Lent Archives

PoC-12 2nd Sunday of Lent: The Power of the Cross Lenten Meditation

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The Cross of Christ Unites. . .the Temporal and Eternal

The Way of Perfection by St. Teresa of Avila - Audio Mp3 Audio 3 Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—How does the “light” of Christ shine into the darkness of my world?

Seek—At every moment of the day say with St. Peter, “Lord, it is good that we are here!” Realize that when we follow Jesus we see the cross in a new light; we see everything anew where once we could only curse the darkness.

Knock—Meditate on 2 Peter 1:17-19.

He was honoured and glorified by God the Father, when the Sublime Glory itself spoke to him and said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour’. We heard this ourselves, spoken from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain. So we have confirmation of what was said in prophecies; and you will be right to depend on prophecy and take it as a lamp for lighting a way through the dark until the dawn comes and the morning star rises in your minds.

What is the “power” that St. Peter speaks of as it relates to the Transfiguration?

What would happen if you followed his advice to keep the Transfiguration before you as a “lamp shining in a dark place”?

Transform Your Life—Many times we think of our lives as a combination of missed opportunities and mistakes with a few good choices. Applying the lesson of the Transfiguration challenges us to not be so quick to judge negatively but to take a more accepting view of the cross in our own lives. “It is good that we are here” right now, where we are—no matter how it might seem to us at the moment.

The author of The Power of the Cross: Applying the Passion of Christ in Your Life, Michael Dubriuel, passed away in 2009. His wife, author Amy Welborn, has made his book available as a free e-book! We HIGHLY encourage you to download this exceptional work.

The Power of the Cross is now available as a free e-book,
check out more information by going here

Check out more at the Discerning Hearts’ Michael Dubruiel page

PoC-11 1st Saturday of Lent: The Power of the Cross Lenten Meditation

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The Cross of Christ Teaches Us. . .How to Love

The-Cross Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask——Do I allow God to love through me?

Seek—Keep before you the image of Jesus forgiving those who nailed him on the cross and see everyone with whom you come into contact through Christ. Think about how Christ died for those people and how precious they are as children of God, the same God who loves you

Knock—Meditate on 1 John 4:11–12.

My dear people, since God has loved us so much, we too should love one another. No one has ever seen God; but as long as we love one another God will live in us and his love will be complete in us.

Are there people whom you do not love? Ask God to fill you with his love. What does the Father see in these people that you don’t? Ask God to heal you of any painful scars that you still suffer from what others might have done to you. Ask Jesus to touch his wounds from his crucifixion to your own woundedness, that it may become a source of blessing.

Transform Your Life—Put God first in your life. Realize that you can love your spouse, your children, your friends, and your enemies only to the degree that you keep God first. We tend not to expect others to be perfect if we worship the only One who is perfect.

The Power of the Cross is now available as a free e-book,
check out more information by going here

Check out more at the Discerning Hearts’ Michael Dubruiel page

PoC-10 1st Friday of Lent: The Power of the Cross Lenten Meditation

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The Cross of Christ Teaches Us. . .Reconciliation

The-Cross Steps to Take as You Follow Chris

Ask—Is there anyone I do not love? In what way can I allow the love of Christ to control me?

Seek—Allow the image of the cross of Christ, the price Jesus paid to redeem all creation, to dominate your thoughts when you find yourself growing angry at someone. Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to be reconciled to those who have hurt you.

Knock—Meditate on 2 Corinthians 5:14–15.

The love of Christ overwhelms us when we reflect that if one man has died for all, then all men should be dead; and the reason he died for all was so that living men should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised to life for them.

What controls you? What motivates you from the moment of your rising to the point when you take your rest at night? Dwelling on Paul’s words, ask the Lord to fill you with his love so that it may be the controlling force in your life.

Transform Your Life—Jesus told his disciples to be reconciled before coming to the altar with their sacrifice. If we carry anger or sin we need to be reconciled to Christ before coming to receive him in the Eucharist. This may mean making contact with people whom we have hurt and asking their forgiveness. We should also go to confession regularly, so that Holy Communion is a true sign of communion with God and all his creatures.

The Power of the Cross is now available as a free e-book,
check out more information by going here

Check out more at the Discerning Hearts’ Michael Dubruiel page

PoC-9 1st Thursday of Lent: The Power of the Cross Lenten Meditation

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The Cross of Christ Teaches Us. . .How to Trust and Give Thanks

The-Cross Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—What do I need from God to follow Jesus more closely?

Seek—As the day progresses, when you find yourself impatient, unloving, judgmental, lustful, or anything that strikes you as against the gospel of Jesus, ask God for the gift that will help you to be more like Christ.

Knock—Meditate on James 1:17.

It is all that is good, everything that is perfect, which is given us from above; it comes down from the Father of all light; with him there is no such thing as alteration, no shadow of a change.

Review the course of your life and try to discern the goodness of God.

Spend some time giving thanks to God for how he has led you, even “through the valley of the shadow of death” to this moment.

Transform Your Life—Try to make it a practice to “ask, seek, and knock” in your relationship with God. See that relationship as something that happens with every breath you take. Speak to God often!

The Power of the Cross is now available as a free e-book,
check out more information by going here

Check out more at the Discerning Hearts’ Michael Dubruiel page

PoC-8 1st Wednesday of Lent: The Power of the Cross Lenten Meditation

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The Cross of Christ Teaches Us. . . About Repentance

The-Cross Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—Where do I need to repent most in my life?

Seek—Monitor your thoughts and hold them up against the standard of the gospel. Do your love and forgiveness have limi- tations or conditions? Ask the Lord to teach you true repentance of mind and heart.

Knock—Meditate on 1 Corinthians 1:22–24.

And so, while the Jews demand miracles and the Greeks look for wisdom, here are we preaching a crucified Christ; to the Jews an obstacle that they cannot get over, to the pagans’ madness, but to those who have been called, whether they are Jews or Greeks, a Christ who is the power and the wisdom of God.

How might you experience the power and wisdom of God in the cross by embracing the gospel more completely?

Transform Your Life—Make a daily examination of conscience, paying special attention to your attitudes throughout the day, and asking the Holy Spirit to make you more like Christ.

The Power of the Cross is now available as a free e-book,
check out more information by going here

Check out more at the Discerning Hearts’ Michael Dubruiel page

PoC-7 1st Tuesday of Lent: The Power of the Cross Lenten Meditation

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The Cross of Christ Teaches Us. . . How to Pray

The-Cross Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—How can my prayer better reflect what is going on in my life at the present moment?

Seek—Try praying for an extended period of time in the orans position. Ask Our Lord to teach you this lesson from the cross, so that your prayer might always be heartfelt.

Knock—Meditate on Hebrews 5:7

During his life on earth, he offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears, to the one who had the power to save him out of death, and he submitted so humbly that his prayer was heard.

How might your prayer become more like the prayer of Christ?

Transform Your Life—Foster a sense of God’s presence before you begin any prayer. Speak to God from your heart, then listen. God is the most important being with whom you will ever speak.

The Power of the Cross is now available as a free e-book,
check out more information by going here

Check out more at the Discerning Hearts’ Michael Dubruiel page

PoC-6 1st Monday of Lent: The Power of the Cross Lenten Meditation

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The Cross of Christ Teaches Us. . . to Live the Gospel

The-Cross Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—Where have I encountered Christ “in the least of my brethren”?

Seek—Make an effort to see Christ in the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, or imprisoned. Try to reach out to those no one else notices.

Knock—Meditate on Romans 2:13-16

It is not listening to the Law but keeping it that will make people holy in the sight of God. For instance, pagans who never heard of the Law but are led by reason to do what the Law commands, may not actually ‘possess’ the Law, but they can be said to ‘be’ the Law. They can point to the substance of the Law engraved on their hearts – they can call a witness, that is, their own conscience – they have accusation and defence, that is, their own inner mental dialogue…on the day when, according to the Good News I preach, God, through Jesus Christ, judges the secrets of mankind.

What are the secrets of your life that will be brought to judgment? How can you be more of a doer rather than just a listener of the Law of God?

Transform Your Life—

Expect to meet Christ daily, first in the bread that is broken at Mass and then in the people who cross your path. See nothing as chance but everything as somehow fitting into the mysterious plan of God.

The Power of the Cross is now available as a free e-book,
check out more information by going here

Check out more at the Discerning Hearts’ Michael Dubruiel page

PoC-5 1st Sunday of Lent: The Power of the Cross Lenten Meditation

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The Cross of Christ Teaches Us. . . Our Mission

The-Cross Steps to Take as You Follow Christ

Ask—What temptations do I find it hardest to resist? How might this reveal God’s intended purpose for you?

Seek—Reject sin. Learn to see in your temptations a perversion of God’s plan for you. Try to discern what it is that God might be calling you to do by looking at the areas of your life where you are most tempted.

Knock—Meditate on Numbers 22:32-33

And the angel of the Lord said to him, ‘Why did you beat your donkey three times like that? I myself had come to bar your way; while I am here, your road is blocked. The donkey saw me and turned aside from me three times. You are lucky she did turn aside, or I should have killed you by now, though I would have spared her. ‘Balaam answered the angel of Yahweh, ‘I have sinned. I did not know you were standing in my path. However, if you are angry with me, I will go back.’ The angel of Yahweh answered Balaam, ‘Go with these men, but only say what I tell you to say.’ So Balaam went with the chiefs sent by Balak.

How does Balaam’s donkey differ from the prophet with respect to discerning the path God wanted them to take? Are you more like the donkey or the prophet?

Transform Your Life—Sometimes we live as though God does not see us, yet we know that God is always present, whether or not we acknowledge him. Look over your life and try to see where God has revealed himself at various moments in your life. Then move confidently into the future, assured of God’s providential care for you.

The Power of the Cross is now available as a free e-book,
check out more information by going here

Check out more at the Discerning Hearts’ Michael Dubruiel page

PoC-4 Saturday after Ash Wednesday: The Power of the Cross Lenten Meditation

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Saturday after Ash Wednesday

A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH

Steps to Take as You Follow Christ sf_deathdefeated_03

Ask—How does viewing Jesus as my savior from death help me to face head-on the deaths of loved ones and even my own death?

Seek—Fast from passing judgment on anyone today. Realize in this little dying to yourself you are opening yourself to see others as God sees them.

Knock—Meditate on Revelation 1:17-18

When I saw him, I fell in a dead faint at his feet, but he touched me with his right hand and said, ‘Do not be afraid; it is I, the First and the Last; I am the Living One, I was dead and now I am to live for ever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and of the underworld.

Imagine Jesus touching you with his right hand and lifting you up from your death. What other areas of your life are dominated by death rather than the life of Christ Ask Our Lord to free you from all death.

Transform Your Life—Do not shy away from death. Attend the funerals of loved ones and use the experience to engage your faith in Christ. Pray for others, ask the saints to pray for you, seeing in them living examples of the promise of Christ to save us from death.

The author of The Power of the Cross: Applying the Passion of Christ in Your Life, Michael Dubriuel, passed away in 2009. His wife, author Amy Welborn, has made his book available as a free e-book 61189_profile_pic1-213x300 ! We HIGHLY encourage you to download this exceptional work.

The Power of the Cross is now available as a free e-book,
check out more information by going here

Check out more at the Discerning Hearts’ Michael Dubruiel page

SC-1 – The 1st and 2nd Stations – Stations of the Cross with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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The 1st and 2nd Stations – Stations of the Cross with Deacon James Keating

Deacon James Keating reflects on the Stations of the Cross as a profound meditation on Christ’s suffering and its connection to human woundedness. Through this devotion, believers unite their burdens with Christ, allowing His love to transform their struggles into a path of salvation. The first station, Jesus’ condemnation, reveals His silent acceptance of injustice, a model for enduring suffering in communion with God. Pilate represents those who reject truth for self-preservation, while Jesus remains steadfast in His mission. His silence before Pilate and His choice to embrace the cross demonstrate perfect love, teaching that God enters even the darkest places of human suffering to ensure no one is abandoned.

As Jesus receives the cross, Dcn. Keating highlights medieval writings that portray Him as willingly taking it, seeing it as the culmination of His love for humanity. His embrace of suffering stands in contrast to human tendencies to resist crosses in life. The lack of compassion from those placing the cross on Him reflects the tendency to project guilt onto others rather than face personal sin. Jesus receives every aspect of human experience, including jeers and rejection, so that all may be reconciled in His love.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

How does uniting our personal burdens with Christ’s suffering in the Stations of the Cross deepen our understanding of redemption?
In what ways do we, like Pilate, struggle to acknowledge and stand by the truth when it challenges our self-interest?
How does Jesus’ silence before His accusers reveal the depth of His love and obedience to the Father?
What fears or attachments keep us from embracing our own crosses with trust in God’s will?
How does Jesus’ willingness to carry the cross inspire us to accept suffering as a means of sanctification?
In what areas of our lives have we “washed our hands” of responsibility instead of courageously choosing truth?
How can we cultivate a spirit of humility and surrender, following Jesus’ example in His Passion?
What role does the Holy Spirit play in helping us bear our own trials with faith and perseverance?
How does reflecting on Jesus’ rejection and suffering help us approach our own experiences of betrayal and loneliness?
In what ways can we pray for the grace to receive and carry our crosses with the same love that Christ showed?

Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO.

Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” page