Recent Archives - Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts
WOM17 – Mystical Experience and Consoling Prayer – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Mystical Experience and Consoling Prayer – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating
Deacon James Keating explains how God draws the heart toward himself through ordinary prayer and through growth out of serious sin. He describes “consoling prayer,” the simple joy and peace one begins to notice when turning to God—often after the hard early work of conversion, repentance, and regular prayer. Over time, prayer becomes something we desire rather than an obligation, and affection for God gently replaces past attachments to sin. God can unexpectedly visit us during ordinary moments of the day, sti...
DWG7 – Trusting God in Vocation Discernment – The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Trusting God in Vocation Discernment – “What am I to do?” The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallagher
Fr. Timothy Gallagher and Kris McGregor talk about discerning one’s vocation, especially marriage. Fr. Gallagher notes that many already sense a natural orientation toward marriage, but still must prayerfully discover whom God is inviting them to marry. He describes practical growth in three areas—Christian formation, human maturity, and spiritual life—so a person becomes ready for a lifelong union. Because modern culture often wounds people, he suggests honest attention to emotional h...
The Immaculate Conception – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Hearts Podcast
The Immaculate Conception – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff
On the the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Msgr. Esseff reflects on the significance of the Immaculate Conception of Mary within the broader plan of salvation history. He uses Genesis, Ephesians, and the Gospel of Luke to show us God’s eternal plan to reconcile humanity with Himself through Jesus Christ. Humanity’s fall through Adam and Eve introduced sin and death into the world, but God’s response was the plan of redemption, preordained before creation, culminating in the birth of Christ. Mary, co...
St. Ambrose of Milan, Part 2 – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson – Discerning Hearts Podcast
St. Ambrose of Milan, Part 2 – The Doctors of the Church with Dr. Matthew Bunson
Born: 340 AD Died: January 1, 397  ADDr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor continue their discussion on the life and profound impact of St. Ambrose of Milan, a pivotal figure in Church history and a Doctor of the Church. Dr. Bunson emphasizes how Ambrose’s unexpected rise to the episcopate during a time of crisis in the Western Roman Empire exemplified his integrity and strength of character. Chosen by opposing factions who hoped to sway him to their cause, Ambrose steadfastly upheld orthodox Christi...
St. Ambrose of Milan, Part 1 – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson – Discerning Hearts Podcast
St. Ambrose of Milan, Part 1 – The Doctors of the Church with Dr. Matthew Bunson
Born:Â 340 AD Died:Â January 1, 397 Â ADDr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor delve into the life and legacy of St. Ambrose of Milan, one of the first four Doctors of the Church. St. Ambrose, born in 340 AD to a prominent Christian Roman family, was shaped by a devout household and a comprehensive education in literature, rhetoric, and law. Despite initially serving as a governor in the Roman Empire, his unexpected appointment as Bishop of Milan arose during a contentious period marked by th...
VEC6 – Marcion – Villains of the Early Church with Mike Aquilina – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Episode 6 – Marcion – Villains of the Early Church with Mike Aquilina
Mike Aquilina and Kris McGregor discuss the second-century figure Marcian, a wealthy shipbuilder who tried to use his fortune to reshape Christianity according to his own ideas. Marcian believed that the God of the Old Testament and the God revealed in Christ were entirely different, and he rejected the Old Testament as the work of a hostile deity. To support this view, he cut large parts of the Gospel of Luke and edited the letters of Paul, removing passages that connected Christ and the apostles to Israel’s scri...
WOM16 – The Internal World and External Presence of God – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts
The Internal World and External Presence of God – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating
Deacon James Keating explains that experiencing God’s love begins with grace. God reaches the heart through intellect and affection, but many miss these moments because they are distracted or constantly driven by ego. Silence allows us to perceive God’s presence—whether through beauty, acts of kindness, or gratitude. Asking God directly for the gift of knowing His love, being attentive to the movements of the heart, and recognizing that this union often begins in moments of consolin...
DWG6 – Understanding Marriage and Priesthood – The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Understanding Marriage and Priesthood – “What am I to do?” The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallagher
Fr. Timothy Gallagher presents the Catholic understanding of vocation, focusing first on marriage. The call to spousal love and family is woven into human nature itself, as God created men and women for self-gift and life-giving love. When lived through the sacrament, marriage becomes an expression of Christ’s love for the Church, reflecting the unity of bridegroom and bride described in Ephesians 5. The mutual care between spouses, their fidelity, and the lives they...
Thanksgiving: Cultivating a Spirit of Gratitude – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Thanksgiving: Cultivating a Spirit of Gratitude – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff
Msgr. Esseff reflects on the centrality of gratitude in the spiritual life on Thanksgiving (in the United States), using the Gospel of Luke’s story of the ten lepers and the one Samaritan leper who returned to thank Jesus. This act of gratitude not only healed him physically but also brought him into a saving relationship with Christ. True Thanksgiving is not just about material blessings or familial gatherings but about cultivating a relationship with God that transforms our relationships with...
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...
