Episode Transcript  

One

The First Word of the Gospel: Repent

What was the first public message of John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Apostles? “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” (Matthew 3:2; Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38)

We like the idea of believing. We don’t like the idea of repentance as much. But there’s no bypassing it. Faith without conversion means nothing. The Greek word is metanoia, a radical turning around. It means a complete reorientation of our life: turning away from sin and toward God with a firm resolve to change, trusting His mercy and relying on His grace.

For me, there have been three major turning points:

• My Baptism, June 12th, 1968. I remember it well. Just kidding. I was three weeks old, and my parents made the first turn for me, offering me to God.

• My senior year of college, when my life was a wreck. I was spiraling out of control. In desperation, I cried out, “God, take over!” Still, I didn’t change how I lived.

• Two years later, when, through Mary and then Jesus, it became clear: belief was not enough. I had to stop my self-destructive behaviors and walk the narrow path of virtue.

My conversion began with my Baptism, and then it stalled. Has yours? 

Two

The Process of Conversion 

No, why all this nonsense about conversion? Well, God wants to flood your soul with His divine life, heal you, and make you like Himself so that you can really live and love at the divine level. But He made us free, so He won’t force us to do anything. And we have these massive addictions we call vices that block the action of God in our lives, you know, pride, vanity, envy, sloth, anger, greed, gluttony, lust, gossip, resentment, so on and so forth. 

Augustine captured it when he said, “God created you without you, but He will not save you without you.” 

We must strive with all our effort with God’s grace to transform these vices into virtues, turn the blockages into channels to receive the life of God. This is an uphill climb. If we coast, we will go backwards down the hill. The only way up is to pedal and to pedal like hell is behind you. That means to apply effort to get rid of vice and take on virtue, and it matters, oh how desperately it matters. 

There’s an old saying: Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.

Every thought matters. Every choice counts. Because we’re either pedaling up purgatory and heaven or coasting down to hell. 

Three

Saints and Sinners: A Tale of Two Paths

Let’s make this real. History shows us where vices lead and what happens when grace makes virtue triumph.

Napoleon crowned himself emperor. In his pride, he believed the world was his to reshape. But his hunger for more destroyed him. By contrast, St. Francis of Assisi, in true humility, stripped himself of wealth, power, and name, and found riches in Christ.

Aaron Burr let envy consume him. Unable to rejoice in another’s greatness, he killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel and destroyed his own legacy. St. Thérèse of Lisieux, on the other hand, rejoiced in the gifts of others and embraced the “Little Way,” showing us the beauty of goodwill.

Adolf Hitler’s heart burned with anger and hatred, leading to war, genocide, and devastation. In Auschwitz, St. Maximilian Kolbe responded with meekness, a strength that endures suffering. He gave his life so another might live.

Bernie Madoff’s greed drove the largest Ponzi scheme in history, hollowing out lives for the sake of gain. St. Elizabeth of Hungary, a princess turned servant, gave her wealth away in generosity, finding joy in sacrifice.

In the end, vice deforms. But virtue transforms. And the saints prove: in every era, grace and virtue are more beautiful than sin.

Four

The Three Daily Weapons of Conversion

So how do we go from vice to virtue? The saints give us an infallible method: daily meditation, resolution, and examination.

1. Daily Meditation
Each day, listen to the Word of God, like we do in the Rosary. Then ask, “Do I live this? Or am I resisting it?”

2. Daily Resolution
Our meditation must lead us to form a concrete strategy for the day, a simple resolution: A strategy to avoid a temptation or love a difficult person. A strategy to cut a distraction out, cut out the thing you’re wasting your life on so you can do something with your life. “Today I won’t argue with my wife.” - “I will choose silence instead of gossip.” - “I will read a book instead of scrolling.”

By the daily resolution, our daily strategy we pedal up the hill rather than coasting down to hell. Small resolutions form habits. Habits become virtues. Virtues become holiness. And heaven becomes our destiny. 

3. Daily Examination of Conscience
Look back on the past twenty-four hours. What did I do that was wrong? Where did I fail to do what was right? Then ask, “What vice was at the root—pride, envy, anger, lust?” Name it. Write it down. This is the way to know yourself and to prepare for Confession. Tell the Lord you’re sorry.  

“If we don’t do this,” experience shows, “we drift from virtue back to vice.” But if we do, conversion keeps going. Our transformation is undaunted.

Five

Confession: Where the Power Comes From

Let’s be honest. We sin because we like it. We sin because we’re addicted. We sin because we've built up lifelong habits of vice that we cannot break on our own. We can’t pull ourselves up and out of sin by our bootstraps. We need Christ. And we meet Him personally in the Sacrament of Confession.

Confession isn’t a courtroom. It’s a clinic. It’s not for punishment, it’s for healing. It’s where the Divine Physician takes your wounds and gives you His divine power. Power to change. Power to become a saint.

I’ll be blunt: If you avoid Confession, you will never break free from your dominant vice. It will get worse with time. But if you go to Confession monthly, especially on the First Saturdays, as Our Lady asked, you will receive grace. You will be changed. You will become free. Joyful. Whole. And, let’s be honest, you’ll be a heck of a lot easier to live with, too.

Suggested Resolutions:

Choose one resolution for today to help you grow closer to God, or create your own. Here are some ideas to inspire you. 

• No matter where we’re at, we’re always called to deeper conversion, to taking the next step: is that daily Mass? Frequent confession? Starting a Rosary group?

• Conversion can happen quite suddenly, even amongst the hardest of hearts. Don’t give up in your prayers for the conversion of your loved ones. Offer daily prayer and sacrifice for them, especially in the Mass.

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