The Discerning Hearts Blog Archives - Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

V/ Lord, have mercy.

R/ Lord, have mercy.

V/ Christ, have mercy.

R/ Christ, have mercy.

V/ Lord, have mercy.

R/ Lord, have mercy.

V/ Jesus, hear us.

R/ Jesus, graciously hear us.

V/ God, the Father of Heaven,

R/ have mercy on us.

V/ God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,

R/ have mercy on us.

V/ God, the Holy Spirit,

R/ have mercy on us.

V/ Holy Trinity, One God,

R/ have mercy on us.

R/for ff: pray for us.

Holy Mary,

St. Joseph, Renowned offspring of David,

Light of Patriarchs,

Spouse of the Mother of God,

Chaste guardian of the Virgin,

Foster father of the Son of God,

Diligent protector of Christ,

Head of the Holy Family,

Joseph most just,

Joseph most chaste,

Joseph most prudent,

Joseph most strong,

Joseph most obedient,

Joseph most faithful,

Mirror of patience,

Lover of poverty,

Model of artisans,

Glory of home life,

Guardian of virgins,

Pillar of families,

Solace of the wretched,

Hope of the sick,

Patron of the dying,

Terror of demons,

Protector of Holy Church,

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,

R/ spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,

R/ graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.

R/ have mercy on us.

He made him the lord of his household.

R/ And prince over all his possessions.

Let us pray. O God, in your ineffable providence you were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of your most holy Mother; grant, we beg you, that we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerate as our Protector: You who live and reign forever and ever. R/ Amen.

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Day 4: Mary, Queen of Peace

But the Angel said, “Do not fear, Mary, for God has looked kindly on you (Luke I:30)

Let us pray:

Loving Father, through our Mother, the Lady of the Annunciation, teach us how to be calm and serene so as to feel Your presence here today as we pray for our needs and desires. Teach us how to ask for them. Almighty Father, through the intercession of Mary, the Queen of Peace, may You grant us the tranquility in our hearts You granted to her at the Annunciation. Father, may the Blessed Virgin assist us especially in this Novena so that we may pray with faith, and that, if it is Your will, we may obtain through her the favor that we desire.

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 His humble child. Amen

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Scripture Reading:

Jesus said:

“Were I to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid; but there is another witness who can speak on my behalf, and I know that his testimony is valid. You sent messengers to John, and he gave his testimony to the truth — not that I depend on human testimony; no, it is for your salvation that I speak of this.

John was a lamp alight and shining and for a time you were content to enjoy the light that he gave. But my testimony is greater than John’s: the works my Father has given me to carry out, these same works of mine testify that the Father has sent me. Besides, the Father who sent me bears witness to me himself. You have never heard his voice, you have never seen his shape, and his word finds no home in you because you do not believe in the one he has sent.

You study the scriptures, believing that in them you have eternal life; now these same scriptures testify to me, and yet you refuse to come to me for life! As for human approval, this means nothing to me. Besides, I know you too well: you have no love of God in you.

I have come in the name of my Father and you refuse to accept me; if someone else comes in his own name you will accept him. How can you believe, since you look to each other for approval and are not concerned with the approval that comes from the one God? Do not imagine that I am going to accuse you before the Father: you place your hopes on Moses, and Moses will be your accuser. If you really believed him you would believe me too, since it was I that he was writing about; but if you refuse to believe what he wrote, how can you believe what I say?”

Today’s Gospel is sobering. Jesus stands before the people and offers them a mirror. Despite all the signs, all the testimonies, and all the truth revealed to them, many hearts remain closed. They know the Scriptures, but they miss the Word made flesh standing before them.

This is a powerful Lenten moment—a call to self-examination. How often do we search for God on our own terms? How often do we cling to ideas, routines, or even religious practices, while avoiding the more vulnerable work of opening our hearts to real relationship?

Jesus says plainly, “You refuse to come to Me to have life.” This is not a condemnation—it’s a lament. The Lord of Life is always reaching, always inviting, but never forcing. Lent is the season to step back and ask: Where have I closed off my heart? And how is Jesus calling me to come to Him anew?

One simple yet profound way to encounter the Lord daily is through Lectio Divina, the prayerful reading of Scripture. On Discerning Hearts, the Daily Lectio Divina podcast offers the Gospel of the day read slowly and prayerfully three times, with moments of quiet and reflective encouragement offered between each reading.

St. Gregory the Great, the Benedictine pope and Doctor of the Church, reminds us:

“The Sacred Scriptures grow with the one who reads them.”

This means our relationship with the Word is meant to be alive—growing, stretching us, challenging us to listen more deeply and respond more fully.

And the Desert Father Abba Moses the Black taught:

“A man must first be cleansed of his faults before he can see clearly to read the Scriptures.”

Scripture is not just information—it is invitation. And it is most fruitful when approached with a heart that longs for God’s will more than our own comfort.

So let us reflect honestly: Are we seeking Christ Himself—or are we just seeking answers, reassurance, or control? The testimony has been given. The voice of the Father still echoes through the Word. Will we hear it?

Lord Jesus, You are the Word made flesh, the One who invites us not just to know about You, but to come to You and live. Open our hearts to Your voice, especially in the Scriptures. Cleanse us of pride and distraction, and renew in us a love for Your Word that transforms. May we never miss Your presence when You come near.

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 30: Hearts Open to the Word – Discerning Hearts Podcasts 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 Matthew 1:16,18-21,24

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:

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:

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 this episode of The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life, Kris McGregor turns to St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s On Loving God as a natural deepening of the path already laid by the Holy Rule. Through prayer, humility, obedience, and restraint, St. Benedict has been helping to form the heart. Now St. Bernard helps clarify what that formation is meant to open within us: a deeper love of God.

St. Bernard begins with a simple but decisive truth. We do not love God only because of what He gives. We love Him because of who He is. While the spiritual life often begins in need, in our desire for help, clarity, consolation, or strength, it does not end there. As the heart continues to turn toward God in prayer, love matures. Prayer becomes more than a place of petition. It becomes a place of communion, where the heart learns to remain with God and to rest more fully in Him.

This teaching fits deeply within the Benedictine way. The Holy Rule has already been clearing away what keeps the heart restless and divided. St. Bernard now shows that all of this formation is ordered toward love. Humility clears the way. Discipline steadies the heart. Prayer opens it. And Christ reveals the full measure of this love in His complete self-gift to the Father. This episode invites listeners to consider how their own prayer is changing, and whether their love for God is becoming less anxious, less measured, and more rooted in God Himself.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux, On Loving God, Chapter 1 §1

“The cause of loving God is God himself;

Causa diligendi Deum Deus est; modus autem sine modo diligere.

“We love, because he first loved us.”

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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Mike Aquilina and Kris McGregor discuss how the Church Fathers presented marriage and family life as sacred gifts in sharp contrast to pagan Rome, where women were often treated as property, children could be discarded, and marriage was frequently marked by exploitation, instability, and distrust. This shows Christianity as bringing a radically different vision: husband and wife bound in lifelong fidelity, open to life, marked by mutual self-giving, and rooted in the love of Christ for the Church.

Early Christian teaching elevated the dignity of women, protected children, and transformed the meaning of sexuality by locating it within marriage and procreation rather than domination or pleasure alone. Drawing on figures like Tertullian and St. John Chrysostom, he portrays Christian marriage as joyful, holy, and even mystical, a living image of the Trinity and of Christ’s union with the Church.

This highly readable introduction to the roots of many Catholic beliefs and practices provides a sense of connection to our brothers and sisters who have gone before us and who helped shape the faith. Mike Aquilina makes it clear that as far as the essentials are concerned, a time-travel trip back to the beginning of the Church would reveal a Church familiar to Catholics today. Just as an acorn grows into a tree and yet remains the same plant, so the Catholic Church is a living organism that has grown from the faith of the earliest Christians into the Body of Christ we know today.

Mike Aquilina is a popular author working in the area of Church history, especially patristics, the study of the early Church Fathers.[1] He is the executive vice-president and trustee of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, a Roman Catholic research center based in Steubenville, Ohio. He is a contributing editor of Angelus (magazine) and general editor of the Reclaiming Catholic History Series from Ave Maria Press. He is the author or editor of more than fifty books, including The Fathers of the Church (2006); The Mass of the Early Christians (2007); Living the Mysteries (2003); and What Catholics Believe(1999). He has hosted eleven television series on the Eternal Word Television Network and is a frequent guest commentator on Catholic radio.

The post ROF9 – Sexuality, Marriage, Contraception – Roots of the Faith with Mike Aquilina – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Dr. Matthew Bunson discusses St. Cyril of Jerusalem, recognized as a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII in 1883. St. Cyril, born around 315 AD, witnessed Jerusalem’s transformation into a Christian center under Constantine the Great and his mother, St. Helena.

Despite his humble and moderate nature, he faced challenges, including being falsely accused of supporting the Arian heresy by Bishop Acacius. St. Cyril’s time as Bishop of Jerusalem was marked by jurisdictional disputes and three exiles due to political and theological conflicts.

His enduring legacy lies in his catechetical lectures, particularly his mystagogical teachings on baptism, Eucharist, and prayer, which hold relevance for modern Christian formation and the new evangelization. St. Cyril’s gentle approach to dialogue and his commitment to orthodoxy amid controversy serve as a model for fostering unity and understanding within the Church.

“Taken as a whole, Cyril’s homilies form a systematic catechesis on the Christian’s rebirth through Baptism.

He tells the catechumen: “You have been caught in the nets of the Church (cf. Mt 13: 47). Be taken alive, therefore; do not escape for it is Jesus who is fishing for you, not in order to kill you but to resurrect you after death. Indeed, you must die and rise again (cf. Rom 6: 11, 14)…. Die to your sins and live to righteousness from this very day” (Procatechesis, 5).

From the doctrinal viewpoint, Cyril commented on the Jerusalem Creed with recourse to the typology of the Scriptures in a “symphonic” relationship between the two Testaments, arriving at Christ, the centre of the universe.

The typology was to be described decisively by Augustine of Hippo: “In the Old Testament there is a veiling of the New, and in the New Testament there is a revealing of the Old” (De catechizandis rudibus 4, 8).

As for the moral catechesis, it is anchored in deep unity to the doctrinal catechesis: the dogma progressively descends in souls who are thus urged to transform their pagan behaviour on the basis of new life in Christ, a gift of Baptism.

The “mystagogical” catechesis, lastly, marked the summit of the instruction that Cyril imparted, no longer to catechumens but to the newly baptized or neophytes during Easter week. He led them to discover the mysteries still hidden in the baptismal rites of the Easter Vigil.

Enlightened by the light of a deeper faith by virtue of Baptism, the neophytes were at last able to understand these mysteries better, having celebrated their rites.”

For more visit Vatican.va

Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and a senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to Church history, the papacy, the saints and Catholic culture. He is faculty chair at Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co-author of over 50 books including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History, The Pope Encyclopedia, We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, The Saints Encyclopedia and best-selling biographies of St. Damien of Molokai and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.

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O glorious Saint Joseph,faithful follower of Jesus Christ,

(State your request here.)

O guardian of the Word Incarnate,

O glorious St. Joseph,

Amen.

DAY NINE

O good Saint Joseph, help us to be like you,

O Glorious Saint Joseph,

Amen.

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

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Scripture Reading:

Isaiah 49:8–15

Today, Isaiah gives us one of the most tender revelations of God’s heart: even if a mother could forget her child, God cannot and will not forget us. “See, upon the palms of My hands I have written your name.” This is not poetic sentiment. It is a divine promise.

So much of Lent is a return to this core relationship: Are we living in the Father’s love? Are we cooperating with His mercy? Do we trust that our identity is secure, even when life is uncertain or painful?

Sometimes in the journey of faith, especially in the quiet or hidden seasons, we wonder if God sees us. If He remembers. If He cares. Isaiah answers this ache not with a demand, but with an image of mercy so intimate it silences our fear. God has etched us into His very being.

When we forget who we are, we lose the freedom to surrender, to discern, or to act with confidence. This is why Lent begins with a return to prayer and continues with purification—because from that place of belonging, we are made ready for deeper communion, deeper trust, and deeper love.

From this place of belonging, we also begin to hear His voice more clearly. Discernment is not first about decision-making—it is about relationship. When we know we are loved, we become more open to where God is leading. We are not guessing at His will from a distance, but listening to the One who walks beside us.

Whether we are facing a major decision or simply seeking to grow in daily faithfulness, discernment flows from the soil of prayer. When we return again and again to silence, to Scripture, and to the sacraments, our hearts become more attuned to the subtle movements of grace. In this way, Lent becomes a school of the heart—a time of listening, receiving, and being formed for mission.

The Church gives us so many ways to return: in silence, in the sacraments, in Scripture, and especially through the prayerful reading of the Word. One simple way to experience this is through Lectio Divina, the slow, prayerful listening to the daily Gospel. On Discerning Hearts, the Daily Lectio Divina podcast offers Scripture proclaimed three times with gentle reflective prompts. These gentle words invite listeners to open more deeply to God’s presence in the Word. It is not just about hearing the Word—it’s about listening and receiving it, in the very places we didn’t even know were closed.

St. Teresa of Avila, a great teacher of prayer, wrote:

“Mental prayer is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends. It means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us.” (The Life, ch. 8)

And from the Desert Fathers, Abba Isaiah reminds us:

“Unless the heart is humble, it cannot bear fruit in reading the Scriptures.” (Apophthegmata Patrum, Isaiah 3)

Let us anchor ourselves in the truth: before we can do anything for God, we must remember who we are to God. We are written on His hands.

Lord, You have written my name upon Your hands. Help me to rest in that truth when I feel forgotten or afraid. Draw me deeper into Your heart through prayer, Scripture, and the sacraments. Teach me to trust that I am Yours, and from that place of love, lead me to do Your will with confidence.

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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Day 3: Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted

Mary was troubled at these words, wondering what this greeting could mean. (Luke I:29)

Let us pray:

With the help of our Mother of the Word Incarnate, grant us Your mercy and consolation to lighten the burden and give comfort and strength to all who are suffering now. Dear Lord, we ask Your Blessed Mother to teach us to be compassionate. Help Your children, with the power of the Holy Spirit, to conquer the menace of evil and sin in all its manifestations. Through the intercession of the Our Lady of the Annunciation, we ask You to help us welcome the Word into the world, that we may all experience a rebirth. Through Mary, Your reign has dawned, a reign of compassion and mercy, born from the depths of the Word made flesh.

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 consent, “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 His humble child. Amen

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