In our 3rd and final part of our series on "Of Human Suffering", Dr. Veronica Lenzi returns to share some effective coping techniques to help us be in the moment and why that is so important to dealing with suffering. Suffering is a common human experience no can escape. Nevertheless, there is always hope and healing possible in every experience of suffering.

Thank you for spending some of your valuable time with us. In this 2nd part of a 3 part series on the mysteries of Human Suffering Adele, Becki and Tom will get some insights from Dr. Veronica Lenzi about how there is hope and healing every experience of suffering. Dr. Lenzi also shares how experiences and responses to suffering in the human experience vary and are as unique as the people who suffer those experiences. She also explains how she works with her patients to not compartmentalize suffering and trauma but to work through it through some very specific exercises.

Merry Christmas to you and your family from all of us at Handbook for Humanity and the DesOrmeaux Foundation! Please enjoy this special Christmas episode as Adele, Becki and Tom share a touching letter from St. John Paul II to all the children of the world.

Our team at Handbook for Humanity would like to wish a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to our listeners and their families! As a gift to you Becki, Adele and Tom are adding a bonus episode this week that we feel goes well with the Christmas Celebration.  We hope you enjoy this short discussion as we point out the importance of inheritance as a common human experience and the need for traditions to remember and share what we've inherited.  It's real popular today to complete a DNA test to possibly tell you why your hair or eyes are a certain color or to show where you and your family came from.  But what about spiritual inheritance?   God's plan for humanity's full inheritance is bigger than just Deoxyribonucleic acid.   

In our nearly instant gratification world learning how to wait for something is a skill that is quickly vanishing. Can someone learn how to wait well?  In this episode Colby, Adele and Tom are joined by guest Kyle Melancon to discuss the common human experience of waiting. Kyle, a youth minister with the Diocese of Lafayette, recounts some struggles and trials of having to wait for certain things in his life including the outcome of something very important going on at the time of this recording.     

Relationships often struggle because one or both parties are grasping at something that is not really there. Join Colby, Adele, and Tom as we share a little more about ourselves plus welcome a friend of Theology of the Body Community of Acadiana, Kyle Melancon, to discuss the conflict of grasping versus receiving in relationships. What are the signs you might be grasping in a relationship? Do you know how to receive well in a relationship? What is a healthy level of giving in a relationship?  This and more on Handbook for Humanity!

This week Becki & Adele get some help from producer Tom to handle a call-in from two frequent listeners to Handbook for Humanity.  Lisa Myers and Pam Andrus have listened to several episodes and we wanted to get their insights on their favorite shows.  Enjoy this short audio review as Lisa and Pam share how certain episodes helped clarify questions in their personal lives and others shed light on spiritual and emotional challenges.  If you would like to be a review guest on an upcoming episode just email us at handbookfh1@gmail.com and we will try to coordinate a time and date you could appear on a future edition of Handbook for Humanity.  Thank you for listening! 

In part 3 of this 3 part series on the Mysteries of Suffering, Becky and Adele will continue to get insights of the hope of healing trauma in the body from guest Dr. Veronica Lenzi.  Dr. Lenzi will also share some coping techniques to help us be in the moment and why that is so important in dealing with healing.  Suffering is a common human experience no one can escape.  Nevertheless, there is always hope and healing possible in every experience of suffering. 

Resources

 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XdiGXf1ZAsPqtULZAHquxT0typJKRHxTQGLwuQdHLf0/edit?usp=sharing

In part two of the 3 part series on the Mysteries of Human Suffering, Becky and Adele will get insights of the hope of healing trauma in the body from guest Dr. Veronica Lenzi. Suffering is a common human experience no one can escape. Nevertheless, there is always hope and healing possible in every experience of suffering. Like death and the afterlife, suffering has an element of mystery that cannot be neatly analyzed and categorized. Experiences and responses to suffering in the human experience vary and are as unique as the people who suffer, namely all of humanity. In this series, we ponder this mystery and hope to bring forth hope in the healing elements available in all experiences of suffering. Such healing has the capacity to ground us in an authentic experience of human life and integral growth as a person.

Join Colby, Adele, and Becki in conversation on the experience of suffering in the light of the writings of St. John Paul II. Suffering is a common human experience no one can escape. Nevertheless, there is always hope and healing possible in every experience of suffering. Like death and the afterlife, suffering has an element of mystery that cannot be neatly analyzed and categorized. Experiences and responses to suffering in the human experience vary and are as unique as the people who suffer, namely all of humanity. In this series, we ponder this mystery and hope to bring forth hope in the elements of healing available in all experiences of suffering. Such healing has the capacity to ground us in an authentic experience of human life and integral growth as a person.

Link to Fr. Stan Fotuna video series breaking open JPII's document, "On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering", that Becki mentioned during the episode. 

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhFcJ93iBvyzpKCIaSzaGlbxZZTcXv3mv

We all want to be free. We all have an innate sense of the right we have as human beings to be free. What is the purpose of our freedom? Join Colby, Adele and Becky to explore themes of living freedom for the sake of Love expressed in human experience.  

An inspiring resource for those in an unplanned pregnancy. 

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/#inbox/FMfcgzGqRZZXpHHFFRjfkHjBFqzPpnGZ?projector=1

Today Colby and Becky welcome two West Texas women who celebrate the rich traditions of Dia de Los Muertos, a celebration of All Souls day in the Mexican tradition that has become well known and practiced throughout the world.  Death as a common experience of all humanity has the capacity to connect us in a way not many other common experiences do. There are various ways of responding to and embracing this reality. Dia de los Muertos is a rich Mexican tradition rooted in the hope of eternal life.  It is a day set aside to honor the dead and to celebrate the unique and unrepeatable person who has lived and died. It is a tradition that lightens the load of death and expresses joy in the face of morality in a unique way.  

Ever wonder about the man we often reference in conversations, John Paul II? This week we celebrate the man and the mission that lives on in the hearts of many, still impacting lives in various ways. Colby and Becki welcome special guests Adam Fuselier, managing director of Dumb Ox Ministries, now ECHO Community, and Savanna Philips, a student of the JPII Project in Krakow, to join in sharing unique and meaningful conversations about how John Paul has impacted our lives and sharing our personal experience of walking in his footsteps.

• https://jp2project.org
• https://lifeteen.com/blog/21-awesome-facts-you-didnt-know-about-john-paul-ii/
• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g7pmi5Zo6DId6akusw2gk_NlQDuqW07x/view?usp=sharing

Thanks for joining us for another Handbook for Humanity! Often in our lives God uses "music" to supply an epiphany for us by using simple notes on a page to move the hearts and minds of men and women. Please listen in as our team talks about the gift of music during the holiday season. Our team includes a special guest, Greg Boudreaux, of the Vigil Project who will discuss the unique and memorable traditions of celebrating the Christmas season and how music can be a light to reveal important things to those who truly listen.

Resources from show:

https://www.thevigilproject.com

Exclusive: In Episode 12 Colby, Becki and Dr. Sarah Denny continue their discussion from Episode 11 about Dr. Denny's Doctorial Dissertation of dialogue between St. John Paul II and the founder of Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger.  Denny shares some incredible findings from the writings of these two historical figures that helps her uncover some unique answers to the challenges we face in our search for true freedom, better health, and intimate relationships.  If you have some questions for Dr. Denny, after listening to these two episodes, please reach out with an email to handbookfh1@gmail.com.

Exclusive:  How would you like to hear St. John Paul II in a conversation with Margaret Sanger?  This week we are honored to be the first media outlet to publicly share Dr. Sarah Denny's amazing work showcasing what dialogue might look like between these historical figures.  Denny, an ethics Professor at Loyola University in New Orleans,  uses writings from St. John Paul II and Sanger to dialogue like they were having a coffee shop discussion about freedom, health, contraception and sex education.  Denny's purpose of this work is to show we can still make room for civil discussion even when we are on polar opposite sides of an important issue.  JPII was a master at the art of dialogue and building genuine relationships with a person of opposing views.  He did this by seeking the common ground of human understanding, appealing to the echo of original experiences that resonate in every human heart and experience.  

How can 2 parties in real relationship obtain a lasting peace between each other?  In episode 10 Brian Butler, founder and director of Echo Community (formerly Dumb Ox Ministries), joins Colby and Becki to unpack how peace can come from understanding how our gifts and talents can be complementary to one another and not a reason to compete against each other.  Listen in as our group shares personal examples of how this endeavor can be messy but extremely rewarding when done with honesty and humility.  

Do you wonder why you are here or what is your purpose?   In this episode Colby and Becky have a special guest that will provide insight into a total vision of who we are called to be, give understanding to the why behind the what we believe and discuss the true beauty of God's plan for each of us.  Joining our hosts today to discuss these topics as well as an exciting event called "Total Vision Seminars" is its Producer and Head Facilitator Brian Butler of Dumb Ox Ministries and Echo Community. The event will be held in Lafayette, LA at the Diocese of Lafayette Immaculata Center, 1408 Carmel Drive on September 28th and 29th with a special session for Theology of the Body Teacher Certification on September 30th.  To register for the Total Vision Seminar please visit our DesOrmeaux Foundation website by using the following link and then scroll down to Upcoming Events: https://desormeauxfoundation.org/theology-of-the-body/

In episode 8 we discuss a common experience we all have as humans, the interior life.  The interior life is in the Handbook for Humanity because it is the dwelling-place where "YOU" are, your heart.  Not the fleshy pump inside your chest but the hidden center of you as a person that is beyond the grasp of reason and of others.  Join Adele, Becki & Colby as they break open why the matter of the heart, as St. John Paul II puts it, is what makes each of us unique and unrepeatable. Our hosts also share how having a hard heart can negatively shape your interior life but having a softer more flexible heart can open immeasurable possibilities. 

Why do we do what we do? John Paul II as a philosopher and theologian, threaded a phenomenological approach through his writings and dialogue, appealing to a close and repetitive observation of our human experience as a means of understanding the Truth about who we are and why we exist. In today's episode Colby, Adele & Becki discuss how human experience (Someone's Phenomenology) can shed light on why we exist the way we do.  Our Experiences shape who we are and if we are aware of this we can set a good direction for our life.  Experiences are important because they shape our attitudes and perceptions, attitudes and perceptions shape expectations and expectations shape behaviors.  

In this week's episode we bring on our first guest to Handbook for Humanity, Austin Matherne. Austin is an artist and high school teacher based in south Louisiana. Listen as Colby and Becki ask Austin to paint several word pictures describing how his career, faith and life have been impacted by our recently discussed topics of Solitude, Shame and Gift of Self.

Quote mentioned by Becki proposing an invitation to wonder at God's apparent quality of being unwearied by repetition and restarting in creation:

"Grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony, but perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. God may say every morning 'Do it again" to the sun, and every evening, Do it again' to the moon. It may not be an automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike, it may be that God makes every daisy separately but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy: for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we." -G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy

Handbook for Humanity is a production of the Desormeaux Foundation, a non-profit that works to support and celebrate life.  If you would like to learn more about the work of the foundation supporting women in crisis pregnancy, visit desormeauxfoundation.org.

If you would like to support the foundation and the efforts of Handbook for Humanity to teach the truth about our bodies and sexuality, please visit https://desormeauxfoundation.org/donate/ and choose Theology of the Body of Acadiana in the funds field.

Join us for a discussion about how Love & Responsibility play a role in being a better human.  In this episode Adele, Becki and Colby unpack how the 1st and 2nd steps in the progression of true love, attraction & desire are easy, but the third stage, goodwill, provides challenges in our relationships.  Are we responsible for those we love?  Do we use others for our own end? Our team covers these questions and more in this week's edition of Handbook for Humanity.

Handbook for Humanity is a production of the Desormeaux Foundation, a non-profit that works to support and celebrate life.  If you would like to learn more about the work of the foundation supporting women in crisis pregnancy, visit desormeauxfoundation.org.

If you would like to support the foundation and the efforts of Handbook for Humanity to teach the truth about our bodies and sexuality, please visit https://desormeauxfoundation.org/donate/ and choose Theology of the Body of Acadiana in the funds field.

The pinnacle of our existence and how we experience this world stems from our relationships, how we relate to others. Relationships can, and in most cases feel complicated but today we hope to shed light on something special. The human person is created and called to make a gift of self to others.  This is the third in a series of topics as we covered solitude and isolation in our first part. Next we went into the feeling of shame that looked at the positive and negative aspects of that often misunderstood feeling. Today we we'll discuss the next foundational topic to understand humanity better.  If you would like to support Handbook for Humanity please visit https://desormeauxfoundation.org/ , click on the "Funds" tab and select Theology of the Body.  Thank you!

Source mentioned by Becki regarding the original text of Genesis communicating Eve's free gift of herself-made in collaboration with God to Adam:

Personal communication through a lecture by Jennifer E. Morel, STD, during Gender Seminar, July 9, 2022

International Institute of Culture and Gender Studies

www.cultureandgender.com

What is shame, and why does it exist?  We all deserve to be seen and loved rightly. Join us this week as we dive into the negative and positive aspects of the human experience of shame.

Handbook for Humanity is a production of the Desormeaux Foundation, a non-profit that works to support and celebrate life.  If you would like to learn more about the work of the foundation supporting women in crisis pregnancy, visit desormeauxfoundation.org. 

If you would like to support the foundation and the efforts of Handbook for Humanity to teach the truth about our bodies and sexuality, please visit https://desormeauxfoundation.org/donate/ and choose Theology of the Body of Acadiana in the funds field. 

In our second episode of the 2024 Christmas season we wanted to look at how St. John Paul II's teachings in Theology of the Body relate to Christmas. Listen in as Adele, Becki and Tom answer this question with insights from the Original Christmas Story as well as old traditions that have been handed down through generations.

When you are alone, do you feel isolated, bored, or antsy? Join us this week as we discuss the experience of solitude, and how it is a call to go outside of ourselves for something greater.

Handbook for Humanity is a production of the Desormeaux Foundation, a non-profit that works to support and celebrate life. If you would like to learn more about the work of the foundation supporting women in crisis pregnancy, visit desormeauxfoundation.org.

If you would like to support the foundation and the efforts of Handbook for Humanity to teach the truth about our bodies and sexuality, please visit https://desormeauxfoundation.org/donate/ and choose Theology of the Body Community of Acadiana in the funds field.

In this first episode we introduce you to the hosts, purpose, and mission of Handbook for Humanity. Join us weekly as we discuss truth about the body, spirit, and sexuality.

Handbook for Humanity is a production of the Desormeaux Foundation, a non-profit that works to support and celebrate life. If you would like to learn more about the work of the foundation supporting women in crisis pregnancy, visit desormeauxfoundation.org.

If you would like to support the foundation and the efforts of Handbook for Humanity to teach the truth about our bodies and sexuality, please visit https://desormeauxfoundation.org/donate/ and choose Theology of the Body Community of Acadiana in the funds fields.

We are back from our Thanksgiving break with a new show that starts our Holiday theme. Over the next few weeks we will be discussing how the message of Theology of the Body fits into the Christmas season and it's amazing traditions. This episode will take a look at how Christmas is a time of waiting that can prepare us for other times in our lives that require the skill to wait well.

Fun wishes to you and yours

We are glad you decided to join us for this show. We are continuing to discuss St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body including more on why shame came into the world. Listen in as Adele, Becki and Tom share JP II's teachings on how Adam and Eve discovered shame after losing the greatest gifts ever given to man.

Thanks for joining us for this episode that re-visits a topic St. John Paul II mentioned earlier in our discussion of Theology of the Body, "Shame". In this section we will start unpacking how man and woman's bad decision allowed shame to enter the world and cast doubt on many of God's greatest gifts. Listen in as our team shares some of their own struggles with bad decisions and how shame can bring about positive and negative experiences.

Thanks for joining us! As we continue to unpack St. John Paul II"s 2nd chapter in "Theology of the Body" this show looks at more of how JP II interprets Christ's appeal to the heart from the "Sermon on the Mount". Since this part of the book invites us to look more closely at our hearts we thought it would be a good idea to talk about something that helps shape our hearts, our experiences. We hope you enjoy this conversation that includes some newly recorded content on the role "human experiences" play in making us who we are as well as some previously recorded material that highlights some personal experiences that have shaped our lives.

Thanks for joining us today for our latest edition of "Handbook for Humanity". "Adultery" is our topic as we look at St. John Paul II's 25th audience in Theology of the Body. In this audience JP II uses Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount" to explain why, when thinking of other people and looking at other people, the heart is where our thoughts should come from and not our heads.

Thank you for spending some time with us today. We are moving back into Pope St. John Paul II's audiences as we start Chapter 2, "Christ appeals to the Human Heart. In other shows we've shared Theology of the Body is nothing new because its based on the Holy Scripture of the Bible. This beginning section of chapter 2 points directly at a Gospel event, The Sermon on the Mount. In this well known section of the Gospels JP II shares why Jesus was challenging those in attendance to search their hearts to find out who they were truly made to be.

This show starts a new 3 part series on a common experience that all of us have during our life time, suffering. If you are someone you know is experiencing suffering you don't want to miss this episode. As our team explains Pope St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body has a message to share about suffering and how it can bring you closer to becoming the person God intended you to be.

Thank you for wanting to know more about our latest podcast, "Complementarity is clear with Total Vision. This show provides more details about our upcoming "Total Vision 24" event taking place at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Lafayette, LA. It also includes a section of pre-recorded material from Total Vision presenter, Brian Butler, on the topic of how Theology of the Body can help your relationships become more complementary and less competitive.

Thank you for taking time to listen to our discussions on St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body. Today's episode celebrates the accomplishment of delivering 100 podcast recordings. We would be honored if you would join us as we take a walk down memory lane unpacking key moments from our top 5 most listened to episodes. Enjoy!

Thank you for spending some of your valuable time with us today! In this show we are going to take a break from our usual topics discussing St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body to share some exciting news about an upcoming TOB event. Listen in as Adele, Becki, Tom, Colby Allen and Brian Butler deliver exciting details about our 4th annual "Total Vision" seminar coming back to Acadian on October 18th and 19th. After listening to this episode you can click on the link below to register.

https://desormeauxfoundation.org/theology-of-the-body/

Hello and welcome in, we really appreciate you spending some of your valuable time with us! We have reached a milestone, today's show highlights the last part of the opening section of the Theology of the Body. This episode is on audience 23 titled, "Conclusion, an Integral Vision". In this audience JP II puts a nice bow on his inspiring gift explaining why it was so important to start with Jesus' quote," in the beginning, it was not so".

Thank you for sharing your time with us. This episode starts off on a dark note as our team looks at Pope St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body and it's views of one of the consequences of original sin, death. But don't let that get you down because in JP II's 22nd audience entitled, "knowledge stronger than death", we learn that God's all powerful love has given us a gift stronger than death.

Thanks for joining us for another episode. Today's show looks at the end of St. John Paul II's 21st audience entitled, "Knowledge as Possession". In this audience JP II uses the book of Genesis to look at concepts of truly knowing someone, truly loving someone and possessing someone with their freedom in mind. Listen in as Adele, Becki and Tom discuss the great pope saints concept of mutual possession and how it has the God given ability to mirror the Holy Trinity.

Did you ever wonder why God gave us bodies? There are many reason but one very important reason, according to St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body, is Parenthood. Listen in as Adele, Becki, and Tom discuss JP II's writings on the body and it's important role in multiplying God's greatest creation.

A link to the recording Becki spoke about in today's show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twxLvh5NTF4&list=PLkJWUPLVsn-CgW1nmFPF1pYJ85AdOQcQd

In this episode we are going to use St. John Paul II's, "Theology of the Body", to discuss the importance of words in our journey to understand ourseleves and our relationships with others. Join Adele, Becki and Tom as they break open JP II's 20th audience entitled "Knowledge and Procreation, Between poverty of expression and depth of meaning.

Have you ever wondered what questions God will ask you when you get to speak to Him in heaven? In this edition our team discusses why one question might be about the topic of "Gift of Self". St. John Paul II thought so much about this topic that he mentioned it over 100 times In Theology of the Body. Listen in as Adele, Becki and Tom share the reasons for this repetition by JP II as well as why being able to answer the question, "how have you been a gift", is so important.

Thank you for joining us on this journey toward knowledge and healing. Last week's episode was so rich and foundational to understanding Theology of the Body we decided to do an even deeper dive on the subject of Theology of Original Innocence. In this show the team discusses the thesis statement of Theology of the Body as well as key topics like; Adam and Eve first came as brother & sister in the same humanity, why intimate relationships seem like a task at times and many more.

Welcome to part 2 in our series on Couples and Theology of the Body. For the last few months our own Becki Landry has been working with 4 amazing couples in preparation to deliver a couples retreat on Theology of the Body. In the last show we introduced you to the couples as they shared insights about what got them interested in TOB. This show will highlight the information they will cover in the retreat and how each particular topic has made a lasting impact on their lives. If you are anywhere near south central Louisiana you can attend the retreat by contacting Heather Cormier at 318-359-1513. The retreat is scheduled for Feb. 15th from 8:00am to 4:30pm at St. Peter Church in Morrow, LA.

We are excited to be back after our short summer break and we are picking up right where we left off. Have you ever had experiences in your life that would be characterized as "awesome"? In today's show the team discusses St. John Paul II's audience on the topic of "Theology of Original Innocence. Original innocence is the time Adam and Eve spent before original sin. Listen in as Adele, Becki and Tom share how JP II uses Adam and Eve's experiences, before the fall, as a way to show what God has in store for his greatest creation.

Link for Theology of the Body Resources https://desormeauxfoundation.org/blog/

Have you ever been in a relationship and discovered the other person had ulterior motives to be with you? Today's show will share, according to St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body, what was missing in relationships like that and what to look for in others you would like to share deep meaningful experiences with. Listen in as Adele, Becki, and Tom start the show off where they left-off our last episode explaining how TOB points to innocence as being a crucial part of all meaningful and truthful relationships.

Welcome to Handbook for Humanity where we use the teachings of St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body to help guide us to a better understanding of God, ourselves, the people around us and the world we live in. If you like giving and receiving gifts you will love this show! Listen in as we take a look at the first gifts ever shared as well as a possible reason why we enjoy giving and receiving gifts.