Podcast Summary: Petersboat with R. Ketcham
Episode: Is our problem really the law? | The Monday After
Date: January 26, 2026
Episode Overview
This episode of "Petersboat" features Catholic priest R. Ketcham reflecting on the limits of law, the true meaning of peace and fulfillment, and the unique contribution of Christianity to the world's search for justice and unity. Drawing from personal stories, scriptural insights, and parish life, Fr. Ketcham examines whether the source of our societal and individual problems is truly about laws—themselves abundant and advanced in modern Western societies—or something deeper that is ultimately addressed by relationship with Christ.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Are Great Laws and Technologies Enough?
- Fr. Ketcham opens by observing society’s obsession with "rights," "freedom," and especially "law, law, law," paired with achievements in economics and technology [00:01].
- Despite these advances, real peace and fulfillment are still elusive. The question posed: “So what's the problem?” [00:53].
2. The Call of Jesus: From Laws to Relationship
- The episode draws a parallel between Jesus’ calling of the apostles—specifically the sets of brothers, Peter and Andrew, James and John—and Christ’s ability to transform natural relationships into profound friendship [01:08].
“If Christ can create friendship in a family between brothers, he’s showing the world that he can create friendship between nations and neighbors. But it’s friendship with Christ that makes it possible.” [01:33]
- Ketcham argues that being with Christ enables people to truly fulfill the law, not just obey its external demands [02:09].
3. The Chosen People, the Law, and Christian Mission
- Fr. Ketcham recounts a dinner conversation with a West Point cadet who asks, “Father, are the Jews still the chosen people?” [03:18].
- He clarifies the difference between "the Jewish people as a religion" and the "state of Israel," affirming the Jewish people remain chosen for having received the divine law—essential for recognizing Christ [03:35].
- The conversation moves to Christian vocation:
“It is not you who chose me, but I who chose you, Jesus says to us, so we’re called to bring Christ into the world.” [04:28]
- Fulfillment of the law, according to Christian teaching, is not about more rules but about being empowered by the Spirit through relationship with Christ [05:10].
4. Living the Law Through Friendship with Christ
- Fr. Ketcham contrasts behavior with and without Christ:
“When I am with Christ, I don’t want to steal. Everything is being provided for me. When I am with Christ, I don’t need to lie. I find freedom in the truth.” [05:45]
- The core problem is "we so seldom live from a relationship with the risen Christ" [06:10].
- True transformation isn't from mere adherence to law, but from intimacy with Christ, which changes desires, relationships, and how one lives morally [06:22].
5. Becoming ‘Fishers of Men’: Christian Witness
- When Jesus invites the apostles to follow him and become "fishers of men," it’s a call to an attractive way of life that draws others, not just a command to preach morality [07:30].
- The story of Zebedee, father of James and John, serves as an example of family encouraging vocation and finding joy in God’s unique call [09:28].
6. Distinguishing Between Law for Law’s Sake vs. Life with God
- Fr. Ketcham makes a key distinction:
"We don’t follow the Law to get God to love us. We fulfill the law because we’re allowing him to love us. That’s a big difference.” [12:30]
- Christianity’s unique claim: morality is a byproduct of encounter and relationship with Christ, not a prerequisite or a bargaining chip for divine approval.
7. The Jewish Roots, The Law, and Recognizing Christ
- The episode ties in "Word of God Sunday,” established by Pope Francis to recall the Jewish roots of Christianity and the value of the divine law [13:25].
- Fr. Ketcham recites a catechetical poem used in his parish, tracing salvation history from Adam and Eve to Christ, to help children understand their faith’s Jewish heritage [15:00].
8. Saint Paul: From Violent Enforcer of Law to Apostle of Grace
- The episode highlights St. Paul (whose conversion is celebrated on January 25th) as the prime example of someone transformed from rigid attachment to the law—including violence—into the apostle of grace [18:15].
- Paul’s conversion account illustrates how a personal encounter with Christ brings light and frees one from obsession with rituals or manmade laws:
“...Christ freed him from all those little insignificant man-made laws that became...religious laws, but gave him the grace to adhere with all the more devotion to the divine law that God truly revealed to us about his heart.” [21:15]
9. The One Thing Necessary: Christ’s Presence, Not More Law
- Fr. Ketcham closes with the gospel story of Mary and Martha [24:21]:
“One thing is necessary. Martha. And Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken from her. What is that one thing that’s necessary? It is he. It is Christ. And friendship with him. His grace, his presence.” [25:00]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Peace and Law:
“What a great world we live in with great laws...So what's the problem?...It's the way that Jesus calls these apostles. He’s inviting them into friendship with him...” [00:36-01:23] -
On Jewish and Christian Vocation:
“Yes, the Jewish people are a chosen People because they received the law from God, the divine law. Now you and I are chosen also...we’re called to bring Christ into the world.” [03:57-04:28] -
On Fulfillment vs. Mere Obedience:
“It means a relationship with the one whose spirit will enable us to fulfill the law. I have not come to abolish the law, he says, but to fulfill it.” [05:12] -
On the Spirit of the Law:
“When I'm with Christ, I'm free from that poisonous experience of coveting what my neighbor has...But when I'm with Him, I'm in love. The presence of Christ changes everything.” [06:12-06:52] -
On Vocation and Family:
“My father was so happy for me, and I admire that most about him. He can hardly go into Costco without telling somebody at some point that his son’s a priest.” [10:03-10:28] -
On Law, Tradition, and Cleanliness:
“It was distracting people from God...St. Paul knew them all inside and out. And Christ freed him from all those little insignificant man-made laws...” [21:08-21:30] -
On the ‘One Thing Necessary’:
“No, no, no, no, no. Only one thing is necessary, Martha. And Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken from her. What is that one thing that’s necessary? It is he. It is Christ. And friendship with him.” [24:57-25:12]
Important Timestamps
- 00:01 - Opening reflection on law, rights, freedom, and societal achievement
- 01:08 - Jesus’ call to apostles as invitation to deeper friendship
- 03:18 - Discussion of Jewish people as chosen and law's divine origins
- 05:10 - True fulfillment of the law comes from relationship, not rules
- 06:12 - Contrast: Life with Christ vs. without Christ
- 12:30 - Distinction between earning God’s love vs. responding to it
- 15:00 - Catechetical storytelling of salvation history
- 18:15 - The transformation of St. Paul
- 21:08 - Critique of ritual laws and focus on God’s heart
- 24:57 - The Gospel story of Mary and Martha as final insight
Conclusion
Fr. R. Ketcham’s episode is a nuanced and pastoral reflection insisting that the deepest human problems cannot be solved by law, policy, or technology alone. Instead, real peace and fulfillment come through a living relationship with Christ—a friendship that transforms, fulfills the law at its most profound level, and offers hope for true unity and meaning in a fractured world.