In this podcast, part of our Day of Recollection resources for the month of July , Fr. Leo Agustina reflects on fostering bright and cheerful homes so that the family can be a source of grace and a witness to the love and mercy of Christ. 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.stjo...
Jul 06, 2021•29 min
As we celebrate the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul on June 29, Fr. Peter Armenio shares a reflection on the heroic lives of these two great saints who accepted Christ’s invitation to repentance and fearlessly proclaimed the Kingdom of God. Their lives model for us a pathway of discipleship and illustrate the boundless love of God made known through the power of forgiveness. On this feast day, we pray for an increased trust in the Lord and the strength to fearlessly proclaim the faith in our da...
Jun 29, 2021•31 min
In honor of the Feast Day of St. Josemaria on June 26, Fr. Donncha Ó hAodha reflects on the origin and meaning of St. Josemaria’s title, “Saint of Ordinary Life”, and invites us to contemplate what God is saying and revealing to us as we seek the company and intercession of St. Josemaria. St. Josemaria said, “There is something holy, something divine, hidden in the most ordinary circumstances, and it’s up to each one of us to discover it.” Fr. Donncha, therefore, reminds us that the invitation o...
Jun 22, 2021•31 min
As we prepare to celebrate Father’s Day in the United States, Msgr. Fred Dolan shares a reflection on the important and necessary role fathers have within the family unit and in society today. Drawing upon anecdotes and heartfelt memories from his relationship with his own father, Msgr. Dolan shares seven points that can help fathers renew and strengthen their relationship with their spouse and children. [ Transcript ] Support the show THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Let us know that our podcast is imp...
Jun 15, 2021•30 min
In preparation for the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the Sacred Heart as an infinite treasure of love and mercy through which we come to know how much we are loved by God. We are invited to bring the truths of the Sacred Heart into our daily life for it is through this devotion which we can find the strength to withstand temptation and bear our cross, find hope amid discouragement, and find courage to evangelize no matter the circumstances. As we part...
Jun 08, 2021•32 min
In this podcast, Fr. Javier del Castillo reflects on the importance of spiritual direction as we pursue the path of holiness in everyday life. Fr. Javier shares Scriptural context for the basis of spiritual direction, offers practical advice on seeking out a spiritual director, and suggests what to discuss within the context of spiritual direction. This podcast is part of our Day of Recollection resources June 2021 . Support the show THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Let us know that our podcast is impor...
Jun 01, 2021•33 min
A Spiritual Retreat on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit guides us through a deeper understanding of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and shares practical applications of how to foster these gifts in our prayer and conversation with God. “We should be aware of the work of the Holy Spirit all around us, and in our own selves we should recognize the gifts he distributes, the movements and institutions he inspired, the affections and decisions he provokes in our hearts” (St. Josemaria Escriva; Christ ...
May 23, 2021•15 min
Concluding our Easter series, To and From Emmaus: In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on how the disciples’ encounter with Jesus Christ along the road to Emmaus serves as a template of evangelization, and how true evangelization is the ultimate fruit of our prayer and interior life. Jesus profoundly affected the hearts of his two companions – the disciples sense their hearts being uplifted, they sense that they are loved and affirmed, they sense the kindness and affection of Christ, and ...
May 18, 2021•29 min
Continuing our Easter series, To and From Emmaus : In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the importance of nurturing our interior life in order to draw close to our Heavenly Father and to share the light of Christ with others. As we see in the gospel passage, Christ makes himself known to the disciples through the breaking of the bread and in sharing of the Word. In this time of prayer and reflection, Fr. Peter challenges us to make resolutions that can help deepen our Eucharistic piety...
May 11, 2021•33 min
Continuing our Easter series, To and From Emmaus : In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the disciples’ desire for Jesus to remain with them as evening falls along their journey as a template for our vocation in which we seek to remain with Christ through our pursuit of holiness. The journey of the disciples provides for us a framework which we can apply to our Christian life as we turn away from sin and conform our life to Christ. St. Josemaria prompts us to ask: “Why don’t you give yo...
May 04, 2021•33 min
As we celebrate the feast of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1, we are pleased to share “Go to Joseph”: A Spiritual Retreat , a collection of meditations that invites us to contemplate the life of St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus Christ and model of virtue and leadership, and to understand more deeply: Why is the life of St. Joseph so important? Why did God choose St. Joseph to be his foster father on earth? What does St. Joseph’s life teach us about our own identities: where we come from and why...
May 01, 2021•31 min
Continuing our Easter series, To and From Emmaus : In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the disciples’ desire for Jesus to remain with them as evening falls along their journey. As we compare the journey to Emmaus with our personal journey toward eternal life with Christ, Fr. Peter reminds us that our time on Earth is short and therefore we should set out with urgency to fill our life with deeds of love.In this time of reflection and prayer, we are challenged to ask ourselves: “How muc...
Apr 27, 2021•33 min
On April 23, 1912, at the age of 10, St. Josemaria Escriva made his First Communion. In this podcast, on the anniversary of St. Josemaria’s First Communion, Fr. Leo Agustina reflects on Christ’s presence in the Eucharist, and how the Eucharist shows us Jesus as he is and ourselves as we are. As we pray and contemplate the presence of Christ in the silence of our heart, we see that Christ seeks to redeem us and to transform our hearts so that we may imitate his presence in the world today. His pr...
Apr 23, 2021•28 min
Continuing our Easter series, To and From Emmaus : In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the desire for conversion that Christ inspires within the disciples and how we can imitate this act of repentance and change of heart in our daily lives. Amid their journey to Emmaus, Christ prompts a conversation with the disciples and identifies the interior pain and restlessness they experience as a result of what they believe to be an absence of Christ. It is through this conversation that Chris...
Apr 20, 2021•31 min
Continuing our Easter series, To and From Emmaus : In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the disciples’ feeling of dejection and tragedy in response to Jesus’ death, not recognizing yet how his death and resurrection will become a symbol of conversion and transformation. We see, therefore, in the story of Emmaus that it is in the midst of our difficulties that we must turn to the Lord and unite our suffering to the Cross. Fr. Peter explains that though we may not always feel or perceive...
Apr 13, 2021•33 min
The St. Josemaria Institute is pleased to present a new seven-part podcast series by Fr. Peter Armenio on the road to Emmaus as a complement to your time of prayer as we celebrate the resurrection of Our Lord this Easter season. In this week’s podcast, the first of the series, Fr. Peter introduces us to the circumstances surrounding the disciples’ journey to Emmaus – what events are they leaving behind and what are they seeking as they walk ahead? The events that occur on the road to Emmaus serv...
Apr 06, 2021•32 min
Praying the Stations of the Cross with St. Josemaria Escriva is an invitation and guide to praying and contemplating the traditional fourteen stations following the way of Jesus Christ’s passion and death. Like the original, this adaptation of St. Josemaria’s beloved devotion, The Way of Cross, seeks to help people to pray and, with God's grace, to grow in a spirit of reparation and of gratitude to Our Lord, who has rescued us at the cost of his blood. Physical copies of Praying the Stations of ...
Mar 28, 2021•47 min
Fr. Donncha Ó hAodha concludes our Lenten podcast series by reflecting on how we can become vessels of God’s love and instruments of God’s grace through our participation in the Way of the Cross and sharing in Christ’s passion and death. Despite our sinful nature, Christ continues to call each of us to be witnesses of his love and mercy. Fr. Donncha explains that through our participation in the sacraments and through sanctifying our daily work, we can respond freely to the love of Christ and be...
Mar 21, 2021•29 min
The Church celebrates the Solemnity of St. Joseph on March 19, honoring St. Joseph as the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and earthly father of Christ. During this Year of St. Joseph proclaimed by Pope Francis, we are reminded to go to St. Joseph and discover in him an intercessor, a support and a guide. In this podcast, Fr. Leo Agustina shares a reflection on the freedom of St. Joseph which allowed him to be an instrument in the story of salvation and share in the joy of the life of Christ. F...
Mar 19, 2021•30 min
What is it like to be there on Mount Calvary, on Golgotha, at the moment of the death of Jesus in the company of Mary and St. John the Apostle and the Holy Women? Continuing our Lenten podcast series, Fr. Donncha Ó hAodha reflects on the wounds of Christ which helps us to realize our vocation to share in Our Lord’s suffering. As we contemplate Christ in his Passion, we are challenged to take part in it, allowing the cross to become a part of our daily life. By sharing in the cross of Our Lord, w...
Mar 14, 2021•30 min
A Spiritual Retreat on St. Joseph, Father and Protector guides us on a prayerful reflection on St. Joseph as our father and protector, and his role in our salvation. On this retreat, we are guided to contemplate the life of St. Joseph, his virtues and zeal, and take a contemplative look at our own lives. St. Joseph teaches us– despite our weaknesses, doubts, frailty, and sinfulness– how to see all the things of our lives as having a higher purpose and he helps us to desire and grow in virtue in ...
Mar 11, 2021•33 min
What does it mean to be healed by the wounds of Christ? And, through understanding this saving mystery, how can we make reparation and show our love for the body of Christ? In this podcast, Fr. Donncha Ó hAodha continues our Lenten podcast series contemplating Christ as a Man of Sorrows. Looking to the example of Christ, we come to realize that his suffering and Cross are also an essential part of our own biography as we cannot fully understand our past, present, and future without looking at Ou...
Mar 07, 2021•30 min
What is it like to see an adult who falls or has fallen to the ground?… And what does it mean for Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to fall to the ground? Continuing our Lenten series on the Way of the Cross, Fr. Donncha Ó hAodha reflects in this podcast on the tangible way God’s love is shown through his falls and physical weakness along the way to his crucifixion and death. Christ embraces his humanity and falls down out of love and solidarity with us to show that he is intimately involved in ever...
Feb 28, 2021•30 min
Published in 1981, The Way of the Cross -- a posthumous work of St. Josemaria Escriva -- has become a beloved devotion for Catholics worldwide. This season of Lent, we will be sharing a new five-part podcast series from Fr. Donncha Ó hAodha on the prominent themes found in The Way of the Cross that can help us to be renewed and strengthened in Christ’s love through the contemplation of his Passion and death on the Cross. In this first podcast of the series, Fr. Donncha shares a brief history of ...
Feb 21, 2021•29 min
In your decision to follow Christ, how can you become more in love with Jesus and never let that love grow stale? In this podcast, Msgr. Fred Dolan reflects on how the grace received in responding to our vocation to follow Christ gives us a lense through which we can continue to grow in loyalty, fidelity and constancy. With this spiritual outlook, maintaining our daily practice of prayer to keep our focus on Christ, we are encouraged to forge ahead through those moments in which we may encounter...
Feb 09, 2021•20 min
In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the Presentation of the Lord and the Church’s celebration of this feast on February 2. He explains the historical background of the event and what it means for us today, primarily that it is through the Presentation that we recognize Jesus as the Light of the World and we are given the hope of salvation. As disciples, Jesus’s Presentation is an invitation to bask in the Light and to radiate the Light among those we encounter each day, especially tho...
Feb 02, 2021•30 min
In this podcast, Rev. Javier del Castillo reflects on the lives of the early Church martyrs and the way they gave witness to their faith through the simple actions of everyday life. He explains how we too should foster an awareness of our personal sanctification and strive to be heroic in and through our ordinary circumstances. As we respond to the call to holiness with the same faith of the martyrs, we become cooperators in God’s divine plan and witnesses to the love of Christ. St. Josemaria ex...
Jan 26, 2021•34 min
How can we live a sanctified life and inherit the gift of eternal life? St. Josemaria explains: “Detach yourself from the goods of this world. Love and practice poverty of spirit: be content with what is sufficient for leading a simple and temperate life. Otherwise, you will never be an apostle” ( The Way , no. 631). This reflection from Fr. Peter Armenio offers three practical considerations in applying St. Josemaria’s teaching on detachment: to recognize that God is good and offers a lasting j...
Jan 12, 2021•33 min
As we look forward to the New Year and seek opportunities to begin again, we are pleased to begin a new podcast series reflecting on St. Josemaria’s homily The Richness of Ordinary Life, in which St. Josemaria puts before us the goal of personal sanctity and reminds us that the path of holiness lies in the little things of ordinary life. In this podcast, Fr. Leo Agustina draws inspiration from the Parable of the Sower and challenges us to cultivate an interior life full of “rich soil” through wh...
Jan 05, 2021•31 min
In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the Holy Family as the foundation and model of the love of Christ. We are reminded of the greatest event in history – God becoming human, becoming part of this universe. God came into this world through a family, spending the majority of his life in his home in Nazareth. It is through the hidden life of christ that we come to understand the great commandment, “love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 13.34). Christ spent the majority of his life pu...
Dec 27, 2020•25 min
