St. Josemaria Institute Podcast

Fr. Leo Austin, a priest and spiritual speaker, delves into the transformative power of the Holy Rosary and Marian devotion. He highlights Mary's pivotal 'fiat' at the Annunciation as a moment of salvation for humanity. Fr. Leo connects the Rosary to healing and emphasizes its therapeutic nature through repeated prayers. Using the metaphor of kintsugi, he illustrates how God beautifies our scars. Listeners discover how the Rosary reshapes our perspective, offering shelter and intercession, guiding us towards redemption.

In our meditation of the week: Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on how St. Josemaria Escriva was inspired by the light of God with the mission to bring Christ into the heart of the entire world in a way that he had never been before, especially into a world gripped by a culture of death and in need of healing through God’s mercy.St. Josemaria wrote: “God is the same as always. It is men of faith that are needed: and then, there will be a renewal of the wonders we read of in the Gospel” (The Way, no. 586). Therefore, as Fr. Peter explains, St. Josemaria understood that all of God’s children are needed and called to participate in this beautiful mission! And our mission is to replicate both the joy and the affection of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, which can be cultivated through a well-formed interior life of prayer. It is our prayer life that exudes the joy and light of Christ in the world.“[God] wants you to become a living force for all mankind, lights shining in the world” (St. Gregory Nazianzen; Oration, no. 39). We are called to be light, but this is no ordinary light; it is a light in which we are bathed in the glory of God. Our Blessed Mother, Mary, helps us to enter into the light, the light of her son, which is nothing more and nothing less than the mercy of God.View 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 weekly newsletter: www.stjosemaria.orgAlso, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: Give today! 

In our meditation of the week: Fr. Leo Austin reflects on how Our Lady opens our hearts to giving ourselves as a ransom for many, as we say in the Mass when we receive the Eucharist. To be a ransom for many, as she teaches us, means desiring to make ourselves humble instruments of God.Drawing on the scene of the ten lepers in St. Luke's Gospel, Fr. Leo reminds us that when we are confronted with the healing power of God's grace, whether we feel worthy or not, all of us have the possibility of giving ourselves to make an encounter between people and God possible. Our Lord takes everything we offer him and exchanges our life and our pain for the needs and sufferings of others. And only in Heaven we will see the results of our actions and prayers. Through entrusting our prayer, our sacrifices, and the desires of our heart to Our Lady, we can be sure of them having a positive impact on those around us and create a beautiful crown of the Church adorned with our prayers and sacrifices.  VIEW TRANSCRIPTVISIT 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 weekly newsletter: www.stjosemaria.orgAlso, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: Give today! 

In our meditation of the week: Fr. Javier del Castillo reflects on the meaning of St. Josemaria’s teaching that, “An hour of study, for a modern apostle, is an hour of prayer” (The Way, no. 335). Approaching academic learning as a form of prayer is not a way of life designed solely for students. Rather, it is a way of life that all Christians should adopt as it helps us develop a stronger worldview. Fr. Javier discusses how we are to approach Scripture, the lives of the saints, and the writings of the Church Fathers as a form of prayer. He also explains how to overcome three common obstacles – lust, curiosity, and falsehood – that inhibit our desire to study.View 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 weekly newsletter: www.stjosemaria.orgAlso, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: Give today! 

In our meditation of the week: Fr. Donncha Ó hAodha reflects on the significance of the Holy Cross in our lives and leads us to question: Have we become used to, or even indifferent, to Jesus on the Cross? Where’s the Cross in our lives?As we celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14) and the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows (September 15), we are called to contemplate Christ's humanity as he embraces his suffering with love, transforming it into a redemptive gift for humanity. In doing so, as Fr. Donncha explains, we can find meaning in our own trials, suffering, and disappointments. And we can turn to Our Lady, who faithfully accompanies Christ to Golgotha, showing us how to unite our pain with his and embodying steadfast faith and hope in the triumph of the Cross.View 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 weekly newsletter: www.stjosemaria.orgAlso, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: Give today! 

In our meditation of the week, Fr. Peter Armenio guides us to reflect on Jesus' declaration, "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12), and how we are called to radiate his light in the world.Living out the Gospel and being a light in the world is not about moralizing or winning theological arguments, but about being a genuine reflection of Christ through our love, words, and deeds. Therefore, Fr. Peter encourages us to connect to Jesus, the power source of light, through prayer and a personal relationship, through which he can shine light in our darkness and give joy and meaning to our lives.VIEW TRANSCRIPTVISIT SHOW PAGE(Please note: This meditation was recorded live during a spiritual retreat for women.) 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.orgAlso, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: Give today! 

In our meditation of the week: Fr. Leo Austin focuses on living the present moment with meaning and gratitude, recognizing our time and talents as gifts from God. Fr. Leo reflects on the parable of the talents, emphasizing that God entrusts each of us with unique gifts and opportunities, allowing us to participate in his creation. Our life and time are opportunities to give what we have received by transforming them and filtering them through our hearts into something better and greater. Therefore, it is important for us to use our talents or vocation for the good of others, co-creating with love and freedom, and transforming ordinary moments into encounters with God.VIEW TRANSCRIPTVISIT 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 weekly newsletter: www.stjosemaria.orgAlso, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: Give today! 

In our meditation of the week, Fr. Fred Dolan reflects on how some of the most remarkable moments in the New Testament are those moments when one person or another came up to Jesus and begged him for a favor. And how Our Lord also waits for us to ask him for the favors that we desire, by approaching him with the same boldness and passion. Drawing on the life of St. Josemaria, particularly the witness of piety given by his mother, Fr. Fred explains how great things happen when we focus on asking for God's help. In doing so, we are identifying our will to the will of God and we are admitting that he is the one who truly knows the depths of our need. VISIT SHOW PAGEVIEW 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.orgAlso, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: Give today! 

In our meditation of the week: Fr. Javier del Castillo reflects on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and how she helps us to rise up to Heaven in our daily lives. For St. Josemaria, the Assumption or the Dormition of Our Lady played a vital role in his life as a young boy in Barbastro, Spain. St. Josemaria’s devotion to Our Lady became so great that he wished to “rise up” to Heaven with Mary by clinging to the tassel of her cloak in an effort to bring a piece of Heaven to Earth.Fr. Javier invites us to look to Mary who teaches us that the essence of bringing Heaven to Earth lies in our ability to rise above challenges and adversities. By following her example, we can forgive even the unforgivable, serve others selflessly, and rise above our own tiredness and hardships. Mary's life exemplifies humility and the power of faith, showing us how to bring Christ's presence into our daily actions. As we emulate Mary's virtues and focus on the needs of others, we can transform our lives and actions, creating a piece of Heaven on Earth. VIEW SHOW PAGEVIEW 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.orgAlso, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: Give today! 

In our meditation of the week: Fr. Peter Armenio leads us to listen and reflect on the meaning of the Transfiguration of the Lord and how it should transform us today.The Transfiguration of Jesus encourages us in our commitment to discipleship. When we commit to protracted prayer - deep, silent, concentrated prayer - we can see God through our eyes of faith and deeds of love. The mystery of Our Lord’s Transfiguration helps the apostles to trust in the Cross and to believe that there is no such thing as a failure when we follow Christ. By deeply meditating on the scene of Transfiguration, 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. VISIT SHOW PAGEVIEW 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.orgAlso, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: Give today!