Day 9

St. Hildegard you have said:

“A human being is a vessel that God has built for himself and filled with his inspiration so that his works are perfected in it.”

“Now, O son of God, set in the valley of true humility, walk in peace without pride of spirit, which, like a precipitous mountain, offers a difficult, or near-impossible, ascent or descent to those who attempt to scale it, and on its summit no building can be built. For a person who tries to climb higher than he can achieve...

Wednesday of the Twenty-Fourth 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 7:31-35

Jesus sai...

St. Bernard of Clairvaux on Sorrow, Longing, and Remaining Open to God with Kris McGregor

About This Episode

In this episode of The Spiritual Journey for the Discerning Heart, Kris McGregor reflects with Saint Bernard of Clairvaux on Our Lady of Sorrows and the deeper spiritual meaning of sorrow.

Sorrow reaches far beyond bereavement. It can arise when a relationship is wounded, health or independence changes, someone we love takes a painful path, a long-held hope is lost, or life unfolds very differently from what we expected. Sorrow enters wherever love...

Day 2

St. Padre Pio you have said:

I implore you to be faithful and humble and always to keep the great Mother of God before your mental gaze, she who humbled herself more profoundly the more she was exalted.  Never, ever be exalted at your virtues but repeat that everything comes from God, and give Him the honor and glory.

Gracious God, you generously blessed your servant, Padre Pio, with the gifts of the Spirit. You marked his body with the five wounds of Christ Crucified, as a powerful witness to t...

Day 8

St. Hildegard you have said:

“People have within themselves struggles of confession and of denial… And in this struggle the question is: Is there a God or not? The answer comes from the Holy Spirit Who dwells in the person:

God is, and created you, and also redeemed you.

As long as this question and answer are in a person, the power of God will not be absent from him, for this question and answer carries with it penitence. But when this question is not in a perso...



The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows – 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 2:33-35

As...



Episode 1 – Introduction – The Second Week Rules for the Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide to a Greater Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

In this opening episode of The Second Week Rules for the Discernment of Spirits, Fr. Timothy Gallagher reviews the foundation of the First Week Rules. He returns to the basic pattern of discernment: be aware, understand, and take action. He also revisits spiritual consolation and desolation, along with the practical rules that help us receive what is of God and reject the discouraging lies of the enemy.

Fr...

Day 7

St. Hildegard you have said:

Don’t let yourself forget that God’s grace rewards not only those who never slip, but also those who bend and fall. So sing! The song of rejoicing softens hard hearts. It makes tears of godly sorrow flow from them. Singing summons the Holy Spirit. Happy praises offered in simplicity and love lead the faithful to complete harmony, without discord. Don’t stop singing.

O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the univers...



The Exaltation of the Holy Cross – 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. John 3:13-17

Jesus s...

Day 1

St. Padre Pio you have said:

Jesus keeps nothing for Himself of what is done for love of Him, and He will repay us very lavishly,  Don’t let us make our happiness depend on enjoying wonderful health, or else we should be just like those foolish worldly people to whom it is not given to know the secrets of heaven…. Continue to love Jesus, and make an effort to love Him more and more, without wanting to know anything else He alone will steer us to the haven of salvation.

Gra...

Exaltation of the Holy Cross – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff

Msgr. John Esseff reflects on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. He explains how, for the first centuries of Christianity, the cross was not the central symbol of the faith, since crucifixion was still a horrifying reality in the Roman world. Instead, the fish served as the identifying sign. Over time, the Church came to embrace the cross as the true sign of salvation, recognizing that Jesus’ death was not merely an execution but a free offering of His...

Day 6

St. Hildegard you have said:

Sometimes when we hear a song we breathe deeply and sigh. This reminds the prophet that the soul arises from heavenly harmony. In thinking about this, he was aware that the soul itself has something in itself of this music…

O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer you taught us….

God is the foundation for everything
This God undertakes, God gives.
Such that...

Sunday of the Twenty-Fourth 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. Matthew 18:21-35

Peter wen...



Day 5

St. Hildegard you have said:

Dare to declare who you are. It is not far from the shores of silence to the boundaries of speech. The path is not long, but the way is deep. You must not only walk there, you must be prepared to leap.

The mystery of God hugs you in its all-encompassing arms.

O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer you taught us….

God is...

Saturday of the Twenty-Third 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 6:43-4...

Dr. Robert D. Enright – Forgiving as Unity with Christ on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Dr. Robert Enright speaks with Kris McGregor about his book Forgiving as Unity with Christ: A Journey for Healing, Resentment, and Relationships. He shares how an epiphany in 1985 redirected his academic career toward the study of forgiveness, which had previously been neglected in psychological research. Forgiveness, as a moral virtue, can transform the heart by healing the effects of injustice such as anger, resentment, and mistrust. Drawing from Aristotle and Aquinas, forgiveness does not excuse wrongdoing, demand forgetfulness, re...

Day 4

St. Hildegard you have said:

Listen: there was once a king sitting on his throne. Around Him stood great and wonderfully beautiful columns ornamented with ivory, bearing the banners of the king with great honour. Then it pleased the king to raise a small feather from the ground, and he commanded it to fly. The feather flew, not because of anything in itself but because the air bore it along. Thus am I, a feather on the breath of God.

O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the or...



Friday of the Twenty-Third 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 Luke 6:39-42

...

Day 3

St. Hildegard you have said:

Holy Spirit, the life that gives life: You are the cause of all movement. You are the breath of all creatures. You are the salve that purifies our souls. You are the ointment that heals our wounds. You are the fire that warms our hearts. You are the light that guides our feet. Let all the world praise you.

O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer yo...

Standing on the Rock – St. Bernard of Clairvaux on the Stages of Contemplation with Kris McGregor

About This Episode

In this episode of The Spiritual Journey for the Discerning Heart, Kris McGregor reflects on Saint Bernard of Clairvaux’s teaching on the stages of contemplation and what it can teach us about discerning God’s will.

St. Bernard begins with a powerful image: before trying to determine where God is leading, “take our stand” on Christ, the solid rock. Discernment begins in relationship with Jesus. From that foundation, the soul learns to listen...

Thursday of the Twenty-Third 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 Luke 6:27-38

Fesus said...

Episode 9 – Know Your Weapons pt. 4 – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare with Dr. Paul Thigpen, Ph.D

In this episode of Put on the Armor: A Manual for Spiritual Warfare, Kris McGregor and Dr. Paul Thigpen continue their discussion of sacramentals by focusing on blessings and the way ordinary material things can be set apart for God’s service and protection. Dr. Thigpen explains the difference between blessings any Christian may offer, such as blessing food or a parent blessing a child, and those blessings reserved to clergy. He then turns to holy water, showing how it rec...

Day 2

St. Hildegard you have said:

These visions which I saw were not in sleep nor in dreams, nor in my imagination nor by bodily eyes or outward ears nor in a hidden place; but in watching, aware with the pure eyes of the mind and inner ear of the heart.

O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer you taught us….

God is the foundation for everything
This God unde...

Wednesday of the Twenty-Third 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 6:20-2...

Day 1

St. Hildegard you have said:

Just as a mirror, which reflects all things, is set in its own container, so too the rational soul is placed in the fragile container of the body. In this way, the body is governed in its earthly life by the soul, and the soul contemplates heavenly things through faith.

O glorious St. Hildegard, abbess of the order of St. Benedict and doctor of the universal Church, we now join in the prayer you taught us….

God is the foundation for everything



The Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 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. Matthew 1:18-23

Th...

The 14 Rules of the Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher with Kris McGregor

Episode Sixteen: Rule Fourteen – Strengthening the Weakest Point

Episode 16 – The Fourteenth Rule:

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; and where he finds us we...

Monday of the Twenty-Third 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 6:6-11...

The Sacred Heart, Sin, and Confession – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff

In this episode of Building a Kingdom of Love, Msgr. John Esseff turns to the reality of sin and the healing power of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The battle between the Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness isn’t only visible in war, violence, and suffering throughout the world. That same struggle reaches into every human heart. Msgr. Esseff asks how we recognize what separates us from Christ and recover the grace and union with Him that God...

Sunday of the Twenty-Third 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. Matthew 18:15-20

Jesus sai...

Trust, Surrender, “I Thirst,” and the Little Way with Kris McGregor

About This Episode

In this episode of The Spiritual Journey for the Discerning Heart, Kris McGregor reflects on the last letter of St. Teresa of Calcutta to the Missionaries of Charity, dated September 5, 1997, the day Mother Teresa died.

At the end of her life, St. Teresa returns to the spiritual truths she had spent years teaching her sisters: remain close to Jesus and Mary, live with loving trust and total surrender, listen to the thirst of Christ, and recognize Jesus in t...

David Scott – The Love That Made Mother Teresa on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

In this episode, Kris McGregor and David Scott discuss his book The Love That Made Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa’s life reveals that God is love, not in abstract terms but through tangible works of mercy. Anecdotes highlight her care for the sick, the dying, and the forgotten, showing love expressed in small but profound acts. Scott notes that her childhood—marked by her mother’s openness to the poor—helped shape this vision, and her vocation was further clarified...

Susan Conroy – Praying with Mother Teresa on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Susan Conroy reflects on her friendship with Mother Teresa, which began when she was 21 and traveled to Calcutta to volunteer with the Missionaries of Charity. She recalls the joy and peace that radiated from Mother Teresa’s presence, describing it as an encounter with holiness that overflowed into her own service among the poor and suffering. Susan highlights Mother Teresa’s humility, noting that despite global recognition and awards, she lived with deep self-forgetfulness, seeing herself only as a simple instrument in God...

Special Encore: The Canonization of St. Teresa of Calcutta – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff

In this special encore, Msgr. Esseff reflects on his pilgrimage to Rome for the canonization of St. Teresa of Calcutta. He shares personal stories about the journey, the people he encountered, and the profound spiritual experiences he had during the trip.

In his retelling, he describes how 16 pilgrims, many with personal connections to Mother Teresa, made their way to Rome. He recalls the challenges of the journey, particularly the intense heat, and how enduring th...



Saturday of the Twenty-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 6:1-5

Ninth Day – Holiness is Jesus Living and Acting in Me

Thought for the day:
“Charity for each other is the surest way to great holiness.”

Ask for the grace to become a saint.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.

Obtain from the Heart of Jesus (here make your request).

Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so comp...

Friday of the Twenty-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 Luke 5:33-39

The Pharise...

A Great Cloud of Witnesses: Introducing The Spiritual Journey for the Discerning Heart with Kris McGregor

About This Episode

What if the time, place, relationships, vocation, and circumstances of your life are not accidental, but the very place where God is calling you to become a saint?

In this introductory episode of The Spiritual Journey for the Discerning Heart, Kris McGregor explores the deeply personal nature of the spiritual journey. God knows each soul individually, and the path of holiness unfolds within the real circumstances of the life we have been...

St. Gregory the Great, Part 2 – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson

Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor continue their discussion on the life and legacy of Pope Gregory I, also known as Gregory the Great. This time, they explore his pivotal role as a civil leader and spiritual giant during the decline of the Western Roman Empire. Gregory, the first monk to become Pope, was a towering figure in the Church who introduced significant liturgical reforms and emphasized the un...

St. Gregory the Great, Part 1 – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson

Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor discuss the life and legacy of Pope Gregory the Great, one of the most influential figures in Church history. Gregory, often referred to as the last of the Latin Fathers and the founder of the Medieval Papacy, left an indelible mark despite a relatively short 14-year pontificate. Born into a wealthy and noble Christian family in 540 AD, Gregory was deeply influenced by hi...