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

Silence of Judgment 16.09.2026 39мин

Episode 315 - Silence of Judgment Have you ever caught yourself judging someone before you really knew the whole story? In this episode, the friars continue their series on holy silence by reflecting on the silence of judgment. They explore the difference between healthy discernment and rash judgment, and why our quick opinions about others can create so much noise in the heart. Judgment often comes from places of hurt, insecurity, control, or the desire to fix what is not ours to fix. But Jesus invites us into a deeper poverty and humility, one that remembers we do not see the whole picture, we do not know the fullness of another person's story, and we cannot always see the hidden work of grace in their life. The friars invite us to slow down, become curious, and surrender others more peacefully to the Father. As we grow in trust, we learn to see ourselves and others with more mercy, patience, and truth. Join us as we learn to quiet the noise of judgment-and ask Jesus for hearts that are meek, humble, and merciful like His. 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/

Silence of the Body 09.09.2026 44мин

Episode 314 - Silence of the Body Have you ever noticed how your body can make it harder to be still with God? In this episode, the friars continue their series on holy silence by reflecting on the silence of the body. They explore how our pace, movement, sleep, food, health, rest, and daily habits all shape the way we pray, love, serve, and show up to the present moment. This conversation is not about treating the body like a problem. It is about learning to steward the body as a gift. When we move too fast, neglect rest, ignore our limits, or live constantly scattered, our bodies can carry noise that makes prayer and charity harder. But when we slow down, breathe, rest, and care for our bodies well, we create more space for recollection, peace, and deeper communion with the Lord. Join us as we learn to bring our bodies into the silence of prayer and let even our daily rhythms become places where God can meet us. 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/

Silence of Speech 02.09.2026 42мин

Episode 313 - Silence of Speech Have you ever wondered how much of what you say actually leads to love? In this episode, the friars continue their series on holy silence by reflecting on the silence of speech. Speech is a gift from God, meant to build communion, speak truth, encourage others, give thanks, and bring life. But our words can also become noisy, filled with commentary, gossip, distraction, self-protection, or conversation that never really leads anywhere deeper. The invitation is not to stop speaking, but to let our words become more intentional, more prayerful, and more ordered toward love. The friars reflect on how silence can purify the way we speak, helping us notice what our words are really serving: communion, connection, attention, or simply more noise. This conversation invites us to ask where our speech may need greater custody, where we may need to fast from certain words, and where God may be asking us to use our voices to bless, encourage, and give thanks. Join us as we learn to speak less from noise and more from love, and let our words become a place where communion can grow. 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/

Silence of Self-Love 26.08.2026 39мин

Episode 312 - Silence of Self-Love Have you ever felt like you had to prove yourself, protect yourself, or hold everything together on your own? In this episode, the friars continue their series on holy silence by reflecting on the silence of self-love. They explore how pride, self-reliance, self-protection, insecurity, and the need to perform can create a lot of noise in our hearts. When we feel threatened, unseen, corrected, or afraid, it can be easy to turn inward and try to defend the self we want others to see. But Jesus invites us into something much quieter and freer, the poverty of being beloved sons and daughters. We do not have to build a fortress around ourselves or work endlessly to be loved. The Father's love is already poured out, already steady, already "maxed out" for us. Join us as we learn to let go of the noise of self-protection and rest in the Father's love that tells us who we really are. The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of many generous donors, including recurring monthly donations of any amount. Thinking about helping out? You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you! 🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at https://www.pocomerch.com/

Silence of Interior Conversations 19.08.2026 48мин

Episode 311 - Silence of Interior Conversation Have you ever gotten stuck in your own head, replaying conversations, overthinking decisions, or arguing with yourself? In this episode, the friars continue their series on holy silence by reflecting on the silence of interior conversation. So much of our daily life happens inside that constant inner voice, planning, judging, rehearsing, worrying, self-criticizing, or trying to figure everything out on our own. The invitation is not to shut down our thoughts, but to bring them into relationship with Jesus. Instead of living in an endless monologue with ourselves, the friars invite us to turn that inner conversation into prayer: "Jesus, what do You think about this? What is true here? How are You with me right now?" This kind of silence opens the heart to communion. It helps us move from anxious loops and self-reliance into the peace of being seen, known, and accompanied by the Lord. Join us as we learn to stop arguing with ourselves and begin bringing our inner life into honest, healing conversation with Jesus. The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of many generous donors, including recurring monthly donations of any amount. Thinking about helping out? You can give at spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you! 🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at pocomerch.com/

Silence of Memory 12.08.2026 41мин

Episode 310 - Silence of Memory Have you ever felt pulled back into the past, either by something beautiful you miss or something painful you still carry? In this episode, the friars continue their series on holy silence by reflecting on the silence of memory. Our memories can be a gift, helping us remember God's goodness and receive His grace again in the present. But they can also become places where we get stuck, trapped in nostalgia, old wounds, discouragement, resentment, or the ache of what once was. The friars explore how Jesus wants to meet us in our memories, not so we can live in the past, but so He can bring healing, integration, and peace. Whether we are remembering past consolations or painful experiences, the invitation is to return to the present moment where God is still real, still near, and still loving us now. Join us as we learn to bring our memories to Jesus, and let Him lead us from old noise into deeper stillness, healing, and communion. The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of many generous donors, including recurring monthly donations of any amount. Thinking about helping out? You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you! 🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at https://www.pocomerch.com/

Silence of the Imagination 05.08.2026 46мин

Episode 309 - Silence of the Imagination Have you ever noticed how quickly your mind can drift into "what ifs", old conversations, or stories that aren't actually happening? In this episode, the friars continue their series on holy silence by reflecting on the silence of the imagination. The imagination is a gift from God, one that helps us remember beauty, enter into Scripture, pray with the Rosary, and receive the world more deeply. But when it becomes untethered from reality, it can also pull us into fantasy, rumination, fear, resentment, comparison, or distraction. The friars explore what it means to let the imagination be purified and brought under the gentle custody of the Holy Spirit. This is not about shutting the imagination down, but allowing it to serve truth, beauty, intimacy, and communion with God. Join us as we learn to return from fantasy to reality, and let our imagination become a doorway to deeper prayer, healing, and union with Jesus. The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of many generous donors, including recurring monthly donations of any amount. Thinking about helping out? You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you! 🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at https://www.pocomerch.com/

Silence of the Senses 29.07.2026 43мин

Episode 308 - Silence of the Senses What if the noise around us is keeping us from hearing the voice of God within us? In this episode, the friars begin a new series on holy silence, starting with the silence of the senses. They reflect on how our eyes, ears, taste, touch, and even smell are gifts from God, ways we encounter beauty, creation, and one another, but also how easily these senses can become overwhelmed, distracted, or pulled out of order. This conversation is not about rejecting the world or shutting everything off. It is about learning custody of the senses: allowing the Holy Spirit to bring stillness, freedom, and right order to the ways we see, hear, taste, touch, and receive the world around us. The friars invite us to consider where our senses may need healing, discipline, or purification, not so we can love less, but so we can love more deeply and become more available to God. Join us as we learn to quiet the noise, receive the gift of our senses rightly, and make more room for the silence where God speaks. 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/

On Gossip 22.07.2026 35мин

Episode 307 - On Gossip Have you ever realized that a "harmless" conversation can sometimes start to tear someone down? In this episode, the friars talk about gossip, why it can be so easy to fall into, why it often feels like connection, and why it never really gives us the communion we're looking for. Whether it happens at work, in friendships, in community, or around the people we love, gossip can quietly train our hearts to tear down instead of build up. The friars reflect on the deeper questions beneath gossip: What am I seeking here? Am I trading authenticity for connection? Am I willing to let my discipleship reach even the way I speak about others? This conversation is a gentle invitation to bring Jesus into our words, our relationships, and the places where we feel tempted to belong at someone else's expense. Join us as we learn to speak with greater charity, courage, and freedom, and let our words become a place where Christ is present. 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/

Limited Men 15.07.2026 50мин

Episode 306 - Limited Men Have you ever felt like everyone needs something from you, and you just don't have enough to give? In this episode, the friars reflect honestly on leadership, fatherhood, responsibility, and the ache of being limited. Whether it's emails, texts, meetings, ministry, family needs, or people asking for more than we can offer, there is a real poverty in wanting to love well while knowing we cannot do everything perfectly. They talk about the humility of naming our limits, the importance of healthy boundaries, and the grace of admitting, "I am a limited man." This isn't about giving less or closing our hearts. It's about learning how to give ourselves freely, honestly, and with Jesus, trusting that our limitations are not obstacles to His work. For parents, pastors, leaders, and anyone feeling stretched thin, this conversation is a reminder that we do not have to be infinite. We are invited to be faithful, poor, generous, and dependent on the One who never runs out. Join us as we learn to accept our limits and let Jesus meet us in the poverty of what we cannot carry alone. 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/

On Comparison and Insecurity 08.07.2026 36мин

Episode 305 - On Comparison and Insecurity Have you ever looked at someone else's gifts, vocation, prayer, family, or life and suddenly felt like you weren't enough? In this episode, the friars talk about the very human struggle of comparison and insecurity. Whether it shows up in ministry, community, relationships, social media, or the hidden places of the heart, comparison can quietly pull us away from the truth of who we are in God. They reflect on how insecurity is often connected to deeper narratives we have picked up along the way, the stories that tell us we are less than, not gifted enough, or somehow behind. But the Father does not compare His children. He sees each of us uniquely, loves us personally, and invites us to live from the truth of our identity instead of the fear of not measuring up. Join us as we learn to bring comparison and insecurity back to Jesus, and let His voice remind us who we really are. The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of many generous donors, including recurring monthly donations of any amount. Thinking about helping out? You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you! 🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at https://www.pocomerch.com/

Knicks in Five 01.07.2026 44мин

Episode 304 - Knicks in Five What if the joy of victory is meant to teach us something deeper? In this episode, the friars take a very Poco a Poco turn, from celebrating the Knicks' championship win to reflecting on what sports, fandom, loyalty, and shared joy can reveal about the spiritual life. Behind the fun, the emotion, and the city-wide celebration is something profoundly human: the desire to belong, to suffer together, to hope together, and to share in a victory that somehow becomes our own. They explore how the joy of another's win can point us toward something greater: the victory of Christ. Just as fans rejoice in a team's triumph, we are invited to rejoice in the Resurrection, in the communion of saints, and in the gift of being part of a Body where grace is never private and victory is meant to be shared. Join us as we celebrate, laugh, and look beyond the scoreboard. Let's look at the deeper victory we are all invited to share in Christ. 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/

Borrowing Peace 24.06.2026 42мин

Episode 303 - Borrowing Peace What if peace isn't something you have to create on your own? In this episode, the friars reflect on the gift of "borrowing" from Jesus. His peace, His confidence, His mercy, His steadiness, especially when our own hearts feel overwhelmed, anxious, or shaken. Like a child borrowing calm from a loving parent, we're invited to bring our storms to the One who is never overcome by them. They explore how Jesus offers us His very life: in prayer, in the Eucharist, and in the quiet steadiness of His presence. When we feel disregulated, afraid, ashamed, or unable to hold everything together, we don't have to manufacture peace by ourselves. We can receive His. This conversation is an invitation to return to Jesus in the boat, Jesus in the Eucharist, Jesus who gives His body and His peace to us so that what we receive from Him can become what we offer to others. Join us as we learn to borrow peace from Jesus, and become a place of calm, mercy, and safety for others. 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/

Intimacy with Jesus: Ask, Seek, Knock 17.06.2026 47мин

Episode 302 - Intimacy with Jesus: Ask, Seek, Knock Have you ever done all the Catholic things but still felt distant from Jesus? In this episode, the friars speak to the person who believes, prays, goes to Mass, tries to live faithfully, and yet still wonders why prayer can feel dry, disconnected, or more like duty than relationship. They explore what it means to move from simply doing the right things to actually bringing your heart to Jesus. This conversation is an invitation to ask, seek, and knock with honesty. What's happening in my heart? Where do I feel blocked, afraid, ashamed, or self-reliant? Where is Jesus inviting me into healing, repentance, formation, and deeper intimacy? The friars offer gentle guidance for learning how to pray with the heart, encounter Jesus in Scripture, and let Him meet the places we often keep hidden or protected. Join us as we learn to bring our whole hearts to Jesus, and rediscover that prayer is not just something we do, but a relationship He longs to deepen. 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/

Seen, Known, Understood by God 10.06.2026 51мин

Episode 301 - Seen, Known, Understood by God Have you ever tried to explain what you're carrying and felt like nobody really got it? In this episode, the friars talk about the deep human desire to be seen, known, and understood, and the pain that comes when we feel missed, dismissed, or alone in our experience. Whether it's suffering, leadership, race, vocation, family life, or the hidden weight of something hard to explain, being misunderstood can leave us feeling isolated. The friars reflect on what it means to listen with compassion, validate someone's experience, and resist the urge to fix, explain, or minimize what we don't fully understand. At the same time, they invite us to bring the ache of being misunderstood back to the Father, the One who sees in secret, knows the heart, and never misses what we carry. Join us as we learn to receive others more deeply and rest in the God who sees, knows, and understands us completely. 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/

Words and the Word ft. Fr. Gregory Pine, OP 03.06.2026 1ч 3мин

Episode 300 - Words and the Word ft. Fr. Gregory Pine, OP Have you ever thought about how much power your words actually carry? In this special 300th episode, the friars are joined by Fr. Gregory Pine, OP, to talk about words, speech, and the deeper invitation behind how we communicate. Drawing from his book Training the Tongue, Fr. Gregory reflects on how our words are not just sounds or information; they can build communion, reveal the heart, wound, heal, bless, and bring us closer to one another. Together, they explore how speech opens the door to real encounter: with God, with others, and even with ourselves. From the voice of the Good Shepherd to the Word made flesh, this conversation invites us to see language as something sacred, a gift meant not only to avoid sin, but to grow in love, truth, and deeper relationship. Join us as we learn to listen more deeply, speak more faithfully, and let our words become places where the Word can be known and loved. 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 the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in Rome and Assisi: https://www.ctscentral.net/travel-tours/an-immersive-franciscan-retreat-to-rome-and-assisi 🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at https://www.pocomerch.com/

Winning Summer 27.05.2026 43мин

Episode 299 - Winning Summer What does it actually look like to rest well? As summer begins, the friars talk about how to enter a season of more space, flexibility, and rest without drifting into idleness. Whether it's summer break, vacation, weekends, or simply a change of rhythm, these moments can become a real gift, but only if we bring Jesus into them. In this episode, they reflect on the difference between true Sabbath rest and just checking out. Rest isn't a break from prayer, charity, or our relationship with God. It's an invitation to receive life with Him in a new way with intentionality, joy, good recreation, and space to be renewed. They also offer practical encouragement for staying grounded: keep prayer at the center, stay connected to others, choose wholesome fun, and look for small ways to love each day. Join us as we learn how to win summer, not by doing more, but by resting with Jesus and letting Him renew what matters most. 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 the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in Rome and Assisi: https://www.ctscentral.net/travel-tours/an-immersive-franciscan-retreat-to-rome-and-assisi 🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at https://www.pocomerch.com/ Get your own copy of the Prodigal Son prints https://spiritjuice.shop/collections/poco-a-poco/products/print-coming-home https://visualgrace.org/coming-home-product-page

How Does Jesus See My Sin? 20.05.2026 45мин

Episode 298 - How Does Jesus See My Sin? Have you ever felt like your sin says more about you than God's mercy does? In this episode, the friars reflect on how we experience our own sin and how easy it is to fall into shame, discouragement, anxiety, or self-condemnation. They explore the difference between healthy sorrow for sin and the kind of shame that begins to define us, isolate us, and keep us from bringing our weakness honestly to Jesus. This conversation is not about taking sin lightly. It's about learning to see our sin with the mind and heart of Christ. Jesus does not ignore our sin, but He also does not reduce us to it. He meets us there with mercy, patience, and a love that calls us deeper into freedom. Join us as we learn to stop staring only at our weakness and begin again by looking at Jesus, who sees us fully and still calls us beloved. 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 the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in Rome and Assisi: https://www.ctscentral.net/travel-tours/an-immersive-franciscan-retreat-to-rome-and-assisi 🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at https://www.pocomerch.com/ Get your own copy of the Prodigal Son prints https://spiritjuice.shop/collections/poco-a-poco/products/print-coming-home https://visualgrace.org/coming-home-product-page

When One Door Closes... 13.05.2026 41мин

Episode 297 - When One Door Closes... What do you do when the plan you had suddenly falls apart? In this episode, the friars reflect on the role of closed doors in discernment, those moments when something we hoped for, planned for, or tried to control simply doesn't happen. A missed flight, a changed plan, a lost opportunity, a relationship that doesn't unfold the way we imagined… sometimes reality interrupts us and invites us to listen more deeply. Rather than seeing every closed door as failure, the friars explore how these moments can become places of surrender, curiosity, and trust. Not because every disappointment is easy or painless, but because Jesus is present even there. The Resurrection reminds us that no door is more closed than the sealed tomb, and even there, God was not finished. Join us as we learn to trust Jesus in the detours, the disruptions, and the closed doors, and discover that what feels like an ending may become the place He begins something new. 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 the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in Rome and Assisi: https://www.ctscentral.net/travel-tours/an-immersive-franciscan-retreat-to-rome-and-assisi 🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at https://www.pocomerch.com/ Get your own copy of the Prodigal Son prints https://spiritjuice.shop/collections/poco-a-poco/products/print-coming-home https://visualgrace.org/coming-home-product-page

Revelation of The Resurrected One 06.05.2026 46мин

Episode 296 - Revelation of the Resurrected One Have you ever wondered why it can be so hard to recognize Jesus, even when He's right in front of you? In this episode, the friars reflect on the post-Resurrection appearances of Jesus, moments where those closest to Him don't recognize Him at first. From Mary Magdalene in the garden to the road to Emmaus, they explore the mystery of how the risen Lord reveals Himself: personally, patiently, and often in unexpected ways. They unpack how Jesus meets people exactly where they are, in grief, confusion, doubt, and even ordinary moments and how those encounters change everything. This isn't just something that happened back then. It's a pattern that continues today. The same Jesus still comes, still pursues, and still reveals Himself in ways uniquely meant for each of us. For those who feel like they've never had that "breakthrough" moment, this episode is a gentle reminder: the Lord is closer than you think, especially in the Eucharist, where the Resurrection is made present again. Join us as we open our eyes to the risen Jesus and learn to recognize Him already at work in 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! Join the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in Rome and Assisi: https://www.ctscentral.net/travel-tours/an-immersive-franciscan-retreat-to-rome-and-assisi 🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at https://www.pocomerch.com/ Get your own copy of the Prodigal Son prints https://spiritjuice.shop/collections/poco-a-poco/products/print-coming-home https://visualgrace.org/coming-home-product-page