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

Episode 295 - Who Did It Better?
Does it sometimes feel like the people who mess up the most end up closer to God?
As the friars wrap up their reflections on the Prodigal Son, they wrestle with a real and honest question: Did things actually turn out better for the one who left than for the one who stayed?
In this episode, they unpack the tension between comparison and truth. While the younger son experiences a powerful return, that doesn't mean sin is the better path. God can redeem anything, but that doesn't make it the plan. The deeper invitation isn't about having a dramatic story, but about entering into real relationship with the Father, right where you are.
They also reflect on the subtle danger of doing all the "right" things without ever truly encountering God, and how both sons are invited out of an orphan mindset and into deeper intimacy.
Join us as we let go of comparison and rediscover that the goal isn't a better story, but a deeper relationship with the Father.
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!
Join the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in Rome and Assisi: 
https://www.ctscentral.net/travel-tours/an-immersive-franciscan-retreat-to-rome-and-assisi
Get your own copy of the Prodigal Son prints
https://spiritjuice.shop/collections/poco-a-poco/products/print-coming-home
https://visualgrace.org/coming-home-product-page
🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at
https://www.pocomerch.com/

Episode 294 - Be Merciful As Your Father
Have you ever wanted to forgive, but just couldn't seem to get there?
This week, the friars reflect on the call to "be merciful as your Father is merciful" and the real, often slow journey of forgiveness. They unpack the tension of holding pain while still being invited into mercy and how forgiveness isn't something we force, but something we receive and grow into over time.
Through the lens of the older son, they explore what it means to stay close to the Father, to "borrow" His heart, and to take small, honest steps toward healing, even when it's hard.
Join us as we discover how God meets us in our wounds and gently leads us into freedom, one step at a time.
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!
Join the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in Rome and Assisi: 
https://www.ctscentral.net/travel-tours/an-immersive-franciscan-retreat-to-rome-and-assisi
Get your own copy of the Prodigal Son prints
https://spiritjuice.shop/collections/poco-a-poco/products/print-coming-home
https://visualgrace.org/coming-home-product-page
🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at
https://www.pocomerch.com/

Episode 293 - Older Son (Spiritual Sense)
Have you ever been hurt by someone and struggled with what forgiveness is supposed to look like?
In this episode, the friars revisit the older son in the Prodigal Son story, but now through a deeper, spiritual lens. Not just what he did, but what he felt. The loss, the frustration, the sense of being overlooked, and the real difficulty of being invited into forgiveness before you're ready.
They explore the complexity of the human heart, how joy and pain can exist at the same time, how past wounds resurface in present moments, and how God meets us not with pressure, but with presence. This conversation is an honest look at what it means to carry hurt, to wrestle with forgiveness, and to let the Father meet you in the middle of it.
Join us as we enter the older son's story and discover a God who doesn't rush healing, but walks with us through it.
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!
Join the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in Rome and Assisi: 
https://www.ctscentral.net/travel-tours/an-immersive-franciscan-retreat-to-rome-and-assisi
Get your own copy of the Prodigal Son prints
https://spiritjuice.shop/collections/poco-a-poco/products/print-coming-home
https://visualgrace.org/coming-home-product-page
🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at
https://www.pocomerch.com/

Episode 292 - Older Son (Literal Sense)
Have you ever felt frustrated, overlooked, or distant, even though you find yourself doing the "right" things?
In this episode, the friars dive into the older son in the Prodigal Son story, not symbolically at first, but simply as he is. His words, his reactions, his position in the family. And what starts to emerge is something deeply human: a struggle with comparison, entitlement, and not fully receiving the Father's love.
They unpack how easy it is to stay close in proximity but far in relationship and how the older son's experience can quietly mirror our own spiritual lives.
Join us as we take an honest look at the older son and allow the Father to meet us right where we 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!
Join the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in Rome and Assisi: 
https://www.ctscentral.net/travel-tours/an-immersive-franciscan-retreat-to-rome-and-assisi
Get your own copy of the Prodigal Son prints
https://spiritjuice.shop/collections/poco-a-poco/products/print-coming-home
https://visualgrace.org/coming-home-product-page
🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at
https://www.pocomerch.com/

Ever feel like God is inviting you back to something, but you're not quite sure how to step into it?
After time away, Fr. Angelus returns, and the conversation picks up right where grace has been quietly at work. There's a sense of homecoming here, but also a deeper invitation to listen, to trust, and to respond to what the Lord is doing beneath the surface.
In this episode, the friars reflect on what it means to return, not just physically, but spiritually. They talk about the movements of the heart, the subtle ways God calls us forward, and how renewal often begins in places we didn't expect.
Join us as we welcome Fr. Angelus back and lean into the quiet, steady work of God who is always drawing us deeper.
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!
Join the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in Rome and Assisi: 
https://www.ctscentral.net/travel-tours/an-immersive-franciscan-retreat-to-rome-and-assisi
Get your own copy of the Prodigal Son prints
https://spiritjuice.shop/collections/poco-a-poco/products/print-coming-home
https://visualgrace.org/coming-home-product-page
🛒 You can also grab your Poco a Poco Merchandise at
https://www.pocomerch.com/