In this podcast, as we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord, Fr. Peter Armenio shares a reflection on the three gifts the Magi presented to the infant Jesus and the significance of those gifts in our spiritual life today. As St. Josemaria explains, “[The Lord] does not care for riches, nor for the fruits or the beasts of the earth, nor for the sea or the air, because they all belong to him. He wants something intimate, which we have to give him freely: ‘My son, give me your heart’. Do you see? God...
Jan 05, 2020•27 min
In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio shares a reflection on the three Advents we encounter in life and, as we come closer to Christmas, explains what it means to become Bethlehem–to get to know Jesus Christ, follow him, and bring him to others. 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....
Dec 22, 2019•28 min
In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on joy as an essential characteristic to our participation in the new evangelization. Throughout the Advent season, we seek to remove the obstacles that separate us from God and prepare to receive the outpouring of joy so that we may become a witness to the love of God the Father. 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 con...
Dec 16, 2019•23 min
In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the connection between joy and our personal encounter with Jesus Christ, and how that connection overflows and influences our ability to bring Jesus Christ to others. He also emphasizes how our Lady, the first evangelizer, teaches us how to lead with joy when she visits her cousin, Elizabeth, and announces her Magnificat. Support the show THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Let us know that our podcast is important to you: Share your favorite episodes with oth...
Dec 08, 2019•29 min
In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio leads us through steps we can take to help prepare our hearts to welcome God Incarnate this Christmas season. These steps include: contact with Christ by making a commitment to speak with Him and seek Him in our daily prayer; contemplate the mystery of the birth of Our Savior, Jesus Christ; and conform our life to the way of Christ. Support the show THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Let us know that our podcast is important to you: Share your favorite episodes with othe...
Dec 01, 2019•32 min
As we celebrate Thanksgiving Day in the United States, Fr. Javier del Castillo reminds us in this mediation, as St Josemaria Escriva often did, that we ought to thank God always by habitually making frequent acts of thanksgiving, acts of gratitude. Fr. Javier explains: “We were never asked by God to come into existence. Everything we have–our talents, our virtues, even our defects–all have been foreseen by God, allowed by God, and given to us by God so that we can fulfill the single mission that...
Nov 28, 2019•28 min
Drawing inspiration from the Feast of St Andrew celebrated on November 30, the first day of the Novena to the Immaculate Conception, Fr. Peter Armenio shares a reflection on our role as witnesses to the love of Christ and participants in the work of evangelization. Following in the example of Mary, who put Christ first and journeyed alongside Him throughout her life, we too must place Christ at the center of our lives. Once we surrender ourselves to the will of the Father, we allow for His grace...
Nov 21, 2019•26 min
On Sunday, November 24, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Christ the King. It is a day to celebrate and remember that “Christ, true God and true man, lives and reigns. He is the Lord of the universe. Everything that lives is kept in existence only through him” ( Christ Is Passing By , no. 180). On this feast we also end the liturgical year and begin to prepare for Advent and Christmas. In this podcast, Msgr. Fred Dolan reflects on St Josemaria’s approach to the spiritual life in which we mu...
Nov 19, 2019•24 min
Throughout the month of November, the Catholic Church commemorates all the faithful souls who have departed this life but have not yet attained the joy of heaven. The Church encourages us to pray for the souls in purgatory, so that they may be freed from the bondage of sin and admitted to their eternal reward in heaven.In this podcast, Msgr. Fred Dolan shares how we can approach our responsibility to intercede for the holy souls in purgatory. Keeping in mind those who have gone before us leads u...
Nov 12, 2019•27 min
The Catholic Church in the United States is celebrating National Vocation Awareness Week from November 3-9, 2019. The celebration is dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life through prayer and education, and to renewing our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations. In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio shares a reflection on the call to live out our baptismal vocation to be a saint. The path to sainthood begins wi...
Nov 05, 2019•27 min
On November 1, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints and, in the Gospel for the day, we hear Jesus’ teaching on the beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12A). In this podcast, Msgr. Fred Dolan shares a reflection on how Christ gave us the beatitudes as an explanation of what it means to be holy and to help us navigate our personal journey towards holiness. We reflect on how striving for holiness is influenced by our correspondence to God’s grace as we see in the example of the saints. In contempl...
Oct 29, 2019•25 min
In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio shares a reflection on the spirituality of St. John Paul II, whose feast day is celebrated October 22. St. John Paul II rooted his papacy in the Eucharist and devotion to Mary, inspiring holiness in people of all backgrounds from across the globe. There are many aspects we can learn from the papacy of St. John Paul II, but most importantly he taught us: how to pray, how to love, and how to serve. As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI wrote: “Everyone knows John Paul II...
Oct 22, 2019•27 min
St. Teresa of Avila, whose feast day is celebrated October 15, is a Doctor of the Church known for her work in the movement of spiritual and monastic renewal within Spain during the Counter-Reformation. Her written works are highly regarded among mystical literature in the Catholic Church and continue to inspire readers today. In this podcast, Fr. Javier del Castillo shares insight into the life of St. Teresa of Avila and reflects on an important lesson we can learn from her: the necessity of pr...
Oct 15, 2019•37 min
In celebrating the month of the Holy Rosary, we share a reflection from Msgr. Fred Dolan on the importance of Marian devotion. This reflection leads us to consider our own relationship with Mary, through whom we are led closer to the heart of Christ. As St. Josemaria Escriva wrote: “Today as in other times, the rosary must be a powerful weapon, to enable us to win in our interior struggle, and to help all souls. Exalt holy Mary with your tongue: God asks you for reparation, and for praise from y...
Oct 08, 2019•25 min
October 2 marks the anniversary of the founding of Opus Dei by St. Josemaria Escriva in 1928. St. Josemaria saw and understood that the laity, not only priests and religious, are called by God to a life of holiness through their work, family, and personal interests, married or single. He set out to found Opus Dei as a means to offer a spirituality for the laity and the means to help them persevere in their calling to live and work as one more in the world. In this podcast, Fr. Javier del Castill...
Oct 01, 2019•32 min
Throughout the month of September, the St. Josemaria Institute is celebrating the 80th anniversary of the first publication of The Way by St. Josemaria. For thousands of people today, The Way is a beloved guide to prayer that helps readers in their effort to get to know Jesus Christ and to strive for holiness in everyday life. We end our four-part podcast series on The Way with a talk by Fr. Javier del Castillo who reflects on the top four points shared and referenced across social media in the ...
Sep 24, 2019•25 min
The Way is a practical guidebook for our spiritual life that offers insight into real life experiences. The points found in The Way came about from the fruit of St. Josemaria’s interior life paired with intense spiritual direction. He wrote frequently about what he was experiencing, and although the points touch on many facets of life, the core of St. Josemaria’s message is that we are all beloved children of God. In this podcast, Msgr. Fred Dolan offers a reflection on key points from The Way t...
Sep 17, 2019•28 min
Continuing our celebration of the 80th Anniversary of the first publication of The Way by St. Josemaria Escriva, we share a new podcast on utilizing The Way as a spiritual resource during your time of prayer. Throughout his life, St. Josemaria stressed the importance of maintaining a strong prayer life and used it as the foundational element of his apostolate, Opus Dei. He explained that if we are to be holy and centered on Christ, we must first contemplate Him in prayerful recollection and sile...
Sep 10, 2019•29 min
Published in 1939, The Way by St. Josemaria Escriva has become a spiritual classic that has been translated to over 40 languages and sold millions of copies worldwide. In this podcast, Fr. Javier del Castillo introduces listeners to The Way : what inspired its content and how it continues to provide spiritual wisdom and counsel to readers today. Unlike most spiritual works, St. Josemaria compiled the book to be used as an aid in prayer and it is not intended to be read straight through from cove...
Sep 03, 2019•32 min
"Mary seated herself at the Lord's feet, and listened to his word." (Luke 10:39) "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; but only one thing is necessary." (Luke 10:41) A Spiritual Retreat on the Raising of Lazarus walks you through the Gospel account in which Christ demonstrates his power over death by restoring Lazarus to life - a prefigurement of our own resurrection to new life with Christ. As you listen to this retreat, you will be able to journey with Christ as he e...
Aug 27, 2019•28 min
In this podcast, Fr. Javier del Castillo shares a meditation inspired by the phrase, “an hour of study, for a modern apostle, is an hour of prayer” (St. Josemaria Escriva; The Way , no. 335). Approaching academic learning as a form of prayer is not a way of life designed solely for students. Rather, it is a way of life that all Christians should adopt as it helps us develop a stronger worldview. Fr. Javier discusses how to approach Scripture, the lives of the saints, and the writings of the Chur...
Aug 20, 2019•36 min
On August 15, the Church celebrates the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Mother. She is the woman clothed with the sun, the moon is beneath her feet, and is crowned with twelve stars. We love her tenderly and through her actions she shows us what a life of faith looks like. What it means to become filled with trust and a joy that unable to be disturbed by difficulties.How does this life of Faith begin? Follow Mother Mary’s example: - When the Blessed Virgin Mary was in contemplative pr...
Aug 13, 2019•17 min
On August 6th, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. On today's podcast, we listen and reflect on the “background” and meaning of the Transfiguration, and how contemplating the scene of the Transfiguration continues to transform us today: — The Transfiguration of Jesus encourages us in our commitment to discipleship. — When we commit to protracted prayer—deep, silent, concentrated—we can see God through the eyes of our soul and heart. — The Transfiguration helped th...
Aug 06, 2019•26 min
In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the home of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in Nazareth, their example of a "bright and cheerful home", and why building a strong family foundation rooted in love and joy is essential to the new evangelization. Like St. Josemaria Escriva, we can go to St. Joseph to learn the "secret" to knowing Jesus Christ and bringing him to our family and others: “Saint Joseph, our Father and Lord: most chaste, most pure. You were found worthy to carry the Child Jesus in...
Jul 30, 2019•26 min
Why is marriage important to society today? And, what distinguishes a healthy marriage from one that is in serious trouble? On this podcast, Msgr. Fred Dolan reflects on the Sacrament of Marriage and how it is the cornerstone to society and the image of the eternal love between Christ and his Church.Marriage is the pathway for spouses to lead one another to heaven. For a marriage to flourish, it must be grounded so that each spouse is able to see the other as God sees him or her. Spouses must se...
Jul 23, 2019•29 min
Jesus’ mother said to him, ‘They have no more wine.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’” (Jn 2:3) A Spiritual Retreat in the Footsteps of Mary guides us through the life of Mary as we seek to renew and transform our own life of faith through prayer. Following in Mary’s example of responding to God’s call to love and serve unconditionally, we are each called to reach that same height of holiness. As you listen to this retreat, you will be able to reflect with Mary upon t...
Jul 16, 2019•31 min
In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the importance of the virtue of humility in the spiritual life. The need for a spiritual life stems from a desire to reject our sinful nature; that is, our realization that we are sinners moves us to want to grow spiritually, to follow Christ. And, without humility, the biggest obstacle to following Christ is self-importance. Each one of us has certain gifts within the spiritual life but we are not the origin of these gifts – they have been given to...
Jul 09, 2019•26 min
On Saturday, July 6, the Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Maria Goretti, who is honored for her heroic resistance when a young man tried to seduce her when she was eleven years of age. After resisting the young man’s actions, Saint Maria Goretti was stabbed fourteen times and died four days later as a result of the wounds. She forgave her assailant multiple times and prayed for his repentance and conversion throughout her final days. In this podcast, Rev. Peter Armenio shares a reflection on...
Jul 02, 2019•31 min
In this podcast, as we prepare to celebrate the feast day of St. Josemaria, Msgr. Fred Dolan shares a reflection on the life of St. Josemaria and the inspiration behind Opus Dei. In Scripture, Christ compares the Kingdom of God to a tiny mustard seed that will grow and flourish over time. On October 2, 1928, God led St. Josemaria to discover his own mustard seed - the work of Opus Dei. St. Josemaria showed the world that holiness is not something extraordinary, rather, something ordinary which c...
Jun 24, 2019•27 min
This Sunday the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) when “we come together to consider the depths of our Lord’s love for us, which has led him to stay with us, hidden under the appearances of the Blessed Sacrament” (St. Josemaria Escriva; Christ is Passing By , no. 150). Present under the property of bread and wine, the Church believes the Eucharist is fully the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armen...
Jun 18, 2019•30 min
