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

Latest Episodes:

You're Not an Outsider Apr 21, 2021

Show notes

Episode 53 - You Are Not an Outsider

We're all really interested in what God can do for us; the healing, the restoration, the gifts of the Father. Are we as interested in committing to the long-term relationship that allows us to receive all of that?

It's all too easy to spend the inheritance while overlooking the relationship.

As sons and daughters of God, we're meant to live from the inside of Jesus' heart. Not as outsiders or coworkers or bystanders, but within, where we can experience being known and seen and loved by the Father. That's discipleship.

Because life is demanding, and the only thing that makes your vocation and your ministry sustainable is through a receiving relationship with the Father. That relationship transforms you into an instrument of God. Without that relationship, it's just too hard.

Be courageous in making time for prayer, for the Word of God — making time for the beloved.

This podcast is possible because of generous supporters like you. Interested in helping us? Go to https://www.spiritjuice.org/pocoapoco/

The Rich Young Man Who Didn't Turn Away Apr 14, 2021

Show notes

Episode 52 - The Rich Man Who Didn't Turn

St Francis is the rich young man who didn't turn away sad. God invited St Francis, and his response was even more than his heart burning for the Lord — he was consumed. There was no going back.

He became more like Jesus, but without being less like Francis. He became more like Francis; not losing himself in God, but finding himself in God. The unique man that he is in the eyes of the Father, not just repeating the works of other saints.

Our hearts have such a capacity that we want more and more… which means that at some point, you leave behind some lesser goods. You develop a taste for a love that's greater, and that's a good thing. Francis didn't settle for anything less — and neither should you.

This podcast is possible because of generous supporters like you. Interested in helping us? Go to https://www.spiritjuice.org/pocoapoco/

God Is Looking for You. Let Yourself Be Found. Apr 07, 2021

Show notes

Episode 51 - God Is Looking for You

We have a God who's always on the move, always pursuing. In our busyness, we're distracted — we miss things. We miss people. But God is constantly seeking, constantly encountering what is broken, and seeing the wholeness.

Christianity is different: it's about God becoming Man and coming to us.

He's looking for you. Let yourself be found.

For the next few episodes, we're focusing on Habits for Holiness, a new book written by our own Fr Mark-Mary. You can find it at ascensionpress.com/habits

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We now have video! Watch this full episode on facebook.com/spiritjuice, instagram.com/spiritjuice, youtube.com/c/SpiritJuice.

On Chastity: The Wounded Heart of Jesus (Lent Part Seven) Mar 31, 2021

Show notes

Jesus has a wounded human heart; he allowed himself to be fully wounded this way. If it had only been his hands or feet, he would've survived.

How do we allow ourselves to be wounded for him? My sacrifices thus far are survivable. I could still be intact on my own. He gave us everything; we can't turn back.

Evangelical chastity is the full, total gift of your heart, which is set on fire with love for God and for one another.

Jesus teaches us a new way to love on the cross — one that lines up with our desires. We want to love differently, but we're tempted to settle. There's a real fear in getting our hopes up.

The Father wants you to get your hopes up.

Set your hopes high for intimacy — for the union and the love that is possible.

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On Obedience: The Wounded Feet of Christ (Lent Part Six) Mar 24, 2021

Show notes

Obedience isn't something being snatched from you; it's about willingly offering the gift of your freedom. It comes from great humility, a bold statement that "I'm not in charge of my life. I'm not God." It's recognizing that we don't have all the answers, and God really knows what is best for us.

So wherever Jesus is, wherever he's leading you: go there. Stay there. Choose to go there... don't get dragged! Don't back off, don't fill it with other things. Stay focused on him on the cross.

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On Poverty: The Wounded Hands of Jesus (Lent Part Five) Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

The last few weeks, we've been in the wilderness for Lent… but you can only stay in the desert so long. And when the Lord came out of the desert, he was very focused on his mission, with one moment in mind: going to the cross, and ultimately giving his life.

As we move towards Holy Week and the Triduum: stay focused. Look at Jesus on the cross.

For three episodes, we're going to ponder the wounds of Christ and relate them to the three evangelical counsels: poverty, obedience and chastity.

(People might think these are just for consecrated religious. And yes, we take vows. But the Catechism, St JPII, St Bonaventure—and more—all propose that these are for every disciple to grow in imitation of Jesus.)

Today's episode is all about poverty… but we don't talk about possessions. Look at Christ's wounded hands, nailed to the cross; they're a manifestation of Jesus' own poverty. He can't grasp at anything, but can only receive anything from the Father. His hands and wide open arms are all receptivity.

At the culmination of his life, he has given everything; let go of everything, for the sake of love. Absolute and total surrender.

What about when we grasp? Try to control things? Think we know what will fulfill us, or others? This week, examine where you might be grasping—not receiving—the good gifts that the Lord is offering.

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The Only Rule Is: We Don't Stop. (Lent Part Four) Mar 10, 2021

Show notes

Sometimes, in the heart of the wilderness, your step that was a strong march slows down. Then turns into a limp after rolling an ankle, and finally ends up looking more like a crawl by the end of the day.

And that's fine. Because the only rule is we don't stop.

When there's a choice between struggling and stopping, we always want to err on the side of going for it.

That means that at the beginning of each day, the ones who "win", spiritually, aren't necessarily the most gifted, the most talented, the capable. It's not the ones who look most promising on paper.

The most faithful are the ones who persevere. So just keep going. Be faithful.

Fr Mark-Mary's new book, Habits for Holiness, available now from Ascension Press. Check it out here: https://ascensionpress.com/products/habits-for-holiness-small-steps-for-big

There Are No Comforts in the Desert—Except Relationship (Lent Part Three) Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

After trying to go it alone day in, day out, you start to realize you can't do it alone. That's miserable. In the desert, you're radically dependent: on the Lord, and on people who surround you.

Relationships are not accessory. They're essential.

This breakthrough happens humanly and spiritually. All the physical sufferings start to purify you and you can experience what's most important. It's in our weakness that the only comfort, relationship, comes alive.

Once you lean into that, you can find joy in struggle because you're in it together. It's when all the distractions are taken away that you can focus on the gift of relationship.

But being left with nothing except relationship can be a scary moment. You can put off that moment for a long time. You can run from it.

So… don't. Instead, embrace the built-in grace of Lent: to not have another option. To willingly remove all the other comforts in life and to see relationship for what it is: a consolation. Let this consolation be consoling.

Safety Is an Idol (Lent Part Two) Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

The desert isn't about struggling for the sake of struggle. There's a wrong kind of struggle; one that's self-reliant, self-focused, worldly. It's difficult for the Lord to do anything for us there.

In the desert, the reality of the wilderness slams against pride and ego. Against "I know what's best" and "I'm strong." You get to the desert and it punches you in the face because everything's so heightened. You figure out real quick how self-focused you are.

And that wake-up call is good, because we all have a temptation to turn in to ourselves. To fix ourselves. To fix the people around us. To control. We're so stuck in ourselves. Getting after this temptation? Now that's the right struggle.

Don't get dragged through the desert, kicking and screaming and resisting the whole time. Use your will to choose the desert, whatever that desert looks like for you. It doesn't matter whether you see what God is doing in the suffering or know where He's leading you. You don't have to like it or even understand it. You only have to pray, "Lord, I trust you and I receive this."

Because that safety you're trying to force with all your self-reliance? That safety is an idol. Let go. God's got you.

Into the Wilderness—To Pray; To Rely; To Die. (Lent Part One) Feb 17, 2021

Show notes

We're kind of tired of mediocre Lents. You?

This Lent, we're going for it: into the wilderness. Accepting God's invitation into the desert, with all its dangers and hazards and risks.

Why does a loving Father, through a loving Church, invite us into a wild unknown?

Because it's not unknown… to him. He's the one who initiates the invite every time.

Jesus' journey into the desert began immediately after his baptism—after receiving his anointing and identity from the Father. He goes into the desert for us; truly, he doesn't need reminders of who he is. But he goes, and he's tempted. He struggles. He's hungry. And it's in this experience—as he responds to temptations with the truth of who he is and who the Father is—that Jesus receives his identity in a deeper way.

We can have that desert experience, too. In the wilderness, the Father creates a sacred place to more deeply give each person his or her identity; for him or her to receive it over and over again.

This journey often means leaving what's comfortable and not being afraid to suffer. After all, the desert can be dangerous… if you go alone. If you're standing at the edge of the desert, feeling a nudge to go for it: beg for the courage to go. God is waiting for you there.

Want to see some beautiful photos from the wilderness? Check out www.franciscanfriars.com/pocoapoco