Episode 19- Regnum Novum: Bringing forth the New Evangelization through Catholic Social Teaching with Omar Gutierrez – We begin the study of the “Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church”  Chapter 1

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CHAPTER ONE
GOD’S PLAN OF LOVE FOR HUMANITY

I. GOD’S LIBERATING ACTION IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL
a. God’s gratuitous presence
b. The principle of creation and God’s gratuitous action

II. JESUS CHRIST, THE FULFILMENT OF THE FATHER’S PLAN OF LOVE
a. In Jesus Christ the decisive event of the history of God with mankind is fulfilled
b. The revelation of Trinitarian love

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.

Also visit Omar’s “Discerning Hearts” page Catholic Social Teaching 101

It was with the greatest delight that I had the opportunity to meet Dan Burke at the recent Catholic Marketing Trade Show, held in Dallas, TX.  Dan is the incredibly gifted founder of “Catholic Spiritual Direction“, a fantastic website, where I have received a great deal of insight and inspiration.  To read his work on the site is a wonderful thing, but to talk with Dan and hear him share the beauty of our Catholic Spiritual Tradition is pure gift.  He really gets it!  More than just the “how-to’s”, Dan understands the “why” of  prayer and discernment and he communicates it beautifully.  He appreciates what our hearts ache for; he shares with us that it begins and ends with an encounter with Jesus…the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Dan Burke launched out on the “digital sea” long before many others in order to bring to those who were seeking the richness of authentic Catholic Spiritual Direction …and for that blessing we have much to thank him for.

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And here’s great news…Dan has a new book coming from Emmaus Road Publishing
(get your orders in now!)

You can find Dan’s book here 

Calling All Catholics Into A Deeper Union …

“Most of us have questions about spiritual direction. What is it? Is it for me? What if I can’t find a spiritual director? These questions and more are well answered in Dan Burke’s book. The Lord is clearly calling all Catholics into a deeper union with him. This book, in a style which is both inspiring and practical, provides some of the Church’s most important wisdom about how to respond to this call.”

Ralph Martin

[powerpress] Msgr. Esseff reflects on the dangers of doing “good work” without having the depth of the contemplative prayer that unites us to Christ in doing the will of the Father.  He offers insight primarily from the teachings found in the letter from St. James Chap 1:

Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you
and is able to save your souls.

Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this:
to care for orphans and widows in their affliction
and to keep oneself unstained by the world.  – NAB

As well as the Gospel of Mark Chap 7:

He responded,
“Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written:
This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.
You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”

He summoned the crowd again and said to them,
“Hear me, all of you, and understand.
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;
but the things that come out from within are what defile.

“From within people, from their hearts,
come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile.” – NAB

Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton.  He was ordained on May 30th 1953, by the late Bishop William J. Hafey, D.D. at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton, PA.  Msgr. Esseff served a retreat director and confessor to Blessed Mother Teresa.    He continues to offer direction and retreats for the sisters of the missionaries of charity around the world.  Msgr. Esseff encountered St.  Padre Pio,  who would become a spiritual father to him.  He has lived in areas around the world,  serving  in the Pontifical missions, a Catholic organization established by Bl. Pope John Paul II to bring the Good News to the world especially to the poor.  Msgr. Esseff assisted the founders of the Institute for Priestly Formation and continues to serve as a spiritual director for the Institute.  He continues to  serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters and seminarians and other religious leaders around the world.   

To obtain a copy of Msgr. Esseff’s book byvisiting here

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

“Exposed: Inexcusable Me… Irreplaceable Him” by Shannon Dietz is a compelling book which chronicles her experiences growing up in her devout Catholic home, dealing with realities of brokenness that  results from the assaults that come from the world, from the enemy and from our own negative choices, and the healing that comes from surrendering completely to the love of Jesus Christ.  Shannon shares her story of being raped, not once but twice, and the devastating effect it had on her life and self-image.  She would run from God and her Catholic faith for a time, which only led her to experience a greater period of isolation and despair.  Eventually she turned to Him and found the peace and strength she had been aching for in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  That moment would provide a powerful encounter of grace and mercy and would set her once again on the path home to the loving embrace of the God the Father.  Her story is one that speaks to the hearts of several generation of women.  A powerful story and witness that there is indeed a beautiful “light at the end of the tunnel”. Shannon is the founder of “Hopeful Hearts Ministry“…be sure to visit the website!

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You can find the book here

Patrice Fagnant–Macarthur, Sr. Editor of Catholic Lane, Author of “Letters to Mary from a Young Mother”
“It took great courage for Shannon to share her story. It is an important one for young people who are struggling with addiction or abuse and those who question whether God still cares for them.”

C.A. Webb, President of Conversations Book Club, Host of Conversations Live!
“A powerful book that helps us to live a life that is open to receive all that is meant for us.”

“Shannon’s candid sharing will prove to be a blessing to victims and those that care about them.”
Fr. Gavin Vaverek, Maria Goretti Network

Episode 18- Regnum Novum: Bringing forth the New Evangelization through Catholic Social Teaching with Omar Gutierrez - Bl. John Paul II - Laborem Exercens (1981), Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (1987), and the Centesimus Annus (1991)

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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.

John Paul II , sometimes called John Paul the Great, born Karol Józef Wojtyła  18 May 1920, Wadowice, Republic of Poland – 2 April 2005, Vatican City), reigned as Pope of theCatholic Church from 1978 until his death in 2005. He was the second-longest serving Pope in history and the first non-Italian since 1523.

In this episode we discuss  Laborem Exercens (1981), Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (1987), and the Centesimus Annus (1991), among other works

Also visit Omar’s “Discerning Hearts” page Catholic Social Teaching 101

[powerpress] Msgr. Esseff reflects on the interior movement of St. Augustine that led to his conversion and witness. He also shares a powerful story of a man in a prison and his conversion. The story takes a poignant twist at the end, one that exemplifies the power of conversion and forgiveness. When our hearts are united with the heart of Christ a death takes place…the old self dies so that Christ may live.

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The importance of his life and contribution to the Church cannot be overstated. St. Augustine, one of the greatest of the Church Fathers, has not only influenced the Church, but the thought of the world as we know it.  The story of his conversion as chronicled in his “Confessions”, would be enough, but then add the body of his theological work and you have nothing less than a glimpse of what is truly the power of  “grace and mercy”.

Mike Aquilina is one of the best at bringing this great saint’s life into perspective.

For a more detail accounting of St. Augustine’s  life, you can visit  Lives of the Saints

Spiritual Writings:

- Confessions 
- Letters
- City of God
- Christian Doctrine
- On the Holy Trinity
- The Enchiridion
- On the Catechising of the Uninstructed
- On Faith and the Creed
- Concerning Faith of Things Not Seen
- On the Profit of Believing
- On the Creed: A Sermon to Catechumens
- On Continence
- On the Good of Marriage
- On Holy Virginity
- On the Good of Widowhood
- On Lying
- To Consentius: Against Lying
- On the Work of Monks
- On Patience
- On Care to be Had For the Dead
- On the Morals of the Catholic Church
- On the Morals of the Manichaeans
- On Two Souls, Against the Manichaeans
- Acts or Disputation Against Fortunatus the Manichaean
- Against the Epistle of Manichaeus Called Fundamental
- Reply to Faustus the Manichaean
- Concerning the Nature of Good, Against the Manichaeans
- On Baptism, Against the Donatists
- Answer to Letters of Petilian, Bishop of Cirta
- Merits and Remission of Sin, and Infant Baptism
- On the Spirit and the Letter
- On Nature and Grace
- On Man’s Perfection in Righteousness
- On the Proceedings of Pelagius
- On the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin
- On Marriage and Concupiscence
- On the Soul and its Origin
- Against Two Letters of the Pelagians
- On Grace and Free Will
- On Rebuke and Grace
- The Predestination of the Saints/Gift of Perseverance
- Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount
- The Harmony of the Gospels
- Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament
- Tractates on the Gospel of John
- Homilies on the First Epistle of John
- Soliloquies
- The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms

For me, out of all the St. Augustine’s work,  this is the piece that deeply touches my heart and is one of my all-time favorite prayers:

Late Have I Loved You
A Prayer of Saint Augustine

Late have I loved you, O Beauty, so ancient and so new, late have I loved you!
And behold, you were within me and I was outside, and there I sought for you, and in my deformity I rushed headlong into the well-formed things that you have made.

You were with me, and I was not with you. Those outer beauties held me far from you, yet if they had not been in you, they would not have existed at all.

You called, and cried out to me and broke open my deafness; you shone forth upon me and you scattered my blindness.

You breathed fragrance, and I drew in my breath and I now pant for you.

I tasted, and I hunger and thirst; you touched me, and I burned for your peace.

This prayer is from his book, “Confessions.”

                                                  

USCCA19 Chapter 18 - The Eucharist: Source and Summit of Christian Life

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Archbishop Lucas offers insights on the US Catholic Catechism for Adults Chapter 18:

It is called the Sacrament of Conversion because it makes sacramentally present Jesus’ call to conversion, the first step in returning to the Father from whom one has strayed by sin. It is called the Sacrament of Penance, since it consecrates the Christian sinner’s personal and ecclesial steps of conversion, penance, and satisfaction. It is called the Sacrament of Confession since the disclosure or confession of sins is an essential element of this Sacrament. In a profound sense, it is also a called “confession” —acknowledgment and praise—of the holiness of God and of his mercy toward sinful man. It is called the Sacrament of Forgiveness, since by the priest’s sacramental absolution, God grants the penitent “pardon and peace.” It is called the Sacrament of Reconciliation because it imparts to the sinner the love of God who reconciles: “Be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:20). He who lives by God’s merciful love is ready to respond to the Lord’s call: “Go, first be reconciled to your brother.” (CCC, nos. 1423-1424, citing Mt 5:24)

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 Bruce McGregor for his vocal talents in this episode.

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“Holiness for Everyone: The Practical Spirituality of St. Josemaria Escriva” is fantastic book which offers a path to living out holiness in our everyday lives.  Eric Sammons breaks open St. Josemaria’s teachings and presents useful steps at the end of each chapter to  foster incorporation of those daily disciplines into our spiritual practice.  Wonderful food for the journey.

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You can find the book here

From the description:

Strive for your own personal holiness as you implement your daily plan to:
–Be a Contemplative in the Midst of a Busy World
–Live a Life of Prayer
–Recognize the Presence of God
–Make a Plan of Life
–Make Your Work a Way to Heaven

Holiness for Everyone will inspire you as it sets your feet on the path to sainthood.

“Eric Sammons shows that St. Josemaria has recovered the most powerful truth of classic Christianity and restated it in a way that is compelling for men and women of our time.”
—From the Foreword by Scott Hahn

[powerpress] Msgr. Esseff reflects so beautifully about the Queenship of Mary…Queen of Heaven. He talks about the joys and peace of the heavenly encounter with our Blessed Mother and with the Holy Trinity. It is a very special reflection…not to be missed!

Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton.  He was ordained on May 30th 1953, by the late Bishop William J. Hafey, D.D. at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton, PA.  Msgr. Esseff served a retreat director and confessor to Blessed Mother Teresa.    He continues to offer direction and retreats for the sisters of the missionaries of charity around the world.  Msgr. Esseff encountered St.  Padre Pio,  who would become a spiritual father to him.  He has lived in areas around the world,  serving  in the Pontifical missions, a Catholic organization established by Bl. Pope John Paul II to bring the Good News to the world especially to the poor.  Msgr. Esseff assisted the founders of the Institute for Priestly Formation and continues to serve as a spiritual director for the Institute.  He continues to  serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters and seminarians and other religious leaders around the world.   

To obtain a copy of Msgr. Esseff’s book byvisiting here

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

[powerpress] Msgr. Esseff shares some of the experience from the on-going seminarian retreat in Cleveland, OH. He reflects on the gospel reading which presents the teaching of Jesus about how it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. What are we to make of that? How attached are we to our “things” and money? What holds us bound? How do we obtain authentic freedom? What is the unique surrender of the priest? What is the gift?

USCCA18 Chapter 17 part 2- The Eucharist: Source and Summit of Christian Life

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Archbishop Lucas offers insights on the US Catholic Catechism for Adults Chapter 17:

The consecrated bread has become Christ’s Body. The consecrated wine has become Christ’s Blood. Jesus Christ is substantially present in a way that is entirely unique. This happens by the power of the Holy Spirit through the ministry of the priest’s or bishop’s acting in the person of Christ during the Eucharistic Prayer. At Mass, when we are offered the Host and hear the statement “The Body of Christ,” we answer, “Amen,” that is, “Yes, I believe.”

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 Susan Adams  for her vocal talents in this episode.

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St. Bernard of Clairvaux, a great mystical doctor of the Church.  What a heart for Jesus and the Blessed Virgin (I’m sure he still has).

St. Bernard of Clairvaux, was a Cisterian monk, who lived in France in the 12th century.  Living at a time when the great gothic cathedrals where born, St. Bernard, advocated for simplicity and austerity in life.  He was concerned about the temptations of worldly things and desires.  He wished to focus solely on the love of Christ and the Blessed Mother; everything else was folly.
To read more about the details of his life you can visit here.

What captures my heart is his legacy of prayer and spiritual writings.  He truly deserves the title Doctor of the Church. What a feast he has left us!  Pope John Paul II has said that if we wish to learn to pray, look to the Mystical Doctors…he truly is one of those special souls.  There is so much, where can one begin?  Begin with Mary. Ask the Blessed Mother, she will lead you through his teachings.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux composed the famous prayer to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary known as The Memorare

REMEMBER, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

St. Bernard on the Blessed Mother

St. Bernard on Holy Repentance

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Highly recommended reading introduction to St. Bernard would be – “The Fulfillment of All Desire” by Ralph Martin

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Show 13 ” Building a Kingdom of Love” – How does the Bread of Life help those who suffer addictions?  Addictions take on many forms…drinking, eating, gambling, work, shopping, even self-absorption.  Part of the recovery is to realize they are bigger than we are and the only healing that can truly come is from the Divine Physician, the Bread of Life…Jesus Christ!

[powerpress]Msgr. Esseff reflects on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and it’s meaning for our lives and destiny.  He brings forth from the liturgy of the day the Sacred Scripture a teaching which begins with fall of man, but the redemption brought about by Jesus Christ.  And because of His Resurrection, death has no power over us.  He explains this by sharing the death of his own sister and the prayer of his mother.  Msgr. Esseff explains Mary sinlessness as the Immaculate Conception and the purpose of the Assumption.  He discusses Chap. 12 of the Book of Revelation, as well as Our Lady of Guadalupe and Fatima and the message for us today.  Msgr. Esseff talks about our struggles with death, not only our own, but also those of our loved ones.  How we hold on sometimes to tightly to those we should let go to the Father, because of our own fears and desires…and possibly our selfishness.  We need to remember  the joys of Eternal Life and the role of Mary, our Mother, who helps us with the transition.  Be not afraid!