In this episode of The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life, Kris McGregor reflects on the Tenth Degree of Humility from Chapter 7 of the Holy Rule. St. Benedict turns to the way a person conducts himself outwardly. By this stage in the ladder of humility, obedience, endurance, restraint and silence have already begun shaping the interior life. Now humility begins to appear in a person’s manner, in the steadiness with which he carries himself through ordinary life.

St. Benedict warns against behavior that becomes excessive, restless or foolish. His concern is not laughter itself but the loss of moderation that can disturb peace and distract the heart. When joking, noise or outward excitement take over, the soul easily becomes scattered. The Benedictine way encourages a joy that remains rooted and balanced rather than impulsive or disruptive.

This teaching speaks directly to daily life. In family life, friendships, workplaces and parish communities, outward behavior can either steady the atmosphere or unsettle it. The Tenth Degree of Humility invites listeners to cultivate moderation, warmth and self-command so that joy remains genuine and grounded. Looking to Christ as the model of ordered freedom, this degree reminds us that humility forms a presence that is calm, attentive and quietly joyful.

Benedict of Nursia, The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 7 § 57 (RB 1980)

“The tenth degree of humility is that one is not easily moved
and quick to laughter,
for it is written:
‘A fool raises his voice in laughter.’”

“Decimus humilitatis gradus est, si non sit facilis ac promptus in risu, quia scriptum est: Stultus in risu exaltat vocem suam.”

“For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool; this also is vanity.”

1. Do I notice moments when humor or joking begins to lose its balance or measure?
2. How does my outward behavior affect the peace of those around me?
3. Do I sometimes use humor or constant activity to avoid silence or discomfort?
4. What does steady and grounded joy look like in my daily life?
5. How can Christ’s example help shape a more balanced and attentive presence?

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:
Mark 12:28–34
One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that Jesus answered them well, he asked Him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Today we return again to the foundation of our faith: love of God and love of neighbor. These aren’t vague concepts or lofty aspirations—they are a way of life, lived out daily in real choices. In a world where division, indifference, and isolation often tempt us to retreat inward, Jesus calls us to open our hearts—to love God with everything we are, and to love our neighbor with compassion, intention, and generosity.

Prayer is essential in helping us discern what this love looks like in real time. Contemplative silence, the Examen, and Scripture reflection are the places where we listen. The sacraments, particularly Reconciliation and the Eucharist, give us the grace to act. But it is in action—in stepping into the messiness of human need—that we live the commandments most fully.

Love takes many forms. It may mean checking in on a lonely neighbor, advocating for someone who has no voice, offering forgiveness in a fractured relationship, or being generous with your time for someone in need. Sometimes it’s choosing to be present to your children or spouse when distractions beckon. Other times, it may be supporting those on the margins: the unhoused, the refugee, the isolated. These everyday actions, when rooted in love, become sacred.

Servants of God Catherine Doherty and Dorothy Day, as well as St. Teresa of Calcutta, lived this so powerfully. Each in their own way entered the suffering of others and made a home for them, whether in the streets, in a Catholic Worker house, or in a soup line. Their lives teach us that holiness is not removed from the world’s pain—it goes straight into it, with mercy and justice in hand.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux reminds us:

“True justice is not only in giving what is due, but in giving what is loving. For mercy, when rightly ordered, is justice perfected.”
(On the Song of Songs, Sermon 11)

And the Desert Father Abba Theodore of Pherme offers this challenge:

“If you are truly a brother, be like a column: others will lean on you.”
(Apophthegmata Patrum, Theodore 1)

Love is not always easy. It stretches us. But it is in this stretching that we are made more like Christ. Lent calls us to return to God with our whole heart and to let that returning bear visible fruit in how we care for others—especially those most in need.

And in the words of the Church’s liturgy, may our Lenten renewal send us forth with the strength to “go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life,” or as we are sometimes reminded, to “go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.” This is not the end of our prayer—it is where our prayer becomes action.

1. In what ways are you being called to return to God with your whole heart?
2. How do justice and mercy play out in your daily relationships?
3. Where can your love grow deeper—toward God, toward others, or even toward yourself?

Lord, You have commanded us to love You with all that we are, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Help us return to You with sincerity and strength. Cleanse our hearts of anything that divides us from You or from one another. Teach us to live in love that is both just and merciful, and to find joy in serving You in the least of our brothers and sisters.

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.

As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord.

Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over”

Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart…

From the Holy Gospel of St. Luke 18:9-14

Jesus spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else: ‘Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood there and said this prayer to himself, “I thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous like the rest of mankind, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes on all I get.” The tax collector stood some distance away, not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven; but he beat his breast and said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’

What word made this passage come alive for you?

What did you sense the Lord saying to you?

Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:

Jesus spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else: ‘Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood there and said this prayer to himself, “I thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous like the rest of mankind, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes on all I get.” The tax collector stood some distance away, not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven; but he beat his breast and said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’

What did your heart feel as you listened?

What did you sense the Lord saying to you?

Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:

Jesus spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else: ‘Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood there and said this prayer to himself, “I thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous like the rest of mankind, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes on all I get.” The tax collector stood some distance away, not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven; but he beat his breast and said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’

What touched your heart in this time of prayer?

What did your heart feel as you prayed?

What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

Amen

In this episode of The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life, Kris McGregor reflects on the Ninth Degree of Humility in Chapter 7 of the Holy Rule. St. Benedict turns to restraint in speech, showing how humility appears in the way a person speaks and in the choice to remain silent. Words have real power. They can encourage, clarify and strengthen, but they can also wound, unsettle and damage relationships. The Benedictine way teaches that humility governs speech so that words serve truth, charity and prudence.

St. Benedict is not condemning speech itself. Rather, he is addressing speech that is impulsive, unnecessary or poorly timed. A restrained tongue allows words to carry their proper weight. It creates space for listening and for discernment. In this way, humility forms a heart that speaks thoughtfully and listens attentively instead of reacting immediately.

This wisdom extends well beyond the monastery. In marriage, family life, the workplace and parish communities, the discipline of speech shapes the atmosphere of daily life. When words are governed by prudence and charity, they become a source of encouragement and clarity. Following the example of Christ, who spoke when it served truth and remained silent when speech would not serve love, the Ninth Degree of Humility invites listeners to discover the strength found in restraint and attentive listening.

Benedict of Nursia, The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 7 § 56 (RB 1980)

“The ninth degree of humility is that a monk restrain his tongue
and keep silence,
not speaking unless asked.”

“Nonus humilitatis gradus est, si linguam suam ad loquendum retineat, et taciturnitatem custodiat, non loquens nisi interrogatus.”

“Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”

1. When do I tend to speak impulsively instead of allowing time for reflection?

2. How might greater restraint in speech change the atmosphere of my relationships?

3. Do I truly listen when others speak, or do I quickly interrupt or respond?

4. Where might silence allow truth, charity and prudence to guide my words more carefully?

5. How does Christ’s example of both speaking and remaining silent challenge the way I use words?

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 of The Great Works in Western Literature, Kris McGregor and Joseph Pearce explore Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, one of the most brilliant satirical works in Western literature. Through the strange voyages of Lemuel Gulliver, Swift exposes the intellectual fashions of the Enlightenment, particularly the growing confidence that science and human reason alone could replace the wisdom of philosophy and theology. Pearce explains that Swift, an ordained Christian minister, uses satire to challenge the pride of modern thinking and defend the moral and philosophical foundations of Christian civilization.

The discussion reveals that Gulliver’s Travels is far more than a children’s adventure story. Swift’s strange lands and exaggerated characters reveal deeper truths about pride, political corruption, scientism, and the dangers of abandoning tradition. By presenting Gulliver himself as a flawed and often foolish observer, Swift invites readers to reflect on the human condition and the need for virtue, humility, and sound moral reasoning. Pearce shows how the novel remains strikingly relevant today, offering timeless insight into the dangers of ideological extremes and the importance of reading great literature to sharpen both intellect and moral judgment.

1. Gulliver’s Travels uses satire to expose the pride and foolishness of human society. What aspects of human pride does Swift reveal through Gulliver’s journeys?
2. Swift challenges the belief that science and human reason alone can solve every human problem. Why is it important to balance scientific progress with moral and philosophical wisdom?
3. Throughout the story, Gulliver believes he is becoming wiser, yet his pride often blinds him to truth. How can pride prevent us from recognizing our own weaknesses?
4. Swift presents exaggerated societies to reveal real human problems. Which of the societies Gulliver encounters seems most similar to issues we face in the modern world?
5. Joseph Pearce explains that great literature allows us to learn from many lives beyond our own. How can reading works like Gulliver’s Travels deepen our understanding of human nature?
6. At the end of the story, Gulliver’s pride isolates him even from his own family. What does this reveal about the dangers of intellectual arrogance or moral superiority?

A native of England, Joseph Pearce is the internationally acclaimed author of many books, which include bestsellers such as The Quest for Shakespeare, Tolkien: Man and Myth, The Unmasking of Oscar Wilde, C. S. Lewis and The Catholic Church, Literary Converts, Wisdom and Innocence: A Life of G.K. Chesterton, Solzhenitsyn: A Soul in Exile and Old Thunder: A Life of Hilaire Belloc. His books have been published and translated into Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch, Italian, Korean, Mandarin, Croatian and Polish.

He has hosted two 13-part television series about Shakespeare on EWTN, and has also written and presented documentaries on EWTN on the Catholicism of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. His verse drama, Death Comes for the War Poets, was performed off-Broadway to critical acclaim. He has participated and lectured at a wide variety of international and literary events at major colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, Britain, Europe, Africa and South America.

He is Visiting Professor of Literature at Ave Maria University and Visiting Chair of Catholic Studies at Thomas More College of Liberal Arts (Merrimack, New Hampshire). He is editor of the St. Austin Review, series editor of the Ignatius Critical Editions, senior instructor with Homeschool Connections, and senior contributor at the Imaginative Conservative and Crisis Magazine. His personal website is www.jpearce.co.

In this episode of The Holy Rule of St. Benedict: A Spiritual Path for Today’s World, Kris McGregor and Fr. Mauritius Wilde, OSB, reflect on St. Benedict’s guidance on prayer and the place of singing in the spiritual life, particularly as expressed in Chapter 19 of the Rule. While silence prepares the heart to listen, St. Benedict also calls monks to raise their voices in song. Singing the Psalms becomes a powerful way to express what is in the heart and to enter the presence of God and His angels consciously. The goal is not musical perfection but authenticity, allowing one’s voice and mind to be in harmony as prayer is offered to God.

Fr. Mauritius explains that singing is deeply connected to the human person. It engages memory, emotion, and prayer in ways ordinary speech often cannot. Through the Psalms and the songs found throughout Scripture, the believer learns to bring every mood and experience before God. Singing becomes a remedy for sadness, a way to overcome fear, and a means of drawing closer to the Lord. St. Benedict’s wisdom reminds us that the voice lifted in praise helps open the heart, allowing the soul to encounter God more deeply.

We believe that God is present everywhere and that the eyes of the Lord behold the good and the bad in every place (cf Prov 15:3). Let us firmly believe this, especially when we take part in the Work of God. Let us, therefore, always be mindful of what the Prophet saith, “Serve ye the Lord with fear” (Ps 2:11). And again, “Sing ye wisely” (Ps 46[47]:8). And, “I will sing praise to Thee in the sight of the angels” (Ps 137[138]:1). Therefore, let us consider how it becometh us to behave in the sight of God and His angels, and let us so stand to sing, that our mind may be in harmony with our voice.

1. St. Benedict teaches that our minds and voices should be in harmony when we sing the Psalms. What does this unity of heart and voice mean in my own prayer life?
2. How comfortable am I expressing prayer openly to God, whether through song, spoken prayer, or quiet praise?
3. Have I ever experienced how music or singing can lift the heart during moments of sadness or discouragement?
4. In what ways might the Psalms help me bring my real emotions and struggles before God?
5. How could incorporating sacred music or psalm prayer deepen my daily relationship with the Lord?
6. Where might God be inviting me to become more open and vulnerable in prayer?

Father Mauritius Wilde, OSB, Ph.D., did his philosophical, theological, and doctoral studies in Europe. He is the author of several books and directs retreats regularly. He serves as Prior at Sant’Anselmo in Rome.

Reflecting and deeply meditating on the Passion of the Christ, Deacon Keating guides us through the 9th station (Jesus fall a 3rd time), the 10th station (Jesus is stripped of His garments), and the 11th station (Jesus is nailed to the Cross) along the Way of the Cross.

Deacon James Keating reflects on the ninth station, where Christ falls for the third time, as a moment that mirrors the exhaustion and discouragement people encounter in their own suffering. Lying on the ground beneath the weight of the cross, Christ enters fully into the experience of repeated failure and weakness. Even when suffering returns after one thought it had passed, Christ remains present in that place of collapse. Rising again comes through the love shared between the Father and the Son, a communion that also lives within the baptized. From that interior relationship with God, a person can rise again and continue living out their vocation despite fatigue, pain, or disappointment.

In the following stations, Christ’s stripping and crucifixion reveal a profound surrender. When he is stripped of his garments, his vulnerability exposes both human innocence and the contrast with humanity’s guilt, recalling the difference between Adam hiding in shame and Christ standing openly before the world. The crucifixion deepens this self-gift as Christ’s wounds become openings through which love is poured out. Personal wounds can also become places where God works most deeply, transforming suffering into holiness and communion with him. Rather than hiding pain, bringing it to Christ allows those wounds to become reminders of a history shared with God, where suffering becomes a path to intimacy rather than isolation.

1. When I experience repeated failure or exhaustion in life, how do I recognize Christ lying beside me in that place of weakness?
2. What suffering in my life has returned unexpectedly, and how might Christ be inviting me to encounter him there again?
3. How does remembering my identity as a beloved son or daughter of the Father help me rise after discouragement?
4. In what situations have I been forced to surrender control, and what did those moments reveal about my character and trust in God?
5. When circumstances strip away my security or dignity, how do I remain rooted in my identity in Christ?
6. Where in my life do I feel the deepest wounds, and have I allowed Christ to enter that place of pain?
7. Do I tend to hide my wounds in shame or fear, or do I bring them honestly before the Lord in prayer?
8. How might the painful events of my past become signs of God’s presence and work in my life?
9. What would it mean for me to let Christ transform my suffering into deeper holiness and intimacy with him?
10. How can reflecting on Christ’s surrender on the cross shape the way I carry my own crosses each day?

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