The Cross of Christ Illumines. . .The Truth

Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—From whom did I learn what I know about Jesus now?

Seek—Read the Gospels daily to come to a deeper understanding of Jesus. Always begin your reading with a prayer asking God to enlighten you in your endeavor.

Knock—Meditate on Acts 16:30–31.

‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They told him, ‘Become a believer in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, and your household too’.

The jailor experiences the power of God’s protection over the apostles and wishes to be saved. They tell him what is necessary is to believe. What does it mean to believe? How is belief different than knowledge?

Transform Your Life—Jesus often tells his disciples to watch, to be vigilant. Seek the Lord at all times, in all places. Invite him to be a part of every area of your life. Hold nothing back.

The author of The Power of the Cross: Applying the Passion of Christ in Your Life, Michael Dubriuel, passed away in 2009.  His wife, author Amy Welborn, has made his book available as a free e-book! We HIGHLY encourage you to download this exceptional work.

The Power of the Cross is now available as a free e-book,
check out more information by going here

Check out more at the Discerning Hearts’ Michael Dubruiel page

Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.

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A Lenten Spiritual Journey with Discerning Hearts: From Ashes to Glory – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Day 31: Walking with Christ: The Path of Love and Sacrifice

Scripture Reading (Jerusalem Bible):

Wisdom 2:1a, 12–22
The godless say to themselves, with their misguided reasoning: “Let us lie in wait for the virtuous man, since he annoys us and opposes our way of life, reproaches us for our sins against the Law, and accuses us of sins against our upbringing. He claims to have knowledge of God and calls himself a child of the Lord. His presence is a reproof to us; the very sight of him weighs us down. His life is not like others, and his ways are different. He considers us counterfeit and avoids our ways as unclean. He calls the final end of good people blessed and boasts that God is his Father. Let us see if what he says is true; let us test what will happen at the end of his life. For if the virtuous man is God’s son, God will help him and rescue him from the hands of his enemies. Let us test him with insult and torture to see how gentle he is and how patient. Let us condemn him to a shameful death, since he says that he will be protected.”

This is how they reason, but they are misled, for their wickedness has blinded them. They do not know the secrets of God, nor do they hope for holiness as a reward, nor believe in the reward of a blameless soul.

Reflection:

On this Lenten Friday, the Church invites us to walk more intentionally with Christ on the road to Calvary. It is a day marked by fasting, by abstaining from meat, and by the tradition of praying the Stations of the Cross—a spiritual pilgrimage that draws us into the mystery of Jesus’ suffering and love.

And so they scheme to silence him. This ancient cry echoes forward into the Passion of Jesus. The cross was not an accident of history—it was foretold, endured, and ultimately transformed into the instrument of our salvation.

Fridays in Lent are not just about sacrifice—they are about remembering. We remember the One who gave Himself for us. We unite our own sufferings, fears, and sacrifices with His. And through the Stations of the Cross, we meditate not just on pain, but on love—a love that bore all things for our sake.

Spending time with the Stations, even briefly, can be a deeply healing prayer. Each station offers a window into Christ’s heart—and an invitation into our own. We see Him fall, and we reflect on the ways we stumble. We watch Him meet His Mother, and we are reminded of those who walk with us in sorrow. We stand before the Cross and let the silence teach us how to love.

There are days—especially in the middle of Lent—when life feels more like a drain than a fountain, and our inner well runs dry. But the Christian life is not about pretending we are strong—it’s about discovering that in our weakness, Christ comes with grace. Prayer is how we return to the source. When our souls are parched, we are invited to return again to the font of living water.

Through silent listening, Scripture reflection, the Examen prayer, Eucharistic Adoration, and most profoundly the Sacraments—especially Reconciliation and the Eucharist—our hearts are opened. In these spaces, we learn not to flee pain, but to walk through it with Jesus. Love doesn’t mean comfort. Love means presence. It means patience. It means bearing all things, as Christ bore all for us.

The Desert Fathers knew this inner path of transformation. Abba Longinus once said:

“If you have not been crucified with Christ, you cannot be glorified with Him. Let the cross be your teacher in all things.” (Apophthegmata Patrum, Longinus 3)

And St. Alphonsus Liguori, the great spiritual writer and founder of the Redemptorists, wrote:

“He who desires nothing but God is rich and happy. He who loves the cross and follows Christ will find peace, even in suffering.” (The Way of the Cross, Meditation 14)

As we abstain today, as we pray the Stations, let us not rush past the pain. Let us bring our own crosses, questions, and longings to Christ—and walk with Him a little further.

Reflection Questions:

1. Have you ever prayed the Stations of the Cross? What spoke to you most?
2. How do you respond to moments of pain, rejection, or misunderstanding?
3. What would it mean to walk more closely with Christ in His suffering today?

Closing Prayer:

Lord Jesus, today we remember the road You walked for our salvation. As we carry our own burdens, help us to unite them with Yours. Through prayer, fasting, and the Stations of the Cross, teach us how to love as You love. May we not fear the cross, but find in it the door to Your heart.
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 31: Walking with Christ: The Path of Love and Sacrifice – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

4th Friday of Lent – 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 deep within in your heart…

From the Holy Gospel of St. John 7:1-2,10,25-30

Jesus stayed in Galilee; he could not stay in Judaea, because the Jews were out to kill him.
As the Jewish feast of Tabernacles drew near, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went up as well, but quite privately, without drawing attention to himself. Meanwhile some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, ‘Isn’t this the man they want to kill? And here he is, speaking freely, and they have nothing to say to him! Can it be true the authorities have made up their minds that he is the Christ? Yet we all know where he comes from, but when the Christ appears no one will know where he comes from.’
Then, as Jesus taught in the Temple, he cried out:
‘Yes, you know me
and you know where I came from.
Yet I have not come of myself:
no, there is one who sent me
and I really come from him,
and you do not know him,
but I know him because I have come from him
and it was he who sent me.’
They would have arrested him then, but because his time had not yet come no one laid a hand on him.

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 stayed in Galilee; he could not stay in Judaea, because the Jews were out to kill him.
As the Jewish feast of Tabernacles drew near, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went up as well, but quite privately, without drawing attention to himself. Meanwhile some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, ‘Isn’t this the man they want to kill? And here he is, speaking freely, and they have nothing to say to him! Can it be true the authorities have made up their minds that he is the Christ? Yet we all know where he comes from, but when the Christ appears no one will know where he comes from.’
Then, as Jesus taught in the Temple, he cried out:
‘Yes, you know me
and you know where I came from.
Yet I have not come of myself:
no, there is one who sent me
and I really come from him,
and you do not know him,
but I know him because I have come from him
and it was he who sent me.’
They would have arrested him then, but because his time had not yet come no one laid a hand on him.

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 stayed in Galilee; he could not stay in Judaea, because the Jews were out to kill him.
As the Jewish feast of Tabernacles drew near, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went up as well, but quite privately, without drawing attention to himself. Meanwhile some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, ‘Isn’t this the man they want to kill? And here he is, speaking freely, and they have nothing to say to him! Can it be true the authorities have made up their minds that he is the Christ? Yet we all know where he comes from, but when the Christ appears no one will know where he comes from.’
Then, as Jesus taught in the Temple, he cried out:
‘Yes, you know me
and you know where I came from.
Yet I have not come of myself:
no, there is one who sent me
and I really come from him,
and you do not know him,
but I know him because I have come from him
and it was he who sent me.’
They would have arrested him then, but because his time had not yet come no one laid a hand on him.

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

Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.

The post 4th Friday of Lent – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

From Dr. Anthony Lilles’ blog “Beginning to Pray”

“You have stood by me in my trials and I am giving you a Kingdom.”  This solemn declaration was made by the Lord even as He faced betrayal, denial, and abandonment – suffering these unto death. To enter into His Kingdom, we must follow Him down this same pathway.  This means that we will face what He has faced. To enable us to follow Him, He must purify us and strengthen us to remain standing with Him even after our sin. To the degree that we are afraid of death, suffering, and sin, we are afraid also of His mercy. But His merciful love overcomes our fear.  Accepting His mercy, we learn to see in our own life experience that sin, suffering and death ultimately do not stand between us and the love of God. Indeed, He has made of them a pathway.

“You have stood by me.” We hear these words knowing full well how often we have failed Him. Yet, He does not focus on that. He sees what is good. He chooses to be conscious of what we have done in our devotion and so He directs us to also acknowledge what He sees.  It is not that He is not aware of our sins. It is only that He chooses not to allow them to define our relationship with Him.  Thus, He said this in the presence of the Twelve: the betrayer, the nine would abandon Him and the most trusted who would deny Him. He says it also to us now.

“You have stood by me” unveils his decision to see past our failures to a deeper mystery about us that we cannot know on our own. He gazes with hope on the possibilities of the human heart. This is because we are not in his eyes friends who fall short of His expectations. Instead, we are each a gift of the Father to Him – and so He treasures our faithfulness no matter how weak or fleeting it might be.  Thus, He confirms all that is good, noble and true. The the gaze in which he holds us never breaks – He suffers this regard of the deepest truth of our existence unto death and will search hell to rescue it.  Here, the basis of hope no matter how often we have fallen, a truth He repeats today in our presence too: “You have stood by me.”

“I have prayed that your faith will not fail and once you have turned back, you must strengthen the faith of your brethren.”  Love requires many difficult purifications and painful healings before we can stand before the face of the One who loved us to the end. No unaided human effort can endure these trials of love. Yet, we never face these alone, but always in the Church with Christ’s gentle presence and His mighty prayer. His prayer that our faith should not fail does not mean we will not fall.  It means that if we fall, no matter how far or hard or for how long, we can turn back – convinced that the power of His love is greater than the power of our sin.

What we do not see but what Christ sees is the splendor of His Bride – a splendor in which we have already been implicated from before the foundation of the world. Despite the sinfulness of her members and even the failures of her shepherds, she knows from the vantage point of eternity the way to the Bridegroom in both life and death. She knows this path to love even as it leads through the difficult ambiguities of our lives. She knows it by love and She knows it for love even when we have long stumbled away from it. She knows even as it disappears from our sight at the last moments of this life. And so, if we listen to the voice of the Bride, she teaches us to find it even when we feel farthest from it. Indeed, the Good Shepherd Himself will pick us up and place us there – for He has abandoned everything to find us.  Though we cannot see it, the Body of Christ knows the passage that crosses from the gates of hell to the very threshold of heaven. Christ Himself bridges this abyss – and He suffers it in His mystical body so that we might become immaculate and holy in His presence.

Dr. Anthony Lilles is the author of “Hidden Mountain, Secret Garden”, which can be found here

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The Cross of Christ Illumines. . .Our Choices

Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—Whom am I trying to please with the actions of my life?

Seek—The glory of God in all things, in all of your actions, in all of your interactions with others.

Knock—Meditate on 2 Corinthians 4:3–4.

If our gospel does not penetrate the veil, then the veil is on those who are not on the way to salvation; the unbelievers whose minds the god of this world has blinded, to stop them seeing the light shed by the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Does the gospel seem like “good news” to you?

Transform Your Life—Foster a sense of pilgrimage as the model of your life. See yourself as someone walking in the footsteps of Christ. At all times seek to serve God first and to do his will in your life.

The author of The Power of the Cross: Applying the Passion of Christ in Your Life, Michael Dubriuel, passed away in 2009.  His wife, author Amy Welborn, has made his book available as a free e-book! We HIGHLY encourage you to download this exceptional work.

The Power of the Cross is now available as a free e-book,
check out more information by going here

Check out more at the Discerning Hearts’ Michael Dubruiel page

Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.

The post PoC-30 4th Thursday of Lent: The Power of the Cross Lenten Meditation appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Oh most Divine Lord, we humbly prostrate ourselves before Thy Infinite Majesty, and we adore Thee and dedicate to Thy glory the devout prayers which we now present to Thee, as an act of devotion to your servant, St Gemma Galgani, whose intercession we are now imploring.

 

O worthy Spouse of the Lamb of God and faithful virgin St Gemma, you preserved the innocence and splendor of virginity, giving to the world a bright example of purity and the most exalted virtues. Look down with pity from thy high place in heaven upon us who confide in thee, as we implore thee for the favor we so ardently desire (mention request)….

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…

Pray for us, Saint Gemma, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. O God, Who fashioned thy servant Saint Gemma into a likeness of Thy Crucified Son, grant us through her intercession the favor that we humbly request, and through the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Thy Son, may we be united with You for all eternity. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

For the complete 9 day novena Mp3 audio visit the Discerning Hearts St. Gemma Galgani Novena

Original resource for this novena: “St. Gemma Galgani”

The post St. Gemma Galgani Novena – Day 2 appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

A Lenten Spiritual Journey with Discerning Hearts: From Ashes to Glory – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Day 30: Hearts Open to the Word

Scripture Reading:
John 5:31–47 (Jerusalem Bible)

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?”

Reflection:

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.”
(Homilies on Ezekiel, II, 1,7)

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.”
(Apophthegmata Patrum, Moses 10)

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?

Reflection Questions:

1. What prevents you from coming fully to Jesus today?
2. Are there areas where you are going through the motions in faith without real openness to change?
3. How can you allow Scripture to be more than words—how can it become an encounter?

Closing Prayer:

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.

 

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4th Thursday of Lent – 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 deep within in your heart…

From the Holy Gospel of St. John 5:31-47

Jesus said to the Jews:
‘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 one another 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?’

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 said to the Jews:
‘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 one another 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?’

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 said to the Jews:
‘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 one another 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?’

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

Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.

The post 4th Thursday of Lent – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Leaving the Desert – Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion with Deacon James Keating

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.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

1. Lenten Self-Reflection: How can you deepen your introspection during Lent to identify areas of sin in your life?
2. Responsibility and Freedom: Reflect on how you balance acknowledging external influences with taking personal responsibility for your actions.
3. Desensitization to Sin: How can you guard against societal desensitization to sin, especially in media and cultural norms?
4. Intentional Conscience Formation: In what ways can you intentionally cultivate a spiritually grounded fellowship to form your conscience?
5. Engaging on Moral Issues: How can you engage in conversations about moral issues with both gentleness and firmness, guided by love?
6. Fostering Community in Parishes: What steps can you take to foster genuine community within your parish, where faith is shared and nurtured collectively?

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.

The Cross of Christ Illumines. . .Death

Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—Who can save me from death?

Seek—Pray for the dead, especially those you have known in life—family, friends, co-workers, and benefactors. When you are at Mass, call to mind those who have died when the priest mentions them in the Eucharistic Prayer.

Knock—Meditate on 1 Thessalonians 4:13–14.

We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them, like the other people who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus: God will bring them with him.

Think about how Jesus grieved at the tomb of Lazarus and how he has modeled what Christian grief should look like. How has society’s denial of death affected the way people are allowed to grieve in our culture?

If people who have died come to mind when you read over this passage, pray for them.

Transform Your Life—An ancient Christian practice is to remember death. This is not a morbid fascination with the inevitable but a clarifying experience, reminding us that our final end need not be death but life with God, and that the shortness of our earthly existence should be focused on doing whatever will build up God’s kingdom.

The author of The Power of the Cross: Applying the Passion of Christ in Your Life, Michael Dubriuel, passed away in 2009.  His wife, author Amy Welborn, has made his book available as a free e-book! We HIGHLY encourage you to download this exceptional work.

The Power of the Cross is now available as a free e-book,
check out more information by going here

Check out more at the Discerning Hearts’ Michael Dubruiel page

Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.

The post PoC-29 4th Wednesday of Lent: The Power of the Cross Lenten Meditation appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Oh most Divine Lord, we humbly prostrate ourselves before Thy Infinite Majesty, and we adore Thee and dedicate to Thy glory the devout prayers which we now present to Thee, as an act of devotion to your servant, St Gemma Galgani, whose intercession we are now imploring.

Most compassionate virgin, St. Gemma, during thy short life on earth, you gave a most beautiful example of angelic innocence and seraphic love and was found worthy to bear in thy flesh the marks of our Lord’s Passion. Have pity on us who are so much in need of God’s Mercy, and obtain for us through thy merits and intercession, the special favor which we now fervently implore (mention request)…

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…

Pray for us, Saint Gemma, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. O God, Who fashioned thy servant Saint Gemma into a likeness of Thy Crucified Son, grant us through her intercession the favor that we humbly request, and through the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Thy Son, may we be united with You for all eternity. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

For the complete 9 day novena Mp3 audio visit the Discerning Hearts St. Gemma Galgani Novena

Original resource for this novena: “St. Gemma Galgani”

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