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Scripture Reading (Jerusalem Bible):

John 8:1–11 (Jerusalem Bible)

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At daybreak, He appeared in the Temple again; and as all the people came to Him, He sat down and began to teach them.

The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman along who had been caught committing adultery; and making her stand there in full view of everybody, they said to Jesus, “Master, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery, and Moses has ordered us in the Law to condemn women like this to death by stoning. What have you to say?”

They asked Him this as a test, looking for something to use against Him. But Jesus bent down and started writing on the ground with His finger. As they persisted with their question, He looked up and said, “If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Then He bent down and wrote on the ground again. When they heard this, they went away one by one, beginning with the eldest, until Jesus was left alone with the woman, who remained standing there.

He looked up and said, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she replied.

“Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus. “Go away, and don’t sin any more.”

These final days of Lent ask something deeper of us. By now, we’ve tried to fast, to forgive, to pray more faithfully. But in that very effort, we’ve likely stumbled. We may feel weary, distracted, or discouraged. These are the very moments where God desires to meet us.

Today’s Gospel offers a scene of total exposure. The woman is brought before Jesus not in private, but in public shame. Yet what she finds is not condemnation—but mercy. Jesus does not excuse her sin, but He meets it with a gaze of compassion and a call to new life: “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.”

This Gospel is meant for you and for me. We may not be dragged into the public square, but we all carry wounds, regrets, and patterns of sin that feel exposed before the Lord. He sees it all—and still does not turn away. The One who knows us best loves us most.

As St. Leo the Great wrote:

“The ineffable mercy of Christ wiped away the sins of the woman with a word, and in the place of guilt, sowed seeds of virtue.”

The scribes and Pharisees want justice—but Jesus offers restoration. He shifts the gaze from the woman’s guilt to the self-examination of the crowd. “Let the one without sin cast the first stone.” And slowly, silently, they walk away. This is not a story about someone else—it is a mirror for our own hearts. Lent is not about stone-throwing; it’s about heart-returning.

The Desert Father Abba Moses the Black said:

“The one who knows his sins is greater than the one who raises the dead.”

Honest self-knowledge born in prayer is the path to healing. This is why Lent calls us into practices that soften our hearts and open us to mercy. Silent prayer, especially before the Blessed Sacrament, begins this process. So too does the sacrament of Reconciliation, where we meet Christ not with punishment, but with peace.

St. Elizabeth of the Trinity beautifully captured the mystery of grace in her retreat Heaven in Faith:

“‘Abyss calls to abyss.’ It is there in the very depths that the divine impact takes place, where the abyss of our nothingness encounters the Abyss of mercy, the immensity of the all of God.”

Her words remind us that God meets us in the very depths—not where we are strong, but where we are most broken. There, in the silence and the sorrow, in the place of our failure and regret, God’s mercy does not merely meet us—it overwhelms us. We are not left in our misery. The abyss of divine mercy fills every emptiness with grace.

The invitation today is deeply personal: Jesus looks at you and asks, “Where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?” And when we answer, He replies—not with wrath, but with mercy. The response He desires is trust.

Lord Jesus, You know my sin and still You love me. You look upon me with compassion and speak a word of mercy that makes me new. Help me to step out of shame and into grace. Cleanse my heart and restore my hope. Give me the courage to return to You fully, and to live in the freedom of Your forgiveness.

Amen.

This reflection is written by Kris McGregor of Discerning Hearts®. The Scripture passage is taken from the Jerusalem Bible (1966 edition), used with permission. No unauthorized use or reproduction is permitted without prior written consent.

The post Day 34: Mercy Meets Us in Our Sin – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

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 deep within in your heart…

From the Holy Gospel of St. John 8:1-11

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At daybreak he appeared in the Temple again; and as all the people came to him, he sat down and began to teach them.

What word made this passage come alive for you?

What did you sense the Lord saying to you?

Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At daybreak he appeared in the Temple again; and as all the people came to him, he sat down and began to teach them.

What did your heart feel as you listened?

What did you sense the Lord saying to you?

Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At daybreak he appeared in the Temple again; and as all the people came to him, he sat down and began to teach them.

What touched your heart in this time of prayer?

What did your heart feel as you prayed?

What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?

Our Father, who art in heaven,

  hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

 Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

 and forgive us our trespasses,

 as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

 but deliver us from evil.

Amen

The post 5th Monday of Lent – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

In this episode of The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life, Kris McGregor turns to St. Hildegard of Bingen and her great work Scivias. Formed by the Benedictine life of prayer, stability, obedience, and attentive listening, Hildegard speaks from within the wisdom of the Holy Rule. Her visions are not distractions from that life, but expressions of a soul deeply grounded in it.

Hildegard begins with God, not with the self. She shows us the living God who sustains, orders, and heals all things. Her vision helps recover a truth we easily forget: life is not self-generated or secured by our own strength. It is given by God, held in Him, and restored by His grace. When that order is forgotten, the soul begins to dry out. When it is received again, healing begins.

This episode also shows how Hildegard’s teaching flows naturally from Benedictine formation. Stability teaches the soul to rest in God’s order. Obedience teaches deep listening. Prayer teaches us to stand before God in truth and receive life as a gift. Hildegard opens that vision more widely, helping us see creation and the human person as alive in God. In Christ, the living Word, all things hold together and are made new. This episode invites listeners to recover wonder, reverence, and a deeper awareness of God’s living presence.

St. Hildegard of Bingen, Scivias: Book Two, Vision One

“This blazing fire that you see symbolizes the Omnipotent and Living God, Who in His most glorious serenity was never darkened by any iniquity; incomprehensible, because He cannot be divided by any division or known as He is by any part of any of His creatures’ knowledge; inextinguishable, because He is that Fullness that no limit ever touched; wholly living, for there is nothing that is hidden from Him or that He does not know; and wholly Life, for everything that lives takes its life from Him.”

“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Copyright © 2026 Kris McGregor. All rights reserved. No portion of this content may be reproduced, distributed, published, or transmitted in any form, including audio, print, or digital media, without prior written permission from Discerning Hearts®.

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Even your relative Elizabeth is expecting a son in her old age, although she was unable to have a child, and she is now in her sixth month. With God, nothing is impossible” (Luke I:36-37)

Let us pray: God, our Father, we come to You with confidence that You will enlighten us with Your grace and love. Today as we worry about the world’s miseries, where love is disappearing among families and neighbors, where we find disunity everywhere, where love and respect for Your Son Jesus Christ are no longer seen, we implore the intercession of our Blessed Mother so that we may find light and power in You. Loving God, we ask You to enlighten the abandoned, the handicapped, and those deprived of true love from a father and a mother. With Your mercy, may they find peace, hope, and unity. We ask You to help us to be like Mary who does not forget her children, always caring, helping and watching over us. We hope to be relieved from our burdens and sufferings. Please help us Your children to experience the love and unity You want in every home. May we also be a model of kindness by showing us the way to establish good relationship with our neighbor, which is an excellent way of promoting unity in oneness of heart. O Eternal Father, we praise and thank You for the graces You bestowed upon us, especially the Blessed Virgin Mother. Trusting in Your love and mercy, we hope to obtain the favor we earnestly ask through her, the grace to love and die in Your love.

Jesus, for our salvation You willingly humbled Yourself, becoming Man in the womb of the Virgin Mother, grant me through the mystery of Your holy Incarnation the virtue of humility that I may ever please God as Your Mother did, by meekness and lowliness in this world, and be exalted by You in eternity.

Mary, dear Mother of my Savior, I greet you and I thank you for having received the message of the Archangel Gabriel: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee” (Luke I:28) and for having answered with your assent, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38) Intercede for me that God the Father, who accepted you as His Daughter and the Mother of His Son because of your humility at the Annunciation, may accept me as humble child. Amen

The post A Novena for the Annunciation – Day 7 – Mary, Help of Christians appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Episode 6 – The Cross of Christ restores… – Fifth Week

In “The Power of the Cross”, Michael Dubruiel penned a truly exceptional meditation on the Cross of Christ which serves beautifully as a source for reflection any time of the year, but it is particularly poignant and compelling during the weeks of Lent. Several years ago Bruce and I had the chance to have a series of conversations with Michael during Lent using his book for reflection…it was a big hit with the audience. Those discussions have been remastered and made available once again here. Michael died unexpectedly in February of 2009, but his gifts continue to be shared through his books and many other venues, and hopefully through this humble portal. The sentiments and teachings Michael offers is truly timeless.

Michael’s wife, author Amy Welborn, has made “The Power of the Cross” available as a free e-book available over the internet !  I HIGHLY encourage you to download this exceptional work…there also plans to make it once again available as a paperback book.

The Power of the Cross is now available as a free e-book,

Check out more at the Discerning Hearts’ Michael Dubruiel page

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Scripture Reading (Jerusalem Bible):

John 11: 11:3-7,​17,​20-27,​33-45

Mary and Martha sent this message to Jesus, ‘Lord, the man you love is ill.’ On receiving the message, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will end not in death but in God’s glory, and through it the Son of God will be glorified.’

  Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, yet when he heard that Lazarus was ill he stayed where he was for two more days before saying to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judaea.’

  On arriving, Jesus found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days already. When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet him. Mary remained sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.’ ‘Your brother’ said Jesus to her ‘will rise again.’ Martha said, ‘I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said:

‘I am the resurrection and the life.

‘Yes, Lord,’ she said ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.’

Jesus said in great distress, with a sigh that came straight from the heart, ‘Where have you put him?’ They said, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept; and the Jews said, ‘See how much he loved him!’ But there were some who remarked, ‘He opened the eyes of the blind man, could he not have prevented this man’s death?’ Still sighing, Jesus reached the tomb: it was a cave with a stone to close the opening. Jesus said, ‘Take the stone away.’ Martha said to him, ‘Lord, by now he will smell; this is the fourth day.’ Jesus replied, ‘Have I not told you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted up his eyes and said:

‘Father, I thank you for hearing my prayer.

When he had said this, he cried in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, here! Come out!’ The dead man came out, his feet and hands bound with bands of stuff and a cloth round his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, let him go free.’

Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and had seen what he did believed in him.

At the center of today’s Gospel stands a Christological truth: Jesus is not only the miracle-worker—He is the Resurrection and the Life. His very presence is life-giving. The raising of Lazarus is not simply a miracle of compassion—it is a signpost pointing to the Cross and Resurrection, a foreshadowing of what Jesus will accomplish for all who believe.

Both faithful and close to Jesus, Martha and Mary cry out in pain: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” This lament does not reflect a lack of faith—it is the grief of love. Jesus does not rebuke them. He meets them in that grief. He weeps with them.

We grieve because we love—grief is love realized.

As St. Augustine said:

In heaven, our love is made whole in God. What Mary and Martha desire is wholeness. Jesus meets that longing not only with consolation, but with action. He steps into their sorrow and reveals the power of God’s mercy. He does not promise that suffering will disappear—but that it will not have the last word.

St. Thomas Aquinas teaches:

Jesus’ delay in arriving is not neglect—it is mystery. He allows space for faith, for trust, for the revelation of the Father’s glory. This is a reflection of how God often works in our lives: not on our timeline, but always for our ultimate good.

In calling Lazarus forth, Jesus also calls each of us. He invites us to step out of the tombs of fear, sin, and despair. But He does not do this alone. He calls the community to participate: “Unbind him and let him go.”

As St. Augustine beautifully wrote:

Lent is a time for us to reflect on what binds us and where we need new life. It is a time to allow Jesus to speak His word of life into our dead places. It is a time to help one another step out of darkness and into the light of communion.

St. Teresa of Calcutta once said:

And the Desert Father Abba Poemen reminds us:

Christ calls us to a life more abundant than we dare imagine. He meets us in our grief, walks with us in our confusion, and calls us into healing and wholeness. The invitation is not just to witness a miracle—but to live it, to step forward in faith, and to help unbind others along the way. The path through suffering is not meaningless—it is a path to resurrection.

Lord Jesus, You are the Resurrection and the Life. In the places where we are dead or bound, speak Your word of life. Help us to trust even when we do not understand. Teach us to pray, to listen, and to discern what the Father is doing. Call us out of the tomb and give us the grace to respond. May we be unbound by fear and live in the freedom of Your love.

This reflection is written by Kris McGregor of Discerning Hearts®. The Scripture passage is taken from the Jerusalem Bible (1966 edition), used with permission. No unauthorized use or reproduction is permitted without prior written consent.

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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 deep within in your heart…

From the Holy Gospel of St. John 11:1-45

There was a man named Lazarus who lived in the village of Bethany with the two sisters, Mary and Martha, and he was ill. It was the same Mary, the sister of the sick man Lazarus, who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair. The sisters sent this message to Jesus, ‘Lord, the man you love is ill.’ On receiving the message, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will end not in death but in God’s glory, and through it the Son of God will be glorified.’

Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, yet when he heard that Lazarus was ill he stayed where he was for two more days before saying to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judaea.’ The disciples said, ‘Rabbi, it is not long since the Jews wanted to stone you; are you going back again?’ Jesus replied:

He said that and then added, ‘Our friend Lazarus is resting, I am going to wake him.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he is able to rest he is sure to get better.’ The phrase Jesus used referred to the death of Lazarus, but they thought that by ‘rest’ he meant ‘sleep’, so Jesus put it plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead; and for your sake I am glad I was not there because now you will believe. But let us go to him.’ Then Thomas – known as the Twin – said to the other disciples, ‘Let us go too, and die with him.’

On arriving, Jesus found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days already. Bethany is only about two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to sympathise with them over their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet him. Mary remained sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.’ ‘Your brother’ said Jesus to her ‘will rise again.’ Martha said, ‘I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said:

Mary went to Jesus, and as soon as she saw him she threw herself at his feet, saying, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ At the sight of her tears, and those of the Jews who followed her, Jesus said in great distress, with a sigh that came straight from the heart, ‘Where have you put him?’ They said, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept; and the Jews said, ‘See how much he loved him!’ But there were some who remarked, ‘He opened the eyes of the blind man, could he not have prevented this man’s death?’ Still sighing, Jesus reached the tomb: it was a cave with a stone to close the opening. Jesus said, ‘Take the stone away.’ Martha said to him, ‘Lord, by now he will smell; this is the fourth day.’ Jesus replied, ‘Have I not told you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted up his eyes and said:

When he had said this, he cried in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, here! Come out!’ The dead man came out, his feet and hands bound with bands of stuff and a cloth round his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, let him go free.’

What word made this passage come alive for you?

What did you sense the Lord saying to you?

Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:

There was a man named Lazarus who lived in the village of Bethany with the two sisters, Mary and Martha, and he was ill. It was the same Mary, the sister of the sick man Lazarus, who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair. The sisters sent this message to Jesus, ‘Lord, the man you love is ill.’ On receiving the message, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will end not in death but in God’s glory, and through it the Son of God will be glorified.’

Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, yet when he heard that Lazarus was ill he stayed where he was for two more days before saying to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judaea.’ The disciples said, ‘Rabbi, it is not long since the Jews wanted to stone you; are you going back again?’ Jesus replied:

He said that and then added, ‘Our friend Lazarus is resting, I am going to wake him.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he is able to rest he is sure to get better.’ The phrase Jesus used referred to the death of Lazarus, but they thought that by ‘rest’ he meant ‘sleep’, so Jesus put it plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead; and for your sake I am glad I was not there because now you will believe. But let us go to him.’ Then Thomas – known as the Twin – said to the other disciples, ‘Let us go too, and die with him.’

On arriving, Jesus found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days already. Bethany is only about two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to sympathise with them over their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet him. Mary remained sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.’ ‘Your brother’ said Jesus to her ‘will rise again.’ Martha said, ‘I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said:

Mary went to Jesus, and as soon as she saw him she threw herself at his feet, saying, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ At the sight of her tears, and those of the Jews who followed her, Jesus said in great distress, with a sigh that came straight from the heart, ‘Where have you put him?’ They said, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept; and the Jews said, ‘See how much he loved him!’ But there were some who remarked, ‘He opened the eyes of the blind man, could he not have prevented this man’s death?’ Still sighing, Jesus reached the tomb: it was a cave with a stone to close the opening. Jesus said, ‘Take the stone away.’ Martha said to him, ‘Lord, by now he will smell; this is the fourth day.’ Jesus replied, ‘Have I not told you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted up his eyes and said:

When he had said this, he cried in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, here! Come out!’ The dead man came out, his feet and hands bound with bands of stuff and a cloth round his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, let him go free.’

What did your heart feel as you listened?

What did you sense the Lord saying to you?

Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:

There was a man named Lazarus who lived in the village of Bethany with the two sisters, Mary and Martha, and he was ill. It was the same Mary, the sister of the sick man Lazarus, who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair. The sisters sent this message to Jesus, ‘Lord, the man you love is ill.’ On receiving the message, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will end not in death but in God’s glory, and through it the Son of God will be glorified.’

Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, yet when he heard that Lazarus was ill he stayed where he was for two more days before saying to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judaea.’ The disciples said, ‘Rabbi, it is not long since the Jews wanted to stone you; are you going back again?’ Jesus replied:

He said that and then added, ‘Our friend Lazarus is resting, I am going to wake him.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he is able to rest he is sure to get better.’ The phrase Jesus used referred to the death of Lazarus, but they thought that by ‘rest’ he meant ‘sleep’, so Jesus put it plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead; and for your sake I am glad I was not there because now you will believe. But let us go to him.’ Then Thomas – known as the Twin – said to the other disciples, ‘Let us go too, and die with him.’

On arriving, Jesus found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days already. Bethany is only about two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to sympathise with them over their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet him. Mary remained sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.’ ‘Your brother’ said Jesus to her ‘will rise again.’ Martha said, ‘I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said:

Mary went to Jesus, and as soon as she saw him she threw herself at his feet, saying, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ At the sight of her tears, and those of the Jews who followed her, Jesus said in great distress, with a sigh that came straight from the heart, ‘Where have you put him?’ They said, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept; and the Jews said, ‘See how much he loved him!’ But there were some who remarked, ‘He opened the eyes of the blind man, could he not have prevented this man’s death?’ Still sighing, Jesus reached the tomb: it was a cave with a stone to close the opening. Jesus said, ‘Take the stone away.’ Martha said to him, ‘Lord, by now he will smell; this is the fourth day.’ Jesus replied, ‘Have I not told you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted up his eyes and said:

When he had said this, he cried in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, here! Come out!’ The dead man came out, his feet and hands bound with bands of stuff and a cloth round his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, let him go free.’

What touched your heart in this time of prayer?

What did your heart feel as you prayed?

What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?

Our Father, who art in heaven,

  hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

 Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

 and forgive us our trespasses,

 as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

 but deliver us from evil.

Amen

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In Episode 32 of our Week 4 Lenten journey with St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s On Loving God, we reflect on the furthest reach of love: when love is so healed and rightly ordered in God that a person can receive even his own life as gift. St. Bernard is careful here. He is not describing a return to self-interest, but a self restored by grace and rightly loved in God.

In conversation with the Holy Rule of St. Benedict, this episode explores how humility, obedience, stability and prayer loosen the grip of self-will and free the soul from anxious self-protection. The false self begins to fade, not so the person disappears, but so the whole person can be more deeply healed and ordered toward God. Bernard shows that when love is purified, the self is no longer grasped or defended, but received.

This episode offers a beautiful and careful vision of spiritual maturity. The soul does not become less human, but more deeply restored in God. Love is no longer divided between God and self in the old way. It comes to rest. This kind of union is not something we achieve by effort, but a gift of grace that can quietly grow in a life marked by prayer, humility, repentance and perseverance.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux, On Loving God, Chapter 15 §§30-40

“In the fourth degree, man loves himself,

“In quarto gradu diligit homo se ipsum propter Deum. Quod fit cum ita inhaeret Deo, ut unus spiritus fiat cum eo, et dicat cum Apostolo: Qui adhaeret Domino, unus spiritus est.”

“He who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.”

Do I notice ways that I still cling to myself anxiously rather than receiving my life as gift from God?

How does St. Bernard help me understand the difference between self-interest and a self rightly loved in God?

In what areas of my life is God inviting me to let go of fear, resentment or self-assertion?

How are humility, obedience, stability, and prayer helping to loosen the grip of self-will in me?

Do I find it difficult to believe that God desires not only to save me, but to heal and rightly order my whole life in Him?

What might it look like for me to receive myself more peacefully as one who belongs to God?

How does this teaching invite me to greater trust in the hidden work of grace?

Copyright © 2026 Kris McGregor. All rights reserved. No portion of this content may be reproduced, distributed, published, or transmitted in any form, including audio, print, or digital media, without prior written permission from Discerning Hearts®.

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Scripture Reading (Jerusalem Bible):

Jeremiah 11:18–20
The Lord revealed it to me; I was warned.
O Lord, that was when You opened my eyes to their scheming.
I for my part was like a trustful lamb being led to the slaughter,
not knowing the schemes they were plotting against me.
“Let us destroy the tree in its strength,
cut him off from the land of the living,
so that his name may be quickly forgotten.”
But You, O Lord of hosts, who judge justly,
who test the heart and mind,
let me see Your vengeance upon them,
for to You I have committed my cause.

Jeremiah’s lament foreshadows the suffering of Christ. Like a lamb led to the slaughter, he entrusts his life to God even as he is surrounded by betrayal and injustice. It’s a reminder that God’s faithful ones are not immune to suffering—and sometimes the most difficult moments are the ones no one else sees.

This hidden suffering—the kind that doesn’t always come with answers—can be the most spiritually fruitful. It invites us into the interior work of trust, surrender, and deep listening. It is the refining fire where God’s grace silently goes to work.

Even the Blessed Virgin Mary knew this path well. At the Finding in the Temple, she did not understand why Jesus had remained behind, but we’re told she “kept all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:51). Her quiet pondering is not passive—it is the active trust of a heart that says yes, even without clarity. Mary reminds us that part of the Christian life is carrying unanswered questions with peace, knowing God is still present and working.

There are times in life when we must keep going in faith, even when our hearts feel weary or our path unclear. These are the moments when silent prayer, especially before the Blessed Sacrament, becomes essential. This hidden work—of listening, of remaining, of trusting—is how saints are formed.

The Desert Father Abba Isaiah said:

“It is better to struggle in silence before God than to be praised for words that do not touch the soul.”
(Apophthegmata Patrum, Isaiah 1)

And St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, a great Carmelite mystic, wrote:

“Let yourself be loved more than these… Let yourself be loved: that is everything.”
(Letter 252)

Lent invites us into this mystery. We are not always called to do more, but to let God love us in the silence. In the hidden places of our lives, His grace is at work. Our part is to stay open, to keep returning, and to say yes—even in the quiet.

Lord, You see the hidden places of my heart. In moments when I do not understand, help me to trust. Teach me to rest in Your love, even when the path ahead is unclear. May I, like Mary, hold Your Word in my heart and ponder it with faith.

Amen.

This reflection is written by Kris McGregor of Discerning Hearts®. The Scripture passage is taken from the Jerusalem Bible (1966 edition), used with permission. No unauthorized use or reproduction is permitted without prior written consent.

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The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. (Luke 1:35)

Let us pray:

Jesus, for our salvation You willingly humbled Yourself, becoming Man in the womb of the Virgin Mother, grant me through the mystery of Your holy Incarnation the virtue of humility that I may ever please God as Your Mother did, by meekness and lowliness in this world, and be exalted by You in eternity.

Mary, dear Mother of my Savior, I greet you and I thank you for having received the message of the Archangel Gabriel: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee” (Luke I:28) and for having answered with your assent, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38) Intercede for me that God the Father, who accepted you as His Daughter and the Mother of His Son because of your humility at the Annunciation, may accept me as humble child. Amen

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