Deep in Christ: Recent Episodes
The Coming Home Network: A Network of Catholic Converts
Deep in Christ is a conversation about the daily task of growing deeper in imitation of and in relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. We will discuss topics such as prayer, devotion, spiritual study, and growth in virtue, all with an eye towards practical implementation, whatever the vocation or state of life we find ourselves in.
JonMarc Grodi welcomes Nathan Wigfield from the Saint Thomas More House of Prayer to discuss his journey to the Catholic Faith, and the ways that his discovery of Catholic prayer helped nurture the Christian faith he'd been given in his faithful Presbyterian background.
Nathan and JonMarc especially discuss the power of praying the Liturgy of the Hours, the depth of the Psalms, and the importance of establishing consistent habits of prayer.
More about Nathan's work: https://www.liturgyofthehours.org
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Seth Horton came from a strong Christian background, which included a significant emphasis on personal purity. Embedded in all that was the assumptions that Catholics weren't real Christians; that they'd either been deceived, or were willfully distorting Scripture.
When he met his future wife, a Catholic, his conversations with her helped him begin to see that much of what he thought he knew about Catholicism was based on rumor and misunderstanding. But it was through his discovery of Theology of the Body that he found a robust and life-giving anthropology that went far deeper than the prohibitions of Purity Culture, and gave him a Christian language and lens for understanding man, woman, and the world.
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Michelle Paine came from Presbyterian roots, and went on to pursue a degree in the visual arts at Gordon College.
While studying abroad, she immersed herself in the history of Christian art, and began to meet Catholics, who helped her to better understand not only her identity as an artist, but also as a Christian.
Michelle shares with JonMarc Grodi how her work as a painter has helped her grow in her relationship with Christ, and how the intersection of truth, beauty, and goodness helps draw the heart to God.
Find Michelle's art: https://www.michellepaine.com
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If we are to continue to grow along the journey of prayer, virtue, and vocation, it is essential that we examine our consciences regularly, in conversation with God, so as to follow the path He has laid out for us in prudence and holiness.
JonMarc Grodi discusses the Christian practice of the General and Particular examination of conscience, and how saints like Josemaria Escriva and Ignatius of Loyola show us that these help us to play both offense and defense in the spiritual life as we grow in our relationship with God.
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Nick De La Torre was raised in a Catholic family, but through his teenage years into young adulthood, he wandered through something of a spiritual desert, sampling Protestant and Unitarian congregations along the way.
He shares how his interest in music and talent for it shaped his sense of himself during that time, and how meeting his future wife gave him a new perspective on faith and his identity in God.
Nick talks to JonMarc Grodi about some of the ways his experience of marriage, fatherhood, and working in Catholic evangelization have formed him in his relationship with the Lord since returning to the Catholic Faith.
Learn about Nick's work: https://www.awakencatholic.org
More of Nick's story: https://chnetwork.org/journey-home/nick-de-la-torre-former-unitarian-catholic-revert/
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There were many aspects of Rakhi McCormick's upbringing as a Hindu that uniquely prepared her to be open to the ideas she would encounter in Christianity, from the value of feasting and fasting, to the idea of the Communion of Saints.
Rakhi shares how her encounters with Christians throughout her life helped prepare her for a Eucharistic encounter with Jesus, and how she leans on the friendship of the saints today as she seeks to grow in her relationship with God.
More of Rakhi's story: https://chnetwork.org/journey-home/rakhi-mccormick-former-hindu/
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JonMarc Grodi talks to former Methodist pastor Keith Nester about how his relationship with Christ has continued to grow since entering the Catholic Church.
They discuss many topics, from the process that led Keith to become Catholic, to the prayers and devotions that Keith has come to love since entering the Church.
Keith talks specifically about how receiving Jesus in the Eucharist has transformed his Christian life, and what he has learned about what it means to have a relationship with Jesus through the sacraments that He established.
More of Keith's work: https://www.youtube.com/c/KeithNester
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Kerstin Pakka thought that by getting an abortion, she had committed a sin that God couldn't forgive.
She shares how she was able to bring all of her experiences -- including the ones she was most ashamed of -- to the healing mercy of Jesus, and how she is able now to use her experience of abortion to help others like herself who are seeking love and mercy.
Find out more about Kerstin's work: https://www.hopeafterabortion.com
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Evangelical Christians often talk about the importance of having a personal relationship with Jesus. But is that something that Catholics can experience as well?
JonMarc Grodi talks with Richard Lane, a Catholic convert who grew up the son of an NFL Hall of Famer and a Coca Cola model, about how he strayed from the faith his parents tried to instill in him, and how important it was for him to share his Christian faith with others once he rediscovered it.
Richard also shares some thoughts on evangelization, prayer, and the necessity of treating our faith as much more than something we participate in for an hour on Sunday mornings.
Richard's site: https://www.richardlaneministries.com
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JonMarc Grodi is joined by former Lutheran pastor Billy Kangas to talk about Billy's journey to the Catholic Faith, and how entering the Church was just the beginning of a much larger story.
Billy shares how his desire to grow deeper in his relationship with Christ led him to the doorstep of the Catholic Church, and shares some of the spiritual riches he's discovered since becoming Catholic that have helped him to grow stronger as a Christian.
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How can praying the words of the Psalms help deepen our relationship with God?
JonMarc Grodi is joined by Mike Aquilina, author of "Praying the Psalms with the Early Christians," to discuss the breadth of human experience expressed in the Psalter, and why these ancient prayers were so valued by the first Christians and remain an integral part of the Church's prayer life today.
More from Mike Aquilina: https://www.fathersofthechurch.com
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What did the personal prayer lives of the earliest Christians look like?
JonMarc Grodi is joined by Dr. Jim Papandrea, author of "Praying Like the Early Church," to look at what some of the earliest Christian sources have to say about prayer, and the central role that the Lord's Prayer played in the lives of the first generations of followers of Jesus.
Dr. Papandrea's books: https://www.drjimsbooks.com
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When we pray, what are we seeking? In some cases, it's clear, such as when we're bringing a specific petition or request to God. But in giving Him praise, or engaging in meditation or contemplative prayer, what are we hoping that does to our relationship with the Lord? What is our motivation?
JonMarc Grodi is joined by Lucas Koach, a former Anglican priest, to look at what some of the great spiritual masters have said about what should motivate our prayers, and what to do when we don't feel that motivation or desire to pray.
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Beginning the day in prayer is one of the most important ways to incorporate a concrete spiritual discipline into one's life; but it can also be among the most difficult!
JonMarc Grodi talks to CHNetwork colleague Matt Swaim about how the concept of the "Heroic Minute," as well as the spirituality behind the Morning Offering, have helped him to give over the first moment of every day to prayer, and how that practice has developed for him over his nearly two decades in morning radio.
How should we measure our spiritual growth?
Because the Christian life involves daily commitment to growing in our relationship with Jesus, we should be able to look at whether our actions, prayers and beliefs are positive or negative indicators as to our progress in the spiritual life.
JonMarc Grodi looks at some of the right and wrong criteria to consider when evaluating the ongoing nature of our relationship with the Lord.
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Why do Catholics make sacrifices on Fridays?
Is it merely an arbitrary discipline passed down from the hierarchy, or is it meant to cultivate something deeper in us, as individual believers, and as members of the body of Christ?
JonMarc Grodi reflects on the Catholic practice of Friday prayer and penance, and the benefits of incorporating it into one's spiritual disciplines.
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Do you truly believe that God loves you?
JonMarc Grodi is joined by Dr. Ian Murphy to discuss the importance of learning to see ourselves as God sees us.
It can sometimes be easy to believe in God, but difficult to believe that He truly loves us. Dr. Murphy shares how important it is to recognize God's love for us, and let that animate the way we pray, think, and act in response to that love.
Dr. Ian Murphy's website: https://www.drianmurphy.com
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Whether it's an actor, an athlete, an author, or an academic, when someone with a high public profile announces their interest in becoming Catholic, there can often be a wide variety of reactions from both the religious tradition they come from, and the new Church family they're joining.
And often they're rushed into the spotlight and encouraged to begin sharing their story immediately.
JonMarc Grodi and Matt Swaim share how The Coming Home Network, which was founded by a pastor who left public ministry to become Catholic, thinks about the care of these souls, and how they encourage fellow Catholics to treat them as their new brothers and sisters in the Church.
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Because faith involves engaging with unseen realities, it can be easy to forget that if it the supernatural world is real, then its truths have implications for the natural world as well.
JonMarc Grodi and Kenny Burchard look at what it means to have a Christian worldview that takes seriously the goodness of the physical world, and how God uses it to show us who He truly is, from creation to the incarnation, as well as through the sacraments.
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In this final installment of our series on prayer, we look further at what the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say about overcoming distractions in prayer.
The proper response to the inevitable reality of distractions is summed up well in Paragraph 2729:
"To set about hunting down distractions would be to fall into their trap, when all that is necessary is to turn back to our heart: for a distraction reveals to us what we are attached to, and this humble awareness before the Lord should awaken our preferential love for him and lead us resolutely to offer him our heart to be purified."
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Part of the journey of prayer will inevitably involve experiences of apparent failure.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church identifies some of these: discouragement, dryness, hesitancy about what God may be calling us to do, and even the darkness within our own hearts.
However, it is by exposing these things to the light that we can seek healing and forgiveness. The Church reminds us that it is crucial to anticipate and meet these apparent “failures” in the journey of prayer with a right mind and heart, ready to turn these obstacles into greater victories of humility and faith.
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On this episode, we continue our discussion on the journey of prayer.
When you begin to make a more conscious and intentional commitment to the journey of prayer, you will become more aware of the spiritual battle that is always raging outside of you as well as inside.
The sections of the Catechism that we cover in this episode address some of the common “objections” that will spring up from time to time as temptations to give up in the battle of prayer; but it is a battle that we cannot afford to stop fighting.
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On this episode, we continue our journey of prayer with an examination of the sections of the Catechism dedicated to contemplative prayer — the prayer of presence and friendship with God.
Contemplative prayer is in one sense the goal toward which we move on the journey of prayer. Through more active forms of prayer such as vocal or meditative we dispose our hearts to receive the gift of contemplative prayer and to bring this “prayer of presence” into all aspects of our lives.
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JonMarc Grodi continues his series on Christian prayer by looking at what the Church has to say about Meditative Prayer, which the Catechism refers to as a "quest."
What does the Church mean by referring to meditation in this way? What are we called to discover in this process? And how should it spur us to live differently as Christians in our day to day walk with the Lord?
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JonMarc Grodi continues his series on Christian prayer by looking at what the Church has to say about Vocal Prayer.
In it, we engage our minds and often our mouths, but often, we are called to engage even our posture in order to help our whole body become disposed to speak with God.
JonMarc reflects on how we can cultivate a life of prayer that goes beyond mere words into a fuller disposition toward the God to whom we pray.
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As the Church reminds us, prayer is not merely a means to get us into relationship with God; prayer is our relationship with God.
JonMarc Grodi discusses how to better understand prayer as a journey of going deeper in our relationship with the Lord, and how becoming disciplined in prayer can help to grow that relationship over time.
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Temptations surround us at every turn; being tempted is an unavoidable reality. But how do we resist those temptations so as not to fall into sin?
JonMarc Grodi reflects on the nature of temptation and sin, and shares some thoughts from the wisdom of the Church on how to resist temptations when they arise.
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It's one of the most recognizable gestures in any religion; but why do Catholics make the Sign of the Cross, and what is the significance of it?
JonMarc Grodi reflects on what it means to invoke God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and how we can be more intentional about the way we participate in this simple but powerful prayer.
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On this episode of Deep in Christ, JonMarc Grodi discusses the nature of prayer as our relationship with God and some of the potential pitfalls we face in the journey of prayer.
What are we doing when we pray? Are we trying to control an outcome, or manipulate supernatural realities? Or is there something deeper that God is calling us to when He invites us to a life of prayer?
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The stories of the saints are powerful. But some of them are also strange; because they are from different times and places and circumstances than us, it can be hard sometimes to know which parts of their stories to apply to our own lives.
JonMarc Grodi reflects on how the real power in the stories of the saints comes from their love of Christ, and their desire to grow in virtue and in service of Him, which every Christian is called to imitate, even if we can't all be miracle workers or martyrs.
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In a world saturated with information and data, how do we know what we are supposed to know?
In this episode of Deep in Christ, JonMarc Grodi explores the relationship between data and truth, and digs into the question of what it means to be a human being in a culture saturated with information.
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On this episode, JonMarc Grodi reflects on the concept of Christian retreats and what place they have in our busy lives.
We are commanded by God to set aside our work each week and to make the sabbath day holy, and it is this sabbath day that helps us to understand and continually put the rest of our active lives in proper perspective.
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On this episode, JonMarc Grodi and Kenny Burchard continue their discussion on the connection between the life of virtue and Christian Unity.
They dig into the virtue of Justice, which is the habit of soul by which we turn to and embrace the fundamental reality of personhood and relationship.
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On this episode, JonMarc Grodi and Kenny Burchard continue their discussion on the virtues and Christian unity.
They turn to the first of the four Cardinal Virtues — Prudence — and discuss the fundamental conversion towards truth that is the prerequisite for accepting the truth of the Gospel.
By practicing Prudence and Humility, Christians make themselves open to grace and to the unity for which Christ prayed.
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JonMarc Grodi and Kenny Burchard continue their series on Christian unity by looking at some of the root causes of our divisions.
When Jesus prayed for unity among his followers, he was clearly seeing the divisions that would arise among them.
JonMarc and Kenny look at how the Catholic Church thinks about these divisions, and how sin, doctrinal conflicts, and generations of separation can make the healing of those divisions so difficult.
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On this episode of Deep in Christ, JonMarc Grodi and Kenny Burchard kick off a series on unity amongst Christians. They discuss Christ’s prayer for the unity of his followers and how the Church has understood and characterized this unity.
They look ahead to the trajectory of this discussion which will be individual conversion to Christ and growth in virtue as the building block of the unity for which Jesus prayed.
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If we're constantly overindulging ourselves, how can we understand what it means to feast?
In this episode, JonMarc Grodi looks at the concepts of feasting and fasting in the life of faith, why the Church calls us to deny ourselves in a special way during the season of Lent, and how our fasting is not meant to merely be an exercise in self-denial, but rather be intimately connected with the larger picture of what it means to be a Christian.
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In this episode, JonMarc Grodi reflects on the Christian practice of the Examination of Conscience and how it is an opportunity both to recognize and repent of our sins, but also to better understand our patterns of thoughts, actions and reactions so that we can avoid sin in the future.
He also reflects on how the act of the Examination should itself be a practice of virtues to combat our vices — attending to God’s presence, choosing to see things in the light of faith, and making prudent plans for amending our lives.
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On this episode, JonMarc Grodi discusses the role of “memory” in our walk with Christ. He looks at how the practice of an examination of conscience, as well as reflection on the good things the Lord has done, helps us draw near to the Lord through our life experiences, both positive and negative.
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What is the purpose of Deep in Christ?
At the Coming Home Network, we're often known as an apostolate that walks alongside people as they explore what it might mean for them to enter the Catholic Church.
But it should never end there!
JonMarc Grodi discusses how unpacking the Cardinal and Theological Virtues are part of a lifelong Christian journey, and how he hopes to explore those themes over the coming year.
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In this special Holy Week episode, JonMarc Grodi is joined by fellow CHNetwork staff members Ken Hensley and Matt Swaim to discuss their experiences of Lent, Palm Sunday, and the Triduum as converts to the Catholic Faith.
Ken and Matt share how they each observed the time leading to Easter in their Protestant traditions, and what they've come to appreciate most about the way the Catholic Church invites us to enter into these mysteries through the liturgy.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
JonMarc Grodi continues to discuss the Catholic perspective on the mystery of suffering with CHNetwork team member Denise Bossert.
Denise looks at how our woundedness and sinfulness impacts our suffering, and how God wants His best for us, even when we don't understand what that means, or how to receive it.
Because Christ has taken on our sin and our suffering, we can enter into that mystery with Him, and offer that suffering, just as Jesus did, for His body, the Church.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
JonMarc Grodi continues to discuss the Catholic perspective on the mystery of suffering with CHNetwork team member Denise Bossert.
Denise reflects on some of the ways she began to understand suffering, not just as an isolated experience within her own personal journey of faith, but as a way to better enter into what it means to be a member of the Body of Christ.
This reflection helped to make sense of a passage from St. Paul that Denise had never really known what to do with before: "I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church." (Colossians 1:24)
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
On this episode, JonMarc Grodi introduces a special guest and new member of the CHNetwork team: Denise Bossert.
A former pastor’s kid and pastor’s wife, Denise shares how difficult experiences of suffering, especially that of her father, caused her to question her theology and ultimately look to the Catholic Church for a deeper understanding of the mystery of redemptive suffering.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
On this episode, JonMarc Grodi shares some brief thoughts on Lent and the traditional penitential practice of fasting.
Following Christ’s exhortations in Mathew chapter 6, we must fast in the right spirit (unlike the “hypocrites”) in order to receive the treasure of greater intimacy with our Heavenly Father.
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JonMarc Grodi and Kenny Burchard conclude their discussion of the cruciform shape of discipleship, focusing finally on the mystery of suffering.
All suffering is the result of original and actual sin, but we have two fundamental ways to respond to the suffering of life. Will we flee the cross or follow Christ?
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JonMarc Grodi and Kenny Burchard continue their discussion of cross-shaped discipleship with an exploration of the cross that is temptation.
They reflect on the sources of temptation (the world, flesh, and the devil) and the shapes those temptations take — fears and desires — as a consequence of original sin, and how Christ Himself experienced temptation and conquered it.
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JonMarc Grodi and Kenny Burchard continue the discussion of cross-shaped discipleship, this time widening the scope to include the array of human relationships we live in.
They discuss the call of the Christian to not only defer vengeance to God, but to go outside of themselves to forgive, reconcile, and do good to their “enemies” in imitation of Christ.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
JonMarc Grodi and Kenny Burchard continue to explore the concept of “Cruciform Discipleship,” this time digging further into family life and parenting. They look specifically at the role of the Holy Family — Mary, Joseph, and Jesus — in reversing the fall of our first parents.
The Holy Family models for us what it means to follow Jesus as parents, and what it means to help our children to be prepared to carry their own crosses.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
JonMarc Grodi and Kenny Burchard continue their discussion of the cruciform shape of discipleship, this time focusing on marriage and how husbands and wives are called to image the relationship between Christ and His Church.
Like our savior, spouses are called to enter each others’ suffering and brokenness with love, and help to bring healing and redemption.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
On this episode, JonMarc Grodi and Kenny Burchard kick off a series of discussions on the significance of the crucifix as the primary image of Christian discipleship.
What does it mean to take up our cross and follow Jesus? JonMarc and Kenny look at this challenge from Our Lord in terms of what it must have sounded like to his followers in 1st century Jerusalem, and what it means for Christians living in the 21st century today.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
In this episode, JonMarc Grodi shares a reflection on the Theological Virtues to round out the various themes discussed this year.
The Theological Virtues — Faith, Hope, and Charity — are the supernatural virtues given by God that make relationship with Him possible and make our active lives as Christians fruitful.
For more episodes, visit chnetwork.org.
On this episode of Deep in Christ, we’re reflecting on a favorite quote from G.K. Chesterton regarding the connections between our day-to-day active life and the time we spend “attending to the permanent things”. We’ll discuss some of the virtues and vices that are involved with the management of our “information diet” and how we can make sure that that we are filling our mind only with that which draws us deeper into Christ and empowers us to serve Him more faithfully.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
JonMarc Grodi and Brother Rex Anthony Norris conclude their study of the spirituality of the 12 Steps of Recovery. They discuss how our conversion and healing in Christ impel us to share our testimony with others. This is part of our Christian vocation, and also a part of what keeps our ever deeper conversion to Christ something permanent.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
JonMarc Grodi and Brother Rex Anthony Norris continue their discussion of the spirituality of 12 Step recovery programs with step #11: “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.”
They discuss different types of prayer, the journey of growing in relationship with God through prayer, and making prayer a permanent and foundational priority of the rest of your life.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
JonMarc Grodi and Brother Rex Anthony Norris continue their discussion of the spirituality of 12 Step recovery programs with Step #10: “Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it."
Moving into the first of the final “maintenance steps” of the series, JonMarc and Brother Rex discuss making an examination of conscience, and making repentance and reconciliation with God and neighbor a proactive and ongoing party of our Christian life.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
JonMarc Grodi and Brother Rex Anthony Norris continue their discussion of the spirituality of 12 Step recovery programs with steps #8 and #9, which involve taking stock of one’s relationships and the ways we have caused hurt.
These steps focus on authentic apology and reconciliation, not as a haphazard or one-time thing, but as an ongoing and proactive part of our Christian life.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
JonMarc Grodi and Brother Rex Anthony Norris continue their discussion of the spirituality of 12 Step recovery programs with step #7: “Humbly asked (God) to remove our shortcomings.”
This episode focuses a lot on humility as a keystone virtue the that separates the sinners who live in despair from the sinners who know and admit their faults and ask Jesus to heal them. It is through this humility that all aspects of our life — our good works as well as our sins — can be turned over to God and made into opportunities for grace and healing.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
On this episode, JonMarc Grodi and Brother Rex Anthony Norris continue their discussion of the spirituality of 12 Step recovery programs with step #6 “We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.”
What does it mean to be “ready” and what do we do if we’re not? How do we increase our desire for healing and our trust in God, when we find ourselves precisely lacking in the needed desire and trust?
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
On this episode of Deep in Christ, JonMarc Grodi and Brother Rex Anthony Norris continue their discussion of the spirituality of 12 Step recovery programs with step #5: We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
They discuss the connections between this step and the sacrament of confession, the value of accountability and vulnerability in close friendships, and how we like Mary, “magnify the Lord” in the way we love one another despite our imperfections.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
JonMarc Grodi and Brother Rex Anthony Norris continue their discussion of the spirituality of 12 Step recovery programs with step #4: We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of our lives.
They discuss the connection between this and the previous steps with the examination of conscience, the sacrament of confession, and the sacraments in general, and how the 12 Steps can help us to be open or re-opened in a new and more profound way to the grace and healing God wants to give.
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JonMarc Grodi and Brother Rex Anthony Norris continue their discussion of the spirituality of 12 Step recovery programs with step #3: “We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.”
They discuss the ways in which we so easily compartmentalize our lives and allow Jesus only limited access, and how radical honesty can be the grounds for a deeper relationship with Christ, even for seasoned Christians.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
JonMarc Grodi and Brother Rex Anthony Norris continue their discussion of the spirituality of 12 Step recovery programs.
Even for Christians who have been walking with the Lord for many years may discover that because they have never fully come to grips with their own fundamental woundedness (Step #1), they have not also fully embraced their need for God as the “higher power” that can “restore us to sanity” (Step #2).
The radical self-honesty of Step #1 leads to the possibility of a deeper relationship with and need for Jesus as savior and healer that is bound up with Step #2. For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
JonMarc Grodi and Br. Rex Anthony Norris embark on an exploration of the spirituality of “12 Step” recovery programs popularized over the past century, examining the ways these programs reflect aspects of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Step One is to "admit powerlessness” over one's destructive habits, and JonMarc and Brother Rex discuss how important it is to realize that it is ultimately Christ, and not our own willpower, that brings victory over sin.
We are all sinners, and apart from Him we can do nothing, but He pours out grace and healing to those who come to Him in radical honesty and humility.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
On this episode, host JonMarc Grodi and fellow CHNetwork staff member Seth Paine, a convert to Catholicism from Evangelical Protestantism, take some time to dig deeper into the way that the virtues touch on our relationship with and use of money as disciples of Jesus Christ.
For more episodes, visit chnetwork.org.
In this second of a two-part discussion with guest Jacob Imam of NewPolity.com, we continue to dig into the virtues, more specifically those virtues that relate to our use of money and material goods.
Examining these virtues (and their opposing vices) very quickly shows us the ways in which we have all allowed the cares and values of the world creep into and divide our hearts with regards to money.
But this also gives us the remedy: trusting in our Lord Jesus and specifically practicing the virtues that break down worldly attachment and build up our creative ability to use (God’s) money well.
For more of Jacob Imam's work: http://ww.newpolity.com
For more episodes: http://www.deepinchrist.com
In this first of a two-part discussion, JonMarc Grodi is joined by Jacob Imam, editor at New Polity, to share a bit about his conversion from Islam to Christ and the Catholic Church, as well as his journey to understanding the Virtues as a key to the New Testament worldview and the life of “putting on Christ.” (Gal 3:27)
For more of Jacob Imam's work: http://www.newpolity.com
For more episodes: http://www.deepinchrist.com
In this episode, JonMarc and Fr. Peter Grodi explore the place of rest and retreat in the life of the Christian, especially the Christian living an active and busy life in the modern world in which there are so many temptations to fill the spaces between activity with either more activity or a false sort of “leisure” that only makes life more fragmented.
What is the true leisure that we need and which God, in His wisdom, commands us to observe on the Sabbath?
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
On this episode, Fr. Peter Grodi shares some reflections on the Holy Eucharist and the scandal of Christ’s exhortation to “eat my body and drink my blood.”
The Jews of the time were scandalized and the Romans accused the early Christians of “cannibalism”. Were they — as well as present-day non-Catholic critics — correct in this accusation?
JonMarc and Fr. Peter share and discuss their own spiritual journeys in regard to understanding the Holy Eucharist.
For more episodes, visit chnetwork.org/deepinchrist.
On this episode of Deep in Christ, JonMarc and Fr. Peter Grodi discuss the spiritual battle and the power of prayer and sacrifice.
Particularly with regards to how (and whether) we pray & “offer up” sacrifices, do we rely more on our own strength, or on God’s grace? What would it look like to put these in proper order, both for how we evaluate the problems and challenges we face and how we work to address them, individually and in community with others?
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
This week on Deep in Christ, coming out of a busy summer break, we’ll take a few minutes with our good sister in Christ, St. Edith Stein (feast day August 9th!) to consider contemplative prayer amidst a busy life, and how the peace and fruitfulness of the latter depends on our commitment to the former.
Just as we need a Sabbath every week, we should be making and guarding a “Sabbath moment” every day, to make space for prayer and to see God present in our lives.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
As a way of previewing the next "season" of Deep in Christ, brothers JonMarc & Fr. Peter Grodi take some time to reflect on their spiritual journeys and the nature of our walk with Christ as a journey of continual conversion.
They look back on their own family's story of continual conversion, including their memories of what it was like to be small children when their father, Marcus Grodi, left his role as a Presbyterian pastor to enter the Catholic Church.
As JonMarc and Fr. Peter discuss, the Christian journey is “continual” on many levels: our individual need for ever greater personal surrender, growth, and transformation; our journey of receiving and passing on faith in the context of family and community, and finally, our faith as a Church, wounded by sin, weakened and ever in need of renewal, but still, mysteriously the holy “bride of Christ” that we must not abandon.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
In this episode of Deep in Christ, JonMarc Grodi wraps up the the study of the Cardinal Virtues, looking at how they establish a powerful framework and paradigm for understanding Our Lord ’s example.
In His witness, and in the witness of the saints, we have ample testimonies of those who show us what it means to come to grips with what Jesus desires for us and is calling us to, and for more concretely translating what we believe into a plan of life and practical action.
For more episodes, visit chnetwork.org/deepinchrist.
In this episode of Deep in Christ, JonMarc and Fr. Peter Grodi look at temperance with regards to one of our most common and basic human desires: food.
We don’t “live to eat”, but God has indeed designed us to seek out and eat good food for the nourishment of our bodies and to “break bread” with others for the nourishment of our souls.
Temperance is the habit of soul by which we submit our natural human desires and drives — disordered, as they are, by original and personal sin — to reason and to grace, so that we can love God and neighbor better. By cultivating the Cardinal Virtue of Temperance, we open ourselves to the necessary grace to order our desires in a way that honors God.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
In this episode of Deep in Christ, JonMarc and Fr. Peter Grodi dig a little deeper into the fourth cardinal virtue of Temperance, which Aquinas describes as “serenity of spirit” arising from man’s inner order.
Unlike the other virtues, Temperance turns inward toward man’s inner life of drives, desires, and passions. These powers of human nature are fundamentally good and purposeful, as they were created by God, but they have been disordered by original and personal sin.
Through Temperance — in the context of the other virtues of Prudence, Justice, and Courage — we discover how we are to properly work to restore this primordial order, and how we are to authentically “love” and care for ourselves not egoistically or self-referentially, but rather as an act of Justice and obedience to our creator.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
In this episode of Deep in Christ, JonMarc and Fr. Peter Grodi press on in their discussion of the Cardinal Virtues, looking now to Temperance, which Aquinas calls “Serenity of Spirit”.
Temperance is often associated with the merely negative, restraining aspects of the practice of this virtue.
But this emphasis can keep the focus too much on our own human efforts, rather than God’s grace, and also leave out a right vision of the point and purpose of Temperance: inner order, a serene spirit, and a heart more purified and open to total love of God. Join us as we kick-off this new study!
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
This week on Deep in Christ, JonMarc and Fr. Peter Grodi wrap-up the discussion of the virtue of Fortitude, looking at its "vital, moral, and mystical" levels in our life and turning to a practical discussion of how we can practice and grow.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
After spending time talking about how the virtue of Fortitude teaches us to endure, in this episode, JonMarc and Fr. Peter Grodi look at how Fortitude equips us for right action, to be proactive and of singular purpose when facing difficulty.
At times, Fortitude calls us to have the patience to bear our sufferings, but at other times, Fortitude means stepping forward in boldness and attacking evil where we encounter it. JonMarc and Fr. Peter also discuss how the virtue of Prudence helps us to discern when and how to employ these various aspects of Fortitude.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
“He who endures to the end will be saved.” -Matthew 10:22
JonMarc and Fr. Peter Grodi continue discussing the virtue of Fortitude, looking this week at the first of two main aspects: endurance and attack. Patient endurance of difficulty and evil is part and parcel of the Christian life. But there is a whole lot more to patience than we commonly think...
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
On this episode of Deep in Christ, hosts JonMarc Grodi and Fr. Peter Grodi continue discussing the virtue of Fortitude, or “courage”, the cardinal virtue by which we do the hard, right thing, even though it’s hard, because it is right.
This week they look a little deeper at the ways in which courage is often tempted to — but must NOT— rely on itself for direction or strength. Courage must always refer back to true discernment of reality — and hence to the exercise of Prudence — in order to ensure that it is working toward the realization of the good (Justice) and not, in a moment of passion, merely pursuing selfish ends.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
On this episode of Deep in Christ, hosts JonMarc Grodi and Fr. Peter Grodi kick off a series of episodes about the virtue of Fortitude, also more commonly called “courage”.
Fortitude is the cardinal virtue by which we do the hard, right thing, even though it’s hard, simply because it is right.
Drawing from the work of philosopher Josef Pieper, they look at the fundamental connection between fortitude and human vulnerability (Angels can’t be brave!) and how Christian martyrdom elucidates the true nature of this crucial virtue.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
On this episode of Deep in Christ, Fr. Peter and I are back to finish up our discussion of the cardinal virtue of Justice, the habit of soul by which we readily recognize the web of relationships in which we live, order these relationships into a proper hierarchy, and then to act rightly in accord with each.
Justice is “to give each his due,” beginning, of course, with what is due to God Almighty. In this episode we dig deeper into the order/hierarchy of justice, the “virtuous cycle” (how practice of any of the virtues strengthen and deepen the others), the spiritual (vs human) economy, and the holy sacrifice of the Mass.
We’ve been having a great time discussing one of our favorite topics (virtue) and we hope you’ll join us for this next part of the discussion!
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
On this episode of Deep in Christ, hosts JonMarc Grodi and Fr. Peter Grodi examine the next of the four cardinal (or human) virtues: Justice, which is the habit of soul by which we readily recognize the web of relationships in which we live, order these relationships into a proper hierarchy, and then to act rightly in accord with each.
Justice is “to give each his due,” beginning, of course, with what is due to God Almighty. JonMarc and Fr. Peter will begin today to look at the nature of justice, to explore more the relationship between the theological and cardinal virtues, and to consider the demand of justice that we recognize and establish a right hierarchy of relationships and duties in our lives.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
On this episode of Deep in Christ, JonMarc Grodi and Brother Rex Anthony Norris take some time to discuss the liturgical season of lent, and the traditional lenten practices of taking on additional prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
They explore the place of penance in the life of the Christian, how each of us can begin today to enter into these lenten spiritual disciplines, and how we can keep the proper focus and emphases: on contrition for sins, denial of self, and a greater love and gratefulness toward our creator.
For more episodes, visit http://www.deepinchrist.com
On this episode of Deep in Christ, we head back out to the hermitage for another discussion on Christian prayer with Brother Rex Anthony Norris, a diocesan hermit from Maine and member of the CHNetwork team.
Some people consider themselves to have a “pretty good” relationship with God, despite admitting that they never seem to be able to find or make time to pray.
However the Catechism of the Catholic Church insists, in the introduction to Part IV on Christian Prayer, that the personal relationship with God that Christians are called to “IS prayer”. We’ll explore this intriguing and challenging notion, while also looking at the mutual insights between our relationship with God and our relationships with other people.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com
On this episode of Deep in Christ, JonMarc and Fr. Peter Grodi look at two additional”perfections” of the virtue of Prudence: Solertia, the ability to remain prudent when faced with unexpected and/or bewildering situations, and Providentia, the ability to look at possible outcomes of a given decision with wisdom and faith.
We’ll look at how these qualities round out the virtue of Prudence and indicate additional practical steps for growth.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
On this episode of Deep in Christ, JonMarc and Fr. Peter Grodi look at the first two of four primary “perfections” of the virtue of Prudence: "Memoria," the true-to-being memory of our own life experiences, and "Docilitas," an open-minded desire to learn from the experiences of others.
JonMarc and Fr. Peter explore these qualities of Prudence, and how they lay out practical steps for us toward growing in relationship with Christ.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.
On this episode of Deep in Christ, JonMarc and Fr. Peter Grodi look at the stages of the transformation of true knowledge into prudent decision, and dig more into the ways in which this understanding of the stages of virtue of prudence can open us up to greater conversion to Christ, greater surrender and change of our habits, and a more constant and fruitful prayer life.
For more episodes, visit www.deepinchrist.com.
On this episode of Deep in Christ, hosts JonMarc Grodi and Fr. Peter Grodi continue to dig into the cardinal virtue of the cardinal virtues: Prudence.
In particular, they focus on Prudence as a radical and ongoing conversion to truth — an habitual turning from unreality back to reality; from rationalization back to reason; and from the falsehoods we tell ourselves to the truth of the story that God wants to guide us in.
Find more episodes at deepinchrist.com.
On this episode of Deep in Christ, JonMarc Grodi and Fr. Peter Grodi look at the first and foremost of the human or “Cardinal” virtues, “Prudence,” which St. Thomas Aquinas calls the “mother” of all moral virtues and the “virtue bearer”.
Find more episodes at www.chnetwork.org
On this episode, JonMarc Grodi is joined by his brother, Fr. Peter Grodi, now as co-host, to look at the balance and interplay in the spiritual life of Divine grace and human action.
God is the source of all truth, beauty, and goodness, and He grants us all good gifts through his abundant providence. But how are we called to respond as recipients and stewards of those gifts?
Find more episodes of Deep in Christ at www.chnetwork.org.
Today on Deep in Christ I am joined by my father, Marcus, the founder and president of the Coming Home Network and host of EWTN’s Journey Home program, to discuss the urgency of the Gospel.
Throughout Scripture, and particularly in the New Testament, we are exhorted to live holy lives, ready on any given day to be called home to the Lord and give an account of how we’ve spent the time and opportunities that have been given to us.
How do we understand and live out this “urgency”? How does this urgency bear on the mission and work of the Coming Home Network and the importance of seeking unity among divided Christians?
Find more of JonMarc Grodi's work at http://www.chnetwork.org.
In the midst of the continuing pandemic, as a tumultuous election plays out, and as the Church herself continues to experience controversy and division, we are probably all facing a familiar Christian dilemma: how do I pray when it is difficult? We believe that no matter what is going on, God remains in control, and prayer is the first and best recourse, but how do I sit still when I am anxious? How do I focus when my mind is chaotic?
On this first of many discussions on prayer, JonMarc Grodi is joined by Brother Rex Anthony Norris, a diocesan hermit from Maine and member of the CHNetwork team, to explore what prayer is and how we can prioritize it in day-to-day life, especially when we are, like Martha, “anxious and troubled about many things.”
For more episodes of Deep in Christ, visit www.chnetwork.org.
In this episode of Deep in Christ, we continue to explore the holiness that we are all called to as Christians, and discover some helpful guides and intercessors for our journey.
We discuss the saints as images of what holiness looks like in the lives of those who say “yes” to God, no matter the cost. We also dig into the practical ways the saints help us in everyday life, both through their example and through their intercession.
Find more videos from JonMarc Grodi and Seth Paine at www.chnetwork.org.
In this episode, featuring Fr. Peter Grodi, we make a brief introduction and overview of the Human or Cardinal Virtues, what they are, how they connect with the Theological virtues, and why they are important to life in Christ. We place special emphasis on the first cardinal virtue of “Prudence”, which St. Thomas Aquinas calls “the mother and mould of virtue” or “virtue bearer” and which Scripture often connects with wisdom and taking right action.
For more episodes, visit www.chnetwork.org
Building upon last episode's discussion of The Universal Call to Holiness and the theme of this show as it fits into the mission of the Coming Home Network, JonMarc Grodi and Ken Hensley look today at a passage in the introduction to Part 3 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which lists eight catecheses on “Life in Christ” which Christians must receive and put into practice. JonMarc and Ken begin to plot a course for the future topics that will be covered on this show, as well as their practical application.
Catechism, Part 3, Life in Christ, Introduction (https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P5D.HTM)1697 Catechesis has to reveal in all clarity the joy and the demands of the way of Christ.22 Catechesis for the “newness of life”23 in him should be: * a catechesis of the Holy Spirit, the interior Master of life according to Christ, a gentle guest and friend who inspires, guides, corrects, and strengthens this life; * a catechesis of grace, for it is by grace that we are saved and again it is by grace that our works can bear fruit for eternal life; * a catechesis of the beatitudes, for the way of Christ is summed up in the beatitudes, the only path that leads to the eternal beatitude for which the human heart longs; * a catechesis of sin and forgiveness, for unless man acknowledges that he is a sinner he cannot know the truth about himself, which is a condition for acting justly; and without the offer of forgiveness he would not be able to bear this truth; * a catechesis of the human virtues which causes one to grasp the beauty and attraction of right dispositions towards goodness; * a catechesis of the Christian virtues of faith, hope, and charity, generously inspired by the example of the saints; — a catechesis of the twofold commandment of charity set forth in the Decalogue; * an ecclesial catechesis, for it is through the manifold exchanges of “spiritual goods” in the “communion of saints” that Christian life can grow, develop, and be communicated.
On this introductory episode we will discuss Our Lord’s command for all of us to become perfect in holiness and how this goes for everyone, no matter state of life or stage of life. Whether someone is a convert to Catholicism, in RCIA, or maybe is asking questions but has not yet any intention or conviction to become Catholic, all of us are still called to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”.
We can — and must — continue to pursue and grow in imitation of Christ no matter what the circumstances of our lives. Only by doing so will we be able to discern and follow God’s forward guidance. This is also a crucial key to any authentic ecumenism — Catholics and Protestant Christians need to seek to be Holy, and trust that in the context of that seeking, God will work the healing and reunification He wills.
Join host JonMarc Grodi and special guest, Ken Hensley for this inaugural episode of Deep in Christ and be sure to join the CHNetwork mailing list and/or subscribe on social media to follow along with this new show.
Sources/Quotes: Fr. Benedict Groeschel
The real foundation of real ecumenism is devotion to Jesus Christ… Devotion is a powerful personal conviction that our Divine Savior in eternal life knows me, knows you individually, knows us, not as the great choir, but one at a time. That He cares about us. That He sends us grace. That in the difficult times of life we can trust in Him and that He will lead us even through the valley of the shadow of death. That He expects things of us and that when we fail He expects our repentance.That He hears our prayers especially for those who are dear to us and for the world, and that in the hour of death when we close our eyes we will find Him — He will be there.
LUMEN GENTIUM: Chapter V, The Universal Call to Holiness in the Church
(P. 40) The Lord Jesus, the divine Teacher and Model of all perfection, preached holiness of life to each and everyone of His disciples of every condition. He Himself stands as the author and consummator of this holiness of life:
“Be you therefore perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect”.(Mt. 5:48.)
Indeed He sent the Holy Spirit upon all men that He might move them inwardly to love God with their whole heart and their whole soul, with all their mind and all their strength (Mk. 12:30) and that they might love each other as Christ loves them.(Jn. 13.34; 15:12.)
The followers of Christ are called by God, not because of their works, but according to His own purpose and grace. They are justified in the Lord Jesus, because in the baptism of faith they truly become sons of God and sharers in the divine nature. In this way they are really made holy.
Then too, by God’s gift, they must hold on to and complete in their lives this holiness they have received. They are warned by the Apostle to live “as becomes saints”, (Eph. 5:3) and to put on “as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, patience”,(Col . 3:12) and to possess the fruit of the Spirit in holiness.(Gal. 5:22; Rom. 6:22) Since truly we all offend in many things (Jas. 3:2) we all need God’s mercies continually and we all must daily pray: “Forgive us our debts”(1 Mt. 6:12)
Thus it is evident to everyone, that all the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity; by this holiness as such a more human manner of living is promoted in this earthly society. In order that the faithful may reach this perfection, they must use their strength accordingly as they have received it, as a gift from Christ. They must follow in His footsteps and conform themselves to His image seeking the will of the Father in all things. They must devote themselves with all their being to the glory of God and the service of their neighbor. In this way, the holiness of the People of God will grow into an abundant harvest of good, as is admirably shown by the life of so many saints in Church history.