Creating the Best Option
with Fr Michael Rossmann, SJ
What if the goal of discernment isn’t finding the perfect life… but creating a meaningful one with God?
What if discernment isn’t about finding the single “perfect” path… but about committing deeply enough to create something beautiful with God?
In a culture shaped by endless options, comparison, and the fear of making the wrong choice, many of us spend our lives looking over our shoulder — wondering whether there’s a better opportunity, a better vocation, a better version of life waiting somewhere else. But what if real freedom comes not from keeping every door open, but from fully investing ourselves in the life God is inviting us to build?
In this episode of The Creative Catholics Podcast, Alex sits down with Jesuit priest, author, and creator Fr. Michael Rossmann, SJ, for a thoughtful conversation about creativity, vocation, Ignatian spirituality, discernment, and why modern life leaves so many people afraid to commit.
Together, they explore what it means to create a life with God — through prayer, relationships, creativity, meaningful work, and the ordinary hidden moments where holiness is often formed.
Ignatian Imagination: Encountering God Through Scripture
One of the most fascinating parts of this conversation is Fr. Michael’s explanation of Ignatian imagination — a form of prayer rooted in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.
Rather than simply reading Scripture from a distance, Ignatian prayer invites us to enter into Gospel scenes personally:
imagining the setting
observing the people
interacting with Christ
allowing God to speak through imagination and relationship
Alex and Fr. Michael discuss how this practice can completely transform the way Catholics experience prayer, discernment, and the Bible itself.
Creating a Life with God
Fr. Michael shares a powerful idea from his book The Freedom of Missing Out: that many people today spend so much time trying to keep every option open that they never fully give themselves to anything.
Instead of endlessly looking over our shoulder for a “better” option, he proposes something radically freeing: create the best option through commitment.
The conversation explores how this applies to:
marriage
priesthood
creativity
vocation
family life
meaningful work
Catholic living in ordinary life
God Is Relationship
The episode also explores one of the deepest ideas in Catholic theology:
that God is not merely an abstract force, but relationship itself.
Fr. Michael explains how human longing for:
beauty
creativity
love
meaning
connection
ultimately points us back toward communion with God.
This becomes a beautiful discussion about the hidden life, ordinary holiness, and why creativity matters spiritually.
Social Media Evangelisation & Digital Ministry
Fr. Michael also shares the story behind his One Minute Homily videos and discusses the challenges of evangelising online in a distracted digital culture.
Together, Alex and Fr. Michael reflect on:
social media evangelisation
authenticity online
Catholic digital ministry
content creation and faith
creating instead of endlessly consuming
What Is Pre-Evangelisation?
One of the most unique parts of this episode is Fr. Michael’s explanation of “pre-evangelisation.”
Rather than beginning with theology alone, pre-evangelisation starts by engaging universal human desires:
beauty
justice
wonder
meaning
relationship
creativity
Fr. Michael explains how these longings can become bridges into deeper conversations about faith — especially for people who are spiritually curious but not yet ready for formal theology.
This episode is especially for anyone interested in:
Catholic creativity
creativity and faith
Catholic creative living
Catholic motherhood and vocation
faith-filled creativity
the hidden life
ordinary holiness
meaningful Catholic living
creating a life with God
Connect with Fr. Michael:
Substack: The Ruckus
Instagram: @rossmannsj
Fr Michael Rossmann's Books
Sponsors/Links
Intro/outro music by Marie Miller
This episode is sponsored by Riverside
Enter the Launch Giveaway 25 May – 1 June 2026
Follow @TheCreativeCatholics on Instagram to share your creations and join the community.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 — Introduction to Fr. Michael Rossmann, SJ
01:27 — Growing up Catholic and discovering vocation
05:00 — Why Fr. Michael chose the Jesuits
05:42 — The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
07:44 — Ignatian Imagination: Encountering God Through Scripture
10:06 — Faith among university students today
12:06 — Discernment, vocation, and decision-making
14:29 — Creating a Life with God Instead of Controlling Everything
17:02 — The Freedom of Missing Out & the Power of Commitment
18:54 — “Creating the Best Option” Instead of Looking Over Your Shoulder
21:48 — Creativity, media, and communicating online
23:31 — The One Minute Homily and social media evangelisation
26:48 — Why young adults are returning to the Catholic faith
29:11 — Masculinity, identity, and the search for meaning
31:44 — What Is Pre-Evangelisation? Reaching People Before Theology
35:12 — Human longing, beauty, and relationship with God
36:39 — Why creativity matters spiritually
38:50 — Where to find Fr. Michael online
39:29 — Sponsor + final thoughts
