Rooted in the Really Real

In this episode, Fr. Steve and Ashley talk about the ways in which God speaks to us and continues to purify us on the spiritual journey. Even as we've grown and healed in part, there are always more ways in which the Lord invites us to surrender to Him. We need to be emptied more in order to be filled! It's not always about surrendering "more," but responding to grace and makin...

In this episode, Fr. Steve and Ashley continue discussing the Illuminative Stage of the spiritual life, focusing on how we grow in our ability to love. We grow in both love of God and love of neighbor, but these loves prove to be very different in action. How do we love others best? How is this such a profound place of holiness? Email us at ashley@rootedinthereallyreal.com with questions or prayer...

In this episode, Fr. Steve and Ashley continue discussing the Illuminative Stage of the spiritual life, focusing on detachment. We can grow in detachment as a particular lifestyle, which allows us to grow in virtue and freedom, leading to a greater abundance of grace from the Lord. Email us at ashley@rootedinthereallyreal.com with questions or prayer intentions. Please also subscribe to our podcas...

In this episode, Fr. Steve and Ashley discuss the Illuminative Stage of the spiritual life, focusing on the two main obstacles to growth once one reaches this stage. Continuing with Ralph Martin's The Fulfillment of All Desire , we see how lack of knowledge and lack of desire both hold us back in growing closer to the Lord. Email us at ashley@rootedinthereallyreal.com with questions or prayer...

Continuing with Ralph Martin's The Fulfillment of All Desire , Fr. Steve and Ashley finish talking about the Purgative Way, ending with the temptations and trials we often all experience. If we don't experience any temptations or trials, it likely means we aren't growing in the spiritual journey! We are always given the grace to respond to whatever is before us, we need only say yes...

Continuing with Ralph Martin's The Fulfillment of All Desire , Fr. Steve and Ashley discuss the struggle of sin we all experience in this spiritual life, specifically looking at the Purgative Way. How does prayer help to remedy this struggle we all experience? Email us at ashley@rootedinthereallyreal.com with questions or prayer intentions. Please also subscribe to our podcast, leave a rating...

Continuing with Ralph Martin's The Fulfillment of All Desire , Fr. Steve and Ashley discuss the unique Biblical worldview shared by the saints, and how this outlook on life really changed everything for them. What's the big picture when it comes to our journey in our faith and spiritual life? Email us at ashley@rootedinthereallyreal.com with questions or prayer intentions. Please also su...

Fr. Steve and Ashley discuss St. Augustine's conversion story, including the two major blocks to growth in the spiritual life he experienced. They also talk about the cycle of sin we often find ourselves trapped in and how to break from that cycle with God's grace. Email us at ashley@rootedinthereallyreal.com with questions or prayer intentions. Please also subscribe to our podcast, leav...

In this episode, Fr. Steve and Ashley discuss the call to conversion, as well as St. Teresa of Avila's four blocks to spiritual progress as mentioned in Ralph Martin's The Fulfillment of All Desire . Email us at ashley@rootedinthereallyreal.com with questions or prayer intentions. Please also subscribe to our podcast, leave a rating, and share it with a friend. Thank you so much for list...

We're back! After taking a break for the Christmas Season, Fr. Steve and Ashley are back and ready to dive into all things about the spiritual life and prayer. In this episode, we talk about the call to perfection that each of us shares, and how to reorient our hearts towards the Lord and begin again. We are made for greatness, not mediocrity and complacency! Email us at ashley@rootedintherea...

This is the last episode in our series on discernment! Ashley shares her vocation story along with her husband Drew. Email us at ashley@rootedinthereallyreal.com with questions, episode suggestions, prayer intentions- you name it! Please also subscribe to our podcast, leave a rating, and share it with a friend. Thank you so much for listening! God bless.

This episode is the second to last episode in our series on discernment. Fr. Steve shares with us his own experience of discernment through his vocation story. Email us at ashley@rootedinthereallyreal.com with questions, episode suggestions, prayer intentions- you name it! Please also subscribe to our podcast, leave a rating, and share it with a friend. Thank you so much for listening! God bless.

Fr. Steve and Ashley discuss how within the Church, two paths are given to respond to the love God has for us.  The first is marriage and the second is celibacy.   In Marriage, one is called to marry a particular person.   In Celibacy, one is called to live it in a particular way.  Priesthood - to a particular diocese Religious life - to enter this community Single life - Makes a commitment to cel...

Fr. Steve and Ashley talk about the Universal Call to Holiness, how this call is our prime and fundamental vocation. This call is rooted in our baptism, and is the foundation of all other callings and vocations from the Lord. Vocation and the call to holiness also flow from relationship; we cannot become holy by ourselves. “Figuring out” our vocation isn’t the end goal, but rather the means by whi...

Fr. Steve and Ashley continue discussing St. Ignatius' Three Modes of Discernment. This second set of rules includes spiritual advice for discernment during times of spiritual consolation. Mode 1- Clarity Beyond Doubt Mode 2- An Attraction of the Heart Mode 3- A Preponderance of Reasons Go to www.wordonfire.org/ignatius to watch Bishop Barron's full-length feature film for free during th...

Fr. Steve and Ashley continue discussing Ignatian prayer, this time talking about St. Ignatius' Three Modes of Discernment. This second set of rules includes spiritual advice for discernment during times of spiritual consolation. In discernment, we are always choosing between two real goods. In order to properly discern, we need to pay attention, have the freedom to do so, test the discernmen...

Fr. Steve and Ashley continue discussing Ignatian Prayer, this time going into the 14 Rules for the Discernment of Spirits. There are two main sets of rules Ignatius gives us in his Spiritual Exercises. This first set of 14 rules is meant to give practical advice for times we find ourselves in spiritual desolation. Go to www.wordonfire.org/ignatius to watch Bishop Barron's full-length feature...

Fr. Steve and Ashley discuss the Ignatian style of prayer, in which God meets our story through an encounter in Scripture. St. Ignatius suggests a simple model of "be aware, understand, act" as a means to help us in our prayer with the Lord.   Go to www.wordonfire.org/ignatius to watch Bishop Barron's full-length feature film for free during the 500th anniversary of St. Ignatius&apo...

Fr. Steve and Ashley talk about emotions, including emotional attunement, emotional regulation, and the six things every child needs from their parents. How are emotions relevant to our prayer life? Does the Church have anything to say on emotions? Take a listen to find out! Resources:  The Place We Find Ourselves Podcast by Adam Young adamyoungcounseling.com/free-documents Catechism of the Cathol...

Fr. Steve and Ashley discuss the different types of friendship, focusing primarily on virtuous Christian friendship. In this type of friendship, we have our eyes set on the same horizon, the same goal: heaven. How do we begin to cultivate holy, Christian friendship?  Email us at ashley@rootedinthereallyreal.com with questions, episode suggestions, prayer intentions- you name it! Please also subscr...

Fr. Steve and Ashley end this series on Attachment Theory by discussing, where do we go from here? How do we move from an experience of an insecure attachment style to a posture of a secure attachment style?  Freedom is possible, growth is real. Something that’s central to growth in our journey here from the perspective of the attachment styles is finding the freedom to love and be loved.   Satan...

Fr. Steve and Ashley talk about the disorganized attachment style, which is one of the four attachment styles within attachment theory. People who have a disorganized attachment style have a negative view of self and a negative view of others, they have a hard time believing they deserve love and that they’re worthy of love. They also don’t trust others or believe they would be willing or able to...

Fr. Steve and Ashley talk about the ambivalent attachment style, which is one of the four attachment styles within attachment theory. The ambivalently attached person tends to believe “I am not worthy of love, I am not capable of getting the love I need without being angry and clingy.” In regards to others, they tend to believe “others are capable of meeting my needs, but might not do so because o...

Fr. Steve and Ashley talk about the avoidant attachment style, which is one of the four attachment styles within attachment theory. Those with an avoidant attachment style believe "I am worthy of love and I am capable of getting the love and support I need," however they also believe others are either unwilling or incapable of loving them because they are untrustworthy. Others are not re...

Fr. Steve and Ashley talk about the secure attachment style, which is one of the four attachment styles within attachment theory. Those with a secure attachment style believe "I am worthy of love and I am capable of getting the love and support I need." There is confidence and security within their own acceptance of themselves. They also believe "others are willing and able to love...