In our meditation of the week: Fr. Peter Armenio helps us to pray about the sacrificial and redemptive true presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, and how we should make the greatest treasure of the universe the center of our life. The source and summit of the Christian life is the Eucharist. Therefore, as Fr. Peter explains, &quot;everything hinges on the Mass. In a certain sense, every devotion is an extension of the Mass and must lead to the Mass.&quot; And, how much we get out of Mass depends on our presence of God throughout the day, and how well we embrace the Cross. Jesus&apos; crucifixion and death were a culmination of his life of self-giving through his work and through his public life. We have to join Jesus in his death and resurrection, through the cross, expressed in our work and expressed in our suffering. St. Josemaria Escriva referred to the workbench as our altar, not sacramentally or liturgically, but that everybody&apos;s altar is in whatever they do. And he says that what really counts is how much self-giving love we put into our work, because that&apos;s how much we&apos;re going to get to be part of the Mass. &quot;While you are at Mass, think that you are sharing in a divine Sacrifice. For that is how it is: on the altar, Christ is offering himself again for you&quot; (St. Josemaria Escriva; The Forge, no. 831). <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Everything-Hinges-on-the-Mass-Transcript.pdf'>View Transcript</a> <a href='https://stjosemaria.org/podcasts/everything-hinges-on-the-mass/'>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>

Everything Hinges on the Mass

On the Feast of St. Josemaria, we reflect on one of his most important teachings: the sanctification of work.  After their conversion, the early Christians were encouraged to continue living the same life which God had already given them.  St. Josemaria encourages us to do the same.  Work is a blessing from God and key to a happy, fulfilled life.  Working well is a condition for offering our work to God, thus making it holy and sanctifying ourselves and others in the process.  Our life of prayer is an essential element in sanctifying our work, without times of intense prayer we cannot turn work into prayer.  <a href='https://comeawaybyyourselves.com'>https://comeawaybyyourselves.com</a>

St. Josemaria and the Vocation to Work

Hoy celebramos la memoria litúrgica de san Alfonso María de Ligorio. Además de sus aportaciones a la teología moral, nos ha dejado en herencia su amor a María y su amor a la Eucaristía. Recomienda las visitas al Santísimo como la devoción que más gracias y más consuelos nos traerá. Y ofrece muchas razones válidas en apoyo a su afirmación.

2026-08-01 San Alfonso: visitas al Santísimo

Monica Joins Doug to discuss how to deal with pesky teens. It&rsquo;s a tough time for the teen and the parent so meet them where they are and remember to take a deep breath or two. &nbsp; Listener questions and comments: <ul> <li>Lynda - When I was raising children, I started having a family meeting and gave the children a chance to speak. It helped build trust. (20:47)</li> <li>Nick - There was a Catholic psychiatrist Conrad Baars who spoke of affirmation. I am a big fan because when I was a child I had issues with overly critical parents. (36:02)</li> <li>Paul - I learned how to teach patience to my children from watching the movie Aladdin. Jaffar's bird was always squawking, and I reiterate the line 'patience'. (39:00)</li> </ul> Resources: &nbsp; Marriage Unhindered <a href="https://www.marriageunhindered.com/">https://www.marriageunhindered.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> &nbsp; Happy Marriage for Life <a href="https://www.happymarriageforlife.com/">https://www.happymarriageforlife.com/</a> &nbsp; Boundaries with Kids: How Healthy Choices Grow Healthy Children &ndash; Henry Cloud <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Boundaries-Kids-Children-Control-Their/dp/0310243157">https://www.amazon.com/Boundaries-Kids-Children-Control-Their/dp/0310243157</a> &nbsp; Parenting with Love &amp; Logic: Teaching Children Responsibility &ndash; Jim Fay <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Love-Logic-Teaching-Responsibility/dp/B0D3MCHBPK">https://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Love-Logic-Teaching-Responsibility/dp/B0D3MCHBPK</a> &nbsp; Rules to deal with pesky teens <ol> <li>Breath</li> <li>Don&rsquo;t rise to the bait</li> <li>Don&rsquo;t draw on your own teen years</li> <li>Have realistic expectations</li> <li>Keep them safe in a digital world</li> </ol>

The Pesky Years

#10MinuteswithJesus

** Put yourself in the presence of God. Try talking to Him.
** 10 minutes are 10 minutes. Even if you can get distracted, reach the end.
** Be constant. The Holy Spirit acts "on low heat" and requires perseverance.

10-Minute audio to help you pray.
Daily sparks to ignite prayer: a passage from the gospel, an idea, an anecdote and a priest who speaks with you and the Lord, inviting you to share your intimacy with God.
Find your moment, consider you are in His presence and click play.

11-10-24 Continual Struggle (MC)

In this episode, Ashton Ellis discusses how we can become better dads by loving others better, starting with our wives.


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Episode 24: Being an Excellent Lover

Doug unpacks ways women can connect with their husbands on an emotional level. He takes a deep dive into the male psyche and unpacks the importance of compliments, physical touch, interest in hobbies, being thoughtful, listening, flirting, and revealing yourself and thoughts. Listener questions and comments: Resources: Rekindled Hearts Marriage Bundle <a href="https://relevantradio.store/collections/books/products/marriage-bundle">https://relevantradio.store/collections/books/products/marriage-bundle</a>

Connecting emotionally with your husband

Doug dives into the mailbag to address what to do when a husband is sexting another woman and how couples can navigate fear and conflict around having children. He also tackles communication breakdowns and how to help loved ones facing marital abuse. Listener questions and comments: <ul> <li>Addison &ndash; We have been married nine years and feel unheard when we try to communicate. Our arguments now seem to come out of nowhere. (21:05)</li> <li>Kye &ndash; I became pregnant later in life and my husband felt unprepared at first. How can couples work through fear and still build a healthy family? (36:55)</li> <li>Susan &ndash; How can I help a family member whose marriage is marked by verbal abuse? My sister-in-law is struggling with my brother&rsquo;s behavior. (38:46)</li> </ul> &nbsp; Resources: &nbsp; Marriage Unhindered <a href="https://www.marriageunhindered.com/">https://www.marriageunhindered.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> &nbsp; Happy Marriage for Life <a href="https://www.happymarriageforlife.com/">https://www.happymarriageforlife.com/</a>

Sexting, Children, and Communication

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai on May 18, 2025, at Lyncroft Center in Toronto.The Lord took care to leave a deep impression on the disciples, the apostles, when he gave them the mandatum novum. (John 13)It was like a special legacy that he wanted to leave behind. They remembered the words, his tone, but they especially remembered his gestures of tenderness and the warm tone of his voice when he knelt in front of them and washed their feet.They never forgot that night. It stayed imprinted on their brain.

Be like a Vitamin: the New Commandment

Como en las partituras, la Iglesia nos invita en Adviento a vivir día tras día el crescendo, que culminará en el fortíssimo de la Navidad. La liturgia nos alienta en la esperanza, sabiendo que esta no se refiere tan solo al futuro, sino que se verifica en cada instante: Dios es el que viene, en un presente continuo. La espera de Dios fundamenta nuestra esperanza.

2024-12-09 Esperanza: ya pero aún no

Doug unpacks the lives of Saints Louis and Zelie Martin, who both had mental health struggles, but overcame them through daily Mass attendance and reliance on the grace of God. Doug also shares highlights from the lives of another married couple, Luigi and Maria Quattrocci who lived lives of holiness with a strong emphasis on faith and service.

Marriage as a pathway to heaven

12-04-26 Hands and Side (EA)

Our forced isolation and deprivation have a silver lining.  Christ&apos;s prayer in the gospels leads us to the wonderful discovery that God is truly our possession and treasure.

Letting God be God

El Evangelio de la Solemnidad de hoy presenta a los Magos preguntando: “¿Dónde está el nacido rey de los judíos, pues hemos visto su estrella?” ¿Qué significa su estrella? ¿Cuál es la estrella infalible que nos señala dónde encontrar a Jesús? Sin duda que la Cruz. Ella nos señala sin confusión el camino seguro. Recordémosla frecuentemente pues solemos relegarla con frecuencia.

2026-01-04 Estrella de Epifanía

Doug discusses how cognitive distortions can harm marriage. Listener questions and comments: <ul> <li>Teresa - I have been married for 36 years and after living with this for so long we had to get different living situations. (19:24)</li> </ul> &nbsp; 11 Cognitive distortions <ol> <li>Filtering</li> <li>Discounting the positive</li> <li>Over generalization</li> <li>Jumping to conclusions</li> <li>Catastrophizing</li> <li>Personalization</li> <li>Fallacies</li> <li>The blame game</li> <li>&ldquo;Should&rdquo; statements</li> <li>Emotional reasoning</li> <li>Always being right</li> </ol>

Cognitive Distortions in Marriage

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

Forgiveness After an Affair

Are you living with someone who has dramatic mood swings during the day? Monica Hinderer joins Doug to unpack the meaning of borderline personality disorder (BPD) and anxious avoidant personalities. Doug and Monica discuss several symptoms of BPD including fear of abandonment, unstable relationships and difficulties with identity.

Borderline Personality Disorder

As we prepare for the season of Advent, we share a reflection on the fruits of the Holy Spirit: peace and joy. And how with these gifts we are called to create bright and cheerful homes and environments like the home of the Holy Family in Nazareth. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22,23).  The gifts of peace and joy are also expressions of the Heart of Jesus which he promises to give to us: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27). Therefore: “May no one read sadness or sorrow in your face, when you spread in the world around you the sweet aroma of your sacrifice: the children of God should always be sowers of peace and joy” (St. Josemaria Escriva; Furrow, no. 59). 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>

Peace and Joy

Jump into the second chapter of Fr. Edward Maristany's book, Heaven Can't Wait: A Glimpse of the Eternal in the Present. He recommends reading it slowly, deliberately, multiple times, to really glean the necessary insights from the short chapters. So we recommend putting this short episode on repeat!

Putting God's Plan Into Action - Heaven Can't Wait

El Rosario sigue el ritmo circular, parecido al de los juegos de niños. En su sencillez, nos mete en una identidad de mundos si sabemos contemplar los misterios con el corazón de María. Al mismo tiempo, la tradición católica habla de él como de arma poderosa, especialmente para la lucha contra el demonio. En el apostolado del Rosario, animar a rezarlo en familia.

2024-02-01 Rosario: oración de niños, arma poderosa.

El papa Benedicto explicó que eligió ese nombra para su pontificado en atención al patrono de Europa, san Benito de Nursia. Este gran santo insistía en no anteponer nada al amor de Cristo. Explorar esa invitación variando la preposición: nada se antepone al amor que Cristo me tiene a mí porque nada es más gozoso, y nada debe anteponerse al amor que yo le debo dar a Cristo.

2026-01-22 Vive para el amor de Cristo

Jesús curaba toda dolencia y toda enfermedad. Merece, como nadie, el título de médico. También ahora cuida y sana, comenzando por nuestra capacidad visual, miope muchas veces; deformada otras. Y nos curará también de los males del corazón, insuficiencia cardíaca que no bombea fuego de amor. O nuestro psiquismo, por ejemplo, el déficit de atención. María nos lleva al Médico en cada dolencia y nos ayuda a seguir el tratamiento.

2025-03-03 Médico divino

La ciencia más alta: conocer a Jesucristo. Advertimos constantes en su actitud, una de ellas la de dirigirse hacia la Cruz. No nos extrañemos que la Cruz esté también presente en nuestra vida. Estamos invitados a amarla, añadiendo lo más posible con nuestra generosidad. Uniéndonos a Jesús, es Él quien la acaba llevando. Ha venido a llenar el sufrimiento con su presencia.

2024-03-01 Valorar la cruz

San Josemaría escribió en sus Apuntes íntimos: “…me di cuenta que en las cuartillas nombradas se ha denominado así. Y ese nombre (¡¡¡la Obra de Dios!!!) me parece un atrevimiento, una audacia…”. Ojalá podamos decir nosotros que nuestra alma es Obra de Dios, porque está viviendo cada vez más la vida de Cristo, la vida de la gracia, que es vida divina.

2025-02-14 Obra de Dios, Cristificación.

This meditation was preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai on September 5th, 2026, at Ellerton Centre in Toronto.‘He withdrew to the wilderness and prayed’ (Lk 5:16)What did it look like to see the Lord withdraw into the wilderness? It was described as wilderness, a wild place because it was hostile to man’s control; there were no houses or comforts there. But it was a time of silent unity with God the Father. How can we pray like that in silence? It is hard for our generation to sit there without the comfort of devices. But we know inherently that if we sit there, alone with God, away from our notifications or the reels that make us laugh, we will still deepen in something we deeply need. We will come out of our prayer refreshed, rewired for the mission.Music: Audiio MULVEY Awakening Awakening Instrumental Sound effects: 11325622-police-siren-sound-effect-240674 on Pixabay. Nature sounds: Meditation forest sounds of birds singing relaxation - 4 minutes - Tim Irving. Tweeting-bird-sounds orangefreesoundsThumbnail: Ivan Kramskoy, Christ in the Wilderness, 1872 Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Jesus Withdrew into the Wilderness and Prayed

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Kintore College, Toronto, on March 1, 2025.Convertímini ad me in toto corde vestro, in ieiunio et fletu, et in planctu, dicit Dóminus. Turn to me with all your heart, in fasting, and in weeping, and in mourning, says the Lord.

Ash Wednesday: Time to Convert

Para extraer profundidad de la palabra de Dios empleemos el método lectio, meditatio, oratio, contemplatio. Ahora con la frase “El que come mi Carne y bebe mi Sangre permanece en Mí y Yo en él”. Dándole vueltas, nos invadirá el asombro: cada una de estas palabras es una revelación de un amor que excede toda medida. El fin es la transformación en Cristo.

2026-09-02 El que come mi carne…

Agradezcamos a Dios el habernos dado a María, aprovechando el mes de mayo que comenzamos. ¿Qué significa ser mariano? Sin duda amarla, y mucho. Busquemos hacerlo a través de la presencia de Ella, paralela a la de Dios. Y rezando bien el Rosario, hasta identificar nuestro corazón con el suyo. Entonces nuestras virtudes no serán extrínsecas, sino que procederán de un corazón asimilado a otro.

2025-05-06 En mayo, marianízate.

Mike and Alicia Hernon from the Messy Family Project join Doug discussing how to handle the chaos of family life. &nbsp; Listener questions and comments: &nbsp; <ul> <li>Cindy - My boyfriend and I have been dating for a year and we are talking about money. My concern is that he isn&rsquo;t 100% open to support me. Should it be 50/50? (8:39)</li> <li>Jean - We have been married 60 years and We share the money. (22:10)</li> <li>Jack - I am 62 and my daughter is 22. I am seeing some similarities between what I did with my ex-wife. How involved with this should I be? (38:01)</li> </ul> &nbsp; Resources: &nbsp; Sacred Heart of Jesus by Pompeo Batoni <a href="https://relevantradio.store/products/sacredheart">https://relevantradio.store/products/sacredheart</a> &nbsp; Happy Marriage for Life <a href="https://www.happymarriageforlife.com/">https://www.happymarriageforlife.com/</a> &nbsp; Messy Family Project <a href="https://messyfamilyproject.org/">https://messyfamilyproject.org/</a>

Order Within Family Chaos

No lo dudemos: la verdad es de Dios; la mentira, del demonio. Es preciso desenmascararla, tanto en nuestra vida personal como en la sociedad. San Josemaría decía: “La Obra, hijos míos, es muy amiga de la verdad”. Oír la voz de Dios sobre nosotros mismos será la primera forma de situarnos ante nuestra propia verdad.

2024-07-18 Amor a la verdad

En esta Solemnidad queremos evitar el riesgo de limitarnos a considerar fríamente este dogma de fe. Estamos hablándole a Santa María, uniéndonos a su alabanza a Dios por los dones que le concedió. Nos manifestamos enormemente agradecidos con el Creador que quiso regalarnos una Madre en plenitud de amor. Ella nos ama a cada uno más que todas las madres a sus hijos, porque en María no existen dos maternidades: nos ama con el mismo amor con el que ama a su Hijo.