St. Josemaria Institute Podcast

Ninety years ago, on October 2nd, God showed Opus Dei to the young St. Josemaria Escriva. It happened in an instant, he fell to his knees dazzled by all that God had just showed him. On this anniversary, our desire is not simply to celebrate this milestone in the history of Opus Dei but also to learn from the operating system of this faithful instrument of God’s providence. To relive the path taken by St. Josemaria will help us to desire the virtue of magnanimity—greatness of spirit and largeness of heart—a genuine craving for great and noble ambitions and adventures:St. Josemaria Escriva realized early on that God had a plan for him, that He wanted something from him. How could he find the answer? Where should he seek it? He set out to search above all by listening to the Word of God.Sacred Scripture, the Word of God, speaks to us today and we need to seek out our place in it to find our path.“Magnanimity means greatness of spirit, a largeness of heart wherein many can find refuge. Magnanimity gives us the e

Today on the podcast… We contemplate how, the renewal of the church many years ago, began in the monasteries with intense prayer of loving Christ and living a life of penance.  Now, St. Josemaria Escriva says to bring that contemplative prayer into our daily lives, in the thick of things, at the party, on the soccer field, at the library, in the court of law, and at home. In our personal relationship with Christ let us ask him:To transmit His light through us in the form of joy, affection, kindness, and the spirit of service.To find us in the silence of our prayer.To truly help us learn to be contemplative in the middle of the world.Let us ask Our Lady to help us throughout the day to contemplate on the real presence of Christ in our lives –to pray without ceasing.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 newslette

Today on the podcast... In celebration of the anniversary of the founding of Opus Dei (October 2, 1928), we reflect on the early life of St. Josemaria Escriva and the historical circumstances that led him to receive the special light from God to found Opus Dei.This light from God helped St. Josemaria to see:It is possible to create a civilization of love—to bring Jesus Christ in a new way into the very heart of the world amid a culture that is antithetical to the Gospel.God was giving St. Josemaria the grace to change the world should he choose to follow this light and its certain path.The burden of changing the world falls on the shoulders of lay men and women who are called to bring Christ into the modern world.The transformation of the world can only happen if the laity are saints, if they are true contemplatives—someone who is habitually in dialogue with the Lord. But if they are not true contemplatives then they will be transformed by the world.As St. Josemaria Escriva wrote:“How I wish your bearing and

In September the Church celebrates the feasts of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (14th) and Our Lady of Sorrows (15th).On today's podcast we prepare ourselves for the celebration of these feasts with the help of Our Lady by observing her example during the Passion of her Son and contemplating her at the foot of the Cross. Our Lady of Sorrows places us at her side, before Jesus on the Cross, to help us mature in our share in the mission of her Son. Bringing us to the Cross means helping us to face up to the difficulties of life, since learning how to deal with suffering is a major step in our personal growth. And, it means sharing in the mission of the redemption of Christ, which gives great depth to the purpose of our lives. Therefore, at the foot of the Cross: Ask yourself: How do I handle difficulties? Do I dig deeper to find its deeper meaning?Contemplate the great miracles of Jesus and see how most of them were messy.Consider: If we don't have the Cross, what are we left with?Ask for the grace

On today's podcast, Fr. Javier del Castillo, Vicar of Opus Dei in the Midwest (USA), offers a timely reflection on the current crisis in the Church and how we can respond to all of it by turning our sadness and anger into prayer. Like the disciples who were fearful that they would perish in the great storm (ref. Mark 4:38-41), we too should instinctively look to Jesus for help as we face the waves of scandal that leave us profoundly perplexed. Within the silence of our hearts, the Holy Spirit will give us the answers as we pray to know: Why is God allowing this to happen? Is God with us? Where is God in all of this? We will come to the realization that this time of difficulty is a time of justice and mercy. The crisis has to provoke the emergence of saints because we are all called to be saints who need to recommit ourselves to being faithful disciples, to rediscovering our priestly souls, and to spreading the joy of the Gospel. This time should also lead to a renewal of the Church as a missionary in the

On September 12th the Church celebrates the feast of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary.On today’s podcast we reflect on Mary's role and mission as a mother to give us the very best:  To help us in all of our needs- physical, emotional, and spiritual.To unite us with her Son, Jesus Christ.To win for us the grace to desire to be saints.Mary shows us that we can have confidence in her intercessory prayers when she spoke to the servants at the wedding in Cana, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5). And that we can trust that she will see that our prayers are answered as long as they are compatible with God’s plan for our salvation.Our goal, therefore, is to imitate Mary’s holiness. We ask her to be a part of our spiritual life-- helping us to connect with her son, Jesus Christ, and to become instruments of evangelization, serving and attracting others to Him.Support the showTHANK YOU FOR LISTENING!Let us know that our podcast is important to you: Share your favorite episodes with others and leav

Today on the podcast… Faced with the present crisis of the Church, we are guided in this reflection to look to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Truth, for light and hope. Today we find ourselves in a similar situation as the Disciples of Jesus when he unveiled his teachings on the Eucharist in the Gospel of John (Jn 6:60-71). Many of the disciples felt that what Jesus was teaching was a hard saying and they turned away from him. What we see going on in the Church today is in a certain sense a very hard saying too; the answer, however, is not to turn away from Christ but to react the way Peter did and tell him: “Master, to whom shall we go?” (Jn 6:68).We want to read the signs of the time and see what Our Lord wants to tell us: “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68).The Church’s Founder is perfect; the constitution and law of the Church is Christ Himself; the Sacraments are perfect… The Truth that the Church teaches has no contradiction— it saves and liberates, and it is per

Today on the podcast… The Lord asks that our holiness exceed that of the Pharisees (Matthew 23:1-36). We recall that the Pharisees were a virtuous people who lived the moral law, prayed many times throughout the day along with fasting and almsgiving. But the Lord wants us also to love as He has loved—a love that reveals through our actions that we are His disciples. Desiring union with the love of Christ requires that we prioritize the formation of our heart's mission: to be humble, charitable, and pious in our actions and not just go through the motions.There are three components to this formation: Ask the help of the Holy Spirit to assist in our formation to be effective right where we are—in our piece of the world—our family, workplace, social acquaintances, and fellow parishioners.  We must be a light to others. Be salt to those around you affecting change in their lives and a desire to live the words of Christ— “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who

On August 22nd the Church celebrates the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary.On today’s podcast, we reflect on the coronation of our Mother as Queen of the Universe. And, how as children of this Heavenly Queen we can learn to follow her example of reigning: Mary our Queen trusted all that the Lord spoke to her, and her answer remained a constant yes. Teach us to respond to the Lord with complete trust. Mary our Queen serves-- for to reign one must serve. Teach us to be faithful servants. Mary our Queen walks with purpose and usefulness. Teach us to follow in your footsteps being useful to the 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 helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: Give tod

Today on the podcast… How does God want us to view the virtue of faith?If we look to the Gospels, our Lord shows us many examples that will help us to see, like the Apostles (Lk 15:5-10), that the virtue of faith is connected to miracle working. Our Lord wants us to see that He needs our faith—our life of fidelity and self-giving—to work miracles: Our faith and correspondence to God allow us to become instruments in the ultimate miracle, which is conversion-- personal transformation through repentance and commitment to holiness.Miracles occur through deeds of faith: “So they said to him, ‘What can we do to accomplish the words of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent” (Jn 6:28-29).The poor widow who “put in more than all the rest” (Lk 21:1-2) is the example of faith and fidelity that we want to contemplate.If you give yourself completely, you are going to be fruitful and spread the Gospel. It’s all about letting God work in you; He needs your self

In a few days, on the 15th of August, 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 prayer she listened and received the Angel Gabriel’s message from God. She was open to the Holy Spirit allowing herself to be totally abandoned to the truth of the word of the living God. She listened to the word of God and responded with complete trust, giving God her life to do with as He pleased. We ask our dear Mother Mary to help us to become souls of faith as we nourish our faith through daily prayer and meditating on the Gospels.Support the showTHANK YOU FOR LISTENING!Let us know that our pod

Today on the podcast...How can we achieve a constant dialogue with God to help us live our Christian vocation to discipleship?Our Christian vocation by virtue of baptism is to spread the Kingdom of God--to attract people to Christ. This work of discipleship and evangelization is a work of a lifetime. To carry out this work, we need a daily plan to help us keep in constant dialogue with God--praying without ceasing--pushing ourselves realistically, expanding our hearts, to live a life in Christ:  God has a vision for our relationship with Him: that we be aware that we are always in His presence and that we remain in constant dialogue with Him. The person who is centered on Jesus Christ in everything he or she does will naturally attract others to Him.  There is an intangible glow, despite our sins and weaknesses, that reveals itself through our unceasing prayer, not because we are good but because Christ is good.- It doesn't work to have a daily plan and not live and abide by the plan. We have to say yes

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 the apostles to trust in the Cross—the raw materials that make up our crosses—and to believe that there is no such thing as failure when we follow Christ.— Contemplating this scene and Jesus’ words (Mk 9:2-10), we begin to see Him, to take on His capacity for self-giving love, and we become more empowered to give of ourselves with the heart of Jesus.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

Today on the podcast… We explore the characteristics of having true contrition for our sins:When we are truly sorry for our sins and receive forgiveness we have an interior peace; a serene joy. We are supple, joyful, and approachable.We not longer give excuses for our improper behavior.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!

Today on the podcast…We look to St. Josemaria Escriva to contemplate what it truly means to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth: Devotion to the Holy Spirit to strengthens our love, joy, prayer, and our desire to be close to Christ. Personally give witness to the Gospel and bring it to others no matter what the cost. Desire that the Gospel be heard everywhere so that Jesus will be known by everyone.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!

Today on the podcast… We look to St. Josemaria Escriva and consider what he learned from the divine inspiration he received on October 2, 1928: As a priest he would bring the Gospel to the world in much the same way the Apostles were commissioned at the Ascension.That Jesus desires to be with us; that is why he is in the Eucharist today. The importance of dialogue with Christ all of the time helps us stay united with Christ.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!

Today on the podcast… We are invited to listen and contemplate:How eternal happiness begins here on earth and is brought to its fullness in Heaven. Why it is a good idea to study the lives of the saints. The meaning of the “revolutionary message” revealed to St. Josemaria Escriva: to bring Christ into the heart of the modern world. At the end of our reflection and prayer, we ask Our Lady to help us learn to live each day imitating the saints.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!

Today on the podcast… We are asked to evaluate our appreciation for the precious gift that God gives to us so generously; our freedom. Msgr. Frederick Dolan helps us to understand which actions of ours make us free and which ones will hold us back from being free. And as we consider our actions to remember that we are not self-created; that we are creatures of a loving God. He ends with encouraging us to call on our Mother Mary to obtain many graces for our country.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!

Reflection…“Holiness is the most attractive face of the Church.”Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation: The keys of holiness are Grace and Freedom.  The freedom to choose the vocation in which we desire to make the presence of Jesus come alive in our hearts and in the heart of the world.  And the grace to aid us in living the Beatitudes where the heart of Jesus opens up to us the many ways we can imitate him in our desire to become saints.  Let us invoke Our Blessed Mother and the Holy Spirit asking them to help the word of the Father penetrate our hearts, bringing the words of the gospel to our lips, “It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).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

In today’s podcast we ask the Lord to help us to not be satisfied with being a bystander, that we allow his words to enter deep into our hearts and change us. In the words of St. Josemaria Escriva: “We only love what we know well.”  Therefore, let us look to the lives of the saints and the life of Jesus himself in an effort to come to know God well; imitating daily, through our actions, a genuine love of neighbor.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!