September 29, 2025

God as the True End – The Seven Attitudes of a Discerning Heart w/Kris McGregor – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

3 minutes

The Seven Attitudes of a Discerning Heart with Kris McGregor

God as the True End

God as the true end is the seventh attitude of a discerning heart. In Catholic discernment, all choices, prayers, and works lead us to Him, who is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus calls us to live the Beatitudes, keep the Great Commandment, and follow the vision of Matthew 25. St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that our final end is eternal union with God, the goal and fulfillment of every desire.

Scripture Reading:

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.’” (John 14:6)

Every journey has a destination. For the Christian, that destination is God Himself. All our discernment, all our choices, all our striving find their meaning only if they lead us closer to Him.

In the discerning heart, we remember that prayer, good works, even vocations are not ends in themselves. They are means that lead us to the ultimate end: union with God. If we mistake the means for the end, we risk losing sight of the One who is the source of all goodness.

Jesus tells us plainly: He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is not one path among many, but the very road, destination, and fulfillment of our hearts.

To keep God as the true end means living the Beatitudes, following the Great Commandment to love God and neighbor, and embracing the vision of Matthew 25 — seeing Christ in the least of our brothers and sisters. Whenever discernment leads us away from love, we know we are on the wrong path.

Saint’s Teaching:

St. Thomas Aquinas taught that the final end of the human person is the vision of God — to see Him face to face in eternal life. All lesser goods must serve this greater end.

The saints remind us that every prayer, every sacrifice, every act of love is meant to draw us deeper into God, who alone is our beginning and our end.

Guided Application Questions:

In what ways do I sometimes treat spiritual practices as ends in themselves rather than pathways to God?

Ask for the grace to pray and serve with your eyes fixed on Him.

How am I tempted to seek fulfillment in created things instead of the Creator?

Name it in prayer, and invite the Lord to redirect your desire toward Himself.

How can I renew my intention to seek God above all else?

Begin your prayer by saying: “Lord, You are my beginning and my end. All I do is for You.”

Closing Prayer:

Eternal Father, You are the beginning and the end of all things.

Through the words of Your Son, who is the way, the truth, and the life, guide me to Yourself.

Through the teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas and the witness of all the saints, help me to live for You alone.

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Discover The Seven Attitudes of a Discerning Heart — openness, generosity, courage, interior freedom, prayerful reflection, right priorities, and God as the true end — HERE

The post God as the True End – The Seven Attitudes of a Discerning Heart w/Kris McGregor – Discerning Hearts Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

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