St. Josemaria Institute Podcast

In this podcast, Fr. Eric Nicolai leads us in a time of reflection and prayer to check up on our spiritual health. He explains that when we are spiritually healthy, we are grateful and cheerful. But when we are not, even the smallest thing drives us crazy.

All those times when we're kind of irritable, restless, disconcerted, really worried about how things are going to turn out, what people might say, that's a sign we need a checkup and we need to get more spiritually healthy.

Our spiritual health will come, he explains, if we are men and women of prayer; if we are men and women who turn prayer into a real dialogue with God. Prayer puts us in contact with God, with our purpose and meaning, and therefore has the profound effect of giving us hope. There is nothing more essential for us than hope, to live by hope. We can't really live without hope. We can't even pray without hope.

The hope that comes from our prayer is also a reminder that we're never alone-- that's how some of the great saints survived. Prayer doesn't have to be a super perfect, forceful, or calm concentration. Prayer is a correspondence and dialogue with Our Lord.

As St. Josemaria Escriva says, “Prayer is the most powerful weapon a Christian has. Prayer must make us effective. Prayer must make us happy. Prayer gives us all the strength we need to fulfill God's commands" (The Forge, no. 439).

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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.

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In today’s podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the charity of God as “fuel” that enables us to seek holiness in the ordinary moments of everyday life. Our receptivity to God’s grace increases as we continue to strengthen our relationship with him through prayer and the sacraments. The grace we receive fills our life and will overflow into our relationships with one another, leading those we encounter closer to Christ.

As St. Josemaria explains: “Charity is not something we ourselves build up. It invades us along with God’s grace, ‘because he has loved us first’. We would do well to fill, to saturate ourselves with this most beautiful truth: ‘If we are able to love God, it is because we have been loved by God.’ Ask God boldly for this treasure, for the supernatural virtue of charity, so that you may practice it even in the smallest details” (Friends of God, no. 229).
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In this final meditation of our 3-part series on St. Josemaria's homily, Getting to Know God, Msgr. Martin Schlag reminds us that to truly know God is to love him more deeply. As we grow in friendship with Christ and recognize ourselves as beloved children of the Father, we are invited to become contemplatives in the midst of our daily lives, allowing God's love to transform every thought, action, and relationship. 
Msgr. Schlag encourages us to establish a spiritual plan of life to deepen our prayer and to respond generously to the Father by loving him above all things. 
Listen and reflect on: 
Growing in friendship with God 
Loving God with an undivided heart 
Holiness through daily fidelity 
Responding to the Father's love 
Establishing a spiritual plan of life 
Read the full text of St. Josemaria’s homily, “Getting to Know God”, online here. 

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In this second meditation of our series on St. Josemaria's homily, Getting to Know God, Fr. Eric Nicolai reflects on St. Josemaria's invitation to move beyond simply knowing about God to truly knowing him through prayer, recollection, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. As our relationship with God deepens, we begin to see the world, and ourselves, through his eyes. 
Fr. Eric encourages us to cultivate a faithful interior life, remain attentive to God's presence throughout the day, and grow in the loving friendship that is at the heart of the Christian life. 
Listen and reflect on: 
Growing in friendship with God 
The gift of prayer 
The Holy Spirit's guidance 
Living in God's presence 
Deepening the interior life 
 Read the full text of St. Josemaria’s homily, “Getting to Know God”, online here. 

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THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

If you enjoy our weekly meditations, please consider helping us keep the St. Josemaria Institute Podcast ad-free and accessible for all our listeners: Give today! 
Support the show