How to Stop Compartmentalizing Your Faith Life and Start Living an Integrated Life

Quick Summary

What if your “spiritual life” is actually holding you back from true faith? In this inaugural episode, we challenge the idea that faith should be separated from daily life. Through powerful conversations with pastoral associate Cindy Black and journalist Andrea Sarubbi, discover how encounters at bars can be more transformative than Sunday services, and why the Martha vs. Mary debate misses the point entirely. Learn practical ways to integrate contemplation and action into one unified approach to living.

Bottom Line: Stop treating faith like a separate compartment of your life. Instead, learn to encounter God in every person and situation, from church pews to neighborhood bars.

In This Episode, We Explore:

The Problem with Compartmentalization (03:00)

Why treating “spiritual life” as separate from “real life” limits our growth
“I went to mass on Sundays, but God was very distant to me at that time” – Cindy Black (07:30)
Sacred Encounters in Unexpected Places (12:00)

How authentic relationships form without evangelization agendas
“She was so taken aback that I even cared to learn about her life” – Cindy Black (12:30)
The Eucharistic Worldview (15:00)

Using the Eucharist as a lens to see God’s presence in every person
“The Eucharist is not an end point for me. It’s like the beginning point.” – Fr. John Gribowich (15:45)
Beyond Martha vs. Mary (26:00)

Why integration means being both contemplative AND active
“We are both. Each one of us is both Martha and both Mary” – Andrea Sarubbi (30:15)
The Freedom to Choose Well (27:00)

Using Ignatian discernment: “What would you do if you were about to die one second later?”
How fear keeps us compartmentalized
Meet Our Guests

Cindy Black – Pastoral Associate at St. Vincent DePaul Parish in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana. Former Catholic radio professional with extensive experience in youth ministry and helping newcomers approach the Catholic Church. Known for her authentic approach to relationship-building across diverse communities.

Andrea Sarubbi – Freelance journalist, former member of Italian Parliament, and contributor to the Pope Video Project spreading awareness of papal prayer intentions. Draws extensively from Ignatian spirituality in his approach to integrated living.

Key Resources & Links

Called Learning Community – Join Father John’s online faith community: calledcommunity.com
The Pope Video Project – Monthly papal prayer intentions: thepopevideo.org
Ignatian Spirituality – Learn more about St. Ignatius’ approach to decision-making: ignatianspirituality.com
Religion to Reality Study – 2021 research study on Catholic Discipleship in the US by DeSales Media and Vinea Research: religiontoreality.org
Quotes to Remember

“Attention taken to its highest degree is the same thing as prayer.” —Simone Weil

“The truth isn’t a set of moral ideals. The truth is a person whose identity is love.” —Cindy Black

“The difference between a church and let’s say a bar is razor thin… whatever someone is trying to seek in a church, which is some form of acceptance in community, I can guarantee you that’s what they’re looking for in a bar too.” —Fr. John Gribowich

“God is either everything, Christ is either everything, or he is nothing.” —Fr. John Gribowich

What’s Next?

Episode 2: Prayer – From Personal Practice to Data and Trends
Discover what weekly Mass-attending Catholics really think about their prayer lives and learn practical approaches to deepening your relationship with God.

Take Action

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Religion to Reality is an initiative of DeSales Media, created by Dave Plisky and produced and edited by Conor Donnelly. This 11-episode series emerges from groundbreaking research on Catholic Intentional Discipleship, featuring conversations with priests, lay ministers, industry experts, and podcasters exploring where data-driven insights meet lived faith experiences.

Have a story about living an integrated life? Email us at [podcast@desalesmedia.org]