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

Episode 269 - End of the Season

What would the Jubilee rest look like on your end?

After 269 episodes, the friars are stepping away for a season of Jubilee, renewal, and obedience. 

In this heartfelt season finale, they share honest life updates, reflect on God’s invitation to deeper trust, and remind us that real rest isn’t about burnout. It’s about surrender. This one’s full of laughter, brotherhood, and real discernment. 

Thank ...

Episode 268 - The Beatitudes

Is following Jesus just another self-help plan?

The Beatitudes flip that idea upside down. This isn't about fixing yourself, it's about letting God meet you in your need.

In this episode, the friars unpack how the Beatitudes aren't a checklist for spiritual success, but an invitation to deep dependence on God. They explore how true blessings often look like weakness, surrender, and a poverty of spirit b...

Episode 267 - Intentional and Wanted by God

Were you just a surprise, or were you really wanted by God?

In this episode, the friars speak into the quiet questions many carry, especially those born outside traditional circumstances. 

They unpack the pain, confusion, and identity struggles that can come with that and speak truth into it all that no matter how you came into the world, whether your story includes surprise, brokenness, ...

Episode 266 - Joy and the Valley of Tears - Series on Jesus and the Jubilee (Part 14) 

Ever feel too tired, too broken, or too behind to be joyful?

You’re not alone. But the gift of Paschal Joy isn’t about having it all together—it’s about Jesus coming to you right where you are. This joy isn’t manufactured; it’s a gift rooted in the Resurrection. Even in our weakness, Jesus says: “It’s not about you—it’s about Me.”

In this episode...

Episode 265 - The Fullness of God - Series on Jesus and the Jubilee (Part 13) 

Can we let God be the one who provides, who carries us, who fills us with His presence and love?

This week, the friars reflect on the heart of the Jubilee rest. True rest isn’t just doing less or stopping work—it’s a radical shift in mindset and posture from striving to receiving. The invitation is clear—come home to the Father and let Him be enough.

Thi...

Episode 264 - Jubilee and the Good Samaritan

Why do we leave what’s good and go searching for answers in places that break us?

This week, the friars unpack the story of the Good Samaritan through the lens of the Jubilee year. What draws us away from the peace and identity we have in God—toward places that leave us wounded and empty? Whether it’s the orphan mindset, performance pressure, or endless distractions, we all carry brokenn...

Episode 263 - Freed by the Cross

How can the wounds of Jesus at the cross set us free?

Could the cross be more than a symbol—could it be an exorcism, a place of real freedom and healing? His open heart invites us to lay down our disordered loves and be delivered from the false attachments that enslave us.

Could the cross be where we find freedom, not just from sin, but from the Egypt still within us? This is the freedom Jesus offer...

Episode 262 - Jubilee and Prophets - Series on Jesus and the Jubilee (Part 11) 

What does our identity as prophets really mean? 

We are baptized in Jesus and called to be prophets as well, meaning that we are called to reveal the Father in everything we do. In our words, our actions, our personalities, our vocations, our mission, in everything we are and everything God has given us, we are called to reveal God.

In this podcast epis...

Episode 261 - Jubilee and Kingship - Series on Jesus and the Jubilee (Part 10) 

What makes a king in the Kingdom of God?

Looking to Jesus, the Son who reigns with mercy and strength, we reflect on how true kingship flows from sonship. As we journey through this Jubilee, we continue uncovering the identities we’re meant to live. Today, we explore what it means to live out our kingly identity

This episode dives into what it means to ...

Episode 260 - Jubilee and Christ the High Priest - Series on Jesus and the Jubilee (Part 9) 

What if your true identity is more sacred than you ever imagined?

Jesus is the High Priest, the one mediator who intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father, offering not just prayers but our wounds, our brokenness, and all of humanity's sins back to God. As His followers, we are invited to imitate and be conformed to this sacred role...

Episode 259 - Jubilee and Christ the Bridegroom - Series on Jesus and the Jubilee (Part 8) 

Who do we belong to?

God shows us that from the beginning, Adam and Eve were bride and bridegroom. There's an original identity that God holds, which is super important for the meaning of our lives as men and women, for the meaning of our lives as sons and daughters. The covenant of marriage is established in the garden as something deeply m...

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 relationsh...

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 remi...

Episode 256 - Patriarchs, Prophets and Jubilee ft. Dr. John Bergsma - Series on Jesus and the Jubilee (Part 5)

What role do the prophets play in this Jubilee?

The heart of the Jubilee is spiritual freedom and spiritual reconciliation, and the prophets saw that. They saw that the Jubilee is a year to recall ourselves to our fundamental relationship with God. 

Once again, this year, we are invited to reconcile with God and dive into ...

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...

Episode 254 - The Garden and Jubilee ft. Dr. John Bergsma - Series on Jesus and the Jubilee (Part 3)

What is restored during the Jubilee?

The Jubilee reminds us that hope is available to us, a hope that we can be restored to our original state and roles as it was in the Garden of Eden before sin came into the world.

In this episode, together with our special guest, Dr. John Bergsma, we will discuss the Jubilee's gift and invitation...

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 de...

Episode 252 - Lent Prep: On Fasting

What does fasting in Lent mean to you and to Jesus?

Fasting from food for the sake of health benefits is good, however fasting to bring us closer in relationship with Jesus, now that's something else entirely. Fasting is also an opportunity to feel the hunger in our bodies so that God can come and fulfill our hunger in the deepest ways.

In this episode, we'll dive deeper into what fasting truly m...

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 th...