Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts

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  Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts

  Standing on the Rock – St. Bernard of Clairvaux on the Stages of Contemplation | The Spiritual Journey for the Discerning Heart Podcast

  Sep 9, 202616 min

  Standing on the Rock – St. Bernard of Clairvaux on the Stages of Contemplation with Kris McGregor About This Episode In this episode of The Spiritual Journey for the Discerning Heart, Kris McGregor reflects on Saint Bernard of Clairvaux’s teaching on the stages of contemplation and what it can teach us about discerning God’s will. St. Bernard begins with a powerful image: before trying to determine where God is leading, “take our stand” on Christ, the solid rock. Discernment begins in relationship with Jesus. From that foundation, the soul learns to listen to what the Lord is saying and to consider how it is being called to respond. Bernard describes the first stage of contemplation as asking what God wants, what is pleasing to him, and what is acceptable in his sight. This requires humility because even sincere prayer can be influenced by our own desires, fears, attachments, expectations, and wounds. The answer is not self-condemnation, but honesty beneath the merciful gaze of God: “Heal me, Lord.” As prayer deepens, Bernard describes another movement. The soul gradually turns from concentrating primarily on itself and its particular circumstances toward contemplating God himself. The question begins to move from “What does God want from me?” toward a deeper confidence in who God is and in the goodness of his will. This change is important for discernment. God’s will is not a hidden answer that must somehow be forced out of him. Trust grows as the soul becomes convinced of God’s goodness. Even when his will involves surrender, patience, conversion, or an unexpected road, the discerning heart can place itself in his hands because it has begun to know the One who leads it. Saint Bernard summarizes the movement beautifully: contemplating ourselves brings humility, while contemplating God brings hope and love. For someone whose discernment has become anxious or exhausting, his counsel is deeply practical. Stand again on Christ, acknowledge honestly what is happening within the heart, receive God’s mercy, and allow prayer to lead beyond endless self-examination into confidence in the goodness of the Lord. Discerning Hearts Reflection Question When you are discerning an important question, do you begin by trying to find an answer or by becoming more firmly grounded in your relationship with Christ? What might it mean for you to “stand on the rock” before making a decision? What desires, fears, expectations, or attachments might be influencing the way you currently see a situation? Can you bring those honestly before God without immediately judging or suppressing them? Saint Bernard moves from asking what God wants of us to contemplating the goodness of God himself. Has your prayer become so focused on finding an answer that you have lost sight of the Lord who is leading you? Bernard says that contemplating ourselves brings humility, while contemplating God brings hope and love. Which of those movements seems especially important in your prayer right now? From the Office of Readings From a sermon of St Bernard of Clairvaux On the stages of contemplation Let us take our stand on the tower, leaning with all our strength on Christ, the most solid rock, as it is written: He has set my feet on a rock, he has guided my steps. Thus firmly established, let us begin to contemplate, to see what he is saying to us and what reply we ought to make to him. The first stage of contemplation, my dear brothers, is to consider constantly what God wants, what is pleasing to him, and what is acceptable in his eyes. We all offend in many things; our strength cannot match the rightness of God’s will and cannot be joined to it or made to fit with it. So let us humble ourselves under the powerful hand of the most high God and make an effort to show ourselves unworthy before his merciful gaze, saying Heal me, Lord, and I shall be healed; save me and I shall be saved. And again, Lord, have mercy on me; heal my soul because I have sinned against you. Once the eye of the soul has been purified by such considerations, we no longer abide within our spirit in a sense of sorrow, but abide rather in the Spirit of God with great delight. No longer do we consider what is the will of God for us, but rather what it is in itself. For our life is in his will. Thus we are convinced that what is according to his will is in every way better for us, and more fitting. And so, if we are concerned to preserve the life of our soul, we must be equally concerned to deviate as little as possible from his will. Thus having made some progress in our spiritual exercise under the guidance of the Spirit who gazes into the deep things of God, let us reflect how gracious the Lord is and how good he is in himself. Let us join the Prophet in praying that we may see the Lord’s will and frequent not our own hearts but the Lord’s temple; and let us also say, My soul is humbled within me, therefore I shall be mindful of you. These two stages sum up the whole of the spiritual life: when we contemplate ourselves we are troubled, and our sadness saves us and brings us to contemplate God; that contemplation in turn gives us the consolation of the joy of the Holy Spirit. Contemplating ourselves brings fear and humility; contemplating God brings us hope and love. Excerpts from the English translation of The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) © 1974, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved. Scripture and Quotes for Reflection Romans 12:2, RSV-CE “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” St. Bernard of Clairvaux “Let us take our stand on the tower, leaning with all our strength on Christ, the most solid rock.” “The first stage of contemplation, my dear brothers, is to consider constantly what God wants, what is pleasing to him, and what is acceptable in his eyes.” “For our life is in his will.” “Let us reflect how gracious the Lord is and how good he is in himself.” “Contemplating ourselves brings fear and humility; contemplating God brings us hope and love.” Continue the Journey with Discerning Hearts ➜ Explore Discerning Hearts ➜ Discerning Hearts Series Programming ➜ The Spiritual Journey with Kris McGregor Continue Exploring ➜ St. Bernard and the 12 Steps to Humility and Pride – Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles ➜ St. Bernard and “On Loving God” – Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles ➜ St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Mystical Doctor of the Church

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  POA9 – Know your Weapons pt. 4 – Put On The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare w/Dr. Paul Thigpen Ph.D. – Discerning Hearts Catholic Po

  Sep 9, 202631 min

  Episode 9 – Know Your Weapons pt. 4 – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare with Dr. Paul Thigpen, Ph.D In this episode of Put on the Armor: A Manual for Spiritual Warfare, Kris McGregor and Dr. Paul Thigpen continue their discussion of sacramentals by focusing on blessings and the way ordinary material things can be set apart for God’s service and protection. Dr. Thigpen explains the difference between blessings any Christian may offer, such as blessing food or a parent blessing a child, and those blessings reserved to clergy. He then turns to holy water, showing how it recalls baptism and the Christian’s rescue from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Christ. Drawing on the testimony of St. Teresa of Avila, the conversation highlights the spiritual power associated with holy water while keeping the emphasis firmly on faith, God’s grace, and the prayer of the Church. The episode also explores blessed salt, medals, crucifixes, and the rosary, while carefully distinguishing sacramentals from superstition or magic. Dr. Thigpen explains that blessed objects do not possess independent power. Rather, they dispose the faithful to receive God’s grace and help create a culture of holiness in the home and in daily life. Particular attention is given to the St. Benedict Medal and the rosary as reminders of Christ’s victory and Our Lady’s intercession in the spiritual battle. The episode closes with a simple but important insight: sacramentals should continually lead us back to prayer, because the safest place in spiritual warfare is to remain deeply rooted in Christ. A SPECIAL NOTE: We mourn the death of Dr. Paul Thigpen on February 24, 2026. He was a good friend, supporter, and contributor to Discerning Hearts. We will miss him deeply and will continue to share his ministry with gratitude and prayer. Dr. Thigpen offers insights on the Manual for Spiritual Warfare , Chapter 4: Blessings and blessed objects. Both the blessings that are properly given by clergy (such as those in the Liturgy) and the blessings spoken by lay people as part of their daily lives (such as a table grace) are important sacramentals. They can sanctify our thoughts, our actions, and our surroundings in a way that repels the Enemy. We see their power most clearly when used to remedy the demonic infestation of a building or object through a priestly blessing with holy water. Throughout the centuries, the testimony of many Christians, including a number of saints, confirms that objects blessed by a priest, through the power of the Church’s intercession, can repel demonic powers. Again and again, evil spirits have recoiled in dread, not just from the Sign of the Cross, but also from holy water and blessed oil, crosses, crucifixes, medals, candles, or salt. These can be used by priests in exorcisms as well as by lay Christians in everyday life. So the faithful sometimes keep such sacramentals in their homes. The home itself (as well as other buildings) can be blessed by a priest as well. Discerning Hearts questions for reflection How does this episode help clarify the difference between a sacramental and something superstitious or magical? Why is holy water so closely connected to baptism and spiritual warfare? What stood out to you in St. Teresa of Avila’s testimony about holy water? How can sacramentals help create a culture of holiness in a Catholic home? Why is faith and interior disposition so important when using blessed objects? What did you learn about the spiritual meaning of the St. Benedict Medal? How does the rosary become more than simply a set of beads in the life of prayer? In what ways can blessed crucifixes, medals, holy water, and other sacramentals serve as reminders to turn back to God? Which sacramental has been most meaningful in your own spiritual life, and why? Visit here for other episodes in this series: Put On The Armor – A Manual for Spiritual Warfare w/Dr. Paul Thigpen, Ph.D. The "Manual for Spiritu al Warfare " can be found here Paul Thigpen, Ph.D., was the Editor of TAN Books in Charlotte, North Carolina. An internationally known speaker, best-selling author, and award-winning journalist, Paul published forty-three books in a wide variety of genres and subjects: history and biography, spirituality and apologetics, anthologies and devotionals, family life and children’s books, study guides and reference works, and fiction and collections of poetry and prayers. Paul graduated from Yale University in 1977, summa cum laude, with Distinction in Religious Studies and membership in Phi Beta Kappa. He was later awarded the George W. Woodruff Fellowship at Emory University in Atlanta, where he earned an M.A. (1993) and a Ph.D. (1995) in Historical Theology. In 1993, he was named a Jacob K. Javits Fellow by the U.S. Department of Education. He has served on the faculty of several universities and colleges. In 2008, Paul was appointed to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' National Advisory Council for a four-year term. He served the Church as a theologian, historian, apologist, evangelist, and catechist in a number of settings, speaking frequently in Catholic and secular media broadcasts and at conferences, seminars, parish missions, and scholarly gatherings.

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  The Fourteenth Rule – Discernment of Spirits /w Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

  Sep 7, 202628 min

  The 14 Rules of the Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher with Kris McGregor Episode Sixteen: Rule Fourteen – Strengthening the Weakest Point Episode 16 – The Fourteenth Rule: Likewise, he behaves as a chief bent on conquering and robbing what he desires: for, as a captain and chief of the army, pitching his camp, and looking at the forces or defenses of a stronghold, attacks it on the weakest side, in like manner the enemy of human nature, roaming about, looks in turn at all our virtues, theological, cardinal and moral; and where he finds us weakest and most in need for our eternal salvation, there he attacks us and aims at taking us. Episode Sixteen of The Discernment of Spirits: Setting the Captives Free brings the First Week rules to completion with Rule Fourteen, the final and culminating insight of St. Ignatius. Fr. Timothy Gallagher, in conversation with Kris McGregor, explains how the enemy studies the whole of our spiritual life and attacks precisely where we are weakest. Ignatius describes the enemy as a leader intent on conquering and robbing. This is not a noble battle. It is theft and destruction. Like a captain surveying a fortified town, the enemy circles patiently. He studies the defenses. He looks for the crumbling wall. When the weakest point is found, the attack begins there. Fr. Gallagher unfolds this image with care. He invites us to picture a fortified town on a hill. Strong walls. Towers. Gates. Yet one section is cracked and fragile. That single weakness renders the entire defense vulnerable. Ignatius teaches that our spiritual life works the same way. The enemy does not attack randomly. He attacks where discouragement most easily takes hold. Fr. Gallagher names how this appears in lived experience. A person notices a repeated pattern. The same exhaustion. The same fear. The same frustration. The same loss of confidence in God’s love. These are not coincidences. They reveal Rule Fourteen terrain. This is the place where the enemy returns again and again. Ignatius does not leave us without a response. Fr. Gallagher explains that the remedy is proactive and hopeful. The town does not wait for attack. During a time of peace, the people examine their defenses. They identify the crumbling wall. They rebuild it with care. Stone by stone. What was weakest becomes strong. This is the goal of Rule Fourteen. The discerning person learns where the enemy is most likely to strike. Even before temptation arises, growth begins there. Virtue is strengthened. Balance is restored. Interior wounds are tended with honesty and patience. When the enemy returns, he finds no easy entrance. Fr. Gallagher draws wisdom from St. John of the Cross, who teaches that growth in one virtue strengthens all the others. When the weakest point is healed, the whole spiritual life gains stability. Freedom deepens across every area. Kris McGregor raises an important connection to healing. Often the weakest point is rooted in a wound. A memory. A fear. A place of pain that continues to influence responses. Fr. Gallagher affirms this insight and turns to the Gospel. Jesus is revealed again and again as the healer. Growth in discernment often includes allowing Christ to heal what lies beneath repeated discouragement. Episode Sixteen presents Rule Fourteen as the doorway into a lifelong discerning life. The rules do not end here. They begin here. When the weakest point is strengthened, the enemy loses ground. The heart grows resilient. Freedom becomes stable and enduring. Captives are set free. Discerning Hearts Questions for Reflection and Study Personal Reflection Do you notice patterns where discouragement returns repeatedly? What situations most often weaken your prayer or confidence? Are there wounds or fears beneath these recurring struggles? How might you begin strengthening this area with patience and grace? Where might Christ be inviting you toward healing? Group Reflection or Study Why does Ignatius place Rule Fourteen at the end of the First Week? How does the fortified town image clarify the enemy’s tactic? Why is proactive growth more effective than reactive resistance? How does healing relate to long-term spiritual freedom? How can communities help one another strengthen weak points? The 14 Rules for Discerning Spirits – "The Different Movements Which Are Caused In The Soul" as outlined by St. Ignatius of Loyola click here Explore the complete Discernment of Spirits series with Fr. Timothy Gallagher Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series "Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola

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  SH11 – The Sacred Heart, Sin, and Confession – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Hearts Podcast

  Sep 6, 202619 min

  The Sacred Heart, Sin, and Confession – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff In this episode of Building a Kingdom of Love, Msgr. John Esseff turns to the reality of sin and the healing power of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The battle between the Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness isn't only visible in war, violence, and suffering throughout the world. That same struggle reaches into every human heart. Msgr. Esseff asks how we recognize what separates us from Christ and recover the grace and union with Him that God desires for us. His answer leads directly to Confession, a sacrament he believes is greatly needed in the Church and the world today. But preparing for Confession requires more than making a mental inventory of mistakes. Msgr. Esseff distinguishes a Christian examination of conscience from simple introspection or self-judgment. The Holy Spirit helps us see where our thoughts, words, actions, and omissions have interrupted our communion with Christ. Humility isn't self-condemnation. It is the recognition that without Christ, we can do nothing and that our lives depend completely upon His grace. The examination of conscience, therefore, takes place before the merciful gaze of God, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal what keeps us from loving with the Heart of Christ. Msgr. Esseff then considers jealousy and envy as examples of how the Sacrament of Reconciliation can lead us beneath individual sins to a deeper spiritual wound. Gossip, comparison, competition, resentment, and division may all grow from the same root. Rather than continually "cutting off the tail of the snake," Confession can help expose the capital sin at its head. As Christ heals that root, we become freer to rejoice in the gifts of others, recognize Christ in our neighbor, and see others with His eyes of love. The sacrament becomes a place not simply for naming sins, but for deeper conversion and growth in union with Jesus Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions When I prepare for Confession, do I ask the Holy Spirit to show me what is separating me from deeper union with Jesus? Have I confused an examination of conscience with self-criticism, introspection, or condemnation? Are there recurring sins in my life that may point toward a deeper root or capital sin? Where do comparison and competition enter my relationships with family members, friends, coworkers, or others? Can I genuinely rejoice when another person receives a gift, opportunity, recognition, or blessing that I wanted for myself? How might regular reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation help me grow not only in freedom from sin, but also in Christ's way of seeing and loving others? Whom am I being invited to see today through the loving gaze of Christ rather than through jealousy, resentment, or comparison? Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton. He was ordained on May 30, 1953, by the late Bishop William J. Hafey, D.D. at St. Peter's Cathedral in Scranton, PA. Msgr. Esseff served as a retreat director and confessor to St. Teresa of Calcutta. He continues to offer direction and retreats for the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity around the world. Msgr. Esseff encountered St. Padre Pio, who would become a spiritual father to him. He has lived in areas around the world, serving in the Pontifical Missions, a Catholic organization established by St. Pope John Paul II to bring the Good News to the world, especially to the poor. Msgr. Esseff assisted the founders of the Institute for Priestly Formation and serves as a spiritual director for the Institute. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests, and sisters, seminarians, and other religious leaders around the world.

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  Only All for Jesus Through Mary – St. Teresa of Calcutta | The Spiritual Journey for the Discerning Heart Podcast

  Sep 5, 202617 min

  Trust, Surrender, “I Thirst,” and the Little Way with Kris McGregor About This Episode In this episode of The Spiritual Journey for the Discerning Heart, Kris McGregor reflects on the last letter of St. Teresa of Calcutta to the Missionaries of Charity, dated September 5, 1997, the day Mother Teresa died. At the end of her life, St. Teresa returns to the spiritual truths she had spent years teaching her sisters: remain close to Jesus and Mary, live with loving trust and total surrender, listen to the thirst of Christ, and recognize Jesus in the people placed before you. Her words, “Be only all for Jesus through Mary,” open a reflection on what it means to give the whole of life to Christ. Prayer, work, relationships, disappointments, responsibilities, and even circumstances we would never have chosen can become places of surrender and grace. St. Teresa points to Mary as the model of this trusting response. Mary receives the word of God without being shown everything that will follow from her yes. Her fiat becomes a reminder that God often gives enough grace for the next faithful step rather than revealing the whole road ahead. At the center of St. Teresa’s spirituality is the cry of Jesus from the Cross: “I thirst.” She understood those words personally. Christ thirsts for souls and for our love. Standing with Mary beneath the Cross helps us hear that invitation and consider not only what we are asking of God, but what Jesus may be asking of us. The letter closes with Mother Teresa’s joy over St. Thérèse of Lisieux being named a Doctor of the Church. She immediately recognizes the wisdom of the Little Way: holiness is often formed through ordinary duties, hidden sacrifices, patience, and small acts offered with great love. St. Teresa of Calcutta and St. Thérèse lived very different vocations, but both remind us that sanctity is found in giving ourselves to God within the actual circumstances of daily life. Discerning Hearts Reflection Question St. Teresa of Calcutta asks her sisters to be “only all for Jesus through Mary.” Is there an area of your life that is particularly difficult to entrust completely to Christ? Mary gave her yes without knowing everything that would follow. Where might the Lord be asking you for a faithful next step rather than an understanding of the entire road ahead? St. Teresa invites us to hear Jesus say, “I thirst.” How does prayer change when the question becomes not only “What do I need from God?” but also “What does Jesus desire from me?” St. Thérèse and St. Teresa both recognized the importance of small acts done with great love. What ordinary responsibility, relationship, or hidden sacrifice in your life might be an opportunity for holiness right now? From the Office of Readings (5 September 1997) From the last letter of Mother Teresa to the Missionary of Charity Sisters My dearest Children, This brings you Mother’s love, prayer, and blessing that each one of you may be only all for Jesus through Mary. I know that Mother says often – “Be only all for Jesus through Mary” – but that is because that is all Mother wants for you, all Mother wants from you. If in your heart you are only all for Jesus through Mary, and if you do everything only all for Jesus through Mary, you will be a true Missionary of Charity. Thank you for all the loving wishes you sent for the Society Feast. We have much to thank God for, especially that He has given us Our Lady’s spirit to be the spirit of our Society. Loving Trust and Total Surrender made Our Lady say “Yes” to the message of the angel, and Cheerfulness made her to run in haste to serve her cousin Elizabeth. That is so much our life – saying “Yes” to Jesus and running in haste to serve Him in the poorest of the poor. Let us keep close to Our Lady and she will make that same spirit grow in each one of us. September 10th is coming very close. That is another beautiful chance for us to stand near Our Lady, to listen to the Thirst of Jesus and to answer with our whole heart. It is only with Our Lady that we can hear Jesus cry, “I Thirst”, and it is only with Our Lady that we can thank God properly for giving this great gift to our Society. Last year was the Golden Jubilee of Inspiration Day, and I hope that the whole year has been one of thanksgiving. We will never come to the end of the gift that came to Mother for the Society on that day, and so we must never stop thanking for it. Let our gratitude be our strong resolution to quench the Thirst of Jesus by lives of real charity – love for Jesus in prayer, love for Jesus in our Sisters, love for Jesus in the poorest of the poor – nothing else. And now I have heard that Jesus is giving us one more gift. This year, one hundred years after she went home to Jesus, Holy Father is declaring Little Flower to be a Doctor of the Church. Can you imagine – for doing little things with great love the Church is making her a Doctor, like St Augustine and the big St Teresa! It is just like Jesus said in the Gospel to the one who was seated in the lowest place, “Friend, come up higher.” So let us keep very small and follow Little Flower’s way of trust and love and joy, and we will fulfil Mother’s promise to give saints to mother Church. Excerpts from the English translation of The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) © 1974, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved. Scripture and Quotes for Reflection St. Teresa of Calcutta “Be only all for Jesus through Mary.” “Loving Trust and Total Surrender made Our Lady say ‘Yes’ to the message of the angel.” “It is only with Our Lady that we can hear Jesus cry, ‘I Thirst.’” “So let us keep very small and follow Little Flower’s way of trust and love and joy.” John 19:28, RSV-CE “I thirst.” Luke 1:38, RSV-CE “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1:39, RSV-CE “In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah.” Continue the Journey with Discerning Hearts ➜ Explore Discerning Hearts ➜ Discerning Hearts Series Programming ➜ The Spiritual Journey with Kris McGregor Continue Exploring ➜ St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta Novena ➜ Mother Teresa: In the Shadow of Our Lady ➜ St. Thérèse of Lisieux – Mystic and Doctor of the Church

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