Deep in Scripture Radio

In St. Paul's first letter to Timothy, he gives a number of wise instructions about how Timothy should conduct himself as a spiritual leader, and how to avoid temptations that will derail not only his ministry, but his relationship with God. Love of money, an unhealthy interest in controversies, and a conceited heart -- all these things bring focus on the self instead of God, and replace humility with the sin of pride. But, as Paul reminds Timothy in the face of all these temptations, "Godliness with contentment is great gain."

There is a major difference between the contemporary secular concept of love, and the way that love is presented in the Scriptures. Especially in chapter 13 of St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, there is a sacrificial quality of love, which requires the exercise of will rather than a reliance upon emotional whims. Marcus and JonMarc Grodi look at the Christian call to true charity, and how Jesus is our ultimate example of a love that is willing to risk everything for the good of the other.

In an ongoing series focusing on how to abide and abound in Christ, Marcus and JonMarc Grodi look at how the relationship between husband and wife reflects the relationship between the God and the believer. They unpack St. Paul's teaching to the Galatians on the Fruits of the Spirit, and discuss the importance of relying upon grace in order to grow in love. They also look at what John the Baptist and St. Peter can tell us about humility and conversion in relation to both marriage and a relationship with Christ.

St. Paul's letter to the Philippians is one of the most joyful texts in the New Testament, and yet he wrote it from prison! In it, St. Paul calls us to rejoice in whatever adversity we might be facing, giving us a clear Scriptural groundwork for the Catholic theology of suffering. In this Deep in Scripture episode, Marcus and JonMarc Grodi look at how St. Paul's message from Philippians 4:4-7 calls us all to abide and abound in Christ, and to do so joyfully.

In this episode of Deep in Scripture, Marcus and JonMarc Grodi unpack more passages related to the concept of abiding and abounding in Christ. Looking at Hebrews 12:11-16 and 28-29, as well as the beginning of Hebrews 3, they reflect on what it means to respond to grace, and how that affects not only our personal walk with the Lord, but also how we walk together as a community of believers. Marcus and JonMarc also look at the danger that bitterness can pose to the spiritual life, and how it can distract us from the discipline and perseverance necessary to deepen our relationship with God.

How does one live abundantly in Christ, and abide in him, as he commands us to do? For every Christian, there is a call to grow in grace, walking each day more closely with him. Marcus reflects on what it means to abide and abound in Christ, and why conversion isn't a one-time event, but a lifelong call to deepening relationship with Jesus. He examines a number of Scriptures that describe what this process should look like in the lives of believers.

In the story of Jesus' first miracle at the Wedding of Cana, many Catholics focus on Mary's words to the servants there, "do whatever he tells you," as a model for Christian piety and action. On today's episode, however, Fr. Skip Thompson, a convert to the Catholic faith, focuses on the words of Our Lord to His Mother in that exchange: "O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come." Is this merely a rebuke of Mary? Or is there a lot more to this passage, beginning with the fact that Jesus refers to his mother as "woman" rather than "mother?"

In the midst of scandals and chaos in the Catholic Church, how should those in Christian leadership conduct themselves? As a former Presbyterian minister tasked with the pastoral care of souls, Marcus Grodi looks at some of the current measures that are being considered by bishops and priests to help establish a "code of conduct" to encourage fidelity, and prevent further scandal. Marcus suggests that maybe the solution to these problems lies not with something new, but rather with a return to something timeless: namely, the clear call in the New Testament letter to the Hebrews, to "strive for peace with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord."

Many Christians today see physical expressions of faith as superficial, or unnecessary to the Gospel. For them, salvation can be distilled down to an assent of the mind and affinity of the heart toward God. In the latest episode of Deep in Scripture, Marcus Grodi reflects on how Christ's sacrifice on the Cross, a physical act with eternal spiritual consequences, is an indication of the way that in the age of the Church, God chooses to mediate his grace to us through physical means in the sacraments. Marcus looks at the wealth of evidence from Scripture that points toward this sacramental understanding of the economy of grace.

Marcus Grodi welcomes former nondenominational pastor Steve Gleason to the program to discuss the words of Jesus in John 3, when he tells Nicodemus that he must be born again, of water and the spirit. Steve and Marcus reflect on what they thought it meant to be "born again" when they were Protestant Christians, and how they understand this teaching of Our Lord now as Catholics.