What God is Not

This week we're joined by special guest, Bree Solstad. Bree recently joined the podcast team as our video editor. Thanks Bree!

Mother Natalia, Bree, and Fr. Michael talk about responding to loss. This can be as the person who experiences the loss or as someone empathizing with the person who experienced the loss. They talk about childlikeness in our relationship with God, and the beauty of the Sacrament of Confession.

References:
Bree's Interview on Edify Podcast
Bree's Interview with Keith Nester
Reflection on the Widow of Nain

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This week Fr. Michael and Mother Natalia talk about SEEK and their theme "Follow Me." They reflect on their experience at SEEK last year as well as the patron saint for SEEK25, St. Joan of Arc.

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This week we're joined by special guests Sandy and Therese. Sandy and Fr. Michael talk a little about Humanality, a group that Sandy helps run. Then Fr. Michael, Sandy, and Therese share about the forming of the outreach from the Proto-Cathedral, what brought them there, and what has kept them there. There's good discussion on community and family.

References:
Leaning In (the episode on fasting)
Humanality

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This week Mother Natalia uses this episode to prepare for a talk she's giving. She talks about accepting the state in which you find yourself. She uses some quotes from St. Faustina to help illustrate the point of keeping close to God in the midst of your struggles. Mother Natalia talks about accepting the will of God in the present moment, even when you don’t like the situation you find yourself in.

We're joined this week by audience of one, Abigail!

References:
He Leadeth Me by Fr. Walter Ciszek

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This week Fr. Michael talks about some of the hidden sacrifices of parents. Fr. Michael talks about the hermeneutics of moms and dads with two separate stories of parents he knows who are living out their ordinary vocation.

There's also a mini-topic this week talking about sainthood in the ordinary life.

References:
A Sacred Beginning: Nurturing Your Body, Mind, and Soul during Baby's First Forty Days by Sarah Brangwynne & Sasha Rose Oxnard
Pray for Us: 75 Saints Who Sinned, Suffered, and Struggled on Their Way to Holiness by Meg Hunter-Kilmer
He Leadeth Me by Fr. Walter Ciszek

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This week we're joined by special guest Dr. Gerry Crete. Dr. Gerry and Mother Natalia talk about some of their favorite Star Trek episodes and how they relate to parts work.

References:
The Inmost Self with Dr. Gerry Crete
Litanies of the Heart by Dr. Gerry Crete
Dr. Gerry’s Review of Inside Out
Dr. Gerry’s Review of Inside Out 2

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This week Mother Natalia reflects on two listener emails. One talks about welcoming people at church and the ways we can be stretched. Another talks about recognizing the humanity in Fr. Michael and Mother Natalia in the beginning episode banter. Mother Natalia also reflects on a passage in a book by Metropolitan Anthony Bloom.

References:
The Inmost Self with Dr. Gerry Crete
Living Prayer by Metropolitan Anthony Bloom

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This week Fr. Michael talks about the various aspects of Jesus we can encounter in confession. He highlights Jesus as healer, teacher, and judge. Fr. Michael talks about how we can naturally limit our understanding of Jesus to just those three components at a specific time, but how Jesus has many parts of His character that we can encounter all at once.

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This week Mother Natalia reflects on self-worth despite no visible evidence of contribution to the greater good. This comes after she got COVID and struggled with fatigue, which impacted her day-to-day operations at the monastery.

References:
Useless but not Worthless

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This week Fr. Michael takes inspiration from a parishioner who asked for grace from his family as he was going to have a difficult week. Fr. Michael talks about the need for patience and grace that we all should be giving to our family members, our monastic brothers and sisters, and our friends. He links this with Genesis 9 and the way Noah's son's treated him in his nakedness, recognizing his dignity and vulnerability.

References:
Gen 9: 18-29

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