Encounter Grow Witness

Encounter Grow Witness

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Encounter Grow Witness episodes

  • Episode 4: Virtues For Today's Church

    Fr. Steve and Beth examine each of the cardinal and theological virtues and how we can use them in the Church and culture we have today.

    Show notes:

    (0:21) Fr. Steve and Beth catch up and reflect on the nice spring weather we’ve been having and what they’re enjoying about May so far.

    (7:06) Fr. Steve introduces this month’s topic of virtues, especially those that God is calling for out of this present moment. He talks about the four cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance, and courage, as well as the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity.

    (9:25) Beth talks about prudence and the flexibility we need to change our approaches and processes for the Church that we have, which may not be the same as the one we used to know. Fr. Steve offers the example of campus ministry he’s been doing lately, sharing that both the tools and the language used to communicate with college-aged students are so different from what they used to be, and Beth remembers feeling this way in youth ministry as well.

    (13:45) The two discuss justice as a very necessary willingness to talk about Jesus and the right people have to know him. Beth brings in an example from Penn Jillette to outline that right, and Fr. Steve shares some reflection he’s done on the seventh commandment, “you shall not steal,” as it relates to evangelization.

    (17:25) They talk about courage; Fr. Steve relates it similarly to the conversation on justice, saying that we have to be willing to engage in the difficult conversations about the Church. The answer to so many of our questions lie in the heart of Jesus, so we have to have the courage to enter into these conversations without the perfect assurance of our own satisfactory answer. Beth adds, saying that she thinks of this courage as the fortitude to live differently in the midst of hostility.

    (20:54) Beth defines temperance and gives her experience of it being childlike trust, in a way that we aren’t relying on earthly things to solve our problems but rather we’re fully trusting the Lord with them. Fr. Steve echoes a similar sentiment, also adding that a large part of temperance in the year 2021 is moderating our use of social media.

    (27:37) Fr. Steve then moves the conversation to the theological virtues, which are not things that we earn, but things that God freely gives us out of love. He begins with faith, with the virtue being confidence in the whole Gospel, how it all fits together, and modeling our lives after it. Beth adds with her reflection on confidence in the Holy Spirit and how we are part of God’s work on earth.

    (33:59) Beth introduces and defines the virtue of hope. She shares a story from her travels that exemplifies how hope should be lived out today — by dwelling on the good and always thinking of heaven. Fr. Steve echoes this idea and adds that we find who the saints in our lives are and how we can turn to them as examples of hope.

    (38:33) They move to charity, for which Beth offers the Catechism’s definition of loving God above all things and loving our neighbor as ourselves. Beth begins the conversation on charity by expressing the deep personal intimacy each of us needs with God. Fr. Steve adds the importance of sacrificial love, especially for those who don’t believe in God and being willing to be inconvenienced or overlook certain things as a way to bear witness to the Gospel in our lives.

    (45:13) Fr. Steve and Beth answer audience questions. They discuss how people can grow in virtue and their favorite devotions within the Church. They do a quick cheese quiz for National American Cheese Month and end with personal takeaways from today’s conversation.

    Links from this episode:

    From Christendom to Apostolic Mission

    55 min
  • Episode 3: Communio and Community
    Beth and Fr. Steve discuss “communio,” the deep, spiritual community that comes with being Catholic, and how ministers can create a culture of communio in our parishes.
    *Show notes:
    *
    (1:52) After some quick catching up, Fr. Steve and Beth share how their Lents went, how successful their resolutions were, and what they’re reading lately.
    (6:58) Fr. Steve introduces this episode’s topic: community. Specifically, he addresses the supernatural kind of community, or “communio” that we experience in the Church that you can’t get from a book club or a travel club.
    (8:28) Beth and Fr. Steve share their experiences of what quarantining during the early pandemic was like — Beth home with her family, and Fr. Steve living at the seminary. They discuss how humanity is meant to be shared and how community is crucial for our happiness.
    (15:19) They talk about returning to Mass, the graces it brings, and what worked and didn’t work during the process. Beth gives an example of a young mothers group at her parish where she experienced a great formation of Christian community. Fr. Steve reflects on the community he shares with the priests with whom he was ordained, and how God moves through that community to call us to be generous with each other.
    (22:15) Beth and Fr. Steve give examples of times that community through the Church has fallen short and how we can learn from them. They also discuss the importance of community-building events, like a coffee and donut hour with the right mindset, or gathering a group of men to accomplish a communal task.
    (30:38) Fr. Steve suggests practical criteria he would set for creating genuine Catholic community. He talks about the importance of being committed to the same goal of holiness and willingness to be vulnerable. He also outlines three steps to building community for oneself.
    (34:34) Beth shares her insight on how we can apply this as ministers, using the example of how hospitable grocery stores are and how we can improve in that area in our churches. She and Fr. Steve discuss why churches may not seem entirely welcoming at times, and what to do to fix that.
    (41:48) Fr. Steve and Beth answer questions about community, like how ministers themselves can build friendships and how to adapt to a culture of community in our parishes.
    *Links from this episode:
    *
    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22522805-the-buried-giant?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=obbJREHhsn&rank=1 (The Buried Giant)
    https://www.egwdetroit.org/parish-day-of-renewal-2020-resources (Parish Day of Renewal)
    https://www.juliannestanz.com/ (Julianne Stanz)
    https://frjamesmallon.com/ (Fr. James Mallon)
    49 min
  • Episode 2: Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing
    Beth and Fr. Steve discuss the Church’s main mission of evangelization and how ministers can effectively make disciples, be discipled, and keep our work focused on the main thing.
    Show notes:
    (0:22) Beth and Fr. Steve share a bit about what their prayer lives have been like recently. Beth mentions that she’s been praying for unity on both a small and large scale, and Fr. Steve shares his prayers for trusting in God more and relying on his providence.
    (2:33) Fr. Steve and Beth talk about their Lenten resolutions, with Fr. Steve resolving to not go out to eat and to simplify his life, and Beth’s family resolving to eat what they have at home, not buying extra food or groceries when there’s already food in the house.
    (5:39) Beth introduces this episode’s topic and how she drew the inspiration for it from Stephen Covey’s quote, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” She and Fr. Steve consider what that “main thing” is for us and why the Church exists. They talk about the importance of pastoral care, but that the Church’s identity and key mission is evangelization.
    (9:11) Fr. Steve and Beth reflect on the moniker of the “New Evangelization,” and what that means when evangelism has been part of the Church’s mission even from Jesus’ ascension. Fr. Steve discusses the need to evangelize with our lives, and how in order to have this witness with our lives, we must be authentically converted to Christ first.
    (15:09) Beth reflects on what it means to be a disciple, and how we use the word often but we rarely define it. They establish a disciple as a person who has encountered Christ and chosen to surrender and follow him. The two discuss the joy that comes from following Jesus, and that this joy is perfect because we are created for it, but that it’s also different from comfort.
    (20:08) Fr. Steve and Beth consider personal discipleship, how we can actually go about keeping the main thing the main thing, and that the key for this is letting our hearts continue to be evangelized. They discuss bringing this into ministry by sharing the work God is doing in our lives. They discuss the power of testimony in increasing the faith of others.
    (30:14) Beth and Fr. Steve share some of the ways they’ve tried to keep this main thing the main thing that have fallen flat or been unsuccessful in the past, with Beth sharing an event she’d organized that went awry, and Fr. Steve sharing a personal evangelization attempt that didn’t go as he’d expected.
    (36:29) Fr. Steve and Beth discuss practical application of “keeping the main thing the main thing.” Beth suggests that the most effective way is, of course, through prayer, and that taking time to sit with Jesus is the best way to live out the Good News in our hearts. Fr. Steve encourages intentional goal-setting and evaluating the question, “Is there someone in my life I am helping to know Jesus?” Beth also shares the importance of prioritizing relationships with people outside of the Church.
    (44:46) The two take questions from the field. One listener asks what our hosts’ go-to prayers are, and Beth shares that hers are the Litany of Trust and the Litany of Humility, and Fr. Steve shares that his favorite is the Memorare. Another listener asks how we can evangelize those who are indifferent or hostile toward the faith, and Beth and Fr. Steve provide insight on what our role in evangelization truly is, and how to set ourselves up for success.
    54 min
  • Episode 1: Scripture
    Fr. Steve and Beth examine the significance of scripture and give some practical takeaways for how to incorporate it in our ministry.
    Show notes:
    (1:51) Beth discusses her journey to Christ, when she really encountered the life-changing grace of Catholicism, and how she discerned her path to ministry. Fr. Steve also shares about his Catholic upbringing with and his vocation to the priesthood.
    (9:48) Fr. Steve discusses the podcast’s goals: sharing intentional conversations about ministry with ministers, providing practical ministerial tips, answering questions from coworkers in the vineyard, and to help everyone understand their role in the effort to unleash the Gospel.
    (14:18) Beth shares her hopes that the podcast will be a way for ministers to be able to accompany one another through our shared responsibility and our shared mission. Beth and Fr. Steve also discuss the importance of connection as ministers and disciples.
    (18:34) Fr. Steve introduces the first topic of scripture, and how it helps us to better know God’s voice. The two discuss what their relationships with scripture were growing up, resources to help understand scripture, and how to incorporate it into ministry.
    (39:18) The two reflect on a set of questions Beth proposes when reading scripture: What does this passage reveal about God? What does this passage reveal about me? What is God saying to me right now? Fr. Steve also discusses the inter-relationship between scripture and liturgy.
    (44:39) Beth and Fr. Steve answer common scripture questions, like, “How do I justify all the terrible things that happen in the Bible?” “How do I start reading?” and “What if I don’t like reading scripture?”
    (49:20) Fr. Steve shares about the Unleash the Gospel Scripture Challenge taking place in 2021, outlining the six challenges and recommending this as a great place to start with reading the Bible. He also discusses the benefits of studying the Bible using lectio divina.
    (1:01:11) To close the episode, Beth and Fr. Steve share their favorite Bible passages.
    1 hr 4 min
  • Coming Soon: Encounter Grow Witness Podcast
    Inspired by the Unleash the Gospel pastoral letter, the Encounter Grow Witness podcast will provide the ministry community with meaningful conversations and practical tips to keep your work on mission.
    Tune in every month as Fr. Steve Pullis and Beth Spizarny, Director of Evangelization and Faith Formation at Shrine of the Little Flower, discuss topics like scripture, prayer, hospitality, the saints, and more.
    2 min

About Encounter Grow Witness

From the publisher's feed

Hosted by Fr. Steve Pullis and Beth Spizarny, Director of Evangelization and Faith Formation at the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica, Encounter Grow Witness is a podcast for ministers on…