Drawing from the writings of Donna and Jamie Winship as well as Amazon Kindle books by yours truly, Graham Landgraff, dual hosts take the notable "deep dive" into the notion of Kingdom of God Identity.

Given the premise that Our Creator knows us by name and has a unique plan to transform our world with His help, they explore the proven steps towards finding the silence in which to hear the Father's voice.

We are in this regard far more than a collection of God's children. Rather we are distinct players in a divine drama who may not even know we have a part to play because we have been trained to be deaf to our calling.

*If is worth noting that the half-hour discussion sinks in better over several listens as we become increasingly better at producing these podcast episodes. There are nuggets for you to gather in the realization that prayer is notably best when it is interactive and our hearing includes acting on what we hear.

Missionary to Mars: A Catholic Prayer Drama

Part Two of Episode One — "Silence": A Reflection with the Shema Council

The spacecraft has gone quiet. The engines have shut down. Marisol Reyes is in Mars orbit — and something she didn't plan for happened during those four minutes of fire.

In Part Two of Episode One, we step outside the drama to examine what it just showed us.

The Shema Council — a company of voices drawn from Scripture, Church history, and the tradition of conversational prayer — gathers around three moments from Marisol's story: the prayer she whispered without knowing it was one, the silence that felt like abandonment but may have been invitation, and her commander's challenge that set faith against competence as if the two were strangers.

Frank Laubach, Madame Guyon, Brother Lawrence, George Müller, John of the Cross, Andrew Murray — these are not names dropped for credibility. They are witnesses. Each of them arrived, by a different road, at the same discovery: that God speaks continuously, that the interior life is simply the discipline of learning to hear what has always been said, and that the stripping away of familiar spiritual supports is not a punishment. It is the gift underneath the gift.

The reflections are followed by three questions — not rhetorical ones. Ones with edges. Ones designed to locate, in the ordinary geography of your week, the exact lines Marisol is navigating sixty-three million kilometers from home.

This is not commentary on a story. It is the story continuing — in you.

For those who recognize the room she is standing in.

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Unlike the audio-drama format making up all the following episodes, we begin with something different, for us at least.

Thanks to the realm of technology we feature an interview of the Missionary to Mars series creator by the fictional Spiritual Director of the story, Father Ambrose Pierce.

And while we normally do not do talking heads on purpose, it seems appropriate to take a step back and answer some fundamental questions about the project itself.

• Why do an audio drama?
• Why is it set on Mars?
• How can listeners participate themselves in prayerful exercises as story characters go through the paces themselves?

If the following important statement loses your interest, it does so intentionally so get ready:

THIS IS NOT A SCIENCE FICTION STORY DRAMA. IT IS HOWEVER A MODERN PARABLE MEANT TO REVEAL THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO A MODERN AUDIENCE.

Certainly, some statements or answers may need clarification and we welcome episode feedback. This is the start of a brand new enterprise and it is felt better to actually get product to air than to tinker with constant editing and improvements.

We thank you for your grace, your patience and encouraging participation.

P.S. A quick note--Some may wonder why the broadcast story and targeted audience is Roman Catholic. Does that mean no one else should listen or can benefit from what you hear?

Everyone can either learn or confirm what they already know, to grow in a greater appreciation of what it means to deepen a current existence's meaning through the interactive form of prayer with our Creator.

Be you atheist or any other religion, God desires communion with all of His children. That said, there are close to two billion Roman Catholics on the planet this year and despite solid affirmation by the Vatican, Catechism and the writings of the Desert Fathers or Saints, this kind of prayer formation seems lacking in volume despite strong evidence that parishes desire it.

Thank you and God richly bless you.

Graham

Support the show

Patreon.com/Missionary_To_Mars