be like you,
gentle to those whose weakness leans on us;
help us to give to those who seek our aid,
succor that they may journey unafraid.
Give us your faith,
that we may see the right shining above the victories of might.
Give us your hope that we may stand secure,
untouched by doubting, steadfast to endure.
Give us your love that as the years increase
an understanding heart may bring us peace.
Give us your purity that the hour of death
finds us untouched by evil’s breath.
Give us your love of labor
that we shirk no lot in life that calls us for honest work.
Give us your love of poverty so that we live contented,
let wealth come or go.
Give us your courage that we may be strong;
give us your meekness to confess our sins.
Give us your patience that we may possess the kingdom
of our souls without distress.
Help us, dear Saint,
to live that when life ends
we pass with you to Jesus and His friends.

O Glorious Saint Joseph,
hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.

Amen.

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

[powerpress]Msgr. Esseff reflects on the readings for the 4th Sunday of Lent. What are the darkness of our days? What is the message of this weekend’s liturgy? Mercy and Love! It’s not so much that God is so angry with mankind, but that He loves us so much that He would suffer and die for us, even when we are in sin. He did not come to condemn, but to save. What is required? Faith…faith in His infinite love. What is the sign of that love? Look at the crucifix.

Be sure to visit Msgr. Esseff’s website:  Building a Kingdom of Love

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O glorious Saint Joseph,faithful follower of Jesus Christ,
to you we raise our hearts and hands
to implore your powerful intercession
in obtaining from the benign heart of Jesus
all the helps and graces necessary
for our spiritual and temporal welfare,
particularly for the grace of a happy death
and the special favor we now request…

(State your request here.)

O guardian of the Word Incarnate,
we feel animated with confidence that your prayers
in our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God.

O glorious St. Joseph,
through the love you bear to Jesus Christ
and for the glory of His name,
hear our prayers
and obtain our petitions.

Amen.

DAY EIGHT

O blessed Joseph,
to whom it was given not only to see
and to hear that God whom many kings longed to see and saw not;
to hear and heard not;
but also to carry Him in your arms,
to embrace Him, to clothe Him,
and to guard and defend Him,
come to our assistance and intercede with Him
to look favorably on our present petition.

(State your request here…)

Amen.

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Well, it would be difficult to write a book more poignant and compelling than this…obviously, it came straight from the heart.  Amy Welborn uses her incredible gift with words to paint an unforgettable picture of how grief and regret can be transformed, by grace, into hope.  It’s  a journey on a winding, sometimes bumpy road.  But what Amy has discovered through the help of her husband Mike, her kids, the land of Sicily, and ultimately, God, is that it is really true, there really is a light at the end of the tunnel.   As she says, “tragedy and joy, loss and understanding death and life are constantly mixed together…and the beauty of the Catholic faith is that it is all there….we have the whole picture.”  Its about faith, about hope, about love..and that is what is really eternal.

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You can find the book here

“Amy Welborn’s latest book is a must-read spiritual treasure. It reveals not only the heart-wrenching dynamics of grief but also the odd and wonderful way grace illumines even the thickest darkness. Funny, engagingly written, spiritually profound, Wish You Were Here is a gem.”  –Fr. Robert Barron, author of Catholicism.

Be sure to visit Amy’s blog’s Charlotte Was Both  http://amywelborn.wordpress.com

and “Booked” the travel blog - http://booked.amywelborn.com

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O glorious Saint Joseph,faithful follower of Jesus Christ,
to you we raise our hearts and hands
to implore your powerful intercession
in obtaining from the benign heart of Jesus
all the helps and graces necessary
for our spiritual and temporal welfare,
particularly for the grace of a happy death
and the special favor we now request…

(State your request here.)

O guardian of the Word Incarnate,
we feel animated with confidence that your prayers
in our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God.

O glorious St. Joseph,
through the love you bear to Jesus Christ
and for the glory of His name,
hear our prayers
and obtain our petitions.

Amen.

DAY SEVEN

O faithful and prudent Saint Joseph,
watch over our weakness
and our inexperience;
obtain for us that prudence which reminds us of our end,
which directs our paths and which protects us from every danger.
Pray for us, then, O great Saint,
and by your love for Jesus and Mary,
and by their love for you,
obtain for us the favor we ask in this novena…

(State your request here…)

Amen.

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Episode 1 Praying with Scripture: Christian Contemplation and Mediation in the Ignatian tradition with Fr. Timothy Gallagher.

Fr. Gallagher introduces us to meditation and contemplation – the cornerstones of Ignatius of Loyola’s spiritual practice.

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For other episodes in the series visit The Discerning Hearts “Praying with Scripture” page

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 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

 For the other episodes in this series check out Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s “Discerning Hearts” page

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O glorious Saint Joseph,faithful follower of Jesus Christ,
to you we raise our hearts and hands
to implore your powerful intercession
in obtaining from the benign heart of Jesus
all the helps and graces necessary
for our spiritual and temporal welfare,
particularly for the grace of a happy death
and the special favor we now request…

(State your request here.)

O guardian of the Word Incarnate,
we feel animated with confidence that your prayers
in our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God.

O glorious St. Joseph,
through the love you bear to Jesus Christ
and for the glory of His name,
hear our prayers
and obtain our petitions.

Amen.

DAY SIX

O glorious Saint Joseph,
appointed by the Eternal Father
as the guardian and protector of the life of Jesus Christ,
the comfort and support of His Holy Mother,
and the instrument in His great design
for the redemption of mankind;
you who had the happiness of living with Jesus and Mary,
and of dying in their arms,
be moved with confidence we place in you,
and procure for us from the Almighty,
the particular favor which
we humbly ask through your intercession…

(State your request here…)

Amen.

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Vatican City, 14 March 2012 (VIS)– During his general audience this morning the Holy Father began a new cycle of catecheses, dedicated to the subject of prayer in the Acts of the Apostles and the Letters of St. Paul. The Pope focused his remarks today on the figure of Mary as she appears in the Acts, when with the Apostles she awaits the coming of the Holy Spirit.Benedict XVI told the more than 10,000 pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square that “it was with Mary that Jesus’ earthly life began, and it was with her that the Church took its first steps. … She discreetly followed her Son’s journey during His public life, even unto the foot of the cross. Then, with silent prayer, she continued to follow the progress of the Church”, he explained.The stages of Mary’s own journey from the house of Nazareth to the Upper Room of Jerusalem “were marked by her capacity to maintain an ongoing state of contemplation, meditating upon each event in the silence of her heart, before God. The Mother of God’s presence with the Eleven after the Ascension … has great significance because with them she shared the most precious of things: the living memory of Jesus in prayer”.After Jesus’ Ascension to heaven, the Apostles met with Mary to await the gift of the Holy Spirit, without which it is not possible to bear witness to Christ. “She, who had already received the Spirit in order to generate the incarnate Word, shared the entire Church’s expectation of the same gift. … If it is true that there could be no Church without Pentecost, it is also true that there could have been no Pentecost without the Mother of Jesus, because she had a unique knowledge of what the Church experiences every day by the action of the Holy Spirit”.

The Pope went on to recall how the Vatican Council II Dogmatic Constitution “Lumen gentium” had emphasised this special relationship between the Virgin and the Church. “We see the Apostles before the day of Pentecost ‘constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women including Mary the mother of Jesus'”, he said. “Mary’s place is in the Church, ‘wherefore she is hailed as a pre-eminent and singular member, … and as its type and excellent exemplar in faith and charity’.

“Venerating the Mother of Jesus in the Church means, then, learning from her how to become a community of prayer“, the Holy Father added. “This is one of the essential aspects of the first description of the Christian community given in the Acts of the Apostles”.

Our prayers “are often dictated by difficult situations, by personal problems which cause us to turn to the Lord in search of light, comfort and aid. But Mary invites us to open prayer to other dimensions, to address God not only in moments of need and not only for ourselves, but unanimously, perseveringly, faithfully and with ‘one heart and soul'”.

Benedict XVI also pointed out that Mary “was placed by the Lord at decisive moments of the history of salvation, and she always responded with complete readiness as a result of her profound bond with God matured through assiduous and intense prayer. … Between the Ascension and Pentecost, she was ‘with’ and ‘in’ the Church, in prayer. Mother of God and Mother of the Church, Mary exercises her maternity until the end of history”.

The Pope concluded by saying that “Mary teaches us the need for prayer and shows us how only through a constant, intimate and complete bond of love with her Son can we courageously leave our homes … to announce the Lord Jesus, Saviour of the world”.

 

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O glorious Saint Joseph,faithful follower of Jesus Christ,
to you we raise our hearts and hands
to implore your powerful intercession
in obtaining from the benign heart of Jesus
all the helps and graces necessary
for our spiritual and temporal welfare,
particularly for the grace of a happy death
and the special favor we now request…

(State your request here.)

O guardian of the Word Incarnate,
we feel animated with confidence that your prayers
in our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God.

O glorious St. Joseph,
through the love you bear to Jesus Christ
and for the glory of His name,
hear our prayers
and obtain our petitions.

Amen.

DAY FIVE

O holy St. Joseph,
what a lesson your life is for us,
ever so eager to appear
so anxious to display before the eyes of men
the graces that we owe entirely to the liberality of God.
In addition to the special favor for which we plead in this novena…

(State your request here…)

grant that we may attribute to God the glory of all things,
that we may love the humble and hidden life,
that we may not desire any other position
than the one given us by Providence
and that we may always be a docile instrument in the hands of God.

Amen.

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

[powerpress]What is “Eternal Life” and why is it so important for us to understand and live it’s meaning? Msgr. Esseff breaks open the “magnificent” Chapter 17 of John’s Gospel. He helps us to understand the “eternal” prayer of the heart of Jesus. How does this affect our prayer, especially in our appreciation of “contemplative” prayer and contemplation? How does this affect our understanding of “time”? Msgr. Esseff discusses Purgatory in a way that takes this into account. What is death in this world? What is true life in this world?

Be sure to visit Msgr. Esseff’s website : “Building a Kingdom of Love“

Episode 14 – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran.    “Genesis” Opening Lecture and Explanation of Seeking Truth

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Sharon Doran serves as the teaching director of “Seeking Truth.” An experienced Bible Study teacher, Sharon has a passion forscripture that will motivate and challenge you to immerse yourself in God’s Word and apply His message to your every day life.

This lecture was given on the feast day of Our Lady of Sorrows and in her opening lecture, Sharon gives honor to Mary, who always points us to her Son, Jesus. Sharon also highlights the importance of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and gives an engaging overview of its origin and authorship.

“Seeking Truth” is an in depth Catholic Bible Study, commissioned by the Archdiocese of Omaha in response to John Paul II’s call to the New Evangelization as well as Pope Benedict XVI’s exhortation for all Catholics to study scripture. To learn more go to:www.seekingtruth.net