Transformation – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating
Deacon Keating and Kris McGregor discuss how scandals within the Church, particularly clergy abuse, have damaged trust but do not negate the truth that Christ continues to teach through the Church’s magisterium. Deacon Keating distinguishes between the unchanging fidelity of Christ’s promise to guide the Church in matters of doctrine and the personal failures of individual bishops and priests. Some people use these failures as a pretext to disregard Church teaching and remain entrenched in their own patterns of sin. It frames this dynamic as a moment when confusion and resentment can open the door to deeper spiritual distortion, leading people to disconnect from the very spiritual authority meant to help them heal.
The Eucharist is the privileged place where Christ reshapes the mind and heart. Mass—especially the silence after receiving Communion—becomes a space to bring doubts, disagreements, and personal wounds before Christ, allowing Him to purify motivations and lead one into clearer moral understanding. Even those in grave sin, who cannot receive sacramental Communion, still receive graces simply by remaining present at Mass, praying honestly, and remaining within the community rather than isolating themselves. Christ always offers Himself, always calls people toward conversion, and that authentic love sometimes includes hearing difficult truths about one’s life.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How do I respond interiorly when I witness failures in Church leadership, and do those reactions draw me closer to Christ or farther from Him?
In what ways might I use the sins of others—especially clergy—as a shield to avoid confronting my own need for conversion?
Do I bring my doubts or disagreements with Church teaching honestly before Christ in prayer, especially after receiving or attending the Eucharist?
What self-interests, fears, or wounds might influence my resistance to particular moral teachings?
How consistently do I remain within the worshiping community even when I feel unworthy, embarrassed, or spiritually conflicted?
When I refrain from Communion because of grave sin, do I still approach Mass as a place where Christ seeks to heal and guide me?
Do I listen attentively to preaching—especially difficult preaching—as a possible act of Christ’s love for my soul?
How aware am I of the real impact my freely chosen actions have on my relationship with Jesus and others?
What areas of my life need deeper repentance before I can authentically celebrate Communion with Christ?
How might I allow Christ to purify my motives so that my desire for truth becomes stronger than my attachment to comfort or personal preference?
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.
Deepening Spiritual Foundations – “What am I to do?” The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallagher
Fr. Timothy Gallagher explains how a person grows ready to recognize God’s direction in meaningful life choices. Once someone knows they are profoundly loved by God, a new interior posture can form—one that mirrors Mary’s “let it be done unto me.” Fr. Gallagher shows that this readiness is ultimately a grace rather than an achievement of sheer effort. He describes how confession, healing from sin, and even addressing emotional wounds can open the heart, remove inner barriers, and create room for freedom. He also highlights stories of individuals who discovered this freedom through forgiveness, reconciliation, and the experience of being cherished by Christ even in their weaknesses. No past mistake can ever block God’s ability to bring about a greater good in one’s life.
He then turns to the concrete spiritual practices that nurture this receptive posture. At the center is the Eucharist—daily Mass, time before the tabernacle, and quiet moments in adoration—which draw the soul close to Christ, the true light for any crossroads. Fr. Gallagher notes that many who undergo significant discernment naturally find themselves spending more time before the Blessed Sacrament, where their prayers gradually shift from anxious requests for answers to a peaceful willingness to follow God’s direction.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions:
When have I most clearly experienced God’s personal love for me, and how might that shape my readiness to receive His direction?
What areas of my life still need healing—spiritual or emotional—so that I can stand before God with greater freedom?
How open am I right now to saying, with sincerity, “Let it be done according to Your will”?
Are there past decisions or failures I still fear have closed off God’s plan, and how does His mercy invite me to see these differently?
How regularly do I seek the grace of the sacraments, especially confession, as part of my discernment?
What role does the Eucharist currently play in my efforts to understand God’s direction for my life?
When I pray, do I find myself clinging to my preferred outcome, or am I allowing God to form a more trusting posture within me?
Who has God placed in my life—pastors, spiritual friends, directors—who can support me in recognizing His voice?
What patterns of prayer, silence, or Scripture reading might I adopt to make my heart more attentive to God?
Where do I sense God gradually transforming my concerns into a deeper trust in His guidance?
From The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions:
“Three Times in which a Sound and Good Choice May Be Made
The first time is when God Our Lord so moves and attracts the will that, without doubting or being able to doubt, the devout soul follows what is shown to it, as St. Paul and St. Matthew did in following Christ our Lord.
The second time is when sufficient clarity and understanding is received through experience of consolations and desolations, and through experience of discernment of different spirits.
The third time is one of tranquility, when one considers first for what purpose man is born, that is, to praise God our Lord and save his soul, and, desiring this, chooses as a means to this end some life or state within the bounds of the Church, so that he may be helped in the service of his Lord and the salvation of his soul. I said a tranquil time, that is, when the soul is not agitated by different spirits, and uses its natural powers freely and tranquilly.
If the choice is not made in the first or second time, two ways of making it in this third time are given below.”
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series “Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola”. For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org
Trusting Jesus in an Age of Fear – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff
Msgr. John Esseff reflects on widespread anxieties about the end of the world by drawing from Malachi, the Gospel of Luke, and the lived suffering of Christians across the globe. Scripture speaks plainly about upheaval, persecution, natural disasters, and global conflict, yet Christ assures His followers that this world is not the final destination. Those who face violence or loss for Christ bear witness to a life that cannot be destroyed, because their destiny is anchored in the Resurrection. He recounts examples from history and from contemporary persecution to illustrate that the death of the body is not the death of one’s true life in God.
In the second part of the discussion, he highlights St. Paul’s teaching to the Thessalonians: the proper way to prepare for the world’s end is not through predictions or fear but through faithful, ordinary daily work. Just as Jesus lived quietly in Nazareth for most of His earthly life, and Paul labored as a tentmaker, Christians are called to fulfill their daily duties with integrity. The passing nature of earthly possessions, status, and comfort becomes clear in the face of mortality, and the only lasting tragedy is to miss the path to holiness. Perseverance in one’s vocation—united to Christ’s suffering, death, and rising—is the steady way to live in readiness for whatever comes, whether global upheaval or the moment of personal death.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How does remembering that this world will pass change the way I approach suffering, conflict, or fear in my life?
In what ways am I living as though this world is my final home rather than preparing my heart for eternal life?
How do the stories of persecuted Christians around the world invite me to examine my own witness to Christ?
What daily responsibilities or ordinary tasks might God be calling me to carry out with greater faithfulness and love?
Where am I tempted to seek security in possessions or status instead of trusting in Christ’s risen life?
How does the promise that “not a hair of your head will be destroyed” deepen my confidence in God’s care?
What fears about the future or the “end times” do I need to bring honestly to prayer?
How might God be inviting me to persevere more patiently through trials or uncertainty?
When confronted with sudden loss, tragedy, or global disasters, how can I root my response in Christ’s victory over death?
What concrete steps can I take this week to grow in holiness and live more fully “with, in, and through” Jesus?
Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton. Msgr. Esseff served as a retreat director and confessor to St. Teresa of Calcutta. He continues to offer direction and retreats for the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity around the world. Msgr. Esseff encountered St. Padre Pio, who would become a spiritual father to him. He has lived in areas around the world, serving in the Pontifical missions, a Catholic organization established by Pope St. John Paul II to bring the Good News to the world, especially to the poor. Msgr. Esseff assisted the founders of the Institute for Priestly Formation and continues to serve as a spiritual director for the Institute. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters and seminarians, and other religious leaders around the world.
St. Albert the Great – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson
Born: 1193, Lauingen, Germany
Died: November 15, 1280, Cologne, Germany
Education: University of Padua
Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor take a look at the life and legacy of St. Albert the Great, a Dominican theologian, philosopher, scientist, and mentor to St. Thomas Aquinas. Known for harmonizing faith, reason, and science, Albert saw the study of nature as a way to deepen understanding of God. He was instrumental in reintroducing Aristotle’s philosophy to the West and demonstrated how pagan thought could be reconciled with Christian theology; the compatibility of reason and faith. His vast contributions to natural sciences, including botany, zoology, and mineralogy, reflected his belief that studying creation reveals the Creator’s glory.
Albert’s life was marked by both intellectual brilliance and profound spiritual devotion, rooted in a mystical encounter with the Blessed Virgin Mary. Renouncing his noble background to join the Dominicans, he embraced poverty and the pursuit of knowledge in service to God. His influence shaped scholasticism, the integration of philosophy into theological studies, and the education of future Church leaders like Aquinas. A trusted advisor to popes and a mediator within the Church, Albert’s legacy is one of wisdom, joy, and the unyielding pursuit of truth, making him a timeless model of harmony between faith and reason.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How can you apply St. Albert’s example of harmonizing faith and reason in your own pursuit of knowledge and daily life?
What aspects of your life might you need to surrender, as Albert did, to follow God’s will more fully?
How do you cultivate a sense of wonder and gratitude for God’s presence in the natural world around you?
How does studying philosophy or other intellectual disciplines deepen your understanding and practice of the Catholic faith?
Who has played a role in mentoring your spiritual growth, and how can you mentor others in their journey of faith?
In what ways can you strengthen your prayer life to ensure that your intellectual pursuits remain rooted in your relationship with God?
How can Albert’s approach to integrating science with faith inspire you to share the Gospel in modern contexts?
How can you reflect the joy and enthusiasm of St. Albert in your efforts to share and live out the truths of the Catholic faith?
“One of the great masters of medieval theology is St Albert the Great.
The title “Great”, (Magnus), with which he has passed into history indicates the vastness and depth of his teaching, which he combined with holiness of life. However, his contemporaries did not hesitate to attribute to him titles of excellence even then. One of his disciples, Ulric of Strasbourg, called him the “wonder and miracle of our epoch”.
He was born in Germany at the beginning of the 13th century. When he was still young he went to Italy, to Padua, the seat of one of the most famous medieval universities. He devoted himself to the study of the so-called “liberal arts”: grammar, rhetoric, dialectics, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music, that is, to culture in general, demonstrating that characteristic interest in the natural sciences which was soon to become the favourite field for his specialization. During his stay in Padua he attended the Church of the Dominicans, whom he then joined with the profession of the religious vows. Hagiographic sources suggest that Albert came to this decision gradually. His intense relationship with God, the Dominican Friars’ example of holiness, hearing the sermons of Blessed Jordan of Saxony, St Dominic’s successor at the Master General of the Order of Preachers, were the decisive factors that helped him to overcome every doubt and even to surmount his family’s resistence. God often speaks to us in the years of our youth and points out to us the project of our life. As it was for Albert, so also for all of us, personal prayer, nourished by the Lord’s word, frequent reception of the Sacraments and the spiritual guidance of enlightened people are the means to discover and follow God’s voice. He received the religious habit from Bl. Jordan of Saxony.
After his ordination to the priesthood, his superiors sent him to teach at various theological study centres annexed to the convents of the Dominican Fathers. His brilliant intellectual qualities enabled him to perfect his theological studies at the most famous university in that period, the University of Paris. From that time on St Albert began his extraordinary activity as a writer that he was to pursue throughout his life.
Prestigious tasks were assigned to him. In 1248 he was charged with opening a theological studium at Cologne, one of the most important regional capitals of Germany, where he lived at different times and which became his adopted city. He brought with him from Paris an exceptional student, Thomas Aquinas. The sole merit of having been St Thomas’ teacher would suffice to elicit profound admiration for St Albert. A relationship of mutual esteem and friendship developed between these two great theologians, human attitudes that were very helpful in the development of this branch of knowlege. In 1254, Albert was elected Provincial of the Dominican Fathers’ “Provincia Teutoniae” Teutonic Province which included communities scattered over a vast territory in Central and Northern Europe.
He distinguished himself for the zeal with which he exercised this ministry, visiting the communities and constantly recalling his confreres to fidelity, to the teaching and example of St Dominic.
His gifts did not escape the attention of the Pope of that time, Alexander iv, who wanted Albert with him for a certain time at Anagni where the Popes went frequently in Rome itself and at Viterbo, in order to avail himself of Albert’s theological advice. The same Supreme Pontiff appointed Albert Bishop of Regensburg, a large and celebrated diocese, but which was going through a difficult period. From 1260 to 1262, Albert exercised this ministry with unflagging dedication, succeeding in restoring peace and harmony to the city, in reorganizing parishes and convents and in giving a new impetus to charitable activities.
In the year 1263-1264, Albert preached in Germany and in Bohemia, at the request of Pope Urban iv. He later returned to Cologne and took up his role as lecturer, scholar and writer. As a man of prayer, science and charity, his authoritative intervention in various events of the Church and of the society of the time were acclaimed: above all, he was a man of reconciliation and peace in Cologne, where the Archbishop had run seriously foul of the city’s institutions; he did his utmost during the Second Council of Lyons, in 1274, summoned by Pope Gregory X, to encourage union between the Latin and Greek Churches after the separation of the great schism with the East in 1054. He also explained the thought of Thomas Aquinas which had been the subject of objections and even quite unjustified condemnations.
He died in his cell at the convent of the Holy Cross, Cologne, in 1280, and was very soon venerated by his confreres. The Church proposed him for the worship of the faithful with his beatification in 1622 and with his canonization in 1931, when Pope Pius XI proclaimed him Doctor of the Church. This was certainly an appropriate recognition of this great man of God and outstanding scholar, not only of the truths of the faith but of a great many other branches of knowledge; indeed, with a glance at the titles of his very numerous works, we realize that there was something miraculous about his culture and that his encyclopedic interests led him not only to concern himself with philosophy and theology, like other contemporaries of his, but also with every other discipline then known, from physics to chemistry, from astronomy to minerology, from botany to zoology.
For this reason Pope Pius XII named him Patron of enthusiasts of the natural sciences and also called him “Doctor universalis” precisely because of the vastness of his interests and knowledge.”
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.
Episode 3 – Pontius Pilate – Villains of the Early Church with Mike Aquilina
Mike Aquilina and Kris McGregor explore the complex figure of Pontius Pilate. Although remembered as a villain and named in the Creed alongside the Virgin Mary, Pilate emerges in the Gospels as a conflicted Roman governor caught between political pressure, personal misgivings, and the volatility of Judea. Aquilina explains how both Jewish and Roman sources portray Pilate as insensitive, often provocative, and capable of harsh actions that destabilized the region. Yet the Gospel narratives show layers—his wife’s troubling dream, his hesitation, and his uneasy awareness that Jesus is innocent—revealing a man far from a simple caricature. Early Christian imagination even produced traditions depicting Pilate’s household as eventually turning toward Christ, reflecting the Church’s instinct to look for the possibility of redemption in every story.
We turn from Pilate’s historical role to the spiritual lessons his failures reveal. Pilate’s most haunting question, “What is truth?”, becomes a mirror the listener must face. Jesus—Truth in person—stood before him, yet fear and self-interest led Pilate to walk away. This invites Cus to consider how often we do the same in our own spheres of influence, whether in public life, family leadership, or ordinary daily encounters. Instead of repeating Pilate’s pattern of avoidance, we are called to face reality with courage, lean on prayer and the sacraments, and let our lives present Christ clearly to others.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How does Pilate’s struggle between fear and conscience mirror the moments when I avoid doing what I know is right?
When have I, like Pilate, chosen comfort or self-protection over fidelity to Christ’s truth?
What areas of my life require deeper courage, especially when my choices affect those entrusted to me?
How do I respond when Christ stands before me in Scripture, the sacraments, or other people—do I recognize Him or turn away?
In what ways do I “wash my hands” of responsibility instead of acting with clarity and integrity?
How does the witness of the women at the Passion challenge my own consistency and steadfastness in faith?
What practices of prayer or sacramental life can strengthen me against moral hesitation or cowardice?
How might I allow Christ’s presence in me to become more visible to others in ordinary daily situations?
An excerpt from Villains of the Early Church
“Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate. Countless millions of Christians recite that simple historical fact when they profess their faith. It reminds us that this is real history we’re dealing with. The death and Resurrection of Jesus are not just metaphors or allegories: they really happened at a particular moment in history.
Pilate is our anchor to that historical moment. He is our grounding in historical fact.
But he’s also one of the most fascinating characters in the Gospels. His doubt and dithering in the face of an unpredictable mob make him more than just a villain. They make him human, and we feel real sympathy for him. He’s doing a bad job, but in his position it was nearly impossible to do a good job.”
You can find the book on which this series is based here.
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 Purgative and Illuminative Way – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating
Deacon James Keating explains that moral life without a spiritual foundation quickly collapses into mere willpower and rule-keeping. True virtue begins when Christ’s own life and breath animate the soul so that goodness becomes joyful rather than forced. Drawing on the story of the rich young man, it contrasts external obedience with the interior transformation that comes from detachment and union with Christ. It outlines the classic stages of spiritual growth—purgation, illumination, and union—showing how conversion involves cooperating with grace to turn from sin, endure the pain of detachment, and gradually discover the delight of living virtuously.
In the illuminative stage, the moral teachings of the Church are seen not as burdens but as divine gifts that reveal humanity’s true fulfillment. We should not separate Jesus from the Church’s authority, as it’s a deception that isolates Christians and leaves them prey to self-deception and cultural ideologies. Moral relativism is a modern illusion that truth cannot be known, but the Catholic vision holds both mind and heart capable of grasping objective truth through Christ.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How do I personally experience the presence of Christ during the Mass and in receiving the Eucharist?
In what ways can I slow down and truly “savor” the mystery of the Eucharist as the saints did?
How might I deepen my faith in the real presence of Jesus through prayer and meditation on Scripture?
Do I recognize that at every Mass, I am united not only with Christ but also with all of heaven and my loved ones who have gone before me?
How can the example and writings of the saints inspire me to approach the Eucharist with greater love and reverence?
What steps can I take to participate in Mass more frequently or spend more time in Eucharistic adoration?
How does understanding the Eucharist as a “sacrament of love” call me to greater self-giving in my daily relationships?
What does it mean for me to rest on the heart of Christ as St. John did at the Last Supper?
How do the teachings of the Church Fathers strengthen my understanding and devotion to the Eucharist?
In what ways is the Mass a foretaste of heaven that prepares my soul for eternal communion with God?
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.
St. Leo the Great – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson
Born: Tuscany, Italy
Died: November 10, 461 AD, Rome, Italy
Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor explore the life, teachings, and contributions of Pope St. Leo the Great. They discuss Leo’s background, his significant influence on the papacy, and his role in defending orthodox Christian doctrine amid turbulent times.
Pope St. Leo lived during a period of upheaval within both the Church and the Roman Empire. Notably, he confronted heresies that questioned Christ’s divinity and humanity, such as Arianism and Nestorianism, which led to ongoing debates over Christ’s nature. Leo’s “Tome,” a key theological document, clarified the Church’s stance on Christ’s dual nature as both fully human and divine, shaping the Council of Chalcedon’s doctrine in 451 AD. This affirmation became central to Christian Christology and reinforced the Virgin Mary’s title as Theotokos, or “Mother of God,” which had been confirmed in earlier councils.
Pope Leo’s theological insights and firm defense of the faith earned him the title “Doctor of the Church” and established his legacy as a “Great” saint. His contributions, particularly regarding the papal primacy and the nature of Christ, continue to influence Catholic teaching and underscore the importance of spiritual and doctrinal leadership within the Church.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How does Pope Leo’s boldness in confronting both Attila the Hun and the Vandals inspire us to act courageously in defending our faith and values?
In what ways can we, like Pope Leo, respond to theological and cultural challenges to our faith with clarity and conviction?
How does Pope Leo’s affirmation of Christ’s full humanity and divinity shape our understanding of who Jesus is and our relationship with Him?
What does Pope Leo’s role in affirming the primacy of the Pope teach us about the importance of Church unity and obedience to spiritual authority?
How might Pope Leo’s deep personal holiness and spiritual influence inspire us to cultivate our own sanctity and positively impact those around us?
How can we follow Pope Leo’s example of striving for peace and reconciliation in our communities and personal lives?
In what ways does Pope Leo’s theological clarity at the Council of Chalcedon encourage us to seek and proclaim truth, even when it requires perseverance and effort?
How does the Council’s affirmation of Mary as Theotokos (Mother of God) deepen our devotion to her and understanding of her role in the mystery of Christ?
“Aware of the historical period in which he lived and of the change that was taking place – from pagan Rome to Christian Rome – in a period of profound crisis, Leo the Great knew how to make himself close to the people and the faithful with his pastoral action and his preaching. He enlivened charity in a Rome tried by famines, an influx of refugees, injustice and poverty. He opposed pagan superstitions and the actions of Manichaean groups. He associated the liturgy with the daily life of Christians: for example, by combining the practice of fasting with charity and almsgiving above all on the occasion of the Quattro tempora, which in the course of the year marked the change of seasons. In particular, Leo the Great taught his faithful – and his words still apply for us today – that the Christian liturgy is not the memory of past events, but the actualization of invisible realities which act in the lives of each one of us. This is what he stressed in a sermon (cf. 64, 1-2) on Easter, to be celebrated in every season of the year “not so much as something of the past as rather an event of the present”. All this fits into a precise project, the Holy Pontiff insisted: just as, in fact, the Creator enlivened with the breath of rational life man formed from the dust of the ground, after the original sin he sent his Son into the world to restore to man his lost dignity and to destroy the dominion of the devil through the new life of grace.
This is the Christological mystery to which St Leo the Great, with his Letter to the Council of Ephesus, made an effective and essential contribution, confirming for all time – through this Council – what St Peter said at Caesarea Philippi. With Peter and as Peter, he professed: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”. And so it is that God and man together “are not foreign to the human race but alien to sin” (cf. Serm. 64). Through the force of this Christological faith he was a great messenger of peace and love. He thus shows us the way: in faith we learn charity. Let us therefore learn with St Leo the Great to believe in Christ, true God and true Man, and to implement this faith every day in action for peace and love of neighbour.”
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.
All Shall Be Well: A Journey Through Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love with Kris McGregor
Episode 13: The Anent Reflections, Part One — Mercy, Wrath, and Peace
Summary:
In this episode, we begin Julian of Norwich’s Anent reflections, a meditative pause in her Revelations of Divine Love. Instead of recounting new visions, Julian turns inward to contemplate the truths already revealed to her. These reflections open a contemplative space filled with theology and spiritual insight, helping us see what God has shown her more clearly.
We explore Julian’s teaching on God as unchanging Truth, Wisdom, and Love, and how our souls are created to share in those very attributes. We also reflect on her striking claim that there is no wrath in God — only goodness and mercy. Julian teaches that our judgment is distorted by sin, but God’s gaze remains fixed on the soul as He created it, whole and beloved.
Julian then introduces five inner movements of the soul: enjoying, mourning, desire, dread, and sure hope. Each one reveals a layer of the soul’s journey with God and helps us understand how grace is at work, even in moments of struggle.
Finally, we hear her deep assurance that God’s mercy never ceases. No matter how often we fail, fall, or fear, His gaze of love never turns away. In God’s sight, the soul that belongs to Him has never died, nor ever shall.
Full Julian of Norwich Quotations Used in Episode 13:
From Revelations of Divine Love, Long Text, Chapters 41-43, trans. Grace Warrack, Methuen & Co., 1901 (PDF edition).
Truth, Wisdom, and Love
“Truth seeth God, and Wisdom beholdeth God, and of these two cometh the third: that is, a holy marvellous delight in God; which is Love. Where Truth and Wisdom are verily, there is Love verily, coming of them both. And all of God’s making: for He is endless sovereign Truth, endless sovereign Wisdom, endless sovereign Love, unmade; and man’s Soul is a creature in God which hath the same properties made, and evermore it doeth that it was made for: it seeth God, it beholdeth God, and it loveth God. Whereof God enjoyeth in the creature; and the creature in God, endlessly marvelling.” (Ch. 44)
God’s Judgment and Ours
GOD deemeth us [looking] upon our Nature-Substance, which is ever kept one in Him, whole and safe without end: and this doom is [because] of His rightfulness [in the which it is made and kept]. And man judgeth [looking] upon our changeable Sense-soul, which seemeth now one [thing], now other,—according as it taketh of the [higher or lower] parts,—and [is that which] showeth outward. And this wisdom [of man’s judgment] is mingled [because of the diverse things it beholdeth]. For sometimes it is good and easy, and sometimes it is hard and grievous. And in as much as it is good and easy it belongeth to the rightfulness; and in as much as it is hard and grievous [by reason of the sin beheld, which sheweth in our Sense-soul,] our good Lord Jesus reformeth it by [the working in our Sense-soul of] mercy and grace through the virtue of His blessed Passion, and so bringeth it to the rightfulness.” (Ch.45)
God Is Not Wroth
“For I saw truly that it is against the property of His Might to be wroth, and against the property of His Wisdom, and against the property of His Goodness. God is the Goodness that may not be wroth, for He is not [other] but Goodness: our soul is oned to Him, unchangeable Goodness, and between God and our soul is neither wrath nor forgiveness in His sight. For our soul is so fully oned to God of His own Goodness that between God and our soul may be right nought.” (Ch. 46)
The Five Workings of the Soul
“For I felt in me five manner of workings, which be these: Enjoying, mourning, desire, dread, and sure hope. Enjoying: for God gave me understanding and knowing that it was Himself that I saw; mourning: and that was for failing; desire: and that was I might see Him ever more and more, understanding and knowing that we shall never have full rest till we see Him verily and clearly in heaven; dread was: for it seemed to me in all that time that that sight should fail, and I be left to myself; sure hope was in the endless love: that I saw I should be kept by His mercy and brought to His bliss. And the joying in His sight with this sure hope of His merciful keeping made me to have feeling and comfort so that mourning and dread were not greatly painful.”(Ch. 47)
The Working of Mercy
“Mercy is a sweet gracious working in love, mingled with plenteous pity: for mercy worketh in keeping us, and mercy worketh turning to us all things to good. Mercy, by love, suffereth us to fail in measure and in as much as we fail, in so much we fall; and in as much as we fall, in so much we die: for it needs must be that we die in so much as we fail of the sight and feeling of God that is our life. Our failing is dreadful, our falling is shameful, and our dying is sorrowful: but in all this the sweet eye of pity and love is lifted never off us, nor the working of mercy ceaseth.” (Ch. 48)
Where God Appears, Wrath Has No Place
“For I saw full surely that where our Lord appeareth, peace is taken and wrath hath no place. For I saw no manner of wrath in God, neither for short time nor for long; for in sooth, as to my sight, if God might be wroth for an instant, we should never have life nor place nor being. For as verily as we have our being of the endless Might of God and of the endless Wisdom and of the endless Goodness, so verily we have our keeping in the endless Might of God, in the endless Wisdom, and in the endless Goodness. For though we feel in ourselves, frail wretches, debates and strifes, yet are we all-mannerful enclosed in the mildness of God and in His meekness, in His benignity and in His graciousness. For I saw full surely that all our endless friendship, our place, our life and our being, is in God.” (Ch. 49)
Mercy and Forgiveness: The Soul Never Dies
AND in this life mercy and forgiveness is our way and evermore leadeth us to grace. And by the tempest and the sorrow that we fall into on our part, we be often dead as to man’s doom in earth; but in the sight of God the soul that shall be saved was never dead, nor ever shall be.” ” (Ch. 50)
Scripture Featured
(Translations used: Revised Standard Version [RSV-CE] )
(Zephaniah 3:17)
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”
(1 Samuel 16:7)
“Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
(James 1:17)
“Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
(Exodus 34:6–7)
“The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty.”
(1 Peter 1:8–9)
“Though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls.”
(Psalm 42:1–2)
“As a hart (deer) longs for flowing streams, so longs my soul for thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”
(2 Corinthians 4:7)
“We have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:16–18)
“Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
(Hebrews 10:23)
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
(Luke 1:54–55)
“He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever.”
(Lamentations 3:22–23)
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.”
(Ephesians 2:14)
“For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility.”
(John 11:25–26)
“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church
“The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for.” (CCC 27)
“The heart is the place of decision, deeper than our psychic drives. It is the place of truth, where we choose life or death. It is the place of encounter, because as image of God we live in relation: it is the place of covenant.” (CCC 2563)
“God is infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life.” (CCC 1)
“The Gospel is the revelation in Jesus Christ of God’s mercy to sinners.” (CCC 1846)
“There are no limits to the mercy of God.” (CCC 1864)
“By revealing himself to Moses, God reveals that he is rich in mercy and fidelity. God is Love. His very being is Love. By sending his only Son and the Spirit of Love in the fullness of time, God has revealed his innermost secret: God himself is an eternal exchange of love, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and he has destined us to share in that exchange.” (CCC 214, 221)
“By his death Christ liberates us from sin; by his Resurrection, he opens for us the way to a new life.” (CCC 654)
Teachings of the Saints
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross:
“The deeper one is drawn into God, the more one must go out of oneself; that is, one must go to the world in order to carry the divine life into it.” (Essays on Woman, “The Separate Vocations of Man and Woman According to Nature and Grace”)
St. John of the Cross:
“In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone.” (Sayings of Light and Love, 64)
St. Augustine of Hippo:
“The wrath of God is not a disturbed feeling of His mind, but a judgment by which punishment is inflicted upon sin.” (City of God, XV.25)
St. John Chrysostom:
“When you hear that God is angry in the Scriptures, do not suppose that God is subject to some passion. Such expressions are condescensions, teaching us that His acts of punishment are the consequence of our sins.”(Homilies on Genesis, 6:6)
St. Faustina Kowalska:
“Let the sinner not be afraid to approach Me. The flames of mercy are burning Me—clamoring to be spent; I want to pour them out upon these souls.” (Diary, 50)
St. Teresa of Ávila:
“Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you, all things are passing; God never changes. Patience obtains all things. He who has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.” (Poem: Nada te turbe)
St. Gregory of Nyssa:
“For it is not when we begin to exist, but when we are joined to God, that we truly live.” (On the Soul and the Resurrection)
Reflection Questions for Prayer
Julian insists that wrath has no place in God. How does this challenge the way you may have imagined His response to your sins or failings?
She teaches that mercy never ceases and that God’s gaze of love never leaves us. Where in your life do you most need to trust this truth?
Julian ends by assuring us that in God’s sight, the soul He loves never dies. How might this hope shape the way you endure trials and sorrow in this life?
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, You who are endless Truth, Wisdom, and Love, draw us into Your peace, where wrath has no place and mercy never ceases. When we fail, lift us with Your pity; when we fall, keep us in Your forgiveness; when we fear death, remind us that in You we live forever. Let us rest in Your unchanging goodness, until the day we see You face to face and rejoice with You in the fullness of love.
Foundation of Discernment – “What am I to do?” The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallagher
Fr. Timothy Gallagher explains that true discernment begins not with decision-making techniques, but with a spiritual foundation rooted in knowing God’s love. Drawing from St. Ignatius of Loyola’s teachings, he reflects on 1 John 4:19: “We love because He first loved us.” Fr. Gallagher shares two conversion stories—Michael, a college student who encounters God’s mercy and love in a desperate moment, and Catherine, a young woman whose experience of God’s tender presence awakens a desire to respond in love. These encounters reveal that the ability to seek God’s will arises naturally from the awareness of being loved by Him.
Fr. Gallagher explores how this love forms the heart of discernment: it is a relationship of trust and communion of wills between God and the person. Referencing John Henry Newman, each person has an irreplaceable mission in God’s plan—“God has created me to do Him some definite service.” Like Jeremiah and Mary, every person is uniquely called from eternity. When one grows in prayer and faith, that love deepens into readiness to say, “Whatever You want, Lord.” This openness marks the true disposition needed for discernment, where love and freedom unite to follow God’s personal call.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions:
How have I personally experienced the truth that “we love because He first loved us”?
When have I most deeply recognized that I am loved by God without condition?
How does knowing God’s love affect the way I approach important decisions in my life?
In what ways might fear or self-reliance hinder me from trusting God’s loving will?
What helps me grow in awareness of God’s presence and affection in daily prayer?
Can I identify a time when I, like Michael or Catherine, sensed God inviting me into deeper relationship?
How does the idea that God has created me for “some definite service” shape my sense of purpose?
What unique gifts or circumstances in my life reveal my irreplaceable place in God’s plan?
Am I willing to say to God, “Whatever You want, Lord,” with a free and peaceful heart?
How can I nurture greater openness and love so that my discernment becomes a true response to God’s invitation?
From The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions:
“Three Times in which a Sound and Good Choice May Be Made
The first time is when God Our Lord so moves and attracts the will that, without doubting or being able to doubt, the devout soul follows what is shown to it, as St. Paul and St. Matthew did in following Christ our Lord.
The second time is when sufficient clarity and understanding is received through experience of consolations and desolations, and through experience of discernment of different spirits.
The third time is one of tranquility, when one considers first for what purpose man is born, that is, to praise God our Lord and save his soul, and, desiring this, chooses as a means to this end some life or state within the bounds of the Church, so that he may be helped in the service of his Lord and the salvation of his soul. I said a tranquil time, that is, when the soul is not agitated by different spirits, and uses its natural powers freely and tranquilly.
If the choice is not made in the first or second time, two ways of making it in this third time are given below.”
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series “Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola”. For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org
The Feast of St. John Lateran – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff
Msgr. John Esseff reflects on the Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran, calling it a reminder that the Church is not a building but the living Body of Christ. He traces the biblical understanding of the temple from the Old Testament to Jesus, whose pierced side poured forth blood and water—the sacraments of baptism and Eucharist—through which the faithful are united to Him. Each baptized person becomes a living stone in the spiritual temple founded on Christ. Msgr. Esseff recalls a mystical encounter in St. John Lateran where Christ revealed the power of divine love flowing from His Sacred Heart, urging him to teach this love to the world. Thus, we shouldn’t be relying on worldly powers or comfort: such dependence is a spiritual decay.
There is a need for authentic witness, especially for younger generations. Many youth long for challenge and genuine examples of holiness, not comfort or compromise. Renewal begins in families through sacrificial love between husband and wife, parents and children. Every Christian, he says, is called to manifest Christ’s love daily through charity and courage, becoming a light amid cultural darkness.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How do I understand my identity as a living temple of God rather than just a member of an institution?
In what ways can I let the love flowing from Christ’s Sacred Heart transform my daily actions?
What “marketplaces” in my own heart need cleansing so that God may dwell more fully within me?
How does my participation in the Eucharist unite me more deeply to Christ and His Church?
When faced with cultural opposition, how can I draw strength from the witness of the early martyrs?
Do I rely more on worldly comfort and security or on God’s providence and grace?
How am I nurturing sacrificial love within my family or community?
What example of faith and courage am I offering to younger generations seeking authenticity?
How can I live each day as part of Christ’s mission to bring light into the world’s darkness?
What concrete step can I take this week to let Christ’s love flow through me to someone in need?
Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton. Msgr. Esseff served as a retreat director and confessor to St. Teresa of Calcutta. He continues to offer direction and retreats for the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity around the world. Msgr. Esseff encountered St. Padre Pio, who would become a spiritual father to him. He has lived in areas around the world, serving in the Pontifical missions, a Catholic organization established by Pope St. John Paul II to bring the Good News to the world, especially to the poor. Msgr. Esseff assisted the founders of the Institute for Priestly Formation and continues to serve as a spiritual director for the Institute. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters and seminarians, and other religious leaders around the world.
Deepening Spiritual Foundations – “What am I to do?” The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallagher
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions:
From the General Audience on St. Albert the Great
Episode 3 – Pontius Pilate – Villains of the Early Church with Mike Aquilina
“Aware of the historical period in which he lived and of the change that was taking place – from pagan Rome to Christian Rome – in a period of profound crisis, Leo the Great knew how to make himself close to the people and the faithful with his pastoral action and his preaching. He enlivened charity in a Rome tried by famines, an influx of refugees, injustice and poverty. He opposed pagan superstitions and the actions of Manichaean groups. He associated the liturgy with the daily life of Christians: for example, by combining the practice of fasting with charity and almsgiving above all on the occasion of the Quattro tempora, which in the course of the year marked the change of seasons. In particular, Leo the Great taught his faithful – and his words still apply for us today – that the Christian liturgy is not the memory of past events, but the actualization of invisible realities which act in the lives of each one of us. This is what he stressed in a sermon (cf. 64, 1-2) on Easter, to be celebrated in every season of the year “not so much as something of the past as rather an event of the present”. All this fits into a precise project, the Holy Pontiff insisted: just as, in fact, the Creator enlivened with the breath of rational life man formed from the dust of the ground, after the original sin he sent his Son into the world to restore to man his lost dignity and to destroy the dominion of the devil through the new life of grace.
