Episode 3 -Baptism:  Born from Above– The importance of the community of faith.  Also the relevance and effect of the prayers of exorcism and anointing.

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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, Nebraska.

Deacon Keating takes a careful look at the Baptismal Rite and offers prayerful reflection and insight to help us live out the faith and nurture the domestic church.

From the Baptismal Rite for Children:

From the earliest times, the Church, to which the mission of preaching the Gospel and of baptizing was entrusted, has baptized not only adults but children as well. Our Lord said:

‘Unless a man is reborn in water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of
God.’ The Church has always understood these words to mean that children should not
be deprived of baptism, because they are baptized in the faith of the Church, a faith proclaimedfor them by their parents and godparents, who represent both the local Church and the whole society of saints and believers: ‘The whole Church is the mother of all and the mother of each.’

 To fulfill the true meaning of the sacrament, children must later be formed in the faith in
which they have been baptized. The foundation of this formation will be the sacrament
itself that they have already received. Christian formation, which is their due, seeks to lead them gradually to learn God’s plan in Christ, so that they may ultimately accept for themselvesthe faith in which they have been baptized.

How can this be accomplished?  What is the role of the parents, the godparents, the minister of baptism, the Church? These and other questions are reflected upon in “Baptism: Born from Above 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

“Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven”

[powerpress=”daily-scripture”]

an excerpt from today’s reflection by Don Schwager:

Who is Jesus for you? At an opportune time Jesus tests his disciples with a crucial question: Who do men say that I am and who do you say that I am?  He was widely recognized in Israel as a mighty man of God, even being compared with the greatest of the prophets, John the Baptist, Elijah, and Jeremiah.  Peter, always quick to respond, exclaimed that he was the Christ, the Son of the living God.  No mortal being could have revealed this to Peter; but only God.  Jesus then confers on Peter authority to govern the church that Jesus would build, a church that no powers would overcome.

Jesus plays on Peter’s name which is the same word for “rock” in both Aramaic and Greek. To call someone a “rock” is one of the greatest of compliments. The ancient rabbis had a saying that when God saw Abraham, he exclaimed: “I have discovered a rock to found the world upon”. Through Abraham God established a nation for himself. Through faith Peter grasped who Jesus truly was. He was the first apostle to recognize Jesus as theAnointed One (Messiah and Christ) and the only begotten Son of God. The New Testament describes the church as a spiritual house or temple with each member joined together as living stones (see 1 Peter 2:5). Faith in Jesus Christ makes us into rocks or spiritual stones. The Lord Jesus tests each of us personally with the same question: Who do you say that I am?

When Jesus told his disciples that he must suffer many things, be rejected by the religious authorities in Jerusalem, and then be put to death, he also prophesied that he would be raised on the third day. Peter, always quick to respond, rejected the notion that the Messiah must suffer and be killed. This wasn’t the kind of Messiah that Peter and the Jews expected. They didn’t understand that the prophet Isaiah, some 700 hundred years before Christ’s birth, foretold that God’s Anointed One would come as the Suffering Servant who would be despised, rejected, and put to death to atone for the sins of the world [see Isaiah 52:13-15; Isaiah 53:1-12] . Jesus saw in Peter’s rejection a temptation to avoid the way of the cross which involved obedience and trust in God’s will, and voluntary suffering and sacrifice for the sake of others. Jesus rebuked not only Peter but Satan, the greatest of angels who disobeyed and refused to serve his Lord and Creator. Are you ready to follow the Lord Jesus, to suffer and die for him, that you may also share in his glory and resurrection?

“Lord Jesus, I profess and believe that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Make my faith strong in temptation and adversity that I may follow you faithfully as my Lord and Savior.”

for the full reflection visit : Daily Reading and Meditation

So many find it fashionable to quote her…how many have the courage to truly read her?  Someone asked me once why I love Flannery O’Connor?   At first, I wasn’t sure how to answer.  She is a challenge.  I suppose she islike your favorite fitness trainer; when you’re done you feel something has changed.  Reading Flannery causes you to look in the mirror; watch out you may not like what you see.  She causes you to practice the virtues in a way you may never have thought; so that when you encounter a moral challenge in life, you’ve already “flexed your virtue muscles”.  And isn’t that the key to great literature anyway?  “A Good Man Is Hard

To Find” was the first short story I read by Flannery…it was the first serious short story I had ever read (what a piece to cut your teeth on).   I was 13…I didn’t get it.  I read “Wiseblood” at 16…I didn’t get it.  At 48, do I get it?  I think I’ll leave that to God to answer.
Do I think she is a saint?  Yup, no doubt in my mind.  Will the Church ever declare her a saint…I don’t know, and in the end does it really matter what we think…God’s got her.

Here’s a little piece I found on her life…not great, but not bad..

Here is an “Inside the Pages” discussion with Amy Welborn about Flannery O’Connor
[powerpress url=”http://discerninghearts.com/interviews/Inside_the_Pages-Amy_Welborn_Flannery_O_Connor.mp3″]Download (right click & choose “Save Link As”)

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Here is an absolute GEM!!!!! The “Happy Catholic” Julie Davis told me that an audio was available of Flannery O’Connor actually reading “A Good Man is Hard to Find” …and indeed there was (is…whatever). This was recorded shortly before her death of lupus at a talk given at Vanderbilt University. Take a listen to the “Master” in her own voice…priceless!

Episode 7– Reformation Inside and Out

The Resilient Church with Mike Aquilina, offers a fascinating look at the trials and triumphs of the Catholic Church over the past two thousand years. Fast-paced sketches of critical periods in church history give readers perspective on the challenges faced by the church today. Mike Aquilina does not shrink from the realities of the past, including badly behaved leaders and those who betrayed the Lord. Yet he also leaves us all with well-founded hope for the future: God remains faithful in every circumstance and fulfills his promise to remain with his church always. Hosted by Kris McGregor

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Pick up a copy of Mke’s book. You’ll find so much more and invaluable references and resoources, as well

Also visit Mike’s “Discerning Hearts” page for more audio downloads and information!

August 2011 [powerpress = devotionals-prayers]

General Intention: That the World Youth Day taking place in Madrid may encourage all the young people of the world to root and found their lives in Christ.

Missionary Intention: That Christians of the West, docile to the action of the Holy Spirit, may re-encounter the freshness and enthusiasm of their faith.

 

“It is what comes out of the mouth that defiles”

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an excerpt from today’s reflection by Don Schwager:

 Which is more important to God – clean hands or a clean mind and heart? The Scribes and Pharisees accused Jesus’ disciples of breaking their ritual traditions. They were concerned with avoiding ritual defilement, some no doubt out of fear of God, and others out of fear of pleasing other people. Jesus points his listeners to the source of true defilement – evil desires which come from inside a person’s innermost being. Sin does not just happen or force itself upon us. It first springs from the innermost recesses of our thoughts and intentions, from the secret desires which only the individual soul can conceive.

Only God can change our hearts and make them clean and whole through the power of the Holy Spirit. Like a physician who probes the wound before treating it, God through his Word and Spirit first brings to light our sinful condition that we may recognize sin for what it is and call upon God’s mercy and pardon. The Lord is every ready to change and purify our hearts through his Holy Spirit who dwells within us. His power and grace enables us to choose what is good and to reject what is evil. Do you believe in the power of God’s love to change and transform your heart?

“Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and make my heart like yours. Strengthen my heart and my will that I may I choose to love what is good and to hate what is evil.”

for the full reflection visit : Daily Reading and Meditation

“Take heart, it is I; have no fear.”

[powerpress=”daily-scripture”]

an excerpt from today’s reflection by Don Schwager:

This dramatic incident on the sea of Galilee revealed Peter’s character more fully than others.  Here we see Peter’s impulsivity — his tendency to act without thinking of what he was doing.  He often failed and came to grief as a result of his impulsiveness.  In contrast, Jesus always bade his disciples to see how difficult it was to follow him before they set out on the way he taught them.  A great deal of failure in the Christian life is due to acting on impulse and emotional fervor without counting the cost.  Peter, fortunately in the moment of his failure clutched at Jesus and held him firmly.  Every time Peter fell, he rose again.  His failures only made him love the Lord more deeply and trust him more intently. The Lord keeps watch over us at all times, and especially in our moments of temptation and difficulty. Do you rely on the Lord for his strength and help? Jesus assures us that we have no need of fear if we trust in Him and in his great love for us. When calamities or trials threaten to overwhelm you, how do you respond? With faith and hope in God’s love, care and presence with you?

“Lord, help me to trust you always and to never doubt your presence and your power to help me.  In my moments of doubt and weakness, may I cling to you as Peter did.  Strengthen my faith that I may walk straight in the path you set before me, neither veering to the left nor to the right”. 

 

for the full reflection visit : Daily Reading and Meditation

“Toward the Gleam” is a fantastic novel written by T. M. (Tom) Doran!  I love the adventure, but also the philosophical discussions which take place in the context of the story.

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Just don’t take my word for it, here is what our friend Joseph Pearce had to say:

“The works of Tolkien and Lewis continue to inspire new generations of writers, most of whom are not worthy to bask in the reflected glory of their mentors. T. M. Doran is a noble and notable exception. Towards the Gleam rises above the level of parody or pastiche to reach the heights that few writers have achieved. Although it basks in the reflected glory of The Lord of the Rings and conveys inklings of That Hideous Strength, it does not merely reflect the light that Tolkien and Lewis have shone; it refracts it in exciting new directions, toward the gleam of the glorious light that is the source of all great literature.”

For more information on “Toward the Gleam” go to ignatius.com

Episode 2 -Baptism:  Born from Above– The importance of the name we are given at baptism.  The role and significance of godparents.

[powerpress]

Deacon James Keating, PhD, the director of Theological Formation for the Institute for Priestly Formation, located at Creighton University, in Omaha, Nebraska.

Deacon Keating takes a careful look at the Baptismal Rite and offers prayerful reflection and insight to help us live out the faith and nurture the domestic church.

From the Baptismal Rite for Children:

From the earliest times, the Church, to which the mission of preaching the Gospel and of baptizing was entrusted, has baptized not only adults but children as well. Our Lord said:

‘Unless a man is reborn in water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of
God.’ The Church has always understood these words to mean that children should not
be deprived of baptism, because they are baptized in the faith of the Church, a faith proclaimedfor them by their parents and godparents, who represent both the local Church and the whole society of saints and believers: ‘The whole Church is the mother of all and the mother of each.’

 To fulfill the true meaning of the sacrament, children must later be formed in the faith in
which they have been baptized. The foundation of this formation will be the sacrament
itself that they have already received. Christian formation, which is their due, seeks to lead them gradually to learn God’s plan in Christ, so that they may ultimately accept for themselvesthe faith in which they have been baptized.

How can this be accomplished?  What is the role of the parents, the godparents, the minister of baptism, the Church? These and other questions are reflected upon in “Baptism: Born from Above 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

Fr. Solanus Casey…what an incredible life of humilty and faith.  “When Father Solanus Casey died in Detroit in 1957, all he left after 86 years on this earth were a small crucifix, an old pair of sandals, several religious pictures, a wooden statue of St. Anthony, some dog-eared religious books, a knot of heavily darned socks and a framed, 40-year-old picture of his family. But he left another rich legacy — a long list of curious “favors” to an equally long list of devoted believers.

Father Solanus Casey had come to Detroit to be a Capuchin friar. During his years as a priest he spent time in other states, but he began and ended his career in Detroit.”

To discover more about this ordinary man who did extraordinary things with the grace of God…just visit the Father Solanus Guild

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Also you may want to take a listen to the interview Bruce and I had with Joel Schorn who wrote about Fr. Solanus, Padre Pio and Blessed Andre  in “God’s Doorkeepers”

 

THE INTERIOR CASTLE

OR

THE MANSIONS

By

St. Teresa of Avila

St. Teresa’s introduction to the work:  [powerpress]

For all chapters of the audio book visit:  The Interior Castle audio page

For the pdf containing the complete text and footnotes click here

Translated from the Autograph of St. Teresa of Jesus by

The Benedictines of Stanbrook

Thomas Baker, London

[1921]

Dom Michael Barrett, O.S.B.

Censor Deputatuus

Nihil Obstat:

✠ Edward

Apostolic Administrator

Birmingham, Oscott.

February 24, 1921

THE INTERIOR CASTLE
OR
THE MANSIONS
By
St. Teresa of Avila

The First Mansions Chapter 1:  [powerpress]

For the pdf containing the complete text and footnotes click here

1. Plan of this book. 2. The Interior Castle. 3. Our curable self ignorance. 4. God dwells in the centre of the soul. 5. Why all souls do not receive certain favours. 6. Reasons for speaking of these favours. 7. The entrance of the Castle. 8. Entering into oneself. 9. Prayer. 10. Those who dwell in the first mansion. 11. Entering. 12. Difficulties of the subject.

Translated from the Autograph of St. Teresa of Jesus by
The Benedictines of Stanbrook
Thomas Baker, London [1921]
Dom Michael Barrett, O.S.B.Censor Deputatuus
Nihil Obstat:✠ Edward Apostolic Administrator Birmingham, Oscott.
February 24, 1921

THE INTERIOR CASTLE
OR
THE MANSIONS
By
St. Teresa of Avila

The First Mansions Chapter 2:  [powerpress]

For the pdf containing the complete text and footnotes click here

1. Effects of mortal sin. 2. It prevents the soul’s gaining merit. 3. The soul compared to a tree. 4. Disorder of the soul in mortal sin. 5. Vision of a sinful soul. 6. Profit of realizing these lessons. 7. Prayer. 8. Beauty of the Castle. 9. Self-knowledge 10. Gained by meditating on the divine perfections. 11. Advantages of such meditation. 12. Christ should be our model. 13. The devil entraps beginners. 14. Our strength must come from God. 15. Sin blinds the soul. 16. Worldliness. 17. The world in the cloister. 18. Assaults of the devil. 19. Examples of the devil’s arts. 20. Perfection consists in charity. 21. Indiscreet zeal. 22. Danger of detraction

Translated from the Autograph of St. Teresa of Jesus by
The Benedictines of Stanbrook
Thomas Baker, London [1921]
Dom Michael Barrett, O.S.B.Censor Deputatuus
Nihil Obstat:✠ Edward Apostolic Administrator Birmingham, Oscott.
February 24, 1921

“Martha said to Jesus, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day”

[powerpress=”daily-scripture”]

an excerpt from today’s reflection by Don Schwager:

What gives us hope and joy in the face of death? The loss of a loved one naturally produces grief and anguish of heart. When Martha, the sister of Lazarus and a close friend of Jesus, heard that Jesus was coming to pay respects for the loss of Lazarus, she immediately went out to meet him before he could get to her house. What impelled her to leave the funeral party in order to seek Jesus out? Was it simply the companionship and consolation of a friend who loved her brother deeply? Or did she recognize in Jesus the hope that God would restore life? Martha, like many Orthodox Jews, believed in the life to come. The loss of her brother did not diminish her hope in the resurrection. She even gently chides Jesus for not coming soon enough to save Lazarus from an untimely death. Jesus does something unexpected and remarkable both to strengthen her faith and hope in the life to come and to give her a sign of what he was to accomplish through his own death and resurrection. Jesus gave to her belief a new and profound meaning: He came from the Father to defeat sin and death for us and to restore life to those who believe in him. Jesus states unequivocally the he himself is the Resurrection and the Life. The life he offers is abundant life – life which issues from God himself. And eternal life – the fulness of life which knows no end. Do you seek the abundant life which Jesus offers to those who believe in him?

“Lord Jesus, you are the Resurrection and the Life. Strengthen my faith and hope in your promises that I may radiate the joy of the gospel to others.”

for the full reflection visit : Daily Reading and Meditation