Living the Works of Mercy: Bridging Faith and Action with Renee Roden, Fr. Jim O’Shea, and Christina Simmons

Quick Summary  Are you attending Mass regularly but struggling to live out your faith in everyday life? You're not alone. In this episode of Religion to Reality, Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich explore why so many Catholics feel confident in their sacramental life but struggle with the expressive fruits of discipleship, particularly the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Drawing from their groundbreaking discipleship study, they sit down with three inspiring guests who are living these works of mercy in radically different ways: Renee Roden from the Catholic Worker Movement, Fr. Jim O'Shea of Reconnect Brooklyn, and Christina Semmens of Say Yes to Holiness. Together, they unpack what it truly means to become Eucharist in the world and how small acts of mercy in our daily lives can transform both ourselves and our communities. In this Episode, We Explore: Introduction: The Disconnect Between Mass and Mercy (00:00) Overview of expressive fruits from the discipleship study Why Catholics rate themselves low on works of mercy despite strong sacramental participation Interview with Renee Roden - Catholic Worker Movement (3:00) The relationship between the Eucharist and works of mercy How the liturgical movement influenced Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin Why there should be no division between "helpers" and "the helped" Mass as Commissioning (9:22) Understanding "Go forth, the Mass is ended" as a call to action Integrating material and spiritual needs in service The danger of separating soup kitchens from spiritual community Practical First Steps for Living the Works of Mercy (13:00) Why accompanying someone already doing this work matters Overcoming the awkwardness of personal encounter Building spiritual muscles through community Interview with Father Jim O'Shea - Reconnect Brooklyn (15:00) Working with at-risk youth in Bedford-Stuyvesant How radical solidarity costs us our comfortable narratives The fear that keeps us from authentic engagement The Power of Listening (18:30) Why Fr. Jim says we've "written off" certain groups of people Starting with those in proximity before reaching the margins Working the muscle of deep listening in your own family Interview with Christina Semmens - Say Yes to Holiness (25:00)