The Discerning Hearts Blog Archives - Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts
Fr. Timothy Gallagher, Dr. Anthony Lilles, Fr. Donald Haggerty, Fr. Mauritius Wilde O.S.B, Fr. Thomas McDermott O.P., Dr. Matthew Bunson, Dr. R. R. Reno, Deacon James Keating, Archbishop George Lucas, Msgr. John Esseeff and so many other Catholic Spiritual leaders and teachers/catechists offer the best teachings in the rich Catholic Spiritual/Discernment tradition. From lives of the saints to the basics of Catholic Social teaching, from the Sacred Liturgy to prayer in everyday moments of our lives, we walk to together as we fulfill our call to "be saints in the making". By the renewal of...
VEC5 – Nero – Villains of the Early Church with Mike Aquilina – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Episode 5 – Nero – Villains of the Early Church with Mike Aquilina
Mike Aquilina and Kris McGregor explore the life of Emperor Nero as one of the earliest and most notorious persecutors of Christians. In the book, Mike Aquilina describes Nero as a product of a corrupt dynasty rooted in assassination, manipulation, and unchecked power. Despite his violent and unstable behavior—including the murders of his wife and mother—Nero was adored by segments of the lower classes because he turned Rome into a kind of perpetual party, indulging the public and turning society upside-down. His vanity as a performe...
Wednesday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
Wednesday of the Thirty-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 21:12...
WOM15 – The Unitive Way – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcast
The Unitive Way – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating
Deacon Keating explains how spiritual growth develops through three stages. Catholic moral teaching is not an unreachable ideal. Drawing on Pope John Paul II’s Veritatis Splendor, he says real transformation is possible because the power of Christ’s resurrection works within us. The purgative stage involves turning away from attachment to sin, often a difficult shift. The illuminative stage brings a growing attraction to virtue and inner peace. Keating uses Thomas Merton’s experience to show how grace reaches us in ordinary life—on...
Tuesday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
Tuesday of the Thirty-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 21:5-11
When some...
DWG5 – Listening for God’s Voice – The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Listening for God’s Voice – “What am I to do?” The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallagher
Fr. Timothy Gallagher and Kris McGregor explore how Scripture becomes a living encounter with Christ during discernment. Fr. Gallagher recounts a story of “Richard,” who prayed with the Gospel scene of Zacchaeus and experienced Christ’s attentive gaze as a personal invitation. This style of Ignatian prayer—entering the Gospel with imagination—fosters an intimate knowledge of Jesus that naturally deepens love and leads to clearer direction. Praying daily with Scripture builds familiarity with how God communicates...
Monday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
Monday of the Thirty-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 21:1-4
As Jesus...
Christ the King and the Victory of Jesus – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Christ the King and the Victory of Jesus – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff
In this episode of Building a Kingdom of Love, Msgr. John Esseff reflects on the Solemnity of Christ the King. He turns to the Gospel of Luke to show how Jesus reigns from the cross, victorious in love. Msgr. Esseff explains that Christ conquers sin through his mercy, conquers the devil through his authority, and conquers death through the glory of his Resurrection. He shares personal experiences from mission work around the world and encourages listeners to trust in...
Solemnity of Christ the King – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast

Solemnity of Christ the King – 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 23:35-43
The people st...
Saturday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
Saturday of the Thirty-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 20:27...
IP#488 Anthony DeStefano – 30 Days to Your New Life on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Anthony DeStefano – 30 Days to Your New Life on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor
In this episode of Inside the Pages, Kris McGregor interviews Anthony DeStefano about his book 30 Days to Your New Life: A Guide to Transforming Yourself from Head to Soul. Anthony DeStefano outlines how the book blends self-help strategies with Christian principles, aiming to provide a balanced approach to personal transformation. While secular self-help programs can be beneficial, they often fall short because they focus too much on self-reliance and neglect spiritual aspects.
This book guides readers through daily re...
Friday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
Friday of the Thirty-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 19:45-48
Jesus wen...
IP#320 Fr. Wade Menezes C.F.M. – The Four Last Things on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor
Fr. Wade Menezes C.F.M. – The Four Last Things on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor
Fr. Wade Menezes explains why Catholics need to recover clear teaching on the four last things: death, judgment, heaven, and hell. These truths belong together and help us understand the full Christian message. God desires souls to go straight to heaven by living lives of repentance, charity, and faithful discipleship. The Church’s view that death in Christ has a positive meaning, completing our union with him begun at baptism.
A “holy and happy death” includes...
Thursday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast

Thursday of the Thirty-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 19:41-44...
VEC4 – Simon the Magician – Villains of the Early Church with Mike Aquilina – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Episode 4 – Simon the Magician – Villains of the Early Church with Mike Aquilina
Mike Aquilina and Kris McGregor explore the figure of Simon Magus, the sorcerer who appears in the Acts of the Apostles. Simon admired the dramatic manifestations of the Holy Spirit in Samaria and tried to purchase this divine power, an act that gave rise to the term simony. Though he briefly repented after Peter rebuked him, traditions recount that Simon later traveled to Rome, crafted a counterfeit version of Christian teaching, and attached himself to wealthy believers for status and profit. His blend of spectacle, flat...
Wednesday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
Wednesday of the Thirty-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 19:11-28
While the p...
WOM14 – Transformation – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Transformation – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating
Deacon Keating and Kris McGregor discuss how scandals within the Church, particularly clergy abuse, have damaged trust but do not negate the truth that Christ continues to teach through the Church’s magisterium. Deacon Keating distinguishes between the unchanging fidelity of Christ’s promise to guide the Church in matters of doctrine and the personal failures of individual bishops and priests. Some people use these failures as a pretext to disregard Church teaching and remain entrenched in their own patterns of sin. It frames this dynami...
