Ralph Martin recently shared with our staff a link to an article Marcus Grodi shared with him about Marcus’ newest book, Life from Our Land: The Search for a Simpler Life in a Complex World, published by Ignatius Press. When we read the article, we couldn’t help but agree with what Marcus said in his original email to Ralph, “We may have a slightly different approach, but I believe we are on the same page with the same convictions.”

Marcus Grodi and Ralph are both part of the EWTN family, as Marcus is host of The Journey Home on EWTN; he also is founder of Coming Home Network International.

Here are two comments from Marcus’ interview with the staff of The Catholic World Report that especially resonated with us at Renewal Ministries:

“There have been many times in history when Christians were claiming that the warnings of 2 Timothy 3:1-5 were surely coming true in their lives! But with one ear to St. Paul’s warning and the other to the evening news, it’s hard to believe there has ever been a time closer to fulfilling these details. All around us are people who seem oblivious to Eternity—and I don’t just mean our neighbors who don’t go to Church. I mean Catholics and non-Catholic Christians who have slowly over time become acclimated to a truncated version of the Gospel.”

And, “We fill our lives and surround ourselves with stuff that, in reality, only celebrates the creativity and ingenuity of mankind. We fill our houses and extra storage units with stuff that entertains or satisfies, or maybe distracts us from uncertainties, or gives us confidence that we are prepared to meet any crisis! And we plan for our ‘retirements’, doing everything within our means to make sure we have enough money to ensure that the stuff just keeps on coming! But in the process, we have isolated ourselves from seeing, hearing, touching, and tasting, and thereby recognizing with gratitude the most basic messages of God’s love and provision in his Creation.”

Do you remember the text of 2 Timothy 3:1-5?

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people.”

Throughout the interview, Marcus examines whether technology pulls us away from God and explains his timely views on both detachment and stewardship. You can read the rest of the interview here. As Marcus states in the article, his goal in writing Life from Our Land: The Search for a Simpler Life in a Complex World, was to “help at least a few more to find their way through the narrow gate.” That, of course, is a goal we wholeheartedly support!