The Spiritual Life with Fr. James Martin, S.J.

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America Media
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  • Christianity
  • Updated weekly

What is prayer and how can we pray? How do I know if God is responding to my prayers? What does it mean to live a spiritual life? “The Spiritual Life with Fr. James Martin, S.J.,” focuses on how people experience God in their prayer and their daily lives. The show combines practical wisdom with deep reflections from spiritual masters and well-known seekers, all tracing the mystery of God’s activity in their own lives. You can visit the show's webpage at www.americamagazine.org/thespirituallife.

  1. 5 days ago

    How Jesuit spirituality changed Andrew Garfield’s life

    It’s been over ten years since the award-winning actor Andrew Garfield trained as a Jesuit priest with Fr. James Martin, S.J. Well, more accurately, since he trained to play a Jesuit priest in Martin Scorsese's film Silence.  And the fruits of those Ignatian practices of prayer and contemplation have continued to bear out in his life. Garfield joins his long-time spiritual director, Fr. Martin on this episode of “The Spiritual Life” to reflect on:  -The importance of empathy in Garfield’s own spirituality of acting -The ways God calls us to defend human dignity and fight for justice as portrayed in Garfield’s new movie, ‘The Uprising’ -What lessons from The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius have remained close to Garfield’s heart -God speaking through our dreams Timecodes: 0:00 Andrew Garfield  5:20 The spiritual themes of ‘The Uprising’ 10:10 Is there a spirituality of acting? 14:30 His mother’s ability to attune to small miracles 18:30 The mystery of faith in ‘Silence’ 21:30 Encountering Jesus in the Spiritual Exercises  28:10 How Andrew Garfield reflects on his day with the Jesuit examen 38:05 Does God and our loved ones speak through dreams? 42:20 Audience Question: How do I transform my pain to stop transmitting it to others? Maggi Van Dorn’s producer’s notes on this episode Do you have a spiritual question for Fr. Jim? You can write to us at:  thespirituallife@americamedia.org Become a subscriber today at Americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    How Jesuit spirituality changed Andrew Garfield’s life

  2. 8 Sept

    Music as a doorway to the divine with Matt Maher

    “The Spiritual Life with Fr. James Martin, S.J.” returns for its third season with what is sure to be a crowd favorite: a conversation with the legendary Catholic musician Matt Maher. A nine-time Grammy Award nominee, Maher has written some of the most widely sung worship songs across many Christian denominations, including “Lord I Need You,” “Your Grace Is Enough,” and his latest, “Gonna Be Alright.” Together with host James Martin, S.J, Matt reflects upon: The profound conversion experience Matt had in his early 20s that led to his vocation as a praise and worship singer-songwriter. The evolution of praise and worship music in the last century The ways that “writing to task” and divine inspiration have shaped Maher’s songwriting  The ministry of being on the road with people and home with family Timcodes: 0:00 In a didactic age of faith, we need to return to the experience of God 5:10 The conversion experience that led to Matt’s vocation as a Christian musician 12:39 Church music progression: from the St. Louis Jesuits to modern praise and worship 24:35 Writing out of the experience of the Eucharist 26:10 Any great song tells the truth 30:10 The practices that keep Matt spiritually alive 34:13 Discernment and detachment for creatives 38:28 Encountering God in relationships 46:54 Audience Question: I am often moved to tears at mass but don’t understand why? Maggi Van Dorn’s producer’s notes on this episode  Do you have a spiritual question for Fr. Jim? You can write to us at:  thespirituallife@americamedia.org Become a subscriber today at Americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Music as a doorway to the divine with Matt Maher

  3. 30 Jun

    Greg Boyle, S.J. on compassion and kinship

    Founder of Homeboy Industries and best-selling spiritual writer, Greg Boyle, S.J., joins James Martin S.J. on the season finale of “The Spiritual Life” podcast. They talk about who inspired Greg to join the Jesuits, where he goes for spiritual direction each morning, bringing a mystical lens to reading the Bible, and how the community at Homeboy, the world’s leading gang intervention rehabilitation program, has made God’s love real to him. Timecodes:  0:00 Greg Boyle doesn’t know a bad person 5:20 How Homeboy ministries began  14:17 How joy, humor and fearlessness attracted Fr. Greg to the Jesuits 20:20 Why you need a mystical filter to know the God of Love 24:45 You want to see Jesus so you can be Jesus to others 35:55 Hate is a symptom of bad health, not a bad person 47:00 Dealing with criticism and praise 50:31 Greg’s morning spiritual practice 54:45 Audience Question: How do we know for sure if God forgives us? Take our Listener Survey here! Read Fr. Jim’s spiritual reflection on moral heroes Fr. Greg Boyle’s books: Tattoos on the Heart Barking to the Choir Cherished Belonging Forgive Everyone Everything Do you have a spiritual question for Father Jim? You can write to us at: thespirituallife@americamedia.org Become a subscriber today at Americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Greg Boyle, S.J. on compassion and kinship

  4. 23 Jun

    Hasan Minhaj on Islam, comedy, and the spiritual life

    Hasan Minhaj is “down to catch a blessing,” wherever that may be. The Emmy Award-winning comedian joins James Martin, S.J. on “The Spiritual Life” podcast to share his Muslim faith, how laughter helped to save his life, and his hopes for interreligious dialogue and prayer.  Timecodes: 0:00 How a traveling comedian looks to an ancient faith 4:11 Why laughter is important to the spiritual life 8:13 Hasan’s early childhood influences 9:35 The story of Islam  13:26 Malcolm X & Dr. Sherman Jackson on being Muslim in America 26:02 An inter-faith dialogue on Jesus and the Trinity 30:22 Dealing with negative stereotypes about Islam 33:40 The call to prayer 37:58 Encountering God through acts of virtue 41:30 Islam does not depict God through images 44:15 Audience Question: Advice for someone who hasn’t lived a religious life and has doubts,  but still feels called to faith? Hasan’s podcast episode with Fr. Jim: Hasan Minhaj Doesn't Know Read ⁠Fr. Jim's ⁠ spiritual reflection⁠ on this episode Do you have a spiritual question for Father Jim? You can write to us at: thespirituallife@americamedia.org Become a subscriber today at Americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Hasan Minhaj on Islam, comedy, and the spiritual life

  5. 16 Jun

    David Brooks on finding faith later in life

    David Brooks is known as one of America’s leading public intellectuals, a longtime columnist for The New York Times and now a staff writer at The Atlantic. He joins James Martin, S.J., on “The Spiritual Life” podcast to share how he went from a mostly cultural Jew, to a “Jew-y” Christian in the land of faith.   Timeline: 0:00 Traveling to the land of faith 6:20 Our social and political problems are spiritual ones 10:04 Understanding the America’s religious revival  11:46 Religious but not yet spiritual 14:05 David’s movement to faith 19:05 Dorothy Day and St. Augustine influences  28:15 Unpacking  David’s mystical experiences 34:35 A new frontier in the Christian faith 37:33 Three Jewish women that paid attention: Simone Weil, Edith Stein, Etty Hillesum 47:50 Audience Question: How do we maintain hope in bleak times? Brooks is the bestselling author of several books including:  How to Know a Person: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/652822/how-to-know-a-person-by-david-brooks/ The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/217649/the-second-mountain-by-david-brooks/ The Road to Character: https://www.acappellabooks.com/pages/books/343956/david-brooks/the-road-to-character Bobos in Paradise https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Bobos-in-Paradise/David-Brooks/9780684853789 Read Fr. Jim's ⁠ spiritual reflection on this episode Do you have a spiritual question for Father Jim? You can write to us at: thespirituallife@americamedia.org Become a subscriber today at Americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    David Brooks on finding faith later in life

  6. 9 Jun

    A spirituality of family life with Katie Prejean McGrady

    Radio host and author, Katie Prejean McGrady joins host James Martin, S.J., to talk about the religious revival sweeping across America, how youth ministers can share eternal truths without falling prey to black-and-white thinking, and a spirituality of family life.  Katie is an award-winning Catholic author, speaker and host of The Katie McGrady Show on SiriusXM’s The Catholic Channel. She also hosts a weekly podcast, Family Mass Prep on Hallow with her husband Tommy.  Timecodes: 0:00 “Jesus is constantly surprising me” 5:20 Is there a religious revival happening for young people? 10:00 Avoiding the dangers of black and white thinking in youth ministry 14:22 Katie’s “big Catholic” upbringing 17:40 Making spiritual sense of suffering 22:00 Ignatian contemplation with Jesus 30:40 The spirituality of being a parent 39:12 How parents can get their kids to mass 46:06 Audience Question: How can I fully participate in the Catholic liturgy when I find myself at odds with Catholic teaching? Some of Katie’s books: Room 24: Adventures of a New Evangelist Follow: Your Lifelong Adventure with Jesus Read Fr. Jim's spiritual reflection on this episode Do you have a spiritual question for Father Jim? You can write to us at: thespirituallife@americamedia.org Become a subscriber today at Americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    A spirituality of family life with Katie Prejean McGrady

  7. 2 Jun

    Robert George on how to disagree and remain spiritually grounded

    The American legal scholar and public intellectual, Professor Robert George, joins host James Martin, S.J., on “The Spiritual Life” podcast to talk about the practice of dialogue in the church and society, as well as his own rich faith journey.  Raised in the heart of Appalachia, West Virginia, by his Syrian Antiochian Orthodox father and Italian Catholic mother, Robert’s childhood was solidly rooted in faith and inspired by the moral heroism of his father.  In addition to his extensive professional accomplishments, including as the sixth McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University, Professor George has long modeled civil dialogue with his friend and fellow interlocutor, Professor Cornel West.  Timecodes: 0:00 Building trust for challenging conversations 5:27 Robert George’s Orthodox and Catholic “mixed” religious upbringing  9:14 The impact of a father’s relationship with God 13:45 Robert’s father’s act of heroism 22:28 What Jane Austen’s characters can teach us about God’s ways 24:30 Praying slowly with attention 35:15 How Robert’s dialogues with Dr. Cornel West began 45:20 You’ll only allow someone you trust to challenge your deeply held beliefs 48:12 Audience Question: How can we better respond to God’s calls for improving the world? Link to Father Jim’s spiritual advice column for this episode: https://www.americamagazine.org/podcasts/2026/06/01/robert-george-james-martin-spiritual-life Some of Robert George’s books: Truth Matters: A Dialogue on Fruitful Disagreement in an Age of Division In Defense of Natural Law Making Men Moral: Civil Liberties and Public Morality Do you have a spiritual question for Father Jim? You can write to us at: thespirituallife@americamedia.org Become a subscriber today at Americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Robert George on how to disagree and remain spiritually grounded

  8. 26 May

    Yunuen Trujillo’s ministry to migrants and L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics

    As a lay minister to  L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics, a faith-based community organizer, and an immigration attorney, Yunuen Trujillo wears many hats.  And as a member of these marginalized communities herself, she knows their struggles intimately.  ”I feel that when we minister to immigrants or L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics, I'm ministering from a place of an open wound,” says Yuenen,  “But it's a good thing because when you connect with your wound, then you're able to be hospitable to the wound of other people.” Yunuen joins host Fr. James Martin, S.J., on “The Spiritual Life” podcast to share her journey of finding a loving and merciful God who walks with her in her fight for justice in many arenas.  Timecodes: 0:00 Jesus teaches us about love through the parable of “the Good Samaritan” 3:17 Can I be gay and Catholic? 6:40 Yunuen’s intersectional vocation as an immigration attorney and lay Catholic minister 13:20 Yunuen’s spiritual resources for the daily battles 17:46 Navigating righteous anger without succumbing to rage 28:00 How Yunuen found a loving and merciful God 43:30 Being LGBTQ isn’t an ideology 46:34 Audience Question: How can you use prayer to help you look forward in life as opposed to revisiting old transgressions or wounds? Read Fr. Martin's article reflecting on this episode here Yunuen Trujillo’s books: ⁠ LGBTQ Catholics: A Guide for Inclusive Ministry ⁠ ⁠Católicos LGBTQ: Una Guía para Pastoral Inclusiva.⁠ Yunuen is the founder of @lgbtcatholics on Instagram Link to Father Jim’s spiritual advice article on this episode⁠: "Bringing your full (wounded) self to ministry" Do you have a spiritual question for Father Jim? You can write to us at: thespirituallife@americamedia.org Become a subscriber today at Americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Yunuen Trujillo’s ministry to migrants and L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics
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What is prayer and how can we pray? How do I know if God is responding to my prayers? What does it mean to live a spiritual life? “The Spiritual Life with Fr. James Martin, S.J.,” focuses on how people experience God in their prayer and their daily lives. The show combines practical wisdom with deep reflections from spiritual masters and well-known seekers, all tracing the mystery of God’s activity in their own lives. You can visit the show's webpage at www.americamagazine.org/thespirituallife.

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