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

In this week's episode Fr. Angelus talks about his favorite Icon, Our Lady of Tenderness and how Our Lady teaches us how to surrender everything that keeps us from loving Jesus with all we have. Through her example Our Lady teaches us how to have hope in seemingly hopeless moments, and what it means to really be seen by the Father.  We uncover how Mary desires to mother us in our poverty so that we can go before Christ fully alive.

Episode 249 - Jesus's Favorite Things: Repentance, Series on Jesus's Favorite Things (Part 4)

What does repentance truly look like?

A good way to look at repentance is that it brings us back to love. It's one of Jesus's favorite things because he sees our hearts and desires change so that we do not live sinfully anymore.

Repentance is not just about wanting to change our behaviors, it's about wanting to change because we love God, it's being sorry because we love God and that we don't want to live our old lives with sin because we love God. We repent because we love God and we want to be with him. 

In this episode, we'll dive deep into what the true meaning of repentance looks like and learn why it's one of Jesus's favorite things.

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
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🛒 Check out some rosaries we made in collaboration with Chews Life
https://bit.ly/chewslife-poco

Episode 139 - Peace not Panic

We have this tendency that we want to fix or clean-up certain things first before we let the Lord in. 

We are afraid that our place, our lives are messy—that it can be too much for anyone even for God to handle.

But God is NOT panicking, he's completely in control.

He's not afraid or scandalized of how messy our lives are, he actually comes for the mess. He isn't waiting for us to get it together, he wants to come and the way we get things together is by Him coming to our lives, we just have to let him in.

This episode is the third part of the series on Emmanuel: An Advent Devotional that talks about how we can ask the Lord to take our panic and give His us peace. An invitation for us to let God in to our lives regardless of the mess.

✝️ If you want to follow along with our upcoming advent series, you can get your copy of Emmanuel: An Advent Devotional (by Fr. Angelus Montgomery, CFR, and Sr. Karolyn Nunes, FSGM,) at  https://ydisciple.shop/products/emmanuel

🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at pocomerch.com! 

Now with VIDEO! Watch this episode on Spirit Juice's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FteWNKQD8wM

Episode 56 - Jesus, Look At My Heart

It’s key to commit to prayer; to schedule it and keep honor it through intention and discipline. But, then, how do we maintain prayer as an intimate relationship and not let it become a routine?

The answer to one question: where’s your heart in it?

Going through the motions to get it done is not the point. You know… when you finish your prayer time, look up, and think what just happened? It’s better, even, to do less with a whole heart than to try to do more while totally disconnected.

Even if you’re not in a good place to pray—tired, hungry, whatever—be honest about that and bring that to prayer. Because just like you can tell when somebody’s totally checked out of a conversation (nodding, “uh huh, yup”), the Lord knows our hearts. He can tell. Talk to him instead about why you’re distracted or angry or not in it; that’s where he wants to be.

Simply be still, and with your whole heart, say “Jesus, look at my heart.”

Episode 187 - Living Life Not Checking Boxes

What is driving your life? What's the reason you do what you do?

Life can sometimes become a series of boxes to check-we can tend to do things because we should or we have to as opposed to actually living life and doing things because our hearts want to. 

What we are proposing in this episode is for us to be more present in the moment and to particularly live from the Trinity dwelling within our hearts. Today, we're gonna talk about how much are we supposed to live from "the outside-in" vs. "the inside-out".

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 pocomerch.com!

Episode 225 - SEEK 2024

What do you do when God comes to you in mystery?

If we are willing to search for God in the mysteries of suffering, the ordinary, and the sacraments, hidden somewhere in there, we can find medicines.

God uses these mysteries to communicate medicines, for our transformation, our holiness, the things we most deeply need to grow, change, heal, and become the children of God he made us to be.

In this special episode with Spoke Street at SEEK 24, we'll talk about, reflect, and dive deeper into Fr. Isaiah's "Mysteries & Medicine" album by Fr. Isaiah and what it means to find God through the mysteries.

You can get a physical CD copy of Mysteries & Medicine and the prayer journal at
https://monkmanual.com/friars

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 pocomerch.com!

Episode 94 - Thy Will Be Done, Series on Conversion by Fr Haggerty (Part 5 of 8)

This is NOT a How to Discern episode.

It’s much closer to the foundation. What does the “will of God” even mean? What about “surrendering my life to God”?

Discernment isn’t a calculation or program or roadmap, it’s not a “do this and do that and God’s mystery in your life will be revealed.”

It’s wanting to trust in this relationship with God, and, through that, wanting to let go of our own preferences. It diminishes our selfish desires.

After all, fascination with the will of God is fascination with the heart of God. Why does he have a plan? Because he is Father. And you are his beloved son or daughter. His heart for you is one that wants to bring joy and happiness and fulfillment.

God gives us complete freedom to live our plans. But when we stop to ask for his plan, there’s a deeper freedom and a deeper joy. It’s what we’re made for.

Order Conversion by Fr Haggerty: https://www.ignatius.com/Conversion-P341.aspx

Born of Fire by Fr. Innocent Montgomery, CFR. bornoffirebook.com/

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!

Episode 198 - Remember Like Mary, Series on "Mary and the Interior Life" by Fr. Jeremiah Shryock (Part 3)

Do you remember Jesus and what he did? 

The most consistent word Mary had spoken to Fr. Jeremiah, was "remember". When we don't know what to do or how to act, Mary tells us to remember her son, Jesus' actions, that was the case for Fr. Jeremiah and this is an invitation that extends to all of us.

There is a richness and importance that Mary plays, for us not to have her be a part of our spiritual life. 

We are invited to remember Jesus' constant presence, love, and grace in this episode. Let's allow Mary to teach us to remember Jesus and what he did—to remember Him as Mary did.

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 pocomerch.com!

Episode 130 - Prayer Battle Tactics

There's great wisdom to having some structure or intentionality to our prayer life because not having a plan for it can lead to the death of it. The truth is, killing your prayer or spiritual life is not only limited to doing violence to it, but also not nourishing it.

There might be a lot of reason for us not to make time for prayer. But we need to make a commitment to the Lord and schedule some time for our prayer life.

In our life, whether we realize it or not, we're making commitments, we're scheduling things. The only question we need to ask ourselves is, "Am I making the Lord a priority?" 

This episode is the fifth part of a series on Hungry For God by Dr. Ralph Martin that talks about some concrete ways and examples how we fight and win our prayer battles—may it be to about creating time and space for it or persevering in staying within it.

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!

Episode 257 - Jesus and Jubilee ft. Dr. John Bergsma - Series on Jesus and the Jubilee (Part 6)

What does Jesus want for us this Jubilee?

This Jubilee year, Jesus extends a heartfelt invitation to us all to experience His boundless mercy, forgiveness, and love—to share in His life. Join us as we reflect on His call to renewal, reconciliation, and deeper faith. Let this sacred time be a journey of spiritual transformation and a reminder of God's grace in our lives.

In this episode, together with our special guest, Dr. John Bergsma, we will bring it home and discuss Jesus and the Jubilee and what He invites us to in this consecrated time. 

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!

Check out the 24-hour adoration chapel in New York
https://perpetualadoration.nyc

🛒 In preparation for Lent, check out Jesus and the Jubilee
https://stpaulcenter.com/jubilee/

🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at
https://www.pocomerch.com/

🛒 Check out some rosaries we made in collaboration with Chews Life
https://bit.ly/chewslife-poco

Episode 191 - Little Like Mary (Advent 2023), Series on "Prepare Your Heart" by Fr. Agustino Torres, CFR. (Part 4)

How often do you say Yes, without understanding or knowing the outcome? 

Sometimes we have to see and understand the plan before we say Yes, that's not our Lady's experience.

She didn't understand but she knew what was proposed to him by God, and despite that, she said Yes. She trusts; she surrenders in this whole experience of her life without knowing what's gonna happen.

This is the fourth part of this year's Advent series where we talk about Mary and her radical littleness and dependence on grace and God. An invitation to how we can become more and more dependent, more and more empty but with the confidence that we can be more and more full of God's grace. 

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 pocomerch.com!

You can get a copy of "Prepare Your Heart" by Fr. Agustino Torres, CFR from Ave Maria Press through this link: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/prepare-your-heart

Episode 163 - Praying with Scripture

The Scripture is one of the Lord's best ways to talk to us, a way for us to converse with God.

It is also a good reminder of who Jesus is and who we are to Him.

Most of us say that praying with scriptures is something that's good to do, but how do we actually do that?

In this episode, we're going to offer some initial guidance on praying with scriptures and provide some good practices that might be helpful for us to have a more fruitful relationship with God through the scriptures.

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 pocomerch.com!

Episode 239 - Restoring Our Actions and Attitudes, Series on the Sons in the Son (Part 4)

How do we act? What are our attitudes toward our relationships, our lives, and our vocations?

The invitation to restoration this week is to start to live like Jesus, and we present the Beatitudes as a way to make this happen in our lives. Beatitudes are the actions and attitudes of Jesus. It's a reflection of His own heart—a reflection of living in relationship with Him and being ultimately transformed into Him. 

The hope for this week's episode is that we could receive a new grace in our lives where we can look at the beatitudes in a new way as an invitation to restoration and conversion in being sons and daughters of God.

Check out the Sons in the Son at https://www.kofc.org/poco

Get a copy of the Sons in the Son, a 40-day Meditation Resource
https://shopcatholicinfo.com/products/sons-in-the-son

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 pocomerch.com!

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/

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/

Episode 120 - No More Self-Protection

The brokenness that is present in our culture deforms us.

We have been taught a certain way of living that somehow cultivated the sins of self-reliance, self-protection, fear and insecurities.

Because we're afraid of being weak or being poor and failing, we put up walls and put on armors to protect ourselves from being hurt—this in turn makes us live with a high level of anxiety.

It doesn't have to be that way. We can be reformed and refashioned but we need to do that with the Lord and this episode provide some amazing insights and talks about how we go about doing that.

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!

Episode 157 - Hot Takes 3

We have to understand that we are going through different journeys. God is doing something completely different in each of our lives and we have to be attentive to that. Let us not be so quick to judge—everything is not as simple as it may seem. 

As we continue our journeys through life, we will constantly encounter our own and other people's struggles, flaws, weaknesses, and even sins. 

In our Catholic life, there will be a lot of questions that will come our way and in this episode, we'll try to answer a few of them.

Here is another one of our Hot Takes episodes that talks about some essential topics that most of us can relate to. In this episode we'll be going through the following topics: 

1️⃣ Should I write down my sins for confession?
2️⃣ How to make a better confession.
3️⃣ Thoughts on the fraternal correction.
4️⃣ Theraphy, Yes or No?
5️⃣ Chapel Etiquette

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 pocomerch.com!

Episode 193 - C'est la confiance

Are you worried for 2024? 

Worry is a lack of confidence and we can be worried about a lot of stuff.

The invitation from St. Therese and from our Lord is to have confidence in Him. We who run in the way of love shouldn't be thinking of suffering that can take place in the future. That's a lack of confidence.

The complete confidence that becomes an abandonment in love sets us free from obsessive calculations, constant worry about the future, and fears that take away our peace. 

If we are in the hands of a Father who loves us without limits, this will be the case come what may. We will be able to move beyond whatever may happen to us. And in one way or another, his plan of love and fullness will come to fulfillment in our lives.

This episode talks about how we can go into the year 2024 with confidence. And with's God grace, return to the present moment, and be in relationship with Him, with confidence and hope of what he will do in the time to come. 

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 pocomerch.com!

Episode 204 - Resurrection and the Reproaches (Lent 2024), Series on The Ascension Lenten Companion by Fr. Mark Toups (Part 6)

Our expectations and what God is doing can be totally different, so how should we respond to that?

In the raising of Lazarus, the response of the Pharisees was to have Jesus killed. This was the tragic response of the heart when they were not open and unable to receive the mysterious and unconditional love of God.

We can sometimes share the same humanity as the Pharisees too. We sometimes prefer to have Jesus out of our lives completely because of the changes, experiences, and difficult things that are happening in our lives that weren't what we expected them to be.

We want it to be a certain way but then it's not that way.

But despite all that, we are invited to stay in relationship with Jesus through any difficulty, change, or experience. In this episode we're gonna do a recap on the raising of Lazarus and dive into its mysterious reality and our response to that.

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 get a copy of The Ascension Lenten Companion by Fr. Mark Toups from the link below:
https://ascensionpress.com/collections/the-ascension-lenten-companion

🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at pocomerch.com!

Fr. Lloyd has experienced a whole lot of life over the past 98 years. In his own words, what has he learned, "The Father thinks I'm hot stuff."  That's his friendly, New Yorker, way of saying the Father is well pleased with him.  The Father loves him and rejoices in him. And it's for you as well!  In this week's episodes the friars take a look at the true meaning of "meek."  Being meek doesn't mean you're soft, it's the strength that comes from already receiving the inheritance of your identity and knowing that all the Father has is yours.  Or in short, it means living in touch with the reality that the Father thinks your hot stuff, too.

Episode 152 - Surrender the Script (Lent 2023)

There's this simplicity that when we encounter Jesus, our lives become different. We may not understand it and it might not look the same for each of us, but our lives becomes different.

Just like the story of the man born blind, before he met Jesus and hoped in Him, he was living in darkness unable to see. After his encounter there had been healing and he was finally able to see. Things changed.

We know that there's an absolute vulnerability and struggle with physical blindness and it is similar to the vulnerability and struggles that we have in the desires we can't give ourselves.

That is why we need to receive this gift of acceptance and surrender for us be comfortable in being uncomfortable.

This episode is the fourth part of our Lenten series on Fr. Mark Toups's Lenten Companion, a beginning of a journey of surrender. An invitation to make space for the Lord, ask Jesus for help with the crosses we carry and to trust and hope, not for outcomes but in Him.

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 pocomerch.com!

Our first guest!  Our long time arch nemesis, Michelle Benzinger from the Abiding Together Podcast, joins Fr. Innocent and Fr. Mark-Mary to talk about tangible grace for tangible trials, seeking first the Kingdom of God lest you go about your day spiritually hangry, and praying when there's no time to pray.  Also, we learn about Fr. Innocent's cheap shot on Fr. Mark-Mary and his failed tinkerbell charade. (N.B. by "arch nemesis" we mean dear friend, source of inspiration, mentor, and much loved.)

Episode 238 - True Masculinity and Femininity, Series on the Sons in the Son (Part 3)

What does it mean to be sons and daughters who are living true masculinity and femininity?

In a world that has kind of a broken understanding of masculinity and femininity, it seems that our identities as sons and daughters of God—the idea of masculinity and femininity, have been hijacked and somehow misunderstood. This is why it's just so important to understand our hearts and reorient ourselves to what we are supposed to be doing as a man or a woman.

This episode was originally meant for men and masculinity but some of the topics also apply to women and femininity. With that said, today we are going through the different facets of what it means to have a redeemed masculinity or femininity and how that aids in the restoration of our sonship or daughtership.

Check out the Sons in the Son at https://www.kofc.org/poco

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 pocomerch.com!

Episode 221 - Life and Mystery, Series on "Mysteries & Medicine" by Fr. Isaiah, CFR (Part 1)

Would you agree that life is a journey or a pilgrimage?

The journey to say yes to what God wants for our life, it's not just this thing that happens like a contract and we say, "Yes,", it's a journey. The holiness, the sanctification, the healing, it takes time. 

The pilgrimage of life is tough, blindness, poverty and suffering are often a part of it, but Jesus is with us in this pilgrimage and he desires to not just walk along with us but to be the way that we walk to the Father's heart. 

This episode is the first part of our series on Fr. Isaiah's Mysteries & Medicine, which talks about life as a pilgrimage, the experience of mystery, and the response of Jesus to this experience.

You can get a physical CD copy of Mysteries & Medicine and the prayer journal at
https;//monkmanual.com/friars

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 pocomerch.com!

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!

As the Father sent me, so I send you.  In this week’s episode we talk about the real share that we have in Jesus's own mission and the urgent need to bring Jesus to the world. God uses our gifts and talents to touch the people that God brings into our lives. God is not waiting for somebody else. God want to use you.  No matter what our vocation in life God calls us to mission.

Episode 172 - Suffering and Prayer, Series on Fire Within by Fr. Thomas Dubay, S.M. (Part 5 of 8)

In reality, suffering's out there, in many ways, and in most ways, it's unavoidable.

So, "Okay, what do we do with it?". This is the question that we'll try to unpack in today's episode.

We are invited to unite our suffering with Jesus and offer it to Him. As we suffer generously and give that to the Lord, one of the fruits of it is that it creates the space and cultivates the soul for profound union with God Himself.

In this fifth episode of our Fire Within series, we'll dive into and talk about suffering, prayer, and growth in the spiritual life and discuss the close correlation between suffering and growth in prayer.

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 pocomerch.com!

What’s one thing you can do that will move you towards being holier, healthier and happier? Seriously… take a second. Bet something came to mind. Right?

Sometimes we overcomplicate the plan. When there’s a lot to change, or the change is going to be rough, it’s tempting to bail on starting. It’s easy to avoid doing the hard things, even the little hard things. Maybe especially the little things—but that’s how holiness happens. Choosing to do the small hard thing, for Jesus, over and over and over again.

You got this! With God’s grace, you can totally do hard things. That realization—that we're capable of persevering—gives us the confidence that we have what it takes to gladly do what needs to be done.

So stay simple. Keep the main thing the main thing. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” All of all three. Because keeping Christ firmly in the center of your life—the focus of all your energy and the motivation for all your choices—is the only sustainable way to live radically for him for a whole lifetime.

Episode 143 - Getting Virtue Right

A habitual and firm disposition to do good, not just for ourselves but for everybody—this is how virtue is defined.

Virtue allows the person, not only to perform good acts but to give the best of themselves for the greatest good of everybody.

But why do we do it? Who's it truly for and how do we exactly do it right?

In this episode, we'll attempt to answer these questions as we talk about what virtue is along with some insights and practical examples on how we might get it wrong and how we can get it right. 

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 pocomerch.com! 

Episode 251 - Jesus's Favorite Things: Seeing the Unseen, Series on Jesus's Favorite Things (Part 6)

How do you think Jesus sees us?

Jesus's heart desires to see us, to have the unseen be seen. But he doesn't just want us to be seen as collected and consumed. Jesus likes us for us and sees us for who we are and how we want to be truly seen.

This episode talks about how Jesus sees us, particularly the person or parts of our lives that are overlooked and the unseen.

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/

🛒 In preparation for Lent, check out Jesus and the Jubilee
https://stpaulcenter.com/jubilee/

🛒 Check out some rosaries we made in collaboration with Chews Life
https://bit.ly/chewslife-poco

Episode 175 - Detest Sin, Love Your Neighbor, Series on Fire Within by Fr. Thomas Dubay, S.M. (Part 8 of 8)

What happens when we deeply give ourselves to the lives of prayer and the experience of God?

The Fire Within series has been quite intense but it's actually the reality of the depths of the gospel truly lived. It goes beyond the ordinary simply because living out the Gospel wholeheartedly is NOT ordinary—but extraordinary.

And little by little, Poco a Poco, it's the place that we want to be.

This is the eighth and last episode of our Fire Within series, an invitation:

🔥To be the ones who say, "Yes" to the Lord. 
🔥To be the ones who live differently. 
🔥To be the ones who risk everything, who hold nothing back, and give themselves, in all they are.
🔥To be the John of the Crosses and the Teresa of Avilas for the next generation. 

Which ultimately, can happen through the radical living of the Gospel, loving God and our neighbors.

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 pocomerch.com!

Episode 253 - Lent Prep: Desert Spirituality

Why does the desert during Lent matter? 

Why do we journey there every year for three weeks, alongside our brothers in faith?

The desert isn't just a place of physical challenge or adventure—it's a biblical invitation to encounter God in a profound way. It’s a place where we can strip away distractions, face our vulnerabilities, and open ourselves to God's transformative presence. The desert is both a terrifying and purifying place, just as it is for Jesus.

In this episode, we dive deep into the spiritual significance of the desert during the Lenten season. Join us as we explore the desert’s deep spiritual meaning, and how this sacred journey is not just for the body but also for the spirit.

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/

🛒 In preparation for Lent, check out Jesus and the Jubilee
https://stpaulcenter.com/jubilee/

🛒 Check out some rosaries we made in collaboration with Chews Life
https://bit.ly/chewslife-poco

Episode 161 - Dealing with Loneliness

Loneliness is a common experience that we all share. 

Whether you're in crowds of people or constantly with other people who are not peers. Maybe you're in a marriage surrounded by kids all day, or you could be in isolation and feel you have not been chosen by people.

Either way, at times we can experience loneliness at some point.

Instead of trying to escape it or fill that void with other things, what exactly do we need to do with that loneliness? This is what we are going to unpack and attempt to answer in this episode. 

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 pocomerch.com!

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.

Want to share in the work of this podcast a little? Donations gratefully accepted at spiritjuice.org/pocoapoco

Episode 224 - He Knows Your Name, Series on "Mysteries & Medicine" by Fr. Isaiah, CFR (Part 4)

Are you able to see the goodness of God?

We are invited to trust and surrender that God is good and is always with us, to be rooted in the truth that God is Father, that He knows us, that He is good, and that He loves us.

This is the fourth and last episode on the Mysteries & Medicine album which teaches us how we can call out to Him and ask for the grace to trust Him and to be reunited in our identity, but most importantly, first and foremost, His identity—a deeper dive into our life journey, our pilgrimage with the one who is always with us, loves us and knows us by name.

You can get a physical CD copy of Mysteries & Medicine and the prayer journal at
https;//monkmanual.com/friars

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 pocomerch.com!

Episode 165 - On Being Chosen

Loneliness can make us feel that we're not chosen, it can give us a sense that we are totally in isolation.

And sometimes it's so easy to forget BUT we have to remember what's true—we have a God who loves us and chooses us. 

This is the first part of our series on Fr. Dubay's The Fire Within where we dive deep into the idea, experience, and desire of being chosen—a reminder that despite the difficulties in our life experiences, we are chosen, desired, and pursued by God.

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 pocomerch.com!

Episode 210 - Loved and Celebrated, Series on "The Father" by Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR (Part 5)

What does it mean to be loved and celebrated?

We are favored sons and daughters worthy of celebration—of being served. We are worthy and loved by God and this episode talks about a step in the right direction on what it means to be loved and celebrated.

This is a gentle call to conversion and repentance, an invitation to allow ourselves to be loved sacrificially and give God and others permission to love and celebrate us.

Here's the link to the graph that we referenced in the video:
https://bit.ly/pocofreedomgraph

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 pocomerch.com!

You can get your copy of The Father (by Fr Mark-Mary Ames, CFR) at 
https://ascensionpress.com/thefather

We take a look at two ways to live: The way of Simon the Pharisee (boring!!, empty, vanilla) and the way of the sinful woman who bathes the feet of Jesus with her tears.  Her love is desperate.  Her love makes others uncomfortable. But, her love is real!  Her love is beautiful. 

Why does she love the way she loves and lives the way she lives?  She knows she's a sinner in need of the savior, and the savior is within reach.  Let's love lavishly people!  Let's live like sinners in need of a savior who know where to find him!

This week we discuss the title, "Mighty God" and the way in which God shows his might by making himself small, by forgiving us, by coming to us in the Eucharist.  God is great and omnipotent but he chooses to become small to us so we can respond to Him in love. He made himself fragile to give us his strength. He became vulnerable so we could finally open our hearts in love, without fear. He is with you. He is for you. And he is enough.

Episode 81 - The Good Shepherd: Tender and Fierce, A series on King David: Part 2 of 4

David is tender to his sheep, and also willing to fight for them. And he’ll be the same in his future vocation—the way that he was shepherd is the way he will be king. As he fights Goliath, he reveals something to us about the heart of God: God will go to battle against our giants.

Though David wasn’t skilled or qualified like everybody else was, he was aggressive in his confidence before the Father. As if to say, “I am anointed, and now this anointing is bearing fruit.”

There’s something about David going into battle without the armour. It’s symbolic of his poverty and dependence. His attempt to wear Saul’s armour and sword is our attempt to grasp at an identity that isn’t ours. If I could just be like that person doesn’t work.

David goes into it poor, and himself. So should we, in a way that allows the Lord to be powerful.

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 156 - I Am The Resurrection

Do we live our lives believing—having faith in the ressurection? 

In this ongoing journey of stripping the things we clothe ourselves with, Jesus wants us to give him the things that hold us back and desires to give himself in return. 

We have sins that isolates and causes us to go into hiding, but the gift of the resurrection breaks it all open.

This episode focuses on the importance of the resurrection. An invitation to allow the hope of the resurrection to enter into all of our darkness and all of the different areas of our lives, in this Valley of Tears as we continue to journey through it.

This Easter season let's pray to have an increase in faith in the Lord and his resurrection.

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 pocomerch.com!

Episode 141 - Formation First

Why do we need to go deeper into our spiritual life? What does that actually mean?

Going deeper into our spiritual life means recognizing that we are not the ones in control anymore. It is accepting this place of poverty that we cannot only rely on ourselves, to fabricate everything and make it work. It is having that absolute trust and confidence in the presence of God.

Yes, life will be hard, there will be poverty, there is real suffering, there will be death and there will be sin. But what do we do with that? Do we get discouraged and face our weakness over and over again or do we allow God to make the foundation of our hearts, our faith, our relationship, unshakeable.

In this episode, we'll be talking about the choices we make in our lives that is geared towards formation along with some practical examples on how the presence of Jesus-the peace he gives us becomes more real than the circumstances that we have.

An invitation to be able to say that "Jesus I trust you, I know you're here and I know you're real." even when it's hard. To be in a place where we can be utterly poor and can utterly rely and trust in God as we face our limitations.

🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at pocomerch.com! 

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's satisfaction guaranteed people! "They shall be satisfied." Not, they might be satisfied or 9/10 times those who hunger and thirst for righteousness claim to be satisfied. Satisfaction is guaranteed to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness! It's a promise and the Father always keeps his promises!

But...you gotta want it. You have to burn for holiness. You have to burn for the infinite depths of his love and burn through all lesser goods. Let's get after it together!

Episode 196 - Mary: A Real Mom, Series on "Mary and the Interior Life" by Fr. Jeremiah Shryock (Part 1)

How important is Mary, Our Lady, in your spiritual life? 

Our Lady is a real woman, a real mother to all of us and Mary's intercession is actually more real than we realize. 

The gift of Our Lady is that she looks upon us, she knows our hearts, and her gaze can be the first safe and secure place in a world of filled insecurity. At this same moment, Mary wants us to look upon her and it is in this exchange where we find safety and security in our lives through a contemplative experience with her.

In this episode, as we start our mini-series on Fr. Jeremiah's book, we are going to talk about Mary—a real mom, an invitation to gain a different understanding of Mary and learn about the importance of viewing the world through her eyes.

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 pocomerch.com!

Could God be prompting you to leave the boat -to take a radical break from your routine to get some rest and enjoy silence, so you can hear God’s whispers and hear his nearness again?  In a culture where the world wears busyness as a badge of honor, how can we live in God’s stillness?  This week we explore how Christian rest comes from living from our identity and sharing in Christ's own rest -because he knows the Father.

Sometimes it takes greater faith and courage to admit we’re tired and we need to reassess why we’re doing what we’re doing. God welcomes soul searching. He loves being with us on that intimate journey.

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!

What does a good movie, our desire for the best job, and that perfect picture we just posted on Instagram have to do with each other?  None of these things is wrong in itself. But when we begin to allow the things of the world to control us, we miss out on the joy of God's call for deeper intimacy in our hearts.

In this week’s episode we discuss the battle for our hearts which is also a battle for our time.  We want to learn to pray well because that's how we give God authority over our lives.  But part of praying well is stepping away from distractions, even good ones.  

God calls us to transform our half-hearted, distracted, disconnected prayer life into a vibrant, meaningful, intentional way of communicating with our Father.

Episode 133 - Our Holy Aunt

As we mentioned on our previous episode, we need to be in this place where we are able to both worship and adore Jesus and at the same time be in relationship with Him and our neighbor with compassion and warmth.

This episode talks about an exceptional example of that-Mother Teresa of Calcutta. 

A person who embodied and lived the fullness of the gospel life and who was such a great steward of the grace the she received that it influenced millions of people in a very good way. 

A saint who gave us a glimpse of who Jesus is and how He loves us.

This is the first part of the new series on Mother Teresa wherein the CFRs shares a little bit about their experience of Mother Teresa and what it meant to them.

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!

Peace on the outside comes from knowing God on the inside.  This week we discuss the Prince of Peace who is Christ crucified.  Through the cross, Jesus has made a way for us to have peace with the Father in this world.

Peace WITH God will bring the peace OF God. Jesus promised peace in our hearts. So, we remain in His presence.  It’s in Him alone that you can find real peace…

Episode 255 - The Exodus and Jubilee ft. Dr. John Bergsma - Series on Jesus and the Jubilee (Part 4)

What does true freedom look like, and how can we restore what was lost?

In the Book of Exodus, the Israelites' journey from slavery to freedom is a profound story of spiritual liberation. Led by Moses, they confront the oppressive forces of Egypt and experience God's miraculous intervention through the plagues, ultimately leading to their escape and journey toward the Promised Land. 

This story is not just about historical events but also about humanity's ongoing struggle for freedom, forgiveness, and a deeper relationship with God. The Exodus story reminds us that liberation is possible and that through God, we can reclaim what was lost—freedom, family, and fullness.

In this episode, together with our special guest, Dr. John Bergsma, we will reflect on the importance of the Exodus story in relation to this Jubilee year.

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!

Check out the 24-hour adoration chapel in New York
https://perpetualadoration.nyc

🛒 In preparation for Lent, check out Jesus and the Jubilee
https://stpaulcenter.com/jubilee/

🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at
https://www.pocomerch.com/

🛒 Check out some rosaries we made in collaboration with Chews Life
https://bit.ly/chewslife-poco

Episode 218 - For Those Not Accepted to Seminary or Religious Life

Have you ever felt rejected by God or the church, as you try to get into religious life?

This can be an utterly heartbreaking experience. 

When faced with "No" as a response to the desire to get into religious life, one might feel that they are being rejected by God or the church, that they're undesirable, or too broken for religious life. But in reality, that is not the case.

This decision is actually a culmination of careful assessment of one's discernment, capacity, and the call they felt into religious life. This episode speaks more about that in hopes of explaining the reasons behind those decisions and encountering the hurt and vulnerable in these situations.

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 pocomerch.com!

Episode 186 - Guidance for the Prophet

Have you encountered prophets in your life? 

Prophets are people who have a profound conviction and clarity about a particular component of the faith and those who practice it. Being a prophet is not about opinions, it is an experience or power that you have, given by God to be a prophetic witness in the world. It's about communicating something about who God is through ourselves.

In this episode, we will talk more about what a prophet is. We're gonna dive into how we can take this gift from God—this prophetic call and use it to build up the Kingdom as opposed to something that is a source of division, judgment, and conflict.

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 pocomerch.com!

Episode 162 - My Brother's Keeper?

Not every relationship is the same, so not every fraternal correction will be the same. 

This may vary between a parent and a child, between friends, between a boss and his subordinates, between strangers, or between a formator and the people their forming. 

In today's episode, we will discuss essential distinctions when it comes to fraternal correction and try to shed some light on what would be our responsibilities or what we are supposed to do when we encounter people in our daily walks of life and we would like to engage in fraternal correction.

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 pocomerch.com!

Episode 100 - Get Over Yourself

The fraternal life is not accessory to life. We’re coming to the desert together, which constantly challenges each of us to give ourselves to the Lord and to each other. We belong to one another.

Then there are times where the hardest part isn’t giving… but receiving. We absolutely have to choose to be a brother, and we also have to choose to receive the brotherhood. We have to accept help and service and love.

Either way, we have to keep learning more and more: life isn’t about me. 

This Lent, we’ll be working through Born of Fire by Fr. Innocent Montgomery, CFR. Order now (including digital copies) at bornoffirebook.com/

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!

Episode 228 - Building on Rock

Why do we feel a certain way?

This would be a great question to ask ourselves once we identify and name what we feel. 

It's good to learn what's ultimately at stake in every emotion, test, or situation we encounter and understand why it's so important to us. This episode talks about some practical examples and applications of how we can dive deeper into that and how we can use that to grow and build our lives on rock of what it means to be beloved children of God.

You can get a copy of the Monk Manual x CFR Collaboration Resourse and the Mysteries & Medicine Prayer Journal at: https://monkmanual.com/friars

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 pocomerch.com!

Episode 258 - Jubilee and Identity - Series on Jesus and the Jubilee (Part 7) 

Have you ever felt disconnected from your true purpose, your true identity?

If you never felt security and safety in your sonship or daughterhood, or never felt at home anywhere in the world, or never experienced the truest form of love from The Father. We want to let you know that Jesus has a personal, unique desire to restore you back to the relationship with the Father.

Jesus is the person of Jubilee, and he ushers us back to restoration to the Garden, where Adam and Eve lived in perfect communion with The Father, where people knew who they were and who God was. 

The real invitation for the gift of this Jubilee year is to put Jesus and his heart in front of us and to live in our deepest identity as sons and daughters of the Father. In this episode, we're gonna talk about the Jubilee and our identity. 

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!

Check out the 24-hour adoration chapel in New York
https://perpetualadoration.nyc

🛒 In preparation for Lent, check out Jesus and the Jubilee
https://stpaulcenter.com/jubilee/

🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at
https://www.pocomerch.com/

🛒 Check out some rosaries we made in collaboration with Chews Life
https://bit.ly/chewslife-poco

Episode 220 - Hot Takes 6

We have to understand that we are going through different journeys. God is doing something completely different in each of our lives and we have to be attentive to that. Let us not be so quick to judge—everything is not as simple as it may seem. 

As we continue our journeys through life, we will constantly encounter our own and other people's struggles, flaws, weaknesses, and even sins. 

In our Catholic life, there will be a lot of questions that will come our way and in this episode, we'll try to answer a few of them.

Here is another one of our Hot Takes episodes that talks about some essential topics that most of us can relate to. In this episode we'll be going through the following topics: 

1️⃣ A Perspective on Differences Between Men and Women
2️⃣ Free People, Free People
3️⃣ Stuff Matters

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 pocomerch.com!

Episode 135 - Little But Infinite

Sometimes, we may feel that we are only able do the little things—that what we do is insignificant.

Things may seem so small, but in reality no matter how little or insignificant something may seem, nothing is little. It's because God makes them and because He makes them, they are great and infinite in value.

The Saints, like Mother Teresa did amazing things, but they were faithful to the little things and through that God did the huge things in their lives. Even Jesus himself came to us small, hidden and lowly and not in the most grand way.

This third part of the series on Mother Teresa reminds us that everything is an opportunity to be holy when we allow God to enter into it. A reminder that if we are faithful, even the little things matter.

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!

If you want to follow along with our upcoming advent series, you can get your copy of Emmanuel: An Advent Devotional (by Fr. Angelus Montgomery, CFR, and Sr. Karolyn Nunes, FSGM,) at  https://ydisciple.shop/products/emmanuel

You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at pocomerch.com.

Episode 180 - The Battle, Series on Silence Vs. Noise (Part 1 of 2)

How are you able to receive and communicate with God?

Silence is the divine language. God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit love and communicate in eternal silence and if we want to look at and learn about God, we have to let ourselves be moved by that.

However, the world has become a place of radical noise, trying to rob us of the experience of God and there's always been an inner battle to stay in contemplative silence.

Today, we'll talk about the realities and dynamics of silence as God's language and how we can win the battle and be able to stay in this silence with Him.

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 pocomerch.com!

Episode 97 - Confronted by the Eucharist, Series on Conversion by Fr Haggerty (Part 8 of 8)

When you have a conversion, you live a Eucharistic life, with a gravitational pull to be with Jesus. There, no matter how you feel, you know you’re not alone.

It’s not just about our desire to go to him, though—he is also drawing us to himself. Allow yourself to be drawn.

Order Conversion by Fr Haggerty: https://www.ignatius.com/Conversion-P341.aspx

Starting next week… Born of Fire by Fr. Innocent Montgomery, CFR. Order now at bornoffirebook.com/

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!

Episode 142 - Relationship, Identity, Mission

"Who Is God" and "Who am I?"

This is what we're attempting to answer when we talk about living in the proper order of relationship, identity, and mission.

We are living in a time where we're going through an identity crisis. In the very foundation, a lot of us are forgetting who we are. We forget that we are sons and daughters of God and that we are made for relationship with Him.

We've allowed the world, our successes, brokenness, and weaknesses to define us. We've allowed all these things on the outside to define us instead of starting in the right place.

This episode talks more about relationship, identity, and mission—what these are about and why are they important. A reminder that our relationship with God tells us the truth about who we are and how that can help us live our mission.

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 pocomerch.com! 

Watch this video episode at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbtZV0z_is0

Episode 61 - Your Stuff is Holding You Back

Ever try to connect with the person right in front of you… but he or she is staring at a phone, totally preoccupied? You want to jump in and say, “Look up! Look at me.”

How often are we those preoccupied people in prayer?

We have to be real about attachment. Whether we like it or not, our humanity is into stuff. In our weakness, we can get attached to stuff, which can serve us or not serve us. It’s a burden.

Instead: lean into the freedom of simplicity, at the service of intimacy.

We only have so much emotional and spiritual energy throughout the day. And after all—the lilies don’t get up in the morning and have to pick out their nicest dresses. Can we give God our full attention by being less cluttered in our thinking or our environments?

Get your copy of Habits for Holiness (by Fr Mark-Mary Ames, CFR!) at https://ascensionpress.com/habits

The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of generous donors like you. You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you!

Episode 109 - 12 Step Wisdom, Series on The Twelve Steps (Part 1 of 3)

At some point, our lives are unmanageable and we need help.

When we want to turn away from sin and our struggles, we turn to God to save and heal us. 

We are given clarity to open our eyes and see our life in a new or different way. And while we're accepting reality as it is, we recognize what we can and cannot control, we realize what is asked of us everyday. 

When we live that reality one moment at a time, that's the time we can accept life in a particular way and enjoy it!

This episode talks about the Serenity Prayer and what it means to be in recovery and seek healing and conversion.

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!

Episode 200 - Christ the Bridegroom (Lent 2024), Series on The Ascension Lenten Companion by Fr. Mark Toups (Part 2)

How does a bridegroom love his bride?

That is how Jesus loves each one of us. He meets us wherever we are in our life to be our beloved and for us to be His. The Lord meets us in the desert-our place of poverty where He betroths us to Him and He betroths Himself to us.

In this way, Jesus as the bridegroom reveals to us a quality of love, the way that God loves.

In this episode, our aim is for us to better understand what it means to have Jesus as the bridegroom and the desert as the place of betrothal. 

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 get a copy of The Ascension Lenten Companion by Fr. Mark Toups from the link below:
https://ascensionpress.com/collections/the-ascension-lenten-companion

🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at pocomerch.com!

Episode 138 - Don't Fumble the Bag

The gift of Advent is God proposing himself to us.

He comes not just to command us to do something and watch from a far. He comes to sing with us, dance with us, BE with us.

With that said, it would be tragic if the Lord comes knocking in our door and we don't open it—that we miss Emmanuel, God with us. Let us receive him and respond to him in the proper way during this Advent.

This episode is the second part of the series on Emmanuel: An Advent Devotional, which talks about how we can have the hearts to be open and available to receive God—to keep our focus on the gift of Emmanuel above and beyond everything else. It is also an invitation to ask Mary to teach us the purity of heart that she had, to see God as she did.

✝️If you want to follow along with our upcoming advent series, you can get your copy of Emmanuel: An Advent Devotional (by Fr. Angelus Montgomery, CFR, and Sr. Karolyn Nunes, FSGM,) at  https://ydisciple.shop/products/emmanuel

🛒You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at pocomerch.com! 

Episode 106 - Discernment Basics

We are made to live in relationship wherein two or more people speak to one another.

As we have the desire to talk to God, He also has the desire to speak and to come close to His people. He is speaking to us.

We have to grow in sensitivity to what God's voice sounds like, what our voices sounds like, what the voice of the world sounds like, and what the voice of the enemy sounds like.

There are times we already know the voice of who we're talking to simply because we've been with them, we've spoken to them, we said things back and forth with them, same is true with God.

Discernment is not a mathematical equation but it is a tool for us to become more sensitive to how God speaks in our lives.

This episode talks about how we recognize the different voices around us and lays out some building blocks which are extremely helpful for our own discernment.

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!

Episode 116 - Give It To God, Series on The Practice of the Presence of God (Part 3 of 4)

We can't do anything more to earn God's love, we have it already!

We can be weak, we can be poor, and we can be sinners—and that's okay. We can bring all that to the Lord and that's where we start. 

Jesus doesn't want us to give him the good things alone, but the bad things as well. What the Lord wants is for us to invite Him in that space for Him to be with us on that. 

What we need to do is to surrender every bit of who we are, surrender our desires to control and give it all to God.

This episode talks more about some great points in the practice of presence of God. An invitation to reflect back on who we are, understand or accept our weaknesses and sins. While at the same time, recognize who God is as we surrender everything to Him.

You can find the Presence of God challenge in the Hallow App or this link https://app.hallow.com/challenges/51, where you can join in and reflect with Fr. Mark-Mary on The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence.

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!

Episode 147 - Hope For Everything

We cannot grow in freedom unless we grow in faith, hope and love—that's the recipe for freedom.

Faith, hope and love are the three theological virtues that connect us to God. As Christians, we are people who believe in God, hope everything from Him, and want to love Him with all their hearts and to love their neighbors.

This episode is the third part of our series on Interior Freedom by Fr. Jacque Philippe that talks about the key role of theological virtues in acquiring internal freedom with a particular focus on the importance of Hope.

An invitation to freedom for those who feel defeated and those who might've lost a sense of hope in the Lord.

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 pocomerch.com!

Episode 197 - Marian Posture, Series on "Mary and the Interior Life" by Fr. Jeremiah Shryock (Part 2)

Is your prayer and your life two separate realities? 

Mary gives us a ton of hope that the grace of God and the Holy Spirit meet us in reality. 

The Marian posture at the core of it is about the reality of the fullness of God. Mary teaches us that The best place to live your spiritual life is in reality—in where you are right now in this moment. It's about living one reality in the presence of God.

This episode is an invitation for us to have confidence in the daily bread and the grace given to us here and now. Let's not spend our time fantasizing about the change out there but try and respond as best as possible to what's currently there. Let's engage every part of our reality with the Lord while having a deep sense of his love and attentiveness as we respond in those moments. 

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 pocomerch.com!

Episode 184 - (Contemplative) Gains Don't Sleep

How can we live and create a space for contemplation, for silence, to be able to hear the voice of God in our lives?

God is always there. He's always giving himself to us and always longing to speak to us, but living in the constant influx of noise and immediate gratification profoundly affects our contemplative experience—our ability to sit in prayer for long periods to wait and sit for God.

That is why it's so important to retrain our hearts and our minds to receive Him.

This episode talks about strengthening the will and how we can create a lifestyle that actually supports and strengthens the will to grow in discipline, freedom, and our ability to make a free and total Yes to the Lord and his invitation.

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 pocomerch.com!

God doesn't call us by our sin, He calls us by our name. Our dignity is based on the fact that we are His children.  In this episode week's episode the friars dive into what "blessed are the merciful" really means.  God loves us even in our sinfulness and wants to restore what sin has taken away.  We are called to come face to face with our brokenness so that we can experience true healing and mercy so we no longer act as orphans but as children of the Father. 

Episode 132 - Worship and Warmth

In our faith we sometimes find ourselves in the extremes. We become either strict and liturgical or warm and casual but the truth is our faith should not be "either, or" but "both, and".

We need to be in this place where we are able to both worship and adore the Lord and at the same time be in relationship with Him and our neighbor with compassion and warmth.

When that becomes our reality, we can make a difference—that's why it's important for us to discern where we are in this mix.

This episode talks about, how we can assess where we are in this regard and how we can integrate worship and warmth to our faith and our relationship 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!

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."

We take a look at the story of Bartimaeus. One major theme is the way in which a blind person feels very vulnerable in the world and has a lot of fear/anxiety because of it. If we go about life without faith, it's like we're walking the streets of NYC blind. Faith gives us absolute security, it allows us to see who we are and that God's with us.

Episode 54 - We’re Not Kids Anymore

You crave conversion and real change; to receive the healing and hope that God wants to give you. How does that lasting, long-term change happen?

It happens when we accept some truth or let go of some lie. Each step forms our will, either strengthening it or weakening it. And the stronger our will, the more we’ll be able to choose the good even when it’s hard and resist the evil even when it’s tempting. 

This change can start in an instant, but the long-term forming of the will happens slowly, over time and over many, many choices — choices that might seem small, but matter. Deeply.

Because we’re not kids anymore. Choices have consequences and all those moments make up the battle for our hearts and our minds. Our lives. This is it!

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

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 - 119 Rethink Growth

One might often think that growth is gonna happen in a particular way that we usually perceive as a huge experience or something flashy, but growth might actually look different. 

What does the Lord want to teach us and how does He teach us these things?

We don't grow by having everything altogether all the time. We also cannot expect to grow while staying self-protected in our comfort zones. Instead it's when we actually experience poverty.

In reality we can be uncomfortable from the challenges of our lives and realize that this is what we need to help ourselves to grow in love and in holiness.

This episode looks back on how most of us perceive, encounter and experience growth. An invitation for us to reflect on what does it really mean and how can we make it happen.

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!

Episode 212 - Law and the Father, Series on "The Father" by Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR (Part 7)

What's the role that rules and laws play?

Rules create boundaries and usually define the best way to do things. However, following rules can also NOT lead to freedom, this is why we need to learn to find the right balance in following the rules.

In this episode, we will talk about the spirituality of laws and rules and how we can find balance to be safe, secure, and free in following them. 

We are also invited to look at some of these rules that we have established, these etiquettes or cultures that we've put on ourselves, our neighbors, or our pastors. 

Let's do some discernment of whether or not these are from God or not. And to also, go deeper and see what's at the heart of why we do that and ultimately, bring that to the Lord.

Here's the link to the graph that we referenced in the video:
https://bit.ly/pocofreedomgraph

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 pocomerch.com!

You can get your copy of The Father (by Fr Mark-Mary Ames, CFR) at 
https://ascensionpress.com/thefather

Episode 108 - Hot Takes

There are multitudes of struggles that we are experiencing day to day. 

As we see our own and other people's struggles, weakness and even sins, we have to understand that we are going through different journeys. 

God is doing something completely different in each of our lives.

Relative to this truth, this episode talks about some of the most essential topics that most of us can relate to. Here are some of our hot takes.

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!

Episode 102 - Intimacy with the Bridegroom

The world is a crazy place. There's always the temptation to hide, run away or to fear Love. There are distractions and lies—the lie that we cannot do it, that we may lose ourselves, that our love won't be reciprocated.

But we are made to be in love.

First and foremost with the Lord, Jesus the bridegroom, who comes to save, to love, and to die for us, His bride. And from this love we are called to lay down our lives and give ourselves fully for a bride or bridegroom.

This Lent, we continue to work through Born of Fire by Fr. Innocent Montgomery, CFR. Order now (including digital copies) at bornoffirebook.com/

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!

Episode 190 - Good St. Joseph (Advent 2023), Series on "Prepare Your Heart" by Fr. Agustino Torres, CFR. (Part 3)

What's the best thing you learned from St. Joseph? 

Advent teaches us that God has a different way of doing things and St. Joseph is an amazing example and witness of that.

Throughout his life, St. Joseph should've had the opportunity to grasp human comfort or control, but instead, he chose to enter into humility, into silence, he didn't overthink, he didn't overtalk, but rather he trusted and was obedient to God while being completely attentive to Mary and Jesus. 

This Advent, just like St. Joseph, we are invited to be radically open to what God wants us to do. Advent is not about evaluating everything but being with those who are most important and anchoring ourselves to God like St. Joseph did.

This is the third part of this year's Advent series where we continue to look into the lives of different saints of Advent and for this episode, we're talking about the heart and experience of St. Joseph.

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 pocomerch.com!

You can get a copy of "Prepare Your Heart" by Fr. Agustino Torres, CFR from Ave Maria Press through this link: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/prepare-your-heart

Episode 66 - The Heart of God

This episode starts a new series: The Heart of God. The Sacred Heart.

This is a series about the goodness of God—not only the reality that he is, but that he is good, with a human face and a human heart that rejoices.

A deeper encounter with his heart; that it may be the remedy that heals the wounds of our hearts.

The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of generous donors like you. You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you!

Episode 226 - Know Thyself

How much do you know about yourself?

This might be a good starting point to ask ourselves in our interior life pilgrimage. From self-protection to self-acceptance, to self-possession, and ultimately to self-gift, it's a journey to know oneself. And the beauty of being in prayer with the Lord is that we're growing in self-knowledge and self-acceptance, self-possession with Jesus. 

In this episode, we'll talk about the importance of self-knowledge and self-acceptance and how we can identify what we need to grow and/or accept throughout our interior life pilgrimage.

You can get a copy of the Monk Manual x CFR Collaboration Resourse and the Mysteries & Medicine Prayer Journal at: https://monkmanual.com/friars

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 pocomerch.com!

VIDEO now available! Watch on Spirit Juice’s YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/dZ78lBznd_s

Episode 59 - Loving The Person Who Has All Your Pet Peeves

Love your enemies. AND love that one person who embodies every single one of your pet peeves and always seems to find the fastest way to most intensely annoy you.

Each person’s personality—our most and least favourite parts—is gift, and it’s all about how we receive the uniqueness of each person in his or her personality. Each trait speaks an aspect of God’s heart.

Accepting everyone as they are isn’t always easy… but it’s easier than being surprised and rattled every time they do that one thing over and over and over again. It’s more than that, though; when we accept people, they have the freedom to be themselves. After all, unity is not uniformity.

It’s scary to give people permission to be themselves. Maybe the Lord is asking you to expand your heart to fit them in it.

Get your copy of Habits for Holiness (by Fr Mark-Mary Ames, CFR!) at https://ascensionpress.com/habits

The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of generous donors like you. You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you!

Episode 199 - Lent is About Jesus (Ash Wednesday), Series on The Ascension Lenten Companion by Fr. Mark Toups (Part 1)

What does Jesus desire for you and Him this Lent? 

The temptation during Lent is to make the Lenten journey about us, we can do hard things during Lent that are fueled by our own desires and distractions but Lent isn't supposed to be about ourselves. Lent is also not simply about prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Those disciplines help us to focus on what we need to focus on. This season is about a person and that person is Jesus.

In this episode, we'll talk about the reality of Lent and how we can orient ourselves to our relationship with Jesus as we enter this year's Lenten season.

Happy Ash Wednesday everyone!

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 get a copy of The Ascension Lenten Companion by Fr. Mark Toups from the link below:
https://ascensionpress.com/collections/the-ascension-lenten-companion

🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at pocomerch.com!

Episode 235 - How to Go to Spiritual Direction

What is spiritual direction really about and how do we do it?

Nowadays it seems that there is an increasing trend of people who are seeking spiritual direction however there aren't a lot of spiritual directors to help us with that.

In today's episode, we're gonna try and explain what spiritual direction is, who needs it, and what would be the best way to do it, to try and bridge that gap.

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 pocomerch.com!

VIDEO: Watch at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfhPsn_uF30

Episode 62 - Christian Contentment

In our world of wanting more and of endlessly upgrading, we have to get good at saying, “Ok, that’s enough.” There’s a game of constant consumption and if we’re not careful, it’s going to take advantage of us. Don’t get played!

Simplicity isn’t about getting rid of everything. It’s saying “no” to things you need to say “no” to—creating a space where you’re not controlled by things.

How? A poverty check. A regular practice of examining everything to see what really needs to stay and what can go; a regular challenge to take an honest look at what we’re clinging to and what we can let go of.

Get your copy of Habits for Holiness (by Fr Mark-Mary Ames, CFR) at https://ascensionpress.com/habits

The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of generous donors like you. You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you!

Episode 131 - We Speak Praise

We allow our hearts to agree with the truth of who God is—that's what adoration means. 

And as we become more familiar with the truth of who God is through adoration, we start to see more clearly who God is to us and what is given to us by Him. 

Everything that we have is a gift from God and for most of us this is an overwhelming truth where Praise is the only just response.

This episode is the sixth and last part on the series on Hungry For God by Dr. Ralph Martin which talks about what praise is and its' importance.

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!

Have you ever noticed how “going for a walk” helps to calm you down when you are stressed?    God wants to walk with us before He works through us. Our daily encounter with Him becomes our training ground for a life that is rooted and grounded in love.  In this week's episode we talk about how to allow God to walk with us in the midst of our mess. God is always trying to draw us closer to him.  He wants your life to be transformed into a joyful relationship with him regardless of the circumstances we live in. Teach us Lord to walk with you!   Invite God to walk with you in those hard places so that we can be fully alive.     

Episode 88 - Imaginative Prayer (Advent 2021)

Maybe you’ve heard about the nativity scene plenty, and seen it depicted endlessly. Do you really think you’ve entered as deeply into that mystery as you can? There’s more! The Holy Spirit is never exhausted.

It’s the same with all of Scripture. This isn’t a collection of abstract ideas; these are stories of real people, and these stories can bring us into real relationship.

How can these stories become personal? A type of lectio divina emphasized by St Ignatius of Loyola: imaginative prayer. Meditating on Scripture this way, using human imagination and with God’s grace, can lead to encountering these stories on a different level.

Put yourself in the nativity scene. Pray with Mary and Joseph and the wise men. Let God reveal more to you.

This is the final episode 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

Starting in the new year, we’ll be going through Conversion by Fr Haggerty. https://www.ignatius.com/Conversion-P341.aspx

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 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

The Poco a Poco podcast is possible because of generous donors like you. Become a monthly benefactor at https://www.spiritjuice.org/pocoapoco/

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

Episode 115 - Prayer: Pure and Simple, Series on The Practice of the Presence of God (Part 2 of 4)

What does a good prayer look like? We don't know.. Everyone has the freedom on how they pray.

But thinking about God, reading a book about God and just saying words about God is not praying. Praying is the relationship that brings us in to a conscious living contact with God himself.

Everything is at the service of relationship with Him.

There's a real person looking back at us in prayer—who loves us and wants to draw us close to his sacred heart. Jesus wants to meet us in that contemplative space and experience his heart there.

In relation to Brother Lawrence's Book, this episode talks through some amazing insights on the relational aspect of prayer as well as some logic and application of prayer. An invitation for us to re-evaluate our prayer life which is meant to put us in relationship with God.

You can find the Presence of God challenge in the Hallow App or this link https://app.hallow.com/challenges/51, where you can join in and reflect with Fr. Mark-Mary on The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence.

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!

Join Fr. Angelus, Fr. Innocent, and Fr. Mark-Mary, members of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, in a deep dive into the "Franciscan sweet spot": Poverty of Spirit and The Kingdom of Heaven where our dependence meets the Father's providence.  For this reason, the friars truly consider themselves, "Rich Kids." They are rich in intimacy with the Father and it's possible for you too!

Punctuating everything the friars discuss is the witness of Fr. Innocent, who as a 24-year-old friar, had what he calls a "conversion" moment after he woke up paralyzed from a routine back surgery. In was in that moment, he experienced the Lord's love for him not because of his gifts or abilities, but because he is truly his beloved son.

Episode 86 - Our Father is Faithful (Advent 2021)

Third Week of Advent

As a people and a Church, we have a common patrimony and inheritance of promises kept. Over time, salvation history involves real people and real stories—God breaks into history. 

Think Elizabeth and Zachariah. Simeon. Anna.

We are part of this story, living in salvation history. We must remember that God has been faithful to us, and use that memory to stay. God can’t fulfill his promises to us if we leave.

The saints we look to had their own struggles and their own trials, and the Lord was faithful to them. It was a faithfulness that satisfied something in their own lives, but there’s also a way in which it bore fruit such that we’re recipients of the fruitfulness of these people. There might be something that the Lord’s doing in our lives that is also going to be fruitful for other people we meet. Other people will inherit this.

We’re going through Advent with Finding Your Place in the Advent Story from Ascension Press for the next few episodes. 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 233 - Know Your Heart

If you don't value something, does it mean it's not really valuable to others or to the world?

Our life experiences form us and our hearts respond in different ways particularly where there are areas of something that we didn't experience or something that we grew up without in our life. 

We can have a coping mechanism or a defense mechanism of numbing and closing that part of our hearts so that it doesn't become an open lifelong wound, which then becomes somewhat naturally, a value. A value that tells us which is important and which is not important, and which we can project onto other people as well. 

So we want to be open to discerning those realities at play, in this episode, we are invited to know our own hearts through a healthy self-awareness and self-doubt along with the openness to receive what others value.

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 pocomerch.com!

Episode 145 - A Freedom Greater Than Circumstances

What makes us most free, is this submitting to God and this dependence on Him. 

Yes, freedom is actually dependent on obedience rather than kind of doing whatever I want.

When we fall in love with God and we experience that love, this deep interior freedom takes place and it becomes the most important thing of our lives—even to a point that is greater than our circumstances.

This episode is the first part of our series on Interior Freedom by Fr. Jacque Philippe that talks about what it means to live in freedom as sons and daughters of God and how this freedom can become greater than the circumstances of our lives.

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 pocomerch.com!

Episode 203 - The Rich Man and Lazarus (Lent 2024), Series on The Ascension Lenten Companion by Fr. Mark Toups (Part 5)

Does it have to end in just being able to receive God's unconditional love? 

Like Lazarus, the guy beat up on the side of the road. We who have been loved in such messiness are also invited to go into the mess, and love. This is a sign that God is alive in us.

We now have the dignity of His beloved sons and daughters, of not just being the recipients of His unconditional love, but now being able to love, not only from our own strength but in response to God being alive in us.

In this episode, we'll talk about the story of the rich man and Lazarus, and its relation to the other parables discussed in the previous episodes.

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 get a copy of The Ascension Lenten Companion by Fr. Mark Toups from the link below:
https://ascensionpress.com/collections/the-ascension-lenten-companion

🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at pocomerch.com!

Episode 232 - San Francesco

What's your experience of St. Francis?

You might know St. Francis differently or may have a different experience of St. Francis, but in this episode, we're gonna look at the life of St. Francis through the lens of the CFR brothers themselves and highlight what part of St. Francis' life stands out in their own lives.

This episode gives a deeper insight into who St. Francis is, how he lived and followed Jesus, and what his interior life looked like.

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 pocomerch.com!

Purchase tickets for Heart of a Servant: The Father Flanagan Story here:
https://www.fathomevents.com/events/heart-of-a-servant/

Watch the Heart of the Servant: The Father Flanagan Story trailer here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoftAcHYQVI

The Holy Spirit, who worked in and through Christ during his life on earth, now works in and through us. In this week’s episode we discuss how the Holy Spirit wants to move in our lives. Just as the Spirit enabled Christ to bring glory to his Father, so now the Spirit enables us to glorify both the Son and the Father.  The Holy Spirit can help us greatly, but only if we let it.