Creative Catholicism

In episode 6 of Noticing the Unnoticed, Father James Grant explores the difference between building a meaningful life and becoming its own vandal through self-centredness and relentless self-expression. Drawing on Jesus, Leonardo da Vinci, Shakespeare, and the life of his wife Dolores, he reveals how enduring values, excellence, gratitude, and genuine attention to others help us build lives of pur...

In this episode of the Caravaggio series, Father James Grant explores The Crucifixion of St Peter, reflecting on the humility, fragility and sacrifice at the heart of faith. Through St Peter’s turbulent journey and Caravaggio’s powerful painting, he considers how Christ transforms ordinary, flawed people through love. Drawing on his own life with Dolores, Father James reflects on the cost of follo...

In Station 7, Father James Grant reflects on the tension between our own plans and God’s calling. Drawing on the examples of Mary, St Maximilian Kolbe and Cardinal Mindszenty, he explores how God’s plans often emerge through ordinary opportunities to respond with courage, generosity, patience and love.

In Episode 5, “Love of the Outsider,” Father James Grant explores the Catholic call to community, inclusion, humility and service. Reflecting on the tragic story of Shabnam Fadowsi and the parable of the Prodigal Son, he contrasts Catholic spirituality with an increasingly individualistic view of life, asking how we can learn to share in God’s joy for others and embrace even those who seem forgott...

In this episode of Noticing the Unnoticed, Father James Grant explores prayer as more than a private conversation with God. He reflects on the communion of saints, the quiet presence of Mary, and how humility can transform our prayer life. By learning to notice the unseen community praying with us, we discover a deeper understanding of grace, faith and the humble trust that allows us to accept God...

In this episode of Caravaggio: Catholic Spirituality for Imperfect Catholics, Father James Grant reflects on David with the Head of Goliath and the relationship between humility, self-knowledge and true freedom. Through Caravaggio’s haunting self-portrait as Goliath, he explores our human tendency to blame others, avoid correction and place our own will above God’s, suggesting that genuine freedom...

In Gethsemane, Jesus enters the deepest experience of human loneliness, betrayal and abandonment. Yet his anguish is not a failure of faith—it is a profound encounter with the reality of the human condition. This episode reflects on the different forms of loneliness we experience, from the isolation that can be transformed by Christ into joy and peace, to the destructive loneliness born of selfish...

In this episode of The Witch, the Priest, and the Puppet Maker, Father James Grant explores the spiritual and social dangers of placing the self at the centre of life. Drawing on the example of Nazi Germany and the moral blindness of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss, he considers how self-interest can gradually replace humility, service, truth and ultimately God. He reflects on modern Western cult...

In this episode of Noticing the Unnoticed, Father James Grant explores the human tendency to fabricate, embellish and promote an idealised version of ourselves—and the challenge this creates for an authentic Catholic life. Drawing on the Mona Lisa, the healing of the ten lepers, and Jesus’ words, “I am the vine, you are the branches,” he reflects on humility, truthfulness and gratitude. True faith...

In this episode, Father James Grant explores Caravaggio’s Judith Beheading Holofernes and the artist’s understanding of faith as something passionate, costly, and deeply challenging. Caravaggio’s turbulent life and unconventional choice of models reveal a conviction that genuine faith cannot simply be a source of comfort or therapy. Instead, it demands courage, resilience, sacrifice, and a willing...

At Station 5, The Truth Station, Father James Grant reflects on the growing loss of truth, integrity, and personal responsibility in modern Western society. Through the words of Christ — “I am the way, the truth, and the life” — this episode explores the call for Catholics to live with compassion, justice, courage, and a commitment to truth in every aspect of life.

In this episode, “The Truth: Self-Love or God’s Love,” Father James Grant reflects on the struggle between self-centred living and the freedom found in God’s love. Through the stories of Mary and the prodigal son, he explores humility, belonging, loneliness, and the journey home to a love that asks for nothing but trust.

In this episode Father James Grant reflects on how Catholic faith is revealed not only in grand gestures, but in the quiet and often unnoticed acts of love that cost us time, effort, and ongoing commitment. Through the example of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, we are invited to notice those around us, embrace humility, and discover God in the small acts of service that quietly transform...

In this episode of Caravaggio: Catholic Spirituality for Imperfect Catholics, Father James Grant explores the troubled life and profound faith of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. Through the artist’s fascination with light and darkness, we are invited to ask a deeper question: what do we truly see? Caravaggio’s art reveals the spiritual truth of imperfect humanity—and the call to see beyond ours...

In Station 4 of The Little Pilgrimage, “The Team Event,” Father James Grant reflects on the challenges of practising the Catholic faith in an increasingly isolating world. Through the daily crosses we carry, and with the help and companionship of the saints, we are reminded that we are never truly alone—but part of God’s great team in the ongoing work of salvation.

Father James Grant reflects on the Catholic understanding of human worth, showing how true significance is found not in achievement or recognition, but in humility, love, and quiet acts of service. Inspired by Mary’s “yes” and the hidden witness of Dolores, this episode explores how God’s grace transforms ordinary lives through faith, generosity, and unnoticed acts of kindness.

Father James Grant explores Caravaggio’s The Calling of St. Matthew, reflecting on the difference between material poverty and spiritual emptiness. Father James examines Christ’s simple yet radical call, “Follow me,” and what it means to leave behind worldly distractions in pursuit of eternal life.

In Station 3, Father James Grant explores Jesus’ call to love, pray for, and forgive those who oppose us. Reflecting on pride, hypocrisy, and humility, Father James Grant encourages listeners to stay focused on Christ rather than being distracted by the actions of others.

The Growth of the Witch explores the rise of self-centred spirituality and New Age thinking, contrasting the pursuit of self as the ultimate authority with the Catholic understanding of identity, humility, and the Father’s unconditional love that calls every person home.

Father James Grant reflects on the life and faith of Dolores, whose simple trust in the Gospel reveals the enduring truth of Christ’s message for a modern world searching for meaning, hope, and authentic love.

In this opening episode of the Caravaggio series, Father James Grant explores The Supper at Emmaus, revealing how Caravaggio challenges us to truly see others, recognise God’s subtle presence, and discover that faith, vocation, and miracles are found in humility rather than spectacle.

Reflect on the transformative power of gratitude as Father James Grant explores ingratitude, humility, and recognising the countless gifts we receive from God and others. Through Scripture and personal reflection, discover how a grateful heart leads us closer to Christ.

In this opening chapter, Father James Grant explores a deeply personal encounter that raises profound questions about suffering, self-fulfilment, humility, and the Christian understanding of love. Father James Grant reflects on a painful conversation that inspired The Witch, the Priest, and the Puppet Maker.

In this opening episode of the Caravaggio series, Father James Grant explores how the troubled life and extraordinary art of Caravaggio reveal a profound Catholic spirituality, challenging us to see ourselves, Christ, and Mary with new eyes.

In this first station of The Little Pilgrimage, Father James reflects on the Via Dolorosa as a path of hope through human weakness, reminding us that even in our unfaithfulness, God remains faithful and calls us to new life in Christ.