Leaving the Desert – Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion with Deacon James Keating

In this episode, Deacon James Keating and Kris McGregor explore Lent’s significance, urging introspection and acknowledgment of sin. Deacon Keating highlights society’s loss of this sense, attributing it partly to psychology’s influence.

This reminds us of personal responsibility and freedom in recognizing sin; especially cultural desensitization to sin, emphasizing intentional conscience formation through spiritually grounded fellowship. They advocate for gentle yet firm engagement on moral issues to foster genuine community within parishes.

Discerning Hearts Reflecti...

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

Day 35: Look Upon the One They Have Pierced

Scripture Reading: (Jerusalem Bible)

John 8:21–30

Again Jesus said to them: “I am going away; you will look for Me and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”

The Jews said to one another, “Will He kill Himself? Is that what He means by saying, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?”

Jesus went on: “...

Day 9: Mary, Woman of Faith

5th 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 John 8:21-30

Jesus said to the Pharisees:
‘I am...



The Cross of Christ Restores. . .The Image of God

Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—What can make me more like Christ in his humility?

Seek—Ask God to reveal to you his purpose for your life. When you do not feel accepted by others, look to the rejection that Jesus endured on the cross and unite your suffering to his.

Knock—Meditate on Numbers 21:8–9.

The Lord answered him, ‘Make a fiery serpent and put it on a standard. If anyone is bitten and looks at it...

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

Episode 34 – St. Hildegard of Bingen – The Ruler of All

In this episode of The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life, Kris McGregor continues with St. Hildegard of Bingen and her vision of God as the One who orders and sustains all things. Hildegard begins not with the self but with God, whose power gives life, fruitfulness, and right order to creation. Her Benedictine formation matters deeply here. Living within the Holy Rule, the...

I Don’t Feel God’s Love – Struggles in the Spiritual Life with Fr. Timothy Gallagher O.M.V.

Fr. Timothy Gallagher and Kris McGregor discuss how ongoing struggles are a normal part of the spiritual life, where both consolation and desolation play important roles in growth. Through Kathy’s experience, they show how prayer can begin with deep peace, a sense of being loved, and visible fruit in daily life, only to later shift into dryness and inner turmoil. When a Scripture passage unexpectedly brings up unresolved pain from her past, Kathy enters a state of...

Day 8: Mary, handmaid of the Lord

Then Mary said “I am the Handmaid of the Lord” (Luke I:38)

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

Day 34: Mercy Meets Us in Our Sin

Scripture Reading (Jerusalem Bible):

John 8:1–11 (Jerusalem Bible)

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At daybreak, He appeared in the Temple again; and as all the people came to Him, He sat down and began to teach them.

The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman along who had been caught committing adultery; and making her stand there in full view of everybody, they said to Jesus, “Master...

5th 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. John 8:1-11

Jesus went to the...



The Cross of Christ Restores. . .Forgiveness

Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—Do I believe in the power of Jesus to forgive?

Seek—Acknowledge your sinfulness before God. Make a daily examination of conscience. In whom are you placing your trust, in Jesus or yourself? Frequently ask God to help you to sin no more.

Knock—Meditate on Philippians 3:8–11.

Not only that, but I believe nothing can happen that will outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For him I have accepted the...

The Fifth Sunday of Lent: Resurrection and New Life – Building a Kingdom of Love w/ Msgr. John Esseff Podcast

In this Fifth Sunday of Lent reflection, Msgr. John Esseff turns to the Gospel of the raising of Lazarus and the promise spoken through the prophet Ezekiel that God will open the graves and restore life to his people. He proclaims that apart from Christ, humanity lives in a state of spiritual death, but through faith in Jesus, the resurrection and the life, new life is given even now.

Msgr. Esseff reflects on Jesus’ ques...

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

Episode 33 – St. Hildegard of Bingen – Scivias: God’s Living Work

In this episode of The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life, Kris McGregor turns to St. Hildegard of Bingen and her great work Scivias. Formed by the Benedictine life of prayer, stability, obedience, and attentive listening, Hildegard speaks from within the wisdom of the Holy Rule. Her visions are not distractions from that life, but expressions of a soul deeply grounded in it.

Day 7: Mary, Help of Christians

Even your relative Elizabeth is expecting a son in her old age, although she was unable to have a child, and she is now in her sixth month. With God, nothing is impossible” (Luke I:36-37)

Let us pray: God, our Father, we come to You with confidence that You will enlighten us with Your grace and love. Today as we worry about the world’s miseries, where love is disappearing among families and neighbors, where we find disunity everywhere, where love and respect for Your Son Jesus Christ are no...

Episode 6 – The Cross of Christ restores… – Fifth Week

In “The Power of the Cross”, Michael Dubruiel penned a truly exceptional meditation on the Cross of Christ which serves beautifully as a source for reflection any time of the year, but it is particularly poignant and compelling during the weeks of Lent. Several years ago Bruce and I had the chance to have a series of conversations with Michael during Lent using his book for reflection…it was a big hit with the audience. Those discussions have been remastered and made available once again here. Michael died unexpectedly in February...

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

Day 33: Trusting the One Who Calls Us to Life

Scripture Reading (Jerusalem Bible):

John 11: 11:3-7,​17,​20-27,​33-45

Mary and Martha sent this message to Jesus, ‘Lord, the man you love is ill.’ On receiving the message, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will end not in death but in God’s glory, and through it the Son of God will be glorified.’

  Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, yet when he heard that Lazarus was ill he s...

5th 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. John 11:1-45

There was a man n...

The Cross of Christ Restores. . .Life

Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—What still binds me?

Seek—See the restorative power of the cross to see all things made new by the death of Jesus—spend some time allowing your past failings, relationships, and the deaths of loved ones to come forward, and present them to the Lord.

Knock—Meditate on Acts 9:40–41.

Peter sent them all out of the room and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to the dead woman and said, ‘Tabitha, stand up’. She opened her...

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

Episode 32 – St. Bernard of Clairvaux – Love Returned in God

In Episode 32 of our Week 4 Lenten journey with St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s On Loving God, we reflect on the furthest reach of love: when love is so healed and rightly ordered in God that a person can receive even his own life as gift. St. Bernard is careful here. He is not describing a return to self-interest, but a self restored by grace and ri...

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...