Jesus was born in a stable, and warned his apostles how hard it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. To follow Christ, we must live a spirit of detachment from material things and even from our own likes and preferences. We must choose God above all things, allowing Christ to show us the way. A meditation by Father Timothy Uhen.
In this meditation, Father Henry Bocala reflects upon the core message of the founder of Opus Dei: seeking holiness in the middle of the world through our ordinary work. In the Gospel of Matthew, we read, “Be you perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Despite our defects and limitations, with God’s help, we can be saints. We can truly love God with all our heart, all our mind, all our soul, and all our strength. And we can find Him in our work and daily activities.
On Oct. 2, 1928, Saint Josemaria “saw” Opus Dei – he saw that God was calling him to proclaim the universal call to holiness. Jesus says to each of us, “Come follow me.” We are called to seek Christ, to find Christ, to love Christ. There is no greater goal for our lives. If we have Christ, we have everything. A meditation by Father Thomas Bohlin.
Saint Josemaria Escriva founded Opus Dei on Oct. 2, 1928, to foster the universal call to holiness. In this meditation, Father Timothy Uhen explores this important truth, that all of us are called to be saints, and that we can find Christ in our work and everyday activities.
In this meditation we consider the importance of humility. Humility is offering ourselves to the Lord, walking in the truth. And Scripture tells us: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." A meditation by Father Timothy Uhen.
In the home of Bethany, Jesus was a true friend of Martha, Mary and Lazarus. There, in Bethany, Jesus loved and was loved. And when Lazarus died, Scripture reports, “Jesus wept.” Let us reflect on the meaning of the friendship lived by Jesus, and try to be good friends ourselves.
Let us live our lives so that, one day, God may say to us: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over little things. I will set you over much.” A meditation by Father Tom Bohlin.
In our life, may we correspond to the mercy of God. Lord, help us to be wise. Help us to make good use of the talents you have given us. Help us to be charitable. A meditation by Father Timothy Uhen.
In this meditation, we reflect on the extraordinary gift that Christ has given us in the papacy: that Christ has appointed Peter, and his successors, to guide the Church. Listening more attentively to the Holy Father can help us live more deeply the joy of the Gospel. A meditation by Father John Agnew.
Each of us are called to answer the question that Christ posed to his Disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” It is not enough to know Jesus abstractly. We need to consider: Do we deal with Jesus as a friend? What place does Christ occupy in our life? A meditation by Father Henry Bocala.
Amidst the storms of life, we, like the apostles, can turn to Jesus, saying “Save us Lord, for we are perishing.” We should have faith, a faith that strengthens us both in times of difficulty and also as we go about our daily lives. With faith, we shall remember at all times Christ’s promise, “I will be with you always, until the end of the age.” A meditation by Father Timothy Uhen.
In this mediation we look at some of the great saints we encounter in the liturgy in August, including the Cure of Ars, Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Saint Monica, Saint Augustine, Saint John the Baptist. We celebrate the Assumption of Mary, the mother of Jesus and the greatest of saints. Taking advantage of the example, lives, and words of these great saints, let us strive to grow in holiness and become saints ourselves.
Following the example of Saint Mary Magdalene, each of us are called to begin, and begin again. Let us restore our life in Christ again and again, being made clean like Mary Magdalene, especially through confession. A meditation by Father Timothy Uhen.
Each of us, one day, must render an account to God. We are free, and in this life we have the opportunity to turn to God, or to reject him. Let us do our part, and, with God’s help, choose life. A retreat meditation given by Father Timothy Uhen.
In the Old Testament, the patriarch Joseph, who prefigures Christ, revealed himself to his brothers who had betrayed him. In their fear, they remained at a distance, but Joseph said, "Come closer to me." Our Lord does the same with each one of us. A meditation by Father Timothy Uhen.
Jesus, God, humbled himself upon the Cross. And He invites us, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart.” Let us strive to imitate the humility of Christ. A meditation by Father Timothy Uhen.
Jesus invites all of us to answer his question: "Who do you say that I am?" Let us foster a deep friendship with Jesus, our Lord, encountering him in all the events of our life, keeping up a loving conversation with him. A meditation by Father Henry Bocala.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, explains three reasons to cherish the spiritual legacy of Saint Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei. From the Cardinal's homily at the Mass for the Feast of Saint Josemaria, at Saint Patrick's Cathedral, June 26, 2023.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes “the heart” as our inner center, the place of truth and encounter, the place where we choose life or death. Do we fill our hearts with God? Considering the love of Jesus for us should be a spur for us to respond with a complete and total love for God. Create in me a clean heart, oh God. A meditation by Father John Agnew.
Pope Benedict XVI wrote that “the essential nucleus of Christianity is expressed in the Heart of Jesus.” May we come to know and love Christ through the warmth of his Sacred Heart. A meditation by Father Timothy Uhen.
Saint Augustine said that the fullness of joy, in which there is no greater, is to rejoice in the Trinity of God. When we reach heaven, we will spend eternity adoring God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We will never fully understand the Trinity, but we can ask God’s grace to reach a deeper understanding, that we better know and love each of the three Divine Persons. A mediation by Father John Agnew.
We have been made in the image and likeness of God. Our Lord has promised us that we are temples of the living God, temples of the Holy Spirit. This is a goal worth fighting for, worth cleansing ourselves for. With Christ’s help, we will make the effort to follow Christ, to live the life of a lover of God.
During her appearances at Fatima, the Blessed Virgin Mary encouraged the three shepherd children to pray for the conversion of souls. Christ wants to give us a new life. God has promised that he will wipe away our every tear. Let us live this in our daily lives, hoping in the peace that only Christ can give. A meditation by Father Timothy Uhen.
Each of us can recognize ourselves as a sinner, but our sins should not beat us down. We can always have hope, for Jesus says to us, “Wake up, and follow me.” Jesus helps us and waits for us to reply with our “yes.” With the help of Christ, and our cooperation with God's grace, we can have that joyful, hopeful expectation that one day we shall enter the joy of heaven.
In the Gospels, Mary is shown to us as mother, first at the Annunciation, as she becomes the mother of Jesus, and ultimately, at the foot of the Cross, when she is given to us as our mother. Mary became the mother of God when she gave her “yes” to the angel Gabriel. She continues now as our own mother, helping us , from heaven, with her tender, motherly intercession. A meditation by Father John Agnew.
How is my presence of God? We need times of quiet, putting away digital devices and other distractions, so that we can listen to God. That way can foster an awareness of God, we can become lovers of God. A meditation by Father Timothy Uhen.
In the Eucharistic discourse, in John’s Gospel, Jesus called upon us to eat his body and drink his blood: For his body is real food indeed, and his blood is real drink indeed. In response, each of us can pray, “Lord increase my faith. I want to be a Eucharistic soul, and, with your help, I want to go out and try to be a saint.” A meditation by Father Timothy Uhen.
In the Sermon on the Mount, in the Beatitudes, Christ comes to us with a new, radical teaching that points to us the ideals of Christian life. It is not enough to be good. Christ tells us what we need to do to be holy, to be perfect, to be a saint. A meditation by Father Henry Bocala.
Let us enter into Holy Week and Easter with openness to the love of God. See the love that Christ has shown us, with his Passion, Death and Resurrection. Through prayer, we can allow the the Risen Christ to speak to us. A meditation by Father Timothy Uhen.
Let us be like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus who recognize Christ in the breaking of the bread. In this meditation, Father Tom Bohlin leads us through the Mass, showing us how to live the Mass with greater love.
