Episode 8 – The Papacy: The Apostolic Throne
Roots of the Faith – From the Church Fathers to You with Mike Aquilina, makes clear that just as an acorn grows into a tree and yet remains the same plant, so the Catholic Church is a living organism that has grown from the faith of the earliest Christians into the body of Christ we know today. Hosted by Kris McGregor
[powerpress]
Also visit Mike’s “Discerning Hearts†page for more audio downloads and information!
Tags: catholic, catholic podcast, catholic prayer, cathollc spirituality, church fathers, fathers of the church, mike aquilina, papacy
This entry was posted on Saturday, November 27th, 2010 at 9:15 am
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Show 12 – Teens and the Birth Control Pill
The dangers we place our teen age girls bodies in when we place them on the birth control pill. Dr. Hilgers also discusses other drugs and vaccines they would give our girls, as well as the problems with condems. Dr. Hilgers speaks as well of the importance of the need for the proper sexual education for our kids. Timely and important discussion for us all who wish to stand against the “culture of death”.
“Your Fertility Care Consultâ€
with Dr. Thomas Hilgers, founder of the Pope Paul VI Institute
for The Study of Human Reproduction
hosted by Kris McGregor
[powerpress]
Tags: catholic, catholic podcast, catholic prayer, cathollc spirituality, Contraception, fertility care, human reproduction, pope paul vi, pope paul vi institute, thomas hilgers
This entry was posted on Monday, November 22nd, 2010 at 3:54 pm
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Episode 5 -The Way of Mystery: The Eucharist and Moral Living– The penitential rite of the mass, while not the pivotal point, it is one of the most important points of the mass, and key in our moral conversion…it’s about the crucifixion to sin, meeting evil with love.
[powerpress]
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 â€Discerning Hearts†and all who listen, his series of programs entitled “The Way of Mysteryâ€.
The Vatican II documents remind us that the spiritual journey is not made in a vacuum, that God has chosen to save us, not individually, but as The People of God. The Eucharist must help Christians to make their choices by discerning out of Christ’s paschal mystery. For this process to take place, however, Christians must first understand how the Eucharist puts them in touch with Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection, and what concrete implications being in touch with this mystery has for their daily lives.
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
Tags: catholic, catholic podcast, catholic prayer, cathollc spirituality, communion, Deacon James Keating, discerning heart, institute for priestly formation, james keating, paschal mystery, penitential rite, spiritual journey, the eucharist, the mass, theological formation, way of mystery
This entry was posted on Sunday, November 21st, 2010 at 10:29 pm
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Episode 2 – Regnum Novum: Bringing forth the New Evangelization through Catholic Social Teaching with Omar Guiterrez – Introduction and Value # 2 – Communion not opposition
Discerning Hearts is blessed to present Omar F. A. Guiterrez, M.A. , Special Assistant  to Archbishop George Lucas of the Archdiocese of Omaha, in a groundbreaking series which breaks open the heart of Catholic Social Doctrine.
We encourage you to visit “Regnum Novum – A New Kingdom: A Revolution†Omar Guiterrez’s blog site
We live at a very special time. The confluence of many things has brought forth the clear need to be able to articulate the Social Teaching of the Catholic Church in a way that is accessible and applicable. This is not to be an effort where high-minded theories are to be bandied about. Rather, this is a time of opportunity wherein we can apply the Social Doctrine to the concrete so as to bring about a New Kingdom, a Revolution. – Omar G. from Regnum Novum
[powerpress]
From episode … 2.   Communion not opposition
As I say in some of my posts, there is a spirit of opposition in a good deal of the social work that happens today. The corruption of workers’ unions is one of the great tragedies of our day. Imagine what great work they could do on top of the many achievements they’ve made. But they do not universally do great work because they are caught up in the oppositionist paradigms that make integral human development impossible.
True social justice requires that we drop these paradigms of opposition: management vs. labor; bourgeois vs. proletariat; state vs. individual. We own the great Catholic both/and. It applies to the Social Teaching of the Catholic Church more than ever.
Also visit Omar’s “Discerning Hearts†page Catholic Social Teaching 101
Tags: catholic, catholic podcast, catholic prayer, catholic social doctrine, catholic social justice, catholic social teaching, cathollc spirituality, new evangelization, Omar Guiterrez
This entry was posted on Friday, November 19th, 2010 at 5:34 pm
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Part 2 – A very special edition of “Inside the Pages†as we explore Pope Benedict’s Apostolic Exhortation, “Verbum Domini†(The Word of the Lord), with Dr. Matthew Bunson. A magnificent gift for the Church, Dr. Bunson breaks open in part 2 of our discussion the liturgy, homelitics and the significance of the document. We encourage you to check out the document yourself by clicking on the links below.
We encourage you to visit the Vatican website so you can read, ponder, and download “Verbum Domini”
[powerpress]
Tags: Apostolic Exhortation, catholic, catholic podcast, catholic prayer, cathollc spirituality, matthew bunson, pope benedict, the liturgy, verbum domini, word of the lord
This entry was posted on Friday, November 19th, 2010 at 7:48 am
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God is love. What does that mean? What does it look like? How do we love, especially when it’s a tremendous challenge? Allan F. Wright leads us into our Sacred Scripture to find the answers to these and so many more questions of the heart and mind. “The Bible’s Best Love Stories” is a wonderful book to reflect and ponder the gift of the Word of God and it’s lived out in the lives of our biblical ancestors. They model for us how we can “love” as well!
[powerpress]
Tags: allan f wright, Allan Wright, catholic, catholic podcast, catholic prayer, cathollc spirituality
This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 17th, 2010 at 9:00 am
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Fun and entertaining well-written story…it’s what we hope for when we wish to sit down with a fiction book…here is one that will not disappoint thanks to author David Downing.
It is 1940, and American Tom McCord, a 23-year-old aspiring doctoral candidate, is in England researching the historical evidence for the legendary King Arthur. There he meets perky and intuitive Laura Hartman, a fellow American staying with her aunt in Oxford, and the two of them team up for an even more ambitious and dangerous quest.
Aided by the Inklings — that illustrious circle of scholars and writers made famous by its two most prolific members, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien — Tom and Laura begin to suspect that the fabled Spear of Destiny, the lance that pierced the side of Christ on the Cross, is hidden somewhere in England.
[powerpress]
Tags: American Tom McCord, c s lewis, catholic, catholic podcast, catholic prayer, cathollc spirituality, David Downing, fiction book, ignatius press, inklings, j r r tolkien, king arthur, Laura Hartman
This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 16th, 2010 at 8:16 pm
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A very special edition of “Inside the Pages” as we explore Pope Benedict’s Apostolic Exhortation, “Verbum Domini” (The Word of the Lord), with Dr. Matthew Bunson. A magnificent gift for the Church, Dr. Bunson breaks open in part 1 of our discussion the significance of the document and how it was comprised. We encourage you to check out the document yourself by clicking on the links below.
[powerpress]

APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
VERBUM DOMINI
OF THE HOLY FATHER
BENEDICT XVI
TO THE BISHOPS, CLERGY,
CONSECRATED PERSONS
AND THE LAY FAITHFUL
ON THE WORD OF GOD
IN THE LIFE AND MISSION
OF THE CHURCH
That our joy may be complete [2]
From “Dei Verbum†to the Synod on the Word of God [3]
The Synod of Bishops on the Word of God [4]
The Prologue of John’s Gospel as a guide [5]
God in dialogue [6]
The analogy of the word of God [7]
The cosmic dimension of the word [8]
The creation of man [9]
The realism of the word [10]
Christology of the word [11-13]
The eschatological dimension of the word of God [14]
The word of God and the Holy Spirit [15-16]
Tradition and Scripture [17-18]
Sacred Scripture, inspiration and truth [19]
God the Father, source and origin of the word [20-21]
Our Response To The God Who Speaks
Called to the covenant with God [22]
God hears us and responds to our questions [23]
In dialogue with God through his words [24]
The word of God and faith [25]
Sin as a refusal to hear the word of God [26]
Mary, “Mother of God’s Word†and “Mother of Faith†[27-28]
The Interpretation Of Sacred Scripture In The Church
The Church as the primary setting for biblical hermeneutics [29-30]
“The soul of sacred theology†[31]
The development of biblical studies and the Church’s magisterium [32-33]
The Council’s biblical hermeneutic: a directive to be appropriated [34]
The danger of dualism and a secularized hermeneutic [35]
Faith and reason in the approach to Scripture [36]
Literal sense and spiritual sense [37]
The need to transcend the “letter†[38]
The Bible’s intrinsic unity [39]
The relationship between the Old and the New Testaments [40-41]
The “dark†passages of the Bible [42]
Christians, Jews and the sacred Scriptures [43]
The fundamentalist interpretation of sacred Scripture [44]
Dialogue between pastors, theologians and exegetes [45]
The Bible and ecumenism [46]
Consequences for the study of theology [47]
The saints and the interpretation of Scripture [48-49]
The Word Of God And The Church
The Church receives the word [50]
Christ’s constant presence in the life of the Church [51]
The Liturgy, Privileged Setting For The Word Of God
The word of God in the sacred liturgy [52]
Sacred Scripture and the sacraments [53]
The word of God and the Eucharist [54-55]
The sacramentality of the word [56]
Sacred Scripture and the Lectionary [57]
Proclamation of the word and the ministry of Reader [58]
The importance of the homily [59]
The fittingness of a Directory on Homiletics [60]
The word of God, Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick [61]
The word of God and the Liturgy of the Hours [62]
The word of God and the Book of Blessings [63]
Suggestions and practical proposals for promoting fuller participation in the liturgy [64]a) Celebrations of the word of God [65]
b) The word and silence [66]
c) The solemn proclamation of the word of God [67]
d) The word of God in Christian Churches [68]
e) The exclusive use of biblical texts in the liturgy [69]
f) Biblically-inspired liturgical song [70]
g) Particular concern for the visually and hearing impaired [71]
The Word Of God In The Life Of The Church
Encountering the word of God in sacred Scripture [72]
Letting the Bible inspire pastoral activity [73]
The biblical dimension of catechesis [74]
The biblical formation of Christians [75]
Sacred Scripture in large ecclesial gatherings [76]
The word of God and vocations [77]a) Ordained ministers and the word of God [78-81]
b) The word of God and candidates for Holy Orders [82]
c) The word of God and the consecrated life [83]
d) The word of God and the lay faithful [84]
e) The word of God, marriage and the family [85]The prayerful reading of sacred Scripture and “lectio divina†[86-87]
The word of God and Marian prayer [88]
The word of God and the Holy Land [89]
The Church’s Mission: To Proclaim The Word Of God To The World
The Word from the Father and to the Father [90]
Proclaiming to the world the “Logos†of hope [91]
The word of God is the source of the Church’s mission [92]
The word and the Kingdom of God [93]
All the baptized are responsible for this proclamation [94]
The necessity of the “missio ad gentes†[95]
Proclamation and the new evangelization [96]
The word of God and Christian witness [97-98]
The Word Of God And Commitment In The World
Serving Jesus in “the least of his brethren†(Mt 25:40) [99]
The word of God and commitment to justice in society [100-101]
The proclamation of God’s word, reconciliation and peace between peoples [102]
The word of God and practical charity [103]
The proclamation of the word of God and young people [104]
The proclamation of the word of God and migrants [105]
The proclamation of the word of God and the suffering [106]
The proclamation of the word of God and the poor [107]
The proclamation of the word of God and the protection of creation [108]
The value of culture for the life of humanity [109]
The Bible, a great code for cultures [110]
Knowledge of the Bible in schools and universities [111]
Sacred Scripture in the variety of artistic expressions [112]
The word of God and the means of social communication [113]
The Bible and inculturation [114]
Translating the Bible and making it more widely available [115]
God’s word transcends cultural limits [116]
The Word Of God And Interreligious Dialogue
The value of interreligious dialogue [117]
Dialogue between Christians and Muslims [118]
Dialogue with other religions [119]
Dialogue and religious freedom [120]
God’s definitive word [121]
New evangelization and a new hearing [122]
The word and joy [123]
“Mater Verbi et Mater laetitiae†[124]
Tags: catholic, catholic podcast, catholic prayer, cathollc spirituality, sacred scripture
This entry was posted on Monday, November 15th, 2010 at 7:56 am
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Episode 4 -The Way of Mystery: The Eucharist and Moral Living– Prayer and our truly active participation in the Mass: the introductory rite, and the Liturgy of the Word
[powerpress]
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 â€Discerning Hearts†and all who listen, his series of programs entitled “The Way of Mysteryâ€.
The Vatican II documents remind us that the spiritual journey is not made in a vacuum, that God has chosen to save us, not individually, but as The People of God. The Eucharist must help Christians to make their choices by discerning out of Christ’s paschal mystery. For this process to take place, however, Christians must first understand how the Eucharist puts them in touch with Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection, and what concrete implications being in touch with this mystery has for their daily lives.
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
Tags: catholic, catholic podcast, catholic prayer, cathollc spirituality, Deacon James Keating, eucharist, institute for priestly formation, introductory rite, liturgy of the word, mass, moral living, paschal mystery, the eucharist, theological formation, way of mystery
This entry was posted on Sunday, November 14th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
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Episode 7 – The Clergy – Love’s Earthly Form
Roots of the Faith – From the Church Fathers to You with Mike Aquilina, makes clear that just as an acorn grows into a tree and yet remains the same plant, so the Catholic Church is a living organism that has grown from the faith of the earliest Christians into the body of Christ we know today. Hosted by Kris McGregor
[powerpress]
Also visit Mike’s “Discerning Hearts†page for more audio downloads and information!
Tags: catholic, catholic podcast, catholic prayer, cathollc spirituality, church fathers, holy orders, kris mcgregor, mike aquilina, servant books
This entry was posted on Saturday, November 13th, 2010 at 5:25 am
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Episode 1 – Regnum Novum: Bringing forth the New Evangelization through Catholic Social Teaching with Omar Guiterrez – Introduction and Value # 1 – Jesus Christ
Discerning Hearts is blessed to present Omar F. A. Guiterrez, M.A. , Special Assistant  to Archbishop George Lucas of the Archdiocese of Omaha, in a groundbreaking series which breaks open the heart of Catholic Social Doctrine.
[powerpress]
We encourage you to visit “Regnum Novum – A New Kingdom: AÂ Revolution” Omar Guiterrez’s blog site
We live at a very special time. The confluence of many things has brought forth the clear need to be able to articulate the Social Teaching of the Catholic Church in a way that is accessible and applicable. This is not to be an effort where high-minded theories are to be bandied about. Rather, this is a time of opportunity wherein we can apply the Social Doctrine to the concrete so as to bring about a New Kingdom, a Revolution. – Omar G. from Regnum Novum
From episode … 1.     Jesus Christ
You may not believe how many advocates of social justice are only too ready to chuck Jesus out the window in order to get you to buy their plan. One such program of which I’m familiar actually includes materials that deny the divinity of Christ, several times, and deny the salvific work of the cross. As Pope Paul VI and Pope Benedict XVI have said, the Social Doctrine is evangelization. If it is not rooted in the truth, then it can be manipulated to mean whatever one wants it to mean. The truth is quite simply, Jesus Christ who, as Gaudium et spes states, reveals man to himself. The Social Doctrine and the work of charity must stem from an intimate knowledge of Jesus Christ so that they might serve the whole person and point back to Christ.
Also visit Omar’s “Discerning Hearts” page Catholic Social Teaching 101
Tags: catholic, catholic podcast, catholic prayer, catholic social doctrine, catholic social justice, catholic social teaching, cathollc spirituality, jesus christ, new evangelization, Omar Guiterrez, social doctrine, truth, work
This entry was posted on Friday, November 12th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
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I can not imagine a better way of traveling through the year in prayer then with Our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary. It’s always a joy to talk with Karen Edmisten, especially talking about Our Lady. “Through the Year with Mary: 365 reflections” is a wonderful book that provides beautiful and compelling nuggets for our prayer that will lead us to directly to Christ, Our Lady’s precious child and our Savior.
[powerpress]
This book features one quote per day accompanied by a brief question or reflection designed to fuel prayer. Major Marian feasts will offer entries specific to the feast day, while other quotes will be more universally about Mary’s faith, life, example, and intercession. Quotes are from a wide variety of sources, including popes, the saints, spiritual writings, literature, and the Blessed Mother’s own words from approved apparitions. – from the Servant Book website
You can find Karen’s book here
Be sure to visit Karen’s fantastic blog site “Karen Edmisten”
Tags: apparitions, blessed mother, catholic, catholic podcast, catholic prayer, cathollc spirituality, karen edmisten, Major Marian, marian feasts, prayer, quotes, servant books, virgin mary
This entry was posted on Friday, November 12th, 2010 at 8:44 am
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No stranger to Discerning Hearts, Deacon James Keating once again takes us all into the depths of our interiority with “A Deacon’s Retreat”. Yes, written primarily for deacons of the Church, as usual, this work is a wonderful spiritual work that can touch us all. Deacon Keating uses the setting of our great prayer, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, to lead us on a retreat to encounter Christ. We can reflect on this “retreat” every time we participate in the Eucharist. Deacon Keating truly is one of best contemporary spiritual leaders of our present age.
[powerpress]
Check out Deacon Keating’s book here
Also don’t miss Deacon Keating’s Discerning Hearts page
Tags: catholic, catholic podcast, catholic prayer, cathollc spirituality
This entry was posted on Monday, November 8th, 2010 at 10:38 am
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Episode 3 -The Way of Mystery: The Eucharist and Moral Living– The Paschal Mystery and the importance of the Mass in our life of prayer
[powerpress]
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 â€Discerning Hearts†and all who listen, his series of programs entitled “The Way of Mysteryâ€.
The Vatican II documents remind us that the spiritual journey is not made in a vacuum, that God has chosen to save us, not individually, but as The People of God. The Eucharist must help Christians to make their choices by discerning out of Christ’s paschal mystery. For this process to take place, however, Christians must first understand how the Eucharist puts them in touch with Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection, and what concrete implications being in touch with this mystery has for their daily lives.
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
Tags: catholic, catholic podcast, catholic prayer, cathollc spirituality, creighton university, Deacon James Keating, institute for priestly formation, james keating, paschal mystery, prayer, theological formation, way of mystery
This entry was posted on Sunday, November 7th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
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In the persons who are going on intensely cleansing their sins and rising from good to better in the service of God our Lord, it is the method contrary to that in the first Rule, for then it is the way of the evil spirit to bite, sadden and put obstacles, disquieting with false reasons, that one may not go on; and it is proper to the good to give courage and strength, consolations, tears, inspirations and quiet, easing, and putting away all obstacles, that one may go on in well doing.
[powerpress]
The Discernment of Spirits: Setting the Captives Free – Serves as an introduction to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola
The 14 Rules for Discerning Spirits –
“The Different Movements Which Are Caused In The Soul”
as outlined by St. Ignatius of Loyola can be found here
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. Â Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series “Living the Discerning Life: Â The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola”.Â
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: www.frtimothygallagher.org
 For the other episodes in this series visit
Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s “Discerning Hearts†page
Tags: catholic, catholic podcast, catholic prayer, cathollc spirituality
This entry was posted on Saturday, November 6th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
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