Dr Paul Thigpen Podcasts

“Aids in the Battle” – Put On The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare w/Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D. Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 12: For in spite of all the witness of creation and of the salvific economy inherent in it, the spirit of darkness is capable of showing God as an enemy of his own creature, and in…

Episode 11 – “Keep the Enemy Out of the Camp” – Put On The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare w/Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D. Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 11: Satan has his Trojan horses as well. He sometimes tempts us to embrace what looks like a desirable gift. But despite the attractive appearance, it’s ac…

Episode 10 – “Know your Armor – The Virtues” – Put on The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare with Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 5: Prayer and fasting, worship and adoration, Scripture and sacraments and sacramentals all provide the weapons of our spiritual warfare. With them we go …

Episode 9 – “Know your Weapons” pt. 4 – Put on The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare with Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 4: Blessings and blessed objects. Both the blessings that are properly given by clergy (such as those in the Liturgy) and the blessings spoken by lay people as p…

“Know your Weapons” pt. 3 – Put on The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare with Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 4: The weapon of sacramentals The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes sacramentals as sacred signs that bear a resemblance to the sacraments. They signify effects, es…

Episode 7 – “Know your Weapons” pt. 2- Put on The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare with Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 4: The weapon of the sacraments Christ has given the seven sacraments to His Church as channels of grace into our lives. That grace is powerful to transform us in…

Episode 6 – “Know your Weapons” pt. 1- Put on The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare with Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 4: The weapon of prayer In writing to the Ephesians, St. Paul goes on to identify several specific pieces of armor, and weapons as well. Indispensable in this lis…

Episode 5 – “Know your Commander and Comrades” – Put on The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare with Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 3: How can we possibly defeat “that ancient Serpent who is called the Devil” (Rv 12:9)? Our Commander, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Conqueror of hell and …

Episode 4 – “Extraordinary Activity” – Put on The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare with Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 2: Beyond the ordinary activity of demons through temptation is their extraordinary activity. This destructive work is more powerful and manifests itself, not onl…

Episode 3 – “Temptation” – Put on The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare with Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 2: he ordinary activity of demons is subtle and occurs within our thought life. They plant ideas within our minds seeking to influence our reason, memory, and imagination — a…

Episode 2 – “Why does God allow evil?” – Put on The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare with Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 1: God is infinitely more powerful than the Devil and his hosts. So why doesn’t God prevent them from their evildoing on planet earth? We could ask a similar qu…

Episode 1 – “Know Your Enemy” – Put on The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare with Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 1: Like it or not, you are at war. No matter who you are — whether or not you know it — you have a mortal enemy who wants to destroy you, not just in this life, but in t…

Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 12:For in spite of all the witness of creation and of the salvific economy inherent in it, the spirit of darkness is capable of showing God as an enemy of his own creature, and in the first place as an enemy of man, as a source of danger and threat to man. In this way Satan man…

Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 11:Satan has his Trojan horses as well. He sometimes tempts us to embrace what looks like a desirable gift. But despite the attractive appearance, it's actually a catastrophe waiting for an invitation to invade. Playing with a Ouija board, for instance, may seem innocent enough…

Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 5:Prayer and fasting, worship and adoration, Scripture and sacraments and sacramentals all provide the weapons of our spiritual warfare. With them we go on the offensive against the Evil One. But the virtues provide our defensive armor.As Blessed Pope Paul VI once observed, St.…

Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 4:Blessings and blessed objects. Both the blessings that are properly given by clergy (such as those in the Liturgy) and the blessings spoken by lay people as part of their daily lives (such as a table grace) are important sacramentals. They can sanctify our thoughts, our actio…

Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 4:The weapon of sacramentals The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes sacramentals as sacred signs that bear a resemblance to the sacraments. They signify effects, especially of a spiritual kind, that are obtained through the Church's intercession. Through sacramentals, w…

Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 4:The weapon of the sacraments Christ has given the seven sacraments to His Church as channels of grace into our lives. That grace is powerful to transform us into the image of Christ and to see us safely home to heaven. No wonder, then, that the Devil hates the sacraments and …

Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 4:The weapon of prayer In writing to the Ephesians, St. Paul goes on to identify several specific pieces of armor, and weapons as well. Indispensable in this list of the spiritual warrior's equipment is prayer. ""With all prayer and supplication,"" he insists, ""pray at all tim…

Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 3:How can we possibly defeat ""that ancient Serpent who is called the Devil"" (Rv 12:9)?Our Commander, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Conqueror of hell and death, calls us to battle alongside Him against the Enemy so that we can have a share in His victory. To fight the good fight,…

Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 2:Beyond the ordinary activity of demons through temptation is their extraordinary activity. This destructive work is more powerful and manifests itself, not only in thoughts, but also in the physical realm. Most observers of demonic tactics agree that the following activities …

Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 2:he ordinary activity of demons is subtle and occurs within our thought life. They plant ideas within our minds seeking to influence our reason, memory, and imagination and ultimately, our will. They can suggest such ideas indirectly through our senses, especially through what…

Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 1:God is infinitely more powerful than the Devil and his hosts. So why doesn't God prevent them from their evildoing on planet earth? We could ask a similar question about why God doesn't stop human beings from committing wicked deeds. Evil's continuing presence among us is a m…

Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare Chapter 1:Like it or not, you are at war.No matter who you are whether or not you know it you have a mortal ene-my who wants to destroy you, not just in this life, but in the next.No matter where you live on this planet whether or not you can see it you live on a hotly contested battle…

Likewise, he behaves as a chief bent on conquering and robbing what he desires: for, as a captain and chief of the army, pitching his camp, and looking at the forces or defenses of a stronghold, attacks it on the weakest side, in like manner the enemy of human nature, roaming about, looks in turn at all our virtues, theological, cardinal and moral;…

Likewise, he acts as a licentious lover in wanting to be secret and not revealed. For, as the licentious man who, speaking for an evil purpose, solicits a daughter of a good father or a wife of a good husband, wants his words and persuasions to be secret, and the contrary displeases him much, when the daughter reveals to her father or the wife to h…

The enemy acts like a woman, in being weak against vigor and strong of will. Because, as it is the way of the woman when she is quarrelling with some man to lose heart, taking flight when the man shows her much courage: and on the contrary, if the man, losing heart, begins to fly, the wrath, revenge, and ferocity of the woman is very great, and so …

Let him who is consoled see to humbling himself and lowering himself as much as he can, thinking how little he is able for in the time of desolation without such grace or consolation. On the contrary, let him who is in desolation think that he can do much with the grace sufficient to resist all his enemies, taking strength in his Creator and Lord.h…

Let him who is in consolation think how he will be in the desolation which will come after, taking new strength for then.http://www.discerninghearts.com/catholic-podcasts/dos12-discernment-of-spirits-with-fr-timothy-gallagher-o-m-v/

There are three principal reasons why we find ourselves desolate.The first is, because of our being tepid, lazy or negligent in our spiritual exercises; and so through our faults, spiritual consolation withdraws from us.The second, to try us and see how much we are and how much we let ourselves out in His service and praise without such great pay o…

Let him who is in desolation labor to be in patience, which is contrary to the vexations which come to him: and let him think that he will soon be consoled, employing against the desolation the devices, as is said in the sixth Rule.http://www.discerninghearts.com/catholic-podcasts/dos10-discernment-of-spirits-with-fr-timothy-gallagher-o-m-v/…

Let him who is in desolation consider how the Lord has left him in trial in his natural powers, in order to resist the different agitations and temptations of the enemy; since he can with the Divine help, which always remains to him, though he does not clearly perceive it: because the Lord has taken from him his great fervor, great love and intense…

Although in desolation we ought not to change our first resolutions, it is very helpful intensely to change ourselves against the same desolation, as by insisting more on prayer, meditation, on much examination, and by giving ourselves more scope in some suitable way of doing penance.http://www.discerninghearts.com/catholic-podcasts/dos8-discernmen…

In time of desolation never to make a change; but to be firm and constant in the resolutions and determination in which one was the day preceding such desolation, or in the determination in which he was in the preceding consolation. Because, as in consolation it is rather the good spirit who guides and counsels us, so in desolation it is the bad, w…

Of Spiritual Desolation. I call desolation all the contrary of the third rule, such as darkness of soul, disturbance in it, movement to things low and earthly, the unquiet of different agitations and temptations, moving to want of confidence, without hope, without love, when one finds oneself all lazy, tepid, sad, and as if separated from his Creat…

Of Spiritual Consolation. I call it consolation when some interior movement in the soul is caused, through which the soul comes to be inflamed with love of its Creator and Lord; and when it can in consequence love no created thing on the face of the earth in itself, but in the Creator of them all.Likewise, when it sheds tears that move to love of i…

In the persons who are going on intensely cleansing their sins and rising from good to better in the service of God our Lord, it is the method contrary to that in the first Rule, for then it is the way of the evil spirit to bite, sadden and put obstacles, disquieting with false reasons, that one may not go on; and it is proper to the good to give c…

In the persons who go from mortal sin to mortal sin, the enemy is commonly used to propose to them apparent pleasures, making them imagine sensual delights and pleasures in order to hold them more and make them grow in their vices and sins. In these persons the good spirit uses the opposite method, pricking them and biting their consciences through…

The life of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the foundational elements of the Spiritual Exerciseshttp://www.discerninghearts.com/catholic-podcasts/dos2-discernment-of-spirits-with-fr-timothy-gallagher-o-m-v/

The Discernment of Spirits: Setting the Captives Free - serves as an introduction to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of LoyolaThe 14 Rules for Discerning Spirits - "The Different Movements Which Are Caused In The Soul as outlined by St. Ignatius of Loyolahttp://www.discerninghearts.com/catholic-podcasts/dos1-fr-timothy-gallagher-discernment…

In this episode with Fr. Gallagher, the series concludes with an instruction on the Third Mode and summary overview of "Discerning the Will of God".http://www.discerninghearts.com/catholic-podcasts/dwg12-discernment-gods-will-everyday-decisions-wfr-timothy-gallagher/

In this episode with Fr. Gallagher, there is a brief summary of the First and Second Mode. Then Fr. Gallagher breaks open the Third Mode, a Ponderousness of Reasons, also know as the 4 columns.http://www.discerninghearts.com/catholic-podcasts/dwg11-discerning-the-will-of-god-an-ignatian-guide-to-christian-decision-making-wfr-timothy-gallagher/…

In this episode with Fr. Gallagher, we can continue our conservation on "The Second Mode" of discernment. In particular, we discuss the role of the spiritual director. We then begin discussing "The Third Mode"http://www.discerninghearts.com/catholic-podcasts/dwg10-discerning-the-will-of-god-an-ignatian-guide-to-christian-decision-making-wfr-timothy…

In this episode, Fr. Gallagher we can continue our conservation on "The Second Mode" of discernment. He breaks open an experience in which St. Ignatius discerns the vow of poverty for the community. Fr. Gallagher gives an overview of the classic discernment of spirits which includes an understanding of "spiritual consolation" and "spiritual desolat…

In this episode, Fr. Gallagher discusses the Three Modes, and in particular the we discuss "The Second Mode": The Attraction of the Heart. When clarity is recieved through the discernment of spirits of either spiritual consolation or desolation.http://www.discerninghearts.com/catholic-podcasts/dwg8-discerning-the-will-of-god-an-ignatian-guide-to-ch…

In this episode, Fr. Gallagher discusses the Three Modes, and in particular the we discuss "The First Mode": When there is a clarity without doubting. Sometimes the right decision is unmistakably clear. We know what the right choice is. This knowledge is a gift from God. All we need do is act on what we know to be the right direction. Often this ta…

This episode offers Fr. Gallagher discusses the call to the marriage vocation and the call to the religious life. What are the differences found in each and how do we begin to discern our call.http://www.discerninghearts.com/catholic-podcasts/dwg6-discerning-the-will-of-god-an-ignatian-guide-to-christian-decision-making-wfr-timothy-gallagher/…

This episode offers a continuing look at the importance of the disposition of heart and the means which help us to be open to God's will. Then Fr. Gallagher begins the opening conversation on the vocation God may be calling us to.http://www.discerninghearts.com/catholic-podcasts/dwg5-discerning-the-will-of-god-an-ignatian-guide-to-christian-decisio…

This episode offers a look at the importance of the disposition of heart, which like the Blessed Virgin Mary, seeks the will of God in whatever He wants. How do we gain that disposition and what are the means of obtaining that grace is what discussed in the next several episodes. In this conversation the importance of the retreat and even more impo…

This episode offers a look at the importance of the "foundation" of our discernment.http://www.discerninghearts.com/catholic-podcasts/dwg3-discerning-the-will-of-god-an-ignatian-guide-to-christian-decision-making-wfr-timothy-gallagher/