Tuesday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
11/12/24 • 8 min
Tuesday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord.
Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You...You Take Over”
Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart...
From the Holy Gospel According to St. Luke 17:7-10
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal immediately”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards”? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.”’
What word made this passage come alive for you?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal immediately”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards”? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.”’
What did your heart feel as you listened?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal immediately”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards”? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.”’
What touched your heart in this time of prayer?
What did your heart feel as you prayed?
What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen
Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.
The post Tuesday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Tuesday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord.
Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You...You Take Over”
Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart...
From the Holy Gospel According to St. Luke 17:7-10
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal immediately”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards”? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.”’
What word made this passage come alive for you?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal immediately”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards”? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.”’
What did your heart feel as you listened?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal immediately”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards”? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.”’
What touched your heart in this time of prayer?
What did your heart feel as you prayed?
What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen
Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.
The post Tuesday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Previous Episode
SISL13 – I Feel Alone- Struggles in the Spiritual Life with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcasts
I Feel Alone – Struggles in the Spiritual Life with Fr. Timothy Gallagher O.M.V.
Fr. Timothy Gallagher illustrates the struggles in the process of discernment with Kathy’s story, a woman who, after experiencing spiritual closeness with God, is confronted by a deeply buried pain triggered during prayer. Kathy feels abandoned by God, prompting her to stop praying and isolate herself emotionally. Guided by her spiritual director, Fr. Reed, Kathy learns that she can openly share her pain and anger with God, drawing on examples from the Psalms and the Book of Job, where people express their raw emotions before God.
Through this honest dialogue, Kathy finds a path back to a real and growing relationship with God, learning that spiritual desolation can sometimes serve as a gateway to greater intimacy with Him. Fr. Gallagher emphasizes that while desolation may make us feel distant from God, the experience can deepen our relationship with Him if we remain faithful, seek guidance, and avoid making drastic changes to our spiritual practices.
You can pick up a copy of the book here.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
- Understanding Spiritual Desolation: How have you experienced feelings of isolation or distance from God, and how did you respond?
- Seeking Guidance: Who are the trusted individuals in your life whom you could approach for spiritual guidance during times of struggle?
- Expressing Raw Emotions to God: In what ways could you bring your true feelings of pain or anger to God in prayer, as Kathy learned to do?
- Reflection on Consolation and Desolation: How can you recognize moments of consolation in your spiritual life, and how might they prepare you for future struggles?
- Role of Patience and Perseverance: What small steps or practices could help you stand firm in faith during times of spiritual desolation?
- Recognizing God’s Presence: How might you grow in awareness of God’s closeness, even when feelings of distance prevail?
- Application of Ignatian Tools: Which of the Ignatian tools for resisting spiritual desolation resonates most with you, and how can you integrate it into your daily spiritual life?
- Encountering Jesus in Your Pain: Reflect on a past pain or loss; how does the image of Jesus weeping with Lazarus’s sisters offer comfort in your own grief?
- Freedom from Stagnation in Spiritual Life: Are there areas in your spiritual journey where you feel “stuck,” and how could sharing with someone help you move forward?
- Embracing Growth Through Struggle: How can you view spiritual desolation as an invitation to deeper intimacy with God rather than as a setback?
An excerpt from the chapter, “I Feel Alone “:
“In a final form of spiritual desolation, Ignatius tells us, a person feels “as if separated from his Creator and Lord.” Cathy experiences this strongly in the weeks described: “All that closeness and warmth of God’s love? It’s gone like smoke. . . . I’m sitting in the kitchen as I write, and I feel like I’m here, and God is a million miles away.” I’m here, and God is a million miles away. I’m here, sitting in my kitchen, alone in my apartment, commuting to work, driving to pick up the children, sitting at my computer . . . and you are a million miles away, distant, remote.
Have you ever felt that? Yes, certainly, you have, and I have. Once more: no shame, no surprise; be aware, identify, reject.”
Gallagher O.M.V, Fr. Timothy ; Gallagher O.M.V, Fr. Timothy. Struggles in the Spiritual Life: Their Nature and Their Remedies (p. 89). Sophia Institute Press. Kindle Edition.
To find more episodes from this series, visit the Struggles in the Spiritual Life Podcast
From the book’s description:
“Here is a powerful, life-changing book that will help you understand and conquer the struggles you face in your spiritual life. It’s a book for those who love the Lord and desire holiness yet often feel adrift or stagnant in their search for spiritual growth.
All of us encounter valleys on our journey with the Lord — those periods of spiritual desolation that are a painful yet unavoidable feature of our prayer life. Spiritual desolation is as complex as we are, so understanding what is happening and responding to it properly are critical to reac...
Next Episode
TSP11 – The Battles of the Seventh Mansion – St. Teresa of Avila, Spiritual Warfare, and the Progress of the Soul with Dan Burke – Discerning Hearts Podcasts
Episode 11 – The Battles of the Seventh Mansion – St. Teresa, Spiritual Warfare, and the Progress of the Soul with Dan Burke
Dan Burke and Kris McGregor share reflections on the progression through the “mansions” of the soul described by St. Teresa.
The “seventh mansion” symbolizes an advanced state of unity with God, where spiritual battles diminish as the soul reaches detachment from earthly attachments, sin, and even subtle demonic deceptions. Here, humility and a profound awareness of one’s need for God become central to one’s life, fostering a deep, abiding reliance on divine grace rather than on personal willpower. While this level of holiness is rare, it remains an ultimate spiritual goal and a foretaste of heaven.
The idea of a “universal call to holiness” affirmed by Vatican II, makes this journey accessible to all—whether through monastic disciplines or daily life responsibilities, like those of a mother or even those with limited time for prayer can reach profound spiritual heights if they orient their lives toward God with discipline and trust.
Spiritual readings like St. Teresa’s are meant not merely for knowledge but for self-transformation, deepening one’s relationship with God. If we approach these writings with a purely intellectual focus, we risk developing a “critical spirit” rather than authentic growth in love and humility.
Discerning Hearts Discussion Questions
- Understanding Spiritual Progress: How do you interpret the stages of the soul’s journey in St. Teresa’s Interior Castle as it applies to your own spiritual life?
- Humility and Detachment: In what ways can you cultivate the humility necessary to detach from earthly attachments and recognize your complete reliance on God?
- Embracing the Universal Call to Holiness: How does the concept of a universal call to holiness influence your understanding of your personal vocation?
- Practicing Disciplined Prayer: How might you incorporate mental prayer more consistently, even amid daily obligations, to deepen your relationship with God?
- Transforming Knowledge into Relationship: When you read spiritual books, do you seek to grow in relationship with God, or are you primarily acquiring knowledge?
- Identifying and Addressing Root Sins: What recurring weaknesses or sins have you identified in yourself, and how might greater humility help you address them?
- Responding to Truth with Action: How can you take the insights from spiritual readings and translate them into practical actions in your daily life?
- Navigating Spiritual Deceptions: How do you discern and guard against the subtle deceptions that may arise as you progress in your spiritual journey?
- Reflecting on Your Need for God: How often do you acknowledge your need for God, and in what ways can you reinforce this awareness in your life?
- Commitment to Holiness Amid Challenges: How can you continue pursuing holiness despite suffering or challenges that may arise in your spiritual growth?
You can find the book here.
An excerpt from the book:
“Have you ever considered that the devil is active in your prayer life? In the parish church where you attend Mass? In the lives and actions of people of goodwill all around you? The saints remind us of a key aspect of living the spiritual life that we are wont to forget simply because we can’t see it and because we have been conditioned by the media and popular culture to think the devil works visibly only in “bad” people or in extraordinary ways, as in the movies. And although demons are certainly capable of extravagant or extraordinary manifestations, their ordinary work flies under our radar because it just isn’t that spectacular, though it is deadly.
In fact, subtlety, illusion, and deceit are their preferred methods of attack. An invisible battle for souls is being waged in and around us without reprieve, and we remain ignorant of it to our peril. St. Teresa of Avila, great mystic and Doctor of the Church, is best known for her writings on the way God leads souls along the path to union with Him through prayer. What many do not know about St. Teresa is that she also observed the actions of demons working with militant force to lead even good souls astray in ways that might surprise you. She shares these experiences freely in her autobiography, which she was commanded to write under obedience to her spiritual director.“
Burke, Dan; Burke, Dan. The Devil in the Castle: St. Teresa of Avila, Spiritual Warfare, and the Progress of the Soul (p. 12). Sophia Institute Press. Kindle Edition....
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