261 The First Shall Be Last, and the Last Shall Be First

Transcript Speaker 1: Jesus said, Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house, or brothers or sisters, or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, who will not receive a hundred times more. Now in this present age, houses and brothers and sisters, and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions and eternal life in the age to come. But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first. Speaker 2: You are listening to Scripture for your inner outcasts. It's Tuesday, May 26th, 2026. The memorial of Saint Philip Neri. Today we are joined by Peter Evans, a wife and mother and the founder of Essentia Life Center, a pregnancy resource center in Albury, Australia. Speaker 1: A reading from Mark ten, verses 28 to 31. Jesus said. Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house, or brothers or sisters, or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, who will not receive a hundred times more. Now in this present age, houses and brothers and sisters, and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions and eternal life in the age to come. But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first. Hello, it's great to be with you. And with permission, I would like to speak directly with your exiles. Those who feel young, small and lonely inside. I ask you to ponder these words. The first shall be last and the last first. What would it be like for you to be seen as this valuable. Protectors may have kept you away from God because you seem Unacceptable. And because protectors are motivated by what they do in the system, they may disregard you as only a painful reminder of difficult and uncomfortable memories or situations that they experience. I wonder if you can remember a time when you weren't the burden that you carry. You may not because you are so young, but I invite you to consider what you would rather be doing if you were free. Speaker 1: In my own system, former exiles are the young, vulnerable, very loving, open parts of me. They delight in beauty, and when they are free to love, they are trusting, generous, creative and hopeful. I have one exile who continues to struggle with the question, am I enough? Today Jesus says to this part, you feel deficient. Come forward and receive. I have what you need to feel adequate. Sufficient enough, I can satisfy that desire to be seen and delighted in. Are there memories coming up for you that the innermost self can communicate this truth, that God sees you first, and that your experience of loneliness, shame, and unmet needs can be witnessed to by the compassionate, innermost self, making a pathway between you and God that is not based on fear, but rather promising fulfillment and flourishing. Here are some words for your whole system to hear from Father Henry Nolan, which may initiate integration and openness between parts and encourage hope for the one who feels last rejected or not enough. I beg you, do not surrender the word chosen to the world. Dare to claim it as your own, even when it is constantly misunderstood. You must hold on to the truth that you are the chosen one. That truth is the bedrock on which you can build a life as the beloved. End quote. Speaker 2: If you're enjoying the content of this podcast, then the Resilient Catholics community might be a good fit for you. We're open to new members only three times a year, and the June cohort is going to open up right around the corner in preparation for the June cohort, which is named after Saint Mary Magdalene. We will be hosting an informational meeting on Tuesday, May 26th, 2026 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time. There's a link to join the Zoom in the description of today's show. And if you can't make it live, there will be a recording posted for you to view. Speaker 1: Let us end with our invocations. Our Lady, our mother, Untier of knots. Pray for us. Saint Joseph, pray for us. Saint John the Baptist pray for us. And Saint Philip Neri, pray for us.