In our meditation of the week:  Fr. Javier del Castillo reflects on the revolutionary teaching of St. Paul who preached that Our Lord who is rich in mercy will always forgive us (Ephesians 2:4-10). It is a message that is intended to make our hearts rejoice on this Fourth Sunday of Lent or Laetare Sunday. Salvation is a gift. God became man for this purpose, to have mercy on us. We don&apos;t forgive our own sins. It is not a conquest of our own. We can&apos;t take our spiritual life in our own hands. Where our struggle lies is in opening up our soul to God and having the humility to recognize our sins. Even if we live good lives, as Fr. Javier explains, we must never assume that we are without sin. Our lives will find peace and joy only when we continue to ask for forgiveness: &quot;Lord, I want to hold on tighter to your hand, because I see myself in danger all the time, as long as I am in this world. And I want to be very close to you, really change, try to change my lifestyle, that&apos;s what I want to do.&quot; <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/A-God-Who-Forgives-Transcript.pdf '>View Transcript</a> <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/podcasts/a-god-who-forgives/'>Visit Show Page</a> 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: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/give/'>Give today!</a> <a rel="payment" href="https://stjosemaria.org/give/">Support the show</a>THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Let us know that our podcast is important to you:<ul><li>Share your favorite episodes with others and leave us a rating or review.</li><li>Stay connected with us on <a href='https://www.facebook.com/stjosemariainst/'>Facebook</a> and <a href='https://www.instagram.com/stjosemariainst/'>Instagram</a>. </li><li>Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/subscribe/'>www.stjosemaria.org</a></li></ul>Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/give/'>Give today!</a> <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/subscribe/'> </a>

A God Who Forgives

In this meditation, Fr. Leo Austin reflects on St. Josemaria’s Easter homily, <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/christ-presence-in-christians/'>Christ’s Presence in Christians</a>, emphasizing that every true encounter with Christ leads to mission. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we are filled with hope from encountering the Risen Lord which transforms our life and prompts us to share this joy with others. Listen and reflect on: <ul><li>Encountering Christ in a personal and meaningful way </li><li>The desire to share Christ with others </li><li>Seeing daily life as a place of apostolate </li><li>Bringing others to Christ through friendship </li><li>Living with purpose and mission  </li></ul><a href='https://stjosemaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/When-You-Say-Nothing-At-All-Transcript.pdf'>View Transcript</a> <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/podcasts/when-you-say-nothing-at-all/'>Visit Show Page</a> 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: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/give/'>Give today!</a> <a rel="payment" href="https://stjosemaria.org/give/">Support the show</a>THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Let us know that our podcast is important to you:<ul><li>Share your favorite episodes with others and leave us a rating or review.</li><li>Stay connected with us on <a href='https://www.facebook.com/stjosemariainst/'>Facebook</a> and <a href='https://www.instagram.com/stjosemariainst/'>Instagram</a>. </li><li>Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/subscribe/'>www.stjosemaria.org</a></li></ul>Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/give/'>Give today!</a> <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/subscribe/'> </a>

When You Say Nothing at All

Doug unpacks a case study about a &ldquo;stander&rdquo; from Impossible Marriages Redeemed. A &ldquo;stander&rdquo; is a victim of divorce who chooses to continue to live a life faithful to their wedding vows. &nbsp; Listener questions and comments: <ul> <li>Jeannie - We are called to faithfulness, not happiness. (20:40)</li> <li>Jennifer - Thank you for the 'standers' and for what you promote. We can always offer Masses. (21:42)</li> <li>Mary - What is the Church's view on people who leave marriage from abuse? I told my mom to leave her marriage when I was 16. (23:17)</li> <li>Frank - I am now 72 but I was married when I was 23. We split up when my wife had an abortion. We got an annulment. (39:53)</li> </ul> &nbsp; Resources: &nbsp; Impossible Marriages Redeemed <a href="https://www.leilamiller.net/impossiblemarriagesredeemedpdf">https://www.leilamiller.net/impossiblemarriagesredeemedpdf</a> &nbsp; The Forgiveness Institute <a href="https://internationalforgiveness.com/">https://internationalforgiveness.com/</a>

Standing by your Marriage Vows

In this podcast, Fr. Eric Nicolai reflects on the authority of Christ as King of heaven and earth to help us renew our desire for Christ to reign deeply in our hearts and to proclaim with the saints and martyrs, &quot;Long live Christ the King!&quot; The Solemnity of Christ the King was established in the 1920s by Pope Pius XI in response to the great rise of secularism in which people increasingly lived their lives as if God didn&apos;t exist. It is not unlike the battles and crises that we are confronting today that also fuel our desire to spread God&apos;s kingdom on earth. But for that to happen, Christ has to reign in our hearts now. Fr. Eric reflects on the ways in which we see Christ depicted as king in scripture and in art. Among those images is Jesus&apos;s entry into Jerusalem on a humble donkey. &quot;Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest” (Mt 21:9). What is an hosanna? Hosanna is a word that was used in the Hebrew liturgy, and then later in the Christian liturgy, as a shout of jubilation and a sign of respect and honor for he who saves. But in Jerusalem, it was especially a shout of praise and adoration and a kind of recognition of Jesus as the Messiah. Like those people, we can also offer so many hosannas to Our Lord to acknowledge him as our king. Fr. Eric encourages us to throw our cloaks under Our Lord as a beautiful sign of our submission to his will. We want to let him trample on our comforts and willfulness, under his donkey, so that we rely more not on our things but on his will, and so that his will is what really reigns in our heart. Tune in as we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Long-Live-Christ-the-King-Transcript.pdf'>View Transcript</a> <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/podcasts/long-live-christ-the-king/'>Visit Show Page</a> 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: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/give/'>Give today!</a> <a rel="payment" href="https://stjosemaria.org/give/">Support the show</a>THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Let us know that our podcast is important to you:<ul><li>Share your favorite episodes with others and leave us a rating or review.</li><li>Stay connected with us on <a href='https://www.facebook.com/stjosemariainst/'>Facebook</a> and <a href='https://www.instagram.com/stjosemariainst/'>Instagram</a>. </li><li>Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/subscribe/'>www.stjosemaria.org</a></li></ul>Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/give/'>Give today!</a> <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/subscribe/'> </a>

Long Live Christ the King

&quot;Mary seated herself at the Lord&apos;s feet, and listened to his word.&quot; (Luke 10:39) &quot;Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; but only one thing is necessary.&quot; (Luke 10:41) <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/product/a-spiritual-retreat-on-the-raising-of-lazarus/'>A Spiritual Retreat on the Raising of Lazarus</a> walks you through the Gospel account in which Christ demonstrates his power over death by restoring Lazarus to life - a prefigurement of our own resurrection to new life with Christ. As you listen to this retreat, you will be able to journey with Christ as he experiences the death of his friend, consoles Mary and Martha, prays to the Father, and reacts to the people gathered at the tomb. Taking time to quietly reflect with the meditations, we can pray and ask ourselves: - What can we learn from this Gospel account today? - What does this account tell us about the friendship of Christ? - Are we aware that it is only our friendship with Christ that can truly raise us up from the challenges of daily life and from the heavy burdens of sin? - Are we constantly seeking to reignite and deepen our friendship with him? <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/product/a-spiritual-retreat-on-the-raising-of-lazarus/'>A Spiritual Retreat on the Resurrection of Lazarus</a> is a collection of eleven meditations preached by Rev. Javier del Castillo, priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei and Vice President of the St. Josemaria Institute. This retreat was recorded March 30 - April 2, 2017 at the Shellbourne Conference Center in Valparaiso, Indiana. [<a href='https://stjosemaria.org/product/a-spiritual-retreat-on-the-raising-of-lazarus/'>Download the Retreat</a>] 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: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/give/'>Give today!</a> <a rel="payment" href="https://stjosemaria.org/give/">Support the show</a>THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Let us know that our podcast is important to you:<ul><li>Share your favorite episodes with others and leave us a rating or review.</li><li>Stay connected with us on <a href='https://www.facebook.com/stjosemariainst/'>Facebook</a> and <a href='https://www.instagram.com/stjosemariainst/'>Instagram</a>. </li><li>Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/subscribe/'>www.stjosemaria.org</a></li></ul>Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/give/'>Give today!</a> <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/subscribe/'> </a>

Part One | With Jesus At Bethany

Doug unpacks a case study from Impossible Marriages Redeemed by Leila Miller. In this case, the young couple were married at a very young age after the woman found out she was pregnant. Faced with numerous challenges including marital infidelity, and separation this couple overcame many obstacles through patience, understanding and ultimately the grace of God. Listener questions and comments: <ul> <li>David - I have a couple of coworkers - one is married and one is divorced. They're committing adultery together. How do I get through to them that this is wrong? (35:25)</li> </ul> Resources: Impossible Marriages Redeemed <a href="https://www.leilamiller.net/impossiblemarriagesredeemedpdf">https://www.leilamiller.net/impossiblemarriagesredeemedpdf</a> &nbsp; Happy Marriage for Life <a href="https://www.happymarriageforlife.com/">https://www.happymarriageforlife.com/</a> &nbsp; Rekindled Hearts Marriage Bundle <a href="https://relevantradio.store/collections/books/products/marriage-bundle">https://relevantradio.store/collections/books/products/marriage-bundle</a>

Marriage is a path to heaven

Struggling after an affair? Doug relays different methods to heal your relationship and forgive after a betrayal.

Forgiveness After an Affair

Doug unpacks the four loves necessary for a happy marriage: love of friendship, kindness, physical love and sacrificial love. How do you tell your spouse you are lonely? If your spouse does something wrong, how can you still have their back? Doug answers these questions and more.

Love and Marriage

In this meditation, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the spirit of filial trust he witnessed in Blessed Alvaro del Portillo, shaped in large part by his closeness to St. Josemaría. Through that relationship, Blessed Alvaro learned to see God truly as Father and to entrust everything to him with serenity and faith. Fr. Peter encourages us to deepen our own trust in God, learning from the example of the saints to live with greater confidence and interior peace. Listen and reflect on: <ul><li>Lessons from Blessed Álvaro </li><li>His unity with St. Josemaría </li><li>Living with peace amid uncertainty  </li><li>Developing a simple and confident prayer life  </li><li>Imitating the virtues of the saints</li></ul><a href='https://stjosemaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Blesssed-Alvaro-Mary-Transcript-2.pdf'>View Transcript</a> <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/podcasts/learning-trust-with-blessed-alvaro/'>Visit Show Page</a>   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: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/give/'>Give today!</a> <a rel="payment" href="https://stjosemaria.org/give/">Support the show</a>THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Let us know that our podcast is important to you:<ul><li>Share your favorite episodes with others and leave us a rating or review.</li><li>Stay connected with us on <a href='https://www.facebook.com/stjosemariainst/'>Facebook</a> and <a href='https://www.instagram.com/stjosemariainst/'>Instagram</a>. </li><li>Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/subscribe/'>www.stjosemaria.org</a></li></ul>Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/give/'>Give today!</a> <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/subscribe/'> </a>

Learning Trust with Blessed Alvaro del Portillo

In this reflection, Fr. Paul Donlan explains how the virtue of patriotism stems from the natural virtue of piety, the same virtue that allows us to respect and honor our parents. It is, therefore, the school of the family where the virtue of patriotism is first instilled.

Ep. 6 Patriotism

Doug shares a positive email from a wife bragging about her husband. (3:05) He helps an individual who has been dating her boyfriend for nine years. (10:00)&nbsp; Doug gives advice to a mother who's daughter who co-habitating and how to ask about marriage. Listener questions and comments: <ul> <li>Michael-How do I make sure to get a good Catholic marriage counselor. (7:11)&nbsp; &nbsp;</li> <li>Monica- How do you discern dating someone who has dysfunctional family? My son is asking my advice (20:34)</li> <li>Peter- My wife's family living with us. I have issues with certain grown ups and had confrontation with one. my wife telling me to stay out of it. (27:09)</li> <li>Gilbert-I've been married 55 years, but my wife wants to sell house and separate.&nbsp; What can I do? (32:01)</li> <li>Rudy-My nephew is marrying a woman from India and I feel he doesn't have enough life experience.&nbsp; I think his fiancee wants him for his green card.&nbsp; What should I do as an Uncle?&nbsp; (40:51)</li> <li>Colette-We started charging son/daughter rent, and they thanked us later fo doing that. (46:14)</li> </ul> Resources:Rekindled Hearts Marriage <a href="Bundlehttps://relevantradio.store/collections/books/products/marriage-bundle">Bundle</a> <a href="Bundlehttps://relevantradio.store/collections/books/products/marriage-bundle">https://relevantradio.store/collections/books/products/marriage-bundle</a> Catholic Therapists:<a href="https://www.catholictherapists.com/">Catholic Therapist Directory - Find Catholic Therapists - CatholicTherapists.com</a> Catholic Psychotherapy Association Directory Search:<a href="https://cpa.ce21.com/directory">cpa - Directory Search</a>

Better Parenting leads to Better Marriages

As we close out September, here is a passage from the book Made for Freedom: Loving, Defending, and Living God's Gift by Jutta Burggraf.

Interior Freedom - Made for Freedom

Is it possible to be happy in a difficult marriage? Today Doug discusses how to be happy in your marriage. He shares wisdom from St. Thomas Aquinas and shares how living a virtuous life leads to happiness. Listener questions and comments: <ul> <li>Joe - Is it possible for someone with borderline personality disorder to heal and have a happy marriage? (10:29)</li> <li>Bob - My wife and I have different ideas about sex. She thinks I should see a therapist, because I think about sex too much. What do you think? (16:38)</li> <li>Jeanie - I've been married for 60 years in an overall happy marriage. We're in our 80s, and my husband's becoming overly protective and it's driving me crazy. (23:09)</li> <li>Rita - Regarding a previous caller on intimacy and sexual innuendos. Tenderness in a non-sexual way goes a long way. (35:18)</li> <li>Kathleen - What's kept us together is that marriage takes three, with God. Ending the marriage in divorce was not an option.&nbsp; You can only work through problems with the Lord. (39:11)</li> </ul> Resources: Catholic Therapists <a href="https://www.catholictherapists.com/">https://www.catholictherapists.com/</a> Catholic Psychotherapy <a href="https://catholicpsychotherapy.org/">https://catholicpsychotherapy.org/</a> Emotionally focused therapy <a href="https://iceeft.com/">https://iceeft.com/</a>

Happiness in Marriage

Dora was a homemaker for her sisters and brothers in Opus Dei. Through her work cooking and cleaning, she helped give the centers of Opus Dei where she worked the warm, welcoming environment of a Christian family home.
Resources to learn more about Dora del Hoyo:
<ul>
 <li>⁠<a href="https://opusdei.org/en-us/dora-del-hoyo/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Website for Her Canonization Cause⁠</a>.</li>
 <li>Medina Bayo, Javier. Dora del Hoyo: A Lighted Lamp. Hounslow, UK: Scepter, 2017. (⁠<a href="https://scepterpublishers.org/products/dora-del-hoyo-a-lighted-lamp" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Scepter Publishers</a>⁠)</li>
</ul>
For more information about Opus Dei or to inquire about Opus Dei activities in your area, visit <a href="https://opusdei.org/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠www.opusdei.org⁠⁠</a>.
You can buy the book "Encounters: Finding God in All Walks of Life" from <a href="https://scepterpublishers.org/products/encounters" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠Scepter Publishers⁠⁠</a> or on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/159417511X" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠</a>.

Dora del Hoyo: First Numerary Assistant

What do dads really need on Father&rsquo;s Day? Doug offers seven powerful reminders of how love, respect, and gratitude can make a father feel seen and valued. &nbsp; Resources: The Bible and Marriage: The Two Shall Become One Flesh (A Catholic Biblical Theology of the Sacraments) <a href="https://stpaulcenter.com/store/the-bible-and-marriage-the-two-shall-become-one-flesh-a-catholic-biblical-theology-of-the-sacraments">https://stpaulcenter.com/store/the-bible-and-marriage-the-two-shall-become-one-flesh-a-catholic-biblical-theology-of-the-sacraments</a> &nbsp; Marriage Tune-Up: <a href="https://www.marriageunhindered.com/">https://www.marriageunhindered.com/</a> &nbsp; What dads really need on Father&rsquo;s Day <ol> <li>I love watching you be a father.</li> <li>I love the way you show up even when it&rsquo;s hard.</li> <li>You make this family better in ways you don&rsquo;t even realize.</li> <li>I trust your judgement as a father.</li> <li>You teach our kids things I never could.</li> <li>I&rsquo;m proud of the man you&rsquo;ve become.</li> <li>I still choose you every day.</li> </ol>

What Dads Need for Father’s Day

In this episode, Rich Meyer gives dads of teenagers practical suggestions for managing technology in the home.


Podcast Production Services by NCC Audio - https://nccaudio.com

Episode 20: Teens and Technology

Are you questioning whether you are dating the person you want to marry? Dr. Mario Sacasa LMFT joins Doug to discuss dating advice and top lessons he learned as a marriage therapist. Doug and Dr. Sacasa discuss what prayer, communication, and fun should look like I a great relationship.   Resources mentioned: Dr. Mario Sacasa’a website <a href="https://www.drmariosacasa.com/">https://www.drmariosacasa.com/</a>   The Temperament God Gave You <a href="https://sophiainstitute.com/product/the-temperament-god-gave-you/">https://sophiainstitute.com/product/the-temperament-god-gave-you/</a>

Dating and Great Relationships

An intimate, day-by-day portrait of Pope St. John Paul II by his spokesman who spent 22 years at his side. It reveals how the pope viewed all the significant events in the life of the Church and in European and world events of the last two decades of the twentieth century. 
 Joaquín Navarro-Valls (1936–2017) spent 22 years at the side of Pope John Paul II from 1984 until the pontiff 's death in 2005. As the first head of the Vatican Press Office and one of the top laymen in the Church, he was chosen by the pope after years as the elected head of the Vatican press corp and following a career change from psychiatry to journalism. 
 During his time at the Pope's side, he had regular access to the Pope. He accompanied him not only on his official papal trips all over the world, but also on the pope's frequent weekend and summer vacations to the Italian mountains. He participated in the preparation work for historic events such as the Vatican's opening to both the Soviet Union under Mikhail Gorbachev, as well as meeting with Fidel Castro to pave the way for the Pope's visit to Cuba. 
 Written in the form of a personal diary and published at the author's request over six years after his death, these pages offer not only a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes work of the Holy See. They also display the Pope's deep concern for helping to resolve the great problems of modern life.

My Years with John Paul II

St. Josemaría once wrote, "Our Lord does not expect us to be unhappy in our life on earth and await a reward only in the next life. God wants us to be happy on earth too, but with a desire for the other, total happiness that only he can give." 
 Our lives are full of highs and lows, successes and struggles, joys and sorrows. We are called to live with a happy heart alongside it all. But it is not enough to want to be happy: we must learn to be. Fr. Francisco will help you to discover happiness regardless of life's circumstances, by uniting your heart with the heart of God. 
 In Choosing Happiness, you will be given the knowledge and the tools to embrace and live out an all-encompassing happiness —a daily fulfillment— that ensures joy now as well as in the afterlife.

Choosing Happiness: Working Within

Carlos grew up in an extremely poor family and was an active member of the Communist Youth organization before the Spanish Civil War. He was a political prisoner of the Franco regime and served in the Spanish Foreign Legion. He worked in a fish shop and eventually started a fish shop of his own. After his conversion and joining Opus Dei, he dedicated much of his energy to trying to improve the lives of local gypsies (as people called them then) and illiterate coal miners.
Resources to learn more about Carlos Martínez:
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://unagregadodelopusdei.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">A website created by his friends in Oviedo</a> (in Spanish).</li>
 <li>Íniguez Herrero, José Antonio, and Pablo Alvarez Valbuena. Carlos Martínez, pescadero. Un revolucionario que se encontró con Dios. Madrid: Palabra, 2011 (in Spanish, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/8498405491" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Amazon</a>).</li>
</ul>
For more information about Opus Dei or to inquire about Opus Dei activities in your area, visit <a href="https://opusdei.org/">⁠www.opusdei.org⁠</a>.
You can buy the book &quot;Encounters: Finding God in All Walks of Life&quot; from <a href="https://scepterpublishers.org/products/encounters">⁠Scepter Publishers⁠</a> or on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/159417511X">⁠Amazon⁠</a>.

Carlos Martínez: Fish Seller

Conflict is an unavoidable part of marriage and of life. Rather than try to avoid conflict at all costs, Marriage Therapist Doug Hinderer walks us through a new way to see it and how to address conflict for the betterment of ourselves and our marriages! Doug can be found at: <a href="https://www.happymarriageforlife.com">https://www.happymarriageforlife.com</a>

Ep. 14 Conflict in Marriage with Doug Hinderer

Mike and Alicia Hernon join Doug to share lessons learned from 10 years of working with couples and families. &nbsp; Listener questions and comments: <ul> <li>Fred - God doesn&rsquo;t make defective people. He makes different people. (37:45)</li> </ul> &nbsp; Resources: Mike &amp; Alicia Heron <a href="https://messyfamilyproject.org/">https://messyfamilyproject.org/</a>

Becoming a Stronger Married Couple

In this bonus episode, you'll hear from Scepter author Rob Marco on his new book Coached by Philip Neri: Lessons in Joy! Learn about this great Saint and how he can be an example to Christians today!

Interview with Rob Marco, author of Coached by Philip Neri

Live from the National Eucharistic Congress from Indianapolis with Amanda Smith.

Natural Family Planning

Fr. Luke Mata reflects on the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and the meaning of Advent in the Catholic liturgical year, where Advent is not just a commemoration of Christ’s birth but an active preparation to welcome Him anew, urging believers to “wake up” from spiritual slumber, distractions, and sin. Drawing from Saint Paul’s exhortation to “put on the armor of light,” Fr. Luke highlights the need for confession as the best way to prepare one’s heart, making space for Christ where sin and selfishness often crowd Him out. Moving between scripture, church prayers, and illustrative stories—including an allegorical painting of Jesus knocking on a door with no outside handle and a moving account of how confession saved a woman’s life—the talk encourages practical spiritual renewal. Ultimately, the message is that the best gifts for Christ this Advent are a clean, joy-filled heart and the act of bringing others closer to Him.

Awake and Prepare: Making Room for Christ This Advent

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai, December 21, 2022 at Lyncroft Centre, Toronto.
Phil 4, 4: “Rejoice in the Lord always”. Joy is at the heart of Christian experience. Pope Benedict XVI said that one of the great attraction of WYD was the joy that people saw. It is seen in young people, in the smiles of Pope Francis.
Pope Benedict XVI said “In a world of sorrow and anxiety, joy is an important witness to the beauty and reliability of the Christian faith.”
In a school you learn stuff. What are we going to learn today?
Music: Bert Alink, Mossy Garden, arranged on guitar.
Thumbnail: Raphael, &nbsp;Sistine Madonna 1513 Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister Dresden.

The School of Joy

Listen to the first chapter of our newest Scepter Title, Rekindled Hearts: A Spiritual Journey to Martial Healing by Doug Hinderer.

Heaven is Forever - Rekindled Hearts

In our meditation of the week: Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the first evangelical words of Christ—&quot;Come and see&quot;—and the power of personal witness in evangelization. He highlights how spreading the Gospel does not require grand gestures but genuine relationship, as seen in the example of John the Baptist, who led his disciples to Jesus, and in the early Church, where ordinary laypeople shared the faith in their daily lives.  Drawing from John 1:39, Fr. Peter emphasizes that evangelization starts with personal conversion and time spent with Christ: &quot;They came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day.&quot; He reminds us that just as St. Andrew brought St. Peter to Jesus, we, too, are called to bring others to him through our joy, kindness, and authentic Christian witness.  <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Come-and-See-Drawing-Others-to-Christ-Transcript-.pdf'>View Transcript</a> <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/podcasts/come-and-see/'>Visit Show Page</a> 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: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/give/'>Give today!</a> <a rel="payment" href="https://stjosemaria.org/give/">Support the show</a>THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Let us know that our podcast is important to you:<ul><li>Share your favorite episodes with others and leave us a rating or review.</li><li>Stay connected with us on <a href='https://www.facebook.com/stjosemariainst/'>Facebook</a> and <a href='https://www.instagram.com/stjosemariainst/'>Instagram</a>. </li><li>Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/subscribe/'>www.stjosemaria.org</a></li></ul>Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/give/'>Give today!</a> <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/subscribe/'> </a>

Come and See: Drawing Others to Christ

This episode is the first in a two-part series on raising daughters.  Colin Brady gives practical advice regarding how dads can be successful in raising daughters.


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Episode 39: Raising Daughters, Part 1

Listen to a portion of St. Josemaria Escriva's Advent meditation, The Christian Vocation from the book Christ is Passing By. The passage comes from points 7-11.

The Christian Vocation - Christ is Passing By

In this podcast, Fr. Donncha Ó hAodha reflects on how the universal call to adoration is the source of our happiness and the source of our true human flourishing and maturing. We can achieve our fullest human and spiritual potential insofar as we worship and adore God with our whole being and with our lives. The universal call to adoration, to give all the glory to God, especially through our ordinary, secular, daily, and sometimes mundane/repetitive realities, in no way demeans the human person, but rather raises us up, embellishes all that we have, and enhances all that we are. As we celebrate the Feast of the Archangels (September 29), Fr. Donncha reminds us that the first function of the angels is to give glory to God. St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael are adorers of the Lord! It&apos;s not surprising that the saints, like St. Josemaria Escriva, would have great devotion to the Archangels, who stand before the throne of God and who kneel before the throne of God in adoration. The Book of Job tells us that man&apos;s life on earth is a struggle or battle. There is, undoubtedly, a battle going on between good and evil. For all of us in the Church, the Archangels are our great allies. We&apos;re not alone in our battle. In our call to adoration, we are praying within the warmth, the company, the presence of a family, in communion with the Holy Church. <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Universal-Call-to-Adoration-Transcript.pdf'>View Transcript</a> <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/podcasts/universal-call-to-adoration/'>Visit Show Page</a> 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: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/give/'>Give today!</a> <a rel="payment" href="https://stjosemaria.org/give/">Support the show</a>THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Let us know that our podcast is important to you:<ul><li>Share your favorite episodes with others and leave us a rating or review.</li><li>Stay connected with us on <a href='https://www.facebook.com/stjosemariainst/'>Facebook</a> and <a href='https://www.instagram.com/stjosemariainst/'>Instagram</a>. </li><li>Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/subscribe/'>www.stjosemaria.org</a></li></ul>Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/give/'>Give today!</a> <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/subscribe/'> </a>

The Universal Call to Adoration

In our meditation of the week: Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the readings for the Third Sunday of Lent and how they teach us to see that God approaches us first because he eminently wills our happiness-- a happiness that begins here on earth because of his liberation.Fr. Peter begins by recounting the familiar story of how Moses encountered God through the burning bush. We see God reveal himself as a liberator, seeking to free the Israelite people. God reveals himself to Moses by stating his name, ‘I AM,’ which is the first time God reveals this in Scripture. God desires a personal relationship with us, and like all relationships, this relationship begins with an introduction. This interaction points us toward Christ, as God will become man through whom he will have a personal relationship with his people. Through Moses, God seeks to defeat the Egyptians and save the Israelite people, prefiguring what Christ will do on the cross — defeat Satan and free God’s people from sin.Fr. Peter also recounts the parable of the fig tree. We see Christ personified as the gardener and God the Father personified as the owner. The gardener is advocating to save the fig tree, explaining to the owner that he can cut it down eventually, but it has not yet had its time. Applying this parable to our own life, we see a sense of urgency in the Gospel. Our time here on earth is finite — at some point, it will end.The season of Lent allows us the opportunity to look inward and to begin again: to take advantage of reconciliation, to seek after Christ in prayer, and to reach out in charity toward others.<a href='https://stjosemaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Third-Sunday-Week-of-Lent-Beginning-Again-Transcript.pdf'>View Transcript</a> <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/podcasts/third-sunday-in-lent-begin-again/'>Visit Show Page</a> 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: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/give/'>Give today!</a> <a rel="payment" href="https://stjosemaria.org/give/">Support the show</a>THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Let us know that our podcast is important to you:<ul><li>Share your favorite episodes with others and leave us a rating or review.</li><li>Stay connected with us on <a href='https://www.facebook.com/stjosemariainst/'>Facebook</a> and <a href='https://www.instagram.com/stjosemariainst/'>Instagram</a>. </li><li>Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/subscribe/'>www.stjosemaria.org</a></li></ul>Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/give/'>Give today!</a> <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/subscribe/'> </a>

Third Sunday & Week of Lent: Beginning Again

Doug continues to explore the idea of building a strong foundation of communication. Plus: Day 2 of the novena to Mary, Mother of Fairest Love. &nbsp; Listener questions and comments: <ul> <li>Ron - I am the one in the relationship who tends to think my wife is doing bad things. I assume the worst. Would it be better to not respond at all if she is giving me these signals? (34:15)</li> </ul>

Building a Foundation of Communication (Part 2)

Do the problems in your marriage seem insurmountable? Today, Doug continues his discussion on discouragement and despair in marriage. &nbsp; Listener questions and comments: <ul> <li>Alexander - How do I convince my wife to become Catholic? (3:05)</li> <li>Colby - I want to recommend that Alexander looks into the Byzantine rite of the Catholic Church. (16:47)</li> <li>David - What do you do if you were raised in an all-male family and environment but you need to relate to your wife? (19:42)</li> </ul> &nbsp; Resources: &nbsp; Catholic Therapists <a href="https://catholictherapists.com/">https://catholictherapists.com/</a> &nbsp; Catholic Psychotherapy <a href="https://catholicpsychotherapy.org/">https://catholicpsychotherapy.org/</a>

Avoid the Trap of Discouragement (Part 2)

Doug shares a story of a wife who honors her marriage vows even after husband left (5:00)&nbsp; Off-air caller shares story about how there is life after a bad marriage where the husband was leading a double life and that she survived because of her faith and Catholic mother (36:00)&nbsp; Doug shares a story about adult children still affected by divorce years later (38:28) Listener Calls:&nbsp; Colleen-Shares story of her husband who wanted divorce and the annulment was denied, but her husband committed suicide and now she's remarried (20:00) Kathy-Feels like when couples get into trouble in their marriage, they should get an exorcism (26:30)&nbsp; Tom-I am in a good marriage of 41 years. I have had the opinion that my marriage is forever. Do we have recourse to civil divorce if I don't want it? if she pursued an annulment and it was granted, do I need to pursue one as well? (31:00) Anne-My parents married over 40 years. just found out some very disturbing info relating choices made by my dad. He has lived a double life entire time.&nbsp; (45:00) Sources: Impossible Marriages Redeemed:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0997989327" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Amazon.com: Impossible Marriages Redeemed: They Didn't End the Story in the Middle: 9780997989328: Miller, Leila: Books</a> 62-year-old still affected by parents' divorce:&nbsp; <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/parenting/divorce-impact-childhood-trauma-decades-later/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1">&lsquo;I&rsquo;m 62, my parents divorced when I was six. It&rsquo;s cast a shadow over my life ever since&rsquo;</a>

Case study on a wife keeping marriage vows after husband left

Reflection… “My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning. For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart” (Psalm 38:5-8). In the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus tells Peter, James, and John to watch and pray, he is also calling us to watch and pray.  In our prayer we contemplate who Jesus really is, what he did for us out of love and what this means for us today.  How can we make this time of prayer personal and allow what we learn to overflow into our daily lives. 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: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/give/'>Give today!</a> <a rel="payment" href="https://stjosemaria.org/give/">Support the show</a>THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Let us know that our podcast is important to you:<ul><li>Share your favorite episodes with others and leave us a rating or review.</li><li>Stay connected with us on <a href='https://www.facebook.com/stjosemariainst/'>Facebook</a> and <a href='https://www.instagram.com/stjosemariainst/'>Instagram</a>. </li><li>Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/subscribe/'>www.stjosemaria.org</a></li></ul>Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/give/'>Give today!</a> <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/subscribe/'> </a>