The Poco a Poco Podcast with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal

As Fr. Mark-Mary mentioned, the friars will be taking a meaningful break to embrace the rest and the joy of the Jubilee Year. While they are away, please enjoy listening (or re-listening) to this previously released episode, and join us in continuing to pray for Fr. Mark-Mary, Fr. Innocent, Fr. Angelus, and Fr. PT as they follow God’s will and heed the call of the Jubilee. The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of many generous donors, including recurring monthly donations of any amount. Thinking about helping out? You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you! --- “I haven’t believed enough that he is enough.” That’s what Br Angelo says as a guest on this episode, and how true is it for each of us? Even when we experience God’s goodness, repeatedly and in big and small ways, it can be a struggle to keep believing that God is enough. He is LORD. He is enough, and we only have to give him permission to work. It sounds simple, but it can be tough when we’ve faced rejection in other areas of our lives. How do we believe? How do we find the courage and take the risk—to learn he always shows up? Surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. It can be a struggle, but while we might have many struggles, this is the right one.

As Fr. Mark-Mary mentioned, the friars will be taking a meaningful break to embrace the rest and the joy of the Jubilee Year. While they are away, please enjoy listening (or re-listening) to this previously released episode, and join us in continuing to pray for Fr. Mark-Mary, Fr. Innocent, Fr. Angelus, and Fr. PT as they follow God’s will and heed the call of the Jubilee. The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of many generous donors, including recurring monthly donations of any amount. Thinking about helping out? You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you! --- Trust is hard for everybody. The grace to trust—especially for the long haul—is always given to us by the Lord. There’s always human effort in the spiritual life, but it’s all gift; all grace.  It can feel like we’re never going to be able to trust; that we’re so “bad” at trusting, particularly in the beginning, that we’re just never going to be able to let go, no matter how badly we long to do exactly that. We think to ourselves, “I’m powerless.” But here’s the thing: he is not. There is someone looking back at us at every moment of the day. And through concrete experiences, sometimes very little ones, he invites us to trust. We’ve got to lean into those little moments of trust.

As Fr. Mark-Mary mentioned, the friars will be taking a meaningful break to embrace the rest and the joy of the Jubilee Year. While they are away, please enjoy listening (or re-listening) to this previously released episode, and join us in continuing to pray for Fr. Mark-Mary, Fr. Innocent, Fr. Angelus, and Fr. PT as they follow God’s will and heed the call of the Jubilee. The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of many generous donors, including recurring monthly donations of any amount. Thinking about helping out? You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you! --- There are some sins that we just can’t seem to shake—habitual sins that keep us coming back to the confessional over and over (and over) again. But no matter how consistent this sin seems, there’s one who is more consistent: the Lord. His mercy and grace are greater than our sins and failings. Maybe you’re discouraged. Frustrated. Worn down. That experience is real, but it’s not who you are; it’s not your identity. The truest, most real thing about your experience is his mercy. So don’t settle for your sin. Don’t believe that well, this is the way it’s going to be. No! Return to the confessional, where the grace that’s poured out is restorative to that specific wound, and begin again.

As Fr. Mark-Mary mentioned, the friars will be taking a meaningful break to embrace the rest and the joy of the Jubilee Year. While they are away, please enjoy listening (or re-listening) to this previously released episode, and join us in continuing to pray for Fr. Mark-Mary, Fr. Innocent, Fr. Angelus, and Fr. PT as they follow God’s will and heed the call of the Jubilee. The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of many generous donors, including recurring monthly donations of any amount. Thinking about helping out? You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you! --- Grace is in the present; there is no grace in the past or in the future. The challenge, though, is that we’re all professional escape artists. We can get antsy and we don’t know how to be present, which means we don’t know how to receive God’s grace. We’ve got to give up the hope of a better past—it has happened and there’s nothing we can do about it. We also have to stop living in a fantasy future that doesn’t exist—there’s no grace there, either. Jesus is Lord of our lives; the past, the present, the future. Trust him, and allow yourself to embrace today and all the grace he is waiting to give you here.

As Fr. Mark-Mary mentioned, the friars will be taking a meaningful break to embrace the rest and the joy of the Jubilee Year. While they are away, please enjoy listening (or re-listening) to this previously released episode, and join us in continuing to pray for Fr. Mark-Mary, Fr. Innocent, Fr. Angelus, and Fr. PT as they follow God’s will and heed the call of the Jubilee. The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of many generous donors, including recurring monthly donations of any amount. Thinking about helping out? You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you! --- There are some virtues we can work on and grow in—but trust isn’t like that. It’s not your own project. You don’t work on it directly, because it’s the fruit of relationship with the Lord. If you want to develop more trust, focus first on that relationship; on conversion, on healing, on experiencing his goodness alive in you. Because the more you get to know God, the more you find that he is good and worthy of your trust. When you have a chance to trust him (you know the kind of moment), hear him speak gently to you through this line from Sr Faustina: “I don’t want you to give you ‘yes’ to a set of circumstances, but to me.”

As Fr. Mark-Mary mentioned, the friars will be taking a meaningful break to embrace the rest and the joy of the Jubilee Year. While they are away, please enjoy listening (or re-listening) to this previously released episode, and join us in continuing to pray for Fr. Mark-Mary, Fr. Innocent, Fr. Angelus, and Fr. PT as they follow God’s will and heed the call of the Jubilee. The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of many generous donors, including recurring monthly donations of any amount. Thinking about helping out? You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you! --- It is easy to fall into the temptation and believe that we can't do it, that we can't live a holy life. Although the ordinary life is simple, hidden, and seems kind of normal, there's so much sanctity in our vocations that are being lived faithfully. It might not be flashy or spectacular, but it's one of the most real ways we can grow in holiness. We may not be in the chapel or church making a eucharistic holy hour, but no matter what our day-to-day experiences look like or what daily lives we are accustomed to, God is there.  There's something extraordinary in our ordinary experiences. It is possible to be in relationship with God, amidst everything that we do. We just need to make the space and time, no matter how small, and let Him enter into our lives

Episode 269 - End of the Season What would the Jubilee rest look like on your end? After 269 episodes, the friars are stepping away for a season of Jubilee, renewal, and obedience.  In this heartfelt season finale, they share honest life updates, reflect on God’s invitation to deeper trust, and remind us that real rest isn’t about burnout. It’s about surrender. This one’s full of laughter, brotherhood, and real discernment.  Thank you so much! See you in Season 2! The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of many generous donors, including recurring monthly donations of any amount. Thinking about helping out? You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you! 🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at https://www.pocomerch.com/ Check out the Eight Promises of God: Discovering Hope Through the Beatitudes book at https://ascensionpress.com/products/eight-promises-of-god-discovering-hope-through-the-beatitudes

Episode 268 - The Beatitudes Is following Jesus just another self-help plan? The Beatitudes flip that idea upside down. This isn't about fixing yourself, it's about letting God meet you in your need. In this episode, the friars unpack how the Beatitudes aren't a checklist for spiritual success, but an invitation to deep dependence on God. They explore how true blessings often look like weakness, surrender, and a poverty of spirit because that's where grace breaks in.  The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of many generous donors, including recurring monthly donations of any amount. Thinking about helping out? You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you! 🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at https://www.pocomerch.com/ Check out the Eight Promises of God: Discovering Hope Through the Beatitudes book at https://ascensionpress.com/products/eight-promises-of-god-discovering-hope-through-the-beatitudes

Episode 267 - Intentional and Wanted by God Were you just a surprise, or were you really wanted by God? In this episode, the friars speak into the quiet questions many carry, especially those born outside traditional circumstances.  They unpack the pain, confusion, and identity struggles that can come with that and speak truth into it all that no matter how you came into the world, whether your story includes surprise, brokenness, or uncertainty, one truth stands firm: Your life is not an accident. You are intentionally created, deeply known, and unconditionally loved by God. Let's talk about what that really means. The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of many generous donors, including recurring monthly donations of any amount. Thinking about helping out? You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you! 🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at https://www.pocomerch.com/

Episode 266 - Joy and the Valley of Tears - Series on Jesus and the Jubilee (Part 14)  Ever feel too tired, too broken, or too behind to be joyful? You’re not alone. But the gift of Paschal Joy isn’t about having it all together—it’s about Jesus coming to you right where you are. This joy isn’t manufactured; it’s a gift rooted in the Resurrection. Even in our weakness, Jesus says: “It’s not about you—it’s about Me.” In this episode, the friars talk about joy in the midst of suffering and how the Jubilee year reminds us that joy is something to receive, not achieve. The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of many generous donors, including recurring monthly donations of any amount. Thinking about helping out? You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you! 🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at https://www.pocomerch.com/