Inside the Pages-Featured Archives

IP#295 Dr. Peter Kreeft – How to be Holy on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Once again a spiritual classic has been given to us from the prolific Catholic philosopher Dr. Peter Kreeft!. “How to be Holy: First Steps in Becoming a Saint” derives it’s direction from the incredible “Abandonment to Divine Providence” by Jean-Pierre de Caussade, S.J. and it’s simple message that God reveals himself through the daily events of our lives. How we respond is the key to faith and our opportunity to grow in holiness. Do you place your trust the Father’s will? Can you respond in love? Do you truly believe Romans 8:28 “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose” (RSV)? To be holy, we must take the first step…Dr. Kreeft shows us the way. Outstanding!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:57 — 38.4MB) | Embed

You can find the book here

From the book description:

The ever-popular and prolific Peter Kreeft says that the most important question he has written about is how one becomes holy; or to put it another way, how one becomes a saint. This question is central to all the great religions, Kreeft demonstrates, for striving toward holiness, moving toward perfect love, is the whole purpose of life.

Kreeft admits that he is only a beginner on the climb to holiness, and it is to novices like him that he has written this engaging and encouraging book. Using the insights and experiences of saints and great spiritual writers throughout history, Kreeft shows what holiness is and how it can be achieved.

IP#44 Susan Tassone – Praying with the Saints for the Holy Souls in Purgatory on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:57 — 21.3MB) | Embed

No one I know has the passion, zeal and just sheer love for the Holy Souls in Purgatory like Susan Tassone! She has an incredible depth of knowledge on the subject. You will never feel you are without companions on the journey after you hear Susan plead the Holy Souls cause.

You can find the book here

Let the saints inspire you to intercede for the holy souls in purgatory!
Throughout the ages the devotions, prayers, and practices of the Communion of Saints have been offered up on behalf of souls in purgatory, the Church Suffering. The saints ardent desire to intercede for the holy souls impelled them to pray ceaselessly for their eternal rest.
This inspiring book shows how you can join the saints in this act of divine charity, thereby attaining spiritual gifts for acts done for the souls that cry out to us for relief.
–See the firsthand experiences that saints have had with the holy souls
–Learn the power of intercessory prayer on behalf of souls in purgatory
–Seasonal Devotions & Spiritual Aids prepare all members of the family to plead the cause of souls

Susan Tassone’s Official Website

IP#319 Joshua Hochschild – A Mind at Peace on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:19 — 20.8MB) | Embed

Dr. Joshua Hochschild, along with his co-author Christopher Blum, brings us “A Mind at Peace: Reclaiming an Ordered Soul in the Age of Distraction.” It is outstanding and truly needed by us all! More than a self-help book, this work is more about cultivating a virtue-driven life through a series of very practical spiritual exercises and reclaiming balance and order in our distraction driven world. An absolute must-have for all seeking peace and an ordered soul.

You can find the book here

From the Inside Flap:

These past two decades, modern technology has brought into being scores of powerful challenges to our interior peace and well-being. We’re experiencing a worldwide crisis of attention in which information overwhelms us, corrodes true communion with others, and leaves us anxious, unsettled, bored, isolated, and lonely.

These pages provide the time-tested antidote that enables you to regain an ordered and peaceful mind in a technologically advanced world. Drawing on the wisdom of the world’s greatest thinkers, including Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas, these pages help you identify and show you how to cultivate the qualities of character you need to survive in our media-saturated environment.

This book offers a calm, measured, yet forthright and effective approach to regaining interior peace. Here you’ll find no argument for retreat from the modern world; instead these pages provide you with a practical guide to recovering self-mastery and interior peace through wise choices and ordered activity in the midst of the world’s communication chaos.

IP#306 Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC – Champions of the Rosary on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:35 — 24.5MB) | Embed

It’s always a delight to talk with Fr. Donald Calloway, particularly when it’s about Our Lady! In “Champions of the Rosary: The History and Heroes of a Spiritual Weapon”, Fr. Calloway proves once again to be one of the Blessed Mother’s great knights in our modern-day spiritual battle. His humble, joy-filled witness is inspiring! Along with the Sacraments of the Church and Sacred Scripture, Fr. Calloway knows exactly what we need to enhance and deepen our experience of grace in these crazy challenging times which we now live in – The Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary! For the restless contemplative heart, there is no place better to ponder the presence and mysteries of God than in Our Lady’s “garden of prayer.” In that prayer, she will bring us to encounter Christ, and through Him, with Him, and in Him, the world will be transformed. This fantastic book is like a multi-faceted diamond. In its pages, Fr. Calloway shares the rich history of the Holy Rosary, beautifully pious devotional reflections (with stunning artwork as well), and the stories of those whose lives encourage us to become champions of this devotion as well! This is a must have in every Catholic home and parish!

You can find the book here

“Champions of the Rosary is an encyclopedic and inspiring work on the rosary, the spiritual weapon that has been given to the Church. In a remarkable way, it presents the fascinating saga of the birth and development of the devotion so linked to the Dominican Order! This is a wonderful tool for better understanding the rosary, promoting its use, and championing it in our troubled world. I am certain that these pages will inspire us all to take up our rosary!” Fr. Louis-Marie Arino-Durand, OP. Promotor Generalis pro Rosario. Rome, Italy

“Champions of the Rosary is an extremely insightful, pious, and scholarly work on the rosary. Father Calloway’s insights and contributions into the history and heroes of the rosary will not go unnoticed or unappreciated.” — His Eminence Christoph Maria Cardinal Schonborn, OP, STD Archbishop of Vienna, Austria

IP#273 Fr. Christopher Collins S.J. – Three Moments of the Day on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:17 — 55.6MB) | Embed

“Three Moments of the Day: Praying with the Heart of Jesus” by Fr. Christopher Collins S.J. is outstanding!

Our conversation with Fr. Collins may leave you feeling that you’ve received a wonderful spiritual “booster shot”! What seemed old is beautifully new again. What we may have taken for granted is revealed to have delightfully renewing facets for us to explore. Highly, highly recommended!

From the book description:

On the strength of the Apostleship of Prayer’s worldwide reach, retreat master Christopher Collins introduces a powerful approach to both the Sacred Heart devotion and classic Ignatian spirituality.
In the tradition of Michael Gaitley’s bestselling 33 Days to Morning Glory, Three Moments of the Day presents a classic Catholic tradition in a way that is fresh and compelling. Jesuit retreat master Christopher Collins introduces three simple, yet powerful prayer habits that are at the foundation of both the Sacred Heart devotion and Ignatian spirituality and that assist the reader in turning intentionally toward the Sacred Heart of Christ. Readers are guided through morning offering, evening reflection, and how to ponder the gift of the Eucharist throughout the day.

You can find the book here

“Fr. Collins has written a dynamic and entertaining invitation to the Church: Let Jesus love us and heal us at the depth of our wounds. Here, in this accessible source, we can encounter the fire of the Sacred Heart, a fire of love searching for us all.” ––Deacon James Keating, Director of Theological Formation, Institute for Priestly Formation, Creighton University

“This simple yet profound program of three moments a day will bless all who undertake it. In this book, a rich spiritual content is conveyed in heartfelt and accessible language.” —Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., Author of The Discernment of Spirits

IP#294 Fr. Donald Haggerty – Contemplative Hunger on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:52 — 20.5MB) | Embed

“Contemplative Hunger” is a beautifully reflective expression of our experience with the “still, small voice of God”. Fr. Donald Haggerty, a priest of the Archdiocese of New York, has been a Professor of Moral Theology at St. Joseph’s Seminary in New York and Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Maryland. He has a long association as a spiritual director for Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. From this background, Fr. Haggerty writes about the value of silence, truth, and the need for interior surrender to God. He also illumines the link between contemplation and love for poverty and the poor. Fr. Haggerty identifies the longing of souls for a deeper contemplative encounter and the need to nurture it properly. A truly lovely work that could very well become a classic in spiritual writing.

You can find the book here

“A great invitation stirs within these pages to embark on the ultimate quest for God and holiness.”
— Fr. Augustine Di Noia, O.P.

“Fr. Haggerty provokes, encourages, and reassures Christians who struggle to remain faithful to prayer when the Lord seems to be silent. This work offers a very fresh, attractive, and compelling challenge, inviting readers to take heart, to expect more, and to give more to the Lord.” –Sr. Sara Butler, M.S.B.T.

“Father Haggerty reveals that the most active of saints found the wellspring of their energies in the prayer of contemplation, by developing the habit of talking to God, intimately.” –Fr. Romanus Cessario, O.P.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:37 — 19.8MB) | Embed

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:44 — 21.1MB) | Embed

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#137 Vivian Dudro – Sigrid Undset’s “Ida Elisabeth” on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:24 — 20.9MB) | Embed

IP#281 Vivian Dudro - Meriol Trevor's "Shadows and Images" on Inside the Pages 1 — Vivian Dudro

Vivian Dudro joins us once again to discuss Sigrid Undset, her life and her times, and some other works of this important author.

To say that Sigrid Undset is compelling would be an understatement. A Catholic convert, Nobel Prize-winning Norwegian novelist, her works invoke the poignancy of the fall and the hope that is found in the act of redemptive suffering. “Ida Elisabeth” is a tremendous work. Great literature helps us practice the virtues. We may never encounter the situations the characters do, but watching how they navigate through the emotions and morals of the moments, help us to exercise our own virtues and responses to the underlying sin that propels the characters forward…and helps us to avoid recognize in some way the traps laid before us.

You can find the book here

“Undset is a realist in the truest sense of the word. She sees the real world in which people face the bitter consequences of selfish choices and in which suffering is unavoidable and yet potentially redemptive. In her acclaimed historical fiction, Undset shows us that the acceptance of suffering is the beginning of wisdom and also, paradoxically, the path to peace and lasting joy.”
– Joseph Pearce, Author, The Quest for Shakespeare

IP#183 Dr. Regis Martin – Still Point: Loss, Longing and Our Search for God on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:37 — 21.1MB) | Embed

Dr. Regis Martin, as Dr. Scott Hahn has said, is “a sage for our times”. By presenting the truths of our faith with such beauty, he evangelizes directly the heart. Dr. Martin is a joy to read.

I didn’t want “Still Point: Loss, Longing and Our Search for God” to end. That is the mark of a great book for me…it is one I desire to return to over and over again. He offers the rich insights of the saints, poets, and philosophers, to direct us to the “still point” where “one encounters the mingling of past and future, grit and grace, man and God.” Wonderful, enchanting, poignant and compelling…don’t miss.

You can find the book here

“With the eloquence and poignancy of a poet, Regis Martin gets to the heart of life’s most urgent questions, forging a link between our ‘desperate desires’ and our “homesickness for God” in this profound and beautiful book.”–Rev. Peter John Cameron, O.P. , Editor-in-Chief, Magnificat

“Regis Martin is one of Catholicism’s trustworthy guides to the spiritual life in all its dimensions–including, as he demonstrates here, its hard and challenging dimensions.”–George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Center

“Regis Martin’s moving reflection on our death-haunted and restless search for God is both beautiful and bracing. Drawing on the profound imaginings of our poets and our theologians, Martin’s meditation takes place on the lip of the abyss as he shows us Who it is our hearts so restlessly long for.” —Gregory Erlandson, President, Our Sunday Visitor Publishing