In this episode of The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life, Kris McGregor reflects on Chapter 20 of the Holy Rule, where St. Benedict teaches about personal prayer. After forming the heart through obedience, humility and the rhythm of liturgical life, St. Benedict turns to the way a person approaches God in prayer. He teaches that humility, reverence and attention matter more than many words.

St. Benedict draws on a simple human experience. When we approach someone in authority, we become more careful in how we speak. In the same way, prayer requires an awareness of before whom we stand. This reverence is not fear but a steady recognition of God’s presence. It leads to prayer that is sincere, attentive and free from unnecessary words. The heart learns that prayer is not about explaining everything perfectly, but about turning honestly toward God.

This teaching flows from the earlier chapters of the Rule, where the Divine Office and the psalms shape the soul in a rhythm of prayer. Over time, this forms a heart that is less rushed and more attentive. St. Benedict invites us to pause, to become aware of God’s presence and to let prayer arise from humility rather than anxiety. In this way, even brief prayer becomes deep and real. Following Christ, who taught His disciples to pray with simplicity and trust, this chapter reveals that the most faithful prayer is one offered with a humble and attentive heart.

Benedict of Nursia, The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 20 (RB 1980)

Whenever we want to ask some favor of a powerful person, we do it humbly and respectfully, for fear of presumption. How much more important, then, to lay our petitions before the Lord God of all things with the utmost humility and sincere devotion. We must know that God regards our purity of heart and tears of compunction, not our many words. Prayer should therefore be short and pure, unless perhaps it is prolonged under the inspiration of divine grace. In community, however, prayer should always be brief; and when the superior gives the signal, all should rise together.”

Si, cum hominibus potentibus volumus aliqua suggerere, non praesumimus nisi cum humilitate et reverentia,quanto magis Domino Deo universorum cum omni humilitate et puritatis devotione supplicandum est. Et non in multiloquio, sed in puritate cordis et compunctione lacrimarum nos exaudiri sciamus. Et ideo brevis debet esse et pura oratio, nisi forte ex affectu inspirationis divinae gratiae protendatur. In conventu tamen omnino brevietur oratio, et facto signo a priore omnes pariter surgant.

“And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words.”

1. Do I take time to become aware of God’s presence before I begin to pray?

2. Do I feel the need to fill prayer with many words instead of resting in quiet attention?

3. How does humility shape the way I approach God in prayer?

4. In what ways can I grow in reverence and simplicity in my daily prayer?

5. What might it look like for my prayer to become more attentive and less hurried?

Copyright © 2026 Kris McGregor. All rights reserved. No portion of this content may be reproduced, distributed, published, or transmitted in any form, including audio, print, or digital media, without prior written permission from Discerning Hearts®.

Scripture Reading:

John 5:17–30

Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, and I also am working.” For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God His own Father, thereby making Himself equal to God.

Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on His own, but only what He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. The Father loves the Son and shows Him all that He Himself is doing… Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever He wishes… I can do nothing on My own. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I seek to do not My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.”

As we continue through the Gospel of John, L He speaks openly of divine intimacy, of love and obedience, of authority and life. “My Father is still working, and I also am working.” What work is this? It is the work of mercy. The work of healing. The work of calling the dead to life.

So much of Lent is a return to that core relationship: Are we living in the Father’s love? Are we cooperating with His mercy? We do not live this life of faith on our own. Like Jesus, we are invited to see what the Father is doing—in us, around us, and through us—and join Him in that mission.

This takes prayer. It takes surrender. It takes discernment. And it often takes courage. Because the will of God will almost always lead us deeper into communion with others, deeper into compassion, and deeper into the mystery of love that sacrifices for the sake of the other.

St. Ignatius of Loyola offers us a practical lens for this:

“We must make ourselves indifferent to all created things… so that we desire and choose only what is more conducive to the end for which we are created.”
(Spiritual Exercises, Principle and Foundation)

We are created to love, to serve, and to return to the Father. The Son reveals this. And Lent renews it.

The Desert Father Abba Isaac taught:

“Do not say that God is just. God is love and mercy manifest in justice. He is not the rewarder of good only but the merciful restorer of the fallen.”
(Conference 1, Cassian)

This is what Jesus reveals—God is not only a judge, but a Father who brings life out of death, mercy out of failure, and grace out of dryness.

So today, let us ask ourselves: where do we need to see the Father at work in our lives? And are we willing to say, like Jesus, “I seek not my own will, but the will of Him who sent me”?

1. Where in your life is the Father gently inviting you to trust more deeply?

2. What “work of mercy” is God calling you to join in—perhaps with someone who is hurting or isolated?

3. How can prayer help you discern and follow the will of God more freely?

Father of Mercy, Your Son did only what He saw You doing. Help me to open my heart to Your work in my life. May I not act on my own, but seek to cooperate with Your will through prayer, humility, and trust. Lead me by the hand of Jesus, and fill me with the Spirit that I too may bring life and healing to others. Amen.

This reflection is written by Kris McGregor of Discerning Hearts®. The Scripture passage is taken from the Jerusalem Bible (1966 edition), used with permission. No unauthorized use or reproduction is permitted without prior written consent.

Day 2: Mary, Cause of Our Joy Rejoice!

The Lord is with you. (Luke I:28)

Let us pray:

Lord God, You were pleased to bring joy to the world through the incarnation of Your Son. You sacrificed Your Son in order to save our souls and enjoy life everlasting. Grant that we, who honor His Mother, the cause of our joy, may always walk in the way of Your commandments with our hearts set on true and lasting joy. Moreover, grant us the grace to share that joy found deep in the words and actions of Mary with everyone we meet. Show us the true joy of living the gospel life – even in our deepest suffering – for You have given Mary the power of helping the miserable. Father of mercy and God of all consolation, grant in Your loving kindness that we who joyfully venerate Mary, as our comforter, may deserve to enjoy the unending happiness of heaven with her. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Jesus, for our salvation You willingly humbled Yourself, becoming Man in the womb of the Virgin Mother, grant me through the mystery of Your holy Incarnation the virtue of humility that I may ever please God as Your Mother did, by meekness and lowliness in this world, and be exalted by You in eternity.

Mary, dear Mother of my Savior, I greet you and I thank you for having received the message of the Archangel Gabriel: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee” (Luke I:28) and for having answered with your consent, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38) Intercede for me that God the Father, who accepted you as His Daughter and the Mother of His Son because of your humility at the Annunciation, may accept me as His humble child. Amen

In this episode of The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life, Kris McGregor reflects on the Twelfth Degree of Humility in Chapter 7 of the Holy Rule. St. Benedict concludes the ladder of humility by describing how the virtue becomes visible in the whole person. What has been formed interiorly through obedience, restraint, endurance, and truthfulness begins to appear outwardly in bearing, manner, and presence.

St. Benedict is not describing a religious pose or an affected way of acting. Rather, he is showing what happens when grace has gradually shaped a person over time. Humility becomes natural. The way a person stands, listens, speaks, and moves through daily life begins to reflect a heart steadied by fidelity to God. This outward composure is not performance but the visible fruit of interior conversion.

This teaching extends far beyond the monastery. In family life, work, friendship, and prayer, a person’s manner can either disturb peace or quietly strengthen it. A recollected and steady presence can encourage trust and charity in others. Looking to Christ, whose humility permeated every aspect of His life, the Twelfth Degree of Humility reveals the final aim of St. Benedict’s teaching: a unity of heart and life where grace shapes both the interior soul and the outward way a person lives among others.

Benedict of Nursia, The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 7 § 62-63 (RB 1980)

“The twelfth degree of humility is that a monk always manifest humility in his bearing,
not only in his heart, but also in his very body,
so that it may be evident at the Work of God,
in the oratory, the monastery, the garden,
on a journey or in the field,
sitting, walking or standing.”

“Duodecimus humilitatis gradus est, si monachus non solum corde, sed etiam ipso corpore humilitatem omnibus semper manifestet, id est in opere Dei, in oratorio, in monasterio, in horto, in via, in agro, vel ubiubi sedens, ambulans vel stans.”

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness and patience.”

1. In what ways does my outward manner reflect what is happening within my heart?
2. Do I notice moments when agitation, impatience or self-display affect my presence with others?
3. How might greater recollection and steadiness help bring peace to those around me?
4. What outward habits might help reinforce a more attentive and prayerful interior life?
5. How does Christ’s humility guide the way I carry myself in ordinary moments?

Copyright © 2026 Kris McGregor. All rights reserved. No portion of this content may be reproduced, distributed, published, or transmitted in any form, including audio, print, or digital media, without prior written permission from Discerning Hearts®.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” page