Deacon James Keating and Kris McGregor discuss various aspects of marriage, spirituality, and the role of Christ in relationships. Life is a continuous response to God’s love, with the ultimate fulfillment found in heaven.

While perfection may not be attainable, continual growth in yielding to Christ leads to spiritual improvement over time.

An excerpt from “Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion”:

“Moral conversion occurs in ordinary experience when we hit a wall or break through one. In other words, moral conversion can be ignited when we reach our limits and experience failure or finitude, or it can be ushered in when we transcend our limits and go beyond the self. We transcend the self by falling in love and/ or following the prompting of conscience at the cost of our own ego.

The traditional disciplines of Lent— prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, as well as communal worship— aim at fostering or preparing a person to welcome such limiting or breakthrough experiences. Most importantly, we are prepared to receive the truths known in these experiences, since we can rarely, if ever, orchestrate them. More than likely, we are taken up into such experiences, and our preparation beforehand can enhance our acceptance of the truths they carry.

(In regards to communal worship) …We usually imagine worship as a break in our secular lives, or sometimes even an obstacle to achieving other goals. With this attitude, worship is sometimes simply seen as “time out” from what is really important. Without denying the importance of secular realities for the laity, could we look at worship in another way? Worship is not an obstacle to daily living; it is not time off from more vital realities. Worship is, in fact, the great doorway into all that is both secular and holy. It is our way into real living. In worship, we find the great integration of the simple, ordinary, and plain (people, bread, wine, words) with the holy and transcendent (paschal mystery, incarnation, grace, transformation, salvation). The call of the laity is to carry into each day of work and domestic commitment the truth that the ordinary and the holy are not opposed. Only sin and the holy are opposed. Lenten worship services help us bring this truth to the world.

The more we come to see the presence of Christ in worship as a presence that permeates our being in the world, the more we will hunger to participate in worship as the source of our moral witness in everyday life. The Eucharist primarily is our participation in Christ’s Paschal Mystery, which is his self-offering to the Father, both in his life and upon the cross, and is also the Father’s response in raising him from the dead. Christ came to us; he came to dwell upon Earth and take on created goodness so that all in creation that is not good (sin) may be transformed by his presence, by grace. We too, in communion with him through the grace of the sacramental life, fill the ordinary world with his presence and become witnesses to this salvation through virtue and grace cooperating in moral activity.”

Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO.

Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” page

The post CTD6 – The Oasis of Lent – Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Episode 5 -Stations of the Cross: Reflections with Deacon James Keating –  Deacon Keating guides us through the 12th station (Jesus dies on the Cross), the 13th station (Jesus is taken down from the Cross and laid in the arms of His mother), and the 14th station (Jesus is placed in the tomb) along the Way of the Cross.

Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO. 

Deacon Keating is also the author of:

From the book description:

Deacon James Keating’s book Abiding in Christ: Staying with God in a Busy World is a how-to-pray resource. This book helps readers to find a quiet space wherein they can be present to God and offers suggestions of how they can be more open to God s movement within them.

The post SC-5 – The 12th, 13th, and 14th Stations – Stations of the Cross with Deacon James Keating appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

In this episode, Deacon James Keating and Kris McGregor explore Lent’s significance, urging introspection and acknowledgment of sin. Deacon Keating highlights society’s loss of this sense, attributing it partly to psychology’s influence.

This reminds us of personal responsibility and freedom in recognizing sin; especially cultural desensitization to sin, emphasizing intentional conscience formation through spiritually grounded fellowship. They advocate for gentle yet firm engagement on moral issues to foster genuine community within parishes.

An excerpt from “Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion”:

“Celebrating the sacrament of reconciliation is, for many Catholics, a most daunting prospect.  This sacrament has been the source of many jokes, composed perhaps by persons seeking to reduce the level of stress they feel regarding one of its main components:  naming personal sin.

The naming of one’s own sin to oneself and to a priest is self-revelatory to the point of evoking anxiety.  Initially, it can be true that some level of apprehension may accompany this sacrament, but over time  with regular celebration of this form of worship, anxiety diminishes.  Most positively  the sacrament of reconciliation promotes truthful self-knowledge regarding sin in the context of Christ’s saving presence.  Once someone experiences both the naming of sin and the reception of God’s mercy in this sacrament, he or she actually begins to celebrate this sacrament and see it as a great gift from Christ and his Church.”

Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO.

Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” page

The post CTD5 – Leaving the Desert – Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Episode 4 -Stations of the Cross: Reflections with Deacon James Keating – The Stations of the Cross – one of the most powerful devotionals alive in the heart of the Church. Reflecting and deeply meditating on the Passion of the Christ, Deacon Keating guides us through the 9th station (Jesus fall a 3rd time), the 10th station (Jesus is stripped of His garments), and the 11th station (Jesus is nailed to the Cross) along the Way of the Cross. For other episodes in the “Stations of the Cross” series click here

Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO. 

Deacon Keating is also the author of:

From the book description:

Deacon James Keating’s book Abiding in Christ: Staying with God in a Busy World is a how-to-pray resource. This book helps readers to find a quiet space wherein they can be present to God and offers suggestions of how they can be more open to God s movement within them.

The post SC-4 – The 9th, 10th, and 11th Stations – Stations of the Cross with Deacon James Keating appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

In this episode, Deacon James Keating and Kris McGregor discuss the concept of the “Desert of Sin”: the idea that sin, while providing some form of consolation, ultimately leads to spiritual emptiness and turmoil.

Dcn. Keating emphasizes the importance of patience in the process of personal and spiritual transformation, particularly in dealing with others who may not share the same level of spiritual fervor. He warns against the temptation to become impatient or frustrated when others do not respond as expected, stressing the need to trust in God’s timing for their conversion.

“Any moral conversion, if it is to be real, must work its way into our minds and hearts.  The conversion we undergo is one that transforms our entire person, and so our thought processes, habits, perceptions, and affections all become realigned to a new way of seeing good and evil Patience with ourselves, as well as with ohters who are also in the midst of conversion, becomes the key virtue to cultivate.  God knows we are on the right track once we embrace such a conversion, and so being gentle on ourselves is not a sign of laxity or weakness of will, but a sign of wisdom.

Of course, the start of a moral conversion can be dramatic and jumpstart a change, but over the long haul of life, the heart of a person must be fully cooperative;  otherwise, the person will not adhere to the moral truth for long.”

Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO.

Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” page

The post CTD4 – The Desert of Sin – Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

The Stations of the Cross – one of the most powerful devotionals alive in the heart of the Church. Reflecting and deeply meditating on the Passion of the Christ, Deacon Keating guides us through the 6th station (Veronica wipes the face of Jesus), the 7th station (Jesus falls a 2nd time), and the 8th station (Jesus encounters the women of Jerusalem) along the Way of the Cross.

Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO.

Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” page

The post SC-3 – The 6th, 7th, and 8th Stations – Stations of the Cross with Deacon James Keating appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

In this episode, Deacon James Keating and Kris McGregor discuss Lent as a time of vulnerability to God’s mercy, emphasizing bringing sin into Christ’s light for liberation. They contrast morality’s true freedom with sin’s chains and highlight Christ’s presence in our struggles.

Deacon Keating gives us of a message of hope, reassuring listeners that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace and mercy.

“The ancient image of Lent as a time of withdrawal is relevant to the formation of conscience if we perceive that our consciences have been inordinately attached to anemic sources of influence.  Christians are called to transform the world of culture, work, and politics according to the truths learned through Christ in the Church.  It is a powerful and dignified calling.  Lent affords us a good opportunity to repent of those habits, attitudes, or behaviors that reflect a preoccupation with the secular.  Thus devoid of the religious, we are then called to eagerly respond to our faith and imbue the secular with religious and ethical meaning.  To do less than this is to render our baptisms impotent and meaningless.”

Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO.

Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” page

The post CTD3 – Waiting in the Desert – Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Episode 2 -Stations of the Cross: Reflections with Deacon James Keating 

For other episodes in the “Stations of the Cross” series click here

Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO. 

Deacon Keating is also the author of:

From the book description:

Deacon James Keating’s book Abiding in Christ: Staying with God in a Busy World is a how-to-pray resource. This book helps readers to find a quiet space wherein they can be present to God and offers suggestions of how they can be more open to God s movement within them.

The post SC-2 – The 3rd and 4th Stations – Stations of the Cross with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

In this episode, Deacon James Keating and Kris McGregor discuss integrating faith into daily life, warning against separating religion from ordinary activities. They stress the need for vulnerability in worship to avoid routine and self-centeredness.

Lent offers opportunities for spiritual growth, including reconciliation and stations of the cross. They lament the decline of shame and public judgment in society, emphasizing the community’s role in upholding moral truth. The Eucharist brings peace and transforms individuals, impacting society through witness.

An excerpt from “Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion”:

“The only location for God to interact with us is deep within the ordinariness of our days. We are called to cherish the ordinary day, not because of its routine or common features, but because within this daily forum God reaches us through others, through worship, charity, and our relational commitments. Our daily lives carry an invitation from God to become morally good and holy; it is the only medium through which this invitation can come. Cherish the days.”

Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO.

Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” page

The post CTD2 – The Desert of Ordinary Life – Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Deacon James Keating reflects on the Stations of the Cross as a profound meditation on Christ’s suffering and its connection to human woundedness. Through this devotion, believers unite their burdens with Christ, allowing His love to transform their struggles into a path of salvation. The first station, Jesus’ condemnation, reveals His silent acceptance of injustice, a model for enduring suffering in communion with God. Pilate represents those who reject truth for self-preservation, while Jesus remains steadfast in His mission. His silence before Pilate and His choice to embrace the cross demonstrate perfect love, teaching that God enters even the darkest places of human suffering to ensure no one is abandoned.

As Jesus receives the cross, Dcn. Keating highlights medieval writings that portray Him as willingly taking it, seeing it as the culmination of His love for humanity. His embrace of suffering stands in contrast to human tendencies to resist crosses in life. The lack of compassion from those placing the cross on Him reflects the tendency to project guilt onto others rather than face personal sin. Jesus receives every aspect of human experience, including jeers and rejection, so that all may be reconciled in His love.

Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO.

Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” page

The post SC-1 – The 1st and 2nd Stations – Stations of the Cross with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.