In this podcast, as we continue our Lenten devotions, Fr. Eric Nicolai reflects on Jesus' fasting in the desert for 40 days. Why did he do that? Because the desert didn’t offer him absolutely anything, so he relied entirely on his Father. He overcame the devil’s temptations. As soon as he left the desert, he began his ministry. The purpose of our mortification is not to become stoic and impervious to pain. The real purpose was outlined by St. Paul: "I have been crucified with Christ and it is no...
Mar 16, 2023•30 min
In this podcast, as we continue our Lenten devotions, Fr. Peter Armenio reminds us of the importance of getting to know Christ, our Divine Friend, and using the Gospels as a medium to hear him and to speak to him. Fr. Peter explains how “the purpose of Lent is to get closer to Jesus” and one of the best ways of doing this is by following the Church’s three Lenten pillars—prayer fasting, and almsgiving—as they all lead us to keep us focused on and in communication with Christ. In the same way tha...
Mar 09, 2023•28 min
In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio explains how knowing about Jesus Christ differs from knowing him. And, in order to know Christ, Fr. Peter encourages us to foster a personal relationship with him, with “the knowledge of the heart, the knowledge of a relationship, the knowledge a man and a woman have of each other when they’re courting…” Getting to know him requires intimate conversation, which begins with the “desire to seek Christ.” As St. Josemaria would say, we must seek him “hungrily” and ...
Mar 03, 2023•23 min
In this podcast, Fr. Javier del Castillo invites us to reflect on how love makes God visible in the world because God gives himself entirely to us. “God is loving us with his 100%. He actually has nothing else to give us, except himself… Think of the Eucharist. There’s nothing else for Him to give.” And so, how can we pay back such great love? With love. Recalling the Gospel passage of the Widow’s Mite, Fr. Javier reflects on Jesus’ comment to the Apostles: “She has put in from her want, not fro...
Feb 23, 2023•29 min
“Now is the day of salvation, now is an acceptable time… For what ?” As we begin the holy season of Lent, Fr. Javier del Castillo reflects on the readings for Ash Wednesday which remind us once again that now is the time for conversion — Lent is a time for conversion. Our Lord gives us an entire season of the liturgical year to turn back to Him, to be reconciled to God, to purify ourselves, and to identify ourselves with God’s suffering. Our conversion does not have to be big and showy. In fact,...
Feb 20, 2023•32 min
In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio shares a historical reflection on the 80th anniversary of St. Josemaria Escriva’s founding of the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross on February 14, 1943. Fifteen years after founding Opus Dei (October 2, 1928), St. Josemaria finally saw “a way, a canonical solution to have priests in Opus Dei.” St. Josemaria had realized early on that Opus Dei needed priests “who have that heightened awareness that Christ wants to be in the workplace. He wants to be in the fam...
Feb 14, 2023•19 min
In this special podcast, Fr. Javier del Castillo reflects on the feast of Mary, Mother of Fairest Love (February 14th), and the significance of this Marian title in the life of the Church and the history of Opus Dei. Rooted in the Old Testament, Fr. Javier explains how “fair” in this title of Our Lady refers to “beauty” and “fairest love” means “the most beautiful love.” He also explains how St. Josemaria Escriva helped to revive the devotion to this title applying it to Mary as “the guardian of...
Feb 11, 2023•24 min
In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the meaning of the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ and why “to be a follower of Christ, we have to love the Church.” In the Letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul writes about the Church being “without stain or wrinkle.” Fr. Peter points out that, in today’s media, we often read about and see things that make this seem impossible. Yet the Church is lovable because it was founded by “God himself, God made man,” and Christ defines the Church as “the ...
Feb 06, 2023•19 min
In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on how Jesus’ example and teachings on humility are key to knowing ourselves and to knowing God. Reflecting on Scripture, specifically the parable of the Pharisee and the publican, Fr. Peter highlights how we can only know God, and give ourselves to Him, when we own ourselves and are not held back by our pride, resentments, self-absorption, or sinfulness. St. Josemaria Escriva said that Jesus’ greatest act of humility is to be a “prisoner behind the ap...
Jan 30, 2023•28 min
In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio guides us to reflect upon the importance of loving God, being united to Him, and being a light in the world that extends and radiates His love to others. But how does God expect us to do this in our lives? Drawing upon the Gospel story of the Rich Young Man, Fr. Peter points out the “three steps” that Jesus shares with the young man to be happy and attain eternal life: 1) make God the center of your life because only God is good and can satisfy you; 2) live the...
Jan 23, 2023•24 min
In this podcast, Msgr. Dolan reflects on how “our spiritual life is a school of happiness where we learn how to be happy, no matter what.” The Christian way of life involves great difficulty and sacrifice, yet as the Apostles understood, “nothing could compare with the joy of a life with Jesus.” Jesus teaches us what it means to be really and truly happy. Msgr. Dolan also explains that our life of prayer sharpens our vision of the things that really matter and helps us protect that happiness tha...
Jan 17, 2023•15 min
In this podcast, Fr. Leo Agustina helps us realize that no matter how much we prepare, spiritually or materially, Christmas comes, and we never feel ready. There is always a contrast “between the purity and the beauty” of Christ’s coming and the “inadequacy” of our hearts to receive Him. Therefore, Fr. Leo invites us to adopt the humility and openness of the “broken figures” (or characters) who we find and imagine at the first nativity scene. They show us how all that is needed to welcome Christ...
Jan 03, 2023•26 min
In this podcast, Msgr. Fred Dolan invites us to reflect more deeply on the Nativity of Our Lord. “In the Incarnation,” he says, “God has come not only to unleash our power of loving and adoring God but also to give us a model on how to become more fully human." Recalling a famous short story from 1906, titled, “The Gift of the Magi,” Msgr. Dolan gives us the “antidote” to that attitude of commercialization that often accompanies the Christmas season. He helps us ponder the fact that what matters...
Dec 26, 2022•28 min
In this podcast for the Fourth Week of Advent, Fr. Peter Armenio helps us continue our preparation to "be ready" for Christmas—the celebration of our transcendent God breaking into our own world in the fullness of time—by contemplating Jesus Christ as the true source of peace and joy. St. Paul preached not that Jesus is peaceful but that He is peace; Isaiah calls Him the Prince of Peace; and Jesus tells us: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to y...
Dec 15, 2022•28 min
In this podcast for the Third Week of Advent, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the readings for the Mass of the third Sunday of Advent also known as “Gaudete Sunday” or “Rejoice Sunday”. The very first description of Jesus in the Gospel is that he is "good news of great joy" (Luke 2:10). Great joy always surrounds Him and there is always a joyous reaction in the presence of Our Lord. Therefore, one tell-tale sign that we are in the right disposition for Him to come to us is the prominent fruit of t...
Dec 08, 2022•32 min
In this podcast for the Second Week of Advent, Fr. Peter Armenio directs our attention to the metaphors of conversion found in the gospel description of St. John the Baptist: "A voice of one crying in the desert, 'prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths.'" We, too, want to be imitators of John the Baptist, "albeit in a flawed and imperfect way," as Fr. Peter explains. He points out, "It’s not about my talents, my gifts, my skills; but it is about letting that Christ who lives in me ...
Dec 02, 2022•28 min
In this podcast, Fr. Fred Dolan reminds us how this time of meditation and prayer is so important to preparing ourselves for the feast of Christmas, especially because Our Lord wants us to make the resolution "to have our eyes wide open in order to discover all the growth that must be taking place on the inside" during this season of Advent. Fr. Dolan explains how our interior growth greatly depends on our acknowledging our dignity as God's beloved children. The core of our identities and our de...
Dec 01, 2022•18 min
In this podcast for the First Week of Advent, Fr. Fred Dolan helps us to reflect on this time that we are given to prepare for that central moment in history when God took on our flesh and began to walk among us. Advent is a time to ready ourselves for our eventual meeting with the very person whom we are awaiting and trying to imitate, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Advent, therefore, is a time for conversion. We should not be content with making a few small adjustments that really don’t make much of a...
Nov 28, 2022•27 min
In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the fact that "we're not called to make it [to Heaven] by the skin of our teeth." We are called to make use of all of our time on earth to become saints. But, as St. Josemaria Escriva said, "Time is short, too short to love!" Therefore, Our Lord wants us always to have an overarching goal, which is holiness. This doesn't mean that we don't have other interests, explains Fr. Peter, or that we must become indifferent to everything else. What it does m...
Nov 21, 2022•27 min
In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio explains an important aspect regarding the Communion of Saints: "the holier you are, the more you help the Church, the more you help the world; it's that simple, that challenging as well." If we want to help the Church, we need to become holier, so that by our deeds of love and charity we will draw many souls to Christ. St. Josemaria Escriva said, "The Communion of Saints. How shall I explain it to you? You've heard what blood transfusions do for the body. Well...
Nov 14, 2022•23 min
In this podcast, Fr. Javier del Castillo shares the importance and conditions for transmitting our gift of faith, “especially to our loved ones and especially to our children.” Recognizing that faith is a gift that all Christians receive at baptism, the main thing that our children (and everyone around us) must see is whether we are willing to live and die for our faith. Fr. Javier explains that to live by faith means, “I have to give witness, not a counter witness… I have to preach with my life...
Nov 07, 2022•20 min
In this podcast, Fr. Eric Nicolai reminds us that praying the Way of the Cross can often be a moment of conversion for a soul that feels impelled by the realization that Jesus suffered out of love for us. It makes us want to undertake greater things in our life, and to open our heart to the call of God. He explains that, “for us to do something truly great, it must somehow be a response to God’s grace, God’s transformative love.” After Peter betrayed Jesus, he experienced that gaze from Jesus in...
Oct 24, 2022•23 min
In this podcast, Fr. Donncha helps us consider that the Christian vocation to holiness rests upon our ability to let God work in and through us. So often may believe that becoming saints is a matter of our own personal striving. Yet "holiness, to a great degree," he says, is "letting God work." He continues: "It's not a matter of gritting my teeth and straining my muscles...holiness is fundamentally going at God's pace. It's saying to Our Lord, with the spirit of Mary...'Let it be done unto me a...
Oct 18, 2022•20 min
In this podcast, Msgr. Fred Dolan examines three critical players in our spiritual life: the intellect, will, and heart. He offers a view of our life as a “journey back home,” relating the perilous journey in Homer’s Odyssey as a way of understanding the dangers confronting the Christian life in the modern world. “What a shame it would be,” he says, “to allow our day, our life, to be shipwrecked by the sirens of YouTube, a Netflix series, or Tik Tok.” Ultimately, Odysseus and his crew made it ho...
Oct 10, 2022•21 min
In this podcast, Fr. Peter commemorates the canonization of St. Josemaria Escriva as well as the background of the founding of Opus Dei. He talks about the light St. Josemaria received on that fateful 2nd of October, after a decade of constant prayer, and how that light came to illuminate the rest of his life. We are also privileged to hear about Fr. Peter's own experience at the canonization of St. Josemaria, which he says was filled with people from all walks of life, and from many different c...
Oct 05, 2022•28 min
In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio speaks of the New Evangelization, a term coined by St. John Paul II, as the “original evangelization.” The early Christians did not go into far off lands to convert others to Christ, they started where they were: in their families, their workplace, their circle of friends. By sharing the Gospel with others, one by one, they eventually changed the culture and the world. The example of the early Christians reminds us that we don’t need to leave our place in the w...
Oct 03, 2022•30 min
In this podcast, Fr. Javier del Castillo shares an insightful reflection on the Holy Archangels – St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael – in honor of their feast day on September 29. Fr. Javier explains how "the work of the Archangels is really one of service to God, adoring God, being messengers of God, and helping mankind reach its ultimate end of going back to God." As he reflects on the tasks of the Archangels in the history of salvation, Fr. Javier also shares anecdotes about St. Josema...
Sep 26, 2022•28 min
In this podcast, Msgr. Fred Dolan underscores the perennial importance of persevering in our ascetical or interior struggle for "going higher and higher, doing whatever it takes to aim high, and to reach Heaven." We know that the Christian life is not compatible with self-satisfied mediocrity, love of comfort, and lukewarmness. We need great moral strength to reach Heaven and that means a daily perseverance towards sanctity. Therefore, as Msgr. Dolan explains, "to go higher and to get there requ...
Sep 19, 2022•24 min
In this podcast, Fr. Javier del Castillo explores the meaning that our human suffering can assume when we offer it out of love to God. He explains that “the Lord has not come to get rid of suffering– we continue to suffer all the time –but he has come to give it meaning with his Cross; he has come to give it the meaning of love.” As we unite ourselves to the Cross of Christ, our hearts expand to a deeper outpouring of love among those around us. If we embrace our Cross in this way, we too will "...
Sep 13, 2022•18 min
In this podcast, Msgr. Fred Dolan invites us to remember how closely the Good Shepherd walks with us in our daily lives. He knows everything about us and is there at every moment, ever ready to guide, inspire, and support us as we aim to live out the particular vocation He has lovingly entrusted to us. God takes a risk with you. As St. John Henry Newman explains, “[God] has committed some work to [you] that he has not committed to another. [You] have [your] mission. He has not created [you] for ...
Sep 05, 2022•25 min
