35 Burst results for "Mcgregor"
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
A highlight from LST3 Zlie Martin and the Gift of Self The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux with Fr. Timothy Gallagher Podcast
"Of the Virgin Mary presents The Letters of Saint Therese of Lisieux with Father Timothy Gallagher. Father Gallagher is a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual direction according to the spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. He is featured on several series found on the Eternal Word Television Network. He is also author of numerous books on the spiritual teachings of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and the venerable Bruno Lanteri, founder of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, as well as other works focused on aspects of the spiritual life. The Letters of Saint Therese of Lisieux with Father Timothy Gallagher. I'm your host, Chris McGregor. All right, let's move to another letter. So this is a year later, Sayli is 44 now, and Pauline is 15. And she has started a letter, and this often would happen to her. She'd start writing a letter and then her children or her workers or something would interrupt and then she would return to it later on. So she said, it's been a long time earlier in the day or the preceding day since my letter was interrupted. Since then I've been to high mass and we went on a long walk in the fields, which they would do as a family. Louis loved to fish. He was a great fisherman and that was part, Therese would accompany him on some of those fishing trips when she was a young girl. But they loved the outdoors, which was not too far from them because these cities were so small at the time. And we were very happy with this outing. On our way back, we met a poor old man who had a good face. I sent Therese to bring him a few alms. Therese is three years old at this time. He seemed so touched by this and thanked us so much that I saw he was very unfortunate. I told him to follow us. All right, so she's now getting involved. And that I was going to give him some shoes. He came and we served him a good dinner. He was dying of hunger. I couldn't tell you how many troubles he was suffering from in his old age. This winter he had frostbitten feet. He sleeps in an abandoned hovel and has nothing. He's going to huddle outside the barracks. There were army barracks in Alençon to be given a little soup. Finally, I told him to come whenever he wants and I'll give him bread. I would like your father to arrange for him to enter the hospice, so a refuge for the elderly and ill. He wants to go there so much. We're going to negotiate the matter. So they're going to look into it. So to get him, in our terms, the social help that's available for him. I'm very sad over this encounter and I do nothing but think about this fellow who nevertheless was delighted by the few pennies I gave him. With this he said, I'll eat soup tomorrow. I'll go to the soup kitchen and then I'll have some tobacco and get a shave. In a word, he was as cheerful as a child. While he was eating, he would pick up his shoes, look at them happily and smile at them. Then he recited a beautiful prayer for us that he always says at pass. And then later in what is a very lengthy letter, I have to tell you about two events that happened this week. I already spoke to you about a poor man whom we've known since spring. He was in the most extreme poverty since he didn't have any shelter and slept in a barn with an open work door, which caused him to get frostbite in his fingers. No one took care of him and he asked for nothing and only went to the door of the barracks to have a little soup. He was starving. Your father had noticed him in the doorway of the Hotel de France in such a miserable state and with such a gentle expression that he took an interest in him. So it's months later after what we read just a minute ago and Louis sees him now, obviously in great need, standing at the door of a hotel and approaches him. As for me, I wanted to know more about him and while on a walk, I approached the fellow. I brought him home and questioned him. I then discovered that he was childlike, so mentally probably some kind of disability and languishing without any help, so he's a straight person unable to take care of himself.
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
A highlight from IP#502 Adam Blai The History of Exorcism, Part 2 on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor Discerning Hearts podcasts
"Discerninghearts .com presents inside the pages insights from today's most compelling authors I'm your host Chris McGregor and I am delighted to be joined by Adam Bly who is a church to create expert on religious demonology and exorcism for the Pittsburgh Diocese he's helped train exorcists for over 15 years and has attended hundreds of solemn exorcisms his journey started in brainwave research and psychology and is now focused on the spiritual realities of miracles angels demons and possessions he's also the author of several books including the exorcism files with Adam Bly we go inside the pages of the history of exorcism published by Sophia Institute press we now continue with part two of our conversation a lot of times we look at those things that the action of the enemy that is what 90 % is temptation the our father lead us not into temptation but also as we just said the oppression and obsession those are things that can be dealt with especially in the sacramental life that we have within the mass within confession isn't it been said Adam that one good confession could be worth of a hundred exorcisms these are all just kind of turns a phrase but essentially yes for the average person the average Catholic who has access to the sacraments deliverance comes primarily through the sacramental graces and that means baptism confirmation confession and the mass those are the the mechanisms that sanctifying grace comes into your life for the average person and then of course matrimony for some people people underestimate the importance and power of the sacramental graces and they want the drama of the exciting prayer thinking you know you'll do this kind of magical incantation and make these problems go away versus the person doing the the work of conversion in themselves of making it to mass of having a good confession of doing the work of building a daily prayer life all of those things are actually what lead to deliverance primarily it's not just the exciting prayers if a person is unwilling to make any changes in their life is an unwilling to walk away from sin is essentially unwilling to have conversion in their life usually the prayers don't work because Jesus is looking for conversion and change so if somebody has done something to get into trouble spiritually they can't just come to the church and say well wave the magic wand and make the suffering go away I don't like it but I'm not gonna change my life because Jesus knows our hearts and so I've seen this over the years that even in the case is a full -blown possession he wants to see spiritual growth in the person he wants to see a movement towards him and trust and love and a turning away from sin in addition to coming to the church for prayers and so the sacramental grace is for the person that isn't possessed actually that is the engine that drives deliverance it's so important that in your book you have a section called Jesus as exorcist and that ultimately that's the lesson is the turning towards him right summately and that's what the team in their particular response to the individual is helping that individual to turn towards them it's not so much it is the actions of what they're doing during the liturgy that's what it is exorcism is a liturgy but it's that reception of that person to a life of faith is that a fair way of saying it yes that's that's a big part of it they also are repenting of their sins through sacramental confession if they're Catholic and then another important piece that most people don't think about is they're forgiving the sins of others and so a demon can hold on to or it gets traction from our sins that we're unwilling to let go of or keep trying to let go of and get away from but they can also hold on to when we are unforgiving of the sins of others that have hurt us and so as we know from the our father forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us we know that God wants us to forgive as he forgives us you know the parable of the king who forgives the debt of the one slave and then that slave goes and beats up another slave and says give me you know the little bit you owe me and then when the the king finds out about this he throws the first guy who he had forgiven who's now being mean in turn in jail so we see this played out time and time again God expects us to be merciful and that that is part of it and then you know in an interesting twist sometimes the unforgiveness towards yourself becomes a stumbling block to total freedom because if a person feels they deserve to be punished and suffer and they're not forgiving themselves even though they know they've been sacramentally forgiven they even understand and believe Jesus has forgiven them but if they feel that they can't forgive themselves and that they deserve this that also gives the demon traction to hold on so there's kind of a pastoral process that is woven through exorcism over time working with the person outside of the sessions before and after and chatting with them and you know basically spiritual direction and that's the part that's missing in the movies oh yeah that's an incredible part of it because as I alluded to earlier you know it's the opening of doors I mean we can for example I have priests come through our house and bless our homes place Benedictine metals at windows go through the whole ritual as family but then we go downstairs and put on a television screen or open up online and allow something that's evil in character into our house or to do actions what was the point of the of the prior blessing I don't think we appreciate the fact that there is a need for repentance and a conversion of action not just of words and correct yeah and again Jesus knows our hearts so we can't just give lip service to these ideas because he knows what's going on with us for real and he's looking for real conversion and so you know it's just so important because ultimately he doesn't allow this stuff just because he wants to allow it you know he doesn't enjoy the fact that we're suffering but he allows it as a corrective experience so we realize the thing that we're embracing and we turn and run back to it so ultimately he's looking for closeness with us and possession is something that happens to people that generally are running away from Jesus and are far from him and specifically are embracing demonic spirits in some way and so he's not allowing this to be mean he's saying I'm gonna let you see the monster that you've chosen hoping that the person will then turn away and come back to him no I thought it was really important in that particular section in closing from the exorcisms by Jesus that you point out that he does Commission the 12 but in the 72 as well to go out but it's important that it's not only the priests and the bishops who have the authority to cast out demons and that would be revealed over time but it took centuries in a way for the church to find the need to limit the exercise of the use of exorcism and you really broke that open I thought that was so fascinating the research you did on that well it was a journey the church went through and you know one thing we have to remember in the very early church it was just apostles and followers you would have the equivalent of a bishop in your city or your region who would be you know the current apostle but there wasn't this whole hierarchy of you know deacons and priests and formal offices within the church because we're you know for the first 300 years the church was under terrible persecution it wasn't this big wealthy institution with buildings and schools and everything else it was it was a struggling little movement and so we have to remember in those very early centuries there weren't priest exorcists because there weren't priests in the very beginning it quickly came about but again with the persecution in the early church things just weren't that organized and then as the church spread around the world communication wasn't there we didn't have an internet letters could take weeks months or never arrive you know sending information around the world at that time and so it was a very different world it took centuries for the church to figure out this ministry and then through hard experience and seeing how difficult the ministry is and how it can chew people up and how it can lead to pride which leads to destroying people and causing heresies to develop and all kinds of other problems the church wisely said we need to regulate this so that qualified people are doing it it's not just you know somebody deciding they're gonna pick it up because they'd like to the church wanted to make sure people were qualified and then had kind of a proper context to keep them safe and effective essentially yeah it isn't a game and there isn't something that you oh I'm fascinated I'm curious about this I want to explore more yes reading your book is the great way to do that if you have that inkling but the actual ministry of it there is so much involved and you go into the different types of exorcism and how they developed for anybody who wants to understand more about the free masonry dynamics that are addressed by exorcism that's fascinating but also it's a very real issue isn't it yeah so the minor exorcism what's sometimes called the Leonine exorcism because Pope Leo the 13th wrote it in 1890 was originally explicitly directed against Freemasonry it wasn't a general exorcism against the devil it was it was against Freemasonry and Freemasonry since it's you know within 20 years of it coming into existence in the world in the early 1700s the church was identifying it as the church's greatest enemy in the world and there's been you know papal statements I think there's at least seven different popes have made formal bulls and statements about Freemasonry condemning it reminding Catholics that their ex communicated if they become Freemasons which is still the case by the way and so yeah the the minor exorcism actually was all about Freemasonry and that's why I took that kind of a side in the book to explain the history of Freemasonry and where it came from so that we could see it kind of from the church's perspective and imagine you know how they were seeing Freemasonry and why that may have led to this prayer being written we'll return to inside the pages in just a moment did you know that discerning hearts has a free app where you can find all your favorite discerning hearts programming father Timothy Gallagher dr. Anthony Lewis Monsignor John s of Deacon James Keating father Donald Haggerty Mike Aquilina dr. Matthew Bunsen and so many more they're all available on the free discerning hearts app over 3 ,000 spiritual formation programs and prayers all available to you with no hidden fees or subscriptions did you also know that you can listen to discerning hearts programming wherever you download your favorite podcasts like Apple podcasts Google Play I heart radio Spotify even on audible as well as numerous other worldwide podcast streaming platforms and did you know that discerning hearts also has a YouTube channel be sure to check out all these different places where you can find discerning hearts Catholic podcasts dedicated to those on the spiritual journey show your support for streaming platforms such as Apple podcasts Google Play Spotify and more with a collection of insightful podcasts led by renowned Catholic spiritual guides such as father Timothy Gallagher Monsignor John sf dr.
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
A highlight from The Guardian Angels Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr John Esseff
"Discerning hearts provides content dedicated to those on the spiritual journey to continue production of these podcasts prayers and more go to discerninghearts .com and click the donate link found there or inside the free discerning hearts app to make your donation thanks and God bless discerninghearts .com presents building a kingdom of love reflections with Monsignor John Assef Monsignor Assef is a priest of the diocese of Scranton Pennsylvania. He has served as a retreat director and confessor to St. Teresa of Calcutta. He continues to offer direction and retreats for the sisters of the missionaries of charity. Monsignor Assef 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 Pope St. John Paul II to bring the good news to the world especially to the poor. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops priests and sisters seminarians and other religious leaders. Building a kingdom of love reflections with Monsignor John Assef I'm your host Chris McGregor. Angels are so much on my mind today to talk to you about and I would like to begin with the guardian angel. I was very much enamored of my angel as a child. Ever since I can remember my brother and I were roommates and we had in our room you know that picture of guardian angel guiding this child across a bridge and we certainly he and I had so many scrapes as children we have some of them in our book but as two boys growing up and we were so companions because I can't remember being my memories go way back but they they don't go back before my brother because I was only a year and a half old when he came along so I always had this companion and so it's kind of easy for me to believe that I have a companion the angel the guardian angel is given to us from the first moment of our conception the guardian angel is interuterine he is given to you from your mother's womb and from the first moment that that egg fertilizes that is for that seed fertilizes that egg that soul that's blown into that person who now is going to be that's the beginning that's the moment your guardian angel begins to protect you and watch over you so he's with you and assists you in your life in the womb because how many more things are being told to us these days about what happens to the child in the womb it's a whole life in there if you're a single birth if you're you know are you my mother tells the story about that what do they talk about when a child is turned around and I was a breach breath I was going to be a breach birth and what happened to me is I got turned around and there's like all kinds of assistance that goes on within the womb guardian angel is right there assisting you in the birthing you know I think so many times we've it's good for a mother to know that that baby is being watched over and protected how that life is there and how the mother loves that baby from the moment that she knows she's pregnant and so the the baby is being watched over and cared for within the womb and then in the birthing your guardian angel comes with you that that angel stays with you from that moment of conception not only until you die but if you fail to go to paradise that angel reminds people on earth to pray for you so often you know some people who are not yet and may be in purgatory and not yet settled in their in their home forever in heaven that angels work is to go to the people on earth or to others to pray for that soul and I really believe that many of us are reminded oh my grandmother or my uncle so -and -so or having a mass offered for so is really inspired by the angel who comes and asks why don't you have a mass said for your dad why don't you have a mass said for your aunt Tilly so that there's there's that reminder to pray for the dead so until that's also because even in the liturgy itself it says at the death of a person may the angel lead you into paradise may the martyrs receive you on your way so as we go into the eternal city the angels are individually created angels do not multiply like humans so therefore if there are six billion people in this universe and each one of us has a specific guardian angel then there must at least be six billion angels God in making angels we always hear scripturally that there are myriads you know what myriads is millions and billions he just makes them and he creates them individually the least angelic creature is greater than any human creation you know after all man is only half spiritual half of him is material or physical he's half animal half spirit so that our bodily part it's no less beautiful it's a creation that we have feet and arms and legs and and we have a sex to us know that individual creation of my body is a very beautiful creation God has made the the marvel of a human body you know when I go to doctors and see especially if a person becomes ill the functioning of a healthy organ and a body is such a magnificent the eye the complexity of what an ear is or what a face is so what a brain is this is a magnificent each one of us who are human have been given this body creation and we have be given a spirit which is that part of us we are a body soul composite so that when we do die it's not only that the soul goes on to live because that's the part of us that will live eternally that's the part of us that's immortal but so is our body going to be so when the body and we believe that it's going to be raised from the dead we believe in the resurrection of the body so that it will participate in the glory of God in heaven forever or in the damnation in the fires of hell or whatever there is for eternal damnation and torture so we do know that we have any we are not made to die we are made to live eternally and because of Jesus who gives us a new life we are called now to live eternally in heaven he has given us the opportunity of salvation when he died on the cross Jesus saved everyone from the time of the cross back to Adam and Eve but they were not able to enter into glory because of Adam and Eve sin so he by his death on the cross brought salvation to every human being from Adam and Eve down to the year 33 and from the third year 33 to the end of time so that the cross is the salvation of all of mankind the desire of God was to save all of the human family each member of that family has a guardian now I'd love to go over that prayer angel of God my guardian dear to whom God's love commits me here so that God has sent an angel to be with me to watch over me to guard and to assist me to enlighten me to inspire me to guide me so this and we usually like to use the word guard because I think each of us is dealing with a lot of hostility in the world in which we live so there's a protective nature to this friend of ours and be careful watch for yourself and these inspirations that we receive daily and how many times you know driving along there's like an inspiration of why don't you take this street instead of that or that some different you slow down here this is like our guardian protecting us and I I often think how important it is to develop that relationship with our guardian angel to become more familiar I developed a very strong relationship with my guardian angel I think I had it as a child I kind of lost it and then it came back to me very early in my priesthood and I remember meeting a long tradition with Carmelite nuns who said to me why don't you ask your guardian angel its name because your guardian angel has a name it's a particular spirit and if you ask your guardian angel what your name is you would be able to become more familiar because you could call him by name and you could become more dependent on him and ask him and and then develop a closer relationship with him because every guardian angel has a nature it's an angelic nature it is hugely powerful and not incidentally every guardian angel is not the lowest rank of angel you could have a guardian angel from the archangel class you can have an archang you can have an angel that's your guardian from the seraphim or cherubim or Thrones I'll talk about those choirs of angels because they have enormous power each one in gradation and they they come according to the power that was given to them in their nature which is vastly different from each other they are all invisible creatures but they are all creatures made by God who have this nature and it's a particular nature I'm starting off with guardian angels because they're the ones I think that we're most familiar with we'll return to building the kingdom of love with Monsignor John Essip in just a moment did you know that discerning hearts has a free app where you can find all your favorite discerning hearts programming father Timothy Gallagher dr.
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
A highlight from BKL496 St. Therese, the Little Flower Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff
"Discerning Hearts provides content dedicated to those on the spiritual journey. To continue production of these podcasts, prayers and more, go to discerninghearts .com and click the donate link found there or inside the free Discerning Hearts app to make your donation. Thanks and God bless. Discerninghearts .com presents Building a Kingdom of Love Reflections with Monsignor John Essif. Monsignor Essif is a priest of the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania. He has served as a retreat director and confessor to St. Teresa of Calcutta. He continues to offer direction and retreats for the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity. Monsignor Essif 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 Pope St. John Paul II to bring the good news to the world, especially to the poor. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters, seminarians and other religious leaders. Building a Kingdom of Love Reflections with Monsignor John Essif. I'm your host, Chris McGregor. What's on my mind is such a, such a humble and beautiful saint, the little flower of Jesus, St. Teresa. The story of the little flower is so powerful in itself. It's so contra what our modern day sees as successful. First, like she goes to a Carmelite convent and, you know, people of our day say, well, she buried her talents, she buried her life, and even the idea of prayer being contributory to the world and its happiness. The little flower spent eight years in a Carmelite convent, a very short life. She died at 24. Even when she was in the convent, the sisters hardly knew anything about her life of holiness. She had kept a journal, her autobiography. She was asked and in fact ordered to write it by her superior. The wisdom of that book, I know, and I was in the seminary in the 40s and the 50s. Her story of a soul is one of the most popular spiritual books and it's so simple. She is the saint of the ordinary. She transforms every act of her life into an act of love and also a desire to unite her prayer with the sacrifice of her love. She became a victim of love for souls. Her whole desire during those eight years was to save souls for God through prayer, through sacrifice, through love. The hiddenness of her life, in fact, when she died, her sisters, who didn't know the depth of her love and her sanctity, said, what are we going to say about her? She has done nothing extraordinary, nothing that would catch the attention of anyone. She takes something like the rattling of the beads, which drove her crazy. She was so highly sensitive and some nun would rub the beads up against the bench in back of her and it would cause her like chalk on a blackboard and that's what would do with her system. She used that as an act of sacrificial love and transformed it and took it as an occasion and an opportunity to offer a sacrifice to God. The crankiest and the most rejecting of all the sisters, she would see them and embrace their rejections. I was just recently with a priest. His face would crack if he would smile. He was so unhappy. It's amazing and just to be around him, it was like pus oozed from his system of unhappiness. He wanted to know everybody to know just how unhappy he was and he would want to make everybody as unhappy as he was. And even to stand next to him, you know, what an opportunity that would be that St. Therese would say, why don't you just give him love and offer him the love so that he could have an opportunity to love. You know, just being around a person who's angry, upset all the time. So all of us have these opportunities in our day and the scripture in the mass that Jesus taught us, the church is teaching us on her feast, the disciples came to Jesus with the question, who is the greatest, most important in the kingdom of God? He called over a little child and stood him in their midst and said, I assure you, unless you change and become like a little child, you will not enter the lowly. Becoming like this child is the greatest and most important in the kingdom of God and the heavenly reign, the simplicity and the humility of a child. Now I believe in order for us to see a child who just simply looks at you with simple love. And so therefore, I really believe what Jesus is looking at is a little, little child in our society. Take today and see where in your neighborhood, in your family, look at a child. My cousin, Christine, of baby, she was so sweet, Olivia, just her eyes, her every smile, everything that would come into that child's face would be some of the most beautiful things that I could remember. I think that's the kind of child this was that our Lord meant in the gospel. There's a prayer. I was with my cousin and he had been making an avina to know what job he should take. And his favorite saint, and she is a favorite saint of so many, was the little flower. He would say this prayer to God through the intercession of St. Teresa. And she claimed, those who are devotees of St. Teresa claim, that they receive a rose or would have a rose as a sign that their prayer would be answered. And he made an avina and he got not only a rose, but his wife had given him this 30 roses. She didn't know that he was doing this, saying these prayers. He got an offer for a job that was absolutely unable to refuse. It was so powerful a sign right after he had received this bouquet of roses. And it was a sign to him that he should change his job. So many that I've talked to, the beautiful example of the little flower of humility, simplicity, childlikeness, and the prayer. My mother's middle name was Cecilia Teresa Esef. It's on her tombstone. She had this tremendous devotion. In fact, she gave a middle name to my sister Marlene. Marlene is Marlene Therese and also Mayanne Therese. And she had great devotion to the little flower. And she herself was a third -order Carmelite. And she had a way about her. My mother's prayer was very powerful for all of us. All of us, my cousins and so many people in our family. She never was out there. She wasn't someone who got into the mother's in school or in the altar and rosary in the parish or outside the family. She had five children. When I was a little boy, I would get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and I would see my mother on her knees. I thought every mother did this. When she would take us for a walk, she would stop in the church and she would make the Stations of the Cross. And we would kind of be there with her. But we just took for granted. That's what mom did. All her life, her entire life, her rosary, her prayers. And she had this power about her. Not really being noticed. But in our family, I would say, everyone who would refer to my mother would say she was like the holiest person they had ever met at her death. That's what she was known for. Prayer, humility, and childlikeness. She had a simplicity about her. And I saw this characteristic in some. When a person has this hiddenness, this characteristic of trusting in the power of prayer. Although the little flower never left her caramel and died at the age of 24, she has been known all over the Catholic world as the patroness of the missions. She is the saint of Vietnam.
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
A highlight from DC11 St. Jerome The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson Discerning Hearts Podcast
"Discerninghearts .com presents The Doctors of the Church, the Carerism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunsen. For over 20 years, Dr. Bunsen has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to church history, the papacy, the saints, and Catholic culture. He is the faculty chair at the Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co -author of over 50 books, including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History and the best -selling biographies of St. Damien of Malachi and St. Kateri Tekakawisa. He also serves as a senior editor for the National Catholic Register and is a senior contributor to EWTN News. The Doctors of the Church, the Carerism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunsen. I'm your host, Chris McGregor.
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
IP#501 Adam Blai The History of Exorcism, Part 1 on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor Discerning Hearts podcasts - burst 2
"Possessed versus somebody who's just being heavily tempted or maybe oppressed the church saw this is a different phenomenon and it requires a different intervention and so you know that's why the church limits the use of solemn exorcism it can only be used if there's possession and so I don't mean to ramble on about that but it's not a kind of a competition or any kind of enmity between kind of the charismatic world and the exorcism world they both have their place in terms of prayer I think the times that it can get difficult is when people involved in the charismatic world encounter people that are actually possessed and continue to pray and start speaking to the demon and rebuking it and things like that and that crosses the line that then Cardinal Ratzinger in his 1986 letter to the world from the CDF so it's an authoritative letter warned the lay people that they're not to speak to
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
IP#501 Adam Blai The History of Exorcism, Part 1 on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor Discerning Hearts podcasts - burst 2
"When it comes to full -blown possession it's necessary and the church figured that out over the centuries that it's a qualitatively different situation it's not saying like oh this is minor league versus major league it's like this is baseball versus football it's a completely different situation when a person is possessed versus somebody who's just being heavily tempted or maybe oppressed the church saw this is a different phenomenon and it requires a different intervention and so you know that's why the church limits the use of solemn exorcism it can only be used if there's possession and so I don't mean to ramble on about that but it's not a kind of a competition or any kind of enmity between kind of the charismatic world and the exorcism world they both have their place in terms of prayer I think the times that it can get difficult is when people involved in the charismatic world encounter people that are actually
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
IP#501 Adam Blai The History of Exorcism, Part 1 on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor Discerning Hearts podcasts - burst 2
"Possessed versus somebody who's just being heavily tempted or maybe oppressed the church saw this is a different phenomenon and it requires a different intervention and so you know that's why the church limits the use of solemn exorcism it can only be used if there's possession and so I don't mean to ramble on about that but it's not a kind of a competition or any kind of enmity between kind of the charismatic world and the exorcism world they both have their place in terms of prayer I think the times that it can get difficult is when people involved in the charismatic world encounter people that are actually possessed and continue to pray and start speaking to the demon and rebuking it and things like that and that crosses the line that then Cardinal Ratzinger in his 1986 letter to the world from the CDF so it's an authoritative letter warned the lay people that they're not to speak to
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
A highlight from IP#501 Adam Blai The History of Exorcism, Part 1 on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor Discerning Hearts podcasts
"Discerninghearts .com presents inside the pages insights from today's most compelling authors I'm your host Chris McGregor and I am delighted to be joined by Adam Bly who is a church decreed expert on religious demonology and exorcism for the Pittsburgh Diocese he's helped train exorcists for over 15 years and has attended hundreds of solemn exorcisms his journey started in brain wave research and psychology and is now focused on the spiritual realities of miracles angels demons and possessions he's also the author of several books including the exorcism files with Adam Bly we go inside the pages of the history of exorcism published by Sophia Institute press Adam thank you so much for joining me sure Chris it's great to be back with you I'm very grateful for the history of exorcism I think it's an important work I think it's one of those things that needs to be brought out in the light because people have a lot of different ideas about what exorcism is but also maybe not an appreciation of its role in the life not only of the church but even before that and you bring that forward so clearly so thank you so much the history is all there so I really didn't do a whole lot except try to put it together and maybe synthesize it a little bit but I found it to be a really interesting story which is why I wanted to to get it out to people in the form of a book because yeah as you said most people really have no idea where this came from they've just kind of seen the movies you know they have their ideas from there which which is really distorted obviously Hollywood doesn't know much about this so yeah I'm hoping it'll kind of demystify it a little bit and and also it had some interesting twists in the road through the history of this so it's kind of a neat story I thought and I'm not saying that about like my own book I'm saying that the history of it is just it's a neat history well I'll say it for your book it is a neat book I found it fascinating and I think context is everything isn't it so to understand something more fully you need to be able to put things into context don't you mm -hmm yeah I think you do and hopefully it'll help not only with the idea of solemn exorcism but the whole deliverance world it kind of puts the whole range of prayers in a context because it shows back when it was more of a gray area and prayer was just prayer and you know deliverance and exorcism weren't well defined in the early church in terms of where the lines were between them so I hope it'll lead people to understand why exorcism is is really a qualitatively different thing than just deliverance prayers how did you become involved in the ministry that that helps to free people from a captivity that the church wants to be able to offer them well it's a long story but it's about 15 or 16 or 17 years ago I was doing graduate work in adult clinical psychology and mainly brainwave research and I was curious whether any of these strange experiences were real or if they were an artifact of the brain or mental illness and so I started looking into it stumbled across a possessed person early on it wasn't like anything I had seen clinically or been trained for clinically the interventions that you would do in psychology for psychosis had no impact and that led to you know obviously questions and then as I got to meet specialist clergy and got drawn into this and saw full -blown cases of solemn exorcisms I started seeing things that you can't explain and so once I realized it's a real phenomenon it's a real spiritual reality I then decided to basically as long as God was willing dedicate my life to it because there was so few exorcists around at that time you know 27 well about 17 years ago the ministry really you know it had faded out it was almost gone and so we've been working you know as a community for a lot of years and now there's a lot of exorcists trained up in the United States you know a few hundred at least and there's more every year so things are really kind of rolling at this point well the really good news about that is it as you said in the past maybe 15 years or so institutes have developed the one that I'm more familiar with is the Pope Leo XIII Institute that is established by priests and also their particular teams which include practitioners as you are someone who is not only devout in his faith but somebody who has an understanding of the human person which can help them to provide their ministry and then that's an important thing isn't it yeah and it's good to mention of course I'm a lay person I'm not a priest I don't actually do exorcisms only a priest with permission from their bishop can do that but God seems to have called me into a kind of unique role of training and teaching and essentially coaching priests and particularly new exorcists so the best way to learn is kind of in the situation so I do teach at the Leo Institute and I've taught at other national conferences for years and things like that but really the at the end of the day you have to do it and kind of be mentored by other exorcists and people with experience basically and just wanted to be clear so people don't make the mistake of assuming I'm an exorcist I know from the founders of the Pope Leo XIII Institute I know Monsignor John S.
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
A highlight from POA6 Know your Weapons pt. 1 Put On The Armor A Manual for Spiritual Warfare w/Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D. Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts
"Discerninghearts .com, in cooperation with TAN Books, presents Put on the Armor, A Manual for Spiritual Warfare, with Dr. Paul Thickepen. Dr. Thickepen is an internationally known speaker, bestselling author, and award -winning journalist who has published 43 books in a wide variety of genres and subjects, including The Rapture Trap, A Catholic Response to End Times Fever, and The Manual for Spiritual Warfare, the book on which this series is based. In 2008, Dr. Thickepen was appointed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to their National Advisory Council. He has served the Church as a theologian, historian, apologist, evangelist, and catechist in a number of settings, speaking frequently in Catholic and secular media broadcasts and at conferences, seminars, parish missions, and scholarly gatherings. Put on the Armor, A Manual for Spiritual Warfare, with Dr. Paul Thickepen. I'm your host, Chris McGregor.
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
A highlight from LST2 A Glimpse of Zlie The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux with Fr. Timothy Gallagher Podcast
"Of the Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual direction, according to the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. He is featured on several series found on the Eternal Word Television Network. He is also author of numerous books on the spiritual teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the venerable Bruno Lanteri, founder of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, as well as other works focused on aspects of the spiritual life. The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux with Father Timothy Gallagher. I'm your host, Chris McGregor. Father Gallagher, it seems to me that the way you've described the wonderful home of St. Therese that she was born into, that this really exemplifies what St. John Paul II called the domestic church, that this is an area where in the heart of the family, faith is nurtured, love is nurtured, hope is nurtured, all these virtues are nurtured in this interaction, and yet they're still very much in the world. I mean, they had to be, did they not, to be able to even sustain their businesses, but also to engage with their family and friends, and yet they made a point of creating this space so that their children could be raised in such a beautiful environment. And I'd say there are two components of that. The most important is what they created within the home, and that was that faith, God, Jesus were very much at the center. The five children saw this evidenced in their parents. For example, they would rise to go to 530 Mass every morning at the beginning of these very busy days, and the way they prayed taught their children the faith, their prayers, their esteem for the church, their fidelity to the various devotions, you know, when Lent would come in the various times of the year. God, Jesus, faith was very much at the center of this home, and without strain because it was so authentic in both parents, and the daughters were very much drawn into that and imbibed it as children growing up with the results that are evident. So the main thing was what they created positively within the home, but as we already saw in one of these quotes from the daughters, they were also very careful to exclude any contrary influence from the home. So they were very, very careful about that, so that the daughters grew up with a kind of appropriate and healthy innocence that was not taken away from them by harmful contacts. So much so that when Therese finally, when they were now in Lisieux, she did begin her formal schooling at the Benedictine Abbey run by the sisters at the school there. For the first time, she encountered things like meanness and selfishness and these sorts of things which were unknown to her because the family was this loving family that it was. So you see, the parents concerned to do both things, put God at the center and with care remove the influences that could undermine that. Probably harder today because those influences are so much more invasive, but a parenting that would attempt to create the space in which the faith can be lived deeply rooted. I think for the example of these two parents would want to be attentive to both of those elements. I can't help but recall in the life of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Teresa of Avila, where she says, watch out just from her own experience to be able to guard your children and watch out who their friends are, see the influences because she saw the ill effect in her own life not being protected from that. It seems to be a general consensus, no matter what era we find ourselves in, that this is a basic staple for raising an environment, ideally a healthy family, one that allows God's grace in the fullest form to be able to anoint the family. Would that be a way of saying that? Yes, and this is just a traditional thing in our whole spirituality. If we move it to another notch, not just harmful influences, but bad influences, then we are always invited to avoid the near occasions of sin in our own lives and so on. And I'd say if we're responsible for others, then we need to have an eye out for that to remove those today. So that would mean decisions that the wise parents would make about the internet and phones and tablets and television and social media, all of these kinds of things, which are pretty important today. What we're doing right now with podcasts indicates the richness of what can be done through these means, but they can also be used in a harmful way. And so, especially children growing up obviously would need to be protected from that. When they are not, children are exposed too soon to too much. God's grace can do anything, so anything can be overcome. Nothing is impossible for God. I can do all things and God who strengthens me, as Paul says, but it's harder. So to, well, let's just take an illustration from Therese again, when she is speaking about the image of the flower, which was so, which she used so widely. Of course, she loved flowers very, very much. And the different flowers in the Garden of Sanctity, you have a Saint Mary Magdalene, who is a beautiful flower because of her repentance and holy life after a life of sinfulness. And she says that's a great love of God that he would bring someone out of that and lead a person to such a life of love of God and holiness. But she said it's an even greater love when the parent, the father, seeing the stumbling block and the path of the person removes it before the person gets there. And that's what she is so grateful to for God in her own life. And that's an image, I think, of what a loving father and mother do. And certainly, Therese's parents did that with great care. They were close to their children, they knew their lives, they were available to them, of course, they had very busy lives themselves with their own businesses and everything else, but the children were always loved, the parents were always available when they needed them. And so, because they were that close to them, they were able to help them in that way. Well, let's pick up again with Celine, Therese's sister, Celine, four years older than Therese, speaking about their parents. Eternal life was the dominant concern of my parents. My mother once wrote to Pauline, the second of the daughters, I wanted to have many children so as to rear them for heaven. That sentence itself already says an awful lot about their mother. Whenever one of my little brothers or sisters died, her spirit of faith gave her such energy and she was so consoled by the thought that these little angels were in heaven, that people around her said, quote, it is not worth commiserating with Madame Martin, she does not grieve over the death of her children, which was certainly not the case. If you read her letters, you see the deep, deep pain and sorrow that she had as she watched child after child die so early in life. But her faith sustained her, these have entered eternal life. Both my parents went to early mass every day and received communion as often as they could, both fasted and abstained throughout the whole of Lent, which was the practice until some years ago, the full 40 days. My father was wonderfully kind to his neighbors and never spoke the least evil of them. He made excuses for all their faults and allowed no criticism of them. Above all, he had a great esteem for priests. Our father loved his children very much. He had an almost maternal love for us. In fact, after the death of their mother, his daughters became almost simultaneously paternal and maternal. We, for our part, had an affectionate reverence for him that almost amounted to worship. He was especially fond of Therese, whom he called his little queen, but we found that quite natural and we're not at all jealous. Besides, we were conscious of the fact that at heart he loved us all equally, nor did Therese take advantage of this affection for her own ends and so forth." So that's just a little word about both parents. Nice start. Well, let's move now to her mother's letters. This particular letter is from two years before Zélie's death, and it's a letter to her sister, who there was a great closeness and love between Zélie and her sister. Her sister entered religious life and was a nun at the visitation convent at Le Mans, which was, oh, maybe 50 miles or so away from Alençon. As I say, there was a deep bond between them. Unfortunately, this is the one letter of Zélie to her sister that has been preserved. It would have been a treasure to have the rest of these. Now, this is two years before her death. Her cancer is not really in the picture at this. She's aware that something's not right, but it's not impeding anything. It's not serious at this point. And she has just been to Lisieux to visit with her daughters, to visit her brother Isidore and her sister -in -law Céline. And she's describing this visit, Sister Marie d 'Ocité, which was the name in religion of Azélie's sister. I was delighted by our trip to Lisieux. Now, see what I mean about ordinary? This is a mother and her daughters who have been taking her daughters to visit their uncle and aunt. I have a sister -in -law who has a kindness and sweetness that are incomparable. And you know, as you read these letters and get to know Thérèse's aunt Céline Guerin, her uncle Isidore's wife, you really, you can't help but really come to appreciate her. She really does seem to have been a very, very warm and loving and good person. And a deep friendship developed between Céline and her sister -in -law Céline. Marie, that's the oldest of the daughters, says that she doesn't know her to have any faults. And neither do I. I find that Isidore, in spite of all his problems and business struggles and so forth, is very happy to have such a wife. It would take a long time to tell you her virtues, but that will be for later. I assure you that I love her as much as a sister. She seems to feel the same way and shows my children an almost maternal affection. As I mentioned, in fact, Céline would ask Céline, her sister -in -law, to take over the maternal role after her own untimely death. She showed them every possible attention and did everything to make our lives pleasant. If I seemed worried, she looked at me with sympathy to seem to hurt her. Marie quickly came over to say to me, Mama, please look more cheerful. My aunt thinks you're sad, and she's hurt over it. I answered her, leave me alone. I can't do better. And I reproached myself for it. One day we were in the countryside, so they take them out into the country outside of Lisieux. I went there reluctantly to accompany the others. Then we settled in a meadow to rest, and during this time my sister -in -law secretly went to prepare a snack for us, secretly because Céline just doesn't want her putting herself out. When she brought it to us, I was so upset at the trouble she went to. You know, every year you see this, her sister -in -law sends these wonderful gifts around Christmas time for the children, and every year Céline responds the same way. She thanks her. She's so grateful, but you shouldn't have done it. It bothers her when people put themselves out for her in any way like this. I was so upset at the trouble she went to that I was far from showing appropriate gratitude. She contented herself with laughing at my apparent coldness because she knows Céline, oh well, I'm truly not very pleasant. So she's very matter -of -fact about herself this way. She never puts herself on a pedestal. Fortunately, I'm still willing to admit it, exclamation point, but if I don't know how to show signs of affection, this is why I chose this letter. I feel the sentiments inside. I believe I wish for my brother's prosperity more than mine. Her brother was a pharmacist, and he had a pharmacy, he had started a drug business, and they were struggling at times. In fact, Céline and Louis would help him even financially. Later things went very well for Isidore.
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
A highlight from St. Padre Pio and the Healing of the Church Building a Kingdom of Love w/ Msgr. John Esseff podcast
"Monsignor Essif encountered Saint 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 Pope Saint John Paul II, to bring the good news to the world, especially to the poor. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters, seminarians and other religious leaders. Building a Kingdom of Love, Reflections with Monsignor John Essif. I'm your host, Chris McGregor. Good morning. Good morning, Monsignor. How are you today? Very good. Very good. Thank you. The Feast of Saint Padre Pio. What a great feast, huh? I can't even imagine what it must be like for you to have known those individuals who have been lifted up and are now saints. Does that make you a second -class relic? I feel very privileged to have known them, to have met them, to have been accompanied by them. And I believe all of us have various saints that we're just really looking forward to, to spending time with for eternity. And what would a visit be like with your favorite saints? Hagiography, which is the study of the saints, I really think needs a review, because so often we think that we almost make them unreal. Saint Pio suffered terribly in many, many ways. Yes, he is honored and praised now, but he was rejected, just like Jesus. What was his stigmata a sign of? The suffering of Jesus Christ. When I heard of him, I was very drawn to go to see him. And when I went to see him, the time that I saw him, he was banished to the furthest monastery that the Franciscan had. There he was, way off. Petriosina is not the center of the world. It's the furthest monastery they had. It's way up in the hills on the Adriatic side of Italy. Not the center, certainly, of Franciscan life. And I think they were trying to hide him, because why? Because the bishop suspected that his, and I didn't know this at the time, that his wounds were self -inflicted, that he was self -inducing the wounds. And his bishop was convinced that he had to be silenced, and he did. He was unable to preach. What kind of psychological, emotional, as well as physical pain does a priest have when he's been banished to a far remote place, silenced, unable to preach? The only thing he could do was hear confessions. And what a magnificent, he did, completely obedient. What example does he really give us when Jesus was lied about, when he was subjected to all kinds of examination and tests? Even the place that they sent him to said that they weren't sure that his wounds were not self -imposed.
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
A highlight from LST1 Introduction The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux with Fr. Timothy Gallagher Podcast
"Discerninghearts .com in cooperation with the Oblates of the Virgin Mary presents The Letters of Saint Therese of Lisieux with Father Timothy Gallagher. Father Gallagher is a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual direction according to the spiritual of exercises Saint Ignatius of Loyola. He is featured on several series found on the Eternal Word television network. He is also author of numerous books on the spiritual teachings of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and the Venerable Bruno Lanteri, founder of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, as well as other works focused on aspects of the spiritual life. The Letters of Saint Therese of Lisieux with Father Timothy Gallagher. I'm your host, Chris McGregor. Welcome, Father Gallagher. Thank you, Chris. Always good to be here. Talk to us about Saint Therese. What is the little flower to you? One thing I've noticed if you look at the writings of most people when they write or speak about Therese, they always start with how they first encountered Therese. If you look at Dorothy Day's book on Therese, for example, that's the way she begins, but you see this as kind of a pattern. In my own case it's very simple. This was before I entered the seminary and at a certain point, I'm a reader, I love to read, and resolved that I probably should do some spiritual reading, a little reluctantly because what I really like are stories and those sorts of things. Maybe it was Lent, I don't recall, but I remember going to a shelf bookcase with spiritual books, going through them, not really being drawn to anything, and then I saw this title that said, Story of a Soul, and it was the word story that caught my attention because I love stories. So I thought, well, maybe that'll be a little easier to read than some of the others. I began reading it and immediately fell in since then, very much at the origins of the process that led to entering the seminary. After theological studies, perhaps having read the basic sources, it felt like something done and kind of there, but more recently has opened up in a wonderful way again that leads to what we're doing now, and a rereading of the sources and amplifying that reading, and just coming to see in a new way the remarkable figure that she is. And so that's what leads us to do this now. You know, it was Pope Saint Pius X who called her the greatest saint of modern times, and I think we can easily not agreement at that now, declared a doctor. There's so much there. So I have the feeling that as we dive into this huge sea that is the life and teaching and writings of Saint Therese, that you can't go wrong. You know, wherever you enter, there's always going to be richness. You know, it strikes me that some of our listeners may be thinking, what's Father Gallagher? And he's an expert on Ignatian spirituality, and yet they may not realize that there's a heavy Carmelite influence in the Oblates of the Virgin Mary through the spirituality and the life of their father. But it's not a real push to see where in the charism of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, this calling, as it were, to also come to a ability to be able to communicate aspects of that Carmelite living. Does that make sense? Sure. Yeah. I mean, as I mentioned, I initially came to her before I even knew Venerable Bruno. But once I entered and got to know him well, I discovered, exactly as you said, that he was essentially Ignatian but not exclusively Ignatian. And you do see a lovely Carmelite component. For example, as he is approaching his ordination to the priesthood, you see amongst his spiritual proposals the plan to read in its entirety the writings of Saint Teresa of Avila. Also familiar with Saint John of the Cross, of course, Saint Therese comes after his lifetime. So that component is very much there. What is contemplative, what involves growth in prayer and deep prayer, and the kind of things that lie at the heart of the Carmelite vocation, all of that is very real in him, not only in his learning but very much in his own experience as well in his own prayer. It's so fascinating that, as you said, Pope Saint Pius X would say that she is, again, one of the most significant, one of the most important saints of the 20th century that she would be. At a time and era where the family has been so much under attack, the fact that this little flower can bloom in a garden of a family, as it were, that they themselves have become saints, not only her mother and father, but it looks as though her sisters are on their way in this area of the cause of canonization. Well, the cause of her sister Leonie, who would have seemed a very unlikely candidate of all the sisters, the most unlikely candidate for sanctity, that cause is underway now. She's the servant of God, Leonie Martin. And yes, there is a movement to try to promote the cause of the other sisters as well. In God's time, we'll see where all of that goes. But you have a family which is very much built on faith, on the search for holiness, on love for the church, on the desire to respond to God's vocation, in which all the members strengthen each other. And you see that in the letters that we'll be looking at. And of course, you see it in Therese's deep gratitude to her parents and her love for her sisters. Their family is simply a remarkable witness to a family as a family. It's the kind of family everyone would hope for, where there's a deep unity and bond and love between the members, and not only the immediate family, but also with the more extended family, very specifically Therese's aunt and uncle and their two daughters. And you see the great love there amongst all of them. You can go through all of the letters, and that's two volumes, 1 ,300 pages. And all you will see is there are times when there are some disagreements about this decision or that decision. You see some of that. But enveloping everything and underlying everything and above everything, what you see is a deeply united and loving family. It's a beautiful witness to the family, very much. The letters of Saint Therese are absolutely remarkable. If you are a devotee of the story of the soul, that in itself can sustain you for a lifetime. But letters the give us a fullness, a beautiful, rich imagery. And I say this in all reverence, but a more complete picture of Therese, doesn't it? Well, as you've said, Chris, I think it's obvious that the real center to get to know Therese is the story of the soul. That's the real heart of it. And then around that, there are other primary sources as well. What's called her last conversations, where her sisters and some of the others in the convent recorded her sayings and doings in her last months. The book entitled Therese by those who knew her, which is a large extract of the witnesses that were given on the diocesan level as her cause for canonization was begun. So these were people speaking out of their own personal recollections of Therese, about Therese. If you want to have there a real richness as well. But our initial focus will be the letters, probably because they don't get cited all that much, you know. We may have the feeling that looking at passages in the story of the soul, which we'll get to, that this is familiar territory. The letters might be less so. It does take a little bit of energy and persistence, I'd say, to read them because it is fairly lengthy, but they are remarkably well done, amply annotated with very helpful footnotes, with introductions. So they are a very rich resource to take the next step. The first step would be the story of a soul, but if a person wants to take the next step, then the letters would be the next step. There is a remarkable heritage that we've received from the lives of the saints through their letters. I think of the letters of, of course, Teresa of Avilot, Ignatius of Loyola, but we've seen through the letters of Venerable Bruno Lanteri, the letters of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity. The list could go on and on, and I have to say the letters of Catherine of Siena. When you read those, you get a real sense of the friendships, the, the family relationships, their interaction with those around them and with the world, don't you? Soon -to -be Saint John Henry Newman says at one point in his writings that his sense of the best way to get to know a person is not through a biography, but through reading the person's letters. And I think, as is generally true, he is right on the mark, and generally true of what, I'll call him, St. John Henry Newman says he is, I think, right on the mark. Today, I suppose, we do this more digitally, but if you were to take a selection of 30, 50 emails of a correspondence between two friends or two family members or two people who love the Lord and whom, you know, sanctity is evident, you would get, with a great immediacy, you would get a feel for the person. And that's what you get here with Therese. Now, there are qualities about her letters that I'll just mention one now. As I read through them over a number of months, it dawned on me after a while, all of these letters are other -centered. Just, it's remarkable. This is not a woman who is writing because she needs to write for her own sake. But you look at all of these letters, commemorations of family members' birthdays, encouragement to her father after she's left home, and she knows he's suffering her loss, and her sister, Celine, who is caring for her father and his illness. It's remarkable that we think of her as the one who practiced love, a very loving person, which she certainly is. If you want to get a concrete feel for that, of course, after the story of the soul, you can just read these letters. You know, most of us, when we write emails or letters, there'll be something that's a bit self -centered. I don't want to criticize that too much. Our friends, family members do want to know. But we may have some complaints here or there or be unhappy about something here or there, be angry about something here or there. In Therese, the one thing that you see is love. And after you go through this, after a while, a vision arises of, if this woman who is writing this way so consistently in every relationship that you see portrayed in the letters, lived this way within her community, her presence must have been a very beautiful thing. If she lived, there's no question that she did, but what you see when she spontaneously expresses what's in her heart in the letters, if that's what was in her heart as she actually interacted with the people with whom she shared life day by day, for us, we can think of our families or workplaces or parishes, then you get the image of what love can really mean in very ordinary, humble, concrete ways, as we'll see.
The Financial Guys
A highlight from Growing Unease: Current Administrations Approach to Security and Travel with David Bellavia
"What do you think they're doing with cash, right? What deal do you make where someone says, I'll bring a box of money to you? Yeah. What do you, it's, this is a state sponsor of terrorism. Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests and my fellow citizens. America's comeback now. starts right Welcome back Financial Guys podcast. Mike Speraza in studio live today with a guest in the studio. I haven't had this in a long time. Staff Sergeant medal of honor recipient David Bellavia joining me for about a half hour today. David, thank you for joining us. Thank you for having me. I appreciate it. Absolutely. So I'm going to stick based on your background. I'm going to stick with a lot of military stuff today and I want to start, we'll go all the way back to the beginning of the Joe Biden presidency. The Afghanistan withdrawal, in my opinion, did not go very smoothly. I'm sure many people listening agree. What were your overall thoughts of that withdrawal and how it actually ended up happening? I know we lost, you know, sadly lost 13 soldiers in that, in that withdrawal. People say we went off the wrong air base. People say that we shouldn't have gone out in the middle of the summer. There was a lot of different things there. What were your overall thoughts on that? I think it's like the worst day in American history since Market Garden. Just absolutely. And the reason why it was so difficult was it was totally unnecessary. So let's rewind to the Obama trade, Bull Bergdahl and the three first round draft picks. They get Marshall, they get MacArthur and they get Patton that end up the resurgence of the Taliban. These men not just go back to the enemy, they go back to the battlefield. They're in power when the government falls. You have misinformation coming from the White House that the president of Afghanistan is leaving with billions of dollars on his plane, which wasn't true. And then you leave the equipment, the cash. There's no recovery. We're getting reports of sales of American equipment left in Afghanistan in Southeast Asia. We're moving material across the globe. Our children will fight and pay and have to atone for these miscalculations. Let's talk about that. You being in the military and you knowing that area too, why did they just find it the easiest way out to just say, you know, just leave that billion dollar billions of dollars of equipment there and not think, again, if it was me and I'm speaking that someone that's never been in the military, but if it's me and I'm the president, I'm thinking, OK, I don't want to leave all our weaponry there. I don't want to lose any of my men. Number two. And number three, I want to make sure that everybody knows when and how we're getting out of there. And it just felt like poof. One day they said we're getting out of here. Well, it's because the military didn't make any of those decisions. I mean, look, Millie, it can criticize him. You can criticize Secretary of Defense worthy of criticism. However, none of these individuals are making decisions. This is about NGOs on the ground. This is about the State Department. So you've got Bagram Air Base, the equivalent of JFK. You've got Karzai International Airport, the equivalent of Teterboro. Right. Why would you ever do an exfil out of Karzai International Airport? It makes absolutely no sense. It's tactically unsound. But and then you've got all the ISIS -K. We retaliate from the murder of 13 of our bravest and we drop a bomb on a guy delivering water. He's on our payroll and we kill children on that. Then we take out Borat on a tuk tuk driving around like that wasn't even really what was happening. It's just a den of lies. And Tony Blinken and Jake Sullivan, all the heroes that brought us, you know, the Bergdahl deal, the Iran nuke deal. This is these. They the State Department is running all foreign policy, including what the DOD used to run. Well, that's I was going to say. I mean, I know Biden's the president, but do you blame him at all or is it everybody underneath him that, you know, maybe was giving him bad information? And again, some of these decisions, David, is Biden even involved in some of these decisions? Like, I don't even know anymore. Is he around? Is he paying attention to anything going on? Well, I mean, just from the press conferences, it was apparent he didn't know what was going on. And the great irony is that they actually were predicting that Ukraine was going to be invaded and, you know, no one believed them. So it's like you can't influence your friends. The allies don't trust you. The enemy doesn't respect you. You know, I mean, you've got Ben Rhodes is really proud of this State Department. Susan Rice loves what they're doing. But, you know, again, Americans died. And, you know, and what is the perfect culmination of the adventure in Afghanistan? Looking at your watch at Dover Air Base when bodies are coming home. I mean, nothing could you couldn't ask for a just it's it's a debacle. Yeah. And it's sad that that's that's the leader of our country there. Let's move in. You brought up the Ukraine there. So the Russia Ukraine conflict will get to Zelensky in a minute. He is as we speak in New York City right now. But so Trump's in office. We don't see many of these conflicts or any conflicts actually started under his watch. And then we have the Biden administration come in. And a year later, we have Russia invading Ukraine. Why did this happen and why? Why the timing of February of 2022? So let's go back to when we were fighting ISIS. Trump engaged and destroyed estimated some say 300 members of Wagner forces. But those were Russian nationals. We engaged. We destroyed them. What was the response from Putin? Nothing at all. So what do people in that section of the world, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, what do they respect? They respect power. They respect authority. You're not going to get any respect if you don't engage the enemy when they present themselves. I don't understand the calculus of again, I'm trying hard to figure it out. I don't get it. I don't. You know, Romania and Hungary and Poland, you're letting them unilaterally decide whether or not they want to send reinforcements into Ukraine. That's an act of war. If NATO members engage the enemy, all of NATO is engaged against the enemy. Poland doesn't unilaterally make that decision. Hungary and Romania don't unilaterally make that decision. We can't even articulate what the mission is. And if you look, go to the Institute for the Study of War, there's a plug for them. Check out their overlay from when the battle started, when the war started with Russia. And tell me what success this offensive in Ukraine has produced. I mean, let me ask this question, because I get confused. The answer is nothing. I asked this on Twitter, X, whatever it's called, all the time. What is the end game and how do we get there? Because all I see the answer is, hey, just blank checks. Hey, just write a check. Hey, here's a billion. Hey, here's 20 billion. Hey, here's another 10 billion. I don't actually see a look. I mean, like anything, right? If I write a business plan of what I want to do in 2024, my goal is X. I write down my steps to get X. I don't just write down X and say it's going to happen. I don't really know. And then the answer always is, well, we have to fight. We have to back Ukraine. Okay. But when does that end? Because the Afghanistan war and the war in Iraq lasted 20 years plus, right? And was there a real end to it? I don't know. That's where it gets frustrating for me, Dave, where I'm like, how do we know what the end game is? Do you win or lose? When does that happen? I don't know. I don't know. At least you're thinking about it. And I have fear that our leaders aren't, and that's the problem. So here's what this comes out. You're going to get a negotiated settlement out of Ukraine, right? But you talked about the billions of dollars that we're spending and giving to Ukraine as a blank check. First of all, Zelensky visited Ukrainian soldiers in the United States. Did you know that there were wounded Ukrainian soldiers in the United States? I did not know that. Well, today he visited them. So what's happening there? So that's a cost that no one is putting on the ledger. So now let's look at the blank check that Ukraine is getting. And by the way, I'm pro Ukraine. I want to fight communists all day and night. So let's punch Putin hard in the face. However, you're giving them a blank check and you're giving them munitions. Now here's the problem. We have to replace those munitions. Those munitions were purchased for 20 year global war and terror. And let's be honest, inflation is involved. So what you purchased for $10 is now $17. So you're not just giving them the money. You're giving them the equipment and the munitions that you have to replace yourself at the value of what is valued today. We haven't scratched the surface for the amount of money. CBO absent at the wheel. No one is tracking this. 2024 can't get here fast enough. How does this work, though, when you talk about some of these NATO nations coming together and making decisions, but us not just giving weaponry, giving everything money, whatever we're giving there? Is that not an act of war, too, though, David, at some point? We're continuing to fund Ukraine continuing the war in Ukraine. I mean, that to me seems like we're backing a war. Well, I mean, by the letter of the law and NATO charter, it's not. But here's the problem. It's schizophrenic because we were told that what was an offensive weapon was going to mitigate, you know, that wasn't going to help peace at all. So we went from, I don't know if they should get tracked vehicles to I'm not sure an artillery piece is what they need to high Mars rockets being launched. And let's be honest. I mean, the Ukrainians are I mean, the payload that they're going through, what you would have to have cataclysmic casualty numbers to be able to to the spandex that they're doing on the ground that they need to replace Patriot. If you're going through thirty five Patriot to, you know, missiles, I would expect to at least the C 20 makes that are shot down. They're using them for air artillery. They're using there for indirect fire. I don't know what they're doing, but this is going to end with Don Boss going to Russia. This is going to end with that land chain that Putin wanted through Crimea. And again, our friends in NATO, what are they even doing for Ukraine? What? Look, if you they said that Trump wanted to kill NATO, Biden did it. Right. Biden did it. And now Germany. And so Putin was selling oil at thirty dollars a barrel. What's it at ninety six? Yeah. He's making more money than he did before. And he's financing a war and killing innocent people. You mentioned before, too, and I think this is a good point. Everybody on the left and I'll say the media, the establishment, whoever you want to say, says that if you don't agree with the war in Ukraine, you're like pro Putin. Right. And that's just the most outrageous thing in the world, because I agree with you. I feel for the people of Ukraine. I don't want this for them. I don't want this for innocent people. However, at some point, the world's every every one of the world's problems can't be America's problem when we have a border crisis. And then I think they said yesterday ten thousand people came across. They got, I think, eight thousand of the ten thousand. But you see the numbers day over day. It's a problem. We have crime that's rampant. We have overdoses that are at record numbers. We have we have suicides at record numbers. At some point, we have to maybe just think about ourselves and not everybody else, because if we fall, sadly, I think the world falls at that point. Amen. The thing that I would add is I love the way the Ukraine refugee has been crowbarred into the migrant crisis in the United States. New York leaders from the city to all over Kathy Hochul, the governor of the state of New York, mentioning that, you know, like the Ukrainians in Poland, the the Polish have no intention to keep Ukrainians forever. That's a temporary you know, they're leaving a conflict to return to their country after the conflict is over. Again, this is just we're we're putting a round peg into a square hole and just hammering it away. But but there's no the media. There's you're our destroying military. I go to parents all the time around this country and ask them to give us their sons and daughters to join the military. And the one thing they bring up is Afghanistan. It's not about anything. It's Afghanistan. How are you going to assure us that you're going to maintain your commitment to our son and daughter when you betrayed us in Afghanistan that has lasting effects? And there's not a I'm trying to find a segment of our of our of our nation that's functioning. I don't know what it is. I saw in Chicago, they're going to have municipally owned grocery stores. Maybe that will figure it out there. Yeah, yeah, it's good. Real quick, do you think and we'll finish up on this topic, but do you think that they will we will ever have boots in the ground on Ukraine? I mean, I hope not, because I just don't know what the I mean, look at I'm I'm we're getting ready for China. We're trying to revolutionize everything. I don't know what the what the plan is. I mean, again, if you want to put a base in Ukraine, and you want to make that a sustainment operation going forward, that I here's the point. I don't understand what the inactive ready reserve call up was for. Why are you bringing those troops in the non combat support? Why are they going to Ukraine? What are you building infrastructure there? Here's what I do know. We're talking a minimum of $11 trillion to build Ukraine back. That is cataclysmic amounts of money. There isn't water, electricity, internet, you know, you want to help Ukraine. You're going to Russia is not paying for that if you negotiate a settlement. So I don't know what the plan is. But I hope we never see boots on the ground. I could guess what the plan is. I won't I won't say for sure. But I could guess that we'll be paying a chunk of that. And I do have one last one. So I did interview Colonel Douglas McGregor a few months back. And he talked about he's a real optimist. But he is really very, very bullish on Ukraine. Yes, very, very optimistic. I'm dropping some all over the place. But he brought up some staggering numbers, though. And even if they're half true, it's a problem. The amount of casualties and wounded soldiers on the Ukrainian side that we're not hearing about the media. I don't know if you agree with some of those numbers or not. But he's saying, I mean, it's people are acting as if this is an even war right now. And it's not even close. First of all, McGregor's a stud. I mean, he's an absolute, you know, that we're glad he's on our side. He's a military mind. I don't know if those numbers are accurate. I could tell you they're juxtaposed to almost everything we're hearing from every institution that we have, including a lot of our intel from Germany and England. But again, I don't know what to believe. So when you don't have when you don't have transparency, when you're not holding regular press conferences, when your Pentagon spokesman is now working in the White House and now you're getting a triple spin. I mean, the U .S. Open double backspin. You've gotten so many spins on the narrative. I don't know what to believe. But if he is even close to what is a segment of truth, you know, then look, Ukraine needs an investigation. There's a lot of investigations. We've got to start on Afghanistan. We were promised that by Speaker McCarthy. We need a hot wash on Afghanistan. And then we need to go to what who is oversighting the money that's going to Ukraine. And what have we got for our return on investment? Yeah, I'm not asking for much. Really, all I'm asking for in this conflict is can we just talk about what the end game is? And to your point, can we get an accounting of where the money's going and what's being spent in a real accounting of it? The Iran deal that just happened last week. First off, the fact that that was negotiated and completed on 11th September to me is just the ultimate slap in the face. But you again, you know more about this than I do. We do a five for five trade. OK, I'm going to use sports analogies. We trade five for five. And then we also approved of six billion dollars that apparently wasn't ours, but it was in a fund that now they can release to Iran. How are we winning on that one? Well, first of all, I was hoping that at least it was a digital transfer. The fact that it went as euros in cash through Qatar. And OK, so what happens the 24 hours after that deal is made? We're now getting issues in the West Bank. We're now hearing about issues in Yemen. We've now got Hezbollah that's reinforced. I mean, look, what do you think they're doing with cash? Right. What deal do you make where someone says, I'll bring a box of money to you? What do you it's this is a state sponsor of terrorism. They haven't changed. By the way, their president is now in New York City addressing the United Nations. This guy's killed 6500 of his own people. He admits to it. He killed the students that revolted and wanted democracy when we did nothing. He killed 5000 of his citizens in 1988. He's killed over 300 Americans. There's no accountability whatsoever. I don't understand what it is about Jake Sullivan and Tony Blinken that believe that Iran is a partner. All you've done 10 years ago, they were refining 10 percent of their oil. And now they're a force. Now they're working with Maduro in Venezuela, and they're a huge part of their members of of the international community. They're in good standing there. I don't get it. Does anyone believe that the Iran nuke deal? Look, we got hit with cruise missiles under Trump in Iraq. How did they have those cruise missiles? Those cruise missiles were illegal under the Obama nuke deal. So how are you refurbishing missiles in two years? Do we believe that their centrifuges have stopped? That they won't have a program if they don't have one already? No, I mean, I guess my question, David, is how I mean, I know that you pay a lot of attention to this stuff, but how do people like in the media not ask these questions? Right. I mean, these are legitimate. I mean, we just traded to I put this on my notes here. This is on the heels of trading a WNBA basketball player for the Merchant of Death like six months ago. Right. I mean, and again, I'm glad Americans are coming back to America. I don't want to sound pessimistic on that. That's great news. But we also I mean, this this stuff just seems like I don't care what side of the aisle you're on. It warrants questions, but nobody seems to care. I'm in the world that if you take hostages, we take hostages. You want to exchange people? We'll exchange people. You know, we definitely have the partners in the area to do that. For whatever reason, this administration, they're they're they're contrarians. They're contrarians to you know, they claim Bush and Cheney are their best friends, yet they just go 180 degrees from that doctrine. I don't know what the Biden doctrine is. I don't know what Bidenonomics is either, but I could tell you that they believe that Iran is a partner. Now, here's another thing. Our envoy to Iran not only is no longer the envoy, he doesn't have a security clearance. Does anyone curious at The New York Times as to what happened to the lead negotiator in Iran that is escorted off a bus, taken into American custody, given a job at Yale or Princeton or wherever he's working now? I've never heard of a person going from top secret classified negotiations to no clearance whatsoever and in the custody of American intelligence community. No one cares. No one cares at all. It's fascinating. And again, for me, I mean, these are big decisions that we're making. And correct me if I'm wrong, but it used to be, you know, maybe we did a two for five deal and then we made the six billion. Now we're like, we're giving stuff away and we're on the losing end. Correct me if I'm wrong, but America was never, you know, America losing. It was always America winning, right? America getting the best of deals. At least McDonald's has a five for five. We didn't even get that. You know what this does though? Honest to God, if you're thinking about traveling overseas, things go sideways, cartel, South America, Mexico, wherever you're going, you have a price in your head now. No one in their right mind is going to bring you back whether it's Haiti or wherever you are, you're worth $1 .25 billion. And thugs and scumbags are going to take advantage of that. I mean, that's a great point too. Do you think about leaving the country? I don't know anymore. That's a little bit concerning. I don't care where you're going, right? That's concerning. This one I just had to bring up because it happened two days ago or yesterday. How do we lose a plane? And I heard that's like a third one in the last six weeks that something like this has happened. How are we losing $80 million planes? Well, they're not $80 million anymore because they've got a new engine and all this other stuff. Look, the F -35 program is a complete disaster. You want to talk about why our allies think we're crazy. We sold them a plane. This program has been around since the early 90s and we've got nothing on return for it. So basically two planes are flying in a buddy team. They're doing training and a guy punches out. We don't even know why he punched out, but that plane could have easily hit a building. It didn't, thank God. But the wingman didn't follow where his buddy went. So what is he doing? He just kind of went on and did his own thing. And now the Marine Corps put a Facebook post like a dog is missing. We're expecting the Ukrainian farmers to carry the F -35 out with their tractors. I don't know what the point of it's wild. Look, stop embarrassing us. Just stop humiliating us. That's all I'm asking. Just be the army and the Marine Corps that we know our men and women are capable of being. Get out of their way. This gender garbage, this social experiment nonsense, stop humiliating our military. That's all I ask. Why can we not get the... I mean, I know why we can't get the answer, but I'm asking this to you. But why can't we, at a press conference at the White House, why can't we say, I want to talk to the guy that was in the other plane, or you can tell us the transcript of what happened when that happened. Talk to the guy who jumped out of the plane. Why did you do that? And again, I'm not trying to put our military on the spot, but these are kind of big questions to ask, right? I mean, if I do something in my business, I have to go face the music on that. Why doesn't everybody have to face music for their decisions or why things are happening? I think it's kind of important. Well, you don't want to talk to generals because they're going to tell you the truth and they won't be generals anymore. True. And you don't want to talk to enlisted people. Because look, I mean, let's be honest. How many people are... Is this a merit -based military anymore? Do we have a meritocracy? Are we promoting people based on pronouns? Go figure. When we're putting politics above military strength, accidents happen. We don't know the facts, but the fact that nobody cares about getting to the bottom of it, the day of the Pentagon paper reporters are gone. Yep. Yep. Let's just talk about the 2024 race quick, and then we will wrap up for today. So your thoughts on the Republican primary so far, I'll stay away from the Democratic side till the very end, but your thoughts on, you know, there's obviously Trump who is now in a, has a huge lead. Ron DeSantis seems to be crumbling underneath himself. Vivek Ramaswamy has jumped up in the polls. Nikki Haley's there. Tim Scott's there. A few others that probably aren't going to get a lot of votes. Chris Christie's the anti -Trump candidate. Mike Pence is, I don't know what Mike Pence is. I'm not really sure. Your thoughts about the whole field so far? I mean, look, it's impressive. They've got a deep bench. There's a lot of diversity. I, you know, none of it matters. Trump is the guy. The more you indict him, the more you empower him. You know, I'd like him to work on his communications a little bit better. You know, but if Trump is Trump, Trump is a Frankenstein monster of Barack Obama. As long as you have that faction, you're going to get, you know, Trump is going to be empowered. I just don't want to see Governor Noem anywhere near the White House. And I, if he's going to pick a running mate, you know, it's hard to find an ally here, you know. But it would be nice to find a governor. I don't want to take anyone from the Senate. I don't want to take anyone from the House with the margins that tight. But I mean, the idea that Governor Noem is being floated right now. I mean, I'd rather take North Dakota. Yeah. A little sled there. You know, it's funny you mentioned that because I saw a lot of that this weekend. I mean, can we just, for lack of a better term, keep it in our pants for about a year and then do what you got to do? It really is. I mean, every time you turn, somebody's doing something idiotic, whether it's Boebert. And again, I say this, David, a lot of people know who you are. A lot more know who you are than they'll ever know who I am. But when you go out in public into a movie theater like that, and I'm going to Boebert, not Noem for a second, you're, you're extremely well known. I don't care if it's dark or if it's as light as it is in the studio right now. What are you thinking? I, you know, she's, she's, she's an embarrassment. She is. She's bad, too. Who would have thought that Marjorie Taylor Greene would have been the, the oasis of the Maryland? I mean, seriously, I, again, you're, you're in Congress every day. You're out in public, you're on the job. You know, at least she wasn't wearing a hoodie, you know, that's all in shorts. She was at least dressed for the occasion, but I, it was, it's wildly embarrassing. Vaping, singing, whatever you're doing. Getting groped. Yes. Who is your VP candidate then? Because I think, you know, you have names thrown around. There's, there's, the vague has been thrown around in there. You know, Byron Donald's has been thrown around in there. Carrie Lake has. I don't know. I love Carrie Lake. I just don't know that Trump needs to go with somebody so divisive there. I think he's got to go with somebody that's, that's firm in their beliefs, but also not maybe going to turn off half the country. Well, you know, it's, it's impossible. One of the, one of the problems with making Trump, you know, the, the enemy of the state that the left has done is that you've really made it difficult for him to even put a cabinet together. You know, I mean, what are you going to do with it? You've got a lot of loyalists out there. You know, the vague is, is I think maybe the most intelligent dynamic candidate we've ever seen run for president, but experience does matter. But you know, I love the way he thinks. I love the movement. I don't know if he would even take the job to be honest with it. I don't think he needs it. But you look at a Tim Scott, I think Tim Scott is, you know, there's a whole lot to his message and I think he's, he's got the experience in the Senate, but honestly, you could literally take the Clint Eastwood chair and, and throw it in there as vice president. I'm going with that because this, this from top to bottom, we have to have seismic change in 24. Do you think he would ever choose Kristi Noem at this point with all that now? Yeah, no one knew Mike Pence was a, was a 24 hour story and then he was the vice president candidate. So who knows? I mean, a lot can happen between now and then, but I just, I don't need, you know, let's just pick people on their merit. Let's pick people that are ready to be the president. Imagine this, imagine picking a vice president that can lead the country. If something happens to a 75 year old president, you know, like Kamala Harris. Yeah. Someone like that.
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
A highlight from POA5 Know your Commander and Comrades Put On The Armor A Manual for Spiritual Warfare w/Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D. Discerning Hears Catholic Podcasts
"Discerninghearts .com, in cooperation with TAN Books, presents Put on the Armor, A Manual for Spiritual Warfare, with Dr. Paul Thickepen. Dr. Thickepen is an internationally known speaker, bestselling author, and award -winning journalist who has published 43 books in a wide variety of genres and subjects, including The Rapture Trap, A Catholic Response to End Times Fever, and The Manual for Spiritual Warfare, the book on which this series is based. In 2008, Dr. Thickepen was appointed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to their National Advisory Council. He has served the Church as a theologian, historian, apologist, evangelist, and catechist in a number of settings, speaking frequently in Catholic and secular media broadcasts and at conferences, seminars, parish missions, and scholarly gatherings. Put on the Armor, A Manual for Spiritual Warfare, with Dr. Paul Thickepen. I'm your host, Chris McGregor. Paul, thank you again so much for joining me. Thanks for the invitation to be here, Chris. God bless you. Well, in our previous conversations, we've kind of delineated what the battle is and who the enemy and some of the different ways he and those evil spirits, essentially the diabolical spirits, can assail us. But in this particular series of conversations, we want to talk about the commanders and our comrades who are just incredible in why the victory has been won. And it's so important because it's the warfare can be intense. And you start thinking about the power that the devil has and his demons and those kinds of things. It could be easy to get terrified or intimidated. But the good news is that he's already been defeated and that our Lord, by his passion and death and resurrection, has already defeated him. And that's why St. Paul could say to the Corinthians, thanks be to God, who's given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. So that's so incredible. We would be lost without him. It would be terrible. You know, I think back to the days when my final days as an atheist and where I had begun to encounter demonic powers, but still didn't believe in God. And it shocked me out of my materialist position that all that existed was kind of what you could see in here, matter and energy. And I finally realized there are other things out there that are beyond this nature that I see around me and they're evil and they're out to eat my lunch. And, you know, came close to despair at that moment. If those things are real, I don't have a chance. And yet I realized, but, you know, the same people and the same books that told me so long ago that these things were real also said that there was a God and a Lord Jesus Christ who conquered them. I'm going to go back and read and I'm going to go back to those people and talk again. If there's a devil and there's no God, I'm really in trouble. But if there's a devil and there is God, then there's hope. And that's that's the message. There's hope because of our commander. In the manual for spiritual warfare, over and over and over again, you cite scripture passage upon scripture passage that really helps us to kind of like our Lord in the desert, just identify constantly what that is and then talk back to it in the sense that it's not our words, but it's his words. And of course, I mean with a capital H. And it is so much more powerful. There's, you know, it's one thing for us and our own words are important, too. But it's one thing for us to resist the enemy and tell him to flee or contradict what he says to us. But when we do it in the words of Jesus himself, our faith is so much greater, our confidence is so much greater that that what we say is true. And the enemy goes to accuse us and we take the words of scripture that the accuser of the brethren has been cast down. He is an accuser and he's been cast down or that in his glorious triumph he'll come with all the saints in the armies of heaven or Saint John's words, which I come to again and again. He says, you are of God, dear children, and have overcome him, the devil, because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. And how many times have I had to say that to the enemy? The one who's in me is greater than you are. So get lost. That's right. And that's something that we always have to remember. We had those two incredible witnesses, and in so many of the writings and scriptures, but in particular of Saint Paul and Saint John, Saint Paul says, it's not I who live, but it's Christ who lives in me. And here, just as you cited in 1 John, John the Apostle tells us once again, he who is in you, he is greater than he who is in the world. Who is in us? The great commander, our Lord Jesus Christ. In the end, the enemy is only a creature. He's a very powerful one. He has powers we don't have, but he's not some God of equal power to the good God. You know, so we're not dualists. We don't believe that there's a good God and a bad God who have to fight it out through history. He's a creature who went wrong, and even though he's very powerful, God is still God. There's only one God who's omnipotent, who's all -powerful and all -knowing. And as Saint Paul says, that he will soon crush the devil beneath your feet. And that's such a powerful promise to hold on to. And you alluded to earlier as well, those armies of heaven, which consist, as Saint Paul said in the letters to the Thessalonians 1 and 2, it's with all his saints and it's with the angels. It's that beautiful reference in Revelation that talks about Christ coming back as a warrior. And I know a lot of folks aren't comfortable with that image of Christ as warrior because we just think of him as the suffering servant and the lamb of God. And all that's true, but the book of Revelation shows him not just as the lamb who was slain, but also as the conquering warrior at the end who does finally totally crush and corral all the enemies of the saints, all the evil that we're fighting against. And talks about when he comes, he comes with the armies of heaven. And so you ask, well, who would be the armies of heaven? Well, Saint Paul then comes in and he specifies that in 1 Thessalonians 3, 13, he says he will come with all his saints. And in 2 Thessalonians, he says he'll come with the angels of his power. So those are like the two great divisions, you might say, of his army, of his host. Those are the comrades we have in battle. The queen of the saints, the queen of the angels, Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary, she is also referred to as the queen of humility. And yet it's in that humility that the irony of it, can we say, that she is able to crush the head of the servant. You know, I think it's important for us to see that what Our Lady did was to undo what Eve had done and to undo what the devil had done. How did the devil fall? Through his own pride. You know, we get in the book of Isaiah, the words that I will ascend to the mountain of the Lord, you know, and he wanted to take God's place. And so his great pride gets undone. It gets overturned by Our Lady's humility, by, you know, his fiat was, I will rule, and her fiat was, let it be done to me according to thy word. And so her humility overturns his. And she undoes what the devil did. She unties that knot that the devil tied, so to speak. And you get that predicted, prophesied all the way back in Genesis, when the Lord speaks to the serpent, who, of course, represents the devil, says, I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel. And that's why, of course, we have all these wonderful images of Our Lady, not just with the crown of stars above her head and the moon beneath her feet, as we get the image in the book of Revelation, but also with the head of the serpent crushed underneath her heel. Because though Jesus did the direct battle, she, by her fiat, by her agreement with the Lord, yes, of course, do what you want and I will bear your son. By that fiat, she also took part in that crushing of the serpent's head. And Eve gave a yes to the enemy's temptation and brought death and the devil's domination to the world. But Mary's yes to God instead of the enemy opened the door for the ultimate victory of her son over Satan. That's why we call her the new Eve. By her obedience to God, she undid what the first Eve had done by her disobedience. Well, one of the great saints that you mentioned here is not only a doctor of the church, but a loyal son of St. Francis, that St. Bonaventure, who writes so very strongly that, and he was a brilliant, brilliant, intelligent man, but even he had to acknowledge that men do not fear a powerful, hostile army as much as the powers of hell fear the name and protection of Mary. And we get that, you know, it's not just a speculation. There's all kinds of experience of that and exorcisms. A recent exorcist who talks about how an enemy, a demon, was protesting over the praying of a Hail Mary and saying every time, I'm paraphrasing, but every time you say that Hail Mary, it's like a hammer hitting my head. They have such a hatred for Our Lady, and they know that she's overcome them. She's the Queen of Angels, and as I say in one of my prayers in here, she's the Queen of Angels, and she's the bane of devils. They fear her and they tremble before her. Her name is terrible and powerful, it's the name of Jesus. Well, to them particularly, it's so beautiful that in the Manual for Spiritual Warfare, you have a whole section on prayers to Our Lady.
Audio
A highlight from DC28-Hildegarde-pt1
"Discerninghearts .com presents The Doctors of the Church, the terrorism of wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunsen. For over 20 years, Dr. Bunsen has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to church history, the papacy, the saints, and Catholic culture. He is the faculty chair at the Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co -author of over 50 books, including the Encyclopedia of Catholic History and the best -selling biographies of St. Damien of Malachi and St. Kateri Tekakawisa. He also serves as a senior editor for the National Catholic Register and is a senior contributor to EWTN News. The Doctors of the Church, the terrorism of wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunsen. I'm your host, Chris McGregor. Welcome, Dr. Bunsen. Wonderful to be with you again, Chris. Thank you so much for joining us to talk about this particular doctor of the church who, it's rare, isn't it, in our lifetimes to have those saints elevated to the status of doctor who have quite a background like St. Hildegard Bingen. Yes, well, she is, of course, with John of Avila, one of the two of the newest doctors of the church proclaimed as such by Pope Benedict XVI, who has, I think, a special fondness for her. And as we get to know her, we certainly can understand why he holds her in such great repute and such great respect. It's easy to overlook the fact that in her lifetime, she was called the Sybil of the Rhine, and throughout that, the whole of the 12th century in which she lived. She was renowned for her visions, but she was especially loved and respected for her wisdom, the greatest minds of her age, and, of course, was renowned also for her great holiness. So this is a formidable figure in the medieval church, and somebody, I think, that we really need to look at today as we proceed with the reform and renewal of the church. I'll try to put this very sensitively when I say that her presence in our time is one that, unfortunately, was relegated maybe into a back corner by many because of those who tried to hijack, in some ways, her spirituality to try to move forward to certain agendas. Yes, I think that's a very diplomatic way of putting it. Hildegard, in the last 10 years or so, and Pope Benedict XVI, I think, helped lead the charge in this, has been reclaimed by the church. Her authentic writings, her authentic spirituality, and especially her love for the church and her obedience to the authority of the church have all been recaptured, reclaimed for the benefit of the entire church. It's absolutely true that over the previous decades, much as we saw with a few others, I'm thinking, for example, of a Julian of Norwich in England who lived a little after Hildegard, were sort of kidnapped by those with real agendas to try to portray Hildegard as a proto -radical feminist, as somebody who was hating of the church, who attempted to resist the teachings of the church, who rejected the teachings of the church. And yet, as we read her, as we come to appreciate her more fully, I think we can grasp her extraordinary gifts, but also her remarkable love for the church. She was one who allowed herself to be subjected to obedience, that wonderful, can we say it, a virtue, as well as a discipline. Absolutely, yeah. It's one of those ironies, again, to use that word, that here was somebody who was falsely claimed by feminists, who I think would have been just shocked at the notion of herself as a feminist, that she had instead a genuine love for the church, a profound mysticism. And you've hit on one of the key words that we're going to be talking about with her, and that is a perfection of the virtues of love for Christ and her obedience to the church, to the authority of the church in judging what is and authentic what is pure. And that, I think, holds her up as a great role model today when we have so many who are dissenting from the church and continue to cling to this notion of Hildegard as some sort of a herald of feminism in the church. I don't think I would understate it by saying that it was breathtaking in the fall of 2010 then when Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, began a series of Wednesday audiences on the holy women of the Middle Ages. And he began those reflections, especially on those who had such deep mystical prayer experiences, he began the audiences not with just one but two audiences on Hildegard. Yeah, he has made it very clear. He certainly did this as pope. He's done this throughout his life as a theologian, somebody who wants to make certain that the church recognizes and honors genius in all of his forms, but also profound holiness. And Pope Benedict, in that there's the set of audiences, especially regarding Hildegard, but I mean, when we run through the list of some of the great figures that he was looking at, he talked, for example, about Julian of Norwich, he covered Catherine of Siena, Brigid of Sweden, Elizabeth of Hungary, and of course Angela of Foligno, who just recently was canonized through equivalent canonization by Pope Francis. The gifts to the church, the contributions to the life of the church, to the holiness of the church by these remarkable women. It's something that we need to pause, and I really appreciate the fact that you want to do that, to credit Pope Benedict for doing that, but also again to turn our gaze to these extraordinary women. And it is significant that Hildegard of Bingen was included in that list. If you could, give us a sense of her time period. Well, she grew up in Germany and really was a member of the German nobility, and she belonged to the German feudal system. In other words, her father was a wealthy, powerful landowner at a time when owning land was everything. His name was Hildebert, and both in the service of, as the feudal system worked, a more powerful lord by the name of Meggenhard, who was Count of Spannheim. These are sort of dazzling names to people today, but what's really most important is that medieval feudal life in Germany was one of service, it was one of status, but this reflects on the upbringing of Hildegard, I think, in a into this noble environment. She had the opportunity to learn, to understand what it was to command, to know what it was to have special status, and yet from her earliest times, she displayed extraordinary intelligence, but also very powerful spiritual gifts and a desire for status conscious, as so many of the members of the feudal nobility were, and yet they recognized in their daughter the fact that she was called to something else other than the life of service and of status that they enjoyed. And for that reason, they offered her up, as was the custom of the time, as sort of a tithe to the church, as an oblet to the nearby Benedictine abbey of Disobodenburg, and she was only eight years old at the time, but that was the custom. And her life changed from that minute, but it was, I think, the greatest gift that her parents could have given her, because they placed her in exactly the environment that she needed the most to foster, really to develop her spiritual life, and all of the skills that she was given by God that she came to possess as an abbess and as a leading figure of the medieval church. The stability of the Benedictine role, that way of devoting time in your day, not only to work, the discipline of action, but then also to prayer, it really served her so well, didn't it? It did, and especially crucial in this was the fact that, as was again the wisdom of the Benedictines, they gave her over for her initial training to other women who were experienced in life, in the spiritual life, in the discipline of the Benedictine community, but also in the spiritual life they saw, I think, immediately needed to be developed in her. There was the first by a widow by the name of Uda, and then more important was another woman by the name of Uta of Spannheim, who was the daughter of Count Stefan of Spannheim. Now why is it that notable? It's notable because in Uta, not only did Hildegard receive a kind of spiritual mother, as well as a spiritual guide and mentor, but Uta was, being the daughter of nobility, clearly aware of Hildegard's background as well as her immense potential in dealing with other members of the nobility in future years. The position of abbess was one of great power. We don't encounter abbesses and abbots very much anymore, and yet because of the status of the Benedictine order, because of the lands it accumulated, but also because of its importance to the life of the community wherever you had a Benedictine monastery, abbots and abbesses acquired and wielded great influence in society and political life, economic life, and then of course their spiritual power. And Uta would have understood all of this, and over the next decades she helped train Hildegard in a life of prayer, of asceticism, but also of training the mind and personality to command, to lead with charity, and then of course to have the level of learning with the best they could give her to prepare her for the immense tasks that lay ahead. Let's talk about some of those tasks. It's an incredible time for a monastery life, and it would be affected by her example of how it could be transformed. Well Hildegard always seriously underestimated and sort of downplayed her own learning. She referred to herself as an indocte mulier or an unlearned woman, and yet while she may have had formal academic training that one might think of today, she nevertheless understood Latin, certainly the use of the Psalter. The Latin language of course was the language of the church. It was so much of the common language of ecclesiastical life, but she also continued to train other noble women who were sent to this community. And so when she was given, as they say, she took the veil from the Bishop of Bamberg when she was about 15 years old. From that point on, we can see a direct line of progress and advancement for Hildegard. This wasn't something that she was craving, but it was something I think that she took to quite naturally, both because of her training, both because of her family background, but also just because of her genius level IQ. I say genius level IQ because if you spend much time reading the works of Hildegard, the unbelievable diversity of which she was capable, and we're going to talk a little bit about that, you appreciate the sheer level of her intelligence and how in that community life, in the wisdom of the Benedictine life, they were able to recognize that, to harness it, to train it, and then put it to the good of the community and the good of the wider church. Not just for the church's benefit, but to make of Hildegard's immense gifts exactly that. A gift to the church, a gift to the community, but especially a gift to God. And so we're seeing her move rapidly a from humble young girl, somebody who was then trained to become a teacher or a prioress of the sisters, and then of course, around the age of 38, she became the actual head of the community of women at Disobodenberg. I think it's so important to honor that intellectual aspect of Hildegard, I mean the fact that she would have this ability like a sponge to absorb everything around her, as though it seems, and also to wed that with her spiritual life and those mystical experiences, and when she had, how can we say this, it was very unique in that it wasn't that she would have a vision of something. She would even say she doesn't see things ocularly, I mean something that she would have in front of her. No, it was something much more compelling in which it incorporated all of her. I mean not only the the spiritual aspect, but it brought in to play all that intellectual knowledge so that you would end up getting tomes and tomes and tomes of writing. Yes, that's exactly it. For her, while she was certainly conscious of her limited education, she understood that the knowledge that she possessed came from what she always referred to in the Latin as the umbra viventis luminis, or the shadow of the living light. And for her, this is not something that she was too eager or all that willing to write about, which is, as you certainly know, Chris, of all people, that's one of the great signs of the genuineness of spiritual gifts, that she was reluctant to talk about this extraordinary series of visions and mystical experiences that she began having as a young girl, but chose not to speak of until she actually began to share them with Jutta, then with her spiritual director who is a monk by the name of Vomar, who really I think was a good influence on her. And only when she was really in her 40s did she begin to describe and to transcribe so much of what she saw. And part of that I think was because here was somebody who was receiving these these visions, these mystical experiences from a very young age, but who wanted to ruminate on them, who wanted to meditate on them. And for her, then, it was the command to talk about these. And as she wrote in the shivyas, one of her greatest of her writings, she talks about the fiery light coming out of a cloudless sky that flooded her entire mind and inflamed, she said, her whole heart and her whole like a flame. And she understood at that moment the exposition of the books of the Psalter, the Gospel, the Old and the New Testaments, and it was by command that she made these visions known. But it was again out of humility, out of obedience to the voice that she did this. And the full scale of what she saw and what she began to teach to transcribe took up almost the whole of the rest of her life. And yet even at that moment, as she did so, what was she doing? She sought additional counsel in the discernment of the authenticity and the truth of what she was seeing. Why? Because she was concerned that they might not be of God or that they were mere illusions or even possible delusions brought on by herself or by the evil one. And that commitment to obedience, I think, stands her in such great standing in the history of the church among the mystics. But it also tells us that, as often has been the case with some of the mystics in history, there have been those positivists and scientists and psychologists who try to dismiss these mystical experiences. In Hildegard's case, what have they claimed? They have said that she was receiving these simply psychological aberrations or they were various forms of neurological problems leading up to migraines or a host of other possible issues. And yet the clarity of her visions, the specificity of them, and also the theological depth of them, demolish any such claims by scientists today and instead really forces to look at what exactly she was seeing. I don't doubt that there will be many out there over the next century particularly that could achieve their doctorates just by writing on different aspects of her work. And if you are at all a student of the Benedictine rule, you can begin to see in those visions those connections with the life that she lived out. I mean, this was very organic. It wasn't like this were just coming. Though they seem foreign to us, when you, potentially, when you begin to look at those visions, if you understand the time, if you have a proper translation and you know the rule, you begin to see a little bit better the clarity of what she's communicating. Yes, exactly. And we also appreciate the staggering scale of what she saw. I mean, she beheld as well the sacraments. She understood the virtues. She appreciated angels. She saw vice. She saw, as Pope Benedict XVI talked in his letter proclaiming her a doctor of the church, what did he say? He says that the range of vision of the mystic of Bingen was not limited to treating individual matters but was a global synthesis of the Christian faith. So he talks about that this is a compendium of salvation history, literally from the beginning of the universe until the very eschatological consummation of all of creation. As he says, God's decision to bring about the work of creation is the first stage on a long journey that unfolds from the constitution of the heavenly hierarchy until it reaches the fall of the rebellious angels and the sin of our first parents. So she's touching on the very core of who we are and the most important aspects of redemption of the kingdom of God and the last judgment. That the scale of this again, I think, is difficult for much of a modern mind to comprehend. And it tells us that we have to be very careful from our perch here and surrounded by technology and modernity that we perhaps have lost our ability to see the sheer scale of salvation history. That this abbess sitting on the Rhine in the 12th century was able to and then was able to communicate it with language that is surprisingly modern. Oh, let's talk about that language not only with words but with music and with art. I mean, this woman was able to express herself in all manners of creative activity. Yes, I mean, this is somebody that designed, created her own kind of language. It's sort of a combination of Latin and German, which is a medieval German. But she also composed hymns, more than 70 hymns. She composed sequences and antiphons, what became known as the symphonia harmoniae celestium, the symphony of the harmony of heavenly revelations. And not only were they simply composed because, well, her community would need music, they were very much a reflection of the things that she had seen. And she wrote a very memorable letter in 1178 to the prelates of the city of Mainz, and she talks about the fact that music stirs our hearts and engages our souls in ways we can't really describe. But we're taken beyond our earthly banishment back to the divine melody Adam knew when he sang with the angels when he was whole in God before his exile. So here she's as seemingly simple as a hymn, and connecting it to the vision, connecting it to salvation history, and connecting to something far deeper theologically. So her hymns ranged from the creation of the Holy Spirit, but she was especially fond of composing music in honor of the saints, and especially the Blessed Virgin Mary. Yeah, as we're coming to a conclusion on this particular episode, I just don't want to miss out on just a little bit of a tidbit. We could have called her a doctor, I mean, in a very real way, a physician. This woman, this wonderful gift to the church, gift to all of us, I mean, she had that appreciation of creation and actually even how it will work to heal. Yes, yes. Again, it's hard to overestimate her genius. Why? Because beyond her visions, beyond her abilities as a composer, here was somebody who combined her genius with practical need. Her community had specific needs for her gifts. And so what did she do? She wrote books on the natural sciences, she wrote books on medicine, she wrote books on music. She looked at the study of nature to assist her sisters. So the result was a natural history, a book on causes and cures, a book on how to put medicine together. And it's a fascinating reading because she talks about plants and the elements and trees and birds and mammals and reptiles. But all of it was to reduce all of this knowledge to very practical purposes, the medicinal values of natural phenomena. And then she also wrote in a book on causes and cures, which is written from the traditional medieval understanding of humors. She lists 200 diseases or conditions with different cures and remedies that tend mostly to be herbal with sort of recipes for how to make them. This is all from somebody who at that time was an abbess of not just one but two monasteries along the Rhine, who was also being consulted on popes to kings to common people who came to her for help. And this is somebody who at that time was also working for her own perfection in the spiritual life and in the perfection of the virtues and who is also continuing to reflect and meditate on the incredible vision she was receiving. So this is a full life, but it was a life given completely to the service of others. And of course, she'll have to have two episodes. We do. Thank you so much, Dr. But looking forward to part two Chris. You've been listening to the doctors of the church, the charism of wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunsen. To hear and or to download this program, along with hundreds of other spiritual formation programs, visit discerning hearts .com. This has been a production of discerning hearts. I'm your friend. This has been helpful for you that you will first pray for our mission. And if you feel us worthy, consider a charitable donation which is fully tax deductible to support our efforts. But most of all, we pray that you will tell a friend about discerning hearts .com and join us next time for the doctors of the church, the charism of wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunsen.
Audio
A highlight from DC28-Hildegarde-pt1
"Discerninghearts .com presents The Doctors of the Church, the terrorism of wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunsen. For over 20 years, Dr. Bunsen has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to church history, the papacy, the saints, and Catholic culture. He is the faculty chair at the Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co -author of over 50 books, including the Encyclopedia of Catholic History and the best -selling biographies of St. Damien of Malachi and St. Kateri Tekakawisa. He also serves as a senior editor for the National Catholic Register and is a senior contributor to EWTN News. The Doctors of the Church, the terrorism of wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunsen. I'm your host, Chris McGregor. Welcome, Dr. Bunsen. Wonderful to be with you again, Chris. Thank you so much for joining us to talk about this particular doctor of the church who, it's rare, isn't it, in our lifetimes to have those saints elevated to the status of doctor who have quite a background like St. Hildegard Bingen. Yes, well, she is, of course, with John of Avila, one of the two of the newest doctors of the church proclaimed as such by Pope Benedict XVI, who has, I think, a special fondness for her. And as we get to know her, we certainly can understand why he holds her in such great repute and such great respect. It's easy to overlook the fact that in her lifetime, she was called the Sybil of the Rhine, and throughout that, the whole of the 12th century in which she lived. She was renowned for her visions, but she was especially loved and respected for her wisdom, the greatest minds of her age, and, of course, was renowned also for her great holiness. So this is a formidable figure in the medieval church, and somebody, I think, that we really need to look at today as we proceed with the reform and renewal of the church. I'll try to put this very sensitively when I say that her presence in our time is one that, unfortunately, was relegated maybe into a back corner by many because of those who tried to hijack, in some ways, her spirituality to try to move forward to certain agendas. Yes, I think that's a very diplomatic way of putting it. Hildegard, in the last 10 years or so, and Pope Benedict XVI, I think, helped lead the charge in this, has been reclaimed by the church. Her authentic writings, her authentic spirituality, and especially her love for the church and her obedience to the authority of the church have all been recaptured, reclaimed for the benefit of the entire church. It's absolutely true that over the previous decades, much as we saw with a few others, I'm thinking, for example, of a Julian of Norwich in England who lived a little after Hildegard, were sort of kidnapped by those with real agendas to try to portray Hildegard as a proto -radical feminist, as somebody who was hating of the church, who attempted to resist the teachings of the church, who rejected the teachings of the church. And yet, as we read her, as we come to appreciate her more fully, I think we can grasp her extraordinary gifts, but also her remarkable love for the church. She was one who allowed herself to be subjected to obedience, that wonderful, can we say it, a virtue, as well as a discipline. Absolutely, yeah. It's one of those ironies, again, to use that word, that here was somebody who was falsely claimed by feminists, who I think would have been just shocked at the notion of herself as a feminist, that she had instead a genuine love for the church, a profound mysticism. And you've hit on one of the key words that we're going to be talking about with her, and that is a perfection of the virtues of love for Christ and her obedience to the church, to the authority of the church in judging what is and authentic what is pure. And that, I think, holds her up as a great role model today when we have so many who are dissenting from the church and continue to cling to this notion of Hildegard as some sort of a herald of feminism in the church. I don't think I would understate it by saying that it was breathtaking in the fall of 2010 then when Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, began a series of Wednesday audiences on the holy women of the Middle Ages. And he began those reflections, especially on those who had such deep mystical prayer experiences, he began the audiences not with just one but two audiences on Hildegard. Yeah, he has made it very clear. He certainly did this as pope. He's done this throughout his life as a theologian, somebody who wants to make certain that the church recognizes and honors genius in all of his forms, but also profound holiness. And Pope Benedict, in that there's the set of audiences, especially regarding Hildegard, but I mean, when we run through the list of some of the great figures that he was looking at, he talked, for example, about Julian of Norwich, he covered Catherine of Siena, Brigid of Sweden, Elizabeth of Hungary, and of course Angela of Foligno, who just recently was canonized through equivalent canonization by Pope Francis. The gifts to the church, the contributions to the life of the church, to the holiness of the church by these remarkable women. It's something that we need to pause, and I really appreciate the fact that you want to do that, to credit Pope Benedict for doing that, but also again to turn our gaze to these extraordinary women. And it is significant that Hildegard of Bingen was included in that list. If you could, give us a sense of her time period. Well, she grew up in Germany and really was a member of the German nobility, and she belonged to the German feudal system. In other words, her father was a wealthy, powerful landowner at a time when owning land was everything. His name was Hildebert, and both in the service of, as the feudal system worked, a more powerful lord by the name of Meggenhard, who was Count of Spannheim. These are sort of dazzling names to people today, but what's really most important is that medieval feudal life in Germany was one of service, it was one of status, but this reflects on the upbringing of Hildegard, I think, in a into this noble environment. She had the opportunity to learn, to understand what it was to command, to know what it was to have special status, and yet from her earliest times, she displayed extraordinary intelligence, but also very powerful spiritual gifts and a desire for status conscious, as so many of the members of the feudal nobility were, and yet they recognized in their daughter the fact that she was called to something else other than the life of service and of status that they enjoyed. And for that reason, they offered her up, as was the custom of the time, as sort of a tithe to the church, as an oblet to the nearby Benedictine abbey of Disobodenburg, and she was only eight years old at the time, but that was the custom. And her life changed from that minute, but it was, I think, the greatest gift that her parents could have given her, because they placed her in exactly the environment that she needed the most to foster, really to develop her spiritual life, and all of the skills that she was given by God that she came to possess as an abbess and as a leading figure of the medieval church. The stability of the Benedictine role, that way of devoting time in your day, not only to work, the discipline of action, but then also to prayer, it really served her so well, didn't it? It did, and especially crucial in this was the fact that, as was again the wisdom of the Benedictines, they gave her over for her initial training to other women who were experienced in life, in the spiritual life, in the discipline of the Benedictine community, but also in the spiritual life they saw, I think, immediately needed to be developed in her. There was the first by a widow by the name of Uda, and then more important was another woman by the name of Uta of Spannheim, who was the daughter of Count Stefan of Spannheim. Now why is it that notable? It's notable because in Uta, not only did Hildegard receive a kind of spiritual mother, as well as a spiritual guide and mentor, but Uta was, being the daughter of nobility, clearly aware of Hildegard's background as well as her immense potential in dealing with other members of the nobility in future years. The position of abbess was one of great power. We don't encounter abbesses and abbots very much anymore, and yet because of the status of the Benedictine order, because of the lands it accumulated, but also because of its importance to the life of the community wherever you had a Benedictine monastery, abbots and abbesses acquired and wielded great influence in society and political life, economic life, and then of course their spiritual power. And Uta would have understood all of this, and over the next decades she helped train Hildegard in a life of prayer, of asceticism, but also of training the mind and personality to command, to lead with charity, and then of course to have the level of learning with the best they could give her to prepare her for the immense tasks that lay ahead. Let's talk about some of those tasks. It's an incredible time for a monastery life, and it would be affected by her example of how it could be transformed. Well Hildegard always seriously underestimated and sort of downplayed her own learning. She referred to herself as an indocte mulier or an unlearned woman, and yet while she may have had formal academic training that one might think of today, she nevertheless understood Latin, certainly the use of the Psalter. The Latin language of course was the language of the church. It was so much of the common language of ecclesiastical life, but she also continued to train other noble women who were sent to this community. And so when she was given, as they say, she took the veil from the Bishop of Bamberg when she was about 15 years old. From that point on, we can see a direct line of progress and advancement for Hildegard. This wasn't something that she was craving, but it was something I think that she took to quite naturally, both because of her training, both because of her family background, but also just because of her genius level IQ. I say genius level IQ because if you spend much time reading the works of Hildegard, the unbelievable diversity of which she was capable, and we're going to talk a little bit about that, you appreciate the sheer level of her intelligence and how in that community life, in the wisdom of the Benedictine life, they were able to recognize that, to harness it, to train it, and then put it to the good of the community and the good of the wider church. Not just for the church's benefit, but to make of Hildegard's immense gifts exactly that. A gift to the church, a gift to the community, but especially a gift to God. And so we're seeing her move rapidly a from humble young girl, somebody who was then trained to become a teacher or a prioress of the sisters, and then of course, around the age of 38, she became the actual head of the community of women at Disobodenberg. I think it's so important to honor that intellectual aspect of Hildegard, I mean the fact that she would have this ability like a sponge to absorb everything around her, as though it seems, and also to wed that with her spiritual life and those mystical experiences, and when she had, how can we say this, it was very unique in that it wasn't that she would have a vision of something. She would even say she doesn't see things ocularly, I mean something that she would have in front of her. No, it was something much more compelling in which it incorporated all of her. I mean not only the the spiritual aspect, but it brought in to play all that intellectual knowledge so that you would end up getting tomes and tomes and tomes of writing. Yes, that's exactly it. For her, while she was certainly conscious of her limited education, she understood that the knowledge that she possessed came from what she always referred to in the Latin as the umbra viventis luminis, or the shadow of the living light. And for her, this is not something that she was too eager or all that willing to write about, which is, as you certainly know, Chris, of all people, that's one of the great signs of the genuineness of spiritual gifts, that she was reluctant to talk about this extraordinary series of visions and mystical experiences that she began having as a young girl, but chose not to speak of until she actually began to share them with Jutta, then with her spiritual director who is a monk by the name of Vomar, who really I think was a good influence on her. And only when she was really in her 40s did she begin to describe and to transcribe so much of what she saw. And part of that I think was because here was somebody who was receiving these these visions, these mystical experiences from a very young age, but who wanted to ruminate on them, who wanted to meditate on them. And for her, then, it was the command to talk about these. And as she wrote in the shivyas, one of her greatest of her writings, she talks about the fiery light coming out of a cloudless sky that flooded her entire mind and inflamed, she said, her whole heart and her whole like a flame. And she understood at that moment the exposition of the books of the Psalter, the Gospel, the Old and the New Testaments, and it was by command that she made these visions known. But it was again out of humility, out of obedience to the voice that she did this. And the full scale of what she saw and what she began to teach to transcribe took up almost the whole of the rest of her life. And yet even at that moment, as she did so, what was she doing? She sought additional counsel in the discernment of the authenticity and the truth of what she was seeing. Why? Because she was concerned that they might not be of God or that they were mere illusions or even possible delusions brought on by herself or by the evil one. And that commitment to obedience, I think, stands her in such great standing in the history of the church among the mystics. But it also tells us that, as often has been the case with some of the mystics in history, there have been those positivists and scientists and psychologists who try to dismiss these mystical experiences. In Hildegard's case, what have they claimed? They have said that she was receiving these simply psychological aberrations or they were various forms of neurological problems leading up to migraines or a host of other possible issues. And yet the clarity of her visions, the specificity of them, and also the theological depth of them, demolish any such claims by scientists today and instead really forces to look at what exactly she was seeing. I don't doubt that there will be many out there over the next century particularly that could achieve their doctorates just by writing on different aspects of her work. And if you are at all a student of the Benedictine rule, you can begin to see in those visions those connections with the life that she lived out. I mean, this was very organic. It wasn't like this were just coming. Though they seem foreign to us, when you, potentially, when you begin to look at those visions, if you understand the time, if you have a proper translation and you know the rule, you begin to see a little bit better the clarity of what she's communicating. Yes, exactly. And we also appreciate the staggering scale of what she saw. I mean, she beheld as well the sacraments. She understood the virtues. She appreciated angels. She saw vice. She saw, as Pope Benedict XVI talked in his letter proclaiming her a doctor of the church, what did he say? He says that the range of vision of the mystic of Bingen was not limited to treating individual matters but was a global synthesis of the Christian faith. So he talks about that this is a compendium of salvation history, literally from the beginning of the universe until the very eschatological consummation of all of creation. As he says, God's decision to bring about the work of creation is the first stage on a long journey that unfolds from the constitution of the heavenly hierarchy until it reaches the fall of the rebellious angels and the sin of our first parents. So she's touching on the very core of who we are and the most important aspects of redemption of the kingdom of God and the last judgment. That the scale of this again, I think, is difficult for much of a modern mind to comprehend. And it tells us that we have to be very careful from our perch here and surrounded by technology and modernity that we perhaps have lost our ability to see the sheer scale of salvation history. That this abbess sitting on the Rhine in the 12th century was able to and then was able to communicate it with language that is surprisingly modern. Oh, let's talk about that language not only with words but with music and with art. I mean, this woman was able to express herself in all manners of creative activity. Yes, I mean, this is somebody that designed, created her own kind of language. It's sort of a combination of Latin and German, which is a medieval German. But she also composed hymns, more than 70 hymns. She composed sequences and antiphons, what became known as the symphonia harmoniae celestium, the symphony of the harmony of heavenly revelations. And not only were they simply composed because, well, her community would need music, they were very much a reflection of the things that she had seen. And she wrote a very memorable letter in 1178 to the prelates of the city of Mainz, and she talks about the fact that music stirs our hearts and engages our souls in ways we can't really describe. But we're taken beyond our earthly banishment back to the divine melody Adam knew when he sang with the angels when he was whole in God before his exile. So here she's as seemingly simple as a hymn, and connecting it to the vision, connecting it to salvation history, and connecting to something far deeper theologically. So her hymns ranged from the creation of the Holy Spirit, but she was especially fond of composing music in honor of the saints, and especially the Blessed Virgin Mary. Yeah, as we're coming to a conclusion on this particular episode, I just don't want to miss out on just a little bit of a tidbit. We could have called her a doctor, I mean, in a very real way, a physician. This woman, this wonderful gift to the church, gift to all of us, I mean, she had that appreciation of creation and actually even how it will work to heal. Yes, yes. Again, it's hard to overestimate her genius. Why? Because beyond her visions, beyond her abilities as a composer, here was somebody who combined her genius with practical need. Her community had specific needs for her gifts. And so what did she do? She wrote books on the natural sciences, she wrote books on medicine, she wrote books on music. She looked at the study of nature to assist her sisters. So the result was a natural history, a book on causes and cures, a book on how to put medicine together. And it's a fascinating reading because she talks about plants and the elements and trees and birds and mammals and reptiles. But all of it was to reduce all of this knowledge to very practical purposes, the medicinal values of natural phenomena. And then she also wrote in a book on causes and cures, which is written from the traditional medieval understanding of humors. She lists 200 diseases or conditions with different cures and remedies that tend mostly to be herbal with sort of recipes for how to make them. This is all from somebody who at that time was an abbess of not just one but two monasteries along the Rhine, who was also being consulted on popes to kings to common people who came to her for help. And this is somebody who at that time was also working for her own perfection in the spiritual life and in the perfection of the virtues and who is also continuing to reflect and meditate on the incredible vision she was receiving. So this is a full life, but it was a life given completely to the service of others. And of course, she'll have to have two episodes. We do. Thank you so much, Dr. But looking forward to part two Chris. You've been listening to the doctors of the church, the charism of wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunsen. To hear and or to download this program, along with hundreds of other spiritual formation programs, visit discerning hearts .com. This has been a production of discerning hearts. I'm your friend. This has been helpful for you that you will first pray for our mission. And if you feel us worthy, consider a charitable donation which is fully tax deductible to support our efforts. But most of all, we pray that you will tell a friend about discerning hearts .com and join us next time for the doctors of the church, the charism of wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunsen.
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
A highlight from Our Lady of Sorrows Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff
"Discerninghearts .com presents Building a Kingdom of Love, Reflections with Monsignor John Essiff. Monsignor Essiff is a priest in the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania. He has served as a retreat director and confessor to Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta. He continues to offer direction and retreats for the Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity. Monsignor Essiff encountered Saint 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 Saint Pope John Paul II to bring the good news to the world, especially to the poor. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests, sisters, seminarians, and other religious leaders. Building a Kingdom of Love, Reflections with Monsignor John Essiff. I'm your host, Chris McGregor.
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
"mcgregor" Discussed on Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
"Of faith, he has a more difficult time than most of us because he has to trust God even when God seems to let him down as president on the cross when he said, my God, my God, why is now precision me? He felt abandoned, and yet he trusted his father and continued to play to him. And that's always rewarded. Well, doctor craft, I think once again, I wish we had more time, but in practical theology, the spiritual direction from Saint Thomas Aquinas, you have offered us an incredible work that can help us to be able to ponder to discern and to be able to navigate in this journey in holiness. And I wish we had more time. Any final thoughts? Well, the book is good because half the words are those of Aquinas and all I do is comment on him. But he himself liked to quote saying of one of his predecessors, he said, we are all dwarf standing on the shoulders of giants. If we see more than our infections, it's only because we start with the ability to climb up on their shoulders and look. For that purposes, we're so happy you've been a bridge for all of us. So that we can help make that climb. Doctor Peter crave, thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. God bless you. Bye bye. With doctor Peter Craig, we've gone inside the pages of practical theology, spiritual direction from Saint Thomas Aquinas. To learn more about this book or to obtain a copy, go to ignatius dot com. The website for its publisher, ignatius press, or you can find it at any fine Catholic bookstore to hear and or to download this conversation, along with hundreds of other spiritual formation programs, visit discerning hearts dot com, or you can find it within the free discerning hearts app. This has been a production of discerning hearts. I'm your host, Chris McGregor. We hope that if this has been helpful for you, that you will first pray for our mission, which is to offer authentic and rock solid spiritual formation freely to souls around the world, and if you feel as worthy, please consider a charitable donation, which is fully tax deductible to help support our efforts. But most of all, we hope that you will tell a friend about discerning hearts dot com and join us next time for inside the pages. Insights from today's most compelling authors.
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
"mcgregor" Discussed on Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
"From today's most compelling authors. I'm your host Chris McGregor, and I am delighted to be joined once again by doctor Peter craved, who is a Professor of philosophy at Boston college, and is one of the most respected and prolific Christian authors of our time. His many bestselling books cover a vast array of topics and spirituality, theology and philosophy, they include wisdom from the psalms, angels and demons, heaven, the heart's deepest longing, with doctor Peter craft we go inside the pages of, practical theology, spiritual direction from saint Thomas Aquinas, published by ignatius press. Doctor crave, thank you so much for joining me. Thank you for having me. Powerful, powerful book, how long actually did this take for you to compile? Well, usually it takes me between a month and 6 months to write a book. Let's talk about a year and a half. I had to go through all 4000 pages of applying this masterpiece to some of the logic after the first time in my life. I was familiar with it, but I hadn't read everything in it. And like most philosophers, I had neglected the practical stuff in favor of the philosophical theoretical stuff and was amazed at how practical Aquinas is the allergy is. So I thought I needed to restore the balance. It is a tremendous work, and it truly is a piece of spiritual direction for all of us. In your heart and mind, what do you feel the goal of good spiritual direction is? To be a saint, that's the meaning of life. That's the whole purpose that God banged out the big thing in the first place. And produced us. And I find in my own experience that a great N theologian like Aquinas is often more effective and more helpful in attaining that ideal than merely emotional merely spiritual works by other masters. Maybe that's so only for some people who like to think a lot and like to have clear thoughts and connect them with their practical actions. But I suspect this is something in the nature of the human being that wants to connect those two things. I think it's unhealthy to separate them, reduce spirituality to a largely local affair and reduce intellectuality to something that has almost nothing to do with religion and everything to do with science. I tried to bring them together in this book. I was like, why is this? Well, you know, as you say that, it really makes that connection from that mind to the heart, and I think it also, it's so beautifully exhibited in our lady, the blessed virgin Mary, who always pondered all these things in her heart. And it sounds as though that's what not only Aquinas has done by what you have done with Aquinas work. Yes. And the more you immerse yourself in the climate, the more likely you've become, his style of thinking is quite clear honest open minded contemplation is a habit that rubs off. You apprentice yourself to the master and you become more likely. Well, he's definitely not afraid of the question. He's not afraid to not only pose them himself, but also to receive them from others. And I think that's one thing that you know, can we say that you're have a grounding when you're not afraid of those questions? No, if you have truth from God, you shouldn't be afraid of any question. And why is often asked questions that will theologians enable or dream of asking very practical questions like what happens if the seller of a mask becomes insane at the point of the configuration? Is it still valid? There's even a letter in which your client is seriously asked the question. Did Adam and Eve fought before the fall? Fascinating. In responding to those that practicality, isn't that with a sign of a true mystic is that they are very, very practical. Of course, because in this figure, somebody who sees who sees the real world, will mystic is exactly the opposite of someone who is away from the world to the truth and truth is always practical. Well, when we desire to have spiritual direction, it is something that it will lead us to religion, won't it? Well, yes. The vague general desire for spiritual direction will lead you to a particular religion and a particular religion of Christianity will also give the end that you get spiritual directions so it works both ways. Well, the reason I posed that question is so often there's a tendency. I don't know if it's just in our culture, our country, where we think that it can just be Jesus and me. And or something like that, or in some cases, May and the deity. And that that relationship is more important and somehow it can be separated from how we engage others in the world. And that's dangerous, isn't it? Yeah. It is. It is. To take any to good things and oppose them and make them any inner or is always dangerous. The head and the heart, the practical and the theoretical personal revision institutional religion. They all belong together because we have a body and a soul that belong together and ahead of the heart that belong together. I've made us that way. I think though that the biggest danger in our culture is increasingly becoming not so much the Jesus in the alone, which is also a mistake. But spirituality into distinction from religion. So they and kind of not challenging not harmless philosophy that there's some God in heaven and all's right with the world and when you feel like it you can do some spiritual exercises, but it doesn't demand any concrete choices. It doesn't demand any sacrifices. Well, in that kind of very spirituality, has always been a temptation. When you talk about temptations, that's something that Thomas Aquinas would spiritually direct as to have a great awareness of the battle between good and evil. Somehow we have a sense that there's good and gray. Yes, a great saints who are masters of goodness are also masters of understanding evil. The more you appreciate light, the more you realize how different it is from darkness. So the client is not one of the one side I think who are so optimistic that they're blinded to the nature of evil. Nor is the opposite mistake someone who's so afraid of evil that they minimize the good is a very clear concept as well. And appreciating that good and evil then also quite as helps us to see that the agents in that struggle between good and evil. You know, every Sunday at the very, very least in our creed, we say we believe in a visible and invisible in that realm is that battle between those spirits and in this, he makes it so very clear and you really help to break that open. Well, that's very biblical on almost every page of the 9 million you'll find the drama of the war between good and evil, which is the meaning of life. Life is not simply a safe kind of mathematical formula. Life is a struggle. A warfare. But it's a joyful warfare where a good will inevitably triumph. You know, when we look at God and that he is so big in so many cases, can he control everything,
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
"mcgregor" Discussed on Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
"Insights from today's most compelling authors. I'm your host Chris McGregor, and I'm delighted to be joined once again by Joseph pierce, who is a native of England, is director of book publishing at Augustine institute and editor of the ignatius critical editions. He's the author of numerous biographies of Christian literary figures, including Shakespeare, Tolkien, Chesterton, C. S. Lewis, Heller belloc, Oscar Wilde, an Alexander, with Joseph pierce, we go inside the pages of faith of our fathers, a history of true England, published by ignatius press..
Nightly Pop
"mcgregor" Discussed on Nightly Pop
"They told me out. A little scuffle with conor mcgregor on the cover would happen. He's famous with. that's weird. Came crashing got her s. and m. outfit. I give it up for cam. That is an extremely pasta. Phobic now fortieth ntb a fake ass. You stop to ask. Why does she have security guards. That are my size and look at this guy on the right. He looks like a zoro model. I'm working on a new charity project right now. It's cold outside wine. That's what college fans do they find out your most insecure facts chanted. There'd be like where's your father. That starting right now. Nina is up tonight but hundred here. As always and james davis. You and tom are both back. We're very excited. Lots of energy on this. Set the guy who you hear laughing. He's finally we all feel better ourselves. All right let's get started at scuffle broke out at last night to be amazing. Megan fox was caught in the middle. You guys reports you okay. Reports say there was some sort of drama between machine. Gun kelly and conor mcgregor but the real action happened when kelly was asked about it. In a scuffle with conor mcgregor on the carpet would happen. I know a lot of times. People are famous and we let them do weird stuff. We don't call them out. That was weird bro. it was it was. It was awkward. Yeah you know what it is. It's like that energy you have in your body after a near scuffle and you're like the is going on and he just does weird to be fair. Though conor mcgregor not much bigger than that microphone. So it good tell i don't understand you. I mean obviously. I spent all morning researching. But what was the cause of the scuffle. Apparently mcgurk mcgregor asked machines and kelly to take a photo machine gun. Kelly thought he was more famous than he hasn't said no. And then mcgregor was upset by that and kind of like a little bit trump. Because mcgregor legitimately is way more famous than machine gun kelly internationally and also way more dangerous you of all people to pick a fight with the vietnamese not mcgregor. That don't that that's what megan had to get in the middle to save machine gun kelly and she. How did she look last night by the way she will agree. That's why that's why the fight stopped. Yeah greg i'll be girl yet girl. Let's so shing. And kelly could have just done the whole like this and mcgregor have been doing one of these though you know. He's the high differences there. Mcgregor can wear magenta and like ruffles and still be a dangerous looking person. Yeah no photos like you're fine to get into a fight over gregor. He punched a senior citizen for not liking as whisky. You know what. I'm saying so rand all right. Speaking of the vietnamese fans are divided over madonna's revealing appearance a lot of viewers are saying she got implants. So hundred. James.
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
"mcgregor" Discussed on Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
"Always have them. That's gonna tells us the great love. The god house for us and i think that's what gives me my grounding my sense of peace in the midst of all of this you know i. I'm not terrified evil. Somebody jumps on eight behind a quarter. I'm gonna jump in these. But i'm era fide of what the devil may try to do again. I know that the power of god is greater than the power of evil father. Any final thoughts. I just think. I would just reiterate that once again. That is nothing to fear again. You know if somebody believes they're dealing with the demonic in their life you know just go and talk about that with your local priest who can give you guidance and direction but people should remember again that if you're dealing with evil it can be overcome. God has a great love for all of us. focus. On god's love not on what the devil is trying to do to unravel or to destroy your life. Amen father vincent lampard. Thank you so very much. Yes my pleasure d. With you today with father vincent lampert. We've gone inside the pages of exorcists the battle against satan and his demons to learn more about this book or to obtain a copy go to amaze road publishing the website its publisher amaze road or you can find it at any fine catholic bookstore to hear indoor to down though this conversation along with hundreds of others spiritual formation programs visit discerning hearts dot com. Or you can find it within the discerning hearts free app. This has been a production of discerning hearts. I'm your host chris mcgregor. We hope that if this has been helpful for you that you will. I pray for our mission and if you feel as worthy consider a charitable donation which is fully text deductible to help support our efforts but most of all. We hope that you will tell a friend about discerning hearts dot com and join us next time for inside the pages insights from today's most compelling authors..
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
"mcgregor" Discussed on Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
"When he contacts you. Exactly that would that would be the ideal situation. Where somebody is being referred to me by the purest crazed or even by the minister their particular aggregation because more than half the people who are not after become other christian faith traditions other world religions or maybe no faith background whatsoever but always liked to know especially if they have some faith background already that they've been in conversation with their particular minister because ultimately if i work with somebody they're going to need ongoing pastoral care in that's going to be best received at their local congregation. Can we call it a potential danger at the very least when there are those out there who haven't been acknowledged by that authority in the church. Someone who may feel that. I have been given a gift to be able to cast out demons and yet they haven't gone to their bishop. The bishop hasn't given them that authority through his office that potential to be able to be deceptive or to actually cause harm in the long run. And that's a reality you must have to deal with. It is because you know a minor exorcism one would say. They prayer directed to god. Who's asked to bring relief. In the life of a person and animal anyone could say one of those prayers because any of us. Can you know turn to god. But the church makes it very clear that a an imperative or a major exorcism which is a command. Give into a demon should only be done so by the priest authorized to do that by his bishop. Even cardinal ratzinger in the mid nineteen eighties clarify that point when he was in charge of the congregation of the doctrine of the faith. That people that are not authorized by their bishop should not be getting getting commands to demons again. That should only be the priest authorized to do that. Ministry by the bishop gain recognizing importance of authority if we start going rogue and doing whatever. We want acting independently of the church in the authority. That price of given the church believe that we give the double the devil the upper hand in those situations. It's important. I think that we understand and appreciate that. We've use the word several times now. Authority because ultimately the ultimate authority over the enemy has got this case and the father who gives. I'm doing this for the listeners. Because you know it so well that the father gives the authority to the son who gives it to the bishops. In this all scriptural and then it is given to the bishops who commissions the priest and that priest has been appointed by the bishop when he speaks. Because of that line of authority. That's where the power comes now. You have control over that demon that that spirit. But if you're talking outside of authorities if i go out and try to arrest somebody but i don't have the authority. I just might get myself in deeper trouble correct. That's exactly right and you know it would be important to stay to that as an exorcist. I cannot operate outside of my own diocese. unless i'm given authority or permission from the local bishop at other diocese if i go into an exercise outside of my diocese then. I have no authority to do that. And so the demons wouldn't even have to pay attention to any commands that i would be giving. We'll continue our conversation in our next episode with father vincent lampert we've gone inside the pages of exorcism the battle against satan and his demons to learn more about this book or to obtain a copy go to amaze road publishing the website for its publisher amaze road or you can find it at any fine catholic bookstore to hear indoor to download this conversation along with hundreds of others spiritual formation programs visit discerning hearts dot com or you can find it within the discerning hearts free app. This has been a production of discerning hearts. I'm your host chris mcgregor. We hope that if this has been helpful for you that you will. I pray for our mission and if you feel as worthy consider a charitable donation which is fully tax deductible to help support our efforts but most of all. We hope that you will tell a friend about discerning hearts dot com and join us next time for inside the pages insights from today's most compelling authors..
Wendell's World & Sports
"mcgregor" Discussed on Wendell's World & Sports
"Fights means that we're speaking about the all time great fighters or the all time greats within that era oscar de la. Hoya fighting is there same thing. With connor mcgregor color mcgregor ran through rip roaring. Beat everybody knocked out the great josie aldo at the time had been knocked out hadn't been beat in almost a decade ruled the featherweight division in. Wabc and you have seen for awhile though. L. metaphor know look like three or four years. That maybe maybe the mcgregor was going to be on his way to becoming one of those guys to becoming a john jones to becoming a chris. Cyborg to becoming anderson self to becoming a dimitrius johnson to become one of those guys but when everything is all said and done i can't base three years of greatness from mcgregor in compare that to or put him on the same level as those who dominated were great for a longer period of time but beadle on the money fantastic also wonderful. That doesn't mean that when it comes to the art of fighting for a promotion that you should be considered one of the greatest even though you were a great talker even though you were a great promoter hell that was the case kill chill. Sonnen should be considered a lot better than what he actually is. We're bringing in. You know how someone performs on the mike and help. Someone can sell a fight. Don't give a fuck about someone selling the fight. You know what sells me on the fight. Can the guy fight or not that sells me on the fucking fight. So that's how. I come up with my thoughts and opinions about fucking conor mcgregor all that trash talking and all that bullshit and everything man when he's not gonna josie aldo when holloway and poor for the first time. And all these great fighters and still talk shit. All right. i'm i can I can understand that but when you no longer there fighter and you're still talking that shit you can go fuck yourself.
Wendell's World & Sports
"mcgregor" Discussed on Wendell's World & Sports
"Let's take a look at some of the clowns show antics in thuggish antics and fell in lonely and atrocious Instances that has happened with conor. Mcgregor april fifth twenty eighteen doing promotional appeared for ufc. Two twenty three mcgregor and a group of about twenty of his thuggish friends attempted to confront could be good medoff. Who was on a bus leaving the arena of other. Ufc fighters mcgregor ran alongside the bus man past to grab a metal equipment dolly which he didn't throughout the buses window before trying to tell other objects in the vicinity. Remember that bullshit and usc other fighters in the some of them were injured by the shattered glass into the hospital and then removed from the card. Remember that nonsense mcgregor and others involved initially fled the barclay center after the incident but turn themselves in that night was charged with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief. Willie o'connor pleaded no contest to account of disorderly conduct. It was ordered to perform five days of community service and attend anger management classes. You know when you're rich like that and you got the skin tone like that you can get yourself off like that you know you. Can you can buy your way out of trouble if you got that type of clout in this country march eleventh twenty nineteen. He was arrested speaking of mcgregor outside of the felton blue moat hotel in miami beach florida after an altercation in which mcgregor was alleged to have taken a man's phone as smashed it on the ground. Remember that mcgregor was arrested and charged with strong armed robbery and criminal mischief only gets better august fifteenth twenty nineteen. Tmz sports publicist video. The show mcgregor punching an older man at the marble arch pub in dublin. But greg was charged with assault in first appeared in court on october eleventh of that same year mcgregor had repeatedly offered the victim a shallow his whiskey which the victim repeatedly denied the mcgregor. Ab- punched him. Remember that remember that wonderful incidence. Oh september tenth. Twenty twenty mcgregor was arrested at the courthouse suspicion of attempted sexual assault and indecent exposure for the incident alleged to have taken place in a bar. Now eight months later. French authorities dropped the investigation due to insufficient evidence. But another embarrassing moment. Another time conor mcgregor was in the new for the wrong reasons. You know so so so tell me again why..
Wendell's World & Sports
"mcgregor" Discussed on Wendell's World & Sports
"G mark mark henry market fucking derrick henry about it. They've got derek lewis. How many. Henry's and lewis is gonna go to the they got the black bear from houston texas fighting some clown for the interim heavyweight title because they wanted and got the fight august and the gun. New people were like look man. I just got back to the state a couple of months ago from ellen. Can you give me give me some time. I'll be able to fight in september. Can you give me some time. The you obscene said. No so another other fighting for the interim bill so they've done it before they stripped folks of their titled before these trip. John jones lightweight title. So you know you can do that kind of a gregor let me tell you something if conor mcgregor mcgregor head that type of power if you had tunnel mcgregor guys like that. Don't talk to me. About how strong your promotion was because if you're gonna let one guy do that i don't give a fuck who use your promotion isn't as strong. Business is not as strong as everybody thinks to this or you claim it to be about that. Once once conor mcgregor left how about that you continued to roll on continue to grow. Continue to become more powerful continued to make more money coming mcgregor. All of a sudden didn't fold up shop didn't folded ufc's tent they managed and they got better at it. So this guy kinda mcgregor faulk him had no fucking interests. Don't worry about in the year. The kinda mcgregor's out. Don't worry about it. The sport will be just fine. Sporting nowhere spoiling going to lose money. Then you will not be close enough. They'll still be big fights. They'll still be big pay per views. Now don't worry about. When does world is sports on your host one. The wallis glad that you could be with us sick and tired of conor mcgregor mouth. Just fucking tired. That's what happens when you give an adolescent the ability to Do what he wants to do though in the past couple of years math. What happens when you let a child When you're the adult and you let the child tell you what he wants to do. And you acquiesce to that. Well you know we we. We see what happens with the live. Econo- mcgregor since beating alvarez. You know that he said speaking of mcgregor. He's had more arrests than you have. Your boxing victories combine. Take a look at the rap sheet. Here we go ahead and take a look at the all mighty conor mcgregor. This fucking walk in trainwreck. Outside of the ring and knock the gun since he became a public figure a global superstar. Let's let's see the life of color mcgregor. He wanted life right. He's rich famous. He's a superstar the other but let's listen to be happy beyond means he's to be living the life we're all we should all be jealous. Color mcgregor right guys got generational wealth. You'll never have to worry about a dime for the rest of his life. They'll never have to work. You'll never have to do all these things right so he should be. He got a beautiful girlfriend or wife or whatever he's got a child is got homes. He's got property he's got all of this stuff right so this guy's just living life. This guy should just be the toast at the tail. This guy should be the fruit of the loom. The skies guy's just be just like you know loving every minute that he's on this planet right. Well let's let's take a look at some of these stupidity. Let's take a look at some of the nonsense. Let's take a look at some of the focus activities. Let's take a look at some of the embarrassment..
Wendell's World & Sports
"mcgregor" Discussed on Wendell's World & Sports
"He beat alvarez holding the belts at the same time then he said you know what i i need some time off. I just had my wife or girlfriend or the mother and my child just had my child and i want to spend some time with my child and this that the other night you'll have given you guys solids. I got ahead and fill some bills and done what you wanted me to do and highlighted some cards and all this type of stuff. So you know you owe me you owe. You owe me some time off right. So i can be with my family right. Remember mcgregor was saying that shit after he Beat eddie alvarez to get the lightly belt so instead of spending time with a new board what did he do. He started negotiating. A fight with floyd mayweather which them that farce that that bullshit that happened. So they're nothing happened to still keep the belts. I don't know how long mcgregor had the federal way built but You know he held to belts hostage for a long time and because we don't want to piss off color because you know we will want to upset the cash cow. We acquiesce and do what he says. Fuck that bullshit. That would have been like look man. You want to go ahead and take some time off. You want to go ahead and spend time to newborn. You want to go ahead and do all the things fantastic. We'll see you back in six months. If you're not back in six months you're vacating both of those titles you to go ahead and make a couple of hundred million dollars. Fighting floyd mayweather go forward. But guess what you're not going to be doing. You're not going to be holding belts. We're not going to be holding two belts to championship belts in obscurity. Because you want to go ahead and do what you wanna do. No no no. This is the fucking. Ufc you don't own the ufc the for tina's owned a ufc. I fucking making decisions around here. Not you and if that pisses you off and that does something else you wanna get the fuck out of your daughter bella tour go the bella tower. If you don't mind you think you're bigger than you have seen all that bullshit. A granato beginning any percentage of stakes into the company be your employees here a very valued employees a highly employees. But you're just an employee you don't write checks you receive from us so this is the plan. I'm in control here when it comes to the u. of what we do i am in control not you. So you're either gonna fight and six months or else you're gonna give up the belts period and the discussion and if you want to go to japan and finally Mma promotion dental. Have you go forward. If you wanna go to bella tour in have and fight for that company go for it. Tried to make the same amount of money and have the same type of influence and have the same type of notoriety and had the same type of shine on you that you can. If you can get that somewhere else go forward. But you ain't fucking company. I am that be the conversation that you have dana white. The for titas schiller have color mcgregor as soon as he won. That belt was talking about. I need some time off. Sure no problem. We'll see six months. We'll start negotiating your next fighting. Three war will do this. I want to do that well if you're not begging six months guess what they've done at the fighters before right. They done that the fires before they just did that to or francis and danu the heavyweight champ. Now we got mark hunt..
Wendell's World & Sports
"mcgregor" Discussed on Wendell's World & Sports
"In their vision in there eyes to see when mike tyson was walking down that ramp with mike. Tyson was walking down the face. Lennox lewis his facial expression show that he wanted nothing to do with that man and he knew that he was going in to get his ass walked. He knew that he was going to be getting a spanking in an ass whooping going into that fight but because of the money because he was mike tyson. There is no turning back. Let's say damped. Connor mcgregor mcgregor knows that he couldn't be dust. Emporium kinda mcgregor new. This only thing tele mcgregor graber tried to do what you get into his head. Try to outside them and then meantime and in doing that maybe fool himself in the thinking that i had a chance to get dust emporia. So when you're desperate and you start saying stupid shit. Like i'm gonna kill this guy and he's dead and all this other nonsense and all this other bullshit of you know that this is a man for the most part who wants nothing to do with this guy and you knew he was going to lose so you can talk about the first three minutes. The first four who'll look good. Connor was doing leg. Kicks who doing this. That and the other you could come in with the bullshit excuse before the fight started talking about. Oh well you know. Connor was training for a boxing match. So he really didn't take dp seriously and all this kind of stuff but now since you know he's not worried about boxing in the and he had can't dedicated to doing his mixed martial art stuff that he's going to be ready and he's going to be doing this and he's going to be getting revenge and then you listen to mcgregor talk and your simple minded. You believe that bullshit that he sang that the old color mcgregor is back the second time or the first time. Seven whatever you want say. The first time that he lost a a mcgregor was too nice. He was to congenial. He wasn't himself. You know that's not that dumb mad max. That's not the guy that we knew that the guy who won championships guy who was the key time champion. that's not the guy who knocked out josie aldo a thirteen. That the guy who destroyed eddie alvarez. That wasn't the conor mcgregor. We knew conor mcgregor being tonight's he was being too gentle he was being too soft he was being. Pc we need the oil mcgregor back and for this third fight against portia. You got the old mcgregor right. Spelling all bullshits battling off nonsense winning the press conference conference all that nonsense. Let's sit my work when you're twenty..
Wendell's World & Sports
"mcgregor" Discussed on Wendell's World & Sports
"Straight loss for mcgregor against the Evolves two or three in his past four fights down mcgregor underwent surgery on sunday. there's no timetable. For his return. You will see president. Dana white said later that he's open for a fourth fight between gate in mcgregor. Oh shit do. the saturday's fight ending. Due to an injury. Mcgregor was up there. Yelling doctor stoppage doctor stoppage. I'm sorry i meant. There is no one loss doctor stoppage on your record. Either you win or you lose. Now you can point to the laws say well. I really didn't lose it with a doctor stoppage again. There is no wind loss. Doctor stoppage win or you lose. You did not win you lost so there you go and i'll be. I'll be honest with you. I didn't watch the fight on saturday right now. I'm cool on the ufc because you know basically as long as they're gonna let people like mcgregor along with they're gonna let people colby covington run the roost in terms of some of the bullshit that talk about some of the insensitive racist nonsense that they talked about. I'm not really a dig in the ufc. As much as i used to But you know up and not only that not in the color mcgregor anymore. This isn't twenty thirteen. This is a twenty fifteen this twenty sixteen in ocala mcgregor's old news. To kinda mcgregor. There are many people still believe in the guy that can still be a champion. The guy still with best the mighty. Mac and all that bullshit guys gone folks. I hate to tell you this roy. Mcgregor lovers eye to tell you this but the color mcgregor you fell in love with that guy is gone. That guy is done that dia buried a mountain full in a graveyard full. He's six feet under in cash celebrity. And all the other nonsense that come with being a mega superstar global icon which became in two thousand sixteen number twenty sixteen. When he beat at the alvarez to become the first two-time champion in the you have seen hold the bell simultaneously that guy. That guy died a long time ago. So you guys for connor mcgregor were trying to make all these skips color mcgregor to be that guy again. It ain't going to be happening. What you reach the top of the mountain man. Once you get to that point would you dream about what you live for what you work for. Color mcgregor work. Yeah he worked to be a champion but he worked for everything that went with becoming a champion. He wanted to fame. We wanted the glory. He wanted the money he wanted the impact he wanted the fame and fortune and those type of things making from early on the welfare lily. I started his image career. He dreamed this he blood sweat..
THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas
"mcgregor" Discussed on THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas
"I gotta say one thing when when we were breaking it down afterwards we one thing that i really. When he was talking we listen. He could disagree with me and again. I'm say what. I what i've felt at that moment. I disagreed with his perspective where he was basically saying that continuity couldn't win puts maybe it's true Because i made a point of that already but that was so he went. He went for the take down. He went for the guillotine which was a big turning point of the gate of to fight. It really was was a huge element of to fight huge for me and he went for that because he knew we couldn't win a fight and and know he couldn't win the fight. Maybe an all but that was his only chance he went for that and listen. Here's where i disagree. I disagree in fact that what led to it. What led to it where backs i guess was looking at all in his in his analysis. It wasn't thought through where max just said. Oh we went for the go-to he just go for. The data was putting his lap. It was delivered to him. He got put in that position. Not purposely and. I'll explain what i mean by that. The same thing that happened in the last fight happen here and maybe not everyone saw it but does is really good puncher. And he's a really good strike his feet always on him so he's always got leverage. He's he's always good position to deliver a good solid blow. Kinda like in a way. The japanese champion in boxing. You know i've said that before. Where in a way is always a good position always balanced to tro good deliver. Good solid shot and joe louis. Too great joe. Lois not comparing anyone to low. I'm not crazy but joel is part of. His greatest strength was has balanced. His position has feet. He was always in position. To tro. solid punches never never of balance so dozens always set at dustin. The last fight way knocked them out. You know the prior fight before the trilogy fight dustin court that's how he knocked him out. He caught mcgregor getting too close. He drew from to close. He gave up his reach. We heard him with a left hand and any follow up and mcgregor tried to stay outside and act like he wasn't hurt and he stayed outside but what he didn't realise was all the experience we talk about all the time with the ufc fighters while you can have seven losses six losses eight laws and still be a champion because you learn from those you to the fire you get forged by those laws you become something from those that's poor poor ea would. I don't think that he realized was recognized immediately. He knew we heard him. He felt it at a new that even if he acted like he wasn't hurt he was hurt. So what did he do poorly followed up and he had the opportunity up. Because you know khanna was on the outside he stayed there they followed up and he he just took them apart and he was relentless and he finished that was in the mind of mcgregor. He understood that going into this one and what happened. In that first round was he got caught again with a left hand and he got hurt by dustin at does was going to start to open up on them again. Pori did something not pori mcgregor. Did something different this time. Ken mcgregor recognized that if he stayed outside at a range. The flow would have kept going to force it on the force. It would've kept running. The water would have kept running. He needed to turn the faucet off. he couldn't keep that water running because otherwise is going to get knocked out again. So what did he do. He did what we do in boxing. He fell in india clinched. Now i know there's different termine in I know it's going for the shoot. It's going for the take down. It's called but what he did was a boxer move. He went into the clinch. She went into to tie him up so he couldn't continue punching and it did it worked. It's allowed them to survive that moment. Well otherwise you wouldn't have. And i don't know how many people saw that and so that's where it disagreed with macs because macs just said oh he just went for the no he got put into that position because what happened was once he went in for that then does a progression to in phases it. The next progression was what you're gonna wind up to the mat was. Somebody's got his hands on. Someone's going to the mat. So they wound up go to the mat. Once they got to the matt a kind of phone his lap that he got suddenly got a position. He got an opportunity for the guillotine. He went for it. I'm not so sure. He wanted to because he expanded a lot energy and and in some ways it took the air out of the cells and he's still had a lot of ocean to sell. He's still out a long way to sell for more. You know four more rounds. So what happened was he was forced to go into the guillotine whether they liked it or not. It was there. He went to the guillotine. And what happened while. I'll tell you what happened to brands of dust. Emporia of ju jitsu. He maneuvered all my god. It was great and it was beautiful. I mean it was standing on his brand. He's stood on his head and he navigated out of it. He he took the leverage away. The leverage of the you know all around the neck he took it away from from from From obviously mcgregor and any survived at once he did he got on top. He was on top. He stayed on top at any started pounding ground and pound and just started to rain elbows and punches on them any dominated he he just dominated. So that's where. I disagree mac so much so come because when he just said oh yeah you just. He just knew he couldn't so he went for no. He got put into that position with things that happen that you should noticed. That must have missed. That happened leading to that. That put him in that position where you had no choice but to go for the guilty so that was. That was the one thing that you know doing that peaceful. Maxwell disagreed with that and listen.
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
"mcgregor" Discussed on Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
"Many out there but any final thoughts just i. My deepest desire is that we would know how much god treasure of that he. There is no such thing as an unplanned pregnancy and so i can tell every listener. God planned you. It doesn't matter if your parents plan you. God plans you. He has a great purpose for your life. And he's working that purpose out and just Seek him and cooperate with him and you will see that plan unfold. Thank you so much kimberly. You're welcome god. Bless you and thank you. Thank you for offering this radio show. Thank you for your participation in catholic radio. You are reaching so many and i thank god chris and your your beloved. Well you've been the the greatest of encourage and i just longtime ago in a copy of a book. You probably won't remember this moment at all but you had written in it and it said to chris. God bless you keep digging the well rather than the pit and that was. I have to keep telling. I've still to this day a decade more. You know out from that. I'm continuing yup. I gotta keep digging the well not the pet. So yes kimberly hahn thank you. God bless you and thank you so much. thank you. Thank with kimberly hahn. We've gone inside the pages of grace and gifted biblical wisdom for the homemaker's heart learn more about the spoke or to obtain a copy. Visit a mess road dot com or you can find it at any fine catholic bookstore to hear and or to download this conversation. Along with hundreds of others spiritual formation programs visit discerning hearts dot com. Or you can find it in the free discerning heart sap this has been a production of discerning hearts. I'm your host chris mcgregor. We hope that this has been helpful for you that you will. I pray for our mission. And if you feel as worthy consider a charitable donation which is fully tax deductible to help support our efforts but most of all. We hope that you will tell a friend about discerning hearts dot com and join us next time for inside the pages insights from today's most compelling.
Wendell's World & Sports
"mcgregor" Discussed on Wendell's World & Sports
"Which will be talking about today before i get into what's happening in the nba with the eastern conference talking about the brooklyn nets before i start talking about the nfl injected fields. And where he's going to be going in the nfl draft. Before i talk about what's happening with trevor lawrence in his interview that he had with sports illustrated before making to the third fight. Which is now official between conor. Mcgregor in dustin paulie before. I talked about the fantastic pickup. That majoor townhall. You've paid on a transfer portal before i get into all those things then in the program than in the podcast with my thoughts of the perfection of the mastery of the highly skilled art of the wrestling. Promo before i can do all the things that get my thoughts and opinions about what i saw a wrestlemainia before i get into all things as i want to get into some real live talk. I want to get into so what's happening talk. I'm gonna get into some societal talk. I'm gonna get into what affects me you. Everybody else type of talk. I'm gonna get into the real stuff not a trivial stuff which is sports but the real stuff which is happening which is affecting black and brown folks all over country. Another instance does where we're going to be giving our thoughts and prayers where you should be giving your thoughts and prayers to way black person. Who once again. Another example of black family who had their loved ones murdered by the biggest terrorist group in this country for black and brown people speaking about the racist divided states of america the self estates of america another attack on a black person by a domestic terrorist known to us. F police officers. I don't scare isis. Isis doesn't scare me muslims. Don't scare me with many people would consider the boogeyman or the boogie people or the scary people or the threat to our democracy or the threat to our country. The foreigners the other folks that have perpetrated crimes against this country. Those people don't scare me. You know who scare me. White men in blue uniforms..
Xtra Sports Radio 1300 AM
"mcgregor" Discussed on Xtra Sports Radio 1300 AM
"How do is get more done? Patrick the homes 325 yards, three touchdowns, No turnovers. Chief speak bills 38 24. The A F C championship game. Holmes, the chief's looking for their second consecutive Super Bowl against Brady in the Buccaneers. Last time, a team went back to back with the 0304 Patriots with Tom Brady. Connor McGregor on Saturday. You have C 2 57 loses and gets pounded in doing so, and an impressive performance, No doubt. That created Mihm's all over the place. Dustin, poor EA just knocking out Connor McGregor, who is always the most brash, the most loud, the most ostentatious the most in your face. And yet here was the mean that went viral on Saturday night. Of a sleeping Khanna McGregor in the corner of the Octagon, Just getting rock abide. And it's an indelible image and poor EA deserves a ton of credit for the way that he thought. I mean, he basically beat McGregor at his own game and kind of McGregor's definitely at a career crossroads right now, because There isn't this invincibility around him? And can he remake himself And can he at this point of his career at this age? Does he have the wherewithal? Does he have the focus to continue to evolve as a fighter? Because that's what Cory a day to be poor EA since he lost a MacGregor number of years ago is 11 and two which is incredible. In the last six years, 11 and two for poor EA so a huge win for him. And for McGregor. It's It's an ugly loss. It's not the night has always been pretty honest in his personal assessment, but this one it's gonna take some real personal.
SRB Media Podcasts
"mcgregor" Discussed on SRB Media Podcasts
"I said right and take the minimum just going to walk down coffee angles and pick you up. I don again if he is not level. If he's kind of better done alvarez version of mcgregor he will do that even more efficiently. This time you've got to gain some respect dusty said in an interview. This week said that he was. He wants blood to round one. He will take was from the first battle. That's probably going to be a good fullback for him. You know just go back out. Warhorse mentality and take on redeem was guessing probably saved us how to slide. I guess tank okay predictions on my think. You're going to go on younger for a out when which fest coupled around swansea. If i'm under the hype. Dangerous telling me this is the best. Connor khalizad is tweet. Neutrals collins tweeting that she was if i face the reds version of myself and the cowboy version of myself at the same beat both of them by other content fan. I liked this version of convoyed. Said the color didn't like because he he didn't look interested. It's too easy. He's drinking this version of corner. One us focus on the right. There's nothing not to like. I also by the fact that he's been more respectful nowadays. And yeah you know the guys. There was no spice between this dustin. Kisner i the hasty. Yeah yeah there was a lot of animosity the first one so this is a nice nice to build. I'm going to look forward to the week leading to fight. you know. the press conference is going to be nice. It's going to be good to see. You know how they look and how they turn out going bites the hype as a qualifying on for corner. Knockout win round. And if you're ever going to buy into. The high during lockdown is the best time to wind up. You're going to buy a bottle of proper twelve for the fight. Three empty looking at me right now. Let's s. I'm gonna just yet by. I might have to get one ready for the for the fight weekend. Yeah not just check the end of the pay per view price. The is twenty new uk. Which i think very reasonable so token about money. You're going to put your money where your mouth or you're going to ban on. Yes i will. In fact i usually when i do this year with. He is always a balance of afterwards with my predictions. So i do a little to fight yet to cuba. Mesa might on that. Because i say chimes chandler and corner. Yeah yeah yeah makes makes the fight night more interesting. doesn't it absolutely you don't have to put thousands of pounds in distant cheeky tenor. On whatever makes it slowly more than a betting slipping one end proper twelve glass in the other more than it.