The Providence Podcast

God is very close with us always, and in those hard times, God is still there, even when it doesn’t feel like it. God is always talking to us, always trying to catch our attention, to reassure us, to let us know that God’s with us, that God loves us. You can read the reflection and sign up to receive our weekly newsletter at www. GodSpaceCommunity.com. Subscribe to the Providence Podcast wherever...

The more that I, and we, live and grow into the fullness of being to which God calls us, the more we belong to God and ourselves. When we belong like that, we’ll find belonging wherever we go. You can hear Brené Brown's Unlocking Us Podcast Episode Strong Backs, Soft Fronts, and Wild Hearts at https://brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-on-strong-backs-soft-fronts-and-wild-hearts/ There’s a song that...

In these days of burnout, fatigue, and loneliness, how do we resist the temptation to try to be all things to all people? How do we trust that we’re enough because God made us to be enough? You can read the reflection and sign up to receive our weekly newsletter at www. GodSpaceCommunity.com. Subscribe to the Providence Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! At God Space, you can come as you are....

I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember the last time I was astonished by something Christ said or did – in Scripture or in my life. But I want to feel amazed again! How do I open myself to astonishment, awe, wonder? For Reflection: When was the last time you were astonished by Christ – by a story about Jesus or by a spiritual experience in your own life, or by something else? When was the la...

The Kingdom of God is at hand now, in this moment. All around us there are people with illnesses and struggles, people who are burdened by despair and anxiety. We have work to do; there’s still good news to be proclaimed. For reflection: As you reflect on these readings, do you recognize a call, and invitation, a mission? What is it? Jesus called disciples to be with him in mission. Who is with yo...

In your heart of hearts, what do you desire? What do you want? Figure out what you desire in the depths of your heart, and you know God’s call. You can read the reflection and sign up to receive our weekly newsletter at www. GodSpaceCommunity.com. Subscribe to the Providence Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! At God Space, you can come as you are. You belong here.  God Space is a ministry of...

Like the Magi, we have each other as travel companions. Community at its best stands together beneath the night sky, gazing at signs from God, and following where they lead. Where shall we go? Let’s discern together. You can read the reflection and sign up to receive our weekly newsletter at www. GodSpaceCommunity.com. Subscribe to the Providence Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! At God Spac...

The invitation of this feast of the Holy Family is to celebrate the family of Jesus as well as our own families — our biological and/or chosen ones. We also lift up the wide family of God, the human family of which we’re all a part. Maybe we didn’t choose each other, but we belong to each other anyway. Merry Christmas from all of us at God Space! You can find all of the Scripture readings from the...

In our Gospel, the shepherds hasten to the manger to behold the Christ child. It’s a beautiful, idyllic scene. However, we can learn a lot if we reflect on this scene more deeply, making real the image we often see on Christmas cards. How did those shepherds respond to the invitation to go and see the Christ, and how are we called to respond this Christmas as well? by Sister Fidelis Tracy, CDP Mer...

May we pray to have what Mary did that enabled to say yes to God, her audacity and courage and trust. May we, too, stay open to what God asks of us and risk when we’re called. And may we step into that life full of grace. Merry Christmas from all of us at God Space! You can find all of the Scripture readings from the lectionary here: ⁠https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar⁠. Sign up to receive...

God extends joy to us in abundance, just as God continues to call us and call us and call us to service and justice, healing and consoling. God calls us to do our little piece to bring about peace, and as we serve God and each other, we’ll find our joy. By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP (By the way, we have a whole Advent playlist on Spotify. It has these songs, some transitional Advent songs, and some...

There are lots of us grown-ups running around caretaking, serving, tending to the needs of other people and not experiencing much comfort ourselves. And yet, it’s a human need. How do we receive a little tenderness for ourselves every now and then? By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP Here are a few lullabies, and I hope they help you to experience the tender love and comfort of God. Lullaby for a Stormy...

Are gratitude and desire opposed to each other? Or, do they work together to keep us in balance, to keep us present, to help us to dream and to work to make this world better? By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP You can find all of the Scripture readings from the lectionary here: ⁠https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar⁠. Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter at ⁠GodSpaceCommunity.com⁠. Subscribe to...

It seems that Christ the King is not your average king, and he may even be a better shepherd than he is a king. He’s near to all in need and tells us to move toward them as well. In fact, he tells us that we will find him when we move to the margins and encounter vulnerable people. We may even meet Christ when we ourselves feel vulnerable. By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP You can find all of the Scrip...

God is everywhere that we are. God is wherever we’ve been. God is wherever we’re going. We might distinguish light and darkness, but God is just always fully present with us, showing us how to navigate the darkness and the light. By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP You can find all of the Scripture readings from the lectionary here: ⁠https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar⁠. Find Barbara Brown Taylor&#...

We each need to be attentive and responsible, open to God, and true to ourselves. If we discern well, we’ll know whether life circumstances call for generosity or for setting a boundary. So, be wise, everyone. Strengthen your back and soften your heart and be attentive to the presence of God. By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP You can find all of the Scripture readings from the lectionary here: ⁠https:/...

As people of faith, we know we’re not alone; we belong to a wide and beautiful community, a communion of holy people. We know, but we have to keep remembering. We have to remind each other, and maybe that’s what true service and leadership looks like. By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP You can find all of the Scripture readings from the lectionary here: ⁠https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar⁠. Sign...

It’s not easy, but the essence of God’s call is simple: imitate Christ by loving God and caring for our neighbors with our whole hearts, minds, and souls because we are one with each other. By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP You can find all of the Scripture readings from the lectionary here: ⁠https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar⁠. You can find the NPR All Things Considered story here: https://www....

Do you feel like you could use a little more hope these days? Who doesn’t? And who doesn’t want to find ways to build endurance and maybe even maintain a sense of hope when things get hard? Well, there are no easy answers or practices, but there are some things we can do to raise our endurance and also our hope. By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP You can find all of the Scripture readings from the lecti...

What would it be like to unveil ourselves, to free ourselves from assumptions and suspicions so that we see and love each other as we are? What would it be like to lay down our defenses and create a safe space for everyone? By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP You can find all of the Scripture readings from the lectionary here: ⁠https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar⁠. Sign up to receive our weekly new...

God doesn’t ask us to deny our heartbreaks, but God does want to protect us from the further harm that comes from ruminating on negativity. Life brings hard things, but it also offers things which are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, excellent, and worthy of praise. What if we spend some of our prayer reflecting on the good in our lives and some of it sharing the difficult things wit...

God calls each of us to authenticity, to discernment, to aligning our words and actions. It’s challenging to live this way, but God is with us, guiding and caring for us no matter what we say or do -- yes, no, or even maybe. By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP You can find all of the Scripture readings from the lectionary here: ⁠https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar⁠. Sign up to receive our weekly ne...

God is somewhere within me and you, but God is still God. The fullness of God is more than just me, vastly more. I need to be reminded that God is great Mystery, the omniscient Creator of the universe, that gentle but powerful Presence that cares for me and for all people and creation beyond what we can even imagine. By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP You can find all of the Scripture readings from the...

Anger is not a bad thing, but wrath -- that can cause some harm. Which kind of anger am I embracing, nourishing, and putting out to the universe? Only when I can name anger and identify its flavor can I know how God is calling me to respond with action, mercy, healing, or forgiveness. By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP You can find all of the Scripture readings from the lectionary here: ⁠https://bible.u...

When I see care and compassion expressed in my communities, I see how community is not about perfection but about love. I am incomplete on my own; I need to be in relationship. Even though communities are imperfect, God is present in them. By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP You can find all of the Scripture readings from the lectionary here: ⁠https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar⁠. Sign up to receiv...