What God is Not

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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This week Mother Natalia takes a mini-topic suggestion from one of our Patreon supporters and talks about it for a full episode! She talks about attachments to people, including family and celebrities, and how those can be wrongly ordered. She talks about differentiating between relying fully on God and our need to have others in our lives since "it's not good for man to be alone." She talks about recognizing when we may be placing our reliance incorrectly and how to pivot back to God.

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Today we're joined by special guest Ivy Gates. Ivy and Fr. Michael met each other on the #redbusbestbus during a Holy Land pilgrimage.

Ivy talks about authenticity and it's importance in her life. Fr. Michael shares some examples of Ivy living out her authentic self during pilgrimage and how that impacted him.

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This week Fr. Michael talks about an encounter he had in Rome, and how that encounter led him to consider his weaknesses and other people's wisdom. He talks about how we sometimes weaponize other people's weaknesses instead of recognizing their dignity as a person.

References:
Stop It - Bob Newhart

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This week Mother Natalia continues her topic on discernment, talking about what not to do but also what to do. She also talks about ways that we see the resurrection in our lives, and the way that St. John saw it, not with the physical presence of Jesus (although he did see that too!) but with his initial viewing of the burial clothes. She talks about how important those signs are in our lives to help our belief and the beliefs of others.

We also have a mini-topic this week, where Fr. Michael and Mother Natalia list their favorite traits of each other.

References:
Co-Authoring My Life
What Discernment is Not
Orientale Lumen
Letter to Diognetus
Marks of a True Christian
Chastity: Reconciliation of the Senses by Bishop Erik Varden

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This week Mother Natalia uses this episode to prep for a recording she's doing over at Pints! She talks about discernment and what not to do as you're discerning.

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This week Fr. Michael responds to a correction from a listener, and uses that as inspiration for this week's topic. We talk about letting God work through us and using the gifts He's given us. We talk about how the authors of scripture were so in sync with the Holy Spirit that it showed in their inspired writings.

Plus we have a mini-topic on charismatic renewal in the Byzantine Churches.

References:
Dei Verbum

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This week we're joined by special guest Fr. Boniface Hicks. Mother Natalia talks about the importance of repairing relationships which have suffered a rupture, regardless of the type of relationship. They give some examples of where ruptures have occurred in the past, and how a repair might come about.

References:
TED Talk from Becky Kennedy
Tenderness
Born Only Once by Conrad Baars

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This week Fr. Michael continues his discussion from several episodes ago on living out the gospel as a mom. Fr. Michael and Mother Natalia respond to some reflections that listeners passed along about life as a mom and creative almsgiving.

References:
Heroic Act of Charity
Therapy of Spiritual Illnesses by Jean-Claude Larchet

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