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

Day 32: The Hidden Work of God

Scripture Reading (Jerusalem Bible):

Jeremiah 11:18–20
The Lord revealed it to me; I was warned.
O Lord, that was when You opened my eyes to their scheming.
I for my part was like a trustful lamb being led to the slaughter,
not knowing the schemes they were plotting against me.
“Let us destroy the tree in its strength,
cut him off from the land of the living...

Day 6: Mary, Mother of Light

The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. (Luke 1:35)

Let us pray:

4th Saturday 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 John 7:40-52

Several people who had been listening t...



The Cross of Christ Illumines. . .The Way to True Unity

Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—Am I focused on unity or division within the body of Christ?

Seek—Give thanks to God ahead of time in your prayers. Think of how Jesus instituted the Eucharist (i.e., “thanksgiving”) on the night before he died. When you are at Mass, consciously give thanks to God through Jesus for all that God has done and will do in your life.

Knock—Meditate on Ephesians 5:1–2.

Try, then, to imita...

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

Episode 31 – St. Bernard of Clairvaux – Loving God for God’s Sake

In Episode 31 of our Week 4 Lenten journey, we continue with St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s On Loving God and reflect on a deeper purification of love: learning to love God for His own sake. St. Bernard shows that this is a work of grace over time. The soul no longer turns toward God mainly for help, strength, or consolation, but begins to love Him...

Charles Dickens and Great Expectations – Great Works in Western Literature with Joseph Pearce

In this episode of The Great Works in Western Literature, Kris McGregor and Joseph Pearce explore Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, a profound story of personal conversion, moral awakening, and the search for true happiness. Dickens, writing during a time of rapid industrial and social change, presents Pip’s journey, a young boy whose desire for wealth and social status leads him away from the love and humility that once grounded him. Through Pip’s rise and fall, Dickens reveals the illusion of worldly...

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

Day 31: Walking with Christ: The Path of Love and Sacrifice

Scripture Reading (Jerusalem Bible):

Wisdom 2:1a, 12–22
The godless say to themselves, with their misguided reasoning: “Let us lie in wait for the virtuous man, since he annoys us and opposes our way of life, reproaches us for our sins against the Law, and accuses us of sins against our upbringing. He claims to have knowledge of God and calls himself a child of the Lord. His presen...

Episode 5 -Stations of the Cross: Reflections with Deacon James Keating –  Deacon Keating guides us through the 12th station (Jesus dies on the Cross), the 13th station (Jesus is taken down from the Cross and laid in the arms of His mother), and the 14th station (Jesus is placed in the tomb) along the Way of the Cross.

Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO. 

More episodes of Stations of the Cross with Deacon James Keating Ph.D...

Day 5: Mary, Mother of Justice

You shall conceive and bear a son and you shall call him Jesus. He will be great and shall rightly be called Son of the Most High. (Luke I:31-32)

Let us pray:

Almighty Father You gave us Mary, the mother of our Savior to be our model. She inspires us to constantly reach out to one another. We are called to anticipate the needs of those around us, perceive the cry of their heart, share their fears and their brokenness and give hope to the hopeless and f...

4th Friday 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. John 7:1-2,10,25-30

Jesus stayed in Galilee; he...



The Cross of Christ Illumines. . .The Truth

Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—From whom did I learn what I know about Jesus now?

Seek—Read the Gospels daily to come to a deeper understanding of Jesus. Always begin your reading with a prayer asking God to enlighten you in your endeavor.

Knock—Meditate on Acts 16:30–31.

‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They told him, ‘Become a believer in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, and your household too’.

The jailor experi...

In place of confusing life patterns, the security of a healthy balance – The Holy Rule of St. Benedict with Fr. Mauritius Wilde O.S.B

In this episode of The Holy Rule of St. Benedict: A Spiritual Path for Today’s World, Kris McGregor and Fr. Mauritius Wilde, OSB reflect on how the Rule offers a remedy for the confusing life patterns of the modern world. Fr. Mauritius points to the way contemporary life has drifted from the natural rhythms God built into creation: day and night, work and rest, weekdays and Sunday, even the chan...

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

Episode 30 – St. Bernard of Clairvaux – Love in Its Beginning

In Episode 30 of our Week 4 Lenten journey with St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s On Loving God, we reflect on the humble beginning of love. St. Bernard speaks with striking honesty: the human person does not begin by loving God perfectly; rather, it often turns to Him first out of need, weakness, and dependence. This is not a failure of love, but its beginning.

In...

Joseph – The Man Who Raised Jesus by Fr. Gary Caster on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

In this episode of Inside the Pages, Fr. Gary Caster presents St. Joseph as a mysterious yet deeply engaging figure whose life is revealed through decisive, faithful action rather than recorded words. This silence invites deeper contemplation, drawing people to examine their own willingness to trust God and act with confidence and obedience.

St. Joseph’s relationship with Mary is portrayed as one of profound love, respect, and openness to God’s plan. When faced with u...

The Litany of Saint Joseph

V/ Lord, have mercy.

R/ Lord, have mercy.

V/ Christ, have mercy.

R/ Christ, have mercy.

V/ Lord, have mercy.

R/ Lord, have mercy.

V/ Jesus, hear us.

R/ Jesus, graciously hear us.

V/ God, the Father of Heaven,

R/ have mercy on us.

V/ God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,

R/ have mercy on us.

V/ God, the Holy Spirit,

R/ have m...

Day 4: Mary, Queen of Peace

But the Angel said, “Do not fear, Mary, for God has looked kindly on you (Luke I:30)

Let us pray:

Loving Father, through our Mother, the Lady of the Annunciation, teach us how to be calm and serene so as to feel Your presence here today as we pray for our needs and desires. Teach us how to ask for them. Almighty Father, through the intercession of Mary, the Queen of Peace, may You grant us the tranquility in our hearts You granted to her at the Annunciation. Fa...

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

Day 30: Hearts Open to the Word

Scripture Reading:
John 5:31–47 (Jerusalem Bible)

Jesus said:

“Were I to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid; but there is another witness who can speak on my behalf, and I know that his testimony is valid. You sent messengers to John, and he gave his testimony to the truth — not that I depend on human testimony; no, it is for your salvation that I speak of...

Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband 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 of Matthew 1:16,18-21,24



The Cross of Christ Illumines. . .Our Choices

Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—Whom am I trying to please with the actions of my life?

Seek—The glory of God in all things, in all of your actions, in all of your interactions with others.

Knock—Meditate on 2 Corinthians 4:3–4.

If our gospel does not penetrate the veil, then the veil is on those who are not on the way to salvation; the unbelievers whose minds the god of this world has blinded, to stop them seeing...

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

Episode 29 – St. Bernard of Clairvaux – On Loving God

In this episode of The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life, Kris McGregor turns to St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s On Loving God as a natural deepening of the path already laid by the Holy Rule. Through prayer, humility, obedience, and restraint, St. Benedict has been helping to form the heart. Now St. Bernard helps clarify what that formation is meant to open within us: a...

Sexuality, Marriage, Contraception – Roots of the Faith with Mike Aquilina

Mike Aquilina and Kris McGregor discuss how the Church Fathers presented marriage and family life as sacred gifts in sharp contrast to pagan Rome, where women were often treated as property, children could be discarded, and marriage was frequently marked by exploitation, instability, and distrust. This shows Christianity as bringing a radically different vision: husband and wife bound in lifelong fidelity, open to life, marked by mutual self-giving, and rooted in the love of Christ for the Church.

Early Christian teaching elevated th...

St. Cyril of Jerusalem – The Doctors of the Church with Dr. Matthew Bunson

Dr. Matthew Bunson discusses St. Cyril of Jerusalem, recognized as a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII in 1883. St. Cyril, born around 315 AD, witnessed Jerusalem’s transformation into a Christian center under Constantine the Great and his mother, St. Helena.

Despite his humble and moderate nature, he faced challenges, including being falsely accused of supporting the Arian heresy by Bishop Acacius. St. Cyril’s time as Bishop...

O glorious Saint Joseph,faithful follower of Jesus Christ,
to you we raise our hearts and hands
to implore your powerful intercession
in obtaining from the benign heart of Jesus
all the helps and graces necessary
for our spiritual and temporal welfare,
particularly for the grace of a happy death
and the special favor we now request…

(State your request here.)

O guardian of the Word Incarnate,
we feel animated with confidence that your prayers
in our behalf will be graciously heard before th...

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

Day 29: Written on His Heart

Scripture Reading:

Isaiah 49:8–15
Thus says the Lord: In a time of favor I answer you, on the day of salvation I help you; and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people… They shall not hunger or thirst, nor shall scorching wind or sun strike them down… For the Lord comforts His people and shows mercy to His afflicted. But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me; my Lor...

Day 3: Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted

Mary was troubled at these words, wondering what this greeting could mean. (Luke I:29)

Let us pray:

With the help of our Mother of the Word Incarnate, grant us Your mercy and consolation to lighten the burden and give comfort and strength to all who are suffering now. Dear Lord, we ask Your Blessed Mother to teach us to be compassionate. Help Your children, with the power of the Holy Spirit, to conquer the menace of evil and sin in all its manifestations. Through the intercession of...

4th Wednesday 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. John 5:17-30

Jesus said to the Jews, ‘My F...

The Cross of Christ Illumines. . .Death

Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—Who can save me from death?

Seek—Pray for the dead, especially those you have known in life—family, friends, co-workers, and benefactors. When you are at Mass, call to mind those who have died when the priest mentions them in the Eucharistic Prayer.

Knock—Meditate on 1 Thessalonians 4:13–14.

We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them, like the other...

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

Episode 28 – Prayer Shaped by Humility

In this episode of The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life, Kris McGregor reflects on Chapter 20 of the Holy Rule, where St. Benedict teaches about personal prayer. After forming the heart through obedience, humility and the rhythm of liturgical life, St. Benedict turns to the way a person approaches God in prayer. He teaches that humility, reverence and attention matter more than many words.

St. Be...

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity:
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism,
The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial,
The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the love of seraphim,
In the obedience of angels,
...



O glorious Saint Joseph,faithful follower of Jesus Christ,
to you we raise our hearts and hands
to implore your powerful intercession
in obtaining from the benign heart of Jesus
all the helps and graces necessary
for our spiritual and temporal welfare,
particularly for the grace of a happy death
and the special favor we now request…

(State your request here.)

O guardian of the Word Incarnate,
we feel animated with confidence that your prayers
in our behalf will be graciously heard before the...

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

Day 28: The Father’s Work of Mercy

Scripture Reading:

John 5:17–30

Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, and I also am working.” For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God His own Father, thereby making Himself equal to God.

Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on His own, but...

Day 2: Mary, Cause of Our Joy Rejoice!

The Lord is with you. (Luke I:28)

Let us pray:

Lord God, You were pleased to bring joy to the world through the incarnation of Your Son. You sacrificed Your Son in order to save our souls and enjoy life everlasting. Grant that we, who honor His Mother, the cause of our joy, may always walk in the way of Your commandments with our hearts set on true and lasting joy. Moreover, grant us the grace to share that joy found deep in the words...

4th 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 St. John 5:1-3,5-16

There was a...



The Cross of Christ Illumines. . .Weakness

Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—Do I embrace my weakness?

Seek—God’s help in carrying your weakness daily. Offer up that weakness in the same way that the Lord offered up his suffering on the cross for the salvation of the world.

Knock—Meditate on 2 Corinthians 12:8–10.

About this thing, I have pleaded with the Lord three times for it to leave me, but he has said, ‘My grace is enough for you: my power is at its best in wea...

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

Episode 27 – The Twelfth Degree of Humility

In this episode of The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life, Kris McGregor reflects on the Twelfth Degree of Humility in Chapter 7 of the Holy Rule. St. Benedict concludes the ladder of humility by describing how the virtue becomes visible in the whole person. What has been formed interiorly through obedience, restraint, endurance, and truthfulness begins to appear outwardly in bearing, manner, and presence.

St...

I’ll Try, but Nothing Will Come of It – Struggles in the Spiritual Life with Fr. Timothy Gallagher O.M.V.

Fr. Timothy Gallagher reflects on a story about Bob, a husband and father who becomes discouraged after unintentionally hurting his wife during a disagreement about their son. Although Bob has been growing in faith through a men’s formation group and regular prayer, the unresolved tension at home leaves him vulnerable to discouraging thoughts: that he is failing as a husband, that his efforts at prayer are pointless, and that he will never really change...

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

In this episode, Deacon James Keating and Kris McGregor discuss the concept of the “Desert of Sin”: the idea that sin, while providing some form of consolation, ultimately leads to spiritual emptiness and turmoil.

Dcn. Keating reminds us of the importance of patience in the process of personal and spiritual transformation, particularly in dealing with others who may not share the same level of spiritual fervor. He warns against the temptation to become impatient or frustrated when others do not...



O glorious Saint Joseph,faithful follower of Jesus Christ,
to you we raise our hearts and hands
to implore your powerful intercession
in obtaining from the benign heart of Jesus
all the helps and graces necessary
for our spiritual and temporal welfare,
particularly for the grace of a happy death
and the special favor we now request…

(State your request here.)

O guardian of the Word Incarnate,
we feel animated with confidence that your prayers
in our behalf will be graciously heard before the...

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

Day 27: “Do You Want to Be Made Whole?”

Scripture Reading (Jerusalem Bible):

Isaiah 65:17-21
“Thus says the Lord: I am about to create new heavens and a new earth… Be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating… No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress.”

Reflection:

Coming out of the healing light of Laetare Sunday, we are reminded today that God is not only restor...

Day 1: Mary, Full of Grace

From the Gospel according to Luke 1:28

In the sixth month, the Angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth. He was sent to a young virgin who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the family of David: and the virgin’s name was Mary. The Angel came to her and said, Rejoice, Full of Grace! 

Let us pray:
Almighty Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we thank You for bestowing upon Your highly favored daughter all the graces to be Your Son...