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

Episode 80 - We Are Not Self-Defined, A series on King David: Part 1 of 4 There's always some mystery involved in an anointing. God doesn't select the person we expect; this happens throughout the Old Testament and with the Apostles. There's a mystery of who God calls and how God calls. God still calls really talented people, but not because they're talented. We are not our skills. God sees beyond that, even when we're really focused on what we can bring. In David's case, he was the only one who wasn't caught up in it all; he had the posture and disposition to be king. And while intention is really important, it's not enough to make a person good. The world idolizes intention, but it's necessary to actually be obedient and faithful—to put that intention into practice. As for us? Well, we might not become kings of Israel, but we will have some kind of calling. And as we respond to that call, we have access to the same grace that David did, and we can be as confident as he was in the anointing that God has put on our lives. David was not the author of his own destiny and identity, and neither are we. We're not self-defined. Coming up: we're going to prepare for Advent with Finding Your Place in the Advent Story from Ascension Press. Check it out here: https://ascensionpress.com/collections/rejoice-finding-your-place-in-the-advent-story The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of generous donors like you. Monthly donations are particularly helpful for our future planning. You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you!

Episode 79 - Believe That God Is Enough "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. Coming up: we're going to prepare for Advent with Finding Your Place in the Advent Story from Ascension Press. Check it out here: https://ascensionpress.com/collections/rejoice-finding-your-place-in-the-advent-story The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of generous donors like you. You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you!

Episode 78 - Trust Is Hard for Everyone, Week 4 of a series on A 30-Day Personal Retreat with the Litany of Trust, by Sr. Faustina Maria Pia, S.V., available here: https://stpaulcenter.com/trust10/ 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. The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of generous donors like you. You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you!

Episode 77 - Trust That Mercy Is Greater, Week 3 of a series on A 30-Day Personal Retreat with the Litany of Trust, by Sr. Faustina Maria Pia, S.V., available here: https://stpaulcenter.com/trust10/ 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. The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of generous donors like you. You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you!

Episode 76 - Trust God With Your Past, Week 2 of a series on A 30-Day Personal Retreat with the Litany of Trust, by Sr. Faustina Maria Pia, S.V., available here: https://stpaulcenter.com/trust10/ 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. The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of generous donors like you. You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you!

Episode 75 - Trust Comes From Relationship, This episode kicks off a four-part series on a new retreat based on the Litany of Trust from the Sisters of Life. You can get yourself a copy of the book at https://stpaulcenter.com/trust10/ 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." The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of generous donors like you. You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you!

Episode 74 - A Holy Hiding For 30 years, Jesus lived quietly in Nazareth with Mary and Joseph; his "hidden" years. Through his normal day-to-day living of going to school and having friends and putting in a hard day's work, Jesus made sacred the hidden space. That hidden space is where most of us live most of our lives—out of the public eye, going about our everyday without much notice by others. Hidden from the world, but absolutely seen by the Father in that uniquely silent space that is set apart. In our busyness, we need to follow Jesus into that place with his Father. It's different than running away. It's not hiding from our problems… it's hiding with the Lord. It's a holy kind of hiding. What does this mean for mission? During those private decades, Jesus knew his mission and was patient in waiting for it. He didn't rush. And so for us, Nazareth gives us permission to let the Lord lead; to let the Lord form us. It's ok that this takes time. Starting next week: a series on the Litany of Trust (from the Sisters of Life). If you want to follow along, you can buy the book here: https://stpaulcenter.com/trust10/ The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of generous donors like you. You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you!

Episode 73 - The Father's Blessing Affirmation feels different when it's public, out loud and in front of everyone—as at the Baptism of Christ and the Transfiguration, where God audibly affirmed Jesus as his beloved Son. That affirmation becomes the foundation that allows Jesus to be free; to weep and be compassionate and angry, to be a revelation of the heart of God. The hearts of the sons and daughters of God long to hear the Father speaking a blessing over them—a blessing that allows them to flourish and give of themselves unto death. This authentic flourishing comes from the grace of knowing who they are. The Father is consistent in his message. Are we consistent in our response?

Episode 72 - The Tears of God You see a different side of someone when you see what makes him or her cry. Seeing a person weep, and knowing why—the thing he or she cares about so deeply as to be moved to tears—is a deep insight. Lazarus. Jerusalem. Sin. Jesus weeps at these. That tells us something important, for a man who weeps in the face of suffering is a man who loves deeply, who is profoundly affected by what is happening. It's deeply personal. He's not far away or abstract. He wants to cry with us. He wants to mingle his tears with us. Think of your suffering; the situations that bring tears to your eyes for yourself or your loved ones or even for those you've never met. Now, if you need to, pray against any idea of a disinterested or stoic God. Accept permission to grieve. Let the Lord weep with you.

Episode 71 - Jesus Receives You as a Gift "Nobody has ever been for me like this before." That's the difference it can make to receive someone as gift. Jesus looked at the disciples and thanked the Father for the gift of them. He looked around at the faces of people he loved and received each of them and all of them as a gift. In their goodness and brokenness, even in times that didn't feel quite as much like gift. The Son is always receiving from the Father; the Father is always giving. And so for each of us. The Father always wants to bless us. During all the joys and the sorrows of our lives, our constant refrain can be "Father, they're your gift to me."