Thomas Merton once wrote, “Let us come alive to the splendor that is all around us and see the beauty in ordinary things.” The busyness of life—work, family, commitments, and our seeming ever-lengthening to-do lists—can sweep us into a lifestyle of frantic doing and accomplishing that can lead to a lack of presence and awareness to the splendor that is all around us. Wonder and praise can sometimes take a backseat as we become hyper-focused on what needs to be done. Practicing presence is a lifelong journey, but what a wonderful journey it is, as our awareness for divine goodness and beauty and grace deepens and expands within us, and as our desires become channeled in a way that leads us toward joy, peace, and contentment. Mark Longhurst’s book, The Holy Ordinary: A Way to God (October 2024, Monkfish), explores this exact topic and helps readers awaken to the sacred in the ordinary. What does it look like to live contemplatively as life uniquely unfolds for each of us, even in the busyness? Influential author and theologian Brian McClaren says this of Longhurst's book: “For years, I’ve been wishing for a book that could introduce ordinary people to the spiritual life in a healthy, honest, accessible way. Mark Longhurst has written what I’ve been waiting for.”

Mark Longhurst is a writer, an “ordinary mystic,” and member of the new monastic “Community of the Incarnation.” He works as the Publications Manager at the Center for Action and Contemplation and is a former pastor who served United Church of Christ churches for 10 years and worked as a faith-based social justice activist in the Boston area for 10 more. A graduate of Harvard Divinity School and a longtime yoga practitioner, Mark lives in western Massachusetts with his family. Click here for the episode page and show notes.

(00:00:01) Introduction

(00:02:39) Why Write this Book?

(00:04:17) Struggling to Notice the Holy Ordinary

(00:09:24) What Do We Mean by "Deeper Reality"?

(00:11:50) Reflection No. 1: Letting Wonder and Praise Sing through Our Lives

(00:14:41) What Does it Look Like to "Receive Grace"?

(00:17:23) Emptiness and Letting Go

(00:22:33) Contemplation: Not a Flight From the World

(00:28:35) What is Holiness?

(00:35:34) Reflection No. 2: Thin Places

(00:37:34) Mark Longhurst's Spiritual Journey

(00:40:50) Contemplative Practice and the Importance of Community

(00:44:44) The Holy Ordinary and Lived Experience

(00:46:04) Reflection No. 3: Welcoming the Holy Spirit Into Our Inner Margins

(00:48:30) Contemplation and Desire

(00:56:48) Final Thoughts

(00:58:56) Conclusion

In the year 1202, a young Giovanni Bernardone, who we would come to know as St. Francis of Assisi, was captured in a conflict between Assisi and Perugia and held as a prisoner of war for about a year. This horrific experience as a prisoner of war changed Francis, and he likely ventured through life suffering from what we would now call PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). And yet, Francis undoubtedly became a “wounded healer" for others and the world. So, what about us? What brokenness do we carry? What traumas do our bodies hold? How can we move toward wholeness and healing and ultimately use our stories to become wounded healers for others?

This episode's guest is Richard B. Patterson, PhD, a clinical psychologist and trauma therapist practicing in El Paso, Texas. Two of the primary groups he has worked with in his career as a therapist are combat veterans and victims of clergy abuse. He is a regular contributor to St. Anthony Messenger who has a new piece in the July/August issue titled, “Turn to the Beatitudes.”

Click here to read this episode's show notes: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/off-the-page-by-franciscan-media/.

Disclaimer: This episode discusses sensitive topics, including historical and modern experiences of trauma, war, and sexual abuse, which may be triggering. If listening brings up difficult emotions, please reach out to a trusted therapist or contact a support resource like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) at 1-800-950-6264. We encourage prioritizing your well-being.

(00:00:01) Introduction

(00:03:42) Becoming a Clinical Psychologist and Trauma Therapist

(00:06:38) Working with Victims of Clergy Abuse

(00:13:23) Wrestling with Catholicism and the Church

(00:18:28) Working with Combat Veterans and Becoming a Wounded Healer

(00:24:13) What Listeners Should Know about People Suffering from PTSD

(00:27:22) What is Trauma?

(00:31:42) Moving Through Trauma

(00:35:08) Your Trauma Doesn't Define You

(00:38:48) Anger with God and the Complexity of Trauma

(00:46:31) Tools in the Christian Tradition for Navigating Grief and Trauma

(00:51:12) Self-Rejection: An Enemy of the Spiritual Life

(00:54:36) St. Francis of Assisi's PTSD and Spiritual Awakening

(01:00:31) Grief: 'Blessed Are Those Who Mourn'

(01:06:41) Trauma Resources and Advice for Therapy

(01:10:05) The Healing Power of Listening and Presence

(01:13:12) Conclusion

The Trinity is a central component of Christian theology, and certainly Franciscanism as well, as seen in the mystical theology of St. Bonaventure and other Franciscan theologians. But there’s a problem: The Trinity often feels un-relatable, esoteric, or just downright goofy and strange. Why does the Trinity matter? Is it mere theological jargon for academics and religious? Does Trinitarian theology actually have a practical impact on our lives and walks of faith?

This episode's guest, Wm. Paul Young, is an author who has used story to help make the mystery and beauty of the Trinity accessible to millions around the world. Paul is the author of the novel The Shack, a New York Times bestseller that has sold 25 million copies worldwide and was turned into a movie in 2017 starring Octavia Spencer, Sam Worthington, and Tim McGraw. He is also the author of Eve, Cross Roads, and Lies We Believe About God. He has a wonderful new podcast called “The Paul Young Podcast,” which features short 10-20 minute spiritual reflections 2-3 times a week. In this episode, Paul discusses our participation within the Trinity in our day-to-day lives, our living into our own inherent union with Christ, and how to distance ourselves from the lie that we are separate from God.

Consider meditating upon these Scripture passages about union with Christ: John 17, John 14:15-21, John 15:1-17, Galatians 2:20, and Colossians 1:15-20. Click here to read this episode's show notes: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/off-the-page-by-franciscan-media/

(00:00:01) Introduction

(00:02:14) Small Talk and 'The Paul Young Podcast'

(00:05:48) Paul's Journey Into Trinitarian Theology and Writing The Shack

(00:12:40) 'If God Has Ever Been Alone, Love is Not a Possibility'

(00:15:30) Reflection: Relational Thinking

(00:19:23) Invitation to Participate from Union

(00:25:12) Presence, the Eternal Now, and the Theology of Union

(00:30:07) 'Love Expands Around the Knowing'

(00:34:37) The Early Church and the Lie of Separation

(00:39:29) Reflection: Healthy Theology Leads to Healthy Anthropology

(00:44:32) Worth-ship and Worship Within the Dance

(00:50:07) The Cry of Dereliction and the Fall from a Union Perspective

(00:54:51) The Spiritual Practice of Denying Separation

(01:03:34) Reflection: Awareness of the Divine Dance We're Already In

(01:06:13) The Beauty and Relief of Union

(01:08:50) Love is the Only Way

(01:12:43) The Fire of God's Love

(01:14:18) Conclusion