On the first episode of “The Spiritual Life,” Fr. James Martin, S.J., talks to Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, O.P., former Master General of the Dominican Order and a retreat leader for the Synod on Synodality.

00:00 Introduction to Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe
4:01 Audience question: what's the point of prayer?
8:00 Life as a cardinal in the Catholic Church
9:00 What is Dominican spirituality?
11:58 The role of friendship and silence in daily prayer
15:52 What happens when we pray?
17:07 Why is silence so difficult to practice?
20:04 Struggling with prayer
20:40 How our image of God can (and should) change
24:50 Praying through cancer surgery
34:00 Jesus as a weak and vulnerable savior
38:02 Spiritual insights that come with aging
41:02 Cardinal Timothy's experience as spiritual advisor and retreat leader at the Synod on Synodality
49:40 Revisiting our audience question: what's the point of prayer?

Read Fr. Jim’s spiritual advice article on this episode with Cardinal Radcliffe: https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2025/06/17/james-martin-timothy-radcliffe-spiritual-life-250930

Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe’s recent books:
Listening Together: Meditations on Synodality: https://litpress.org/Products/E8883/Listening-Together
Surprised by Hope: Further Meditations on Synodality: https://litpress.org/Products/02362/Surprised-by-Hope

Do you have a spiritual question for Fr. Jim? You can write to us at: thespirituallife@americamedia.org

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