Podcasts about father mark

On this week's episode of “Jesuitical,” Ashley and Zac are joined by Mark Francis, C.S.V., who was a seminary classmate of Pope Leo (then known as Bob Prevost) at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago in the late 1970s. Father Mark is the provincial of the Chicago province of the Viatorian community, and he describes Pope Leo as a thoughtful and sensitive leader—even in their seminary days. Zac, Ashley, and Fr. Mark discuss:  Pope Leo's formation at C.T.U., where he learned alongside women and engaged with social justice issues How Pope Leo's language skills, governing experience and global perspective will be key assets in his papacy  Why efforts to put Pope Leo in a box are doomed to fail Links for further reading:  Jesuitical Storytelling Retreat Podcast: Inside Pope Leo XIV's first week Pope Leo XIV, in first U.S. appointment, names San Diego's new bishop Pope Leo's first audience: God's love is generous, not calculating Pope Leo's Chicago roots: a conversation with Cardinal Cupich Leo XIV: An American pope for the end of American empire? You can follow us on X and on Instagram @jesuiticalshow.   You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/jesuitical.  Please consider supporting Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America Media at americamagazine.org/subscribe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have a Pope!Taylor and Father Mark are joined by Father Scott Valentyn where they celebrate the election of Pope Leo XIV, share their hopes for this papacy, and Father Mark and Father Scott reminisce about past papal elections...even one that Father Scott was in Rome to witness! Remember, pray for the Pope!

Haven't been to Rome? Neither has Taylor! But luckily, Father Mark has and on this episode, he breaks down the beauty of Rome and its significance to our Catholic faith. 

Fill-In Notes: https://churchlinkfeeds.blob.core.windows.net/notes/39900/note-231844.html Continuing The Conversation 1. Have you felt completely alone during a tough time? How does knowing Jesus also felt abandoned in His suffering change how you see those moments in your life? 2. When Jesus was overwhelmed, He fell to the ground and cried out to the Father (Mark 14:3536). What does that teach you about how to handle your own pain or fear? Do you usually run to Jesus first? 3. Abiding means staying close full dependence on Jesus when life gets hard through prayer, Scripture, community or worship. What might need to change so your connection with Him grows deeper during trials?

Fill-In Notes: https://churchlinkfeeds.blob.core.windows.net/notes/39900/note-231844.html Continuing The Conversation 1. Have you felt completely alone during a tough time? How does knowing Jesus also felt abandoned in His suffering change how you see those moments in your life? 2. When Jesus was overwhelmed, He fell to the ground and cried out to the Father (Mark 14:3536). What does that teach you about how to handle your own pain or fear? Do you usually run to Jesus first? 3. Abiding means staying close full dependence on Jesus when life gets hard through prayer, Scripture, community or worship. What might need to change so your connection with Him grows deeper during trials?

He is also called 'Mark the Athenian' because he was born in Athens. When his parents died, he pondered the transience of all earthly things, gave his goods to the poor, and embarked on a plank in the sea, asking God to lead him wherever He desired. By God's providence, Mark was cast up on the shores of Libya, where he settled as a hermit on a mountain called Trache. (Some say it was in Ethiopia, but this seems less likely.) There he lived for ninety-five years, never seeing another human being.   Saint Serapion visited him before his death and recorded his life. Serapion asked Mark if there were any Christians whose faith was so great that they could say to a mountain 'Get up and cast yourself into the sea,' and it would be so. Immediately the mountain on which they stood began to move like a wave, but Mark raised his hand and stilled it.   On his deathbed, St Mark prayed for the salvation of all men and gave up his soul to God. Saint Serapion saw an angel carrying Mark's soul, and a hand extended from heaven to receive it. Saint Mark was about 130 years old when he reposed.

Who doesn't love talking to a religious sister?? We know you will love our guest this week because we sure did. Taylor and Father Mark are joined by Sister Maria José, a religious sister belonging to the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary. Sister Maria shares her beautiful story along with some incredible insights that she learned along the way. 

In Episode 236 of the Fit Father Project Podcast, Dr. Anthony Balduzzi interviews Fit Father member, Mark Lattery, who shares his transformative journey from a health crisis to a vibrant, active lifestyle. Mark tells about the challenges he faced, including weight gain, high blood pressure, and fatigue, and how he found the Fit Father program. Mark highlights the importance of nutrition, particularly hydration, and how small changes led to significant results. He emphasizes the holistic impact of physical health on all areas of life, including family, work, and personal fulfillment. His story serves as an inspiration for men seeking to improve their health and well-being. Mark discusses the challenges he faced with medical advice, the significance of walking and sleep in his routine, and how his family reacted to his changes. Mark highlights the role of the Fit Father community in providing motivation and accountability, and reflects on the evolution of the Apex 10 workout program as a key component of his fitness journey. Ultimately, he expresses a newfound perspective on life and hope for the future as a Fit Father.Key TakeawaysMark's journey began with a health crisis that prompted change.He realized the importance of nutrition and hydration.Small, consistent changes can lead to significant results.Physical health impacts all areas of life, including mental and emotional well-being.Finding a supportive program like Fit Father can provide necessary guidance.Mark learned to prioritize water intake as a keystone habit.He discovered the importance of strength training and safe workouts post-surgery.Engaging in activities he loved, like roller skating, reignited his passion for fitness.He emphasizes the importance of knowledge in maintaining health and fitness. Finding what your body needs is essential.Walking, water, and sleep are foundational habits.Don't adopt an all-or-nothing mindset.Community support is crucial for motivation.Having a vision statement can guide you through tough times.Family support can enhance your fitness journey.Transformation is about hope for the future.The Scoop on LivOn LabsWebsite: https://www.livonlabs.com/Special Offer: Order any full-priced Lypo-Spheric supplement from LivOnLabs.com, and get 1 carton of Lypo-Spheric B Complex Plus FREE, a $56 value!Add Lypo-Spheric B Complex Plus to your cart.Add any Lypo-Spheric supplement to your cart.Enter the code FITFATHER25 at checkout. This will remove the price of the Lypo-Spheric B Complex Plus from your order.Click SubmitTake a Look at Just ThriveWebsite: https://justthrivehealth.com/Use promo code: FITFAMILY and save 20% on your first 90-day bottle of Just Thrive Probiotics.Want To Change Your Life? Check Out Foundations!Foundations is a simple, sustainable, and specific weight loss program designed especially for busy men over 40. With short metabolic training workouts, an easy-to-follow meal plan, and an accountability team there for you every step of the way, Foundations can help you lose weight, regain energy and vitality, and live life to the fullest. Click here to see everything you get when you join Foundations, subscribe to our

Fr. Christopher Seith joins Father Mark to talk about his book, Rekindling Wonder, and the immense importance of and benefits from stepping away from screen time in daily life. (January 6, 2025)

In 1881 a group of mothers in the small Italian village of Lu prayed each Sunday for more vocations to the priesthood and religious life from their own families. By the grace of God, 323 vocations came from this small town because of their prayers! Taylor and Father Mark are joined this week by Andrea Phillips, a wife, mother, and founder of a group of mothers who take their inspiration from the Mothers of Lu and pray for their own children's vocations. Andrea shares her own vocation story as well as why this group is so necessary to have. Be sure to reach out to her if you are interested in joining or starting your own Mothers of Lu group! 

120 views Premiered Feb 15, 2025Father Mark-Mary Ames joins the show to talk to Bear about his new podcast The Rosary in a Year. Fr. Mark-Mary shares why a daily Rosary prayer fosters a deeper connection with God and how Mary is such gift from Jesus.Key takes from this episode:

How many of you have a hard time having a relationship with God the Father? Fr. Mark Mary Ames of the Franciscan Friars of The Renewal joins to help us have a better relationship with our heavenly Father. No matter your experience with your earthly father, God's divine fatherhood will continue to pursue you throughout your life.

Pilgrims of hope, offering it up, and Jimmy Carter?? This episode has it all. Taylor and Father Mark are joined by Father Andrew Kurz, our newly appointed Diocesan Confessor for the Jubilee Year of Hope where we discuss why we take pilgrimages and how to do it during this year. 

This holy defender of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church labored in the final days of the Byzantine Empire, when, pressed on all sides by the Turks, the Emperor in desperation sought union with (or rather submission to) the Papacy in hopes of obtaining aid from the West. It was St Mark who stood almost alone to prevent such a disaster to the Faith.   He was born in Constantinople in 1392 to devout parents. He received a thorough education and seemed destined for a secular career, but at the age of twenty- six he abandoned all worldly claims and became a monk in a small monastery in Nicomedia. Soon the Turkish threat forced him to return to Constantinople, where, continuing in the monastic life, he wrote a number of treatises on prayer and the dogmas of the Church. In time he was ordained priest, then, at the insistence of the Emperor John VIII Paleologos was made Metropolitan of Ephesus. The Emperor also prevailed on him to join the delegation which traveled to the Council of Florence to consider the reunion of the Orthodox Church and the churches under the Papacy. (Saint Mark went as exarch of the Patriarchs of Jerusalem, Antioch and Alexandria, who were unable to attend.)   The Greek delegation included the Emperor and the Patriarch of Constantinople. All, including Metropolitan Mark, began with great hopes that a true union in faith might result from the Council, but as the sessions proceeded, it soon became clear that Pope Eugenius and his theologians were interested only in securing submission of the Eastern Church to the Papacy and its theology. The Metropolitan spoke forcefully against various Latin dogmas such as the filioque and Purgatory, but the Greek delegation, desperate for western aid, bowed to expediency and agreed to sign a document of Union which would have denied the Orthodox Faith itself. Saint Mark was the only member of the delegation who refused to sign. When the Pope heard of this, he said "The bishop of Ephesus has not signed, so we have achieved nothing!"   When the delegation returned to Constantinople, the signers of the false Union were received with universal condemnation by the people, while Metropolitan Mark was hailed as a hero. The churches headed by Unionists were soon almost empty, while the people flocked to the churches headed by those loyal to Orthodoxy. Saint Mark left the City to avoid concelebrating with the Unionist Patriarch. He was exiled by the Emperor to Lemnos, but was freed in 1442. He continued to oppose the Union until his repose in 1444. In 1452 the Union was officially proclaimed in Constantinople, but the hoped-for Western aid was not forthcoming, and the City fell to the Turks in 1453.

What is a jubilee year and what does it mean that we are called to be pilgrims of hope? Bishop Ricken joins Taylor and Father Mark to explain and to show us how we can celebrate in our diocese this year. 

Father Heart TV Webcast - 8th Jan 2025How Jesus Reveals His Father - Mark Gyde [...]

The Incarnation of our Blessed Lord is why we celebrate this time of year. But how long do we celebrate and what are some of the reasons that we celebrate for so long? Join Taylor and Father Mark as they dive into Christmas! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! In this special episode the Fathers bring the holiday cheer as they discuss the spiritual side of Christmas and what it means to be a Christian in today's modern world. Dustin's pastor Father Mark Ragsdale of the Church at Viera joins and imparts his wisdom and speaks the gospel.____________________________________________ How to find Father Mark: https://churchatviera.com ____________________________________________ Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Infraction - Training Day If you are tired of feeling lost, alone, isolated, and aimless then check out our coaching program specifically designed to help men become the hero in their story. We forge men into leaders. We turn cowards into Kings. We turn weaklings into Warriors. Join us in The Elite Sentinel Forge to start your transformation: https://www.theelitesentinel.com/ OUR MERCH STORE IS LIVE! Check out this amazing dad gear: https://thepresentfathers.shop/ We use Riverside to record. Try it for yourself! https://www.riverside.fm/?via=presentfathers Get discovered! Use PodMatch to get on your next podcast or find your next guest! https://www.joinpodmatch.com/presentfathers We are "The Present Father's Podcast", the podcast that focuses on climbing the mountain of fatherhood together. Subscribe to the Channel and Share our podcast with men you believe would benefit from it. It is our goal to provide a positive outlet for Dads to grow and foster a strong legacy of fatherhood that is present and involved with their children. Visit https://presentfathers.com/ to learn more about us and catch all of our old episodes!

Father Mark and St. Hubert...basically the same guys.This week, Taylor and Father Mark discuss hunting and the surprising spirituality that can be engaged during it. Listen as they open up the story of St. Hubert and Father Mark explains how hunting and his spiritual life are connected. 

"Let us give thanks to the Lord our God" "It is right and just!" Giving thanks is one of the most important aspects of the spiritual life, and not just on Thanksgiving either. Taylor and Father Mark share some thoughts and ideas on the importance of gratitude and its relation to how we love God. 

Fr. Marks gives the Sunday sermon on the parable of the sower.

A Tribute to My Father Mark Cummings

My rock - Psalm 62 - Father Mark Hogan - 4th November 2024 (19:00) by Christ Church Winchester

Have you ever wondered why Jesus prayed so much? Isn't He the Son of God? Why would He need prayer? Because He wanted to spend time with God the Father. Jesus was busier on earth than we'll ever be. But He made time. We have full schedules, but we can find time to be with God. Let's pray and spend time with our Father today.

St. Paul is one of the most significant figures in the life of the Church and serves as a model for all of us in many ways. Taylor and Father Mark discuss this towering figure and some of the ways in which Paul is a model for all of us and his deep impact on the entire Church. 

Priests are a gift, and we need to let them know.This week, Taylor and Father Mark talk about the priests who have impacted them the most in their lives. Make sure you thank the priest(s) in your life who have helped you on the path to holiness, especially since this Sunday is priesthood Sunday!

Bishop Ricken is back! Taylor and Father Mark discuss with Bishop a completely silent football stadium, a trip to the Philippines, a middle school Santa, and, of course, the Holy Eucharist.  

New books, new markers, new teachers...it must be a new school year! Taylor & Father Mark offer some suggestions for how to make this school year one centered on your family's faith. 

Episode 206 is about learning how to adapt and overcome to achieve any goal in life. In this episode, you'll meet Mark, a 62-year-old man who used the Fit Father Project to lose over 30 pounds and completely transform his life!Mark found the Fit Father Project through a Google search and was immediately drawn in. So, he and his wife, Sue, decided to commit to the program together. They have experienced significant weight loss, improved overall health, and so much more!But it wasn't always easy. Mark overcame challenges and injuries, learned to adapt, and stayed committed. His motivations have deepened, including a focus on faith and mental clarity. Mark shares how his fitness journey has impacted his family and future goals, emphasizing the importance of nutrition and consistency in achieving long-term success. His advice for others starting their fitness journey is priceless, and I can't wait for you to hear it!Key Takeaways:Finding a fitness program that suits your needs and goals is essential for long-term success. Having a partner or support system can provide accountability and motivation.Overcoming challenges and adapting to setbacks are crucial for maintaining progress.Motivations can evolve and deepen, leading to a more holistic approach to health and wellness. Non-scale victories (NSVs), such as improved energy and positive feedback from medical professionals, can be powerful motivators.Want To Change Your Life? Check Out FF30X!FF30X is a simple, sustainable, and specific weight loss program designed especially for busy men over 40. With short metabolic training workouts, an easy-to-follow meal plan, and an accountability team there for you every step of the way, FF30X can help you lose weight, regain energy and vitality, and live life to the fullest. Click here to see everything you get when you join FF30X, subscribe to our YouTube Channel, check out our blog, and follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Threads.

It's not rocket science...even if our guest WAS at NASA, it's about time spent with Our Lord in the Most Holy Eucharist. Taylor & Father Mark are joined by Father Joseph Aytona, C.P.M., the rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion. Father Joseph shares his story, as well as words of encouragement for those discerning and all of us looking to grow in holiness. 

Recorded in Summer 2024, Fort Wayne

"Take a step." That is the advice given to our newly ordained (May 2024) priest, Father Mark Rydell, as he discerned his calling to the holy priesthood. Today, he shares that story of discernment with us!

Preacher: Mark van Pletsen Sermon: The Journey To The Father Date: 16/06/2024

The Gonz joins Tony in New York City for a special episode of Hawk Vs Wolf. They discuss touring early in their careers, Tony and Rodney's live show, mute fast plant untucked, taking photos concussed, Gonz is square, Naming Tricks, Zines and Basquiat, Gummo, Surfing, Shoe tie Broken collarbone arrest, Gonz's worst injury, Comercial work, Skatas in Paris, catacombs and dinosaur bones, making guac, the moon landing, and the boys experience the great NY earthquake of 2024! See Jason On Tour! https://thejasonellis.com/ Head to factormeals.com/wolfhawk50 and use code wolfhawk50 to get 50% off  Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping. Use code wolf15 at checkout at theperfectjean.nyc  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Gonz joins Tony in New York City for a special episode of Hawk Vs Wolf. They discuss touring early in their careers, Tony and Rodney's live show, mute fast plant untucked, taking photos concussed, Gonz is square, Naming Tricks, Zines and Basquiat, Gummo, Surfing, Shoe tie Broken collarbone arrest, Gonz's worst injury, Comercial work, Skatas in Paris, catacombs and dinosaur bones, making guac, the moon landing, and the boys experience the great NY earthquake of 2024! See Jason On Tour! https://thejasonellis.com/ Head to factormeals.com/wolfhawk50 and use code wolfhawk50 to get 50% off  Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping. Use code wolf15 at checkout at theperfectjean.nyc  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He is also called 'Mark the Athenian' because he was born in Athens. When his parents died, he pondered the transience of all earthly things, gave his goods to the poor, and embarked on a plank in the sea, asking God to lead him wherever He desired. By God's providence, Mark was cast up on the shores of Libya, where he settled as a hermit on a mountain called Trache. (Some say it was in Ethiopia, but this seems less likely.) There he lived for ninety-five years, never seeing another human being.   Saint Serapion visited him before his death and recorded his life. Serapion asked Mark if there were any Christians whose faith was so great that they could say to a mountain 'Get up and cast yourself into the sea,' and it would be so. Immediately the mountain on which they stood began to move like a wave, but Mark raised his hand and stilled it.   On his deathbed, St Mark prayed for the salvation of all men and gave up his soul to God. Saint Serapion saw an angel carrying Mark's soul, and a hand extended from heaven to receive it. Saint Mark was about 130 years old when he reposed.

He is also called 'Mark the Athenian' because he was born in Athens. When his parents died, he pondered the transience of all earthly things, gave his goods to the poor, and embarked on a plank in the sea, asking God to lead him wherever He desired. By God's providence, Mark was cast up on the shores of Libya, where he settled as a hermit on a mountain called Trache. (Some say it was in Ethiopia, but this seems less likely.) There he lived for ninety-five years, never seeing another human being.   Saint Serapion visited him before his death and recorded his life. Serapion asked Mark if there were any Christians whose faith was so great that they could say to a mountain 'Get up and cast yourself into the sea,' and it would be so. Immediately the mountain on which they stood began to move like a wave, but Mark raised his hand and stilled it.   On his deathbed, St Mark prayed for the salvation of all men and gave up his soul to God. Saint Serapion saw an angel carrying Mark's soul, and a hand extended from heaven to receive it. Saint Mark was about 130 years old when he reposed.

Taylor and Father Mark are joined by one of our Diocese's newest priests (Ordained in July 2023), Father Ben Pribbenow who shares his vocation story and the beauty of God's call. 

In today's episode of Soccer Matters fans explain what the 2026 World Cup means to them. Glenn shares his take on the possible addition of the Blue Card. Also, Lindsey Horan's love letter to soccer and Glenn's different take. Additionally, Glenn shares some of the CONCACAF Champions League action and Cade Cowell's brace. Finally, Glenn goes over all the dramatic AFCON action and the upcoming final between Ivory Coast and Nigeria. 

Today we have a fun episode with Anglican Priest Father Mark Brians. Mark has written theological papers on both The Office and The Lord of the Rings. He joins us today to share the overview of those papers and how the fingerprint of God is almost everywhere if you can look close enough. Enjoy! Father Mark Brians work: https://allsaintshonolulu.com/blog Got any questions or topics you'd like to hear about? You can email us at ⁠thingsyoudonthearinchurchpod@gmail.com⁠ Like our content? Consider helping us grow through Patreon, a follow, or subscribe! Leave a rating on whatever platform you listen on and write some nice comments YOUTUBE ⁠here⁠ PATREON  ⁠here⁠ INSTAGRAM: ⁠www.instagram.com/thingsyoudonthearinchurchpod⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thingsyoudonthearinchurch/support

This holy defender of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church labored in the final days of the Byzantine Empire, when, pressed on all sides by the Turks, the Emperor in desperation sought union with (or rather submission to) the Papacy in hopes of obtaining aid from the West. It was St Mark who stood almost alone to prevent such a disaster to the Faith.   He was born in Constantinople in 1392 to devout parents. He received a thorough education and seemed destined for a secular career, but at the age of twenty- six he abandoned all worldly claims and became a monk in a small monastery in Nicomedia. Soon the Turkish threat forced him to return to Constantinople, where, continuing in the monastic life, he wrote a number of treatises on prayer and the dogmas of the Church. In time he was ordained priest, then, at the insistence of the Emperor John VIII Paleologos was made Metropolitan of Ephesus. The Emperor also prevailed on him to join the delegation which traveled to the Council of Florence to consider the reunion of the Orthodox Church and the churches under the Papacy. (Saint Mark went as exarch of the Patriarchs of Jerusalem, Antioch and Alexandria, who were unable to attend.)   The Greek delegation included the Emperor and the Patriarch of Constantinople. All, including Metropolitan Mark, began with great hopes that a true union in faith might result from the Council, but as the sessions proceeded, it soon became clear that Pope Eugenius and his theologians were interested only in securing submission of the Eastern Church to the Papacy and its theology. The Metropolitan spoke forcefully against various Latin dogmas such as the filioque and Purgatory, but the Greek delegation, desperate for western aid, bowed to expediency and agreed to sign a document of Union which would have denied the Orthodox Faith itself. Saint Mark was the only member of the delegation who refused to sign. When the Pope heard of this, he said "The bishop of Ephesus has not signed, so we have achieved nothing!"   When the delegation returned to Constantinople, the signers of the false Union were received with universal condemnation by the people, while Metropolitan Mark was hailed as a hero. The churches headed by Unionists were soon almost empty, while the people flocked to the churches headed by those loyal to Orthodoxy. Saint Mark left the City to avoid concelebrating with the Unionist Patriarch. He was exiled by the Emperor to Lemnos, but was freed in 1442. He continued to oppose the Union until his repose in 1444. In 1452 the Union was officially proclaimed in Constantinople, but the hoped-for Western aid was not forthcoming, and the City fell to the Turks in 1453.

This holy defender of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church labored in the final days of the Byzantine Empire, when, pressed on all sides by the Turks, the Emperor in desperation sought union with (or rather submission to) the Papacy in hopes of obtaining aid from the West. It was St Mark who stood almost alone to prevent such a disaster to the Faith.   He was born in Constantinople in 1392 to devout parents. He received a thorough education and seemed destined for a secular career, but at the age of twenty- six he abandoned all worldly claims and became a monk in a small monastery in Nicomedia. Soon the Turkish threat forced him to return to Constantinople, where, continuing in the monastic life, he wrote a number of treatises on prayer and the dogmas of the Church. In time he was ordained priest, then, at the insistence of the Emperor John VIII Paleologos was made Metropolitan of Ephesus. The Emperor also prevailed on him to join the delegation which traveled to the Council of Florence to consider the reunion of the Orthodox Church and the churches under the Papacy. (Saint Mark went as exarch of the Patriarchs of Jerusalem, Antioch and Alexandria, who were unable to attend.)   The Greek delegation included the Emperor and the Patriarch of Constantinople. All, including Metropolitan Mark, began with great hopes that a true union in faith might result from the Council, but as the sessions proceeded, it soon became clear that Pope Eugenius and his theologians were interested only in securing submission of the Eastern Church to the Papacy and its theology. The Metropolitan spoke forcefully against various Latin dogmas such as the filioque and Purgatory, but the Greek delegation, desperate for western aid, bowed to expediency and agreed to sign a document of Union which would have denied the Orthodox Faith itself. Saint Mark was the only member of the delegation who refused to sign. When the Pope heard of this, he said "The bishop of Ephesus has not signed, so we have achieved nothing!"   When the delegation returned to Constantinople, the signers of the false Union were received with universal condemnation by the people, while Metropolitan Mark was hailed as a hero. The churches headed by Unionists were soon almost empty, while the people flocked to the churches headed by those loyal to Orthodoxy. Saint Mark left the City to avoid concelebrating with the Unionist Patriarch. He was exiled by the Emperor to Lemnos, but was freed in 1442. He continued to oppose the Union until his repose in 1444. In 1452 the Union was officially proclaimed in Constantinople, but the hoped-for Western aid was not forthcoming, and the City fell to the Turks in 1453.

I was watching the Super Bowl this past February, expecting to see the newest commercials from Doritos and Budweiser and Coca-Cola, when this unusual music began to play. On the screen were still shots of kids doing adorable things — helping each other, hugging, arm around the family dog. At the end the words came up, Jesus didn't want us to act like adults. . . . He gets us. It was a heart-warming riff on Jesus's teaching about being childlike. I liked it. This is the Super Bowl, with hundreds of millions of people watching, and a 30-second spot comes up commending Jesus. I love Jesus. I worship Jesus. Yeah, let's commend Jesus.Then another spot came up in the second half. Harsher music. Pictures of adults demonstrating manifest outrage and hatred, in each other's faces. Sometimes it's a physical altercation — and all from the last three years. Then the message: Jesus loved the people we hate. . . . He gets us. And my response was, Ouch and yes.The ads are from a non-profit looking to “put Jesus in the middle of culture.” They paid $20 million for the Super Bowl ads and plan to spend $3 billion in the coming years.So, I've seen more of these “He gets us” ads in recent months. Sometimes, I like them. Other times I cringe a little, concerned it will give a skewed impression about Jesus. Jesus was judged wrongly.Jesus had strained relationships, too.Jesus welcomes the weird.Jesus was fed up with politics, too.Jesus invited everyone to sit at his table.Jesus chose forgiveness. Then last week I took my twin sons to their first Minnesota Wild hockey game at the X, and now there's a hockey “He gets us” on the thin digital screens around the side of the arena: Jesus had great lettuce, too. Lettuce means hockey hair. I had to ask my boys for help on that. I don't want to be too picky, but I wonder if “great lettuce” might represent some mission drift for the “He gets us” campaign. Admittedly, it doesn't speak to me personally like it would if it said, “Jesus was losing his hair, too.”Our Pioneer and ChampionHebrews 2 is a “he gets us” passage. But it's also clear that he not only gets us, but he helps us. He rescues us. Saves us. Getting us is good; as we'll see, that can lead to real, genuine help for us in our need. But getting us, on its own, doesn't do a whole lot for us. Yes, he gets us. He really does. And this is a slice of what we celebrate in Advent. But there's no real joy in Advent if he only gets us and doesn't also help us, save us, change us, lift us up. In Advent, we celebrate that he became man, fully human like us, not just to be one of us but to save us.Verse 10 has a name for Jesus that I've come to love, and it's hard to find an equivalent word for it in English. The ESV has founder: God “make[s] the founder of [our] salvation perfect through suffering.” Founder is a good translation. But I want to fill out the meaning for us a little bit.The Greek word is archegos. It's built on the word archē, which means beginning. So archegos, we might say, is “the originator” or “the beginner.” The problem is we mean something else by “beginner” in English: “a person just starting to learn a skill or take part in an activity.” Jesus is not a “beginner” in that sense. Rather, he's a “beginner” in the sense that he's the leader who goes first and others follow him. Like a pioneer. But he doesn't just go first into uncharted territory, but into battle. So “champion” or “hero” could be a good translation of archegos as well.And he's a champion who we don't just watch from afar. We're connected to him and come with him. He doesn't just fight for us; he leads the charge; we follow in his wake.So, Jesus as our archegos, is both our hero and example. He is “the beginner” in that he births the people, and he leads into the battle, and he rescues us through faith in him, and then also he inspires us as our model who we follow. We benefit from what he does for us, and couldn't do for ourselves, and yet in his work for us, he opens up a path that we might follow in his steps.And Advent is where our “beginner” begins, so to speak. That is, Advent is the beginning of his humanity, and his getting us, and saving us, and helping us; but Advent is not the beginning of his person. So, let's walk with Hebrews chapter 2 through the Advent drama of our “beginner,” our “champion,” from the very beginning until now. There are four distinct stages here in the drama of Hebrews 2 — four movements in the story of Advent.1) Jesus did not start like us.That is, our champion, our “beginner,” did not begin like we did. His person was not created like ours. He is a divine person, the second person of the eternal Threeness. His humanity was created, conceived in Mary's womb and born in Bethlehem, but not his person.The book of Hebrews begins with glimpses of his godhood. Before any world, any creation existed, he existed and was “appointed the heir of all things.” Then through him God (the Father) made the world. “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” — he is distinct from the Father in his person and same as his Father in divine nature. “And,” verse 3 adds, “he upholds the universe by the word of his power” — as only God can do.So, the story of Advent begins before time, before creation, before “the beginning.” Jesus himself is God, and if you have eyes to see, it's all over the New Testament.Greg Lanier, in his recent book Is Jesus Truly God?, shows how the deity of Christ shines through, on just about every page in the New Testament, in five ways other than the simple declaration that he is God (theos) and other exalted terms:1. He is preexistent before Advent, and before creation.2. He is the unique “Son” of the heavenly Father, eternally begotten.3. He is called “Lord” which refers to God's Old Testament covenant name (Yahweh).4. He receives worship.5. He relates to the Father and Spirit in ways that reveal his person as one of the divine Threeness.So, let's get this clear before we move on to talk about his humanity and his getting us. In Jesus, a man did not become God. Rather, God became man. We say that Jesus is fully God and fully man in one person, but we do not mean that he became God and man at the same time. There is a profound asymmetry in the story of the God-man: he has been God for all eternity, and he became man at the first Christmas.2) Jesus was made like us.Now we come to his first Advent and the first Christmas, when God made God in the image of God. Without ceasing to be God, God the Son took on humanity. He added humanity to his divine person. Humanity, as a created nature, is “compatible” with the uncreated divine nature. Deity and humanity are not a zero-sum game. The divine Son did not have to jettison any eternal deity (as if that's even possible) to take on humanity. Uncreated deity and created humanity operate at different levels of reality, so to speak. Without ceasing, in any way, to be fully God, the Son took on our full created nature and became fully human. As verse 17 says, he was “made like his brothers in every respect.” Look at verses 11–14: For he who sanctifies [Jesus] and those who are sanctified [us] all have one source [one nature]. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” 13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.” 14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things . . . We'll come back to finish verse 14. But let me just say about these Old Testament quotations in verses 13–14 that Pastor Jonathan explained them so well in the sermon on February 12 as pointing to Jesus's solidarity with us in our suffering. “Flesh and blood” in verse 14 refers to our humanity. We are flesh and blood, and so Jesus became one of us — to which Hebrews 4:15 adds, “without sin.” Sin is not an essential part of what it means to be human. Jesus was fully human, made like us in every respect, and “without sin.”So, then, what's included in this “every respect” of our humanity? What does it mean for Jesus to be fully human, like us?One of the biggest moments in the collective formation of early Christians in saying what the Scriptures teach about the humanity of Christ is a church council called Chalcedon in 451 AD. The Chalcedonian creed says Jesus is “perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a rational soul and body.” Jesus has a fully human body. He “became flesh,” which means at least a human body. He was born and grew and grew tired. He became thirsty and hungry. He suffered, and he died. And his human body was raised and glorified, and he sits right now, on heaven's throne, in a risen, glorified human body.But becoming fully human also involved taking “a rational soul,” or “the inner man,” including human emotions. He marveled. He expressed sorrow. He was “deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled” and wept (John 11:33–35). And he rejoiced and was happy. John Calvin memorably summed it up, “Christ has put on our feelings along with our flesh.”A “rational soul” also includes a human mind, in addition to his divine mind. So, Jesus “increased in wisdom” as well as in stature (Luke 2:52), and most strikingly, he says about the timing of his second coming, “Concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13:32). With respect to his humanity, and his human mind, there are things he does not know. His human knowledge is limited, like all human minds. Yet, at the same time, for this unique two-natured person of Christ, he also knows all things with respect to his divine mind. As one-natured humans, this is beyond our experience and ability to understand, but divine and human minds are compatible, and this is no contradiction for the unique person of Christ but a unique glory.So too with his human will, in addition to the divine will. Jesus says, “I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38). Jesus, speaking with respect to his human will, says that he came “not of [his] own will” but his Father's. And that divine will, while not proper to his humanity, is proper to his person as God. So, when he prays in Gethsemane, “Not as I will, as you will,” he aligns his human will with the divine will, which also is his as God.So, Jesus has a fully human body and emotions and mind and will. And verse 11 says, “That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers.” He is not ashamed to call you brother, or sister.Jesus could have been a brother in our nature, and yet ashamed to call us his brothers. But mark this, he is not the kind of brother. He is not ashamed of his siblings. He's not worried that our weaknesses and immaturities, or even our follies, will mar his reputation. He's not stuck with us and embarrassed by it.That's not how Jesus is with me, and with us. I want to be like Jesus is with me. I want to be like this as a dad, and be like this as a friend, and be like this as a pastor: not mainly concerned about how others' behavior reflects on me, but mainly concerned about my brother or sister in Christ, so that I can be loving, rather than self-focused, and especially in the very moment when love is needed most.3) Jesus suffered like us.That is, being fully human, he suffered both with us and for us.Suffering is an important aspect as his being fully human, and saving us in his full humanity. As God only, he could not suffer. God is “impassible,” unable to be afflicted or be moved from outside. But not humanity. So, Jesus becoming fully human involved not only a human body and reasoning human soul, and emotions, and mind, and will, but also he entered as man into our fallen world, which is under the curse of sin, and even though he himself was not a sinner, he was, as a creature, susceptible to the afflictions and assaults and sufferings and pains of our world. He entered into our suffering, and did so in two senses.One, he suffered with us. He knows what it's like to suffer in created flesh and blood. And verse 10 says that he was made “perfect through suffering.” This language of “perfect” or “complete” is important in Hebrews. Verse 10 doesn't mean that Jesus was imperfect, or sinful, but that he was made ready, or made complete, for his calling, as our champion and high priest, through his suffering. Having become man, he was not yet complete, not yet ready, but needed to be made ready, complete, perfected through suffering. Hebrews 5:8 says, Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him. Which leads, then, to a second sense in which he suffered: for us. Not only does he, as man, suffer with us, but he, as the God-man, suffers for us, in our place, in our stead. Which leads to the connection here between suffering and death. Verse 9 introduced “the suffering of death,” of Jesus suffering and dying for us, in our place: “by the grace of God he tasted death for everyone.” Jesus not only experienced suffering with us but for us. He not only gets us, but saves us, and that “through death.” Now look at the rest of verse 14 and verse 15, and two achievements of Jesus for us through his human “suffering of death” at the cross. Pick it up in the middle of verse 14: Jesus shared in our humanity, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. The first achievement through his human death is that he defeated Satan. His suffering unto death conquers the one who had the power of death. We should not forget this as a Christmas theme: “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8) How? “he appeared in order to take away sins.” (1 John 3:5) They go together. Jesus destroys the devil by taking away sins. The weapon Satan had against us was unforgiven sin, “the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.” But through the suffering of death, Jesus “set [this] aside, nailing it to the cross” and in so doing, God “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in [Jesus]” (Colossians 2:14–15).So, the first achievement is destroying Satan, and second in Hebrews 2:15 is delivering us. How? We might expect what follows in verse 17, but not expect verse 18.Verse 17 gives us one reason that he had to be made like us in every respect: so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. We had sinned and needed covering before the holy God. We had a “record of debt that stood against us” because we were humans with sin. So, to rescue us, God needed not only to become fully man, and suffer with us, but suffer for us, unto death, that his death might be for us, his brothers, the death we deserved for our sins. That's what it means when the high priest “makes propitiation for the sins of the people.” The people's sin against the holy and infinitely worthy God deserves his righteous, omnipotent wrath. And in becoming human, and suffering with us, and unto death, for us, Jesus absorbs the just penalty due us that we might be delivered from hell and the justice due our sin.And verse 18 gives us one more reason, embedded in the first, for why Jesus was made like us, in every respect, including suffering, and suffering unto death in our place.4) Jesus helps us right now.Verse 17 is amazing in that he deals with our sin, and gets us right with God, and verse 18 is amazing in that he's ready and eager to help us right now. He both makes atonement for us in his death, and he rises again, and sends his Spirit, that he might help us in our struggles right now. Look at verse 18: For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Because Jesus suffered, he can help us in our suffering. That is, because he suffered unto death to atone for our sins, he is able to indwell us by his Spirit, draw near to us in our time of need, and help us in whatever tests and challenges and trials and temptations we face in the ongoing struggle of the Christian life.Jesus not only saves us out of sin's curse, but also through sin's temptations. He atones for our sins, and stands ready to come to our aid in temptation and in our own suffering. Having saved us from sin's guilt, he is poised to save us from sin's power.So, as Hebrews 12:2 says, Jesus is not only the founder, the archegos, the beginner, the champion of our faith, but also the finisher.He's not only the beginner but finisher. Our champion not only leads the way and goes ahead of us to face the foe, but he also doubles back to check on us, to help us, to keep us.So, let's close with this question: What help do you need this Advent? How are you suffering? What's your present trial, or trials? What's testing your faith most right now? What's tempting you to sin or give up? What's your biggest need this Advent?In Advent, we don't just remember what he did in the past; we remember who he is in the present. Christmas is not only a was; it's an is. Get his help. He not only gets us; he helps us.What Child Is This?So, as we come to the Table here in Advent, let's ask for his help afresh. What need do you bring to the Table this morning? How do you need his help to persevere?The one who meets us here at the Table is fully divine, the second person of the eternal Godhead, who in his happy, expansive, overflowing, gracious nature, took our full humanity to come rescue us. And he suffered with us, and for us unto death. He destroyed Satan, and he delivers from our sins. And he rose from the dead, and ascended, and he is now enthroned in heaven, and he stands ready, by his Spirit, to help us in the fight of faith.

The first episode of the 4th season of "Coping" discusses practices for celebrating Thanksgiving and carrying gratitude through the entire year. Kathy and Kevin love Thanksgiving for the food, family gatherings, and chance to reflect on blessings because reflection can bring about new direction and understanding. Practices like daily celebration and reflection can build gratitude. Learn how you can turn your Thanksgiving into Thanks-living and join us on December 7th, 2023 for our "Review Your Year" workshop. Kevin: Well, hi everyone. Welcome back to a new season of coping. Kathy: Yes, today we're pausing our series on rest to have a special Thanksgiving podcast. Kevin: Yes, we hope that you all are enjoying your Thanksgiving week. If that's when you're listening to this episode. We wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving. Kathy: What's your favorite part of Thanksgiving? Kevin: Good question. Okay, so this is going to surprise you a little bit. My favorite part about Thanksgiving is how much food is made and that it gets spread out over many more meals after the holiday itself. Which -- you know me really well --it's strange because I don't actually like leftovers other times of the year. It's really only Thanksgiving that I enjoy having the same food multiple days after the big feast. Kathy: And I'm the opposite. I love leftovers and I love spreading out all my meals. So I'm excited to talk about Thanksgiving, leftovers, pumpkin pie, I'm getting hungry already. Kevin: Yes. Kathy: Let's get started. Kevin: So this week we celebrate Thanksgiving and I know it's one of your favorite holidays. Why do you love Thanksgiving so much? Tell me about it. Kathy: Yes, I think I love Thanksgiving. Of course, it's always about the food on the foodie. But I think the deeper celebrations of gathering around tables, it is a holiday celebrated by most everyone. I like the inclusive nature of the holiday. And I love the focus on gratitude, celebration, Thanksgiving, and the gifts of this year. Kevin: I know also that your birthday, especially this year, falls really close to Thanksgiving. And so in our household, it's a really fun time of year where we get to do a lot of celebrations for you and then lead us right into Thanksgiving holiday meal and time with family. Kathy: And so let's revisit this concept of the leftovers that we discussed earlier. Talk to me a bit about that. What is this Thanksgiving leftover theory that you have? Kevin: You know, when I think about Thanksgiving and gathering with friends and family, and food being the centerpiece of that, the thing that gathers us together. And I love that idea that we have one big elaborate feast with friends and family for fellowship, but what we take with us is not just the food and a carryout, to-go bag, but we take with us those memories that shared time together, and then it rolls itself into the rest of the weekend, into the rest of the end of the year. And it's just a, I think, a great opportunity for us to remember that giving thanks doesn't have to be just one time a year, that we should have a practice of giving thanks. Kathy: Yeah, I really love this. One of my favorite authors Ann Voskamp says that, "our goal is to turn our thanksgiving into thanks-living." And we have done one of our previous podcasts on this, and we had a guest, Anleisha, who told us her story about that. But I think today's podcast, we wanna give some practices that will help turn this Thanksgiving into Thanks-living. Kathy: The first is celebration. How do you use celebration as a spiritual practice? Kevin: Yeah, oh, absolutely. Celebration is a big one. So let's start with the definition. Oxford Dictionary tells us that celebration is the action of marking one's pleasure at important events or occasions by engaging in enjoyable and typically social activities. And so we all do this in really natural ways, right? We have our birthdays and anniversaries and, you know, the holidays, it's on our minds, it's on our calendars. We gather and we celebrate these things. I think perhaps this year, more than most, the practice of celebrating in the midst of so much chaos in the world, so much upheaval in our personal lives, celebration may not feel like a natural thing. It may not be our natural inclination this year. And so what I want to call to mind is another type of celebration, another type of Thanksgiving in the midst of so much chaos. And I'm reminded of a quote from a dear friend of mine, Father Mark, who always likes to say, "it's always important to balance the bitter with the sweet." And what he means by that is to remember the sweetness of life when life feels especially bitter. And the best way to do that is with a piece of cake, a piece of pie, a little bit of ice cream or some candy, something just to savor and to enjoy in the midst of very unenjoyable times in our lives. And so I think maybe this Thanksgiving is where we take time to balance all the bitter in the world with a little bit of sweetness. And that's the food that's on the table, the friends that sit around the table with us and the fellowship that we get to share. Kathy: Yeah, that's such a wonderful practice, an idea. Speaking from my recent celebration experience of this past week, which was my birthday, it was a great pause in the midst of a very chaotic and difficult month, I would say, to focus on joy and gratitude. And it was uplifting. It didn't seem natural. It didn't seem like, "oh, let's stop and celebrate." But we did anyway. And we were all better as a result. I love Adele Calhoun in her book, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook. She speaks of celebration as one of those disciplines. And she says, “when we're able to set our hearts on this joy, it reminds us that we can choose how we respond to any particular moment.” When we can set our hearts on joy, that will remind us that we can choose how we can respond to any particular moment. Kevin: That's right. If we can choose to celebrate in the midst of chaos, that also teaches us how to respond in times of crisis. So we have this practice of celebration, and we know the importance of celebrating daily and weekly and monthly as we just talked about. What is another practice that we can do to extend thanksgiving to every day of the year? Kathy: Sure. The next one we want to discuss is the practice of reflection. So we just talked about celebration. And that is a pause. Reflection is also a pause, but it's the intentional practice of pausing to remember. We are doing the looking back in order to figure out how to move forward. And this could take the form of written, where we're doing like journaling, that sort of thing, or it can be oral where people are, even like if you think about reflection happens in memorial services, where we're doing a reflection back -- Kevin: Telling stories. Kathy: Telling stories. Correct. You and I do a year-end review with our family, where we actually look back. Kevin: Yeah. So we've developed this booklet, it's called Year in Review, that we do every year and as the kids have gotten older we've included them in this and it's kind of a fun ritual that we do in our family. But basically there's these questions that we look back on the year and talk about and write the answers down and some of the questions that come to mind are like your biggest accomplishment this last year, best new purchase -- Kathy: Favorite movie, best vacation -- Kevin: Best new hotel, best new restaurant, things like that. Kathy: Hardest challenge. Kevin: Yeah, there's a lot of really good questions to reflect on and to remember and I'm always surprised at the end of the year, the amount of things that we did. The year goes by so fast and I think I have developed a practice of forgetting in order to cope with all of the challenges in life. But when we choose to reflect and then remember the good things in the midst of all the hard things that have happened, it's always such a meaningful practice. And I always feel like the year feels a little bit more meaningful because we take that time together as a family. Kathy: Yeah, I love what you said about the forgetting part, right? So much is happening. We need the pause. And that reminds me of Emily Freeman's quote, where she says, "the problem isn't that we aren't learning. The problem is that we forget." So I think what happens is we're just going 24-7. And we're consuming a lot and we're never pausing to digest it and then also figure out what we have learned. Kevin: Right. Kathy: So if we don't take these pauses for reflection, we're not making the most of the opportunities that come our way when we can't reflect back on that. They just are just sort of like passing us by. So let's just say that we go through the whole we go through a year, years, not journaling or making note of or highlighting things. Then we turn around and years have passed and we're like, what did we even do? And what are we doing it for? Kevin: I know for me, especially in my line of work, I go from one crisis to the next. And the next thing you know, you look up and it's like the end of the year or like the middle of the year. And I'm like, wait, how did that happen? And what I hear you saying is that reflection helps get the control back of the time that feels like it slips away so quickly. But more than that, it's an opportunity to learn and to grow from all of our experiences so that we're living life, not just trying to cope and survive and deal with all the problems that come our way. We can actually take some of the control back, some of the slow the time down. just a little bit through taking that time to reflect. Kathy: It lifts us out of reflection, will lift us out of survival into significance. Kevin: Yeah, that's really good. So how do we do that though? Like life is chaotic, there are hard things. What does that look like to take time to reflect? Kathy: Yeah, so we can do a daily reflection practice, the practice of the examin, some of you may be familiar with, and that is a daily practice of looking back on your day. You're asking the questions, basically what happened in my day today? And where was I present? Where was I not? Oh, what happened at that moment? It's such a good reflection practice to do that daily. And then you can also go on to do this, of course, weekly and monthly. And it is just about stopping, pausing, recognizing the gifts of these days. Kevin: Yeah, so in chaplaincy we have this philosophy "Action Reflection Action", meaning with everything that you do, especially when you're first learning like clinical pastoral education, that everything that you do, you take time to reflect, to learn from and to improve the practice. But it's certainly a philosophy that extends beyond a residency into a full-time chaplain role, that you're taking time to reflect, to make meaning, and to improve your practices going forward. And I think for me, reflection is simply looking in the mirror. And instead of just seeing yourself in that reflection, you get to see your soul. And so reflection can be something that we do looking backwards, because a mirror only reflects backwards, it doesn't reflect forwards. But when we look backwards, that's the way that we're able to make sense of where we've come from, so we have a better idea of where we want to go. Kathy: Excellent. So, to sum it all up, we have some celebration and reflection practices that we're all going to begin to utilize. We hope that this has given you some small steps toward having thanks -living this year, instead of just Thanksgiving. And speaking of reflection, we have our annual Review Your Year workshop coming up on December 7th. Everyone is invited to this. It is a time of celebration and reflection, where we get to look back on this year, all that it brought to us. We talk about our word that we had, and we're also setting an intention. So if you are interested in that, please sign up on our website at BeWellResourcesLA.com, and we'd love to have you. To close our time today, Kevin:, would you lead us in a Thanksgiving meditation? Kevin: Yeah, I'd be happy to do that. Meditation: We're going to start with me asking just a few questions that I'd like you to reflect on. If you want to write your answers down, that'd be great, but if not, you can just call them to mind as well. So the first question is, what are two attributes of God you appreciate most today? The next question is, what's one thing you're celebrating today? The next question, what's one thing you're reflecting on today? And finally, name three things you're most grateful for today. So this meditation is a fill in the blank blessing. As I read this blessing, reflect on these things that you're grateful for. And when I pause, fill in your own words to complete the blessing. Let's pray. God, thank you for being _________. Today, I will choose to celebrate __________. Because I see this as a gift from you. Today, I will take time to reflect on __________. Because I'd like to remember __________. I thank you for all the blessings in my life, but today, I'm most grateful for these three. The first is _________. The second is _________. And finally _________. And so I conclude by simply saying, "thank you."

Special guest Fr. Mark Begly, Pastor at Our Mother of Sorrows, joins us from Johnstown, USA. Father Mark shares the turning point that made him embrace a central focus on evangelization. He also talks about the distinct effect Alpha has had on his parish and community.     More Resources:  MORE on Father Mark and Our Mother of Sorrows on the Divine Renovation story blog  READ Thriving Faith: Discipleship in Uncertain Times, by Fr. James Mallon   LEARN about COACHING at our website  COME  to our featured online event on Nov.21st: Intentional Invitation: From Good Experiences to Life-Changing Encounter  

Father Mark Hellinger, the parochial vicar of St. John the Baptist, shares his experiences in Rome and dives into a great conversation with Rob Gregory on the topic of priesthoods.Belt of Truth is a podcast brought to you by Armor of God, a Catholic men's movement based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, established to arm men to be the spiritual leaders God has called them to be. Belt of Truth features discussions with a variety of guests to explore different topics crucial for men to hear and reflect on their journey to becoming spiritual leaders. Learn more about Armor of God and Belt of Truth at armingmen.com.Edited and Produced by Josh Bach of OurLocalParish.com

When people are baptized, they have an opportunity to participate in the Good News of Jesus' resurrection. It's an invitation to understand that we each have unique identities that come not from the secular world but are given to us by God. What prevents us from receiving God's invitation? Father Mark explains in his latest podcast.