Come Away By Yourselves
Religion & Spirituality Podcas
"Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while." These words of Jesus Christ are an invitation to personal and intimate prayer. The meditations offered in this podcast are intended to help the listener enter into his own prayerful relationship with God. By reflecting on scenes from the Gospel, on other passages from Scripture, and on the insights of saints and spiritual writers, we can strengthen our faith in Jesus and our love for God. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, "I have called you my friends." By regular meditation and dialogue with Our Lord in prayer, our life can be transformed into an ever deepening and loving friendship with God.
Location:
United States
Description:
"Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while." These words of Jesus Christ are an invitation to personal and intimate prayer. The meditations offered in this podcast are intended to help the listener enter into his own prayerful relationship with God. By reflecting on scenes from the Gospel, on other passages from Scripture, and on the insights of saints and spiritual writers, we can strengthen our faith in Jesus and our love for God. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, "I have called you my friends." By regular meditation and dialogue with Our Lord in prayer, our life can be transformed into an ever deepening and loving friendship with God.
Language:
English
Contact:
6179926733
Email:
j.r.grieco@gmail.com
Episodes
The Spirit and the Gift of Peace
5/27/2023
The Holy Spirit is all about peace. As consoler and the Spirit of Christ, the working of the Holy Spirit and his seven gifts always establish peace in our hearts and our lives. Peace is a consequence of having God as our Father, and it is the Spirit of the Son that establishes this reality in our hearts.
https://comeawaybyyourselves.com
Duration:00:28:34
On the Holy Spirit (and a just little bit about Taylor Swift)
5/26/2023
Pentecost Sunday commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Church. The Holy Spirit is an agent of conversion and purification for our life. God wants us to be "on fire" as Christians, quick to love and to do his will. Jesus promises that those who ask for the Holy Spirit will receive him, and that those who receive him receive him abundantly.
https://comeawaybyyourselves.com
Duration:00:28:47
Q and A on the Value of Suffering
5/20/2023
Follow up to the class on suffering. Question and answer session.
https://comeawaybyyourselves.com
Duration:00:15:33
Class on Christian Ethics: The Value of Suffering
5/20/2023
Suffering is an unavoidable reality in life. What light does the Christian Faith shed on the meaning of suffering? In this class we will examine the origin of suffering, its relationship to God, and how to make the most of our personal suffering in living the Christian vocation.
https://comeawaybyyourselves.com
Duration:00:50:10
Our Lady and the Holy Spirit
5/13/2023
Our Lady is a perfect model of holiness and love. Heading towards Pentecost, we can reflect on her relationship with her Divine Spouse, the Holy Spirit. To have God's Spirit is to have Christ's own motivation, to be inspired by the same spirit that he was. We see this in Mary, who says "Be it done unto me according to your word." The Spirit is a renewer of the soul. To have the Spirit as our spirit pays off in spades, namely, the beautiful fruits of the Holy Spirit.
https://comeawaybyyourselves.com
Duration:00:24:38
Knowing God's Power and Care
5/6/2023
Jesus encourages us to respond to our troubled hearts with trust in him and in his Father. To see Jesus is to see the Father, to know Jesus is to know the Father. Jesus's love and mercy reveal what God is truly like even more than a vision of God's power and majesty. Jesus's miracles show us that the same God who is the all powerful creator is also our savior and loving father. Our trust in God's goodness is emboldened by our awareness of God's strength. God's first "miracle," creation, also speaks clearly of God's power on our behalf.
https://comeawaybyyourselves.com
Duration:00:27:29
Good Shepherd Sunday: Conversion and Courage
4/29/2023
Jesus is the Good Shepherd. This reality fills us with confidence in following Christ. Jesus is also the gate into the fullness of life and into eternal life. Entering this gate entails conversion. We need to leave behind whatever keeps us from following Christ. Conversion demands courage, however, because the gate to life is narrow and the path is difficult. We need courage to fight against sin, to recognize it in the first place, and to accept the tension that our Christian life can cause in our contemporary world. Since Jesus is our Shepherd, however, this courage is made possible through trust in him. He is always at our side, with his rod and his staff.
https://comeawaybyyourselves.com
Duration:00:29:30
The Bread of Life: Jesus Abiding in You
4/22/2023
"He who eats this bread will live forever." "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him." In the Bread of Life Discourse, Jesus makes wonderful claims about Eucharistic Communion. In Communion, we share in Jesus' resurrection and are intimately united with him. This should change the way we think about Jesus. He is not a merely figure from the past or a distant model to imitate, he is a spiritual force in our lives, a person who is always present with a mind, a will, power, and initiatives. Faith unlocks Jesus' life in our lives, his activity in our activities.
https://comeawaybyyourselves.com
Duration:00:31:50
[Rebroadcast] Divine Mercy: From Sadness and Fear to Peace and Joy
4/15/2023
Originally published in 2021.
On Divine Mercy Sunday, we reflect on Jesus's message of peace to the Apostles in the upper room on Easter Sunday. He brings them peace and joy when they are afraid and sad. He gives them and us the means to return to peace, the sacrament of confession. God's Mercy is powerful and enduring, only our pride can keep us from experiencing its marvelous effects.
https://comeawaybyyourselves.com
https://soundcloud.com/dave-grieco-1/tracks
Duration:00:30:41
[Rebroadcast] Easter and the Invincible Love of God!
4/8/2023
Originally published Easter 2021
Jesus's Resurrection is the culmination of his victory over sin and death. In his death and his rising to new life Jesus defeats Satan, the great enemy of God and humanity. The Resurrection proves that God's love for us is undefeated and truly invincible. In any battle that God wants us to fight, we can be fully confident of eventual and joyful victory. Happy Easter!
https://comeawaybyyourselves.com
For the music see https://open.spotify.com/album/5XqqbnE7ywxlAPO9jXBACh?si=DYb0d5L0RfO50xGiLl_tRQ
For last year's (calmer) Easter meditation, see https://comeaway.buzzsprout.com/936226/3358177-loving-much or on Apple podcasts at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/loving-much/id1503216953?i=1000471451374
Duration:00:30:29
The Contradiction of the Cross
4/6/2023
The Cross of Christ is "folly to the Gentiles and a scandal to the Jews." The Crucifixion contradicts our normal expectations of who God is and how he should act. In speaking against us the Cross reveals God as radical love and sin as radical evil. The Cross even contradicted Jesus, who asked that "this cup might pass" during his prayer in the garden. Our crosses will thus also be difficult to understand and accept. However, they remain precious opportunities to follow Christ and live his life.
https://comeawaybyyourselves.com
Duration:00:29:43
Jesus on the Cross: The Reliability of God's Love
3/31/2023
Jesus's death on the cross is the supreme revelation of God's love. St. Paul tells us that nothing will separate us from the love of God in Christ. Christ's death shows us how much he loves us and what the Father's love for Him, and for us, is like. This is a reliable love, upon which we can firmly plant all of our problems and our whole life. The cross fills us with confidence in God and our own crosses are a sign of God's confidence in us.
https://comeawaybyyourselves.com
Duration:00:30:19
Practices of Lent: Connoisseurs of Love
3/25/2023
Almsgiving (charity) is one of the three traditional practices of Lent. When preaching about almsgiving, Jesus focuses on purity of intention. We should love others for their sake and for the glory of God. St. Paul paints a portrait of the Christian heart in his letter to the Ephesians. Christian charity is especially imbued with understanding of others and selflessness in service.
https://comeawaybyyourselves.com
Duration:00:26:59
[Rebroadcast] St. Joseph: A Model of Courage and Trust
3/18/2023
On the Feast of St. Joseph, we reflect on his courage in accepting the unique responsibilities entrusted to him by God. This courage was bolstered by his trust in God and in God's plan. Joseph didn't have to understand everything to be faithful to God's will. His determination to love and protect Mary and Jesus is tied to his flexibility and detachment with respect to his own plans.
For more information and resources, please visit https://comeawaybyyourselves.com
Duration:00:31:29
The Priority of Prayer
3/18/2023
While Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving are the three traditional practices of Lent, prayer should take priority. We learn from the example of Jesus who put prayer in the first place in his day. Like Our Lord, we should make sacrifices in order to find time to pray. Mental prayer is especially fruitful and important. To raise our minds and hearts to God is restful and reminds us that God is our father and our great friend. Lacking time for prayer is most often a lack of desire to pray or a failure to really grasp its importance. To pray well, we should be totally open and sincere with God about our lives and everything happening in our heart.
https://comeawaybyyourselves.com
Duration:00:32:10
"Peace with God through Our Lord Jesus Christ"
3/11/2023
St. Paul's letter to the Romans connects justification with a state of spiritual peace. God's love for us should be a source of continual peace even amidst problems and turbulent times. This takes an effort to grow in our faith and to evaluate everything in the light of faith. Hope depends on the reality of God and his love. Paul also sees God's love for us as a source of inner and resilient joy. Knowing that God loves us is a fount of joy that we can tap into even when saddened or distressed by the sorrows of life.
https://comeawaybyyourselves.com
Duration:00:29:46
[not for children] Christ: A Model for (Young) Men
3/4/2023
At twelve years of age Jesus takes initiative and responsibility for his mission. To be a man is to take life seriously. Pleasure seeking and love of comfort will keep us from being true men. Boredom is a symptom of selfishness and indifference to others. Jesus invites us to join him in his work of redemption. This takes growth in our own sense of maturity, self-control, responsibility, and initiative.
Some of the examples in this meditation may not be suitable for younger children.
https://comeawaybyyourselves.com
Duration:00:24:12
Class on Christian Ethics: The Mystery of Evil
2/26/2023
A theology class given for parents at Montrose School in January 2023.
If God is good and all of his creation is therefore good, what can "evil" possibly be? The mysterious nature of evil and its connection to nothingness are important topics for Christian reflection. By understanding evil's strange relationship with goodness and the true source of moral evil, we will be better equipped to recognize and reject it.
https://comeawaybyyourselves.com
Duration:00:56:54
“Him alone shall you serve”: On Fasting and Temptation
2/25/2023
After forty days of fasting in the wilderness, Jesus is tempted by the devil. We learn the importance of our own Lenten fasts by reflecting on Jesus' fast. Jesus' temptations also contain valuable lessons for us. Temptation is part of God's plan for us. As it was for Jesus, temptation can be for us a great spiritual opportunity rather than an obstacle.
https://comeawaybyyourselves.com
Duration:00:29:42
Ash Wednesday: Lenten Self Denial
2/22/2023
Lent is a season of penance and prayer. Voluntary denial of our bodies, souls, and our very selves strengthens our spiritual life. Without silence, deep prayer is impossible. Without mortification of our habitual distractions, interior silence is unattainable. Above all, we should practice the denial of our ego. Self-satisfaction, vanity, and pride can all coexist with other forms of mortification. For Jesus to live in us and through us, the denial of our self-centeredness is indispensable.
https://comeawaybyyourselves.com
Duration:00:29:10