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

Episode 318 - Is It Ever Enough? Have you ever felt like no matter how much you give, it still isn't enough? In this episode, the friars reflect on the difference between holy desire and the exhausting pressure to always do more. The world often tells us that greatness means never being satisfied, never resting, and never believing we have given enough. But that mindset can quietly lead to burnout, discouragement, self-reliance, and a distorted view of God. Jesus does invite us deeper. He does call us to love with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. But His invitation is not shame-driven or fear-driven. He receives the offering we can actually give, in our real limits, poverty, sickness, vocation, family life, and daily responsibilities. The friars invite us to bring our offering to the Lord and ask: Am I giving what I can, or am I trying to prove that I am enough? Join us as we learn to surrender the pressure of "never enough" and receive the freedom of being loved, called, and held by the God who is enough. 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/

The friars begin an 800th-anniversary journey into Saint Francis’s life and legacy. They share how they first encountered him and reflect on Francis as a mystic, lover of Jesus, father, and radical Gospel witness. The conversation moves beyond familiar Franciscan externals to explore the prayer, gratitude, joy, and deep intimacy with God that shaped his life.

Silence reaches its deeper purpose: union with God. The friars explore how discipline, surrender, and contemplative prayer create room for divine love, while reflecting on the Transfiguration as a model for the journey. They also discuss why true communion sends us back into the world transformed, ready to serve, praise, and lay down our lives for others.

The friars explore the difference between wise discernment and rash judgment. They discuss how insecurity, control, and incomplete stories fuel criticism, and invite listeners to replace quick verdicts with curiosity, humility, and trust in God’s hidden work. A reflection on surrender, mercy, and finding inner quiet by letting go of what cannot be fixed.

The friars explore how bodily rhythms shape prayer, charity, and presence. They discuss restlessness, sleep, exercise, food, health, breathing, and the pressure surrounding fitness. Along the way, they consider personal rhythms, practical body check-ins, and how movement or stillness can become a pathway to prayer and deeper communion with God.

The friars explore speech as a gift meant to build communion, encourage others, speak truth, and give thanks. They examine gossip, constant commentary, self-protection, and the discomfort of silence, asking what our words truly serve. Practical ways to redeem speech include fasting from gossip, offering daily encouragement, thanking God aloud, and making room to hear His voice.

Episode 312 - Silence of Self-Love Have you ever felt like you had to prove yourself, protect yourself, or hold everything together on your own? In this episode, the friars continue their series on holy silence by reflecting on the silence of self-love. They explore how pride, self-reliance, self-protection, insecurity, and the need to perform can create a lot of noise in our hearts. When we feel threatened, unseen, corrected, or afraid, it can be easy to turn inward and try to defend the self we want others to see. But Jesus invites us into something much quieter and freer, the poverty of being beloved sons and daughters. We do not have to build a fortress around ourselves or work endlessly to be loved. The Father's love is already poured out, already steady, already "maxed out" for us. Join us as we learn to let go of the noise of self-protection and rest in the Father's love that tells us who we really are. 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 311 - Silence of Interior Conversation Have you ever gotten stuck in your own head, replaying conversations, overthinking decisions, or arguing with yourself? In this episode, the friars continue their series on holy silence by reflecting on the silence of interior conversation. So much of our daily life happens inside that constant inner voice, planning, judging, rehearsing, worrying, self-criticizing, or trying to figure everything out on our own. The invitation is not to shut down our thoughts, but to bring them into relationship with Jesus. Instead of living in an endless monologue with ourselves, the friars invite us to turn that inner conversation into prayer: "Jesus, what do You think about this? What is true here? How are You with me right now?" This kind of silence opens the heart to communion. It helps us move from anxious loops and self-reliance into the peace of being seen, known, and accompanied by the Lord. Join us as we learn to stop arguing with ourselves and begin bringing our inner life into honest, healing conversation with Jesus. 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 spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you! 🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at pocomerch.com/

Episode 310 - Silence of Memory Have you ever felt pulled back into the past, either by something beautiful you miss or something painful you still carry? In this episode, the friars continue their series on holy silence by reflecting on the silence of memory. Our memories can be a gift, helping us remember God's goodness and receive His grace again in the present. But they can also become places where we get stuck, trapped in nostalgia, old wounds, discouragement, resentment, or the ache of what once was. The friars explore how Jesus wants to meet us in our memories, not so we can live in the past, but so He can bring healing, integration, and peace. Whether we are remembering past consolations or painful experiences, the invitation is to return to the present moment where God is still real, still near, and still loving us now. Join us as we learn to bring our memories to Jesus, and let Him lead us from old noise into deeper stillness, healing, and communion. 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 309 - Silence of the Imagination Have you ever noticed how quickly your mind can drift into "what ifs", old conversations, or stories that aren't actually happening? In this episode, the friars continue their series on holy silence by reflecting on the silence of the imagination. The imagination is a gift from God, one that helps us remember beauty, enter into Scripture, pray with the Rosary, and receive the world more deeply. But when it becomes untethered from reality, it can also pull us into fantasy, rumination, fear, resentment, comparison, or distraction. The friars explore what it means to let the imagination be purified and brought under the gentle custody of the Holy Spirit. This is not about shutting the imagination down, but allowing it to serve truth, beauty, intimacy, and communion with God. Join us as we learn to return from fantasy to reality, and let our imagination become a doorway to deeper prayer, healing, and union with Jesus. 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/