Deep in Christ

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. More episodes: https://www.deepinchrist.com Our Online Community: https://community.chnetwork.org Support our work: https://www.chnetwork.org/compass

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://www.deepinchrist.com Our Online Community: https://community.chnetwork.org Support our work: https://www.chnetwork.org/compass

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 More episodes: https://www.deepinchrist.com Our Online Community: https://community.chnetwork.org Support our work: https://www.chnetwork.org/compass

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. More episodes: https://www.deepinchrist.com Our Online Community: https://community.chnetwork.org Support our work: https://www.chnetwork.org/donate

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. More episodes: https://www.deepinchrist.com Our Online Community: https://community.chnetwork.org Support our work: https://www.chnetwork.org/donate

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." More episodes: https://www.deepinchrist.com Our Online Community: https://community.chnetwork.org Support our work: https://www.chnetwork.org

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. More episodes: https://www.deepinchrist.com Our Online Community: https://community.chnetwork.org Support our work: https://www.chnetwork.org

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. More episodes: https://www.deepinchrist.com Our Online Community: https://community.chnetwork.org Support our work: https://www.chnetwork.org/donate

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. More episodes: https://www.deepinchrist.com Our Online Community: https://community.chnetwork.org Support our work: https://www.chnetwork.org/donate