Truth Of The Spirit

http://patriarchministries.com Join Patti Brunner to look at the lives of Saint Joseph of Cupertino, Saint Josephine Bakhita and St. John Bosco. It was quite easy for movie makers to choose these three saints as subjects for their movies because of their unique stories: Joseph of Cupertino: a dim-witted flying monk, Bakhita: a tattooed slave, and John Bosco: a gatherer of delinquent boys. The movies artfully portray the lives of these saints and Patti Brunner will give you some of the truth behind the poetic license of the moviemakers about these inspiring saints. This is the final and fourth of a series of movie reviews on movies about saints.

Join Patti Brunner to look at Pope Saint John XXIII and Pope Saint John Paul II. See Patriarchministries.com for information. In this modern age we expect to know all about public figures but you may be pleasantly surprised to watch the bio-movies about two popes of modern times who were rather quickly canonized. Exploring their youth and the time of their early priesthood draws us into a friendship with these two men. Patti Brunner adds other interesting information as she reviews the various movies about Pope John XXII and Pope John Paul II and helps you decide which saints to watch! A recovering binge watcher, Patti Brunner takes these long movies originally broadcast as mini-series and shows how we are invited into these saints’ lives.  

Join Patti Brunner to look at a couple of saints whose movies are based on their own account of their lives.  Today we would call them autobiographies but both St. Augustine’s and St. Patrick’s were called “Confession” and seem to be a “tell all” to the Church.  Both of these men had events in their youth that were scandalous which makes their conversion stories more interesting.  See the contrasts and similarities of these saints who were contemporaries of one another.  A closer look at St. Augustine and St. Patrick shows us how one person who turns their face to God can make a difference as we continue to honor them 1700 years later.

Join Patti Brunner for an entertaining movie review series that targets saints.  Patti has discovered that the ratings given to modern movies by the motion picture industry don’t always give the truth about the moral objections to the screening.  She recommends the USSCB Movie Guide. This Truth of the Spirit episode of Watching the Saints finds the glaring flaws as Patti looks at various movie versions about Noah who was instructed by God to build an ark to save mankind from total destruction during a world-wide flood and others about a young teenaged peasant girl, Joan of Arc, who was told by God to save France by standing up for truth above destructive evil and political forces and leading soldiers into battle.  By weeding out misleading videos of these characters and watching truthful stories these heroic characters you will be encouraged to follow their examples of obedience to God despite opposition by forces of evil.

Join Patti Brunner as she welcomes Msgr. David LeSieur in a broadcast of Living Seasons of Change. They discuss the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.  In the Season of Living Bread we find the truth of the Living Word—the sacrifice shared; the nourishment for the journey into the kingdom, and the fullness of the Presence of God.  In John 6: 51 Jesus says, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.”  Jesus gave himself for our life, and for our ongoing nourishment in the form of the Eucharist.  It is through the Eucharist that we too, can receive the same living bread made present at the Last Supper.  This episode discusses the Church’s liturgical scriptural readings from 18-21st Sundays of Ordinary Time Year B which focus on the Gospel of John Chapter 6.

Have you ever had the doldrums when it came to prayer time and you just found yourself seemingly going through the motions?  Or perhaps you even found it impossible to pray?  When distractions overwhelm you to where your mind just won’t settle down and focus?  Does that happen to you?   I have an answer for you!  Enter into the prayer of fasting!  St. Thomas Aquinas says that “we fast for three purposes:  to restrain the desires of the flesh; to raise the mind to contemplate sublime things; and to make satisfaction for our sins.”  St. John Chrysostom realized that fasting is not only from food. It’s not just food that leads us away from God.  He recommended, “Let the hands fast, by being free of avarice. Let the feet fast, by ceasing to run after sin.”  Join Patti Brunner for this episode as she shows how the Church encourages us to fast and the benefits that can come forth.

Our God is a God of Healing, He desires us to be whole. God provides healing in his words.  In Proverbs 40:20-23, “Pay attention to what I say, turn your ear to my word, don’t let out of your sight; keep them in your heart, for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.”  Lissa Applewhite suggests that various words of scripture are God’s “medicine” for our healing, our restoration, and our continued health!  Reading and memorizing these scriptures allow these words to sink deep into mind and spirit but if we go a step further by proclaiming these words out loud they become action!  Action speaks louder than words!  Speaking God’s words out is powerful, this takes God’s promise from internal to external, it fills our environment with his words and promise.  Lissa feels that every time we stand on his word, his promises we experience healing.  May not be resolution of symptoms or situation but one step closer to “total healing” which is after we are drawn eternally into God’s presence

Truth of the Spirit with Patti Brunner welcomes Ken Hunter for this episode of Praying the Scriptures as the series on Prayer-Reaching Out to God continues.  Praying scripture is not new – it dates back to the early Church, and even back to the Jews.  Scripture is sacred, significant.  “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16.  “But he answered and said, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4.  This refers to Deuteronomy 8:3.  “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.” Proverbs 30:5.  Next, we should notice that the early church prayed the Scriptures in Acts 4:24 and following. In fact, they explicitly quote Scriptures.   Praying scripture focuses on two aspects: Participation and Full Communication.  A daily way to pray the script

Patti Brunner is the speaker in this episode of Truth of the Spirit as the series on prayer continues.  Prayer is communication with the Lord.  This series on Prayer-Reaching Out to God is exploring various ways we use prayer to grow closer to God and how prayer can assist us in our faith journey.  Now you must see that during Mass God reaches out to you!  Heaven comes to earth for the intimate moment of the Consecration and Communion.  Also, God is uniquely with you in the readings.  How is this prayer?  Intertwining our beings --human being and God--joined together in eternity is possible only when both reach toward each other.  The words of the Mass, the prayers said by God’s ordained priest on your behalf and the prayers you join together to say each have purpose and meaning. The Opening Prayer of the Mass:  allows you to recognize your place in time and to reach from your life towards God.  Penitential Prayer- recognizing the purification of the vessel of your mind and heart --you offer the sacrifice of

Truth of the Spirit with Patti Brunner welcomes Rick Brunner for this episode.  The most supernatural prayer Rick knows is praying in Tongues.  Praying in Tongues is easy and very helpful.  The person does need good teaching and usually someone to help them begin.  It is part of the Church’s Baptismal gifts.  And unlike the other supernatural gifts of the Spirit which are given to different people as the Holy Spirit wills, this gift seems to be for everyone.  Therefore we encourage all to receive it.  St Paul says in 1 Cor. 14:5 that “Now I should like all of you to speak in tongues.”   Praying in Tongues is totally under the person’s control.  The person decides when to start and when to stop.  But you have no control over what words will be spoken.  St Paul says in 1 Cor. 14:14 that “If I pray in a tongue my spirit is at prayer but my mind contributes nothing.”  Our mind has no control over the words used in this prayer. This childlike step confounds the wisdom of the world by leaving the natural powers of

Truth of the Spirit with Patti Brunner welcomes Sheila Canup for the series on Prayer-Reaching Out to God.  As Sheila teaches on Deliverance, Protection and Cleansing Prayer, she shares her “on the job training” deliverance experiences.  Unless you know your authority in Christ and are sure of the Holy Spirit’s power working in you leave it alone!  Because like the woman sweeping her house and had it all cleaned out of spirits, and did not fill it, seven more came back.  But sometimes when we are praying for people deliverance prayer becomes necessary.  When it does, we need to know what and how to minister in the area of healing and releasing.   We have all had something that had to be taken out of us that we didn’t know was there.  We’ve been affected by childhood traumas and just life in general by people we are around, by literally being unaware that spirits can come within us.  Now, we are not talking about possession.     We are talking about oppressed, being attacked by demonic forces as when prayer fo

This episode of Truth of the Spirit with Patti Brunner reminds us that we are not alone in our relationship with God.  We are not alone in the Church.  And so we need to know how to get along with each other in the Church.  That’s why God, through the Fathers of the Church, gave all Christians rules to follow.  These Church rules are called Canon Law.   The Lord is the Master Builder of the kingdom of God.  Canon law provides a blueprint.  It is not the kingdom itself but a way to best bring the different elements together in proper order and place.  Sometimes people need to be told what to do for their own good.  Following the regiment of Canon Law thus keeps the Church from generations to generation strong as family. Christian duty involves action toward the whole Church, the whole world, your whole family and to yourself.  In the commandments and the precepts you see the basic understanding of duty.  In 1913 and 1983, when the Church took a fresh look at the Church Fathers they then called to mind the duti

This episode of Truth of the Spirit with Patti Brunner, Healing and Gifts of the Spirit, will explain the application of the gifts as used in healing.  It includes personal testimony to instill the hope that all Christians can be open to spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit and that the purpose of these gifts are to edify the Church to prepare it for the ultimate healing in eternal life.  As we read the scriptures we can see that Jesus taught us how to use these gifts of grace.  This episode also includes some of the saints who used the healing gifts in ordinary and extraordinary ways.  Each charism listed in the First Letter to the Corinthians can be used in some way for healing.  1 Corinthians 12: “1 Now in regard to spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware…  4  There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;  5 there are different forms of service but the same Lord; 6 there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. 7 To each individual t

Truth of the Spirit welcomes Ken Hunter as he completes part 2 of his talk “Winning the Battle” as we wrap up the series on the Armor of God with a closing by Lissa Applewhite.  Advance your spiritual journey.  That which does not grow, stagnates.   Lots of people complain, say “somebody should do something” – well, be part of it!  Recognize the battles in our lives.  Morals are not defined by us.   They are inherent – but can fool ourselves.  Luke 6:46 “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, but don’t do as I say?”  We say “Lord AND Savior” and just focus on the Savior part.  Is He your Lord or not?   Live as we want the world to be, as we want eternity to be, as Christ instructed us to be.  Trust in the Lord – stand on firm ground.  Don’t believe the lies.  Allow the Lord to fight for us.  Realize our role; we are all in the fight for salvation – everyone, whether they think it or not, want it or not.  Change the world by changing our country; change our country by changing your state.  Change your town by changing

Truth of the Spirit welcomes Ken Hunter as he discusses Winning the Battle as we wrap up the series on the Armor of God.  This episode is the first part of his talk. We talk about Spiritual Warfare, but what really is the War?  Simply: Good vs Evil, God’s plan vs Satan’s attempting thwarting of that plan.  What’s at stake: Salvation & eternal life, uniting with God in Heaven or being isolated in the despair of Hell – it’s just that straightforward.  Think of this: Jesus mentions hell and Satan more than any other part of Bible.  THE GOOD NEWS is that we’ve won the war – Satan is defeated.  The power is Good is vastly more powerful than that of Evil.  By why then is there still a battle?  Sin keeps us from our salvation – we choose or reject our participation in the victory.  People say sin doesn’t impact the world, that’s just such a blatant lie.  More of the dark victories are in the subtler aspects, hidden in the undercurrents.

The Helmet of Salvation is the final piece of armor presented in the series on the Truth of the Spirit Armor of God. Rick Brunner joins Patti Brunner as speaker. The Helmet of Salvation is a family heirloom passed down through the generations to recall the salvation given by Jesus through the cross, death and resurrection.  It is a gift given at Baptism for us to wear for the rest of our lives.  It helps us to think more clearly and recognize God.  The enemy tries to penetrate the helmet not by hitting us over the head but by getting under it with thoughts and memories of failure and temptations.  But the strength of the Helmet of Salvation is that it has been worn by all those who came before you.  Each saint, each holy man and woman have their memories to share.  The Helmet of Salvation was worn—indeed it was forged—by Christ himself.  He continues to wear it with you and thus your strength comes from this.  “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.”1 John 4:4.  The Helmet of Salvation beco

Presented by Sheila Canup, The Sword of the Spirit is part 6 of 7 of the series on the Truth of the Spirit Armor of God.  Ephesians 6:17 says, “And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”  During our darkest hours Satan will come to tempt us or torment us and attack us.  He doesn’t stop.  He tempts us to question the Father‘s will for us and his love for us.  He looks for every opportunity to lead us to discouragement and depression and despair.  The lies are overcome by the light of truth in God’s Word and the Sword of the Spirit.  The Word of God is an offensive weapon that is for close combat. The enemy is not going to stand far off once he gets a toehold on you.  He will be “up close” making you miserable.  Death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Hebrews 4:12  “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and

The Shield of Faith is part 5 of 7 of the Armor of God series. Ephesians 6:16 says, “At all times carry faith as a shield; for with it you will be able to put out all the burning arrows shot by the evil one.”  A shield is something we must pick up and hold up in front of us or it does no good!  While a physical shield protects us physically, faith can protect our spiritual lives even in the middle of physical trials.  Satan is always hurling his fiery darts of fear, doubt and worry in our direction, but the only time they can hit us is when we let our shield of faith down.  When we allow doubt to creep in, as Peter did when distracted by the waves, we will start to sink.  For these highlights and more, listen to Truth of the Spirit with Patti Brunner recorded with Lissa Applewhite at the Patriarch House.

The Shoes of Preparation for the Gospel of Peace is part 4 of 7 of the series on the Truth of the Spirit Armor of God. Ephesians 6:15 says, “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”  Before putting on the shoes, be aware of standing barefoot before God as a sign of submission and giving Him complete control. Help others by spreading this Gospel of Peace and not only the word of God but also how we live and the good example we set.  "He who abides in Him ought to walk in the way He walked." 1John 2-6.  Soak up every word in the Gospels - "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" Matt 4-4.  Romans 16:20 “And the God of Peace shall quickly crush Satan under your feet.”  Be prepared for disarming the demon world by knowing the word of God - just as Jesus did in the desert. Repeating the proclamation by Isaiah, Paul tells us in Romans 10:15 “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news”.

The Breastplate of Righteousness is part 3 of 7 of the series on the Armor of God. The enemy draws you ever inward and away from a relationship with God.  Hardness of heart is not a Breastplate of Righteousness but a breastplate of self.  How do you guard your heart? To be vulnerable to love requires surrender – not to sin but to the imperfections of others. Let God be the perfection of love.  To say “God loves me and so it doesn’t matter what I do or say” shows not reliance on God but a testing of God’s gift of free will.   What are some ways that we can spot that we are in the midst of a “spiritual attack”?  In this episode we are reminded of the overall use of spiritual warfare-- defend, protect and destroy.  We explore the righteousness of Jesus Christ and that the sacraments of Baptism and Reconciliation deliver His righteousness to us.  We are reminded that Baptism remains always.  We also see that the enemy longs for you to deny and reject it--the only way it can be penetrated.  Praising God “polishes”