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Divine Intimacy Radio

Divine Intimacy Radio is a haven of rest and wellspring of spiritual life for those seeking intimacy with God and the enlightened path of Catholic mystical and ascetical wisdom. Weekly we will explore topics like prayer, spiritual direction, meditation, contemplation, holiness, and much more.
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Now displaying: Page 19
March 17, 2017 - St. Therese, Day 4: A Moment between Two Eternities 0
Mar 17, 2017

Description: This week Dan, Melissa and Dr. Anthony Lilles contemplate St. Therese's understanding of the brevity of life and what is necessary to fulfill the will of God. 

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

  • What does St. Therese mean when she says, "...life is a moment between two eternities"?
  • How are there two eternities?
  • How do we live life in the best way possible in order to progress from one eternity to the other?
  • How can we draw ourselves out of our current sufferings to see things in the light of the God's providence?
  • How can we experience peace amidst the most difficult trials of life?
  • Heaven is the finest moment of our humanity.
  • What is peace?
  • Is there a distinction between peace and joy?

Resources:

 

March 14, 2017 - Author Insights Edition - Meditations for Lent, Dr. Christopher Blum 0
Mar 14, 2017

Description: Dan and Melissa speak with Dr. Christopher Blum about his book, Meditations for Lent and how Bishop Jacques-Benigne Bossuet's reflections on the life of Christ will inspire any and every soul to enter into a new relationship with our Lord.

 Questions/Topics discussed on the show:

  • How did Dr. Blum discover the writings of Bishop Jacquest-Benigne Bossuet?
  • Who is Bishop Bossuet and what kind of writing is he known for?
  • Who were his main spiritual influences and what school of spirituality did he belong to?
  • How do his writings compare to those of some of his famous contemporaries?
  • Why did Dr. Blum choose these particular meditations?

 Resources:

March 10, 2017 - St. Therese, Day 3 - Hope in the Midst of Suffering 0
Mar 10, 2017

Description: This week Dan, Melissa and Dr. Anthony Lilles make known the love that God has for us through every circumstance and the hope we can garner during our trials through His eternal love. 

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

  • St. Therese offers great consolation and encouragement to her sister, Celine, as she faces criticism and disapproval from others for desiring to enter Carmel while their father is plagued with mental illness.
  • What is the basis for St. Therese's encouragement?
  • How can others' sinfulness be good for us?
  • How can we have hope in the midst of suffering?
  • How can we experience peace through suffering?

Resources:

Author Insights Edition: March 7, 2017 - Vicki Burbach, How to Read Your Way to Heaven 0
Mar 7, 2017

Description: Dan and Melissa speak with Vicki Burbach about her book, How to Read Your Way to Heaven: A Spiritual Reading Program for the Worst of Sinners, the Greatest of Saints, and Everyone in Between.

 Questions/Topics discussed on the show:

  • What was the inspiration for the book?
  • Can anyone follow this reading program?
  • How much time will it take out of my day?
  • Why are there three different programs (1,3, or 5 years)?
  • Why include readings from Scripture, the Catechism, and additional sources each day?
  • Can I substitute books if I have already read one of the suggested books?
  • Where can I find a good recommendation for a substitution if I need one?

 Resources:

March 3, 2017 - St. Therese - Day 2, Pt 2: Life Passes Quickly 0
Mar 3, 2017

Description: This week Dan, Melissa and Dr. Anthony Lilles prepare us to face hardships in this short life n order to sincerely follow the steps of our crucified Lord and enjoy the fruits he merited for us in heaven.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

  • St. Therese wants to suffer for Jesus, but it seems like she is waiting until she enters Carmel. Why?
  • St. Therese expresses her desire to go through trials here on earth and have a "beautiful crown" in heaven.
  • St. Therese mentions that "life passes quickly".  How can we make the most of our time here on earth?
  • What does our Lord expect from us while we are living in the world?
  • Humanity constantly searches for joy that does not pass away. This life and all of its joys are passing. The joy of heaven is eternal.
  • How can we save souls through our suffering?

Resources:

February 24, 2017 - St. Therese: Day 2, Responding to Suffering 0
Feb 24, 2017

Description: This week Dan, Melissa and Dr. Anthony Lilles find meaning through the mystery of suffering and unpack the importance of our charitable response to this reality.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

  • How can trials and difficulties help detach us from earthly things?
  • How can we talk to people who are suffering about the mystery of suffering being a grace or blessing for the soul?
  • While we are in the midst of great suffering, how can we act with love? What does that mean exactly?
  • How can we truly help those who do not understand the "joys" of suffering?
  • What does St. Therese mean when she says, "I shall not fear His [God's] strikes"? 

Resources:

February 17, 2017 - St. Therese: The Oblation Parts 9 & 10, Living by Love 0
Feb 17, 2017

Description: This week Dan, Melissa and Dr. Anthony Lilles immerse themselves in the deep waters of God's love seen through the eyes of St. Therese of Lisieux in her oblation to merciful love.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

  • What does St. Therese need to do in order to release "the waves of infinite tenderness" that God has waiting to give to us?
  • How can St. Therese become a martyr for God without physically laying down her life for Him?
  • How can we benefit from filling each moment with love?
  • What does St. Therese mean by "the shadows of this life"?
  • Does God ever reveal Himself to us?
  • Why is daily prayer necessary?

Resources:

February 10, 2017 - St. Therese: The Oblation Part 9, Instantaneous Purification 0
Feb 10, 2017

Description: This week Dan, Melissa and Dr. Anthony Lilles examine the ray of hope St. Therese sends to us through her oblation to merciful love in speaking of the Lord's mercy when preparing a soul to meet Him.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

  • What is the significance of instantaneous purification?
  • How does Pelagianism compare to St. Therese's thought of instantaneous purification?
  • If God can purify us in an instant, why should we strive to make a perfect act of love?
  • Why should we respond to the gifts God has given us?
  • Why does St. Therese offer herself as a "victim of holocaust" to God's merciful love?

Resources:

February 3, 2017 - St. Therese: The Oblation Parts 7 & 8, Justice and Merits 0
Feb 3, 2017

Description: This week Dan, Melissa and Dr. Anthony Lilles discuss St. Therese’s meaning of true joy, justice in the eyes of God, and the source of our merits.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

  • What does St. Therese mean when she says that she does not want to "lay up merits for heaven"?
  • Is there a difference between happiness and joy?
  • Can we console the heart of Christ?
  • Why does St. Therese say that all of our justice is stained in God's eyes?
  • Christ is the source of all merit.
  • Little, imperfect acts of love are amplified by Jesus' merits, love and grace. So, by doing these littles acts of love we are creating space for God to do something beautiful in our lives.

Resources:

January 27, 2017 - St. Therese: The Oblation - Part 6, Joy in Suffering 0
Jan 27, 2017

Description: This week Dan and Dr. Anthony Lilles delve into the mystery of suffering with joy for love of Christ as seen through the eyes of St. Therese.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

  • Was the oblation written at the pinnacle of her spiritual journey?
  • What does she mean by the "crucible of suffering"?
  • How do we experience joy while suffering?
  • Does God want us to suffer?
  • Is St. Therese a mystic in the traditional sense of mysticism?

Resources:

January 20, 2017 - St. Therese: The Oblation Parts 4 & 5, God's Little Victim 0
Jan 20, 2017

Description: This week Dan, Melissa and Dr. Anthony Lilles discuss the meaning of being God's "little victim" and the idea of consoling God. 

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

  • Why can't St. Therese receive Holy Communion often?
  • What does St. Therese mean by being a "little victim"? Does this imply self-pity?
  • Why does she compare herself to a tabernacle?
  • Does God need to be consoled? How can St. Therese say that she wants to console Him?
  • Jesus reveals to us what's in the heart of the Father through His words and actions here on earth.

Resources:

January 13, 2017 - St. Therese: The Oblation Parts 2 & 3, The Merits of Jesus 0
Jan 13, 2017

Description: This week Dan, Melissa and Dr. Anthony Lilles explore the merits of Jesus Christ and how we can offer these merits back to God. 

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

  • How do the merits of Jesus "belong" to St. Therese, and how can she offer them to God?
  • The Father looks upon us through the His beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
  • How can we offer the merits of the saints or the Blessed Mother? 
  • How should a soul approach this oblation if he or she does not feel the intense desires to know and love God that are expressed by St. Therese in the oblation?

Resources:

January 6, 2017 - St. Therese: The Oblation Part 1, Her Mission 0
Jan 6, 2017

Description: This week, Dan, Melissa and Dr. Anthony Lilles dive into the oblation of St. Therese of Lisieux and take a closer look at her desires to serve the Lord. 

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

  • How can St. Therese "save souls on earth by liberating those suffering in purgatory"?
  • How can God be her holiness?
  • St. Therese recognizes her powerlessness to be holy and relies on God to attain the heights of holiness.
  • The measure of our spiritual progress and our holiness is love of God and love of neighbor. 
  • St. Therese refers to Jesus as her spouse. How can men relate to this idea of being the spouse of Christ?

Resources:

December 30, 2016 - Saint Therese and her "Little Way" 0
Dec 30, 2016

Description: This week Dan and Melissa speak with Dr. Anthony Lilles about Saint Therese of Lisieux's "Little Way" and how this practical guide to spirituality can help anyone find Christ.

 Topics/Questions covered in the show:

  • Saint Therese explains that Jesus' heart breaks when Christians are ungrateful for what He has done in their lives, especially when they reject the grace that He has given them.
  • What is Saint Therese's "little way"?
  • How can this method of spirituality help those who are not cloistered religious?
  • Does her "little way" work? How do we know?
  • How can we find peace in the midst of worldly chaos and turmoil?
  • Why do discussions about the saints bring us peace?

Resources:

 

December 23, 2016 - Saint Therese: Introduction to the Oblation 0
Dec 23, 2016

Description: This week Dr. Anthony Lilles unravels the meaning of the oblation (or self offering) made by Saint Therese of Lisieux.

 Topics/Questions covered in the show:

  • Was the book, Living the Mystery of Merciful Love, intended to be an informative book about Saint Therese?
  • What does "oblation" mean to Saint Therese?
  • How can an oblation be a form of holocaust?
  • How is Saint Therese's "yes" similar to that of the Blessed Virgin Mary?
  • How was Saint Therese's view of God different than that of the Jansenists?

Resources:

 

December 16, 2016 - Introducing Saint Therese of Lisieux 0
Dec 16, 2016

Description: This week Dan and Melissa introduce Saint Therese of Lisieux and explain the importance of her life and writings.

Topics/Questions covered in the show

  • Who is Saint Therese of Lisieux and why is she important?
  • What message is Saint Therese trying to convey through her life and writings?
  • How can the reader benefit from the writings of St. Therese if he or she cannot relate to her more feminine, poetic way of writing?

Resources:

December 9, 2016 - Into the Deep: Personal Prayer Journey Part 2 0
Dec 9, 2016

Description: This week Dan and Melissa delve deeper into Melissa's personal prayer journey and address some of the difficulties that have occured along the way.

Topics/Questions covered in the show

  • Is reading Scripture necessary for a strong prayer life?
  • Renewal in the Church begins interiorly and peacefully.
  • How can we "pray without ceasing" as the Church Fathers suggest?
  • Is the idea of having a "personal encounter with Christ" supported by Catholic teaching?

Resources:

December 2, 2016 - Questions on Saints and Scripture 0
Dec 2, 2016

Description: This week, Dan and Melissa discuss the importance of the saints as well as examine the meaning behind Jesus' words about a rich man entering heaven.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

  • What should we do if we can't relate to any particular saint?
  • The saints were not perfect from birth. Their lives reveal that no matter what circumstances and difficulties they experienced, they found God and developed an intimate relationship with Him.
  • In the Gospel of Matthew, why did Jesus say, "Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God"?
  • Are we too comfortable in our lives? Do we ever give to the point that it makes us uncomfortable? 
  • Is money the root of all evil?

Resources:

November 25, 2016 - Into the Deep: Personal Progress in Prayer 0
Nov 25, 2016

Description: This week, Dan and Melissa share their stories of progress and difficulties in prayer and how we can overcome these obstacles to God.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

  • How have Dan’s Into the Deep parish events impacted its participants?
  • Saint Paul says in his letter to the Philippians chapter 1, verse 6, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
  • Melissa’s personal testimonies to progress and difficulties in the spiritual life.
  • When do we really fail at prayer?
  • What problem most commonly keeps us away from God?

Resources:

November 18, 2016 - Into the Deep: Questions on Discerning God's Voice 0
Nov 18, 2016

Description: Dan and Melissa answer questions from listeners about hearing God's voice in prayer and spiritual reading versus Scripture reading during prayer time. 

 Topics/Questions covered on the show:

  • If we can meditate more easily on spiritual reading rather than Scripture, should we only pray using spiritual reading? 
  • How do we know if we are hearing the voice of God in prayer?

 Resources:

November 11, 2016 - Into the Deep: Questions on Discovery Prayer 0
Nov 11, 2016

Description: Dan and Melissa discuss how one should handle situations that occur during discovery prayer.

 

Topics/Questions covered on the show:

  • If your prayer time has ended, what should you do if you are not finished with all five steps of discovery prayer?
  • While praying, if the Lord blesses you with a consolation and your prayer time is complete, what should you do?
  • If you are having a consolation, should you move on to complete the steps of discovery prayer or rest with the consolation?

 Resources:

November 4, 2016 - Into the Deep: Tolerating Distractions 0
Nov 4, 2016

Description: This week, Dan and Melissa explain how tolerating distractions in the spiritual life can dissuade the enemy from discouraging us in prayer. 

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

  • It would be unrealistic to believe that we can be free from all distractions in prayer, so we must have strategies to tolerate them.
  • How can we "gently" turn our thoughts back to God during prayer?
  • The Catechism of the Catholic Church reveals to us that our distractions can uncover our sinful attachments.
  • Is perseverance in prayer despite our distractions more meritorious than being without distractions all together?
  • What strategies can we use to tolerate the distractions and turn our hearts back to Jesus?

Resources:

October 28, 2016 - Into the Deep: Prayer is a Battle 0
Oct 28, 2016

Description: This week, Dan and Melissa recognize prayer as a battle and give strategies to combat distractions and other forces that interfere with progress in prayer. 

 Topics/Questions covered in the show:

  • Why is prayer referred to as “a battle” in the Catechism of the Catholic Church?
  • Distractions can be a serious setback for those seeking to advance in prayer.
  • What types of distractions are the most detrimental?
  • What are some strategies to help prevent or eliminate distractions?

 Resources:

 

October 21, 2016 - Into the Deep: Step Two of Discovery Prayer - Reflecting 0
Oct 21, 2016

Description: This week Dan and Melissa dissect Melissa's prayer experience with the Parable of the Prodigal Son and apply it to the steps of discovery prayer, focusing on step two - reflection.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

  • Saint Peter cast his net out into the deep when instructed by Jesus and was abundantly blessed. The same is true for our prayer lives. We must have the same faith and trust in God to cast our own nets out into the deep and He will bless us abundantly.
  • Step two of discovery prayer is reflecting. What does this mean? What are some examples of this practice?
  • Dan guides Melissa through an examination of her own personal prayer experience with the Parable of the Prodigal Son.
  • How does reflection aid the faithful in their desire to know and love God?

Resources:

October 14, 2016 - Into the Deep: More about Reading in Discovery Prayer 0
Oct 14, 2016

Description: This week Dan and Melissa delve more deeply into the first step of discovery prayer. 

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

  • How should we enter into prayer? What prayers are best to begin our sacred time with God?
  • Keep distracting electronic devices out of your prayer space.
  • What is the best pace for saying vocal and/or mental prayer?
  • Begin discovery prayer with the gospels. 
  • What is the best method for reading the gospel passage?

Resources:

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