Deep in Christ

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...

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...

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...

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 Lo...

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 identi...

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...

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 transform...

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: http...

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 shar...

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 h...

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 Aquil...

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.drjimsbook...

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 spirit...

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, an...

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 ou...

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. More episodes: https:/...

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....

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 Gr...

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 i...

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...

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 cr...

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...

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 contemplat...

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? More episodes: https:/...

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 towa...