Little by Little

When someone asks how you are, do you say "fine" and move on? Fr Columba explores an idea drawn from St John Paul II's theology of the body: that we exist to be a gift to others, and that ordinary conversation is one of...

Do you know how to switch off, or do you just know how to keep going? Fr Columba explores an idea from the philosopher Josef Pieper: that leisure, real rest, is the basis of culture, and it isn't the same thing as...

Why does the priesthood matter so much? Holding a relic of St John Vianney, Fr Columba reflects on a line he's carried since his ordination day: the priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus. He explains why the...

Do you ever feel like prayer only really counts if you're kneeling in silence with nothing else going on? Fr Columba opens with a story about two young friars asking their spiritual director whether it's alright to...

Do you turn prayer into a negotiation, bargaining with God until you get the outcome you want? Fr Columba shares a story from summer camp, praying for good weather on a beach trip, only to watch the rain start on the...

Is it wrong to eat just because something tastes good? Fr Columba shares Fr Mike Schmitz's teaching on the two purposes of eating, nourishment and pleasure, and explains why pursuing either one on its own is fine, but...

Is it ever okay for Catholics to badmouth the Pope online? Fr Columba draws a clear line between disagreeing with a pope's personal opinions and disrespecting the office itself, and shows through saints like Padre Pio...

The rosary can start to feel like empty repetition if you don't know what it actually is. Fr Columba breaks it down: it's a litany, a repeated pattern of praise and intercession directed to Mary, built word for word out...

What would it actually feel like to know, deep down, that the Father delights in you? Fr Columba leads you through a simple exercise: imagine you had none of it, no closeness, no confidence, no boldness before God, and...

Have you ever heard someone talk about "the universe" instead of God, and felt strangely annoyed? Fr Columba unpacks a conversation with a stranger who used exactly that language, and asks what people really mean when...

Do you ever catch yourself doing something and only later wonder why you actually did it? Fr Columba shares a simple discernment tool from St Faustina's diary: before any decision, stop and ask whether it's for God's...

Do you ever notice that scrolling never actually leaves you satisfied? Fr Columba unpacks why the infinite scroll is built that way on purpose, always teasing, never filling, and contrasts it with what heaven actually...

Ever felt like living a holy life should be easier than it is? Fr Columba unpacks a line from St Francis de Sales that stopped him in his tracks: a devout life is easy, delightful, and desirable. Drawing on the plain...

Ever been in a crisis with no time to sit down and pray? Fr Columba shares the express novena: nine Memorares said one after another instead of stretched over nine days, a fast, trusted way to call on Our Lady's help...

Do you find yourself focused on the big stuff while the smaller sins just quietly accumulate? In this episode, Fr Columba draws on the famous broken windows theory from 1990s New York to make a simple but uncomfortable...