Living the Works of Mercy: Bridging Faith and Action with Renee Roden, Fr. Jim O’Shea, and Christina Semmens

Quick Summary 

Are you attending Mass regularly but struggling to live out your faith in everyday life? You’re not alone. In this episode of Religion to Reality, Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich explore why so many Catholics feel confident in their sacramental life but struggle with the expressive fruits of discipleship, particularly the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

Drawing from their groundbreaking discipleship study, they sit down with three inspiring guests who are living these works of mercy in radically different ways: Renee Roden from the Catholic Worker Movement, Fr. Jim O’Shea of Reconnect Brooklyn, and Christina Semmens of Say Yes to Holiness. Together, they unpack what it truly means to become Eucharist in the world and how small acts of mercy in our daily lives can transform both ourselves and our communities.

In this Episode, We Explore:

Introduction: The Disconnect Between Mass and Mercy (00:00)

• Overview of expressive fruits from the discipleship study
• Why Catholics rate themselves low on works of mercy despite strong sacramental participation

Interview with Renee Roden – Catholic Worker Movement (3:00)

• The relationship between the Eucharist and works of mercy
• How the liturgical movement influenced Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin
• Why there should be no division between “helpers” and “the helped”

Mass as Commissioning (9:22)

• Understanding “Go forth, the Mass is ended” as a call to action
• Integrating material and spiritual needs in service
• The danger of separating soup kitchens from spiritual community

Practical First Steps for Living the Works of Mercy (13:00)

• Why accompanying someone already doing this work matters
• Overcoming the awkwardness of personal encounter
• Building spiritual muscles through community

Interview with Father Jim O’Shea – Reconnect Brooklyn (15:00)

• Working with at-risk youth in Bedford-Stuyvesant
• How radical solidarity costs us our comfortable narratives
• The fear that keeps us from authentic engagement

The Power of Listening (18:30)

• Why Fr. Jim says we’ve “written off” certain groups of people
• Starting with those in proximity before reaching the margins
• Working the muscle of deep listening in your own family

Interview with Christina Semmens – Say Yes to Holiness (25:00)

• Recognizing works of mercy already happening in daily life
• The confirmation student who discovered he was “feeding the hungry” by helping his brother with homework
• Your “movable square meter” of influence

Head vs. Heart Encounters (30:00)

• Why works of mercy are more heart encounters than intellectual exercises
• Making your service more intentional, not just checking boxes
• How recognizing what you’re already doing strengthens the muscle

Key Takeaways 

• The Mass sends us forth: The word “Mass” literally means “to be sent”—we’re commissioned to become Eucharist in the world
• No helpers vs. helped: The Catholic Worker movement reminds us we’re all called to serve each other mutually, not from a position of superiority
• Start by listening: The most practical first step is learning to truly listen—to family members, neighbors, and eventually those in the margins
• You’re already doing it: Many works of mercy happen naturally in family life—feeding children, helping with homework, welcoming neighbors—we just need to recognize them
• Your movable square meter: Wherever you are, the space within arm’s reach is your sphere of influence to be Christ for others
• Comfortable narratives must be disrupted: True solidarity with the marginalized will upset our comfortable stories about ourselves, our families, and our nation
• Work the muscle: Like physical exercise, the practice of mercy and listening requires consistent effort with people in proximity before we can extend it further

Meet Our Guests 

Renee Roden – Journalist, author, and member of the Catholic Worker movement. Former marketing team member at DeSales Media and Notre Dame alumna. Renee brings firsthand experience of living in intentional community while serving those in need.

Fr. Jim O’Shea – Passionist priest and co-founder of Reconnect, an organization providing training, opportunity, and direction for at-risk youth in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. Fr. Jim has dedicated his life to building bridges between disparate communities.

Christina Semmens – Author and founder of Say Yes to Holiness, a ministry dedicated to helping Catholics recognize and embrace God’s call to holiness in everyday life. Christina specializes in helping people identify works of mercy already present in their daily routines. 

Memorable Quotes 

“There is no division between people who do the helping and the helped. I’m not just a helper. The point of the works of mercy is we’re all supposed to be doing it for each other.” – Renee Roden

“The Eucharist contains a call for us to go be Eucharist in the world, right? To become what we received.” – Renee Roden

“If we do it well, our narrative is going to be upset. And none of us want that narrative messed with.” – Fr. Jim O’Shea

“One of the biggest things I think we all can do is start listening to the people. There’s so many people and groups of people that we have written off.” – Fr. Jim O’Shea

“Until we had talked about what the corporal works of mercy and spiritual works of mercy were, he didn’t realize that he was feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, and instructing the ignorant by simply sitting down with his younger brother after school, getting him a snack and then helping him with his homework.” – Christina Semmens

Resources Mentioned

• Catholic Worker Movement
• Reconnect Brooklyn
• Say Yes to Holiness
• Cursillo Movement

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Learn More About the Discipleship Study: Religion to Reality is built on comprehensive research into how Catholics are living their faith today. Visit our website for more details and resources from the study.

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