Podcast Summary: Petersboat – "The Monday After | Where is His Victory?"
Host: R. Ketcham
Date: September 30, 2025
Overview
In this reflective episode, Catholic priest and pastor R. Ketcham explores the true meaning of victory as understood through faith, focusing on how Christ’s presence and love call us into attentive presence for others. Drawing from the previous weekend’s church messages, he invites listeners to recognize God in the “now”—particularly in those in need directly in their lives, whether their poverty is material, emotional, or spiritual. Through stories and scriptural examples, the episode challenges listeners to move beyond pride and fear, embracing the victories of compassion and presence.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. God’s Call to Be Present in the Moment
- Connection through the podcast format: Ketcham opens by celebrating how podcasting lets him reach listeners in their real present, mirroring how God is with us in the “now.”
- Quote: “By speaking to you here, I can help you to be aware, hopefully, of how God is with you right now.” [00:07]
- Awareness of those in need: God’s call is not just to be mindful of the materially poor, but anyone seeking our love, attention, or cooperation. This includes family members, friends, and strangers.
- Quote: “...not only about the materially poor..., but someone who may look for our attention or for our affection or for us to listen to them...” [00:30]
- Practical applications: In families, this means making eye contact, listening, putting aside distractions, and simply being present.
- Quote: “...just being attentive to my spouse, looking at her when she speaks to me, asking him how his day was, sitting with the children, holding them...” [01:40]
2. Christ’s Presence: The Meaning of True Victory
- Victory within, not over others: The episode distinguishes between worldly victory (winning, defeating enemies) and Christ’s victory (overcoming the internal barriers to love).
- Quote: “That's not primarily the victory that Christ comes to accomplish in our lives. He comes to be victorious over this tendency in us to shrink or to cower before the demands of love.” [03:57]
- Addressing fear and inadequacy: Ketcham shares common fears (not being holy or capable enough, fear of hypocrisy) that can prevent us from serving or loving others.
- Quote: “The fear of our own inadequacies, the fear of our own not being holy enough or not knowing the right thing to say...the fear of our being a hypocrite...” [02:30]
- Letting go of regret and anxiety: He highlights the need to commend the past to God's mercy and entrust the future to God, freeing us to be present now.
- Quote: “I really have to commend my past to God's mercy. I can also be so worried about the future... I get distracted from the present moment...” [02:38]
3. Living in the Present: Childhood Analogy
- Walking with parents as metaphor: Ketcham recalls walking with his parents as a child, describing how straying too far ahead or behind caused fear; true peace came from walking with them, being present.
- Quote: “Whenever we were walking with them, though, through the city, we felt peace and that we were able to really take in the city.” [03:36]
- Application to faith: The analogy mirrors our walk with God—true peace and presence are found not dwelling in the past or future, but journeying with God now.
4. Gospel Inspiration: Riches, Distraction, and Seeing the Poor
- Dangers of future worry and materialism: The host warns against making life about securing the future, which distracts from caring for the poor right in front of us.
- Quote: “...we do tend to get so worried about the future that we make our life about the accumulation of riches...that distracts us from the poor man who's right there in front of us all the time.” [04:34]
- Scripture reference: “He was unable to see the man who was always right right in front of him.” [04:51]
5. Lessons from Saints: Francis of Assisi and Paul
- True victory (Francis): St. Francis surrendered wealth and status, embracing poverty and radical presence to others, commending his past and future to God.
- Quote: “Saint Francis of Assisi was a wealthy man who threw off the trappings that he would have inherited from his father...was present to the person in front of him.” [05:04]
- True victory (Paul): Saul (Paul) went from persecutor to apostle after encountering Christ, who was victorious in changing Paul’s mission and heart.
- Quote: “God knocks him to the ground, humbles him when Jesus appears to him and changes his heart. And then Christ is victorious in Saul and turns him into St. Paul.” [06:21]
- Letting Christ fight for us: Both saints realized God accomplishes victory in us—not through our fighting, but through humility and love.
- Quote (Francis): “Francis, when will you allow me to fight for you, to move you beyond your tendency to violence, Your definition of a hero being the knight in shining armor who destroys his enemy. When will you allow me to accomplish true victory in you, to make you someone who seeks peace?” [05:58]
- Living with peace: As with the childhood analogy, living with Christ brings peace and the ability to truly see and love others.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “Whatever you do for one of these, least of my brethren, you do it for me.” [00:51, Jesus quoted]
- “The victory which enables us to live in the present, which. Where we meet God.” [04:24]
- “This is the victory that he accomplishes. It's in us.” [05:44]
- “It's about commending our past to him so we don't walk too far behind him, and then also entrusting our future to him so we're not walking too far ahead of him. It's scary to be too far behind him, and it's frightening to be too far ahead. But when we're with him, walking with him, and we're at peace...” [07:13]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:03–01:13 – Opening; the presence of God; call to serve anyone in need.
- 01:13–02:22 – Practical examples of serving others; family life; Christ present in the other.
- 02:22–03:08 – Internal obstacles: fear, inadequacy, regret, anxiety.
- 03:13–04:24 – Childhood city-walking analogy; victory is about overcoming inner obstacles to love.
- 04:34–04:59 – Gospel passage on being distracted from the present and the people in front of us.
- 04:59–06:21 – Saint Francis and Saint Paul as models of Christ’s victory in us.
- 06:21–end – Reflection on how Paul’s transformation models letting Christ take over; importance of journeying with Christ step by step.
Summary
This episode of Petersboat centers on the concept of Christ’s true victory in our lives—not over enemies or obstacles “out there,” but over the internal barriers that keep us from love and presence to others. Drawing on scripture, personal stories, and saintly examples, R. Ketcham gently and insightfully calls listeners to live in the present, accompanying Christ as we encounter and serve the people before us, confident in His mercy and providence.