St. Josemaria Institute Podcast

In our meditation of the week for the feast of Blessed Alvaro del Portillo, Fr. Javier del Castillo reflects on the life and virtues of the faithful successor of St. Josemaria Escriva, whom he affectionately nicknamed Saxum or rock in Latin.

Fr. Javier shares how the gift of fortitude, a fruit of the Holy Spirit, was powerfully present in Blessed Alvaro’s life and how we too are called to become “rocks”--dependable buildin...

In our meditation of the week: Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on how the Risen Christ remained hidden from the disciples on the road to Emmaus so they would learn to recognize him with the eyes of faith. Drawing from St. Luke’s Gospel, Fr. Peter shares how we too are called to encounter Christ daily—especially in the Bread and the Word—through a life of prayer and faith.

Listen now to reflect on:  

• Why Christ willed...

In our meditation of the week: Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the mystery of the Resurrection and our mission to proclaim the joy that Christ is alive. He explains that we are not called to announce that Jesus is risen through dramatic gestures or grand proclamations but through the example of our faith and our joy.

Christ's resurrection is not only a past event but a living reality made present to us in the Eucharist ...

In our meditation of the week: Fr. Donncha Ó hAodha reflects on the overflowing joy and wonder of Christ’s Resurrection and the living presence of the Risen Lord in the Church, in creation, and in our daily lives.

Fr. Donncha invites us to rediscover the Church as the living presence of Christ among us - a gift that is not the result of human effort, but the action of the Risen Lord in history. He reflects on how the Chur...

In our meditation of the week for Holy Thursday: Fr. Donncha Ó hAodha offers a profound reflection on the enduring, limitless love of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist. Entering the Upper Room with the Apostles, we are invited to contemplate the eternal love of Christ, who “loved them to the end,” and who gives us not a symbol but his very self in the Blessed Sacrament.

Fr. Do...

In our meditation of the week: Fr. Peter Armenio shares a reflection on the Gospel passage of the Passion of Christ (Luke 22:14-23:56) which is read on Palm Sunday. During this holiest time of the year, the Church invites her people to focus directly on the suffering of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The longer Gospel readings help us to honor Christ’s request to “keep watch and pray” with him as he asked the Apostles in the Ga...

In our meditation of the week: Reflecting on the Gospel of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1–11), Msgr. Fred Dolan invites us to contemplate the gift of mercy—a central theme of the Christian life. In this powerful scene, Christ reveals the heart of the Father, not through condemnation, but through compassion and forgiveness. It is a call to each of us to examine how quickly we pass judgment, often without even realizing it.

Note: This meditation was recorded in front of a live audience.

In our meditation for the Fourth Week of Lent, Fr. Peter Armenio invites us to renew our commitment to the three pillars of Lent: almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. As we reach the midpoint of this penitential seson, he reminds us that Lent centers on Christ’s self-giving sacrifice on the Cross—the greatest expression of love. To follow Christ is to embrace the ...

In our meditation of the week: Msgr. Fred Dolan reflects on the 100th anniversary of St. Josemaria’s priestly ordination on March 28, 1925. He invites us to consider the extraordinary fruitfulness of St. Josemaria’s life and his desire to be a genuine priest with a genuine and serious concern for souls that led him to love everyone without distinction.

Drawing from personal anecdotes and historical accounts, Msgr. Dolan hi...

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 ...

In our meditation of the week: Msgr. Dolan reflects on the Transfiguration of Christ and how this scene reminds us that a major goal of the Lenten season is to create an interior silence that allows us to enjoy God's presence.

Msgr. Dolan shares how the scene of the Transfiguration echoes the words of the Psalms: "Be still and know that I am God" (Ps 46:11). The disciples who witnessed this moment "fel...

In our meditation of the week: we reflect on the virtue of fortitude as the driving force to overcome temptation. St. Josemaria Escriva reminds us, "A task which presents no difficulties lacks human appeal – and supernatural appeal too. If you find no resistance when hammering a nail into a wall, what can you expect to hang on it?" (The Forge, no. 245). To win the prize, you cannot avoid the struggle—it is the very path t...

In our meditation of the week: Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on self-denial as a path to deeper faith and freedom in Christ. As we begin Lent, we are reminded that to follow Our Lord, we must deny ourselves and take up our cross daily. Self-denial strengthens our commitment to prayer, holiness, and living the Gospel with conviction. 

Fr. Peter reminds us that St. Josemaria Escriva said, "If you don’t deny yourself, you ...

In our meditation of the week: Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the first evangelical words of Christ—"Come and see"—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 liv...

In our meditation of the week: Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on St. Josemaria Escriva's teaching on realistic optimism— omnia in bonum- the confidence that Christ has already conquered all on our behalf, and that by uniting ourselves to him through prayer, we can overcome any challenge and participate in his victory. 

Drawing from John 16:33, he reminds us of Christ’s words: “In the world you will have affliction. But t...

In our meditation of the week: Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the hidden years of Jesus' life and the profound sanctity found in the ordinary. He emphasizes how Jesus, Mary, and Joseph lived lives of simplicity and work, demonstrating that holiness is not reserved for extraordinary deeds but is found in daily life, family, and labor. 

Fr. Peter highlights the Gospel's silence on Jesus' early years, noting th...

The following meditation was recorded in front of a live audience. 

In this meditation, Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the profound reality of God’s unconditional love for us as his sons and daughters. Drawing from the only prayer Jesus taught us —“Our Father”— Fr. Peter reminds us of its deeper meaning: a call to recognize God’s perfect love and his desire for our happiness. 

Fr. Peter emphasizes that our spirit...

The following meditation was recorded in front of a live audience. 

In this meditation, Fr. Peter Armenio explores the parables of the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31-32) and the sower (Luke 8:4-15), illustrating how God’s grace transforms small beginnings into extraordinary outcomes. Through these parables, he highlights the importance of receptivity to the Holy Spirit. 

He also reflects on the "vertical"...

In our meditation of the week; Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the call to be “salt of the earth” and “light of the world,” as described in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 5:1-16). He explains that these images capture the transformative role of Christ’s disciples in the world. 

Drawing from the Beatitudes, Fr. Peter emphasizes that they are a blueprint for shaping a heart to be like Christ’s, and they are a pathway to happi...