The Cross of Christ Illumines. . .The Way to True Unity
Steps to Take as You Follow Christ
Ask—Am I focused on unity or division within the body of Christ?
Seek—Give thanks to God ahead of time in your prayers. Think of how Jesus instituted the Eucharist (i.e., “thanksgiving”) on the night before he died. When you are at Mass, consciously give thanks to God through Jesus for all that God has done and will do in your life.
Knock—Meditate on Ephesians 5:1–2.
Try, then, to imitate God as children of his that he loves and follow Christ loving as he loved you, giving himself up in our place as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God.
How can we imitate God as beloved children? Are there people that we are still divided from? Pray for unity among nations and people of various faiths, and that they may come to know the Savior of mankind, Jesus.
Transform Your Life—Be a thankful person even in the midst of situations where there doesn’t seem to be much to be thankful for—think about Solanus Casey and how even though he was thought of as someone who had little to offer in his community, because of his faith, through God he became one of the most revered members of the house. Trust God at all times.
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.
A Lenten Spiritual Journey with Discerning Hearts: From Ashes to Glory – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Day 32: The Hidden Work of God
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.
Reflection:
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.
Reflection Questions:
Are there areas of your life where you feel unseen or misunderstood?
How can you imitate Mary’s trust in moments that lack clarity?
What does “letting yourself be loved” by God look like for you today?
Closing Prayer:
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.
4th Saturday 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 John 7:40-52
Several people who had been listening to Jesus said, ‘Surely he must be the prophet’, and some said, ‘He is the Christ’, but others said, ‘Would the Christ be from Galilee? Does not scripture say that the Christ must be descended from David and come from the town of Bethlehem?’ So the people could not agree about him. Some would have liked to arrest him, but no one actually laid hands on him.
The police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees who said to them, ‘Why haven’t you brought him?’ The police replied, ‘There has never been anybody who has spoken like him.’ ‘So’ the Pharisees answered ‘you have been led astray as well? Have any of the authorities believed in him? Any of the Pharisees? This rabble knows nothing about the Law – they are damned.’ One of them, Nicodemus – the same man who had come to Jesus earlier – said to them, ‘But surely the Law does not allow us to pass judgement on a man without giving him a hearing and discovering what he is about?’ To this they answered, ‘Are you a Galilean too? Go into the matter, and see for yourself: prophets do not come out of Galilee.’
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:
Several people who had been listening to Jesus said, ‘Surely he must be the prophet’, and some said, ‘He is the Christ’, but others said, ‘Would the Christ be from Galilee? Does not scripture say that the Christ must be descended from David and come from the town of Bethlehem?’ So the people could not agree about him. Some would have liked to arrest him, but no one actually laid hands on him.
The police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees who said to them, ‘Why haven’t you brought him?’ The police replied, ‘There has never been anybody who has spoken like him.’ ‘So’ the Pharisees answered ‘you have been led astray as well? Have any of the authorities believed in him? Any of the Pharisees? This rabble knows nothing about the Law – they are damned.’ One of them, Nicodemus – the same man who had come to Jesus earlier – said to them, ‘But surely the Law does not allow us to pass judgement on a man without giving him a hearing and discovering what he is about?’ To this they answered, ‘Are you a Galilean too? Go into the matter, and see for yourself: prophets do not come out of Galilee.’
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:
Several people who had been listening to Jesus said, ‘Surely he must be the prophet’, and some said, ‘He is the Christ’, but others said, ‘Would the Christ be from Galilee? Does not scripture say that the Christ must be descended from David and come from the town of Bethlehem?’ So the people could not agree about him. Some would have liked to arrest him, but no one actually laid hands on him.
The police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees who said to them, ‘Why haven’t you brought him?’ The police replied, ‘There has never been anybody who has spoken like him.’ ‘So’ the Pharisees answered ‘you have been led astray as well? Have any of the authorities believed in him? Any of the Pharisees? This rabble knows nothing about the Law – they are damned.’ One of them, Nicodemus – the same man who had come to Jesus earlier – said to them, ‘But surely the Law does not allow us to pass judgement on a man without giving him a hearing and discovering what he is about?’ To this they answered, ‘Are you a Galilean too? Go into the matter, and see for yourself: prophets do not come out of Galilee.’
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.
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 most loving virgin St. Gemma, with a fervent love for Jesus you suffered immensely for the conversion of sinners as a victim for sin, and you loved others intensely out of love for God. Do not forget us then, who remain here on earth, and look down with kindness on those of us who implore thee in the confident hope of receiving this favor through thy loving intercession (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
Episode 5 -Stations of the Cross: Reflections with Deacon James Keating – Deacon Keating guides us through the 12th station (Jesus dies on the Cross), the 13th station (Jesus is taken down from the Cross and laid in the arms of His mother), and the 14th station (Jesus is placed in the tomb) along the Way of the Cross.
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.
Deacon James Keating’s book Abiding in Christ: Staying with God in a Busy World is a how-to-pray resource. This book helps readers to find a quiet space wherein they can be present to God and offers suggestions of how they can be more open to God s movement within them.
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.
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.
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:
Have you ever prayed the Stations of the Cross? What spoke to you most?
How do you respond to moments of pain, rejection, or misunderstanding?
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.
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.
“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
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.
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.
Steps to Take as You Follow Christ
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4th Saturday of Lent – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
4th Friday of Lent – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
