Series Archives - Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
DWG4 – Deepening Spiritual Foundations – The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Deepening Spiritual Foundations – “What am I to do?” The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallagher
Fr. Timothy Gallagher explains how a person grows ready to recognize God’s direction in meaningful life choices. Once someone knows they are profoundly loved by God, a new interior posture can form—one that mirrors Mary’s “let it be done unto me.” Fr. Gallagher shows that this readiness is ultimately a grace rather than an achievement of sheer effort. He describes how confession, healing from sin, and even addressing emotional wounds can open the heart, remove inne...
Trusting Jesus in an Age of Fear – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Trusting Jesus in an Age of Fear – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff
Msgr. John Esseff reflects on widespread anxieties about the end of the world by drawing from Malachi, the Gospel of Luke, and the lived suffering of Christians across the globe. Scripture speaks plainly about upheaval, persecution, natural disasters, and global conflict, yet Christ assures His followers that this world is not the final destination. Those who face violence or loss for Christ bear witness to a life that cannot be destroyed, because their destiny is anchored in the Resurrection. He...
St. Albert the Great – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson – Discerning Hearts Podcast
St. Albert the Great – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson
Born: 1193, Lauingen, Germany Died: November 15, 1280, Cologne, Germany Education: University of PaduaDr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor take a look at the life and legacy of St. Albert the Great, a Dominican theologian, philosopher, scientist, and mentor to St. Thomas Aquinas. Known for harmonizing faith, reason, and science, Albert saw the study of nature as a way to deepen understanding of God. He was instrumental in reintroducing Aristotle’s philosophy to the West and demonstrated how pagan thought could be reco...
