Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts

Magnificent Humanity for the Discerning Heart A 30-Day Journey with Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas Episode 2 – Cooperating with Grace In this episode of Magnificent Humanity for the Discerning Heart, Kris McGregor reflects on Pope Leo XIV’s teaching that the Christian life is founded on Christ, the living stone. The Holy Father reminds us that we are not asked to build the good by our own stre...

Magnificent Humanity for the Discerning Heart with Kris McGregor A 30-Day Journey with Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas Episode 1 – Created by God in All Our Grandeur In this opening episode of Magnificent Humanity for the Discerning Heart, Kris McGregor begins a 30-day prayerful journey with Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas. The reflection begins with the foundational truth that humanity is c...

The 14 Rules for the Discernment of Spirits – The First Week Rules as formulated by St. Ignatius of Loyola, Fr. Timothy Gallagher with Kris McGregor Episode Five: Rule Three – Understanding Spiritual Consolation Episode 5 -The Third Rule: Of Spiritual Consolation. I call it consolation when some interior movement in the soul is caused, through which the soul comes to be inflamed with love of its C...

The Value of Listening and Silence – 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, Fr. Mauritius Wilde, OSB, and Kris McGregor reflect on fear, love, and the spiritual journey toward trust in God. Drawing from Chapter 6 of the Rule on humility, St. Benedict teaches that the goal of the Christian li...

Episode 6 – Know your Weapons pt. 1 – 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 begin a rich discussion on one of the most hopeful themes in the spiritual life: the weapons God has given His people for the battle. Far from leaving Christians defenseless, the Lord equips them wi...

The 14 Rules for the Discernment of Spirits – The First Week Rules as formulated by St. Ignatius of Loyola Fr. Timothy Gallagher with Kris McGregor Episode Rule Two – When the Heart Is Moving Toward God Episode 4 -The Second Rule: In the persons who are going on intensely cleansing their sins and rising from good to better in the service of God our Lord, it is the method contrary to that in the fi...

The 14 Rules for the Discernment of Spirits – The First Week Rules as formulated by St. Ignatius of Loyola Fr. Timothy Gallagher with Kris McGregor Episode Three: Rule One – When the Heart Is Moving Away from God Episode 3 -The First Rule: In the persons who go from mortal sin to mortal sin, the enemy is commonly used to propose to them apparent pleasures, making them imagine sensual delights and...

The Remedy For Fear Is Love – 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, Fr. Mauritius Wilde, OSB, and Kris McGregor reflect on fear, love, and the spiritual journey toward trust in God. Drawing from Chapter 6 of the Rule on humility, St. Benedict teaches that the goal of the Christian life is t...

The 14 Rules for the Discernment of Spirits – The First Week Rules as formulated by St. Ignatius of Loyola Fr. Timothy Gallagher with Kris McGregor Episode Two: The life of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the foundational elements of the Spiritual Exercises In Episode Two of The Discernment of Spirits: Setting the Captives Free, Fr. Timothy Gallagher continues the foundational teaching by turning direc...

The Holy Trinity: God's Union in Love – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff In this Trinity Sunday reflection, Msgr. John Esseff invites listeners to renew their baptismal vows and enter more deeply into the mystery of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit dwelling within the baptized soul. Drawing from John 3:16 and the Church’s profession of faith, he reflects on the Father’s love, the s...

Dr. Vincent Ryan joins us to discuss Sven Stolpe's "The Maid of Orleans: The Life and Mysticism of Joan of Arc" Dr. Vincent Ryan joins Kris McGregor to discuss The Maid of Orleans: The Life and Mysticism of Joan of Arc by Sven Stolpe, published by Ignatius Press. Dr. Ryan explains that although Joan of Arc is one of the most written-about figures of the Middle Ages, Stolpe’s book offers a fresh an...

In place of wanting the latest….sustainability – 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, Fr. Mauritius Wilde, OSB and Kris McGregor reflect on sustainability, stewardship, and the Benedictine wisdom of resisting the constant desire for the newest and latest things. Drawing from Chapter 31 of...

A Brief Reflection on Prudence – St. Joseph and His World with Mike Aquilina Mike Aquilina and Kris McGregor reflect on St. Joseph as a model of prudence, describing him as a man whose prayerful reflection naturally led to decisive action. Prudence is often misunderstood as hesitation or fearfulness, when in fact it involves seeing reality clearly, seeking God’s perspective, and responding faithfu...

Introduction – The 14 Rules for the Discernment of Spirits – The First Week Rules as formulated by St. Ignatius of Loyola In this foundational episode, Fr. Gallagher shares how the Ignatian teaching on the Discernment of Spirits grew out of his own priestly formation and retreat ministry. He explains that discernment is not simply about making decisions, but about learning to notice and understand...

Episode 5 – Know Your Commander and Comrades – 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 shift the focus from the enemy to the great help God has given His people in the battle. Dr. Thigpen reflects on Jesus Christ as the victorious commander who has already conquered Satan thr...

Bram Stoker  – Dracula – Great Works in Western Literature with Joseph Pearce In this episode of The Great Works in Western Literature, Kris McGregor and Joseph Pearce explore Bram Stoker’s Dracula, one of the most influential and misunderstood novels in modern literature. Far more than a gothic horror story, Dracula reveals a profound spiritual battle between good and evil, faith and skepticism,...

In place of idealistic spirituality…acknowledging one's needs – 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, Fr. Mauritius Wilde, OSB and Kris McGregor reflect on the challenge of balancing spiritual ideals with the honest acknowledgment of human needs. Drawing from several passages in the Rule, e...

Handing on the Passover – St. Joseph and His World with Mike Aquilina Mike Aquilina and Kris McGregor explore the Finding in the Temple through the experience of Joseph and Mary, placing the event within the rich setting of Jewish pilgrimage and Passover tradition. Aquilina explains how twelve-year-old Jesus was entering adulthood according to Jewish custom, learning from Joseph how to participate...

Conclusion – Struggles in the Spiritual Life with Fr. Timothy Gallagher O.M.V. Fr. Timothy Gallagher and Kris McGregor reflect on the lifelong formation involved in recognizing spiritual consolation and desolation through the wisdom of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Fr. Gallagher explains that spiritual growth comes through learning to recognize the movements of God’s grace and the discouraging tactics o...

"Three Moments of the Day: Praying with the Heart of Jesus" by Fr. Christopher Collins S.J. on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor In this episode of Inside the Pages, Kris McGregor speaks with Fr. Christopher Collins, SJ, author of The Three Moments of the Day: Praying with the Heart of Jesus, about a simple yet profound rhythm of prayer that can shape the whole of daily life. Rooted in Eucharist...

Sunday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide – 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 dee...

In place of self-righteousness…seeking God – 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, Fr. Mauritius Wilde, OSB, and Kris McGregor reflect on the danger of self-righteousness and the lifelong Christian call to seek God with humility. Drawing from Chapter 58 of the Rule, St. Benedict teaches tha...

Novena to the Holy Spirit Begin be reciting the following prayer… O Holy Spirit, Divine Consoler! I adore you as my True God. I offer You my whole heart, and I render You heartfelt thanks for all the benefits You have bestowed upon the world. You are the author of all supernatural gifts and enriched the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, with all favors, I ask you to visit me by Your grace an...

 Joseph and His Work – St. Joseph and His World with Mike Aquilina Mike Aquilina and Kris McGregor explore how St. Joseph’s life reveals the sacred dignity of ordinary labor and the spiritual meaning of daily work. Through the example of St. Joseph, Christianity transformed the understanding of work into something noble and holy. Labor was not a punishment after Adam’s fall but part of humanity’s...

Image of God – Struggles in the Spiritual Life with Fr. Timothy Gallagher O.M.V. Fr. Timothy Gallagher continues the story of Bob to illustrate how the Ignatian spiritual exercises can reveal deeper wounds and foster healing. Bob experiences spiritual desolation while praying about sin and God's justice, which evokes unresolved feelings tied to his critical relationship with his earthly father. Wi...