Series on The Ascension Lenten Companion by Fr. Mark Toups (Part 4)
Would you receive the Father’s unconditional love if you were the prodigal son? The Father wants us to convert from a conditional, perfectionistic way of experiencing God to a place of just being unconditionally loved by Him. But we can sometimes hold onto shame for security. What is asked of us is to leave behind that shame—let the shame and self-contempt crumble.
We don’t need to “pay rent” to be loved by the heavenly Father. Our sonship/daughtership is not to be paid but freely given to us. The invitation for all of us is to remain in the Father’s forgiveness and mercy. Let the relationship we have with Him restore and heal us from the place of shame and insecurity that we put ourselves into.
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Your Stuff is Holding You Back
Ever try to connect with the person right in front of you, but he or she is staring at a phone, totally preoccupied? You want to jump in and say, “Look up! Look at me!” How often are we those preoccupied people in prayer? We have to be real about attachment; whether we like it or not, our humanity is into stuff. In our weakness, we can get…
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An Unfading Mercy (Lent 2026)
Do you ever feel stuck confessing the same sins over and over again?
Continuing their reflection on the Prodigal Son, the friars explore a powerful truth: God’s mercy isn’t a one-time moment, it’s something we encounter again and again. Like a path worn into the ground, the Father continually goes out to meet His children, never tiring, never holding back.
In this episode, they reflect on what it means that God’s mercy is “new every morning”, and how His love doesn’t diminish, no matter how many times we return. For those who struggle with discouragement, shame, or the feeling of “starting over,” this is a reminder that the Father’s embrace is always full, always real, and always waiting.
Join us as we rediscover a mercy that never fades and a Father who never stops coming to meet us.
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Intentional and Wanted by God
Were you just a surprise, or did God want you? In this episode, the friars speak about the quiet questions many carry, especially those born outside traditional circumstances. They unpack the pain, confusion, and identity struggles that can come with that and speak truth into it all that no matter how you came into the world, whether your story includes surprise, brokenness, or uncertainty, one truth…
