St. Josemaria Institute Podcast

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 presence in the Eucharist teaches us how to love— not only how to love God but also how to love others and how to love ourselves. As each of us remembers the first time we received Christ in the Eucharist, we can ask him to increase our desire to receive him better and to believe more in the reality of his love.St. Josemaria explains: “Jesus has remained in the Sacred Host for us! So as to stay by our side, to sustain us, to guide us. And love can only be repaid with love. How could we not turn to the Blessed Sacrament ea

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 Christ encourages the disciples to examine their conscience, seek repentance, and share the good news of the Risen Lord.As we too open our hearts to the grace of Christ, what sinful barriers do we need to break through to pursue a life of friendship with the Risen Lord?[ 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 newsle

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 the presence of the Lord, we must remain rooted in the truth that the Lord never abandons us.God loves us and desires our happiness. By reflecting on the disciples’ journey to Emmaus, especially in our suffering, we are encouraged to draw near to Christ and respond to his outpouring of love by opening our heart to him in prayer.[ 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

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 serve as an allegory to the circumstances of our personal discipleship with Christ, illustrating that we can overcome our defeats with interior strength and spiritual victory.As we reflect with Fr. Peter on this spiritual journey over the next seven weeks, we are challenged to look inward and place ourselves within the experiences of the disciples and apply these events to our daily lives. In doing so, we will come away with a renewed desire to walk with and imitate Christ through the joys and sorrows of everyday life.[ Tra

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 the Cross with St. Josemaria Escriva are available online to accompany this audio recording: order online. Each station is time marked below:00:00 Introduction06:35 Opening Prayer07:27 Station One10:25 Station Two13:12 Station Three16:07 Station Four18:43 Station Five21:26 Station Six24:36 Station Seven27:30 Station Eight29:59 Station Nine32:48 Station Ten35:48 Station Eleven38:32 Station Twelve42:15 Station Thirteen45:04 Station FourteenSupport the showTHANK YOU FOR LISTENING!Let us know that our podcast is import

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 a channel of grace to those we encounter in the midst of everyday life.As St. Josemaria explains: “Do everything for love. Thus there will be no little things: everything will be big. Perseverance in little things for love is heroism. A little act, done for love, is worth so much! (The Way, nos. 813-814).View TranscriptVisit Show PageSupport 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

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. Fr. Leo explains that God counts on each one of us to be docile to the Holy Spirit in partaking in the work of Jesus Christ and bringing those we encounter closer to God through our personal freedom. Modeling the life of St. Joseph, we too can seek to live freely in the grace of Christ as we pursue the adventure of sainthood in the midst of everyday life.St. Josemaria explains: “Faith, hope, love: these are the supports of Joseph’s life and of all Christian lives. Joseph’s self-giving is an interweaving of faithful love,

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, we become channels of grace through which we can lead others into an encounter with God.As St. Josemaria explains: “Do you want to accompany Jesus closely, very closely? Open the Holy Gospel and read the Passion of Our Lord. But don’t just read it: live it. There is a big difference. To read is to recall something that happened in the past; to live is to find oneself present at an event that is happening here and now, to be someone taking part in those scenes. Then, allow your heart to open wide; let it place itself next

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 all the circumstances of our lives. With St. Joseph as our father and protector, we are able to see our lives as being a part of a larger guided providence and not as a random series of events.A Spiritual Retreat on St. Joseph, Father and Protector is a collection of five meditations preached by Rev. John Henry Hanson, O. Praem., a Norbertine priest of St Michael’s Abbey in Silverado, California and contributor to the St. Josemaria Institute.Listen to the full retreat for free online: download today! Support the showTHA

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 Our Lord and meditating on his Passion. As we meditate on Christ’s sorrows, Fr. Donncha challenges us to live out the Passion of Our Lord with the same zeal as the saints. We must turn to the Crucifix in the midst of our suffering, meditating on the sorrows of Christ, allowing him to speak to us. In doing so, we will be renewed with the grace to persevere in our trials and we will receive a strengthened desire to love the Lord through our devotion to the Holy Eucharist.View TranscriptVisit Show PageSupport the showTHANK Y

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 every aspect of our lives and that we are not alone in our suffering and death.Along the way, Veronica’s encounter with Jesus reminds us of our need to seek the face of Christ and fix our gaze upon Our Lord as he looks upon us with love, especially when we are faced with our weaknesses and our own moments of falling down. And Simon’s encounter with Jesus reminds us of the need to make reparation by trying to love in return, by living out the three pillars of Lent: prayer, sacrifice, and alms.View TranscriptVisit Show PageSu

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 The Way of the Cross as he introduces listeners to this beloved devotion in the Church. Fr. Donncha challenges us to spend time this Lent to discover how Our Lord loves us and gives himself up for us through his Passion and death on the Cross. Through our meditation on Christ’s pain and suffering, we can come to a deeper understanding and appreciation for the depth of God’s love and can seek to remain close to him in our most difficult moments.View TranscriptVisit Show PageSupport the showTHANK YOU FOR LISTENING!Let us

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 spiritual dryness and disillusionment. Msgr. Dolan reminds us that it is also through offering simple aspirations and sticking to a daily plan of prayer each day that we are able to persevere in the face of temptation and remain faithful in our relationship with Christ.Saint Josemaria explains: “You told me that God sometimes fills you with light for a while and sometimes does not. I reminded you, firmly, that the Lord is always infinitely good. That is why those bright days are enough to help you carry on; but the tim

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 those in need of the consolation, joy and peace of Christ.St. Josemaria explains: “We are children of God. Bearers of the only flame that can light up the paths of the earth for souls, of the only brightness which can never be darkened, dimmed or overshadowed. The Lord uses us as torches, to make that light shine out… It depends on us that many should not remain in darkness, but walk instead along paths that lead to eternal life” (The Forge, no. 1).[ Transcript ]Support the showTHANK YOU FOR LISTENING!Let us know that our

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 explains: “We have been chosen gratuitously by Our Lord. His choice of us sets us a clear goal. Our goal is personal sanctity. Let us not forget, then, that we are in our Master’s sheepfold in order to achieve that goal” (Friends of God, no. 2).[ 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.

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 joy, to live out the Ten Commandments so that we can freely choose Christ as our ultimate good, and to foster a spirit of self-giving. By detaching ourselves from the goods of this world, we become a reflection of Christ in the world today and partakers in the joy of everlasting life.[ Transcript ]Listen to the full Day of Recollection for January 2021 online.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. St

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 which we can produce spiritual fruit and grow in personal friendship with Christ. Fr. Leo reminds us that we do not have to seek out Christ in extraordinary ways, but that we can transform the ordinary moments of everyday life into opportunities in which we can encounter Christ. In doing so, we will find greater meaning and fulfillment in our daily life and work, and allow ourselves to be used as an instrument in the work of God’s salvation.[ Transcript ]Support the showTHANK YOU FOR LISTENING!Let us know that our podcast

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 putting this commandment into practice at home before spending his final years teaching it to others.Our ‘arena’ in which we can put the love of Christ into action is at home. The homy of a family is a natural setting in which prayer, service, joy, and love, among other virtues, are first taught and lived out. If we seek to change the world, we must first begin at home, in our own corner of the world, exhibiting a love that fosters a family atmosphere. We must also be rooted in prayer. Saint Paul tells us that through pr

In this podcast, Fr. Javier del Castillo reflects on the Annunciation of the Lord, as told in the Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, and invites us to contemplate and imitate Mary’s listening heart. Our expectation, preparation, and contemplation are heightened during these final days of Advent– this is true both as we prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas and as we prepare to receive Christ in the Eucharist. Looking to the example of St. Josemaria, Fr. Javier explains that we can prepare to welcome the Lord by repeating brief prayers or aspirations throughout the day, asking Our Lady to help us listen to the voice of God as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Lord.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 helpin

In this podcast, Fr. Javier del Castillo reflects on St. John the Baptist to show how, like the saint, we can become active listeners of the Word in our hearts. In particular, this talk aims to persuade you to embrace a lifestyle where there is room for meditation on Sacred Scripture and spiritual reading, such as the lives of the saints and spiritual classics, that can help us grow in our interior lives.Among the recommendations in this talk are three steps to get started on your spiritual reading plan:1. Make Time: Each day set aside time for spiritual reading (10-15 minutes) and Biblical reading (5-10 minutes).2. Take Notes: As you are reading or when you finish, write down what strikes you and what moves you. Also, start writing a list of passages from the Bible that you can frequently take to your prayer - make a top 100 list!3. Practice: What are you going to put into practice— a resolution, a goal, or a small sacrifice— that day (or the next) from your reading?Support the showTHANK YOU FOR LISTENING!Le