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

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/