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What if your feelings didn’t get the final say on your choices—especially when life is in flux? We open up about seasons of upheaval: a child leaving for college, grieving a parent, cancer scares, and the low hum of uncertainty that follows big change. Rather than force emotions to match the moment, we explore how intentionality helps you act from conviction, not reflex, and how a Christian identity rooted in “beloved child of God” steadies you when roles and routines shift.

We map this through the story of Israel in the desert: the cloud that rests, the fire that moves, and the training of a people who learn to trust timing as much as direction. We talk about open‑ended planning, why anxiety spikes when we over‑predict, and how clinging to job titles or achievements makes transitions feel like identity loss. Then we get practical: slow, communal prayer as a way to breathe with Scripture; letting duty carry you when desire feels thin; and building habits that keep you present to God and others without numbing out or grasping for control.

The heart of the conversation is simple and demanding: hold your plans lightly and your identity tightly. Stand a half‑step outside your emotions, name them, and choose the next right action aligned with faith, reason, and love. Whether you’re waiting in place or stepping into the unknown, there’s a way to live with clarity and courage. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a friend who’s navigating change, and leave a review to help others find the show. What transition are you walking through right now?

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A compilation of previous episodes exploring sanctity, holiness, justification, and righteousness.

Theology of Sanctity (Season 1 Episode 4)

Catholic and Protestant Views on Justification (Season 2 Episode 21)

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Have something you'd love to hear Fr. Stephen and John talk about? Email us at myfriendthefriar@gmail.com or click here!

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Father Stephen and John dive deep into Chapter 8 of Lumen Gentium, exploring Mary's unique role in salvation history and addressing common misconceptions about Catholic Marian devotion.

• Mary's maternal role toward humanity doesn't diminish Christ's unique mediation but shows its power
• All Mary's influence originates from divine pleasure, not necessity, and depends entirely on Christ
• Mary is intimately united with the Church as both an exemplar and mother in the order of grace
• The Council distinguishes between veneration of Mary and worship of God
• True Marian devotion leads to imitating her virtues rather than mere emotional attachment
• Mary's Assumption serves as a sign of hope pointing to Christ's victory for all Christians
• The document expresses hope for unity with separated brethren in honoring the Mother of God

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Have something you'd love to hear Fr. Stephen and John talk about? Email us at myfriendthefriar@gmail.com or click here!