A Lenten Spiritual Journey with Discerning Hearts: From Ashes to Glory – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Day 7: The Call of the Disciples – “Leaving Everything to Follow Him”

Scripture Reading (Jerusalem Bible):

Luke 5:1-11
“Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on Him to hear the word of God, He saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon...

1st Tuesday of Lent – 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 of Matthew 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘In your praye...



The Cross of Christ Teaches Us. . . How to Pray

Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—How can my prayer better reflect what is going on in my life at the present moment?

Seek—Try praying for an extended period of time in the orans position. Ask Our Lord to teach you this lesson from the cross, so that your prayer might always be heartfelt.

Knock—Meditate on Hebrews 5:7

During his life on earth, he offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears, to the o...

The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life: Learning to Listen to God with a Discerning Heart with Kris McGregor

Episode 7 – Guarding the Tongue

In this episode of The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life, Kris McGregor reflects on St. Benedict’s teaching in Chapter 4 regarding the discipline of speech. Words are never neutral. They reveal what lives in the heart and shape the relationships around us. Benedict’s instruction to guard the tongue and not to love to speak much is not about silence for its own sake, but about protecting charit...

The Desert of Consumerism – Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion with Deacon James Keating

In this episode, Deacon James Keating and Kris McGregor discuss Lent as a spiritual oasis in life’s desert, where distractions of consumerism often obscure our deeper needs. Deacon Keating reminds us of Lent’s call to surrender to God’s providence, confront loneliness, and find simplicity.

He highlights how modern culture fosters busyness to avoid facing inner realities. Lent offers a chance to deepen relationships, encounter God, and break free from the cycle of distraction and emptines...

I’ve Lost My Peace – Struggles in the Spiritual Life with Fr. Timothy Gallagher O.M.V.

Fr. Timothy Gallagher and Kris McGregor continue their discussion on struggles in the spiritual life by revisiting the story of Paul, a character who experiences both spiritual and non-spiritual desolation. Initially, Paul’s situation improves after he slows down his studies, rediscovers his love for teaching, and begins to engage more in prayer and confession. However, as time passes, he begins to feel unrest, struggles with prayer, and becomes discouraged.

Fr. Gallagher explains that Paul is experi...

A Lenten Spiritual Journey with Discerning Hearts: From Ashes to Glory – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Day 6: The Transfiguration – “Beholding the Glory of Christ”

Scripture Reading (Jerusalem Bible):

Matthew 17:1-9
“Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with Him. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for...

1st Monday of Lent – 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 of St. Matthew 25:31-46

Jesus said to his disciples...

The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life: Learning to Listen to God with a Discerning Heart with Kris McGregor

Episode 6 – The Tools for Good Works

In this episode of The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life, Kris McGregor reflects on Chapter 4 of the Holy Rule and the “tools for good works.” St. Benedict moves from desire and invitation into daily Christian practice, beginning with the command to love God with the whole heart and to love one’s neighbor as oneself. These tools are not techniques for self-improvement but habits that slo...

The Cross of Christ Teaches Us. . . to Live the Gospel

Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—Where have I encountered Christ “in the least of my brethren”?

Seek—Make an effort to see Christ in the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, or imprisoned. Try to reach out to those no one else notices.

Knock—Meditate on Romans 2:13-16

It is not listening to the Law but keeping it that will make people holy in the sight of God. For instance, pagans who never heard of the Law b...

In this First Sunday of Lent episode of Building a Kingdom of Love, Msgr. John Esseff reflects on the universal story of humanity’s fall and redemption, beginning with Genesis and culminating in the Gospel of Matthew’s account of Jesus’s temptation in the desert. He reminds listeners that every human person shares a common origin in God’s breath of life and a shared inheritance of sin, temptation, and death through Adam and Eve.

Turning to Matthew’s Gospel, Msgr. Esseff walks through the three temptations of Christ and shows how Jesus succeeds where huma...

A Lenten Spiritual Journey with Discerning Hearts: From Ashes to Glory – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Day 5: Into the Wilderness – “Temptation and Proclamation”

Scripture Reading (Jerusalem Bible):

Mark 1:12-15
“The Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness and He remained there for forty days, and was tempted by Satan. He was with the wild beasts, and the angels looked after Him. After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There He proclaimed the Good News from God. ‘The time has come,’ He said, ‘and the kingdom of God is close at hand. R...

The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life: Learning to Listen to God with a Discerning Heart with Kris McGregor

Episode 5 – The Delight of Love

In this episode of The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life, Kris McGregor reflects on St. Benedict’s promise that perseverance leads to joy. As the Prologue draws toward its close, Benedict speaks of running on the path of God’s commandments with hearts overflowing in the delight of love. The spiritual life is not sustained by pressure or strain, but by love that slowly reshapes the he...

1st Sunday of Lent – 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 of St. Matthew 4:1-11

Jesus was led by...

The Cross of Christ Teaches Us. . . Our Mission

Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—What temptations do I find it hardest to resist? How might this reveal God’s intended purpose for you?

Seek—Reject sin. Learn to see in your temptations a perversion of God’s plan for you. Try to discern what it is that God might be calling you to do by looking at the areas of your life where you are most tempted.

Knock—Meditate on Numbers 22:32-33

And the angel of the Lord said t...

The Power of the Cross, applying the Passion of Christ to your life

Episode 2: The Cross of Christ teaches us… – Ash Wednesday through Saturday of that week.

In Episode 2 of Power of the Cross, Michael Dubruiel guides listeners through the First Week of Lent, inviting a deeper engagement with the Cross as teacher and guide. Building on the foundations laid in the opening episode, this reflection turns toward conversion as a lifelong process and emphasizes the importance of approaching Lent slowly, attentively and prayerfully.

Michael draws from the Gospel temptations of Chri...

St. Peter Damian – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson

Dr. Matthew Bunson discusses St. Peter Damian, a Doctor of the Church from the second millennium. Born into a turbulent era marked by apocalyptic fears and church reform, Damian’s suffering led to intense prayerfulness. He became a fervent voice for reform, addressing corruption and abuses within the clergy.

Despite reluctance, he was appointed Cardinal Bishop of Ostia and played a crucial role in papal reform. Damian emphasized the importance of the cross...

A Lenten Spiritual Journey with Discerning Hearts: From Ashes to Glory – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Day 4: “Follow Me“

Scripture Reading (Jerusalem Bible):

Luke 5:27-32
“When Jesus went out, He noticed a tax collector called Levi sitting by the customs house, and He said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And leaving everything, he got up and followed Him. In his house, Levi held a great reception for Jesus, and with them at table was a large gathering of tax collectors and others. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to His disciples and said, ‘Why do You eat and...

Saturday after Ash Wednesday – 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 of St. Luke 5:27-32

Jesus noticed a tax collector...



Saturday after Ash Wednesday

A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH

Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—How does viewing Jesus as my savior from death help me to face head-on the deaths of loved ones and even my own death?

Seek—Fast from passing judgment on anyone today. Realize in this little dying to yourself, you are opening yourself to see others as God sees them.

Knock—Meditate on Revelation 1:17-18

When I saw him, I fell in a dead faint at his feet, b...

The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life: Learning to Listen to God with a Discerning Heart with Kris McGregor

Episode 4 – The Sweetness of the Lord’s Voice

In this episode of The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life, Kris McGregor reflects on St. Benedict’s striking question: “What is sweeter to us than this voice of the Lord inviting us?” As desire becomes clarified, the heart grows capable of recognizing God’s voice as gentle, steady, and life-giving. Benedictine formation teaches that God does not overpower the heart but invites it. His call...

The 1st and 2nd Stations – Stations of the Cross with Deacon James Keating

Deacon James Keating reflects on the Stations of the Cross as a profound meditation on Christ’s suffering and its connection to human woundedness. Through this devotion, believers unite their burdens with Christ, allowing His love to transform their struggles into a path of salvation. The first station, Jesus’ condemnation, reveals His silent acceptance of injustice, a model for enduring suffering in communion with God. Pilate represents those who reject truth for self-preservation, while Jesus remains steadfast in His mission. His silenc...

The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life: Learning to Listen to God with a Discerning Heart with Kris McGregor

Episode 3 – Desiring True and Everlasting Life

In this episode of The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life, Kris McGregor reflects on how St. Benedict speaks directly to desire. Not desire as impulse or restlessness, but as the quiet force that directs a life. Drawing from the Prologue of the Holy Rule, Benedict reveals that what we seek becomes visible through speech, restraint, and the steady pursuit of peace. True and everlasting li...



A Lenten Spiritual Journey with Discerning Hearts: From Ashes to Glory – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Day 3: “The Fast That God Desires” – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Scripture Reading (Jerusalem Bible):

Isaiah 58:6-9
“Is not this the sort of fast that pleases me—it is the Lord who speaks—to break unjust fetters and undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke, to share your bread with the hungry, and shelter the homeless poor, to clothe the man you see to be naked and not turn fro...

Friday after Ash Wednesday – 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 of St. Matthew 9:14-15

John’s disciples c...



Friday after Ash Wednesday

HOW MUCH WE NEED JESUS

Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—How greatly do I feel the need for Christ in my life?

Seek— Practice fasting before your reception of the Eucharist. Also find special times to fast before high points in the Christian year and during high points in your own life so that you may always remain focused on your need for Christ. Try doing more than is required by the Church.

Knock—Meditate on Revelation 22:17, 20

The Spirit a...

Emily Bronte and Wuthering Heights – Great Works in Western Literature with Joseph Pearce

Joseph Pearce and Kris McGregor explore Wuthering Heights as a profoundly Christian novel that has often been misread as a sweeping romance. Pearce argues that Emily Brontë, the daughter of an Anglican clergyman, remained rooted in orthodox Christianity, and that her novel critiques—not celebrates—the self-indulgent passion associated with certain strands of Romanticism. Distinguishing between healthy self-giving love and the darker, Byronic strain found in writers like Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, Pearce presents Heathcliff and Catherine’s relationship as a destruc...

A Lenten Spiritual Journey with Discerning Hearts: From Ashes to Glory – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Day 2: The Call to Conversion – “Turning Toward the Light”

Scripture Reading (Jerusalem Bible):
Matthew 4:17
“From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.'”

Reflection:

Today’s scripture reminds us of Jesus’ central message as He begins His public ministry: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Repentance is not just about feeling sorry for our sins. It is about turning: turning away from darkness and sin a...

Thursday after Ash Wednesday – 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 of St. Luke 9:22-25

Jesus said to his...



Thursday after Ash Wednesday

THE INVITATION OF JESUS

Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—Do I fear the cross of Christ, or do I embrace it?

Seek—Place a crucifix in a prominent place in your home. Look upon this sign of our salvation upon rising and before you retire for the night, asking Christ to help you to “take up your cross” and follow him.

Knock—Meditate on Philippians 3:18-21

I have told you often, and I repeat it today with tears, there...

The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life: Learning to Listen to God with a Discerning Heart with Kris McGregor

Episode 2 – Obedience as Deep Listening

In this second episode of The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life, Kris McGregor reflects on obedience as it emerges naturally from deep listening. Drawing from the Prologue of the Holy Rule, St. Benedict presents obedience not as pressure or performance, but as a loving response to a word received. Benedictine obedience begins with trust, grows through patient practice, and unfolds quietly in daily responsibilities. Through le...

The Power of the Cross, applying the Passion of Christ to your life

Episode 1: The Preliminary Lenten Days – Ash Wednesday through Saturday of that week.

In this opening episode of Power of the Cross, Michael Dubruiel introduces the spiritual foundation of Lent as a journey into reality rather than escape. Drawing from the Church’s ancient understanding of Lent as a time of formation and renewal, Michael explains how Ash Wednesday and the preliminary days before the First Sunday of Lent confront us with the truth of our condition without Christ and the hope...

A Lenten Spiritual Journey with Discerning Hearts: From Ashes to Glory – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Day 1: Ash Wednesday – “Return to Me with Your Whole Heart”

Scripture Reading (Jerusalem Bible):
Joel 2:12-13
“But now—it is the Lord who speaks—come back to me with all your heart, fasting, weeping, mourning. Let your hearts be broken, not your garments torn, turn to the Lord your God again, for he is all tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in graciousness, and ready to relent.”

Reflection:

As we begin this Lenten jour...

Ash Wednesday – 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 of St. Matthew 6:1-6,16-18

Jesus said to his discipl...



Ash Wednesday

ETERNAL LIFE OR DEATH?

Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—Am I living my life in fear of death or in anticipation of eternal life in Christ?

Seek— Try to focus on Christ as the motivation for all of your actions throughout the day. Be conscious of whom you are trying to please in all that you do.

Knock— Meditate on Genesis 3:19.

“You are dust and to dust, you shall return.”

How does Baptism wash away original sin? What is the...

The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life: Learning to Listen to God with a Discerning Heart with Kris McGregor

Episode 1 – Beginning the Way

In this opening episode of The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life, Kris McGregor introduces the Benedictine path as a way of attentiveness rather than achievement. Drawing from the opening line of the Holy Rule, listeners are invited to rediscover what it means to listen with “the ear of the heart.” This episode explores Benedictine listening as a patient, faithful openness to God’s living Word, rooted in Chris...

The Power of the Cross Daily Lenten Reflections begins Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026

Saints in Heaven – Roots of the Faith with Mike Aquilina

Mike Aquilina discusses the communion of saints and the practice of seeking their intercession. Scripture and archaeology both show early Christians believed the faithful departed are alive in Christ and active in prayer. In the Roman catacombs, inscriptions ask Peter, Paul, and other holy ones to pray for the living. Biblical scenes such as the Transfiguration, the “great cloud of witnesses” in Hebrews, and the martyrs in Revelation reveal ongoing life and intercession in heaven.

He also describes early devotion to relics and to...

Preparing for Lent – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff

Msgr. John Esseff reflects on the significance of Lent and its deep spiritual purpose rooted in Jesus’ 40 days in the desert.  The ashes of Ash Wednesday remind us of our mortality and call us to repentance, marking the beginning of 40 days of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. Even though Lent is a penitential season, Sundays remain celebrations of the Resurrection.

He shares his personal experience with fasting in the Peruvian desert, explaining how physical deprivation heightened his spiritual clarity and deepened his praye...



Tuesday of the Sixth 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 of St. Mark 8:14-21

The...