Right Now with Ralph Martin

This week, Ralph discusses a letter that St. Bruno, founder of the Carthusians, sent to his friend Ralph almost a thousand years ago. It’s a strong exhortation if we’ve fallen away from our “first love” to repent and return!

This week, Ralph discusses what the Word of God reveals to us about the purpose of the first Pentecost and how we can connect to that power today.

In this week's episode, Ralph comments on a passage of scripture that is really helpful for us to grow in humility and gratitude. This verse can serve as an orienting guide for us, as we observe growing factions and divisions in the Church. As Ralph says, "I just really feel like we all need to come together on the basis of the truth." It’s the shortest podcast he’s done yet!

This week Ralph reflects on a verse from Colossians that he has been puzzling over: "Our life is now hidden with Christ in God," so Paul says, "Set your mind on the things that are above, not the things that are on earth, because earth is passing" (Col 3:1-3). This week, we invite you to be encouraged by this word: earth is just a temporary place; our true home is heaven, but even now, we are alre...

In this week's episode, Ralph talks about our deeply rooted aversion to obedience and shows how important obedience to God is for the sake of our salvation. He identifies some of the ways in which we rationalize disobedience and names particular “exceptions” to God’s will that we are tempted to make these days. Don't forget to join us for the third night of our Pentecost Mission this Sunday at 8:0...

This week, Ralph discusses teaching from St. John of the Cross on dark nights, how to discern them and how to respond to them. Join us for the second week of the Pentecost Mission Sunday, May 30, from 8-9:15 p.m. ET with Pete Burak. More information and registration here: www.renewalministries.net/pentecostmission .

This week, Ralph comments on an excellent article on “eucharistic coherence” by Archbishop Samuel Aquila from Denver. The points the Archbishop makes are inspiring for their honest acknowledgement of bishops' failures to teach the hard truths of the faith, which have led us to the current mess. At the same time, the Archbishop shares the Lord’s warnings about approaching the Eucharist unworthily,...

As we approach the Feast of Pentecost, Ralph reflects on the story and example of St. Stephen: “What we’re seeing is how people can harden their hearts. What we’re also seeing is how, even though Jesus has gone before us, and suffered and died for us, He’s inviting us to participate with Him in the sacrifice of our lives joined to his life so that people may receive a witness to the Gospel and hav...

Ralph is often asked what he thinks about prophesies about a warning or illumination of conscience that some prophetic strands in the Catholic tradition speak about. In this week's episode, he explains what this warning or illumination is prophesied to be and what he thinks about how we should approach this particular prophetic stream.

Brothers and Sisters, because of the importance of the subject matter we thought we should share a special message in this week's podcast. Bishop Robert Barron recently gave a sermon that has occasioned a lot of interest and some controversy. Fr. Mark Goring responded to some of what Bishop Barron said, but since part of what he said is an area that I have a deep concern about and also some expert...

"We have to get really serious about what we are supposed to fear. Jesus says, 'Don't fear those who can kill the body.' Fear the death of the soul in hell, fear sin, fear the devil. Fear God—have respect for God, have awe for God, have an ever-so-strong desire to listen to his Word and respond to it." //Ralph Martin

This week, Ralph shares a message of hope, in light of the truth that evil is living on borrowed time! Evil will not prevail; Jesus has definitively won the victory.  "All we have to do is to hang on to Jesus. All we have to do is reach out and and cling to Jesus. That's all we have to do. We have to... keep clinging to Jesus for the rest of our life, no matter what evil continues to unfold,...

There is such a depth of meaning and such a wondrous promise made to us in the resurrection of Jesus that the most insightful of us is still only on the outskirts of the wonder. In this week's episode Ralph attempts to share a few insights into the amazing deeds of Christ and their relevance to our life now, to our future, and to everyone else’s lives and futures as well.

Happy Holy Week!  After our four-week Lenten Mission (which was chuck full of content!), this week we are having a short and sweet episode. As we approach the holiest days of the year, Ralph offers a reminder to seek first the Kingdom, particularly where finances are concerned: "It's really not a matter how much money you have or how little money you have, it's a matter of where your heart is...

In this week's episode, we have the final night of the Lenten Mission. Ralph focused on Chapter 14 of The Fulfillment of All Desire , "A Deeper Purification," seeking to answer the question: what are dark nights and how do we navigate them? One aspect of the answer? As Ralph says, "This is customized love, this is personal love. This is God the Father knowing perfectly well who we are and LOVING u...

In Sunday's Lenten Mission , Ralph focused on Chapter 10 of The Fulfillment of All Desire : “Growing in Freedom". He shared wisdom from Sts. Francis de Sales, Augustine, and Bernard of Clairvaux on the glorious freedom that comes from detachment, particularly detachment from an inordinate affection for wealth, possessions, health, reputation, and sensual pleasure. Growing in detachment from these...

In this week's episode, Ralph continues his four-week Lenten Mission on The Fulfillment of All Desire focusing on Chapter 5: "The Transformation of Thought, Desire and Action." He introduces more of Therese of Lisieux’s writing and shows how her narrative of how the various channels of grace worked to transform her can give us an insight into how the same channels of grace can transform us. The ic...

In this week's episode, Ralph begins a four-week Lenten Mission on Fulfillment of All Desire with an exposition of the "biblical world view" that all the saints shared, which included an acute awareness of the shortness of life and the "one thing necessary" – repenting, believing and growing in union with Jesus. He described John of the Cross’ and Catherine of Siena’s particular way of expressing...

On this week's podcast, Ralph offers timeless wisdom from the Word of God, so we won't be gripped by fear or anxiety, especially regarding our health and finances. This word is one that brings new freedom, peace, and reliance on the Father in troubled times. For more details about the Lift Jesus Higher Rally: Consuming Fire, check out the event website: www.ljhr.com . The event is free and open to...

This week, Ralph comments on Isaiah 11’s promise that out of a broken down, dead looking stump, new life arises in the Messiah, and how we participate in the Spirit’s gift which is the source of new life for the Church today. He also shares a remarkable prophetic word from Fr. Joseph Ratzinger before he was elected Pope that is so applicable to what we are experiencing today. For more details abou...

This week, Ralph talks about the challenges of being an evangelist and sharing the good news with others, particularly those close to us. He comments on a remarkable passage in Philippians where Paul talks about how he weeps for those who are conducting themselves as enemies of Christ; and how we too must have tears in our hearts if not in our eyes as we reach out to those who are on the way to “d...

In this episode, Ralph speaks to us about the comfort and consolation the Lord wants us to have because of His presence with us and promises to us through a meditation on Psalm 16 . Ralph's "cloud of witnesses" referenced in the episode: Saint Dominic Adoring the Crucifixion Christ Pantocrator Saints Francisco and Jacinta Marto Our Lady of Medjugorje Our Lady of Perpetual Help St. John the Evangel...

In this episode, Ralph discusses what has been happening in this country after the election, linked as it is to global forces trying to gain dominance for a technological elite. He also discusses how we can process the various emotions we may be experiencing, and the hope that we truly have because Jesus really is the Lord. Scriptures mentioned in this episode: 1 John 5:4, Matthew 5:30, Luke 12:11...

In this episode, Ralph points out that high ranking leaders in the Church are beginning to speak about the antichrist and are acknowledging the fears beginning to grow among God’s people, as they see what is happening in society and in the Church. Ralph looks at what these leaders are saying, what the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches about the antichrist, and how we can live confident in t...

This week, Ralph reminds us of some of the great wisdom of St. Francis de Sales concerning suffering, and some of the amazing revelations of the power of suffering to bring about conversion contained in the messages of the angel and Mary at Fatima, and the powerful words of Jesus not to fear those who can kill the body, and the confidence we should have in the Father’s personal, detailed, love of...