This Whole Life

"As they grow up, children should continue to respect their parents. They should anticipate their wishes, willingly seek their advice, and accept their just admonitions. Obedience toward parents ceases with the emancipation of the children; not so respect, which is always owed to them. This respect has its roots in the fear of God, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit."  ~ Catechism of the Catholic Church §2217

Families - the ones we’re born into and the ones that we create - are full of beauty, joy, thanksgiving, worship, and purpose. But they can also be marked with exhaustion, hardship, disappointment, arguments, and unrealistic expectations. How do we navigate difficult family relationships in a healthy way?

Fr. Nathan joins Pat & Kenna for this conversation about how to faithfully order the sometimes competing values of family life. How can we honor our mother and father when we are adults ourselves, and honor our family of origin while prioritizing our family of creation? How do we have intentional & honest conversations to prepare for times of intensity before they’re upon us? How can we avoid the landmines that might have plagued us for years?

We’re confident that this is an episode that will speak to people of all ages and stages as we seek to be connected to God and our family members during the upcoming holy days, or any season of the year.

Episode 7 Show Notes

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Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas.

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Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration

Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

"Love should be seen as something which in a sense never ‘is’ but is always only ‘becoming’, and what it becomes depends upon the contribution of both persons and the depth of their commitment.” ~ St. Pope John Paul II

It’s time for a date night, friends!

Marriage is one of the beautiful and amazing things that God does in the lives of His beloved children; husbands and wives are called to be witnesses of God’s love by giving themselves completely to the Lord and to each other. But if we’re honest, we also know that marriage is one of the most challenging things that humans can experience. Miscommunication, parenting, finances, schedules, work, arguments… It can be so easy for a marriage to become merely a joint project.

How do we keep a spirit of play, spontaneity, and joy in our marriage? Why does it matter that we take intentional time to spend with our spouse, with no distractions? Does the health of our marriage really affect our other relationships and priorities? Join us for this fun and hope-filled conversation; then get your next date on the calendar!

Episode 6 Show Notes

Support the show

Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters!

Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event

Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas.

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Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration

Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

"For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." ~ Matthew 6:21

We give our time, our money, and our energy to the things that we value.  Everything about our lives is a result of our values - our actions, relationships, priorities, even our sins.  Our values don't just determine what we do, they communicate who we are and Whose we are.  But all too often we float through life without intentionally choosing our values: they get handed to us (sometimes without us even knowing it) by our families of origin, the culture around us, and the Church.  As adults it is our privilege and our responsibility to examine these values and authentically own them so we can authentically live them. 

In this episode, we look at the process of praying over our values: having a conversation with the Lord about what He desires for our lives.  When we have the courage and the trust to receive our values from Him, we're able to more fully and freely live out the unique and beautiful call that He has for our personal and unrepeatable life. 

Episode 5 Show Notes

Support the show

Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters!

Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event

Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas.

Follow us on Instagram & Facebook

Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration

Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

“Freedom is not getting to do what you want, but being able to do as you ought.” - St. John Paul II

You are good…and you don’t get to do whatever you want. God made you good, plain and simple, and nothing that you do can diminish or steal your inherent goodness as a child of God. But that doesn’t mean that all of our desires and actions are good. We’ve all experienced the anxiety, pain, and breakdown of relationships that happen when our actions don’t live up to our dignity. Yet, in the midst of those real consequences, we’re reminded of God’s love for us, our call to repentance, and a return to virtue.

We don’t do good actions because they make us good or to earn God’s love.
We do good actions because when our outward actions match our internal dignity, we find integration and we can live in the joy and peace for which we were created from the beginning.

Episode 4 Show Notes

Support the show

Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters!

Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event

Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas.

Follow us on Instagram & Facebook

Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration

Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

My friend, you. are. good.

We’ll say it again in case you don’t believe us: you are good.

Our intrinsic goodness and value don’t come from our achievements, our actions, our relationships, or even our prayer lives. We are good simply because God, our Father, made us in His image and likeness; He made us good. No sin, no action, no suffering, and no failure can rob us of our goodness. So many mental health challenges stem from our reluctance to receive our inherent, God-given worth.

Fr. Nathan LaLiberte joins Pat for this striking conversation that might be exactly what we all need to hear today.

Episode 3 Show Notes

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Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters!

Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas.

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Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration

Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

Mental health isn’t limited to what goes on inside our minds; our mental health is deeply affected by our human relationships. And one often overlooked facet of deep, authentic relationships is healthy boundaries.

Boundaries are a balancing act that offer freedom: both holding firmly to my own identity AND being open to connection with others. All of us desire this kind of self-knowledge and self-gift, but human relationships are messy! Whether it’s in a marriage, with a child, or in a friendship, we struggle to hold clear and loving boundaries. It’s so easy to only feel what others feel, or to guard against true connection when things get difficult, or to ignore our own needs because others don’t seem to notice them. 

Let’s talk about boundaries, differentiation, and cultivating a beautiful garden while meeting your neighbors at the fencepost.

Episode 2 Show Notes

Support the show

Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters!

Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event

Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas.

Follow us on Instagram & Facebook

Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration

Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

This Whole Life is about being fully alive! It’s about pursuing an authentic, integrated life and allowing every part - mind, body, and soul - to function as a whole so that we can love and serve God and all your fellow humans. 

To live this in the real world requires a genuine look at our mental health in the context of faith. “Mental health” isn’t a four letter word and it’s not just for people who go to therapy. Being attentive to our mental health is crucial for EVERY follower of Christ, because when we’re mentally healthy we’re able to give our whole self to God.

As people of faith, let’s attend to our mental health: because sound mental health smooths the path to wholeness and holiness. It’s why we’re “seeking sanity and sanctity.” Welcome to This Whole Life!

Episode 1 Show Notes

Support the show

Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters!

Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event

Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas.

Follow us on Instagram & Facebook

Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration

Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

This Whole Life debuts on September 4th!

How does our mental health relate to our faith?
How can we become whole while living in a broken world?
Every day, we all strive to encounter God amidst the challenges of balancing faith and family, work and leisure, our sense of self and complicated relationships.  Pat & Kenna Millea bring joy, hope, and wisdom to those who believe there is a connection between holiness and happiness.  Kenna is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist; Pat served for 15 years as a youth minister; together they have 7 children and a perfectly imperfect marriage.  From their education and experience, they share tools, resources, interviews, and stories that point the way to sanity and sanctity. 

Support the show

Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters!

Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event

Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas.

Follow us on Instagram & Facebook

Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration

Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.