St. Josemaria Institute Podcast

How can you create a family environment in which each person can thrive?In this podcast, Msgr. Fred Dolan concludes our series, Marriage: A Christian Vocation, by reflecting on the virtues and ideals necessary to build up a strong, Christian family. Looking to the Holy Family as our example, Msgr. Dolan encourages all men and women to go about parenting in a thoughtful way, ready to invest the time and effort necessary to foster the following virtues in the home: faith, trust, patience, resilience, and joy.As St. Josemaria explains: “Every Christian home should be a place of peace and serenity. In spite of the small frustrations of daily life, an atmosphere of profound and sincere affection should reign there together with a deep-rooted calm, which is the result of authentic faith that is put into practice” (Christ is Passing By, no. 22).[ Transcript ] [ Visit Show Page ]Support the showTHANK YOU FOR LISTENING!Let us know that our podcast is important to you: Share your favorite episodes with others and leav

Continuing our series, Marriage: A Christian Vocation: In this podcast, Msgr. Dolan reflects on safeguarding the holy sacrament of matrimony through the trials and temptations that may arise. He explains that couples are called to continually seek the good of the other and to give of oneself just as Jesus gave himself to the point of death for each one of us.St. Josemaria reminds us: “We would have a poor idea of marriage and of human affection if we were to think that love and joy come to an end when difficulties arise. It is precisely then that our true sentiments come to the surface. Then the tenderness of a person’s gift takes root and shows itself in a true and profound affection that is stronger than death” (Christ is Passing By, no. 24).[ Transcript ] [ Visit Show Page ]Support the showTHANK 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 wee

Through June 2022, in union with the whole Church, the St. Josemaria Institute podcasts, reflections and programs will be celebrating the topic of the Joy of the Family. This month, we will begin with a three-part series from Msgr. Fred Dolan offering a deeper reflection on the sacrament of marriage as a Christian vocation.Msgr. Dolan begins this series by sharing considerations from Pope Francis’ recent Letter to Married Couples for the “Amoris Laetitia Family” Year. Drawing upon the example of Mary and Joseph, we are given an example of how to respond to unexpected circumstances with faith and confidence in God’s loving providence.Pope Francis reminds us: “Marriage, as a vocation, calls you to steer a tiny boat across a sometimes stormy sea. Let us never forget, though, that by virtue of the sacrament of matrimony, Jesus is present in that boat; he is concerned for you and he remains at your side amid the tempest.”[ Transcript ] [ Visit Show Page ]Support the showTHANK YOU FOR LISTENING!Let us know that our

In this podcast, part of our Day of Recollection resources for the month of January, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on our call to be sowers of peace and joy in the world today as we seek to lift up one another in charity. We see in Scripture that Christ comes to us as the good news of great joy, coming to Earth to save each person from sin. Fr. Peter reminds us that we are called to be an extension of Christ, reflecting his light and love to all people, living out the mission of the universal Church.St. Josemaria explains: “Christian apostolate is not a political program or a cultural alternative. It implies the spreading of good, infecting others with a desire to love, sowing peace and joy. We have the obligation of leading a fully Christian life, of becoming saints, of not betraying God and all those who expect a Christian to be an example and a source of truth” (Christ is Passing By, no. 124).[ Transcript ]Support the showTHANK YOU FOR LISTENING!Let us know that our podcast is important to you: Share your fa

Do you have the aspiration, the desire, to give yourself completely to God? What is holding you back?In this podcast, as we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (January 1), Fr. Donncha Ó hAodha reflects on our vocation as children of God and our calling to begin again as we give witness to the incarnate love of God the Father. Fr. Donncha explains: “The Lord wants to become incarnate in us, to live in and through us. You and I are called to live out our vocation as beloved daughters and sons in Christ and to become identified with Christ.” As we begin the New Year, we turn to the example of Mary and contemplate her docility to the Holy Spirit as she freely responded to the will of God in her role as our Blessed Mother. We can, therefore, seek the grace of the Holy Spirit in our own life and renew our desire to say yes to God more each day as we set forth in the New Year.[ Transcript ]Support the showTHANK YOU FOR LISTENING!Let us know that our podcast is important to you: Share your favorite episo

The Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family on December 26, marking the halfway point for The Year of the Family: March 19, 2021 - June 26, 2022.In this podcast, Msgr. Fred Dolan reflects on keys themes from Amoris laetitia, an Apostolic exhortation on love in the family written by Pope Francis. This exhortation sets forth the goal for us and our families to resemble more and more closely the Holy Family of Nazareth so that we become, as Msgr. Dolan encourages us, “leaven of a new humanity and of a concrete and universal solidarity.”[ Transcript ]Support the showTHANK 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 episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: Give today!

To conclude our Advent series:  In this week’s podcast, Fr. Javier reflects on the last of the cardinal virtues: temperance. The holiday season, in particular, is a good time to reflect on this virtue as we battle the temptations of partaking in so many pleasurable things and activities all around us! Temperance, the “virtue which allows us to regulate those things that give us pleasure here and now”, helps us “to use them, but not abuse them—to use them temperately insofar as they lead us to our ultimate end.” From his humble birth to later in life, Jesus Christ lived a spirit of temperance which allowed him to use the created world in order to save souls and bring them closer to God. As Fr. Javier explains: “For Jesus, the world is good— we have to know that. In fact, everything is created in the Word, everything is created in Him, and unto Him, and for Him. And so, there are no bad things that exist. But all those good things that exist need to be thought about very carefully, because the way we use those

Have you heard the good news of great joy?In this podcast, Fr. Eric Nicolai reflects on the moment within the Christmas narrative when the angels proclaimed the good news of Christ’s birth to the shepherds. The shepherds saw this incredible appearance of God’s glory around them, and they were given a sign: not some strange, obtuse and complicated puzzle, but rather a simple sign of a baby lying in a manger in the city of Bethlehem.God chose first to appear to the shepherds– a simple, watchful group of people. In doing so, God also invites us to set out within our hearts and to seek the infant Jesus in the manger. Fr. Eric prompts us to reflect: “If the Lord came today, are we that watchful? Or, maybe we’re more attentive to our screens, our devices, or our worries, or the latest sports results or political debates.” Rather, this Christmas, we seek the grace to be a watchful and contemplative people, ready to welcome the Infant Jesus and to hold him close in our heart.[ Transcript ]Support the showTHANK YOU FO

Continuing our Advent series: In this week’s podcast, Fr. Javier reflects on the virtue of fortitude, which allows us to overcome difficulties when we need to achieve the good. When confronted by evil and suffering in the world, or challenges in our daily lives, we can easily lose our peace and sense of reason. But, as Fr. Javier explains, it is possible to coexist with pain and suffering and not lose our sense of reason when we seek and grow in the virtue of fortitude.Fr. Javier reflects on the reality that, “suffering is not something we look for; but when it comes, we certainly want what it takes in order to not get bogged down by it.” For this reason, we must look to the virtue of fortitude, and to the Holy Spirit, to be able to do things that go beyond our strength and overcome difficulties with courage.Download the companion to our Advent series and go deeper to enrich your prayer throughout the week: Be Ready! [ Transcript ]Support the showTHANK YOU FOR LISTENING!Let us know that our podcast is importa

The Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, honoring the dogma that Mary was conceived without Original Sin.In this podcast, Fr. Eric Nicolai reflects on the joy of this great solemnity in which we are encouraged to pray for an increase in our docility to the work of the Holy Spirit so that we may turn away from sin and allow the Lord to work through us as we work to build up the Kingdom of God.Fr. Eric explains: “Even though we have sin, even though we have rebellion, even though we have those things that lead us away from God, the Lord can transform us nevertheless, and with Our Lady’s intercession, can truly make us into the saints that the world needs today, that the Church needs today, and that we truly want to become.”[ Transcript ] [ ASL Interpretation ]Support the showTHANK 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. S

Continuing our Advent series: In this week’s podcast, Fr. Javier reflects on the virtue of justice, in which we are called to give each person his or her due, and how we must foster this virtue in our relationships with God, our neighbors, and ourselves. The virtue of justice challenges us to examine ourselves and see how we can improve on a personal and spiritual level. In doing so, we are able to more freely correspond to the grace of God and will become more charitable in our actions within our everyday life.Download the companion to our Advent series and go deeper to enrich your prayer throughout the week: Be Ready![ Transcript ]Support the showTHANK 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 episodes free and accessible for all our

The St. Josemaria Institute is pleased to share a new four-part series for Advent— Be Ready!—reflections on the four cardinal virtues and how they can help us prepare our hearts for Christmas.In this week’s podcast, the first of the series, Fr. Javier reflects on the virtue of prudence which lays the foundation for us to grow in practice of the three other cardinal virtues: justice, fortitude, and temperance. The virtue of prudence challenges us to meditate on the life of Jesus so that we begin to acquire the way he thought, felt, and acted within his everyday life. Therefore, we must draw upon the grace received in prayer to help us discern the right action on our journey toward Christ.Download the companion to the series to go deeper and enrich your prayer throughout the week: https://stjosemaria.org/advent-2021/.[ Transcript ]Support the showTHANK 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 wit

What does Christ’s teaching by the Sea of Galilee, surrounded by crowds, teach us about the waves that rise up in our lives and our need to keep our eyes on Christ?In this podcast, Fr. Donncha invites us to meditate upon the Gospel scene of Christ along the Sea of Galilee in which he shows his desire to enter into our lives to dwell in constant communion, conversation, and love with us. He explains that “Christ seeks us out, enters into our ordinary life, and fills the texture of ordinariness with the sublime beauty of his presence.” Therefore, through the divine grace of Christ, we can see our life which was once barren be transformed into something holy and divine. As St. Josemaria explains: “Your boat – your talents, your hopes, your achievements – is worth nothing whatsoever, unless you leave it in Christ’s hands, allowing him the freedom to come aboard” (Friends of God, no. 21).[ Transcript ]Support the showTHANK YOU FOR LISTENING!Let us know that our podcast is important to you: Share your favorite epi

Are you seeking to draw near to Our Lord more each day?As heard in the Gospel for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, we encountered the endearing figure of Zacchaeus, a tax collector who had a poor reputation among his Jewish confreres, but nevertheless had a deep desire to meet Jesus. He overcame his shame and reached out to be close to Jesus who was passing by. In this podcast, Fr. Eric Nicolai reflects on the promptness of Zacchaeus– his initiative and the grace of conversion that he received on account of his own generosity. Fr. Eric challenges us to have this same initiative in our interior life and reminds us that it requires humble examination of conscience and a willingness to begin again. In doing so, we will obtain a lasting serenity and joy found only in the grace of Christ.[Transcript]Support the showTHANK 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. S

Do you live each day with the urgency and desire to bring the gospel message into your work, family, and social relations?In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio shares a reflection on the value of living an ordinary Christian life in the middle of the world. He prompts us to reflect on the fading Catholic identity in the world today and challenges us to bear witness to the light of Christ in our everyday life.Fr. Peter explains that: “Catholics, laity especially, have to give people an experience of Christianity, of Catholicism. The Church has to be brought to the workplace and to the family, to the party and to the sports field” because “the ordinary Christian in the middle of the world is, in fact, the true hope of the Church.”[Transcript]Support the showTHANK 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 Als

In this podcast, part of our Day of Recollection resources for the month of November, Msgr. Fred Dolan reflects on fulfilling our divinely given mission. He explains that “this inspired life begins with the awareness that God dwells within us, that he is keenly interested in everything we do, and that he awaits our loving response all day long. The challenge is to maintain that vocation sense every single day.” As we respond to our divine mission, we are strengthened with the grace to become a living witness to the love and mercy of Christ each day.[Transcript]Support the showTHANK 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 episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: Give today!

Is the Communion of Saints just a comforting idea? Or a true and deeply consoling reality? In this podcast, as we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints (Nov. 1) and the Commemoration of All Souls (Nov. 2), Fr. Donncha Ó hAodha reflects on the importance of community in our faith journey as we pursue the goal of eternal life with Christ in Heaven.Through the sacrament of baptism, we are welcomed in to communion with the Church and united to one another through the mystical body of Christ. We are never alone. Fr. Donncha explains: “The saints are cheering us on. They bear witness to the fact that holiness is indeed possible and that we too are called to that holiness, and that they help us by praying and interceding for us.”[Transcript] [ASL Interpretation]Support the showTHANK 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.stj

In this podcast, Msgr. Fred Dolan reflects on three key themes from Guardian of the Redeemer, an Apostolic exhortation on St. Joseph in the life of Christ and of the Church written by St. John Paul II. The key themes—obedience of faith, work as an expression of love, and the primacy of the interior life—help us meditate on “the one into whose custody God entrusted his most precious treasures,” particularly as we near the close of the Year of St. Joseph on December 8.Msgr. Dolan explains: “The goal is not only for us to turn to Joseph with greater fervor and to invoke his patronage with trust but also to keep before our eyes his humble, mature way of serving and of taking in the plan of salvation. The stated goal helps us tremendously to focus on the fact that each of us has as our main mission to continue the work of redemption.”[Transcript]Support the showTHANK 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 c

In this podcast, as we celebrate the month of the holy Rosary, Fr. Leo Agustina shares a reflection on deepening our devotion to Our Lady through the holy Rosary, in which we discover our role in God’s plan of salvation. Reflecting on the Annunciation, Fr. Leo reminds us that Mary’s fiat, her openness to the will of God, is a pivotal moment for humankind. As she freely accepts the will of God, Mary embraces her role as our spiritual mother and demonstrates for us the power in redeeming the ordinary moments of everyday life.St. Josemaria explains: “Develop a lively devotion for Our Mother. She knows how to respond in a most sensitive way to the present we give her. What is more, if you say the Holy Rosary every day, with a spirit of faith and love, Our Lady will make sure she leads you very far along her Son’s path” (Furrow, no. 691). [Transcript]Support the showTHANK 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. S

In this podcast, part of our Day of Recollection resources for the month of October, Fr. Javier del Castillo reflects on pursuing sainthood in and through the realities of our ordinary work. Fr. Javier illustrates this principle by incorporating examples from the hidden life of Christ and lessons from the parables in Scripture. He explains that, “if we let the Lord give supernatural prominence to our work, we will be able to sanctify our own work, sanctify ourselves in our work, and sanctify others through our work.” [Transcript]Support the showTHANK 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 episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: Give today!