“Our Lady of Sorrows is truly blessed and she is there for us.”Since 1913 the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows has been celebrated in the Church on September 15th, the day after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. On the podcast today we bring you a homily by Fr. John Waiss who reflects on on the beatitude, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,” and how Mary is “blessed among women” because she mourns with love. Fr. Waiss is the Pastor of St. Mary of the Angels Church...
Sep 11, 2015•21 min
In this podcast on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Fr. Javier del Castillo revisits the dogma of the Assumption, shares St. Josemaria’s devotion to Our Lady, and explains how we too can participate in the Assumption. What you’ll hear: 0:30 – On the Dogma of the Assumption as proclaimed by Pope Pius XII on November 1st, 1950. 2:50 – On the two artistic “scenes” of the Assumption 4:35 – St. Josemaria’s insights into the Assumption and the radiant beauty of the Blessed Virgi...
Aug 17, 2015•29 min
In today’s podcast, Fr. Javier del Castillo explains why priests need our prayers and reflects on the four characteristics of a priestly soul according to St. Josemaria Escriva. What You’ll Hear: 2:05 – Why pray for priests? 4:05 – How priests are like great chefs 5:30 – How the priesthood is a gift of God to the Church 8:25 – What is the vocation of a priest? 14:00 – How prayer for priests actually makes a difference 16:05 – St. Josemaria’s advice to his brother priests 17:35 – How St. John Via...
Aug 05, 2015•29 min
In today’s podcast, Fr. Javier del Castillo meditates on St. James the Apostle, a “son of thunder,” and reflects on how we too can become a magnanimous, humble, and daring disciple of Christ. What you’ll hear: 0:40 – About the nickname of St. James “son of thunder.” 1:20 – A theory on why the mother of the sons of Zebedee asked Jesus, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom.” (Matthew 20:21 )5:20 – A reflection on the call of Sts. J...
Jul 27, 2015•27 min
In this podcast, Fr. Javier del Castillo reflects on the role, purpose, and good of temporal authorities and why the right ordering of society should be built upon reason and natural law. What you’ll hear:- What Jesus taught about temporal authorities- How Joseph obeyed government laws and traveled for the census, even though Mary was pregnant - How Jesus was subject to the authority of Mary and Joseph - When St. Paul had recourse to his Roman citizenship - How the state should help us fulfill t...
Jul 07, 2015•27 min
Today on St. Josemaria Escriva’s Feast Day (June 26th), Fr. Javier del Castillo reflects in this new meditation on the patron saint of ordinary life and his 40 years of intercession from heaven. What you’ll hear: - Why St. Josemaria said that he would be more useful after his death - St. Josemaria’s favorite Gospel passage - How God used footprints in the snow to call St. Josemaria to his vocation - How St. Josemaria discerned the will of God - Why St. Josemaria initially became discouraged when...
Jun 26, 2015•33 min
In celebration of Father's Day, Fr. Javier del Castillo, Vice President of the St. Josemaria Institute, reflects in this new meditation on the important role of fatherhood in the family and modern society. Support the show THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Let us know that our podcast is important to you: Share your favorite episodes with others and leave us a rating or review. Stay connected with us on Facebook and Instagram . Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: www.stjosemaria.org Also, if you enjoy th...
Jun 21, 2015•31 min
On the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Fr. Javier del Castillo (Vicar of Opus Dei in the Midwest) reflects on three ways in which we can draw closer to the Heart of Christ. What You’ll Hear: - How the Sacraments of the Church are “born” from the Sacred Heart of Jesus - How God gives us a renewed heart - The three ways that we can identify ourselves with the Heart of Christ - Living the “Heroic Minute” - How the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Christ are closely connecte...
Jun 12, 2015•34 min
On this Feast of Corpus Christi, Fr. Javier del Castillo reflects on the mystery of the Eucharist, the memorial of Christ's sacrifice of infinite love. Support the show THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Let us know that our podcast is important to you: Share your favorite episodes with others and leave us a rating or review. Stay connected with us on Facebook and Instagram . Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: www.stjosemaria.org Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episode...
Jun 06, 2015•35 min
On the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity, Fr. Javier del Castillo reflects on what we know (by Faith), and what we cannot comprehend, about the three divine Persons of the blessed Trinity. What you’ll hear: - Why God created us - How the three Persons of the Trinity are distinguished from one another and how they are not- Our desire (and inability) to comprehend the great mystery of the Holy Trinity - How St. Athanasius fought to keep the mystery of the Trinity whole - The heresy that Arius taught ...
May 29, 2015•34 min
In this week’s podcast, Fr. Javier del Castillo shows how the Apostles were changed after receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and how we too can be docile to the promptings of the Spirit. What you’ll hear: - How the Church was truly universal at the very beginning - Why the Acts of the Apostles is sometimes referred to as the “Gospel of the Holy Spirit” - How the Apostles were different after receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost - The gifts of the Holy Spirit that the Apostles received at ...
May 21, 2015•35 min
In this homily from Blessed Alvaro’s Feast Day, Fr. Peter Armenio, priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei, shares some personal stories of his encounters with Blessed Alvaro del Portillo. What you’ll hear: -About Blessed Alvaro’s pilgrimage to St. Mary’s of the Angels Church in Chicago, IL -Fr. Peter Armenio’s encounters with, and stories of, Blessed Alvaro -About Blessed Alvaro’s personality -Blessed Alvaro’s recipe for happiness -How Blessed Alvaro helped Pope Saint John Paul II Support the show ...
May 14, 2015•18 min
Following the beatification of Bishop Alvaro del Portillo in 2014, the Church designated May 12th (the anniversary of his First Communion) as his feast day and it was celebrated for the first time in 2015. To mark the occasion, Fr. Javier del Castillo prepared a special meditation for listeners of the St. Josemaria Institute Podcast. Meditating on the nickname given to him by St. Josemaria, “Saxum,” which means “rock” in Latin, we reflect on Blessed Alvaro’s fortitude and how God sends us this g...
May 11, 2015•34 min
In this podcast, Fr. Javier del Castillo celebrates Mother’s Day by meditating on our Mother Mary, and why we should turn to her powerful intercession, especially in the Holy Rosary. He also reflects on the theology behind repetitive and intercessory prayer, and St. Josemaria’s suggestions for how to honor Mary in the month of May. What you will hear: - How Mary anticipates the needs of others in the Gospels - How becoming children of Mary leads to becoming children of God - Why we should turn t...
May 08, 2015•29 min
On this Feast of St. Joseph the Worker (May 1st), Fr. Peter Armenio explores how we can live like St. Joseph, following Christ amid the most mundane and ordinary circumstances of life. What you’ll hear: - How Joseph was central in the intellectual and social formation of Jesus - What Sacred Scripture and Tradition teaches about St. Joseph - How the lay vocation is perfectly illustrated by the life of Mary and Joseph Support the show THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Let us know that our podcast is import...
Apr 30, 2015•21 min
On April 25th we celebrate the Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist. St. Mark wrote one of the Gospel accounts and was a companion of St. Paul on his first missionary journey. However, in the Acts of the Apostles, we discover that St. Mark abandoned St. Paul, and that St. Paul would not allow St. Mark to accompany him on his second journey. In this meditation, Fr. Javier del Castillo explores the interesting dynamic between St. Paul and St. Mark, and what we can learn for our own life. Support the s...
Apr 24, 2015•32 min
Monday, April 20th 2015 is the anniversary of the election of the Prelate of Opus Dei, Bishop Javier Echevarria. Just as all bishops, he makes the Fatherhood of God present to us here and now. To celebrate this special anniversary, Fr. Javier del Castillo reflects on St. Paul’s understanding of spiritual fatherhood in his letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 4:14-16), and illustrates how St. Josemaria Escriva understood his calling to spiritual fatherhood, even at the young age of 26. Support the sh...
Apr 17, 2015•32 min
As the Easter season continues, we encounter another great feast, Divine Mercy Sunday. We invite you to take some time to reflect on the Gospel for this Sunday (John 20:19-31) with Fr. Javier del Castillo on the St. Josemaria Institute Podcast. In this meditation, we will see how Christ forgives us, just as He forgave Thomas and the Apostles for running from the Cross and not having believed on Good Friday. St. Josemaria recognized that God’s forgiveness is even more impressive than His ability ...
Apr 10, 2015•33 min
Today’s meditation by Fr Javier del Castillo on the St. Josemaria Institute Podcast invites us on this Good Friday to stand in the darkness with Mary, John, and the women at the foot of the cross of Jesus and to contemplate how Jesus, the Son of God, was able to overcome all his suffering and was able in his humanity to persevere until the end. Our encounter with Jesus on the cross leads us to understand how we are to embrace our cross, our ordinary cross. We are called to give freely what we ha...
Apr 01, 2015•33 min
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. What does our Lord try to teach us through today's celebration? Today's meditation by Fr Javier del Castillo on the St. Josemaria Institute Podcast helps us to reflect on the lessons that we can learn from the "little things" of today's Gospel- the donkey, the palm branches, and the rocks. Their apparently insignificant role in today's Gospel "point us to a deeper humility that will allow us to know the truth and have the courage to live by it." Supp...
Mar 27, 2015•31 min
As we begin the final week of Lent and prepare for Holy Week, we share with you on the St. Josemaria Institute Podcast a meditation for the Fifth Sunday of Lent: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life" (Jn 12: 23-25). Fr Ja...
Mar 20, 2015•32 min
Today on the St. Josemaria Institute podcast we bring you a special meditation in honor of the Solemnity of St Joseph.Who was Joseph? What was he called to do? How did he answer God’s call? How did he provide for the needs of Mary and Jesus? Fr Javier del Castillo invites us in this meditation to contemplate the holy life of Saint Joseph who was “a family man and an upright worker and citizen.” We also prayerfully consider this two-fold vocation in order to learn from Saint Joseph how we can liv...
Mar 18, 2015•33 min
In this meditation Fr Javier del Castillo invites us to reflect on a passage from the Second Reading of the Mass of the Fourth Sunday of Lent. God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ — by grace you have been saved — raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in ...
Mar 06, 2015•33 min
Our meditation today invites us to reflect on the value of the virtue of Holy Purity. “People in love demand total exclusivity,” explains Fr Javier del Castillo, “if their love is going to be sincere and true. Love requires a purity of heart… This is in essence what our Lord teaches us today in the Gospel, this Sunday.” “Since the Passover of the Jews was near,Jesus went up to Jerusalem.He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money changers seated there....
Mar 05, 2015•29 min
In the Gospel for the Mass of the Second Sunday of Lent (Mark 9:2-10) we contemplate the Transfiguration of Jesus. "Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.And he was transfigured before them…" (Mark 9:2). He takes them up Mount Tabor, as Fr Javier del Castillo explains in today's meditation, "to show them the full truth about himself, about his divinity, so that they can have hope in eternal life and they remember this experience of divinity, of bli...
Feb 27, 2015•30 min
The Gospel for the Mass of the First Sunday of Lent (Mark 1:12-15) tells of Jesus' forty days and temptation in the desert. In today's meditation, Fr Javier del Castillo asks us to contemplate Jesus' temptation as we begin the first week of Lent "to learn how to say yes to our Father God and to renounce Satan." And, we can learn to do that by understanding temptation and recognizing our personal struggles with temptations. In particular, Fr Javier draws our attention to three important character...
Feb 21, 2015•37 min
On February 7, 2015, over 100 guests participated in the St. Josemaria Institute’s 2015 inaugural conference “Pope Francis: His Life and Papacy and the Synod of the Family”, which was held at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois.Our speaker, Father Mark Manion, presented three talks on Pope Francis: First Conference-- Francis: A Brief Biographical Sketch in the Context of John Paul II and Benedict XVI Second Conference-- Unpacking the Joy of the Gospel Third Conference-- Post-Synodal Air and ...
Feb 18, 2015•49 min
On February 7, 2015, over 100 guests participated in the St. Josemaria Institute’s 2015 inaugural conference “Pope Francis: His Life and Papacy and the Synod of the Family”, which was held at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois. Our speaker, Father Mark Manion, presented three talks on Pope Francis: First Conference-- Francis: A Brief Biographical Sketch in the Context of John Paul II and Benedict XVI Second Conference-- Unpacking the Joy of the Gospel Third Conference-- Post-Synodal Air and...
Feb 18, 2015•59 min
On February 7, 2015, over 100 guests participated in the St. Josemaria Institute’s 2015 inaugural conference “Pope Francis: His Life and Papacy and the Synod of the Family”, which was held at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois. Our speaker, Father Mark Mannion, presented three talks on Pope Francis: First Conference-- Francis: A Brief Biographical Sketch in the Context of John Paul II and Benedict XVI Second Conference-- Unpacking the Joy of the Gospel Third Conference-- Post-Synodal Air an...
Feb 18, 2015•52 min
As we begin the holy season of Lent, Fr Javier del Castillo invites us in this meditation for Ash Wednesday to reflect on the readings and Gospel of today’s Mass and on the works we are called to fulfill during this time for our conversion: fasting, praying and almsgiving.“Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor 6:2) Father Javier explains that “now is the time to convert and to turn to the Lord.. [He gives us] an entire season of the liturgical year c...
Feb 17, 2015•34 min
