Fr. James Kubicki S.J. – A Heart on Fire on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor
In this episode of Inside the Pages, Fr. James Kubicki discusses his book A Heart on Fire: Rediscovering Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He explores the meaning and history of this devotion, tracing it back to the early Church rather than starting with St. Margaret Mary. Fr. Kubicki explains that the heart of Jesus represents his whole being, particularly his self-giving love and compassion. Through stories like that of Admiral Jeremiah Denton, he illustrates how trust and surrender to Christ can be transformative even in the darkest trials. This devotion is not sentimental nostalgia, but a profound spiritual path rooted in Scripture, Eucharistic spirituality, and the Church’s tradition.
The Sacred Heart calls Christians to deeper prayer and action. Fr. Kubicki highlights that devotion must be lived out—through practices like the Morning Offering, family consecration, and awareness of Christ’s presence throughout daily life. Far from being a private piety, he presents it as a way of participating in Jesus’ compassionate response to the suffering of the world. The Sacred Heart, he explains, helps move the faithful from intellectual assent to a loving, personal relationship with Christ, guiding them to integrate head and heart in their spiritual lives and sacramental worship.
How does understanding the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a symbol of His whole person and love affect your personal relationship with Him?
In what ways can you offer your daily joys and sufferings to Jesus as part of a spiritual “morning offering”?
How does the story of Admiral Denton challenge you to deepen your trust and surrender to Christ in times of hardship?
What does it mean for your home and family life to enthrone the Sacred Heart of Jesus as king and center?
How can devotion to the Sacred Heart lead you to greater awareness of and response to the suffering of others?
Are there aspects of your faith life that remain only intellectual, and how might you allow them to move into your heart?
How can participation in the Eucharist become more personal and prayerful for you through devotion to the Sacred Heart?
What might Jesus be asking you to let go of in your life in order to love more fully with His heart?
How do the lives of saints like St. Gertrude, St. Margaret Mary, or Mother Teresa inspire your own devotion to the Sacred Heart?
What practical steps can you take this week to live out the love of Christ’s heart in your interactions with others?
About the Book
In A Heart on Fire: Rediscovering Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Rev. James Kubicki, SJ, presents a persuasive and engaging guide to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, an age-old and often misunderstood Catholic devotion. He delves into the rich theological and spiritual roots of the devotion and demonstrates how the faithful may encounter the Sacred Heart of Jesus in one another, scripture, the sacraments, and especially in the Eucharist.
Fr. Kubicki, former national director of the Apostleship of Prayer (now the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network), brings to life the rich imagery associated with the devotion’s history and provides a contemporary look at traditional devotions like the Twelve Promises, family consecration and enthronement, the Sacred Heart Badge, the Litany of the Sacred Heart, holy hours, and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
About the Author
Fr. James Kubicki, SJ, serves as a spiritual director at St. Francis de Sales Seminary in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. He is a popular conference and parish mission speaker, retreat director, and the author of A Heart on Fire and A Year of Daily Offerings.
Kubicki previously served as the national director of the Apostleship of Prayer (now the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network) and as the president of St. Francis Mission on South Dakota’s Rosebud Reservation. Kubicki entered the Society of Jesus in 1971 and was ordained in 1983. He has served the Jesuits in numerous capacities including, vocations, priestly formation, and deacon and lay ministry formation.
The Lasting Influence of St. Augustine, Pt. 3 – In Conversation with Deacon Omar Gutierrez
Deacon Omar Gutiérrez and Kris McGregor discuss the enduring significance of St. Augustine in Catholic thought, the Church’s spiritual life, and how he may influence Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate. St. Augustine made an immense impact on Western theology, especially his influence on St. Thomas Aquinas, and how this shaped Catholic social teaching through Rerum Novarum. St. Augustine’s deep interior exploration in Confessions resonated with saints like St. Teresa of Avila and St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (aka Edith Stein). St. Augustine’s vision in City of God contrasts the self-centered “city of man” with the divine love found in the “city of God,” presenting to us a framework relevant to contemporary challenges of community, power, and personal meaning.
St. Augustine’s personal journey—his moral struggles, intellectual conversion, and his mother Monica’s faithful intercession—is a mirror for today’s searchers, especially in an era marked by isolation and distraction. Deacon Omar reflects on his own experience with the Augustinian spirit of charity and dialogue, pointing out how their emphasis on unity in essentials, freedom in non-essentials, and charity in all things could guide the Church forward, particularly in Catholic social teaching.
How does St. Augustine’s personal conversion story speak to the struggles in your own spiritual journey?
In what ways do you see the tension between the “city of man” and the “city of God” in today’s culture?
How can St. Augustine’s honest self-examination in Confessions inspire deeper prayer and reflection in your life?
What role does community play in your faith, and how might you nurture it more intentionally?
How does the witness of St. Monica challenge you to persevere in love and prayer for others?
Are you seeking comfort and power, or truth and love, in your daily decisions?
How can you cultivate unity in essentials, freedom in non-essentials, and charity in all things?
Where do you see the influence of St. Augustine’s thought in the Church’s social teachings today?
In what ways might you better listen to others as a way of honoring their dignity?
How is God inviting you to help build the city of God in your family, parish, or society?
Deacon Omar Gutiérrez is the President and co-Founder of the Evangelium Institute as well as the Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in the Archdiocese of Omaha.
About his book, “A Summary of Rerum Novarum or On Capital and Labor”
This short introduction provides the historical background for Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum as well as some detail about the pope himself. It also provides a paragraph-by-paragraph summary of the document to better understand the teaching. This is ideal for students of the document and those studying Catholic Social Teaching.
All Shall Be Well: A Journey Through Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love with Kris McGregor
Episode 6: The Eighth Shewing — The Suffering Face of Love
Summary:
In Episode 6, In this powerful episode, we enter the Eighth Revelation of Julian of Norwich—a devastating yet holy vision of Christ’s dying. Julian beholds the gradual drying of Christ’s body, a slow agony revealing the depths of divine love. She reflects on His thirst—both physical and spiritual—and joins in His suffering through a profound union of compassion. Drawing on Isaiah, the Gospel of John, the Catechism, and the witness of mystics like St. Bridget and St. Teresa of Calcutta, this episode explores the mystery of redemptive suffering. Julian’s witness offers not only theological depth but an invitation to gaze upon the Crucified with love and trust.
Full Julian of Norwich Quotations Used in Episode 6:
From Revelations of Divine Love, Long Text, Chapters XVI-XXI, trans. Grace Warrack, Methuen & Co., 1901 (PDF edition).
The Eighth Shewing —The Suffering Face of Love
“I saw His sweet face as it were dry and bloodless with pale dying. And later, more pale, dead, languoring; and then turned more dead unto blue; and then more brown-blue, as the flesh turned more deeply dead…” (Ch. 16)
“This long pining seemed to me as if He had been seven nights dead, dying, at the point of outpassing away, suffering the last pain. And when I said it seemed to me as if He had been seven night dead, it meaneth that the sweet body was so discoloured, so dry, so shrunken, so deathly, and so piteous, as if He had been seven night dead, continually dying. And methought the drying of Christ’s flesh was the most pain, and the last, of His Passion.” (Ch. 16)
“I Thirst” and the Drying of Love
“AND in this dying was brought to my mind the words of Christ: I thirst.
For I saw in Christ a double thirst: one bodily; another spiritual, the which I shall speak of in the Thirty-first Chapter.” (Ch. 17)
“I saw four manner of dryings: the first was bloodlessness; the second was pain following after; the third, hanging up in the air, as men hang a cloth to dry; the fourth, that the bodily Kind asked liquid and there was no manner of comfort ministered to Him in all His woe and distress. Ah! hard and grievous was his pain, but much more hard and grievous it was when the moisture failed and began to dry thus, shrivelling.” (Ch. 17)
“These were the pains that shewed in the blessed head: the first wrought to the dying, while it had moisture; and that other, slow, with shrinking drying, [and] with blowing of the wind from without, that dried and pained Him with cold more than mine heart can think.”(Ch. 17)
“I thought: Is any pain like this? And I was answered in my reason: Hell is another pain: for there is despair. But of all pains that lead to salvation this is the most pain, to see thy Love suffer. How might any pain be more to me than to see Him that is all my life, all my bliss, and all my joy, suffer? Here felt I soothfastly that I loved Christ so much above myself that there was no pain that might be suffered like to that sorrow that I had to [see] Him in pain.”(Ch. 17)
The Wound in the Side and the Opening of the Heart
“And after this, a wond [wound] was shewed in His side, right as it was shewed afore: which He shewed unto me in the same manner as I saw afore, and therewith He brought to mind the dearworthy blood and water which He suffered to be shed out of that same side. … And well I wist that it was He that shewed it. … And in the same shewing suddenly the Trinity filled my heart full of the greatest joy; and I understood that it shall be so in Heaven without end to all that shall come there.” (Ch. 18)
A Mother’s Compassion
“HERE I saw a part of the compassion of our Lady, Saint Mary: for Christ and she were so oned in love that the greatness of her loving was cause of the greatness of her pain. For in this [Shewing] I saw a Substance of Nature’s Love, continued by Grace, that creatures have to Him: which Kind Love was most fully shewed in His sweet Mother, and overpassing; for so much as she loved Him more than all other, her pains passed all other. For ever the higher, the mightier, the sweeter that the love be, the more sorrow it is to the lover to see that body in pain that is loved.” (Ch. 19)
“Here saw I a great oneing betwixt Christ and us, to mine understanding: for when He was in pain, we were in pain.
And all creatures that might suffer pain, suffered with Him: that is to say, all creatures that God hath made to our service. The firmament, the earth, failed for sorrow in their Nature in the time of Christ’s dying. For it belongeth naturally to their property to know Him for their God, in whom all their virtue standeth: when He failed, then behoved it needs to them, because of kindness [between them], to fail with Him, as much as they might, for sorrow of His pains.” (Ch. 19)
Choosing Christ as Heaven
“Thus was I learned to choose Jesus for my Heaven, whom I saw only in pain at that time.”(Ch 19)
“Then had I a proffer in my reason, as if it had been friendly said to me: Look up to Heaven to His Father. And then saw I well, with the faith that I felt, that there was nothing betwixt the Cross and Heaven that might have harmed me… I answered inwardly with all the might of my soul, and said: Nay; I may not: for Thou art my Heaven. For I would liever have been in that pain till Doomsday than to come to Heaven otherwise than by Him.” (Ch 19)
“The outward part is our deadly fleshhood, which is now in pain and woe, and shall be, in this life: whereof I felt much in this time; and that part it was that repented. The inward part is an high, blissful life, which is all in peace and in love: and this was more inwardly felt; and this part is [that] in which mightily, wisely and with steadfast will I chose Jesus to my Heaven.”(Ch 19)
The Measure of Divine Love
“And for every man’s sin that shall be saved He suffered: and every man’s sorrow and desolation He saw, and sorrowed for Kindness and love. (For in as much as our Lady sorrowed for His pains, in so much He suffered sorrow for her sorrow;—and more, in as greatly as the sweet manhood of Him was worthier in Kind.) For as long as He was passible He suffered for us and sorrowed for us; and now He is uprisen and no more passible, yet He suffereth with us.”(Ch 20)
“And I, beholding all this by His grace, saw that the Love of Him was so strong which He hath to our soul that willingly He chose it with great desire, and mildly He suffered it with well-pleasing.”(Ch 20)
“For the soul that beholdeth it thus, when it is touched by grace, it shall verily see that the pains of Christ’s Passion pass all pains: [all pains] that is to say, which shall be turned into everlasting, o’erpassing joys by the virtue of Christ’s Passion.”(Ch 20)
The Promise of Joy
“It is God’s will, as to mine understanding, that we have Three Manners of Beholding His blessed Passion. The First is: the hard Pain that He suffered,—[beholding it] with contrition and compassion.”(Ch 21)
“And I looked for the departing with all my might, and thought to have seen the body all dead; but I saw Him not so. And right in the same time that methought, by the seeming, the life might no longer last… suddenly (I beholding in the same Cross), He changed [the look of] His blessed Countenance. The changing of His blessed Countenance changed mine, and I was as glad and merry as it was possible. Then brought our Lord merrily to my mind: Where is now any point of the pain, or of thy grief? And I was full merry.”(Ch 21)
“And I understood that we be now, in our Lord’s meaning, in His Cross with Him in His pains and His Passion, dying; and we, willingly abiding in the same Cross with His help and His grace unto the last point, suddenly He shall change His Cheer to us, and we shall be with Him in Heaven.”(Ch 21)
“The harder our pains have been with Him in His Cross, the more shall our worship be with Him in His Kingdom.”Ch 21)
Scripture Featured
(Translations used: Revised Standard Version [RSV] )
(Isaiah 53:3–4, RSV)
“He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief… he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows”
(Matthew John 19:34, RSV)
“But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water”
(Romans 8:19, 22, RSV)
“For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God… For we know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now”
(Romans 8:18, RSV)
“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us”
(Isaiah 53:3–4, RSV)
“He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows,and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Faith in God the Father Almighty can be put to the test by the experience of evil and suffering. God can sometimes seem to be absent and incapable of stopping evil. But in the most mysterious way God the Father has revealed his almighty power in the voluntary humiliation and Resurrection of his Son, by which he conquered evil. Christ crucified is thus “the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”111 It is in Christ’s Resurrection and exaltation that the Father has shown forth “the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe” (CCC 272)
“The Church was born primarily of Christ’s total self-giving for our salvation, anticipated in the institution of the Eucharist and fulfilled on the cross. ‘The origin and growth of the Church are symbolized by the blood and water which flowed from the open side of the crucified Jesus.’” (CCC 766)
“Thus the Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the Cross, where she stood, in keeping with the divine plan… enduring with her only begotten Son the intensity of his suffering.” (CCC 964)
“By his death, Christ liberates us from sin; by his Resurrection, he opens for us the way to a new life. This new life is above all justification… and it brings about filial adoption so that men become Christ’s brethren” (CCC 654).
“The desire for happiness is of divine origin: God has placed it in the human heart in order to draw man to himself, for he alone can fulfill it.” (CCC 1718)
“The cross is the unique sacrifice of Christ, the ‘one mediator between God and men’ (1 Tim 2:5). But because in his incarnate divine person he has in some way united himself to every man, the possibility of being made partners, in a way known to God, in the paschal mystery is offered to all men.” (CCC 618)
“By his passion and death on the cross Christ has given a new meaning to suffering: it can henceforth configure us to him and unite us with his redemptive Passion.” (CCC 1505)
Reflection Questions for Prayer
What stirs in your heart as you gaze upon the suffering face of Christ?
How does the image of Christ thirsting—physically and spiritually—deepen your understanding of His love?
In what ways might Christ be inviting you to remain with Him at the Cross, rather than look away?
Closing Prayer (inspired by the Eighth Shewing)
Lord Jesus Christ, You chose the Cross out of love for every soul. In Your suffering face, we see the depth of divine mercy. In Your thirst, we hear the longing of Your Sacred Heart.
You were pierced, dried, and drained for our healing. You remained, even unto death, so that we would never be alone. You sorrowed for us—and even now, You suffer with us.
Give us the grace to remain near to You, To see You not with fear, but with reverent love. Let us not look away from Your Passion, But receive it as the saving gift it is.
May Your wounds be our refuge, Your thirst our call to prayer, Your death our doorway to joy.
Marlene Watkins – Everyday Miracles of Lourdes on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor
In this episode of ‘Inside the Pages’, Marlene Watkins shares her deep connection to Lourdes through her work with Our Lady of Lourdes Hospitality North American Volunteers and her new book Everyday Miracles of Lourdes.
Marlene Watkins recounts how the Blessed Mother revealed herself as the Immaculate Conception to a simple, poor, and uneducated girl—a truth St. Bernadette communicated with unwavering sincerity and the enduring grace of Lourdes as a place where physical and spiritual transformations continue today.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions:
How does the story of St. Bernadette inspire you to trust in God’s work through the lowly and humble?
What does the title “Immaculate Conception” reveal to you about the unique role of the Blessed Mother?
How might the experience of pilgrimage to Lourdes deepen your own spiritual life?
In what ways are you being invited to seek healing—physical, emotional, or spiritual—in your life right now?
How does the unwavering simplicity and honesty of St. Bernadette challenge your approach to living and sharing the faith?
What role does humility play in allowing God’s grace to act through you, as it did through Bernadette?
How does contemplating the incorrupt body of St. Bernadette affect your understanding of holiness and eternal life?
Where in your life are you called to greater trust in divine providence, as shown in Bernadette’s acceptance of her sufferings?
How can you foster deeper devotion to the Blessed Mother in your daily prayer life?
What spiritual or physical “pilgrimage” is the Holy Spirit inviting you to undertake at this moment in your journey?
From the book’s description:
Though they escape the notice of many, stunning miracles of healing take place each and every day at Our Lady’s Grotto in Lourdes, France. Inexplicable, biblical-like healings of body, mind, and spirit leave visitors with the gifts of peace and renewed faith. Here is the book that will move you, deepen your faith in Our Lady’s active involvement in our world, and help you personally encounter Our Lord.
Marlene Watkins recounts twenty astounding true stories of miracles at Lourdes, including her own watershed healing, which inspired her to establish Our Lady of Lourdes Hospitality North American Volunteers and become the first volunteer.
In these absorbing pages, you will marvel at how these volunteer helpers bring the sick to the Grotto — and then also experience healings themselves.
You will read the stories of people who were cured and reconciled with God — from babies to preteens to near centenarians. You will be inspired, for instance, by the testimony of a woman with a progressive neurodegenerative disease who not only went to Lourdes to selflessly care for the sick but later returned to receive a gift from Our Eucharistic Lord and Our Lady.
In chapter after chapter, you will encounter men and women who were healed from debilitating traumas, panic attacks, or mood swings.
You will be consoled by stories of women who experienced the loss of babies, including by abortion, and found solace in the arms of our Heavenly Mother.
And you will encounter a man who was struggling with faith and was drawn to Lourdes, where he met the Blessed Mother. Moreover, you will discover:
The three Ps of the Gospel message at Lourdes and how they relate to your life
How we will enter Heaven (it’s not the way you may think!)
A remarkable miracle of the “time-suspending, life-saving Rosary”
One simple prayer that St. Bernadette taught that can get you into Heaven
How a young woman’s wish was fulfilled and helped numerous souls
The unexpected way the oldest pilgrim and her marriage were renewed at Lourdes
Above all, you will see how Our Lady leads souls into deeper communion with her Eucharistic Son and with one another, whether through caring for sick loved ones or experiencing loving relationships. Prepare yourself to become a believer and an ardent lover of Lourdes.
About the Author
Marlene Watkins is the founder of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospitality North American Volunteers, the first Lourdes Hospitality outside Europe and the first of the Americas.In twenty years, as a volunteer, Marlene has led over two hundred pilgrimages to Lourdes for more than six thousand pilgrims, including the seriously ill and profoundly disabled with medical, adult, university and youth volunteers. Marlene has guided Lourdes Virtual Pilgrimage Experiences TM across North America, and in Europe, Asia, South America and Africa.In 2015, Marlene was named an Our Sunday Visitor “Catholic of the Year.” She has appeared on CBS, EWTN, PBS, BBC; and hosts the EWTN “My Lourdes Faith Journey” miniseries.Marlene is a wife, mother, grandmother, Secular Franciscan and member of the Hospitalité Notre-Dame de Lourdes. Marlene and her husband, Bill, live in Syracuse, New York, or in the LourdesMobile RV traveling America and sharing the Gospel Message of Lourdes.
Pope Leo XIII and Rerum Novarum, Pt. 2 – In Conversation with Deacon Omar Gutierrez
Deacon Omar Gutiérrez and Kris McGregor take a look at the remarkable legacy of Pope Leo XIII, who inspired Pope Leo XIV’s chosen name, and his major contributions to modern Catholic thought and life and his wide-ranging influence: reviving Thomistic philosophy, championing the Sacred Heart devotion, initiating the Saint Michael Prayer, and issuing over 80 encyclicals that addressed freedom, citizenship, and social responsibility. Pope Leo XIII’s guidance helped unify the Benedictine orders, supported missionary efforts of saints like Thérèse of Lisieux, Frances Cabrini, and Katharine Drexel, and offered a vision of the Church that engaged deeply with modern challenges. His encyclical Rerum Novarum laid the foundation for Catholic social teaching: a response to industrialization rooted in the dignity of the human person, especially the working poor.
They discuss connections between Leo XIII’s era and current developments such as artificial intelligence and economic shifts. We shouldn’t reduce Catholic social teaching to political ideologies or mislabeling it as socialist. Instead, we must look at it from the truth that it stems from a call to love God and neighbo: caring for the vulnerable, implementing ethical labor practices, and the right use of property are not merely political concerns but spiritual imperatives grounded in Christ’s command to serve.
How can Pope Leo XIII’s engagement with the modern world inspire my own response to current social and technological challenges?
In what ways am I called to recognize and uphold the dignity of the working poor in my daily decisions?
How does my understanding of Catholic social teaching shape the way I live out my faith in the public square?
What fears or misconceptions might I hold that prevent me from embracing the Church’s social doctrine more fully?
Do I make time to discern how Christ is calling me to respond to the needs of others in my community?
How can I, like Pope Leo XIII, listen attentively to differing perspectives and respond with truth and charity?
Where in my life am I being invited to sacrifice comfort for the sake of justice and solidarity?
How do I balance the gifts and resources I’ve received with my responsibility to serve others?
Have I ever avoided learning about Catholic social teaching because it felt too political or overwhelming?
What step can I take this week to deepen my understanding of Rerum Novarum and apply it practically?
Deacon Omar Gutiérrez is the President and co-Founder of the Evangelium Institute as well as the Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in the Archdiocese of Omaha.
About his book, “A Summary of Rerum Novarum or On Capital and Labor”
This short introduction provides the historical background for Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum as well as some detail about the pope himself. It also provides a paragraph-by-paragraph summary of the document to better understand the teaching. This is ideal for students of the document and those studying Catholic Social Teaching.
Dr. Matthew Bunson – Leo XIV: Portrait of the First American Pope on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor
Kris McGregor interviews Dr. Matthew Bunson about his new book on Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost. Dr. Bunson recounts the extraordinary events surrounding Pope Francis’s final days and the surprising election that followed. He offers a deeply personal perspective on the historic transition, describing his experience covering the month-long period in Rome with EWTN. Dr. Bunson reflects on the unexpected yet providential choice of Pope Leo XIV—a U.S.-born Augustinian with extensive missionary and Vatican experience—and explores why he resonated so strongly with the College of Cardinals.
Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate is already marked by clarity, humility, and theological depth rooted in the Augustinian tradition, as well as the Pope’s focus on the dignity of the human person, renewal of Catholic social teaching, and the global challenges posed by technology and modernity. With insight into the papal conclave, the Church’s current needs, and Pope Leo XIV’s spiritual and pastoral formation, Dr. Bunson presents a compelling portrait of a man uniquely positioned to guide the Church in a new era of both continuity and renewal.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions:
How does the unexpected election of Pope Leo XIV challenge your assumptions about how the Holy Spirit guides the Church?
What can Pope Leo XIV’s missionary background teach you about serving Christ across cultures and boundaries?
How might the Augustinian motto “In Christ, we are one” shape your approach to unity in your parish or community?
In what ways can you foster greater clarity and charity when sharing the truths of the Catholic faith?
How can you respond with trust when God’s plans surprise or disrupt your expectations?
What role does the Liturgy of the Hours or Church Fathers like Augustine play in your personal spiritual growth?
How do you discern the dignity of each person in light of today’s technological and societal shifts?
What does the reverence Pope Leo XIV shows for Church tradition invite you to reconsider in your own relationship with the Church’s teachings?
How can you contribute to healing divisions within the Church by anchoring your life more deeply in Christ?
What might God be asking of you in this new chapter of the Church’s journey under Pope Leo XIV?
From the book’s description:
We have a Pope! And his name is Leo XIV.
But who is this American-born 266th successor to St. Peter? What is the former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost’s vision for the Church, and what impact will his papacy have on Catholics and on the world?
Renowned Vatican journalist Dr. Matthew Bunson offers the first authoritative portrait of the new Holy Father. With unmatched access and a reputation for integrity and insight, Bunson delivers a compelling, richly textured narrative of the new pope’s life, beliefs, and most improbable journey to the Chair of St. Peter.
This book will roll off the presses on May 21st, making it the first definitive biography available to readers worldwide. Accessible, informative, and rooted in journalistic rigor and an intimate understanding of the Church, Leo XIV: Portrait of the First American Pope is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the man inside the white cassock — and the moment in which he will reign.
All Shall Be Well: A Journey Through Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love with Kris McGregor
Episode 5: The Sixth and Seventh Shewings — Divine Reward and the Mystery of Consolation
Summary:
In Episode 5, we explore Julian of Norwich’s Sixth and Seventh Shewings, where she is shown the eternal joy that awaits those who serve God in love, and the mysterious rhythm of spiritual consolation and desolation. Julian reveals that no act of agape love is forgotten, and even our hidden sacrifices are honored by the Lord with lasting joy. She also experiences the rise and fall of spiritual feelings, learning that God remains constant in both peace and pain. Her revelations echo truths later taught by St. Ignatius of Loyola: that spiritual desolation, while permitted, is never without purpose. Through it all, Julian teaches us to remain rooted in God’s unchanging love—trusting that His presence holds us through every joy and trial.
Full Julian of Norwich Quotations Used in Episode 5:
From Revelations of Divine Love, Long Text, Chapters XIV-XV, trans. Grace Warrack, Methuen & Co., 1901 (PDF edition).
The Sixth Shewing — The Reward for Willing Service
“After this our good Lord said: I thank thee for thy travail, and especially for thy youth. And in this [Shewing] mine understanding was lifted up into Heaven where I saw our Lord as a lord in his own house, which hath called all his dearworthy servants and friends to a stately feast. Then I saw the Lord take no place in His own house, but I saw Him royally reign in His house, fulfilling it with joy and mirth, Himself endlessly to gladden and to solace His dearworthy friends, full homely and full courteously, with marvellous melody of endless love, in His own fair blessed Countenance. Which glorious Countenance of the Godhead fulfilleth the Heavens with joy and bliss.” (Ch. 14)
“God shewed three degrees of bliss that every soul shall have in Heaven that willingly hath served God in any degree in earth. The first is the worshipful thanks of our Lord God that he shall receive when he is delivered of pain. This thanking is so high and so worshipful that the soul thinketh it filleth him though there were no more. For methought that all the pain and travail that might be suffered by all living men might not deserve the worshipful thanks that one man shall have that willingly hath served God. The second is that all the blessed creatures that are in Heaven shall see that worshipful thanking, and He maketh his service known to all that are in Heaven… The third is, that as new and as gladdening as it is received in that time, right so shall it last without end.” (Ch. 14)
“And I saw that homely and sweetly was this shewed, and that the age of every man shall be [made] known in Heaven, and [he] shall be rewarded for his willing service and for his time. And specially the age of them that willingly and freely offer their youth unto God, passingly is rewarded and wonderfully is thanked.
For I saw that whene’er what time a man or woman is truly turned to God,—for one day’s service and for his endless will he shall have all these three degrees of bliss. And the more the loving soul seeth this courtesy of God, the liefer he is to serve him all the days of his life.” (Ch. 14)
The Seventh Shewing — The Trial of Consolation and Desolation
“AND after this He shewed a sovereign ghostly pleasance in my soul. I was fulfilled with the everlasting sureness, mightily sustained without any painful dread. This feeling was so glad and so ghostly that I was in all peace and in rest, that there was nothing in earth that should have grieved me.
This lasted but a while, and I was turned and left to myself in heaviness, and weariness of my life, and irksomeness of myself, that scarcely I could have patience to live. There was no comfort nor none ease to me but faith, hope, and charity; and these I had in truth, but little in feeling.” (Ch. 15)
“And anon after this our blessed Lord gave me again the comfort and the rest in soul, in satisfying and sureness so blissful and so mighty that no dread, no sorrow, no pain bodily that might be suffered should have distressed me. And then the pain shewed again to my feeling, and then the joy and the pleasing, and now that one, and now that other, divers times—I suppose about twenty times. And in the time of joy I might have said with Saint Paul: Nothing shall dispart me from the charity of Christ; and in the pain I might have said with Peter: Lord, save me: I perish!” (Ch. 15)
The Seventh Shewing — Consolation and Desolation in One Love
“This Vision was shewed me, according to mine understanding, [for] that it is speedful to some souls to feel on this wise: sometime to be in comfort, and sometime to fail and to be left to themselves. God willeth that we know that He keepeth us even alike secure in woe and in weal. And for profit of man’s soul, a man is sometime left to himself; although sin is not always the cause: for in this time I sinned not wherefore I should be left to myself—for it was so sudden. Also I deserved not to have this blessed feeling. But freely our Lord giveth when He will; and suffereth us [to be] in woe sometime. And both is one love.” (Ch. 15)
“For it is God’s will that we hold us in comfort with all our might: for bliss is lasting without end, and pain is passing and shall be brought to nought for them that shall be saved. And therefore it is not God’s will that we follow the feelings of pain in sorrow and mourning for them, but that we suddenly pass over, and hold us in endless enjoyment.” (Ch. 15)
Scripture Featured
(Translations used: Revised Standard Version [RSV] )
(Romans 8:35, RSV)
“Nothing shall separate me from the love of Christ.”
(Matthew 14:30, RSV)
“..he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.””
Catechism of the Catholic Church
“In the battle of prayer, we must face in ourselves and around us erroneous notions of prayer. Some people view prayer as a simple psychological activity, others as an effort of concentration to reach a mental void. Still others reduce prayer to ritual words and postures. Many Christians unconsciously regard prayer as an occupation that is incompatible with all the other things they have to do: they ‘don’t have the time.’ Those who seek God by prayer are quickly discouraged because they do not know that prayer comes also from the Holy Spirit and not from themselves alone.” (CCC 2726)
“Spiritual progress tends toward ever more intimate union with Christ. This union is called ‘mystical’ because it participates in the mystery of Christ through the sacraments… God calls us all to this intimate union with Him, even if the special graces or extraordinary signs of this mystical life are granted only to some” (CCC 2014).
“We can therefore hope in the glory of heaven promised by God… in every circumstance, each one of us should hope, with the grace of God, to persevere to the end” (CCC 1821).
“By His death, Christ liberates us from sin; by His Resurrection, He opens the way to new life” (CCC 654).
Reflection Questions for Prayer
Have I experienced spiritual consolation and desolation? How might I hold fast to Christ in both?
In what ways is God inviting me to offer my love—even in small, hidden ways?
When I feel discouraged or alone, can I still believe that God is holding me just as securely?
Closing Prayer (inspired by the Sixth and Seventh Shewings)
O Lord of unchanging love, In joy and in sorrow, You are near. You see the gifts we offer in secret— And You remember them with delight.
When we are weary, hold us. When we are restless, steady us. When we are afraid, remind us that You are still with us.
Wrap us in Your homely loving, Clothe us in the mercy that does not fade, And teach us to trust that Even now, in the shadows, You are leading all things into joy.
All Shall Be Well: A Journey Through Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love with Kris McGregor
Episode 4: The Fourth and Fifth Shewings — Blood, Mercy, and the Triumph of Christ
Summary: In this episode we enter the Fourth and Fifth Shewings, where Julian beholds the Precious Blood of Christ poured out in love, not horror, and is wrapped in His “homely loving”—an intimate mercy that does not recoil from sin but encloses it. She sees how Christ’s Passion overcomes the enemy, not by force but through unfathomable love, turning even the devil’s malice into the joy of the saved. With vivid tenderness and deep theological insight, Julian invites us to find refuge in the Blood of Christ, rejoice in His victory, and rest in the truth that all shall be well.
Full Julian of Norwich Quotations Used in Episode 4:
From Revelations of Divine Love, Long Text, Chapters XII-XIII, trans. Grace Warrack, Methuen & Co., 1901 (PDF edition).
The Fourth Shewing – Christ’s Homely Loving and the Meaning of Sin
“For in that same time that I saw this bodily sight, our Lord shewed me a spiritual sight of His homely loving. I saw that He is to us everything that is good and comfortable to our help. He is our clothing that for love wrappeth us, claspeth us, and all encloseth us, for tender love.” (Ch. XII)
The Precious and Plenteous Blood of Christ
“And after this I saw, beholding, the body plenteously bleeding in seeming of the Scourging, as thus:—The fair skin was broken full deep into the tender flesh with sharp smiting all about the sweet body. So plenteously the hot blood ran out that there was neither seen skin nor wound, but as it were all blood…” (Ch. XII)
“The dearworthy blood of our Lord Jesus Christ as verily as it is most precious, so verily it is most plenteous. Behold and see! The precious plenty of His dearworthy blood descended down into Hell and burst her bands and delivered all that were there which belonged to the Court of Heaven. The precious plenty of His dearworthy blood overfloweth all Earth, and is ready to wash all creatures of sin, which be of goodwill, have been, and shall be. The precious plenty of His dearworthy blood ascended up into Heaven to the blessed body of our Lord Jesus Christ, and there is in Him, bleeding and praying for us to the Father,—and is, and shall be as long as it needeth;—and ever shall be as long as it needeth. And evermore it floweth in all Heavens enjoying the salvation of all mankind.” (Ch. XII)
The Fifth Shewing – The Passion Overcomes the Fiend
“After this, ere God shewed any words, He suffered me for a convenient time to give heed unto Him and all that I had seen, and all intellect that was therein, as the simplicity of the soul might take it. Then He, without voice and opening of lips, formed in my soul these words: ‘Herewith is the Fiend overcome.’ These words said our Lord, meaning His blessed Passion as He shewed it afore.” (Ch. XIII)
“On this shewed our Lord that the Passion of Him is the overcoming of the Fiend. God shewed that the Fiend hath now the same malice that he had afore the Incarnation. And as sore he travaileth, and as continually he seeth that all souls of salvation escape him, worshipfully, by the virtue of Christ’s precious Passion. And that is his sorrow, and full evil is he ashamed: for all that God suffereth him to do turneth [for] us to joy and [for] him to shame and woe. And he hath as much sorrow when God giveth him leave to work, as when he worketh not: and that is for that he may never do as ill as he would: for his might is all taken into God’s hand.” (Ch. XIII)
But in God there may be no wrath, as to my sight: for our good Lord endlessly hath regard to His own worship and to the profit of all that shall be saved. With might and right He withstandeth the Reproved… Also I saw our Lord scorn his malice and set at nought his unmight; and He willeth that we do so. For this sight I laughed mightily, and that made them to laugh that were about me… I thought that I would that all mine even-Christians had seen as I saw, and then would they all laugh with me.” (Ch. XIII)
“But I saw not Christ laugh. For I understood that we may laugh in comforting of ourselves and joying in God for that the devil is overcome. And when I saw Him scorn his malice, it was by leading of mine understanding into our Lord: that is to say, it was an inward shewing of verity, without changing of look.”(Ch. XIII)
“I see three things: I see game, in that the Fiend is overcome; I see scorn, in that God scorneth him, and he shall be scorned; and I see earnest, in that he is overcome by the blissful Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ that was done in full earnest and with sober travail.” (Ch. XIII)
When I said, he is scorned,—I meant that God scorneth him, that is to say, because He seeth him now as he shall do without end. For in this [word] God shewed that the Fiend is condemned. And this meant I when I said: he shall be scorned: [he shall be scorned] at Doomsday, generally of all that shall be saved, to whose consolation he hath great ill-will.44 For then he shall see that all the woe and tribulation that he hath done to them shall be turned to increase of their joy, without end; and all the pain and tribulation that he would have brought them to shall endlessly go with him to hell.(Chap XIII)
Scripture Featured
(Translations used: Revised Standard Version [RSV] )
(Rom 13:14, RSV)
“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ”
(Psalms 91:4, RSV)
“He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you will find refuge”
(1 Tim 2:4, RSV)
“[God] desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth”
(Rom 5:20, RSV)
“Grace abounded all the more”
(Rom 8:28, RSV)
“We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him.”
(Rom 2:4, RSV)
“He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church
“By his Passion and death on the Cross, Christ has given a new meaning to suffering: it can henceforth configure us to him and unite us with his redemptive Passion” (CCC 1505).
“The Eucharist is thus a sacrifice because it re-presents (makes present) the sacrifice of the cross and applies its fruit.” (CCC 1366).
“God predestines no one to go to hell; for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end” (CCC 1037).
“The desire for God is written in the human heart… and God never ceases to draw man to Himself” (CCC 27).
“Nothing occurs that God cannot turn toward the good.”
(CCC 312)
“By his death he has conquered death, and so opened the possibility of salvation to all men.”
(CCC 634)
“The Last Judgment will reveal…the ultimate meaning of the whole work of creation and of the entire economy of salvation and understand the marvelous ways by which His Providence led everything towards its final end.” (CCC 1040)
Reflection Questions for Prayer
How do you experience Christ’s “homely loving” in the midst of your own struggles?
What does it mean for you to trust that the Precious Blood of Christ still flows for you?
Can you find joy in the truth that evil has already been overcome by the Passion of Christ?
Closing Prayer (inspired by the Fourth and Fifth Shewings)
Lord Jesus Christ, You bled for love and suffered for our salvation. You have overcome the darkness and crushed the enemy beneath Your feet. Wrap us now in Your homely loving— Draw near to our wounds with Your Precious Blood. Fill our hearts with joy in Your triumph. And help us never forget that in Your Passion, all things are made new. Amen.
Pope Leo XIV and the Path Forward, Pt. 1 – In Conversation with Deacon Omar Gutierrez
Kris McGregor and Deacon Omar Gutierrez discuss the significance of the recent election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, reflecting on the profound impact of his surprising selection. They discuss theconnection between this new pope and his predecessor, Pope Leo XIII, known for his foundational contributions to Catholic social teaching and spiritual devotion, including the Saint Michael prayer. This connection is seen as a powerful symbol of continuity and hope, emphasizing the unifying power of the Holy Spirit during times of change.
They also touch on the cultural and spiritual roots of the new pope, including his upbringing in Chicago and deep ties to Peru, which many see as a bridge-building moment for the Americas, withhopeful anticipation for how Pope Leo XIV will engage with contemporary challenges, reflecting the Church’s enduring mission to speak truth to a fragmented world.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How can the surprising election of Pope Leo XIV inspire us to trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit in unexpected moments?
In what ways can the legacy of Pope Leo XIII’s social teachings influence how we live our faith today?
How might the deep cultural and spiritual connections of a leader shape their approach to serving the global Church?
What can we learn from the humility and spiritual roots of the Augustinian tradition that Pope Leo XIV embodies?
How does reflecting on moments of grace and hope, like this papal election, strengthen our faith during challenging times?
In what ways can we contribute to unity and communion within our own communities, as highlighted by the new pope’s early messages?
How does the example of Pope Leo XIV encourage us to engage with the world as a witness to Christ’s light and truth?
Why is it important to remember that each pope brings unique gifts and perspectives to the Church, guided by the same Holy Spirit?
How can we cultivate a deeper sense of trust in God’s providence, even when the future feels uncertain?
What role does spiritual memory and reflection play in sustaining our faith over time?
Deacon Omar Gutiérrez is the President and co-Founder of the Evangelium Institute as well as the Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in the Archdiocese of Omaha.
All Shall Be Well: A Journey Through Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love with Kris McGregor
Episode Three: The 2nd and 3rd Shewing — Desire, Prayer, and Trust in God’s Hidden Work
Summary: In Episode 3, we explore Julian’s Second and Third Shewings, where the vision of Christ’s suffering and the image of “God in a point” draw us into a profound understanding of love, trust, and divine providence. Julian teaches that even in the face of pain and mystery, God’s presence is near, sustaining all things. We reflect on the difference between seeking and beholding, the grace of perseverance in prayer, and the assurance that God is working all things toward His perfect end. Through rich imagery and deep theological insight, Julian invites us to see that nothing is by accident—and that love is always at the center.
Full Julian of Norwich Quotations Used in Episode 3:
From Revelations of Divine Love, Long Text, Chapters X-XI, trans. Grace Warrack, Methuen & Co., 1901 (PDF edition).
The Blood from the Crown — A Vision of Love in Suffering
“AND after this I saw with bodily sight in the face of the crucifix that hung before me, on the which I gazed continually, a part of His Passion: despite, spitting and sullying, and buffetting, and many languoring pains, more than I can tell, and often changing of colour. And one time I saw half the face, beginning at the ear, over-gone with dry blood till it covered to the mid-face. And after that the other half [was] covered on the same wise, the whiles in this [first] part [it vanished] even as it came.” (Ch. X)
“It is God’s will that we seek Him, to the beholding of Him, for by that He shall shew us Himself of His special grace when He will. And how a soul shall have Him in its beholding, He shall teach Himself: and that is most worship to Him and profit to thyself, and [the soul thus] most receiveth of meekness and virtues with the grace and leading of the Holy Ghost. For a soul that only fasteneth it[self] on to God with very trust, either by seeking or in beholding, it is the most worship that it may do to Him, as to my sight.” (Ch. X)
“These are two workings that may be seen in this Vision: the one is seeking, the other is beholding. The seeking is common,—that every soul may have with His grace,—and ought to have that discretion and teaching of the Holy Church.” (Ch. X)
It is God’s will that we have three things in our seeking:
—The first is that we seek earnestly and diligently, without sloth, and, as it may be through His grace, without unreasonable heaviness and vain sorrow.
—The second is, that we abide Him steadfastly for His love, without murmuring and striving against Him, to our life’s end: for it shall last but awhile.
—The third is that we trust in Him mightily of full assured faith.
For it is His will that we know that He shall appear suddenly and blissfully to all that love Him.
For His working is privy, and He willeth to be perceived; and His appearing shall be swiftly sudden; and He willeth to be trusted. For He is full gracious and homely: Blessed may He be!” (Ch. X)
The Third Shewing — God in a Point
“And after this I saw God in a Point, that is to say, in mine understanding,—by which sight I saw that He is in all things.” (Ch. XI)
What Is Sin? What Is Providence?
“I beheld and considered, seeing and knowing in sight, with a soft dread, and thought: What is sin? For I saw truly that God doeth all-thing, be it never so little. And I saw truly that nothing is done by hap nor by adventure, but all things by the foreseeing wisdom of God: if it be hap or adventure in the sight of man, our blindness and our unforesight is the cause. For the things that are in the foreseeing wisdom of God from without beginning, (which rightfully and worshipfully and continually He leadeth to the best end,) as they come about fall to us suddenly, ourselves unwitting; and thus by our blindness and our unforesight we say: these be haps and adventures. But to our Lord God they be not so.” (Ch. XI)
The Rightfulness of God’s Works
“For in this time the working of creatures was not shewed, but [the working] of our Lord God in the creature: for He is in the Mid-point of all thing, and all He doeth. And I was certain He doeth no sin. And here I saw verily that sin is no deed: for in all this was not sin shewed. And I would no longer marvel in this, but beheld our Lord, what He would shew. And thus, as much as it might be for the time, the rightfulness of God’s working was shewed to the soul.” (Ch. XI)
The Sweet Deeming of God
“But in another time He gave a Shewing for the beholding of sin nakedly, as I shall tell: where He useth working of mercy and grace.
And this vision was shewed, to mine understanding, for that our Lord would have the soul turned truly unto the beholding of Him, and generally of all His works. For they are full good; and all His doings are easy and sweet, and to great ease bringing the soul that is turned from the beholding of the blind Deeming of man unto the fair sweet Deeming of our Lord God.
For a man beholdeth some deeds well done and some deeds evil, but our Lord beholdeth them not so: for as all that hath being in nature is of Godly making, so is all that is done, in property of God’s doing.
For it is easy to understand that the best deed is well done: and so well as the best deed is done—the highest—so well is the least deed done; and all thing in its property and in the order that our Lord hath ordained it to from without beginning. For there is no doer but He.” (Chap XI)
God’s Pleasure in His Work
“For He made all things in fulness of goodness, and therefore the blessed Trinity is ever full pleased in all His works.
And all this shewed He full blissfully, signifying thus:See! I am God: see! I am in all thing: see! I do all thing: see! I lift never mine hands off my works, nor ever shall, without end: see! I lead all thing to the end I ordained it to from without beginning, by the same Might, Wisdom and Love whereby I made it. How should any thing be amiss?
Thus mightily, wisely, and lovingly was the soul examined in this Vision. Then saw I soothly that me behoved, of need, to assent, with great reverence enjoying in God.” (Chap XI)
Scripture Featured
(Translations used: Revised Standard Version [RSV] )
(Luke 1:38, RSV)
“Let it be done unto me according to thy word”
Catechism of the Catholic Church
“By his Passion and death on the Cross, Christ has given a new meaning to suffering: it can henceforth configure us to him and unite us with his redemptive Passion” (CCC 1505).
“Faith is a personal act—the free response of the human person to the initiative of God who reveals Himself” (CCC 166).
“Contemplation is a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus… It is a gift, a grace; it can be accepted only in humility and poverty” (CCC 2715).
“The desire for God is written in the human heart… and God never ceases to draw man to Himself” (CCC 27).
“God is in everything by His presence, power, and essence” (CCC 300).
The Church teaches that God can permit evil in His providence—not because He wills it directly, but because He respects our freedom and knows how to draw good from it (cf. CCC 311).
“God created everything for man… but man is created to serve and love God and to offer all creation back to Him” (CCC 358).
Even when man disobeys, God remains faithful and draws good from sin (cf. CCC 410–412).
“Creation has its own goodness and proper perfection, but it did not spring forth complete from the hands of the Creator. The universe was created ‘in a state of journeying’ toward an ultimate perfection yet to be attained” (CCC 302).
Reflection Questions for Prayer
In what areas of my life do I struggle to see God’s loving providence at work?
How might I allow the truth that “God is in the Mid-point of all things” to reshape my response to anxiety or uncertainty?
Do I truly believe that God never lifts His hands from His works—even when I feel abandoned or confused? How might that belief change how I pray today?
Closing Prayer (inspired by the Second and Third Shewing)
Lord God,
You are the still point at the center of all that is.
Though we are small, You are near.
Though we do not understand, You remain steady.
You never lift Your hands from Your works, and You never lift Your gaze from us.
In the mystery of suffering and the silence of delay, You are still God.
Give us grace to trust You—not because we see, but because we know You love.
Lead all things, Lord, to the end You have ordained,
By the same Might, Wisdom, and Love by which You made them.
And let our hearts assent with reverent joy:
that all You do is well done, and You are with us still.
Fr. James Kubicki S.J. – A Heart on Fire on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor
From the book’s description:
From the book’s description: