IP#303 – Susan Conroy – Praying with Mother Teresa on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Susan Conroy – Praying with Mother Teresa on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Susan Conroy reflects on her friendship with Mother Teresa, which began when she was 21 and traveled to Calcutta to volunteer with the Missionaries of Charity. She recalls the joy and peace that radiated from Mother Teresa’s presence, describing it as an encounter with holiness that overflowed into her own service among the poor and suffering. Susan highlights Mother Teresa’s humility, noting that despite global recognition and awards, she lived with deep self-forgetfulness, seeing herself only as a simple instrument in God’s hands. This humility revealed a profound truth about sanctity: greatness is found in becoming small, gentle, and surrendered to God’s will.

The discussion also explores the themes found in Susan’s book Praying with Mother Teresa, which shares the prayers and spiritual practices Mother Teresa lived daily. Mother Teresa taught that the first vocation of every person, including her own sisters, is to belong to Christ, and from that relationship flows the mission of serving others. She invites us to see their own “Calcutta” in family, home, and community, where acts of love, patience, and kindness are most needed. Through stories and insights, Susan conveys that Mother Teresa’s legacy is not merely admiration but imitation—living a mission of love rooted in humility, prayer, and closeness to Christ.

You can get a copy of the book here

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

How does Mother Teresa’s humility challenge your understanding of true greatness before God?
Where do you notice “heavenly joy” arising in the midst of difficult or messy places in your life?
In what concrete ways can you “belong to Jesus” first, before any external service today?
Who in your home most needs your patience and kindness right now, and what will you do about it?
What would it look like to let God “write the story” while you remain a simple instrument in his hand?
Where is your “Calcutta” nearby—someone lonely, sick, or forgotten whom you can love this week?
How might you move from admiring holy people to imitating their virtues in daily choices?
After receiving Holy Communion, how will you allow Christ to shine through you in practical actions?
When did you last leave someone “better and happier,” and how can that become your daily habit?
Which moments at home reveal your “true colors,” and how can grace reshape them?

From the book description

Praying with Mother Teresa brings us into the heart of Mother Teresa’s prayer life! Author Susan Conroy, a personal friend of Mother Teresa, gives us a meditative look at Mother Teresa’s insights on suffering, joy, peace, humility, and poverty, and brings us right into the prayer life of one of the most beloved women of our time, Saint Teresa of Calcutta. Each prayer has been carefully, and prayerfully, selected for use in daily prayer. Mother Teresa gave Susan her blessing and approval to share these words and prayers with others “to bring them peace and joy too.”

About the Author

In the summer of 1986, 21-year-old Susan Conroy journeyed to Calcutta alone to help the Missionaries of Charity. She developed a personal friendship with Mother Teresa that lasted throughout the course of 11 years, until Mother Teresa was called home to God. Susan is the author of nine books, including bestselling Mother Teresa’s Lessons of Love & Secrets of Sanctity, and lives in Portland, Maine.

IP#305 Dr. Peter Kreeft – I Burned for Your Peace on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Dr. Peter Kreeft – I Burned for Your Peace on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Dr. Peter Kreeft joins Kris McGregor to discuss his book I Burned for Your Peace: Augustine’s Confessions Unpacked. He describes St. Augustine as both passionate and brilliant, a rare union of heart and intellect. This blend makes the Confessions timeless—deeply personal yet profoundly theological. The book is written as a prayer, which gives it burning honesty, since St. Augustine is speaking directly to God. The famous line, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you,” is its central theme, showing how St. Augustine’s restless search for truth, meaning, and joy ultimately led him to God through divine grace. His journey of confronting sin, wrestling with doubts, and being guided by his mother St. Monica demonstrates both his humanity and his uniqueness, while also reflecting the universal struggles of every person.

As a guide through St. Augustine’s work, Dr. Kreeft compares the Confessions to a Christmas tree that he helps decorate without obscuring its beauty. St. Augustine’s humility, honesty, and recognition of suffering is essential for spiritual growth. Augustine shows that life is a story with a beginning, middle, and end directed toward God, and his conversion reveals that no one can reach this destiny without grace. His mystical experiences, struggles with evil, and deep relationship with God illustrate both the darkness of sin and the light of divine love. For Dr. Kreeft, reading St. Augustine is not just encountering a saint of the past but a companion for today, someone who reveals what it means to be fully human and fully oriented toward God.

You can find the book here.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

How does Augustine’s description of a restless heart invite you to examine what you are truly seeking in life?
In what ways can you speak to God in prayer with the same honesty Augustine shows in the Confessions?
What role does suffering play in your spiritual journey, and how might you unite it with Christ’s own suffering?
How do you recognize God’s grace working in your life, even when your will resists conversion?
What can Augustine’s relationship with his mother, Monica, teach you about the power of intercession and perseverance in prayer?
How do you respond when you see sin in yourself compared to when you see it in others?
What aspects of Augustine’s story mirror your own search for truth, meaning, and love?
How can humility, understood as standing in God’s light, shape the way you view yourself and others?
In what ways does the narrative of your own life reflect God’s ongoing work of redemption?
How do Augustine’s mystical experiences challenge or inspire your own understanding of encountering God?

About the Book

Popular author and philosopher Peter Kreeft delves into one of the most beloved Christian classics of all time–Augustine’s Confessions. He collects key passages and offers incisive commentary, making Confessions accessible to any reader who is both intellectually curious and spiritually hungry.

The Confessions is a dramatic personal narrative of a soul choosing between eternal life and death, an exploration of the timeless questions great minds have been asking for millennia, and a prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God. I Burned for Your Peace is not a scholarly work but an unpacking of the riches found in Augustine’s text. It is existential, personal, and devotional, as well as warm, witty, and thought-provoking. With Kreeft to guide them, readers of the Confessions can overhear and understand the intimate conversation between a towering intellect and the God whose peace he at last humbly accepts.

About the Author

Peter Kreeft, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy at Boston College, is one of the most respected and prolific Christian authors of our time. His books cover a vast array of topics in spirituality, theology, and philosophy. They include Doors in the Walls of the World, The Greatest Philosopher Who Ever Lived, How to Be Holy, Because God Is Real, You Can Understand the Bible, and Summa of the Summa.

IP#364 Fr. John Bartunek – The Better Part: The Gospels pt. 2 – Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Fr. John Bartunek – The Better Part: The Gospels pt. 2 on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

In part 2 of their conversation, Fr. John Bartunek and Kris McGregor discuss deepening one’s relationship with God through prayer, using Fr. Bartunek’s book, The Better Part, as a central resource. They explore the importance of the fourth step of prayer, “commit,” which is about renewing one’s commitment to the relationship with God after a time of prayer, much like a mother responds to her child’s needs in a relationship.

Prayer is not about seeking spiritual consolations but about faith and deepening friendship with God. Warning against using prayer merely to seek internal experiences rather than genuine contact with God, Fr. Bartunek compares some non-Christian meditation practices as potentially distracting from true prayer.

Highlighting the unique role of the Gospels as a direct encounter with Jesus, meant to be rediscovered continually with a sense of wonder, Fr. Bartunek’s work is praised for helping believers engage deeply with the Gospels, not just as sacred texts, but as an ongoing dialogue with Christ. The discussion also touches on the significance of spiritual companionship, community, and sharing one’s spiritual journey with others, as well as the necessity of a spiritual director or good spiritual friends to help navigate the challenges of prayer and spiritual growth.

You can find the set here.

Discerning Hearts Discussion Questions

Commitment in Prayer: How can you actively renew your commitment to your relationship with God after each time of prayer?
Seeking Consolation: Do you find yourself more focused on seeking spiritual consolations rather than deepening your friendship with God?
Scripture Engagement: How do you ensure that your reading of the Gospels is a personal encounter with Christ rather than just a routine task?
Overcoming Familiarity: What steps can you take to rediscover the wonder and richness of the Gospels in your daily life?
Spiritual Companionship: How can you cultivate spiritual friendships or find a spiritual director to support your journey of faith?
Sharing Spiritual Goods: In what ways can you share your experiences of Christ with others to enrich your community?
Trust in God’s Providence: How do you remind yourself that everything in your life, even challenges, is under God’s providence and part of His plan for your growth?

From the book description:

“Every saint and renowned spiritual director through the ages has said the same thing: if we desire to become saints, we must spend time daily in meditation. With this set, Fr. John Bartunek has created an extensive, Christ-centered resource to serve as your daily meditation companion. The Better Part offers a practical explanation of Christian meditation, as well as material to draw from during your meditations, including a Bible study on the Gospels, a survey of saints writings, and a handy guide to prayer.

As you learn to read, meditate upon, absorb, and apply the Gospels to your life, you’ll also find ways to personalize your times of prayer, allowing you to follow the Holy Spirit’s lead along the path of holiness. Open these pages to discover the methods of meditation that best suit you, develop your friendship with Christ, and experience the true Christian joy of a deep, fruitful life of prayer.”

Dr. Kevin Vost – Three Irish Saints on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

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IP#160 Dr. Kevin Vost - Three Irish Saints on Inside the Pages

It was a delight to talk once again to Dr. Kevin Vost. In his new book Three Irish Saints: A Guide to Finding Your Spiritual Style, he brings forward of 3 incredible saints who can help us bring about a greater awareness of ourselves, as well as bringing us closer to our relationship with God. Dr. Vost is a psychologist, and physical fitness expert who examines the lives of these three great saints reveals their gifts and virtues. He then explores the question: Are you a thinker, a doer, or a lover? Included is a simple self-test to find out which spiritual master you are most like. I was well aware of St. Patrick, knew much about St. Brigid, but was knew nothing about St. Kevin, but the list doesn’t stop there, Dr. Vost brings the lives of other Irish saints as well. A fun and fascinating read.

You can find the book here

Be sure to check out Dr. Vost’s other “Inside the Pages” discussion:

IP#33 Dr. Kevin Vost – From Atheism to Catholicism on Inside the Pages

Dr. Peter Kreeft – Practical Theology on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Dr. Peter Kreeft – Practical Theology on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

“Practical Theology: Spiritual Direction from St. Thomas Aquinas” by Dr. Peter Kreeft is outstanding! An incredible work that transforms the potentially intimidating Summa Theologiae into a vital life-giving, soul-nurturing work for the pilgrim soul. Dr. Kreeft offers us the religious wisdom of Aquinas in 359 bite-size pieces that can aid our growth in holiness. He has framed these readings as answers to questions that people actually ask their spiritual directors. Each answer is taken word for word from Aquinas. So many topics are covered. You’ll be returning to this book over and over again throughout your spiritual journey. An excellent gift to give yourself and those you love! Highly Recommended!!!

You can find the book here

“Its notoriously difficult to synopsize Aquinas on anything. However, if I were to choose someone to do the job well, it would be Peter Kreeft. Many will find this presentation helpful to develop their own replies to the questions that bother the minds of today’s searchers.”
– Romanus Cessario, O.P., Saint John’s Seminary, Brighton, Mass.

“How can we know the living God and attain to everlasting union with God? This is really the only question of life. Kreeft’s dialogue with Aquinas shows us what it means–existentially, not solely academically–to learn from a saint.” —Matthew Levering, Professor of Theology, Mundelein Seminary

Fr. James Kubicki S.J. – A Heart on Fire on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

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By far, this book is the BEST on the subject of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that I have seen in a very long time. So very practical and deep in its spiritual appreciation of this beautifully essential devotion for our lives, Fr. James Kubicki helps all to rediscover the devotion to the Sacred Heart. He presents the history of this timely devotion, with help of the apostles, Church Fathers, the Saints, and contemporary Catholics, in an engaging and easily digestible way. And the prayers…the incredibly deep and radiant prayers…Fr. Kubicki breaks them open a new for us all to appreciate, encouraging us not to “say the prayers”, but to “pray the prayers”. Wonderful, simply wonderful! I cannot recommend this work more highly. Pick up more than one copy and become a missionary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by passing copies on to others

You can find the book here

“At first communion, I was taught to say first thing every morning, Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in Thee!’ Reading Father Kubicki’s splendid book has only made that prayer all the more sincere and meaningful.” —Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York

“A fresh and attractive reconsideration of this centuries-old devotion in the Catholic Church. Blessed Basile Moreau (1873), the founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, who entrusted his priests to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, wrote: ‘The primary purpose of the devotion to the Sacred Heart is to return love for love.’ Fr. Kubicki develops this theme in a way that speaks well to today’s generation of believers.” —Rev. Peter D. Rocca, C.S.C., Rector, Basilica of the Sacred Heart, University of Notre Dame

“I invite everyone to renew his devotion to the Sacred Heart of Christ in the month of June, making use of the traditional prayer of the offering of the day and keeping in mind the intentions that I have proposed to the whole Church.” —Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus Address, June 1, 2008

IP-Encore – Dr. Adrian Walker – “Jesus of Nazareth” and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

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In this special encore episode, we focus on the person and teachings of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
In October 2012, I began recording a series for Discerning Hearts with Dr. Adrian Walker, who served as the English translator of Pope Benedict XVI’s book “Jesus of Nazareth.” With the historical events occurring with the Synod on the New Evangelization and the start of the Year of Faith, we took time aside to discuss that work and the influence of Joseph Ratzinger, also known as Pope Benedict XVI.

Spiritual Formation - Catholic Spiritual Direction 7 — Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

You can find the book here.

From the description:

Pope Benedict XVI’s iconic life of Jesus, a rich, compelling, flesh-and-blood portrait of the central figure of the Christian faith.

“This book is . . . my personal search ‘for the face of the Lord.’”—Benedict XVI

In this bold, momentous work, the Pope seeks to salvage the person of Jesus from today’s “popular” depictions and to restore his true identity as discovered in the Gospels. Through his brilliance as a theologian and his personal conviction as a believer, the Pope incites us to encounter Jesus face to face.

From Jesus of Nazareth: “. . . the great question that will be with us throughout this entire book: But what has Jesus really brought, then, if he has not brought world peace, universal prosperity, and a better world? What has he brought? The answer is very simple: God. He has brought God! He has brought the God who once gradually unveiled his countenance first to Abraham, then to Moses and the prophets, and then in the wisdom literature–the God who showed his face only in Israel, even though he was also honored among the pagans in various shadowy guises. It is this God, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, the true God, whom he has brought to the peoples of the earth. He has brought God, and now we know his face, now we can call upon him. Now we know the path that we human beings have to take in this world. Jesus has brought God and with God the truth about where we are going and where we come from: faith, hope, and love.”

IP#305 Dr. Peter Kreeft – I Burned for Your Peace on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

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These are indeed good days for book lovers because we are so blessed to have yet another Christian spiritual classic broken open for us by Dr. Peter Kreeft! In “I Burned for Your Peace: Augustine’s Confessions Unpacked“, Dr. Kreeft gives us a guided tour through one of the finest works in all Western literature. In our conversation, we discuss how St. Augustine, in many ways, is the everyman and why is life is so important for us today. Written in a personal dialogue with God, the saint’s “Confessions” is more than an autobiography or a book of theology, it is, in the end, a living prayer. It is one man’s compelling witness that is, as Dr. Kreeft will say, astonishingly contemporary. St. Augustine looks at himself, so honestly, we can’t help but see ourselves in the reflection. “I Burned for Your Peace” is the must have book to accompany you on this spiritual journey, especially if your heart is a restless one. So plan your pilgrimage now! Get the Frank Sheed translation of the “Confessions” as mentioned by Dr. Kreeft in our conversation and grab this book today

You can find the book here

“Two teachers we all know and trust enter into a dialogue to bring forth a Confessions for our day.”
— Fr. David Meconi, S.J., Editor, The Confessions of St. Augustine

“Kreeft is always brilliant, and in this book he is even more astonishing than ever. If I were allowed only one book on the Confessions, this would be it.”
—Joseph Pearce, Author, Catholic Literary Giants

“Kreeft illustrates the truth of Augustine’s comment that God is more intimate to us than we are even to ourselves. Only when we realize that we are loved into being by the Triune God, will we experience the profound peace that sustains the pilgrimage to eternal life.”
Fr. Matthew Lamb, Professor of Theology, Ave Maria University

IP#245 Fr. Gary Caster – Joseph – The Man Who Raised Jesus on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

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With Fr. Gary Caster, we discuss “Joseph – The Man Who Raised Jesus”. Thanks to his mother’s encouragement, Fr. Gary received a rich devotion to the “silent” man who witnessed to the faith in an extraordinary way. He shares personal stories, passages from Scripture, and teachings from the Catechism of the Catholic Church to demonstrate what a model of virtue and a protector of the Church and family, St. Joseph is in our lives today. Another wonderful work by Fr. Gary Caster. Good St. Joseph, pray for us!

You can find the book here

From the book description:

Who was St. Joseph? Was he just a passive, incidental figure in the drama of salvation? On the contrary, in every way that Jesus needed a father, St. Joseph was that for him. And how overwhelming it must have been for Joseph to be asked to stand in the Father s place! No man has ever been asked to do so in such an unthinkable way. Every priest, and certainly every man who is a father (biologically or otherwise), should take this to heart.

Caster s book will provide a unique, in-depth presentation of Joseph from the perspective of the evangelical counsels and the theological and cardinal virtues. Each section will begin with an explanation of what each counsel or virtue means and then show how Joseph models it for us.

The descriptions of St. Joseph s life and character found in this book, while rooted in the Scripture passages that mention him, are chiefly inspired by Jesus, who spent the majority of his life at home with Joseph and Mary. For years, the three of them lived, prayed, celebrated, studied, and shared, all the while uniting their lives more intimately with God s own. Those years in Nazareth were a real preparation for the foundation upon which Jesus would build his saving ministry. And as much as Joseph and Mary offered Jesus, he offered them an ever-expanding awareness of the God that had changed both their lives. The reciprocity of love that perfectly defines the home in Nazareth is the very pattern for all family life—and therefore of the Church itself.

Dr. Thomas Howard – Hallowed Be This House on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor Special Podcast

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This is a special reposting of a conversation I had with Dr. Thomas Howard several years ago. This great man died on October 15, 2020. His wisdom continues to be a blessed gift to all of us. R.I.P. – KM

What a delight to talk once again with Dr. Thomas Howard. This time we discuss “Hallowed Be This House: Finding Signs of Heaven in Your Home.” Dr. Howard has such a beautiful gift of recognizing the sacred. Through this marvelous book, he helps us all to appreciate the many ways in which we too can dive deeper into the “mystery,” especially in those ordinary places and things found in our lives. This book is a treasure!

You can find the book here

Tom Howard, an accomplished writer of great distinction, has the rare gift of being able to express profound truths in whimsical terms. In Hallowed Be This House, he explores with charm and wit the sacramental aspect of our daily lives. I found the book vastly entertaining and, what is more, felt refreshed and the happier of having read it. So, I am sure, will all its readers. —Malcolm Muggeridge

Howard’s vision is the quintessential Catholic, sacramental vision. To read this book is to see with the eyes of Christ. —Peter Kreeft, Handbook of Christian Apologetics