Episodes
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Is the Communion of Saints just a comforting idea, or a true and deeply consoling reality?
In our meditation of the week: as we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints (Nov. 1) and the Commemoration of All Souls (Nov. 2), Fr. Donncha Ó hAodha reflects on the importance of community in our life of faith as we pursue the goal of eternal life with Christ in Heaven.
Through the sacrament of baptism, we are welcomed in to communion with the Church and united to one another through the mystical body of Christ. We are never alone. Fr. Donncha explains: “The saints are cheering us on. They bear witness to the fact that holiness is indeed possible and that we too are called to that holiness, and that they help us by praying and interceding for us.”
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In our meditation of the week: Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the spirituality of St. John Paul II, whose feast day is celebrated October 22nd. St. John Paul II rooted his papacy in the Eucharist and devotion to Mary, inspiring holiness in people of all backgrounds from across the globe. There are many aspects we can learn from the papacy of St. John Paul II, but most importantly he taught us: how to pray, how to love, and how to serve.
As Pope Benedict XVI wrote: “Everyone knows John Paul II: his face, his characteristic way of moving and speaking; his immersion in prayer and his spontaneous cheerfulness. Many of his words have become indelibly engraved in our memories, starting with the passionate cry with which he introduced himself to the people at the beginning of his pontificate: ‘Open wide the doors to Christ, and be not afraid of him!’ An entire pontificate is condensed in words like these. It is as though he would like to open the doors for Christ everywhere and wishes to open up to people the gate that leads to true life, to true love.”
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In our meditation of the week: Fr. Javier del Castillo shares insight into the life of St. Teresa of Avila and reflects on an important lesson we can learn from her: the necessity of prayer.
St. Teresa understood that people are not born saints but can achieve sainthood through cooperation in God’s divine plan. Her time of prayer was most frequently spent in quiet contemplation upon the suffering of Christ, which allowed her to become more aware of her own sinfulness and to rely more fully on God.
St. Teresa of Avila, whose feast day is celebrated October 15, is a Doctor of the Church known for her renewal of the spiritual and monastic life of Spain during the Counter-Reformation. Her written works are highly regarded among mystical literature in the Catholic Church and continue to inspire readers today.
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In our meditation of the week: as we celebrate the month of the Holy Rosary, Fr. Leo Austin shares a reflection on deepening our devotion to Our Lady through the Rosary, in which we discover our role in God’s plan of salvation. Reflecting on the Annunciation, Fr. Leo reminds us that Mary’s fiat, her openness to the will of God, is a pivotal moment for humankind. As she freely accepts the will of God, Mary embraces her role as our spiritual mother and demonstrates for us the power in redeeming the ordinary moments of everyday life.
St. Josemaria wrote: “Develop a lively devotion for Our Mother. She knows how to respond in a most sensitive way to the present we give her. What is more, if you say the Holy Rosary every day, with a spirit of faith and love, Our Lady will make sure she leads you very far along her Son’s path” (Furrow, no. 691).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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VISIT SHOW PAGE(Please note: This meditation was recorded live during a spiritual retreat for women.)
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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.
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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.
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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 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.
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St. Josemaria Escriva wrote that, “A very important characteristic of the apostolic man is his love for the Mass” (The Way, no. 528). In this meditation, we listen and reflect on the Sacrifice of the Mass, the True Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and how it is the center and summit of our spiritual lives.
Our belief in the Eucharistic Sacrifice comes from God. We don’t achieve that belief through technique but through God’s grace. Our task is to correspond to the faith that God gives us and to ask him to intensify it so that in our heart and in our gut we believe that the Eucharist is our center.
As Fr. Peter Armenio explains, we also want to tap into the spirit and fervor of the saints. We can learn from their reverent examples and love for the True Presence. Every saint is valuable for our own edification and for helping us labor in our “yes” to God.
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In our meditation of the week, Fr. Leo Austin reflects on the gospel of St. Luke, particularly the scene of Jesus’ visit to Bethany. At Bethany, Our Lord was able to find refuge in his friends Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Fr. Leo reminds us that similar to Bethany, Christ longs to take refuge in our heart, to find a place where he can rest as our friend. In this way, we are called to make our hearts a place of warmth and sincerity, inviting Our Lord into our lives as a dear friend.
St. Josemaria reminds us, “For me the tabernacle has always been a Bethany, a quiet and pleasant place where Christ resides. A place where we can tell him about our worries, our sufferings, our desires, our joys, with the same sort of simplicity and naturalness as Martha, Mary and Lazarus” (Christ is Passing By, no. 154).
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In our meditation of the week: Fr. Peter Armenio sheds light on the mystery of redemption and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In the life of every saint—and here he draws upon personal encounters with John Paul II, Mother Teresa, and Alvaro del Portillo—there is an intimate connection with Christ and his Eucharistic sacrifice.
Through the Holy Mass, our work and sufferings can also take on an infinite value when we unite them to our Lord, because it allows us to say, along with St. Paul, “it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).
Therefore, as St. Josemaria encourages us: “Keep struggling, so that the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar really becomes the center and root of your interior life, and so your whole day will turn into an act of worship — an extension of the Mass you have attended and a preparation for the next. Your whole day will then be an act of worship that overflows in aspirations, visits to the Blessed Sacrament and the offering up of your professional work and your family life…” (The Forge, no. 69).
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In our meditation of the week: In this meditation, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the importance of detachment in our spiritual lives in order to make a generous gift of ourselves to our Lord and to others. He reminds us that while the comforts of this world can be good in themselves, they are ultimately fleeting.
Drawing upon the story of the Rich Young Man, Fr. Peter urges us to give all that we have so that we obtain Jesus. In the words of St. Josemaria, “I want you to be completely convinced that, if we really want to follow our Lord closely and be of real service to God and the whole of mankind, then we must be thoroughly detached from ourselves, our intellectual talents, our health, our good name, our noble ambitions, our triumphs and successes” (Friends of God, no. 144).
As you pray and reflect upon this message, what attachments can you begin to “hack away” at today that will make the joy of Christ shine through your life more clearly?
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In our meditation of the week: in light of the Feast of St. Josemaria on June 26th, Fr. Peter Armenio invites us to reflect on St. Josemaria's legacy and his role as an "evangelical sacramental." The canonization of a saint is an infallible declaration that the person is an actual sacramental, an outward sign of Jesus Christ. Through canonization, the Church acknowledges that person as a faithful reflection of the heart of Our Lord.
St. Josemaria exemplified what it means to radiate Christ's presence in everyday life. Fr. Peter references St. Paul's words to the Ephesians, emphasizing that to be like Christ, we must strive for perfection in love, as Christ has destined us all for Heaven.
By cultivating our devotion to St. Josemaria, we learn that sanctity works. It is through our personal pursuit of holiness that we can change the world, bringing Christ to its center. We are all destined by God in love to be saints. This month, through the intercession of Our Lady and St. Josemaria, let us commit ourselves to more fervently radiate Christ's presence, remembering: "I am called to do what I can to witness the gospel and to contribute to witnessing it to the very ends of the earth."
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In our meditation of the week, Fr. Donncha Ó hAodha reflects on how the saints are those who best radiate Jesus Christ in the world. It is through their humanity and personalities that we can see and touch the humanity and the personality of Jesus.
The whole gamut of human experience-- health, work, rest, marriage, friendship, joy, sorrow, humor-- everything can be full of Christ, can radiate Christ, and make present the beauty of the person of Christ.
Fr. Donncha reflects especially on St. Thomas More, the great saint, patron of politicians and lawmakers. He explains that when we think about St. Thomas More, we celebrate especially the humanity of holiness. He was a person who achieved great holiness in and through ordinary everyday things, which is what St. Josemaria particularly enjoyed and savored in St. Thomas More, his secularity.
From St. Thomas More we learn that it is not necessary to isolate ourselves from the world or from professional or family or married life, or our country. We must be totally immersed in all those realities. And, in and through those realities, we find Jesus Christ. We love Christ. We speak with Christ. And we bring Christ to those around us.
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In our meditation of the week, in preparation for Father's Day, Msgr. Fred Dolan shares a reflection on the important and necessary role fathers have within the family unit and in society today. Drawing upon anecdotes and heartfelt memories from his relationship with his own father, Msgr. Dolan shares seven points that can help fathers renew and strengthen their relationship with their spouse and children.
Msgr. Dolan explains that children have a need for authentic care, love, and affection in order to develop into responsible, morally and religiously mature, and psychologically stable persons. He encourages fathers to treat their children in the same way that God treats each one of us: with high standards, loving protection, great hopes for the future, affectionate understanding, a readiness to forgive, and never failing love. In doing so, children will be drawn into a deeper relationship and will seek to imitate this love among their friends and family for generations to come.
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