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Dr. John Cavadini on Gratitude, the Mass, and Love of Neighbor

The Communion Project Podcast

What if uniting ourselves closer to Christ means caring less about our own liturgical preferences and more about our brothers and sisters? Dr. John Cavadini, theologian and longtime director of the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, reflects on the deep connection between Eucharistic communion and our communion with one another. Drawing on the wisdom of St. Augustine, Dr. Cavadini explains why the Church must “become what she is,” how belief in Christ’s real presence can reshape the way we see difficult or inconvenient people, and why unity is first a gift before it becomes a task. He also reflects on the beauty and brokenness of the Church, the hidden wisdom of ordinary believers, and the practices that can help Catholics grow in gratitude, patience, and love.Episode Timestamps 01:04 — Growing up Catholic and attending early Sunday Mass with his grandparents 02:19 — Memorable liturgies, personal taste, and the danger of judging the Mass by aesthetics 06:09 — Do we really believe Christ is present in the Eucharist? 11:10 — Responding generously to distracting music, preaching, readers, and crying children 15:38 — Pope Leo XIV, St. Augustine, and the meaning of “In the One, we are one” 19:27 — The Church’s unity as both a gift and something we must grow into 22:25 — “Become what you are”: what Israel’s journey from slavery teaches us about communion 27:59 — Digital culture, self-righteousness, and learning to bear one another’s burdens 28:03 — Bishop Daniel Flores, Eucharistic adoration, and recognizing Christ in an inconvenient neighbor 31:52 — Why defending human dignity can never become an either-or choice 32:40 — Building unity at Notre Dame by beginning with the beauty of the faith 37:05 — Mystical experience, popular devotion, and the quiet faith of ordinary Catholics 40:25 — What fills Dr. Cavadini’s heart—and what breaks it—about the Church today 42:58 — Two practices for building communion: weekday Mass and faithful daily prayer 46:55 — Servant of God Julia Greeley and St. Joseph as patrons of communion 52:18 — What every person curious about the Catholic Church should knowAbout the Guest Dr. John C. Cavadini is a professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame and the former McGrath-Cavadini Director of the McGrath Institute for Church Life, which he led from 2000 to 2026. A member of Notre Dame’s faculty since 1990, he specializes in patristic and early medieval theology, the theology of St. Augustine, and the history of biblical and patristic interpretation.