Living Fullness

Christmas & Challenging Family and Relationships

Padre and Stina have a chat about Christmas, traditions, favourite Scripture passages and about the struggles and tensions that arise at Christmas time and discuss tactics and ways to overcome stress and tensions at this time.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, and Holy New Year! 
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Look back on the year that was 2021

A final episode before the Christmas and New Year episodes. A shout out to Melissa Murray and to the Vianney College Seminarians. 
Padre and Stina have a chat about some of the major milestones and take a walk down memory lane of the podcasting journey, as well as sharing some fun and challenging memories along the way. 
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Joseph; the carpenter entrusted to raise the King of the Universe on earth

With the end of the Year of St Joseph, Padre and Stina have a chat about this saint, their changed perception of him and share a couple of reflections from the year. 
The hosts talk about a young Joseph vs and Old Joseph, his fatherhood and authentic masculinity, and a zealous defender. Our hosts share a couple of personal notes that have stuck with them about Joseph including being a craftsman who taught the craftsman of the universe how to craft a table, and the little unnoticed moments within the holy family where Jesus learned what it means to be a man. 
 
T.B.G
Padre - Old Lecturers
Stina - Yes Year
Resource:
Introduction | Consecration to St. Joseph - Fr Calloway
 
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Self-knowledge; perseverance

What may be some things that stand in the way of persevering to the end?
Fear - paralysis and doubt. It's important to catch the lies that come, and to speak truth into the places where lies are loud. Eg. 'I can't do...' correct, on our own, we cannot, but with God, nothing is impossible. 
Set smart goals - determine what the goal is and a plan for achieving it or striving to achieve it. Be aware of the necessary conditions including living up to the dignity of a human person. 
Lack of a challenge can also be a hinderance where the optimal level of growth is not present. 
 
T.B.G
SB - Greg the Greek from University
SC - Praying with Grace Morey
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Advent; preparing for 3 kinds of coming of Christ

Advent is actually a preparation for the second coming of Christ, however, it's a reminder of 3 kinds of coming: coming of Christ at Christmas, the second coming and between the birth and when he will come again, his coming and entering into our hearts.
Advent isn't just about preparing for a day, but for a person and for a relationship. Padre disagrees with Fr Mike Schmitz about advent not being a time of penance (from a 2016 youtube video).
Ways to prepare include; picking up a reflection or journaling book, going back to the simple truths, meditate on the holy family, carve out silence, make a prayer space, practice waiting and practice penance and almsgiving. 
Book recommendations:
Advent and Christmas Wisdom from Pope John Paul II - compiled By John V. Kruse  
Adore: a guided advent journal for prayer and meditation - Written by Fr John Burns and Illustrated by Valerie Delgado 
 
T.B.G
Stina - an opportunity for Charity to be at work in a relationship where boundaries are not respected
Padre - 5 Seminarians Birthdays, and their affirming brotherhood
 
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When friendships feel unbalanced

Sometimes the circumstances of life can be so challenging that it demands more from one friend than the other. After some time, this can make a friendship feel unbalanced. It can feel like the other is always taking from us and we’re always the ones left depleted. 
When we are the one in need of help, it’s ok to lean more on our friends, but there is a limit. We have to remember that the only one we can turn to that can handle all of us, all the time, without running out of anything Is God. Another human being on this earth can never do that for us all the time, and so we can’t expect to take from our friends and there not be a limit to that friend. Figuring out what that limit looks like, is a necessity. 
2 considerations
Set up accountability - Something like ‘I can sometimes get carried away, OR get stuck in my problems. If I do that, could you please remind me if I start becoming too focused on me and my problems all the time?’ And encourage your friend to hold you accountable 
Once that accountability has been practiced over time, it’s likely your friend will become more comfortable and start to speak the truth and remind you when you’ve spent too long taking from them and stuck in your problems and your friend actually needs you to be there for them in return. 
Actively Listen
Ask Questions 
When friends are speaking to me, one of the things I often do is put my pastoral cap on, and go into ministry mode. Eg 1. Pastoral Hat modeEg 2. Occupational hazard of listening and not sharing
T.B.G
Padre - One on conversations with seminarians
Stina - The gift of experiencing freedom when having let go of something that became toxic in my life - a pasture ready for God to plant in. 
 
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Ministry and being Seminary Rector as Australia moves away from Christendom - With Fr. Peter Thompson

Please Note: There was a technical glitch in the sound of one of the Microphones. Apologies for the lower quality audio.
Fr Peter Thompson - Rector at Vianney College, shares his life journey with us, his younger years, becoming a Vincentian father and his experience of becoming a formator and then a Seminary Rector. He also shares his experience of working with the young men, and the excitement for a new challenge ahead as he prepares to leave Vianney College.
Behind the scenes, our hosts share their experience of Fr Thompson over the years, and he shares some wisdom on becoming a father. Access only to our Patreon Community - join our financial support community by becoming a Patreon supporter and receive exclusive content including chats with our guests. Www.patreon.com/living fullness
Subscribe or Follow the Podcast and help up share our mission. Join our Community on Patreon and watch our guest interviews on our YouTube Channel. Follow us on Social Media: Instagram AND Facebook

Beatitude 8 - Those who are persecuted for righteousness, theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven

Blessed are those who are persecuted for my sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. 
Shout outs to Andrew Flores, Dr Peter McGregor and Sr Isobel 
This is the final episode of the beatitude series. The 8th beatitude is a reminder that the cross is the only way to heaven, and in our current climate, standing for our convictions is a challenge especially when the one we love is not the one the world tends to love. The world can't see past death and wants to avoid it at all cost, where as a Christian recognizes, to enter into eternal life death must precede it. The episode looks at true martyrdom as opposed to extreme and fundamentalism. The episode is linked to the 2nd commandment as standing for righteousness sake, really means to stand for Jesus. It's about standing not just for a fact, but for 'someone' (God) even at the cost of our own lives, as he has already laid his life down for us such as the example of Maximillian Kolbe. This beatitude demands love but not overbearingly, but in a way of calling us out and into the greatness we were created for. 
 
T.B.G
Padre - Valedictorian Dinner at St Francis College 
Stina - Presented the keynote address for LHAC forum hosted by the MLHD & PHN 
 
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Beatitude 7 - Peacemaker shall be called God‘s children

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called Children of God. 
A common misunderstanding is that peacemakers are war and conflict averse. When in reality, peacemakers are rooted in true Justice, modelled on the Prince of Peace. Our hosts talk about the difference between Pax Romana and Pax Christi, and the way in which peacemaker and justice is linked to our identity. The episode makes a clarification of the type of drama we ought to avoid, and the drama we need to embrace, and the story of Maximillian Kolbe. This episode explores the relationship with the 8th Commandment - Though shalt not bear false witness, and that this is more than speaking falsehood, it also includes not silencing the internal and being authentic. 
 
Name of the priest, Padre mentions in this episode: Fr Jerzy Popieluszko
 
TBG
Padre - Fr Rector's detachment as he begins to pack up his life at the Seminary after 18years
Stina - Attended a wedding where every woman was dressed classy, and no one was intoxicated. A couple clearly surrounded by an awesome Community. Congratulations to Mr & Mrs Morey. 
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Beatitude 6 - The pure of heart shall see God

*DISCLAIMER: Note this episode includes a conversation on sexual impurity, please check for appropriateness before allowing younger listeners to listen to this particular episode. 
There was a also a technical problem, the second half of the episode has been recorded on a separate day. 
 
Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God. 
This episode talks about the cultural hyper-focus on sex in the world, as well as the hyper-focus on 'what not to do with our bodies' in Christian circles as opposed to HOW to foster and tend to a pure heart. Purity does not exclusively mean 'freedom from sexual sin' ONLY, this is a part of purity but not the full picture. Purity is freedom from impurity, that being free of any foreign object. Our hearts were made for God, there for anything that is not of God, is a foreign object and doesn't belong to our heart. Do we guard and protect our hearts? What are the things that we make excuses for as 'a little is ok' ?  Our hosts also discuss perfection paralysis, and scrupulosity as well as the false notion that 'those who are in mortal sin are unable to pray'. 
 
TBG
Padre - Crepes
Stina - A painting afternoon with Lydia
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