Be Filled

This episode we continue our conversation on human freedom. Today we look at the Church’s definition of freedom found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. We share our own personal experience and discuss John Paul II’s view of freedom. 

Quotes: 

God created man a rational being, conferring on him the dignity of a person who can initiate and control his own actions. “God willed that man should be ‘left in the hand of his own counsel,’ so that he might of his own accord seek his Creator and freely attain his full and blessed perfection by cleaving to him.”  Man is rational and therefore like God; he is created with free will and is master over his acts. (CCC #1730)

Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility. By free will one shapes one’s own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its perfection when directed toward God, our beatitude. (CCC #1731) 

“If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31-32) 

Reflection Questions: 

1. What impacted you most in this episode? 

2. Have you ever considered your relationship to God as analogous to the relationship between spouses? What are your thoughts about this idea? 

3. Would you say that you are freely and without reservation “cleaving” to your Creator? What might that look like for you? 

4. What kind of person do you want to be? Do your actions coincide with the vision you have for yourself? Ask God for the grace to see who He wants you to be and ask him, boldly, for the grace to live that vision out. 

5. Reflect on the definition of freedom found in the Catechism. What are your thoughts? How is this definition different from what we see in the secular world? 

6. What are some barriers to your freedom? Have you had experiences that have wounded your ability to freely choose the good? Sit with these wounds and ask the Lord for deeper healing. 

7. When have you felt the most free in your life?

8. Our ability to notice our feelings and invite God into difficult moments is something that sets us apart from other creatures. Could you relate to the experiences shared in the podcast? 

9. How has the gospel been presented to you? Has it been coercive or persuasive? 

10. Are there any “pebbles” in your shoe? Where do you sense the Lord calling you to be open to change? Pray with whatever feelings are coming up and ask God to meet you there. 

If you have any questions or comments for us, we can be reached by e-mail at befilledpodcast@gmail.com. We are also on Instagram and Facebook! We would love to hear from you! 

We continue to prepare to read and reflect on Saint Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body by exploring the meaning of freedom. Today we will discuss one common definition of freedom that emphasizes the ability to choose without searching for what is good and true. We discuss how we have defined “freedom” in our lives and begin to look to Saint Pope John Paul II’s view of freedom.

Quotes:

“I ceased to be the captain of my soul.” (Oscar Wilde)

“I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate…. I can will what is right but I cannot do it.” (Romans 7: 15)

“…they see the truth about good as a threat to their freedom. They fear that a higher law, not of their own making, can only interfere with their acting through themselves and hence interfere with them as persons. They claim that they would lose their individuality if they were to submit to a law that is the same for all persons. And so, they think that to save themselves as persons they have to become subjectivists about good, that is people who think that each person creates his or her own conception of good and the moral life.” (“The Personalism of John Paul II”, John Crosby)

“Obedience is a beautiful loss of control. So just obey and lose control.” (Christopher West)

Resources:

“The Personalism of John Paul II” by John Crosby

Reflection Questions:

(1) What did you relate to most in the podcast?

(2) How do you define freedom? How has your view of freedom changed in your life?

(3) Have there been times in your life you have not felt truly free? When have you felt most free in your life?

(4) Are there areas of your life you feel unwilling to trust God with? What fears do you have about coming to a deeper understanding of the teachings of the Church?

(5) Do you believe that God is FOR you? What do you think true freedom would look like in your life?

(6) What do you think would happen if you surrendered your will and life to the care of God?

We have a very exciting announcement about the show! Big shout out to my husband, Will, and our good friend, Landon for an amazing gift to us! 

In this episode we discuss various views of God and how the way we view God impacts our relationship with Him. We share our own personal experience of God and how our views have changed over time. 

Reflection Questions:

(1) What moved you most in the podcast? 

(2) Which view of God did you relate to most? 

* Authoritative God

* Benevolent God

* Critical God

* Distant God 

(3) What experiences do you think shaped your view of God? 

(4) Where do you need healing to correct misperceptions you have of God? Begin to ask God to reveal truth to you about His love for you.

(5) How has God worked in your life to change your beliefs about who He is? 

(6) Have you been tempted to believe that you are not loveable or that God is "holding our on you"? 

(7) What is your response to the idea that God is in love with you? 

(8) What is your view of suffering? Take time this week to "refuge in the wounds of Christ". Let him hold you and love you in that space. 

Scripture Quoted: 

"Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her....And in that day, says the LORD, you will call me, 'My husband,'...And I will betroth you to me for ever; I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness; and you shall know the LORD." (Hosea 2:14; 16; 19-20) 

Resource Mentioned: 

www.tobpatron.com 

If you would like to contact us you can e-mail us at befilledpodcast@gmail.com

You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram! 

Episode 2: It is Jesus You Seek

In this episode, we discuss the ways in which Jesus pursues our hearts through beauty and our desire for more. We continued to share how we learned about Theology of the Body and what it means to us in our lives.

Quotes:

“It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness; He is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; He is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is He who provoked you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is He who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is He who reads in your heart your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to stifle. It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be ground down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.” (Saint Pope John Paul II)

Reflection Questions:

(1) What moved you most in our guiding quote from Saint Pope John Paul II?     

(2) What do you find beautiful? Have you ever considered that Jesus is calling you to himself through what moves your heart?

(3)  Ask Jesus what he wants for you. Listen to his voice. What “masks” might Jesus be asking you to let go of?

(4) What has your experience been with Theology of the Body? What do you hope to learn going forward on this teaching?

(5) What was the first song you ever memorized? Listen to it again and let those feelings and emotions come back to you. Thank God for all the ways He speaks to you!

If you would like to contact us you can e-mail us at befilledpodcast@gmail.com.

You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram by looking up “Be Filled Podcast”

Welcome to the Be Filled Podcast! In this episode we introduce ourselves and what this show is all about! 

Scripture Quote: "...that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."