Deacon James Keating Archives

The Gift of Holiness – Advent Retreat Reflection by Deacon James Keating Ph.D. – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:38 — 12.1MB) | Embed

The Gift of Holiness – Advent Retreat Reflection by Deacon James Keating Ph.D.

Deacon James Keating reflects on the spiritual journey of focusing on “the one thing necessary,” inspired by the story of the Magi in Matthew 2, and the human tendency to be attracted to many distractions and how the saints exemplify unwavering commitment to God despite their struggles.

The sacrament of reconciliation, spiritual direction, and the liturgical seasons of Advent and Lent help us to purify our hearts and draw us closer to God. Holiness brings interior quiet, freedom, and simplicity, which are cultivated through deep participation in the Eucharist and attentiveness to God’s presence in daily life. With the pervasive “spirit of distraction” in modern culture we must resist despair by embracing the ideals of faith.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

What Attracts Your Heart? Reflect on the things that draw your attention and whether they lead you closer to God or distract you from Him.
Are You Focused on the One Thing Necessary? Examine how well you prioritize your relationship with Christ amidst the chaos and distractions of life.
How Do You Respond to Spiritual Restlessness? Consider whether you seek peace through deeper communion with God or turn to worldly solutions that fail to satisfy.
Do You Allow the Eucharist to Transform You? Evaluate the depth of your participation in the Eucharist and its ability to bring quiet, freedom, and simplicity to your soul.
How Do You Handle Distractions and Temptations? Reflect on your willingness to notice distracting thoughts and redirect them to Christ through prayer and trust.
Are You Embracing the Ideals of Faith? Ask yourself whether you welcome the challenging yet uplifting ideals of the Gospel or allow discouragement to pull you away.
What Treasure Are You Offering to Christ? Consider how you can, like the magi, pour out your life as a gift to Christ in gratitude and surrender.

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

AR#12 – St. Therese and the Present Moment – Advent Reflections with Deacon James Keating Ph.D.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:56 — 1.4MB) | Embed

St. Therese of Lisieux said the following: “If I did not simply live from one moment to another, it would be impossible for me to be patient. But I only look at the present. I forget the past, and I take good care not to forestall the future.” In these remarks, St. Therese is trying to point to the truth that is buried deep within the Christian revelation. God only lives in the present moment. He holds all time together in the present. For ourselves, we get lost many times in the past, which could breed nostalgia and grief. Or we anxiously and fearfully try to make the present come quicker. This Advent, ask the Lord for the grace to live in the present so that our gratitude towards all that He is giving us now will deepen. And in our deepening gratitude, will be born a new fervor for worship. For worship is the fruit of the grateful heart.

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.

We highly recommend – The Eucharist and the Hope of Conversion with Deacon James Keating Ph.D. Discerning Hearts Podcast

AR#11- The Grace to Be Meek – Advent Reflections with Deacon James Keating Ph.D.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:01 — 1.5MB) | Embed

The patient one is also the meek one. In meekness, we have received God’s love so deeply, that we securely possess our own identities. Meekness is not weakness or some type of emotional withdrawal. To be meek, is to have suffered the coming of God’s love so deeply in our hearts, that we finally know who we are. And so we are no longer motivated to act or to choose out of fear or anxiety. These latter are the hallmark of impatient men. Impatient men choose out of fear or anxiety because they choose to relieve their fear, to console and to diminish their fear. But in the meantime, acting out of fear negates the power of their acting, as it flows only from weakness, and not the strength of being in communion with God. This Advent, let us ask for the grace to be meek. The grace to receive his love so deeply, that we finally come to fully possess our identity and banish from our lives all actions that are born in fear or anxiety.

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.

We highly recommend – The Eucharist and the Hope of Conversion with Deacon James Keating Ph.D. Discerning Hearts Podcast

AR#10 – Receiving Love Deeply – Advent Reflections with Deacon James Keating Ph.D.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:10 — 1.6MB) | Embed

In the area of the new evangelization, we need to receive more in prayer. Even more than give witness to an action or word. The deeper we receive his love in prayer, the fewer our words will have to be to have great effect. God’s harvest awaits those who have received His love deeply. And for those who have received his love deeply, they bring forth great fruit. This Advent, let us overcome our impatience to want to spread the Gospel in haste. Let us first spend time deeply receiving the Gospel ourselves, so that the living word of God will transform our hearts, and we may become not simply people who carry words, or actions; witnessing to the love of God. But that we ourselves may become instances of the word of the love our God Himself. We ourselves may become, in our bodies, icons of the love of God. This Advent, let’s deepen our capacity to receive God’s love in prayer and then become this love. The love that the new evangelization is crying out for.

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.

We highly recommend – The Eucharist and the Hope of Conversion with Deacon James Keating Ph.D. Discerning Hearts Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:54 — 1.4MB) | Embed

AR#5 – Advent Reflections with Deacon James Keating, Ph.D.

As human beings, we tend to sin. We all know this about our characters. And many times, it moves us to despair. God sees our sin, but He never loses his patience with us. And one of the reasons why God never loses His patience with His creation, is, of course, because He loves us. But also because His happiness is already fully possessed by Himself. He’s not like us when we get angry at our children, and try to move time forward; try to make things happen quickly. God is perfectly happy in Himself, and so He does no violence to time, or to people’s development. He waits. He calls. He shares His own happiness with us. And He knows in this patience that He fully possesses, that someday we will be attracted to such a powerful person, to such a peaceful person as He revealed Himself to be in Jesus. This Advent, don’t lose patience with yourself. Convert all desires to sin into Jesus’ own heart. Give it to him and He will give you a share in His own happiness.

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