Grace Actually

In this week’s episode of Grace Actually, I’m joined by Emmet O’Leary, a seminarian in the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, to explore his journey of discerning a vocation to the priesthood.

From those first moments of recognising God’s call in childhood to the experiences, challenges and joys of life in seminary, Emmet shares something of what it means to listen, trust and say yes to the will of God.

We also reflect on this Sunday’s Gospel (Matthew 25:1-13) and Jesus’ teaching about using the talents entrusted to us. Together, we wonder how do we recognise the gifts God has given us and can we use them wisely, not simply for ourselves, but to build up His Kingdom and serve others?

A honest, joyous and insightful conversation about vocation, discernment, generosity and discovering that saying yes to God can open doors to a life far greater than we might have imagined.

So, as always, let’s prepare to prepare, keep our eyes open and continue searching for His grace in the ordinary.

We’re preparing to prepare. This is Grace Actually. Let’s go and search for grace together…

#graceactually #catholicpodcast #preparingtoprepare

In this episode of Grace Actually, we sit down with Carl Bellwood to explore his journey to the Catholic Church and the incredible joys and grace he has discovered through the sacraments.

As we journey towards Mary’s great yes, we spend time preparing to prepare by listening to others stories of saying “Yes” to God in their journey of faith and consider how this can help us open our hearts too.

Guided by Matthew 7:7, Carl shares his story of coming to the Catholic Church, whilst reflecting on the moments, encounters and experiences that have shaped his faith.

Together, we explore the words of Jesus: “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find.”

What happens when we truly ask, seek and open ourselves to the Lord? …

When we listen to His invitation and find the courage to say yes, we discover that He gives us far more than we could ever have imagined.

Perhaps preparing our hearts begins by listening to the yes of others, allowing their stories to inspire and encourage our own.

As we prepare for Mary’s yes, whose yes might help us discover our own?

#GraceActually #PreparingToPrepare #MarysYes #CatholicFaith #Sacraments #FaithJourney

In this episode of Grace Actually, Chris is joined by Deacon Tom Rolfe, a permanent deacon in the Diocese of Middlesbrough, to explore his journey of faith, from the roots of his beliefs in childhood, through a spiritual desert period, to his return to the Church and the vocation that grew from it.

Through an honest and heartfelt conversation, Tom reflects on the people, experiences and moments of grace that helped shape his relationship with the Lord and led him to say yes to His call.

Guided by a reflection on the Beatitudes, Tom shares a warm, inspiring and hopeful message about faith, discernment and recognising God at work in our lives, even when the way ahead is unclear.

As we begin our journey towards Advent, this episode invites us to reflect on our own journeys of faith and how we, too, might prepare our hearts to say yes to the Lord.

💜 WE’RE BACK! | S2:E1: Preparing to Prepare

It’s time to search for grace together again!

As we look ahead to Advent, we’re beginning a journey of preparing to prepare. In this series, we’ll explore the stories of others and how they have said yes to the Lord, discovering the hope, peace, joy and love that can be found in responding to His call.

Through hearing these stories, we hope to ready our hearts for the greatest yes of all: Mary’s “Let it be done to me according to your word.”

And perhaps, as we listen to the yeses of others, we might find the courage and inspiration to take the next step in our own yes, too.

This episode is just a little taste of what’s to come. So, grab a cuppa, settle in and join us as we get ready to get ready for Advent!

This is Grace Actually. Let’s prepare to prepare together. 💜

In this episode of Grace Actually, Christopher reflects on the beauty of God’s creation and the invitation to simply stop and notice what is already around us.

Inspired by a peaceful evening on Margate beach, watching the sunset and listening to the gentle waves with Alice, Christopher explores how easily we can become distracted from the beauty that surrounds us. A visit to the Turner Contemporary introduces the words, “Please awake - asked nature kindly”, prompting a reflection on what it means to wake up to the world around us, put down our phones and become more present.

The episode also considers a deeper meaning behind those words. Perhaps waking up means not only recognising the beauty of creation, but also becoming more aware of the ways we can damage it and our responsibility to care for what God has entrusted to us.

Christopher reads a short extract from his book, Searching For Grace: Finding God in the Ordinary, reflecting on “the grace of noticing what was always there”, before turning to Psalm 19 and its reminder that “the heavens declare the glory of God”.

Ultimately, this is an episode about gratitude - noticing the beauty that was already there and allowing it to draw us closer to God.

n this week’s episode of Searching for Grace, Christopher finds himself recording from Margate beach rather than the usual studio, complete with sea breeze, seagulls and a microphone muff that may or may not be doing its job!

Reflecting on the Gospel of the feeding of the five thousand, Christopher explores the grace of being filled in abundance. The episode begins with a bacon and sausage sandwich-inspired reflection from Fr Stephen, who challenges Christopher to notice the Eucharistic moments that happen when people gather in love, friendship, joy and fellowship.

From an evening of singing at the Catholic Fellowship, including yet another rendition of “Everlasting Love”, to sharing meals, drinks and laughter with family in Margate, Christopher discovers that being filled isn’t always about food. Sometimes we are filled spiritually through the ordinary moments we might otherwise overlook.

The Gospel then offers a deeper perspective. Jesus takes five loaves and two fish and somehow there is enough for everyone, with twelve baskets left over. Christopher reflects on what it means to trust God with what little we have and to recognise the abundance already present in our lives.

And for those who feel empty, there is reassurance too. Jesus knows what it is to grieve, withdraw and feel weary.

Through Scripture, humour and a little northern tangential wandering, this episode invites listeners to notice where grace is filling them too.

In this week’s episode of Grace Actually, Christopher reflects on an unexpected lesson in faith, found not in a grand pilgrimage or theological text, but in the laughter of a three-year-old with bubbles, paint and an endless sense of wonder.

As the first week of the summer holidays brings a welcome change of pace, Christopher shares how slowing down has helped him notice God’s grace in the ordinary moments of life. From a simple afternoon of bubble painting at Alice’s studio to a chance conversation during a massage, he explores how quickly life can change when we create space to pause and pay attention.

Drawing on Jesus’ words in Matthew 18, Christopher considers what it really means to “become like little children.” Rather than calling us to be childish, Christ invites us to rediscover childlike trust, joy and freedom from worrying about the opinions of others.

With gentle humour, personal stories and honest reflection, this episode explores the pressures of comparison, the challenge of speaking openly about faith in modern Britain and the invitation to embrace a little more wonder in everyday life.

Perhaps this week, the Gospel’s challenge is wonderfully simple: worry a little less, laugh a little more and, just maybe, be a little more Amelia.

What do brambles, a broken car, Mr Blue Sky and the Gospel have in common? Quite a lot, apparently, as Chris has discovered this week.

After finding himself running from Stockton to Darlington in the summer heat, Chris encountered an unexpected grace and source of refreshment - a bramble! What may seem like a completely normal moment of thirst quenched by a handful of brambles , soon led him to wonder whether there may have been something more.

In this episode of Grace Actually, Chris explores the grace found in fruit, divine providence in the ordinary and Jesus' invitation to remain in the vine. Through laughter, memories and a little Lectio Divina, Chris asks what fruit God may be growing in our own lives and, maybe more importantly, who may need to receive it.

In this episode, Chris reflects on the end of a school year, the bittersweetness of saying goodbye and the joy of feeling valued.

Through cards, gifts and a beautiful school Mass, he discovers grace in being appreciated and in finally finishing something. 

Together, listeners are invited to sit with Saint Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians and explore what they might be saying about endings, encouragement, peace and trusting God in whatever comes next.