PODCAST SUMMARY

Petersboat
Host: R. Ketcham
Episode: The Monday After | The Necessary Evil of Handing Over the Son
Date: September 15, 2025

Episode Overview

In this reflective episode, Father R. Ketcham unpacks the concept of "necessary evil" through the lens of Catholic theology, drawing parallels among the cross of Christ, suffering, law and politics, and recent news events. With personal anecdotes and spiritual insights, he explores the paradox of how suffering and even evil actions or systems can—mysteriously—be part of God’s plan for healing and redemption. The episode is intimate in tone, blending scripture, real life experiences, and pastoral encouragement, especially aimed at young people and college students who face the uncertainties and pressures of growing up.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Concept of "Necessary Evil"

• Law, Politics, and Evil ([00:00–02:40])

  • Father Ketcham introduces "necessary evil" as a way to describe things like the cross, law, chemotherapy, and politics—not ideally good in themselves, but sometimes essential in a fallen world.
  • “...the need for a law is a kind of necessary evil because it's a fallen world, and we can't just trust our neighbor to do the right thing out of love. So a law kind of keeps people in bounds.” ([00:20])
  • He draws the comparison to chemotherapy: painful and damaging, but ultimately for healing.
  • Emphasizes the need for structure, acknowledging that not all people do what is right out of love.

• Clarification on Politics ([02:40–05:25])

  • Ketcham converses with parishioners about whether politics is merely a necessary evil.
  • References Saint Thomas Aquinas’ perspective that humans are “political beings” and politics, at its root, is natural and good because humans are meant to live together.
  • The "evil" arises in the contentious reality of political process due to human fallenness, not from the fact of politics itself.

2. The Cross & Suffering as Healing

• The Cross and the Handing Over of the Son ([05:26–09:20])

  • Discusses the "mystery" of how God the Father "hands over" the Son (Jesus) for the redemption of the world, likening it to parental actions in fraught circumstances.
  • References recent events surrounding Tyler Robinson, whose parents' choices echo the theme of letting go for a higher good—even when it is painful.
  • “Our Heavenly Father is doing this with Christ in order to bring healing into the world. And it's a great mystery. It's impossible to really understand how that through this death can come new life.” ([07:10])

• Personal Story: Reconciliation and Redemption ([09:21–12:01])

  • Ketcham shares a formative conflict with his mother and how his father's insistence on taking responsibility and apologizing led him to a deeper spiritual realization.
  • “I looked up at the cross and I saw Jesus saying, in a sense, I have died for that. What happened in the airport, I died for that. I have it. I got it. I was seeing for the first time just what this crucifixion of Christ can accomplish.” ([11:00])
  • The message from Christ was simple but powerful: “Live.” ([11:50])
  • Emphasizes that new life and forgiveness can spring from personal failure and sin, which mirrors the resurrection after the cross.

3. Marian Dimensions and the Exaltation of the Cross

• Mother Mary and Encouraging Sacrifice ([12:02–14:18])
  • Meditation on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, and Mary's role in encouraging Jesus to begin his public ministry, knowing it would lead to his death.
  • “She encourages him to turn himself in. In that sense, she encourages him to hand himself over. Even the Blessed Mother, like God the Father, encouraged her son Jesus, to give his life for the healing of the world.” ([13:30])

4. Advice for College Students & Growth in Faith

• Growth, Uncertainty, and Community ([14:19–17:56])
  • Ketcham addresses students and parents, demystifying the pressure to “fix the world” or have everything figured out before graduation.
  • Encourages embracing growth, making mistakes, and learning, affirming that personal development is as important as any academic or career achievement.
  • “I hope you don't feel like you have to have everything all figured out in order for you to go forward. Like it's okay to permit that there's a lot of uncertainty in life and that there's going to be a need for redemption a lot of times throughout life. But that's what Christ is offering us.” ([16:10])
  • Stresses the importance of family and church as contexts for honest conversation and spiritual growth, rather than adversarial argumentation.

5. Living Out Faith in the World

• Evangelization as Accompaniment, Not Argument ([17:57–End])
  • Ketcham describes his pastoral philosophy: “I don't think Christ needs me to win an argument against you. He doesn't call me to be a contradiction, a word against. He calls me to be a word for you.” ([18:30])
  • Shares the example of Jesus’ gentle dialogues with Nicodemus and his disciples: “This is how he changed the world, you know, one person at a time. And all of them first, ordinary people...” ([19:15])
  • Faith’s decisive moments happen in the context of daily life, relationships, and the promise of “new wine”—Christ’s abundant life, even after human failures.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Law as Necessary Evil: “The need for a law is a kind of necessary evil because it's a fallen world, and we can't just trust our neighbor to do the right thing out of love.” (R. Ketcham, [00:20])
• On God’s Mystery: “How could a good God use evil to redeem the world? So the cross is this crucifixion of Christ, the surrendering of the Son to death. And in some mysterious way, that brings healing into the world...” ([00:40])
• On Reconciliation: “You have to apologize to your mother. You have to accept responsibility for how ugly it got. You have to turn yourself in.” (Ketcham recounting his father’s advice, [10:10])
• On Redemption: “I looked up at the cross and I saw Jesus saying, in a sense, I have died for that. What happened in the airport, I died for that.” ([11:00])
• On Living After Mistakes: “He said to me, in my heart, he says, you know, live. Live. So this is what he wants for us, to continue to live.” ([11:50])
• On Parental Encouragement: “Even the Blessed Mother, like God the Father, encouraged her son Jesus, to give his life for the healing of the world.” ([13:30])
• On College and Learning: “I hope you don't feel like you have to have everything all figured out...it's okay to permit that there's a lot of uncertainty in life and that there's going to be a need for redemption a lot of times throughout life.” ([16:10])
• On Pastoral Approach: “He doesn't call me to be a contradiction, a word against. He calls me to be a word for you.” ([18:30])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:00–02:40] — Introduction: “Necessary Evil” in law, the cross, and politics
• [02:41–05:25] — Politics as good, Aquinas, and human community
• [05:26–09:20] — The cross as healing, parallels with parental surrender
• [09:21–12:01] — Personal story: apology, responsibility, and seeing the cross anew
• [12:02–14:18] — The role of Mary and the Exaltation of the Cross
• [14:19–17:56] — Advice for college students: growth, uncertainty, and formation in community
• [17:57–End] — Evangelization: being “for” others, not winning arguments

Tone and Language

Father Ketcham speaks in a gentle, contemplative, and self-revealing tone, regularly employing analogies, stories, and scriptural references. His language is invitational rather than dogmatic, often using personal experience (“I looked up at the cross...”) and affection for his listeners (“for you who are listening to me right now...”). The episode is imbued with hope, humility, and a strong encouragement toward honest struggle, ongoing conversion, and receptivity to grace.

For listeners who missed the episode: This summary captures the heart of Father Ketcham’s message—wrestling with the tension between evil and redemption, the practical realities of life and law, and the ongoing possibility of healing and new beginnings through faith. Whether you are navigating personal challenges, living out your faith in an adversarial world, or simply searching for meaning, the podcast invites you to find courage in Christ’s example and to live confidently—“receiving new wine”—even when life feels uncertain.