Show notes:
(1:07) Beth and Fr. Steve share favorite summer memories and introduce this episode’s topic: transition. They discuss Fr. Steve’s upcoming transition to a new role doing priestly formation at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, and Beth also mentions the transitions her parish underwent with a new pastor and the pandemic shortly after she arrived.
(12:07) Beth introduces a discussion on the unhealthy ways people cope with transition, such as indulging in comforts that aren’t necessarily positive or “good for us,” or shutting down and avoiding things that help us grow. She and Fr. Steve also discuss the bad habit of complaining that Archbishop Vigneron mentions in Unleash the Gospel.
(21:21) They then discuss healthy ways to manage transition: surrendering to God more deeply, remaining hopeful, turning to Mary for help, and asking questions to stay open to learning more. Fr. Steve reflects on how people frequently ask questions of Jesus in the Scriptures and how Jesus always responds.
(33:43) Fr. Steve and Beth talk about our universal call to mission and how God is using this season of our lives to help rid us of old habits and form new ones. They discuss what it means to be successful in mission, and how we can calibrate ourselves to be open to the opportunities God places in our ministry.
(37:50) Beth relates a parable to remind us of our missionary identity as people of God. She discusses the use of transition periods to shed our bad habits and reclaim our missionary energy. Fr. Steve mentions the importance of the virtue of hope in our intimacy with God, and that intimacy in God is what drives our mission.
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