St. Josemaria Institute Podcast

In this podcast, Fr. Javier del Castillo celebrates Mother’s Day by meditating on our Mother Mary, and why we should turn to her powerful intercession, especially in the Holy Rosary. He also reflects on the theology behind repetitive and intercessory prayer, and St. Josemaria’s suggestions for how to honor Mary in the month of May.What you will hear:- How Mary anticipates the needs of others in the Gospels- How becoming children of Mary leads to becoming children of God- Why we should turn to our Mother Mary’s powerful intercession, especially in the Holy Rosary- How we are missing out on graces from our Lord when we don’t ask for them- The theology behind repetitive and intercessory prayer- St. Josemaria’s suggestions for how to honor Mary in MaySupport 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

On this Feast of St. Joseph the Worker (May 1st), Fr. Peter Armenio explores how we can live like St. Joseph, following Christ amid the most mundane and ordinary circumstances of life.What you’ll hear:- How Joseph was central in the intellectual and social formation of Jesus- What Sacred Scripture and Tradition teaches about St. Joseph- How the lay vocation is perfectly illustrated by the life of Mary and JosephSupport 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!

On April 25th we celebrate the Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist. St. Mark wrote one of the Gospel accounts and was a companion of St. Paul on his first missionary journey. However, in the Acts of the Apostles, we discover that St. Mark abandoned St. Paul, and that St. Paul would not allow St. Mark to accompany him on his second journey.In this meditation, Fr. Javier del Castillo explores the interesting dynamic between St. Paul and St. Mark, and what we can learn for our own life.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!

Monday, April 20th 2015 is the anniversary of the election of the Prelate of Opus Dei, Bishop Javier Echevarria. Just as all bishops, he makes the Fatherhood of God present to us here and now.To celebrate this special anniversary, Fr. Javier del Castillo reflects on St. Paul’s understanding of spiritual fatherhood in his letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 4:14-16), and illustrates how St. Josemaria Escriva understood his calling to spiritual fatherhood, even at the young age of 26.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!

As the Easter season continues, we encounter another great feast, Divine Mercy Sunday. We invite you to take some time to reflect on the Gospel for this Sunday (John 20:19-31) with Fr. Javier del Castillo on the St. Josemaria Institute Podcast.In this meditation, we will see how Christ forgives us, just as He forgave Thomas and the Apostles for running from the Cross and not having believed on Good Friday. St. Josemaria recognized that God’s forgiveness is even more impressive than His ability to create something out of nothing, and that "His absolute power is best shown in His power to forgive.” On our part, we ultimately have to accept God’s gift of Divine Mercy through the Sacrament of Reconciliation that He established. After this encounter with the resurrected Christ, we must be sure of God's forgiveness, and move on to forgiving others. “Go out and tell people what God has done in your soul. If Christ has risen, and He has forgiven us, then the only logical thing is that we also forgive one an

Today’s meditation by Fr Javier del Castillo on the St. Josemaria Institute Podcast invites us on this Good Friday to stand in the darkness with Mary, John, and the women at the foot of the cross of Jesus and to contemplate how Jesus, the Son of God, was able to overcome all his suffering and was able in his humanity to persevere until the end. Our encounter with Jesus on the cross leads us to understand how we are to embrace our cross, our ordinary cross. We are called to give freely what we have freely received. This is what gives us light in the darkness. “But may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14).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 podcas

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. What does our Lord try to teach us through today's celebration? Today's meditation by Fr Javier del Castillo on the St. Josemaria Institute Podcast helps us to reflect on the lessons that we can learn from the "little things" of today's Gospel- the donkey, the palm branches, and the rocks. Their apparently insignificant role in today's Gospel "point us to a deeper humility that will allow us to know the truth and have the courage to live by it."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!

As we begin the final week of Lent and prepare for Holy Week, we share with you on the St. Josemaria Institute Podcast a meditation for the Fifth Sunday of Lent: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life" (Jn 12: 23-25).Fr Javier del Castillo encourages us in this meditation to reflect on the meaning of death-- death to self and death in this world-- and to understand "death as a remedy for evil and as a gift." Being aware of our death can help us to live each day with a supernatural desire "to do penance and to make many acts of love confident that God will be there at the end-- to love today so that I can love for eternity."Support the showTHANK YOU FOR LISTENING!Let us know that our podcast is important to you:

Today on the St. Josemaria Institute podcast we bring you a special meditation in honor of the Solemnity of St Joseph.Who was Joseph? What was he called to do? How did he answer God’s call? How did he provide for the needs of Mary and Jesus? Fr Javier del Castillo invites us in this meditation to contemplate the holy life of Saint Joseph who was “a family man and an upright worker and citizen.” We also prayerfully consider this two-fold vocation in order to learn from Saint Joseph how we can live these two aspects of our vocations (family and work) wherever we find ourselves.Ite ad Ioseph: “Go to Joseph"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!

In this meditation Fr Javier del Castillo invites us to reflect on a passage from the Second Reading of the Mass of the Fourth Sunday of Lent.God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ — by grace you have been saved — raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Our greatest hopes lie in the richness of the mercy of God-- in His infinite amount of mercy, grace, and forgiveness-- which is always available to us. God will always forgive us, but to receive forgiveness is up to us. We should not stay away from His mercy, from the Sacraments, out of feelings of guilt. If we are challenged by guilt or a lack of humility, a good way to be open to forgiveness, as Fr Castillo explains, is by forgiving others and by doing it sooner and more generously each time. In this way

Our meditation today invites us to reflect on the value of the virtue of Holy Purity. “People in love demand total exclusivity,” explains Fr Javier del Castillo, “if their love is going to be sincere and true. Love requires a purity of heart… This is in essence what our Lord teaches us today in the Gospel, this Sunday.” “Since the Passover of the Jews was near,Jesus went up to Jerusalem.He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said,‘Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.’His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me” (John 2:13-17).Lent is an appropriate moment to closely examine the aspects of our lives which can be transformed by living Holy Purity; for example, our choice

In the Gospel for the Mass of the Second Sunday of Lent (Mark 9:2-10) we contemplate the Transfiguration of Jesus. "Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.And he was transfigured before them…" (Mark 9:2).He takes them up Mount Tabor, as Fr Javier del Castillo explains in today's meditation, "to show them the full truth about himself, about his divinity, so that they can have hope in eternal life and they remember this experience of divinity, of bliss, of eternity, when it comes time to suffer through the passion.""In considering this scene at Tabor, we try to go to Jesus, to look at him, so that we may be enlightened. So that whether we are ill, suffering or dying-- or sick and tired-- we actually try to discover the Tabors behind the Calvaries."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 u

The Gospel for the Mass of the First Sunday of Lent (Mark 1:12-15) tells of Jesus' forty days and temptation in the desert. In today's meditation, Fr Javier del Castillo asks us to contemplate Jesus' temptation as we begin the first week of Lent "to learn how to say yes to our Father God and to renounce Satan." And, we can learn to do that by understanding temptation and recognizing our personal struggles with temptations.In particular, Fr Javier draws our attention to three important characteristics of temptations:1. Temptations are tailor-made for us, made to fit us individually.2. Temptations never appear in their ugliness; they always appear attractive.3. We should never dialogue with temptation; we must run away from temptation.As we learn in the meditation, "we have to take time to think about and decipher those temptations, whether it's a pleasure or fear, because then pride comes in and takes over, and then we commit the greatest sins."Support the showTHANK YOU

On February 7, 2015, over 100 guests participated in the St. Josemaria Institute’s 2015 inaugural conference “Pope Francis: His Life and Papacy and the Synod of the Family”, which was held at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois.Our speaker, Father Mark Manion, presented three talks on Pope Francis:First Conference-- Francis: A Brief Biographical Sketch in the Context of John Paul II and Benedict XVISecond Conference-- Unpacking the Joy of the GospelThird Conference-- Post-Synodal Air and the Upcoming Synod of the FamilyFr. Mark Manion is a priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei and the chaplain of The Willows Academy in Des Plaines and Midtown Educational Foundation in Chicago. He preaches recollections and gives spiritual direction in Chicago. The conference talks are now available on the St. Josemaria Institute Podcast to help us remain close to the Holy Father in preparation for his historic visit to the United States for the World Meeting of Families, September 26-27, 2015.Support the showTHANK YOU FOR L

On February 7, 2015, over 100 guests participated in the St. Josemaria Institute’s 2015 inaugural conference “Pope Francis: His Life and Papacy and the Synod of the Family”, which was held at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois.Our speaker, Father Mark Manion, presented three talks on Pope Francis: First Conference-- Francis: A Brief Biographical Sketch in the Context of John Paul II and Benedict XVISecond Conference-- Unpacking the Joy of the GospelThird Conference-- Post-Synodal Air and the Upcoming Synod of the FamilyFr. Mark Manion is a priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei and the chaplain of The Willows Academy in Des Plaines and Midtown Educational Foundation in Chicago. He preaches recollections and gives spiritual direction in Chicago.The conference talks are now available on the St. Josemaria Institute Podcast to help us remain close to the Holy Father in preparation for his historic visit to the United States for the World Meeting of Families, September 26-27, 2015.Support the showTHANK YOU FOR L

On February 7, 2015, over 100 guests participated in the St. Josemaria Institute’s 2015 inaugural conference “Pope Francis: His Life and Papacy and the Synod of the Family”, which was held at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois.Our speaker, Father Mark Mannion, presented three talks on Pope Francis:First Conference-- Francis: A Brief Biographical Sketch in the Context of John Paul II and Benedict XVISecond Conference-- Unpacking the Joy of the GospelThird Conference-- Post-Synodal Air and the Upcoming Synod of the FamilyFr. Mark Mannion is a priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei and the chaplain of The Willows Academy in Des Plaines and Midtown Educational Foundation in Chicago. He preaches recollections and gives spiritual direction in Chicago.The conference talks are now available on the St. Josemaria Institute Podcast to help us remain close to the Holy Father in preparation for his historic visit to the United States for the World Meeting of Families, September 26-27, 2015.Support the showTHANK YOU FOR

As we begin the holy season of Lent, Fr Javier del Castillo invites us in this meditation for Ash Wednesday to reflect on the readings and Gospel of today’s Mass and on the works we are called to fulfill during this time for our conversion: fasting, praying and almsgiving.“Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor 6:2)Father Javier explains that “now is the time to convert and to turn to the Lord.. [He gives us] an entire season of the liturgical year characterized by acts and symbols of penance… A time of salvation is a time of conversion [during which] we can actually repent from our actions, from our sins…” “We can say, ‘I do not wish to be identified with that action of mine. I wish I had never done it. In fact, I will try to undo it as best as I can with subsequent actions.’ That is what we want to do during Lent as we begin this acceptable time for conversion… To purify ourselves and identify ourselves with our Lord’s suffering… And when we see the great mercy t

In this talk, "On Faith and Reason", Very Rev. Peter Armenio stresses the urgency with which today’s burning issues (marriage, children, life, evolution, suffering, death, etc.) require not only an appeal to supernatural authority but also to science and nature. Fr Armenio addresses specific issues and situations confronting everyday life and how lay people in the middle of the world are often looked to by those around them (at home, work, school, etc.) “to be able to articulate these burning issues…” and “to point out with humility, with understanding, with mercy, that faith seeks understanding and that moral truth gives joy and gives fulfillment, gives freedom, makes for happier families, better society, and greater meaning in life.” 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.

St. Josemaria Escriva pointed out that all of the apostles somehow were called to follow Jesus in and through their work, including Saint Paul. Don't be surprised, therefore, to discover that God is also calling you in and through your work.In this meditation, we will reflect on these questions: What is your Damascus? What have you chosen as that activity through which you serve society and that gives you meaning in how you live your life? We all have a mission and it is most likely right where we are already. During this time of meditation and prayer, we will ask God to help us to keep doing what we are doing, but with a new light and with new meaning. To listen to and download the eight meditations of A Spiritual Retreat in the Footsteps of St. Paul go to: https://stjosemaria.org/product/spiritual-retreat-footsteps-st-paul/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 wi

In this meditation for the Feast of the Epiphany, Fr Javier del Castillo helps us to learn from the Magi how to live a life of piety that is guided by love and magnanimity. The Magi “teach us a lesson in piety. Their piety is shown by the fact that they are capable of love. They leave the comfort of their home and kingdom. They are willing to go through hardship in order to find the King of the Jews and to worship Him.” The logic of love and of magnanimity demonstrated by the Magi shows us that “only the person in love never thinks that what he or she has done for his or her beloved is actually enough. They always seek to outdo themselves and to do too much.” “When their star disappears, they didn’t question, they seek help… The greatest proof of piety is that their love does not grow cold. They don’t doubt their love. They don’t become cynical of their love. And they don’t doubt the legitimacy of the star when it disappears…” As we celebrate this feast of the Church and the beginning of a New Year, our lives