
Show Notes
Do you ever feel stuck on the hamster wheel, always consuming more content, more stuff and more noise, and still never satisfied? In this episode of Little by Little, Fr Columba names consumerism as something we've made a bit of a god of today. He turns to the days of creation: the sixth day, when the beasts were made, and the seventh, God's day of rest, covenant and contemplation. He shows how our small, everyday choices are always building something: either a life driven by appetite or a life that grows more like God. If you feel restless or never quite full, this is an invitation to stop chasing more and rest in the One who can fill every gap.
🔴 THIS SERIES Little by Little | Episode #295 Little by Little is a weekly video series by Called to More in collaboration with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Our host, Fr Columba Jordan CFR, brings you quality Catholic content with new episodes every Thursday at 9pm GMT. Be sure to subscribe!
🔴 MEMBERSHIPS We couldn't create this series without our members. If you find these videos helpful or think they might help others, please consider becoming a member below. Members receive exclusive content. You can join us here: https://www.calledtomore.org/community Thank you, and welcome to the team!
🔴 WEBSITES For more content, visit our website: https://www.calledtomore.org For more on the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, visit their website: https://www.franciscanfriars.com
🔴 SOCIAL MEDIA YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTsNUh9sBx3hs1sN3wtgrg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ctmcatholic Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CTMcatholic Apple (Little by Little): https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/little-by-little/id1499383321 Spotify (Little by Little): https://open.spotify.com/show/44xk6UNVwgQosJ9SjWsSgr?si=cf802912eddb487c Spotify (Meditations): https://open.spotify.com/show/7H2lvtJHubfoLvrUNEM3gs?si=ee22786b71624c6f
More from Little by Little
Do you avoid hard conversations, keeping the peace until something finally gives? In this episode, Fr Columba looks at why confrontation feels so difficult and why Jesus never shied away from it. Drawing on Christ's teaching about going to a brother who has wronged you, he explains the difference between being nice and being loving, and how needing to be liked can stop us from being real with the people we care about. If you find it hard to speak up, this is an invitation to a love that is honest, free and willing to get its wellies dirty.
Do you ever reach for your phone the moment something beautiful happens? In this episode, Fr Columba shares memories of his mother stopping the car to photograph the Donegal scenery, and of watching clouds pour down a cliff face at the Grand Canyon while everyone around him clicked away. Drawing on Monsignor Giussani and Arthur Brooks, he explores why beauty moves us: it is greater than we are, and being struck by it is a quietly religious act. Our phones can also put a wall between us and that encounter, and quietly rob us of the joy it brings. This is an invitation to pause before you press the button, let yourself be struck, and sometimes just leave your phone at home.
Do you ever feel your faith has grown cold? This year marks 800 years since St Francis of Assisi died in 1226. To honour the anniversary, Fr Columba leads us in this litany to our Seraphic Father. Francis was the little poor man who kissed the feet of his brothers, rebuilt the Church and saw beauty itself in beautiful things. Eight centuries on, the closing prayer still asks what God did through him "when the world was growing cold": to rekindle the flame of love in our hearts. Pray along with the words on screen, and ask St Francis to help you love Christ as he did.
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 the most normal ways we give and receive love. He unpacks why always saying "I'm fine" can quietly shut people out, why that leaves us feeling empty and alone, and why learning to open our hearts to others helps us open them to God in prayer. If you've been keeping everyone at arm's length, this is an invitation to let them in.
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 amusement. Drawing on Aristotle and his own struggle with burnout, he unpacks why so many of us only know how to work and how to be entertained, but never how to simply be. If you've ever finished a holiday more tired than when you started, this is an invitation to actually rest.