Growing in Faith, Hope, and Love

Purgatory is not a place of punishment, but a stage of loving; a time and space where we do the work of forgiving, reconciling, letting go.

Much like our physical health, our mental health needs care and tending.  We explore a few avenues of mental health self-care and how this work promotes spiritual vitality.  

What makes for a full, fruitful, meaningful joyful life?  We explore a centuries-old Jesuit approach to making the most of one's day, a way packed with wisdom for joie de vivre!

Though we profess to be a "peaceful" people, we are not taught the ways of peace-making nor do we know its role models.  Our reflections explore a step-by-step process for resolving conflicts.

Shame is a powerful, malevolent, oppressive energy that feels like an endless downward push, leaving one without the capacity to feel God's mercy.  Liberation from shame is part of what it means to be saved, to be redeemed.  We explore how we can journey from shame to healing with the help of God’s grace.

"Victim trap" thinking seduces us into identifying with a wound and living in a cycle of rehearsing old hurts, retelling painful stories, and living in the past.  But this is not God's desire and hope for us.  We explore how the resources of our spiritual tradition can help us move toward healing and wholeness.

We explore how we can talk with teens about a some important topics around sex - values, communication, boundaries, and consent.  Above all, we can help them to understand that sexuality is part of our spirituality and is a gift from God meant to be used properly.

Our culture tends to see apologizing as weakness.  The way of Christ, alternatively, is a way of self-knowledge, accountability, healing, reconciliation, and rectification.  We explore a spirituality of apology through a practical five-step approach.

The first Jesuits were very intentional about bringing a spirit of gentleness to their schools.  In this episode we explore the characteristics of a gentle approach to life, both inside and outside the classroom.

Among the most significant spiritual tasks we face is how to make the time of our ultimate parting abundantly fruitful.  As we walk with Jesus through Holy Week, he role models how in word and deed we can make our dying a gift of peace, forgiveness, and love.

When we burn the candle at both ends, the soul stages an insurrection in an attempt to bring us back to a place of balance.  We explore the signs of burnout and ways we can find rest and renewal.

Though sarcasm is an insincere and often hurtful way of communicating, our culture is saturated with it.  What does this reveal about us collectively?  We explore the roots of sarcasm and its toxic impact.

Spiritual practices nurture and nourish us, but like all things human, they have a shadow side too.  We explore "spiritual bypass" - the ways we use spirituality to suppress or smother undesirable emotions, life's complexities, woundedness or trauma.

The Christmas season highlights the presence of angels.  We hear of them in our carols, lectionary readings, favorite movies, and atop the trees.  Angels serve as divine messengers, guiding, inspiring, warning, teaching.  We explore how we can discern the presence of the angelic in our lives.

God's grace is consoling, healing, and liberating, but also shockingly disturbing.  God disrupts the status quo.  Our podcast explores how Advent invites to hold the "disturbing" power that seeks to be born anew, both within our hearts and in our world.

Shadow, Love, and Mercy Part of the series "Why Ignatius Loyola Still Matters" : The First Week of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius invites us to know ourselves completely and unconditionally, including our shadow side.  As we courageously undertake this sacred work, we are held in a container of unconditional love and mercy.  Our reflection explores how Ignatius guides us on this journey into shadow and God's limitless compassion.

Praying with the Communion of Saints Though loved ones have crossed to the other side of death, our relationships with them grow, deepen, and evolve.  We explore how the communion of saints invites to affirm that love is stronger than death and that we remain in community and communication with those who have died.

Why Ignatius Loyola Still Matters: The Foundation of a Meaningful Life We explore the "Principle and Foundation", the first major meditation of the Spiritual Exercises.  Ignatius invites us to experience life rooted in intimacy with God, connected with creation, and deeply meaningful.

Ignatius lived 500 years ago, yet his approach to spirituality continues to inspire and transform lives, a sign that he discovered something archetypal that touches the human soul.  This episode explores how Ignatius' early life and experience of being wounded teaches us how God works in and through our feelings.

Part of our spiritual work is learning to discriminate among the competing voices and energies within, some of which are very loud and powerful but are not truth.  Our podcast explores how we discern which among these is of God.

As we journey toward deeper, more mature friendship with God, it can be helpful to have a guide and companion, what our tradition calls a "spiritual director."  Our podcast explores what spiritual direction is, and how it can support us in our journey to the holy. Please feel welcome to contact me if you have any questions or would like to further discuss spiritual direction- brianbpinter@gmail.com

How do we remain connected with those we love after they have died?  I recently lost a soul-friend, and I am learning in a deeper way the truth that love is stronger than death.  We explore how our friendships endure when one goes to the other side.

Taking sabbath rest is a commandment for our good, not merely a suggestion.  We explore how we might more deeply enter into times set apart for rest and enjoyment.

The Shadow Side of Parenting Experiences that push us, that turn up the emotional and spiritual heat, are sure to trigger our shadow side, and parenting is the ultimate pressure cooker!  We explore how confrontation with the shadow can be an opportunity to become better parents.

A Daily Hail Mary The "Hail Mary" recalls and honors Mary's "yes" to God's invitation to cooperate with God's holy work in the world.  When we say this prayer we join her in that sacred "yes".  I have been saying a "Hail Mary" everyday upon waking, and I have found this to be a transformative experience.  I share a few reflections on this practice.

From Grieving to Transformation The journey of grief opens us to the power and grace of resurrection - our wounds are not gone and forgotten, but transformed into light and new life.  We explore what this might look like for us.

How do we know our grief work is bearing fruit?  One infallible sign is when we don't feel the need to blame anyone anymore.  We also explore the invitation to share the journey with a soul friend, especially when we are working through "primordial wounds", i.e. those related to family and church.

Many of our LGBT+ brothers and sisters are feeling offended and hurt by the Vatican's announcement prohibiting the blessing of same sex unions.  I want to express my solidarity and empathy.  I trust and hope that the Spirit will in time lead our church to a more embracive, enlightened place on this issue.

Communities suffer traumas and wounds just as individuals do.  We explore why and how we can collectively do griefwork. 

We explore how nature has the power to mirror the soul and nurture us on the journey to healing and wholeness.

Allowing ourselves to weep as we grieve, allowing the tears to come symbolizes the watering of the seeds of transformation, seeds that will sprout as empathy, compassion, wisdom, forgiveness, mercy, and love.

How do we express grief in an embodied way?  We explore rituals that might help us tap into and expresses the grief we carry deep within.

Lent begins with ashes - an ancient symbol of grieving.  Our podcast explores how this season creates a container for us to do our grief work - an indispensable task of the spiritual journey.  We begin with this question - what do I need to grieve over?

How do our relationships with loved ones continue after they have crossed to the other side?  This episode explores the Christian dogma of the Communion of the Saints and how we are invited to experience connection, reconciliation, support and love from those who now pray for and with us from their heavenly place.

We explore how these moments are an essential passage on our journey to deeper, more mature faith.

In this podcast we explore how living with illness teaches essential truths and wisdom about the human condition, while inviting us to deeper trust in God and solidarity with others.

Jesus was born in a stable - the messiest, smelliest of places!  Likewise, God desires to be born in what we deem the least desirable, "smelliest" places in our hearts.  Our podcast explores how we can welcome the Divine Child into the places of woundedness, shame, and pain; those areas within that are most in need of transformation.

We explore the emotions that give rise to procrastination as well as perspectives on how might conquer this form of self-sabotage.

Many "energy vampires" are now at play in our lives - mask wearing, toxic politics, and a sense that we are "wandering in the desert."  All this creates a chemistry that devours a great deal of emotional and spiritual energy, leaving us feeling exhausted.  We name a few of these realities, as well as ways we can enhance our self-care.

We see that a careful reading of the Bible reveals that it was in Africa that major moments of salvation history unfold.  As we contemplate this reality, we might allow the furniture of our imagination regarding the Bible to be rearranged a bit.

Events unfolding in our national politics have created an opportunity to face an aspect of personal shadow.  With God's grace, we can respond with charity and compassion, truth and justice.

We explore strategies for managing codependent "takers" and ways we can channel deeper, more authentic compassion for ourselves and others.

When relationships are characterized by codependence, "the giver" feels a sense of responsibility for "the taker's" emotions, behaviors, and choices.  In codependency, the stress of the situation dictates responses, rather than the inner voice of truth and wisdom.  We briefly explore some signs that might be invitations to healing and self-knowledge.

The "Messiah Complex" says, "My loved one is lost and it's my job to save them."  There is only one entity, however, with the power to save, and it's not you!  We explore some manifestations of the complex and ways we can begin to move on from this unfruitful way of relating to others.

Finding joy  in life, fostering healthy relationships, and being fruitful requires  that we nurture our emotional maturity.  We explore some traits of the  emotionally mature.

We explore the psychology and shadow spiritual energy of a growing problem in our culture - belief in conspiracy theory.

Complaining can be a way of blowing off steam, bonding with peers, expressing feelings of inadequacy, or giving voice to deeper soul issues that cry out for attention.  Our reflection will explore reasons for complaining, signs of unhealthy complaining, and when complaining might be an opportunity for grace and growth.

Do you find yourself disproportionately triggered by certain people?  Is there a person or group you irrationally blame for your and the world's ills?  Our reflection invites us to ask in these moments of provocation, "What have I rejected of myself that I see so clearly in the other?"

We inherit from our ancestors their unresolved trauma and wounds.  If we remain unconscious of it, we will be frustrated in our efforts to live a full life, and we will pass on dysfunctional dynamics to those who come after us.  We can make a choice to wake up, stop the toxic patterns, and heal.

Confederate statues are coming down.  We now have an opportunity to create new symbols that inspire reconciliation and transformation.  We explore some spiritual and emotional currents moving through this moment.  

While there are no excuses for this destructive behavior, there are reasons.  We unpack some of the possible spiritual and emotional energies at work in these chaotic moments.

  We explore the American collective shadow.  What are the uncomfortable truths about ourselves as a nation that we ignore, deny, and repress?  If we are going to be a truly great country, we will work to integrate our shadow - a difficult and humbling task, but sure to be transformative and healing. If you find these podcasts helpful, I urge you to visit the website of my friend and mentor Br. Don Bisson, FMS.  Don has a great collection of talks and reflections on spiritual topics.  (Much of what I pass on to you through my podcasts and classes I learn from him!)  Don is the best!  http://www.donbisson.com/

Bringing our shadow to consciousness is an essential task of the spiritual journey.  We explore ten ways we can do our shadow work.

   Powerful, chaotic, but potentially transformative energies are coursing through our country right now.  In this episode we explore the spiritual dimension of this pivotal moment, and how each of us can contribute to healing and renewal by confronting our shadow side.

We all struggle with events, people, emotions, thoughts, and memories we'd rather not know.  Our defense mechanisms can help us to function, but in their shadow side can lead us to avoid necessary engagement with life's messy realities.  This podcast episode briefly names 10 common defense mechanisms.

"What got into me?  I'm beside myself!"  When we say this in response to something we've said or done, we are experiencing the "inner committee" at work.  We explore the voices and energies within that seek to influence our choices.

Self forgiveness is among the most difficult and harrowing of spiritual tasks.  We explore why this is so difficult, some common resistances to self-forgiveness, the difference between healthy and unhealthy guilt, and a meditation practice that nurtures an open heart to self forgiveness.  

Forgiveness is a journey, not a one time event.  We explore what forgiveness is - and is not - and how we go about this difficult but sacred work.

Our maturity will never be a finished product; it is a life-long project.  In this podcast we seek to new some tasks we are called to tend on the journey of maturing.

We explore what it means to nurture a soulful friendships in these extraordinary times.

We explore how our dreams can give us wisdom, guidance and insight during these extraordinary times.

We explore how we tend to make unconscious contracts with God and how times like these disturb that image of God (and other images to which we might cling).

We explore Easter Vigil as liminal space, a threshold time where we are betwixt and between two worlds, like where we are in history right now!

We explore how Jesus gives his death away as his final gift to the world, and how we might do likewise.

We explore Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane as a symbol for his empathy with us in suffering and fear, anchoring himself in a greater power, and the call to "watch."

What are some of the learnings we see bubbling up already?  This podcasts briefly explores 10 emerging truths in this extraordinary moment.

This episode explores how men cope with crisis and the particular emotional challenges men might face in extraordinary times.

When we have to live in close quarters with people in a time of inactivity and stillness, a variety of issues are stirred.  This episode explores how we might navigate this extended Sabbath time.

We need to know what's going on in the world today, but too much news can engulf us in anxiety.  This episode explores why we might moderate our consumption of news in these times.

With COVID 19 we've entered Kairos time, an opportune time to listen for life's invitations.