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BTP-LR6 – Day 6 – The Last Retreat by St. Elizabeth of the Trinity – Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Day 6 – The Last Retreat by St. Elizabeth of the Trinity- Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles

Dr. Anthony Lilles and Kris McGregor delve into the sixth day of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity’s Last Retreat. Reflecting on Revelation’s vision of the Lamb and the 144,000, they explore Elizabeth’s interpretation of those marked by the Lamb’s and the Father’s name. These souls are described as conformed to Christ through suffering, contemplation, and purity of heart, reflecting divine attributes like justice, mercy, and truth. St. Elizabeth sees contemplatives—especially religious—as deeply united to the Lamb, living out a hidden, sacrificial love that vibrates like strings playing a new heavenly song. Their lives teach the Church how to praise from the depths of the soul, not just outwardly but in total interior surrender.

Dr. Lilles expands on St. Elizabeth’s teaching about dying to self. This spiritual death, expressed through detachment and suffering, frees a person to follow Christ completely and live by His indwelling presence. Drawing from Galatians 2:20, the conversation highlights how Elizabeth, like St. Paul, lived from this radical faith—a faith that trusts God’s purifying trials and seeks nothing less than full union with Him. The soul that lives this hidden life in God reflects His perfections and becomes a living sacrifice of love. Her words invite others to stop trying to live in two worlds and instead surrender fully, trusting that such a life leads to deep, abiding joy.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

How am I being invited to bear the name of the Lamb through conformity to Christ in my daily life?
In what ways can I open my heart more fully to the Father’s divine attributes—justice, mercy, and truth?
What attachments might I need to surrender to follow Christ more freely and deeply?
How does the image of singing a “new song” speak to my personal prayer and relationship with God?
Am I willing to embrace trials as a path to inner freedom and deeper union with Christ?
How can I grow in the practice of mental prayer to allow Christ’s sacrifice to shape my soul?
What does “dying to self” look like in the concrete circumstances of my life right now?
How might the hidden life of contemplatives inspire my own spiritual journey?
Do I truly believe, like St. Paul, that Christ lives in me, and how does that shape my actions?
What prevents me from fully trusting God’s will, and how can I let go of that resistance?

Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity — St. Elizabeth of the Trinity

From “Last Retreat Day 6” found in The Complete Works vol 1:

16. What a going out from self that implies! What a death! Let us say with St. Paul, “Quotidie morior.” 95 The great saint wrote to the Colossians, “You have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” 96

That is the condition: we must be dead! Without that we may be hidden in God at certain moments; but we do not LIVE habitually in this divine Being because all our emotions, self-seekings and the rest, come to draw us out of Him.

The soul that gazes steadfastly on its Master with this “single eye which fills the whole body with light” 97 is kept “from the depths of iniquity within it 98 of which the prophet complains. “The Lord has brought it into “this spacious place” 99 which is nothing else than Himself; there everything is pure, everything is holy! O blessed death in God! O sweet and gentle loss of self in the beloved Being which permits the creature to cry out: “I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live in this body of death, I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

This the text we are using to discuss “Heaven in Faith” you can find it here and order from the Carmelite Sisters

We would like to thank Miriam Gutierrez for providing “the voice” of St. Elizabeth for this series

For other episodes in the series visit the Discerning Hearts page for Dr. Anthony Lilles

Anthony Lilles, S.T.D., has served the Church and assisted in the formation of clergy and seminarians since 1994. Before coming to St. Patrick’s, he served at seminaries and houses of formation in the Archdiocese of Denver and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The son of a California farmer, married with young adult children, holds a B.A. in theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville with both the ecclesiastical licentiate and doctorate in spiritual theology from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome (the Angelicum). An expert in the writings of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity and the Carmelite Doctors of the Church, he co-founded the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation and the High Calling Program for priestly vocations. He also founded the John Paul II Center for Contemplative Culture, which hosts symposiums, retreats, and conferences. In addition to his publications, he blogs at www.beginningtopray.com .

DPD5 – Journeying with the Examen Prayer – The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Examen Prayer with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Journeying with the Examen Prayer – The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Examen Prayer with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

Fr. Timothy Gallagher and Kris McGregor discuss the third step of the Examen prayer, which is the review of one’s day. The term “examen” comes from the Spanish word for examination, and he refers to this step as “review.” This involves looking back over the day to see where God was present and where the enemy tried to lead one astray. The goal is to develop “eyes of faith” that are vigilant and can recognize the action of God and the enemy in daily life.

Fr. Gallagher uses a reflective example of “Susan,” a composite character from his experiences. Susan has been attending daily Mass for six months and incorporates the Examen into her routine. One day, after Mass, she feels deep spiritual consolation, realizing that attending daily Mass has brought her closer to God and improved her patience and availability to others. This reinforces her commitment to the practice. On another day, Susan experiences spiritual desolation, feeling distant from God and lacking energy for spiritual activities. Despite this, she gets herself to Mass, albeit late. In her review, she identifies this as an instance of the enemy’s tactic to discourage her and recognizes the importance of being faithful to her spiritual commitments.

The Examen helps one become more aware of spiritual consolations and desolations, allowing for growth and a deeper understanding of God’s grace and the enemy’s tactics. This practice, combined with knowledge of St. Ignatius’ rules for the discernment of spirits, enriches one’s spiritual life.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

How does the Examen prayer help us see the action of the Lord and the enemy in our daily lives?
Can you identify moments of spiritual consolation and desolation in your recent experiences, and how did you respond to them?
What steps can you take to incorporate the daily review of spiritual experiences into your prayer routine?
How has attending daily Mass influenced your spiritual life and relationship with God?
When facing spiritual desolation, what strategies can you employ to remain faithful to your spiritual commitments?
How does asking for God’s forgiveness daily affect your sense of spiritual growth and personal peace?
Are there specific times or situations where you find it challenging to stick to your spiritual plans, and how can you better recognize and counteract these tactics?
Reflect on a time when you felt profound joy after experiencing God’s forgiveness; how did this affect your spiritual journey?
How can you bring greater spiritual awareness to the seemingly ordinary events of your day?
How familiar are you with St. Ignatius’ rules for discernment of spirits, and how can you apply them to deepen your practice of the Examen?

As outlined from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola

(translated from the autograph by Fr. E. Mullan, S.J. 1909 in the public domain)

METHOD FOR MAKING THE GENERAL EXAMEN
It contains in it five Points.

First Point. The first Point is to give thanks to God our Lord for the benefits received.
Second Point. The second, to ask grace to know our sins and cast them out.
Third Point. The third, to ask account of our soul from the hour that we rose up to the present Examen, hour by hour, or period by period: and first as to thoughts, and then as to words, and then as to acts, in the same order as was mentioned in the Particular Examen.
Fourth Point. The fourth, to ask pardon of God our Lord for the faults.
Fifth Point. The fifth, to purpose amendment with His grace.

OUR FATHER.

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

For the other episodes in this series check out Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s “Discerning Hearts” page

Lent – You Have Stood By Me with Dr. Anthony Lilles – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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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

CTD5 – Leaving the Desert – Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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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

Lenten Self-Reflection: How can you deepen your introspection during Lent to identify areas of sin in your life?
Responsibility and Freedom: Reflect on how you balance acknowledging external influences with taking personal responsibility for your actions.
Desensitization to Sin: How can you guard against societal desensitization to sin, especially in media and cultural norms?
Intentional Conscience Formation: In what ways can you intentionally cultivate a spiritually grounded fellowship to form your conscience?
Engaging on Moral Issues: How can you engage in conversations about moral issues with both gentleness and firmness, guided by love?
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

BTP-LR5 – Day 5 – The Last Retreat by St. Elizabeth of the Trinity – Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Day 5 – The Last Retreat by St. Elizabeth of the Trinity- Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles

Dr. Anthony Lilles and Kris McGregor discuss St. Elizabeth’s eschatological vision rooted in the Book of Revelation, where she contemplates the heavenly liturgy and the hidden spiritual reality taking place even now around the throne of the Lamb. He draws parallels between Elizabeth’s vision and the Easter Vigil liturgy; how liturgical images—white robes, palm branches, and candles—are not merely symbolic, but signs of a deeper spiritual truth that opens to us through contemplative prayer. Despite lacking formal biblical scholarship, Elizabeth saw clearly that heaven touches earth, and through the Church’s teaching and the gift of faith, we can participate in this mystery now.

Her insights take on even more depth as she writes while enduring excruciating suffering from Addison’s disease, approaching death with peace and love for Christ. Dr. Lilles explains how her inner conformity to Christ crucified—offering her pain as a participation in his redemptive sacrifice—reveals a spiritual maturity grounded in love, not in emotional or physical comfort. Her writings invite others into that same surrender, where trust in God transforms suffering into rest.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

How does contemplating the heavenly liturgy described in Revelation influence your understanding of what truly matters in daily life?
In what ways can you become more aware of the hidden spiritual drama unfolding around the throne of the Lamb?
Do you view suffering as something to be avoided or as a means of union with Christ?
How can you foster peace in the midst of external and internal trials through faith?
What distractions in your life might be keeping you from deeper contemplation or openness to God’s will?
How can you create a more prayerful atmosphere in your home, especially during times of illness or difficulty?
Are you willing to offer your daily struggles as a spiritual sacrifice in union with Christ’s own offering?
What does it mean for you personally to be conformed to the image of the one “crucified by love”?
How does participating in the liturgy help you encounter the same mystery that Elizabeth of the Trinity describes?
In what ways is God inviting you to trust more deeply in His love, even when you do not understand your circumstances?

From “Last Retreat Day 5” found in The Complete Works vol 1:

12. “I saw a great multitude which no man could number. . . . These are they who have come out of the great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple, and He who sits upon the throne will dwell with them. They shall neither hunger nor thirst anymore, neither shall the sun strike them nor any heat. For the Lamb will be their shepherd, and He will lead them to the fountains of the waters of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. . . .”

All these elect who have palms in their hands, 69 and who are wholly bathed in the great light 70 of God, have had first to pass through the “great tribulation,” to know this sorrow “immense as the sea,” 71 of which the psalmist sang. Before contemplating “with uncovered face the glory of the Lord,” 72 they have shared in the annihilation of His Christ; before being “transformed from brightness to brightness in the image of the divine Being,” 73 they have been conformed to the image of the Word Incarnate, the One crucified by love.

This the text we are using to discuss “Heaven in Faith” you can find it here and order from the Carmelite Sisters

We would like to thank Miriam Gutierrez for providing “the voice” of St. Elizabeth for this series

For other episodes in the series visit the Discerning Hearts page for Dr. Anthony Lilles

DPD4 – Reflecting on the Day with God – The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Examen Prayer with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Reflecting on the Day with God – The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Examen Prayer with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

Fr. Timothy Gallagher and Kris McGregor discuss how consistent prayer fosters a deeper relationship with God, with each type of prayer—be it Mass, the Rosary, or scripture reading—adding its unique richness. The Examen prayer, in particular, cultivates an awareness of God’s presence throughout the day.

The third step of the Examen is the review of the day. This step involves reflecting on the events of the day to discern where God was present and where temptations or spiritual desolations occurred. Fr. Gallagher explains that this practice helps us become more aware of our spiritual experiences, leading to greater discernment in our lives.

Fr. Gallagher then introduces the concepts of spiritual consolation and desolation as described by St. Ignatius of Loyola. Spiritual consolation includes feelings of joy, hope, and closeness to God, while spiritual desolation involves feelings of abandonment, darkness, and spiritual dryness. He shares two examples: one of spiritual consolation, where a simple email exchange resolved an unresolved tension and led to a deeper connection, and one of spiritual desolation, where he felt heavy and discouraged during a retreat but recognized the need to avoid making decisions in such a state.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

1. How does the Examen prayer deepen our awareness of God’s presence in our daily lives?
2. How can you incorporate a daily practice of gratitude into your prayer life?
3. How does seeking divine insight transform your understanding of your spiritual experiences?
4. How can reviewing your day with God help you identify moments of spiritual consolation and desolation?
5. How can familiarizing yourself with St. Ignatius’ 14 Rules for the Discernment of Spirits enhance your practice of the Examen?
6. Reflect on a recent experience of spiritual consolation and how it affected your spiritual life.
7. How can understanding moments of spiritual desolation help you respond more effectively and seek God’s presence?

As outlined from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola

(translated from the autograph by Fr. E. Mullan, S.J. 1909 in the public domain)

METHOD FOR MAKING THE GENERAL EXAMEN
It contains in it five Points.

First Point. The first Point is to give thanks to God our Lord for the benefits received.
Second Point. The second, to ask grace to know our sins and cast them out.
Third Point. The third, to ask account of our soul from the hour that we rose up to the present Examen, hour by hour, or period by period: and first as to thoughts, and then as to words, and then as to acts, in the same order as was mentioned in the Particular Examen.
Fourth Point. The fourth, to ask pardon of God our Lord for the faults.
Fifth Point. The fifth, to purpose amendment with His grace.

OUR FATHER.

For the other episodes in this series check out Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s “Discerning Hearts” page

IP#508 Dr. Alexander Harb – The Kingdom of the Heart: Meditations from the Christian East on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Dr. Alexander Harb – The Kingdom of the Heart: Meditations from the Christian East on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Dr. Alexander Harb and Kris McGregor explore The Kingdom of the Heart: Meditations from the Christian East, his new book that gives both spiritual and theological insight into Eastern Christian spirituality through the lens of the Desert Fathers and the Philokalia. Dr. Harb draws from his Melkite upbringing to describe how Eastern Christianity puts prayer and transformation toward the heart—an inner stillness cultivated through asceticism and the Jesus Prayer. This tradition invites us to unite our hearts with Christ’s, not just in theory but through lived compunction, metanoia (inner conversion), and deep emotional engagement with God’s love. True knowledge of God isn’t just academic but relational—akin to the intimacy of family—and how early monks wept not out of guilt, but out of being overwhelmed by divine love.

The roles of mercy, trust, and detachment from worldly distractions are essential to guarding the heart. Bright sadness—a concept from Eastern Lent—captures the paradox of Christian sorrow infused with hope. Finally, the discussion circles back to Christ’s own battle with temptation in the desert, illustrating how scripture and silence anchor the soul in times of trial. Dr. Harb’s book invites us into a journey of inner transformation with divine intimacy, wisdom born of suffering, and a deep call to holiness.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions:

How is God inviting me to place my mind in my heart during prayer?
In what ways have I experienced metanoia as more than just repentance, but a turning of my whole self toward Christ?
Do I allow Jesus to truly love me in my brokenness, or do I hide behind shame or pride?
What role does compunction—sorrow for sin born of love—play in my spiritual life?
How can I better guard my heart from the noise, anxieties, and distractions of the world?
Am I allowing the Jesus Prayer or similar practices to bring silence and stillness into my prayer life?
What does spiritual fatherhood (or motherhood) look like in my vocation, and how am I being formed in it?

From the book’s description:

“Although the story of our salvation began in the Orient, the richness of the spirituality of our Eastern Fathers and Mothers in the Faith has long remained hidden. The Church is indebted to the East for revealing how Christians from apostolic times lived their faith, from founding Christian monastic life to developing the worship that has helped shape our liturgy.

In this spiritual masterpiece, Dr. Alexander Harb offers penetrating meditations on nine themes of the spiritual life, drawing from Eastern Christian sources and his own real-life examples. Each chapter includes a power-packed meditation, a related Scripture passage, engaging reflection questions, and challenges that are perfectly accessible for individual or group study.

Through the lens of the Eastern Church and the Desert Fathers, you will reflect on topics such as repentance, the Jesus Prayer, heartbrokenness, discernment, family, friendship, and total reliance on God.

In these absorbing pages, you will discover:

Advice on building virtue and accepting the love, life, and fire of the Holy Spirit

Tips on entering into the stillness of prayer and reorienting yourself when distractions arise

The four stages of conversion and three stages of prayer, according to the Eastern Fathers

Ways to discern spirits, and simple yet rich wisdom to help you in times of temptation

How to encounter God’s peace more deeply in the liturgy and how to worship Him more fruitfully

Methods of attaining metanoia, cardiagnosia (knowledge of the heart), and true transformation

Although practicing asceticism can be challenging, the fruits of inner freedom, peace, and the vision of God are unmistakable. These life-changing reflections aim to help you experience God’s compassionate and healing love for you and your family. By absorbing the wisdom of the East, you will come to know the Father’s merciful love more deeply, grow closer to our Lord, Jesus Christ, and become enlightened by the Holy Spirit.”

About the Author

Having grown up in the Melkite Catholic Church, Dr. Alexander Sami Harb became interested in Eastern Christianity at a very young age. He completed his doctorate in Eastern Christian Studies at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome with the publication of his thesis in 2022. His theological focus was on the Desert Fathers and their attention to the heart. Dr. Harb especially worked to find ancient textual evidence of attention to Jesus’ heart within the desert and among the early Church Fathers. He lives and works as a theology teacher in Birmingham, Alabama.

Lent – Praying from the Heart with Dr. Anthony Lilles – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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

During Lent, we dedicate ourselves to prayer, fasting and almsgiving. These practices are simple ways of expressing our gratitude to Jesus for what He has done for us. This in fact is the very nature of penance. Penance is love which responds to mercy – and this love is not content with words, thoughts and feelings. This love needs to express itself in a prayer the cries from the heart, in sacrifice that really costs, and in little hidden acts of kindness which comfort those who most need it.

Why do we allow God to implicate us in the plights of others, especially during Lent? God’s love suffers the personal plight each of us. He does this because He does not want us to suffer alone. So He seeks us out in our suffering – the suffering that we have brought on ourselves and the suffering that others have brought on us. He is concerned about our dignity and He is ready to do whatever it takes that we might be rectified and stand with Him who is Love Himself. The extent to which He enters into our misery for this purpose is revealed on the Cross. If we are to be His disciples, we must pick up our cross and follow Him. This is how the Lord extends His saving mystery through space and time – He loves us so much He implicates us in this great work of His Love.

No matter how many times we fail, no matter how great our weaknesses, no matter how inadequate we are to the demands of love — He is there with us, loving us, providing exactly what we need in the moment, and this because He really loves us that much. How can we not respond by offering Him food and drink when we recognize Him in the disguise of those who hunger and thirst? How can we not respond by forgoing a little comfort and convenience when He has already suffered so much discomfort and inconvenience for us? How can we not respond by praying for those who need the love of God when He has never forgotten us in His love for the Father?

When prayer, sacrifice and generosity come together in thanksgiving to God for His goodness to us, deep places of the heart are purified and we rediscover the joy humanity was meant to know from the beginning. Lent is all about this joy – a joy God’s love allows us to know, the joy of being sons and daughters of God, the joy of heart so beautiful it would be wrong not to share it with those who need a little joy as well.

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

CTD4 – The Desert of Sin – Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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The Desert of Sin – Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion with Deacon James Keating

In this episode, Deacon James Keating and Kris McGregor discuss the concept of the “Desert of Sin”: the idea that sin, while providing some form of consolation, ultimately leads to spiritual emptiness and turmoil.

Dcn. Keating emphasizes the importance of patience in the process of personal and spiritual transformation, particularly in dealing with others who may not share the same level of spiritual fervor. He warns against the temptation to become impatient or frustrated when others do not respond as expected, stressing the need to trust in God’s timing for their conversion.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

Reflection on the Desert of Sin: How do we recognize the mirage of sin in our lives and understand its inability to provide true fulfillment? How can we invite Jesus into our “desert” of sin to offer us real life?
Patience in Personal Growth: Reflect on the virtue of patience in your spiritual journey. How can impatience hinder our own progress and potentially lead to despair? How can we cultivate patience with ourselves and others as we strive for spiritual maturity?
Living Virtuously in Response to God’s Love: Consider the idea that receiving God’s love should naturally lead to loving God in return through virtuous living. How can we demonstrate our love for God through our actions and choices in daily life?
Role of Saints as Models of Holiness: Reflect on the lives of the saints as mirrors of hope. How can studying their examples help us understand the path to holiness and deepen our own relationship with God?
Embracing Joy through God’s Love: Explore the concept of joy as a result of receiving God’s love. How does this joy differ from superficial happiness, and how can we experience it more fully in our lives?

An excerpt from “Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion”:

“Any moral conversion, if it is to be real, must work its way into our minds and hearts. The conversion we undergo is one that transforms our entire person, and so our thought processes, habits, perceptions, and affections all become realigned to a new way of seeing good and evil Patience with ourselves, as well as with ohters who are also in the midst of conversion, becomes the key virtue to cultivate. God knows we are on the right track once we embrace such a conversion, and so being gentle on ourselves is not a sign of laxity or weakness of will, but a sign of wisdom.

Of course, the start of a moral conversion can be dramatic and jumpstart a change, but over the long haul of life, the heart of a person must be fully cooperative; otherwise, the person will not adhere to the moral truth for long.”

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 Annunciation – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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The Annunciation – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff

Msgr. John Esseff reflects on the Feast of the Annunciation, which falls in the heart of Lent. He shares how personal and significant this date is to him, as it marks the wedding anniversary of his parents. Their story, including seeking a dispensation to marry during Lent and defying an arranged marriage, mirrors the boldness and surrender exemplified by Mary’s own “yes” to God; drawing a connection between Mary’s total openness to God’s will and the Lenten call to deeper prayer, sacrifice, and discernment. Mary’s response to the angel, her understanding of Scripture, and her unwavering virginity reflect a soul in perfect union with God’s purpose.

Msgr. Esseff explores the moment of the Annunciation as a profound revelation—not only of Mary’s divine motherhood but also of the Trinity. The Father sends the Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit, marking the incarnation of God’s Word in the womb of one who had already received that Word in her heart. Her fiat—”Let it be done to me according to your word”—becomes the model of perfect prayer and surrender. He invites us to ponder God’s will in their daily lives as Mary did, suggesting that prayer is not about asking but about receiving and responding.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

How does Mary’s “yes” to God challenge me to trust more deeply in His will for my life?
In what ways can I better listen to God in prayer as Mary did during the Annunciation?
Do I invite the Holy Spirit to help me discern God’s will in my daily decisions?
How does Mary’s example teach me about the meaning and purpose of obedience in the spiritual life?
What role does Scripture play in helping me understand and respond to God’s call, as it did for Mary?
How can I offer my own body, time, and choices to God like Mary offered herself?
In the midst of Lent, how is God inviting me to deeper union with Him through prayer and sacrifice?
What can I learn from Mary’s silence and pondering heart about interior prayer and reflection?
How does the mystery of the Trinity revealed at the Annunciation shape my understanding of who God is?
What does Mary’s life teach me about saying “yes” to God even when the path is uncertain?

From the NAB Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

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 worldwide. 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 St. Pope 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, sisters, seminarians, and other religious leaders worldwide.