In this meditation, Fr. Eric Nicolai draws us into the mystery of the Nativity as a moment of profound light shining in darkness. From the difficult journey to Bethlehem to the silence of the manger, we see how God enters the world without spectacle, yet with infinite love. Through Scripture and sharing the witness of the saints, Fr. Eric helps us examine whether our own hearts have become a place truly fit for a King.

Listen now to reflect on:

• The mystery of Christ choosing poverty and humility at his birth
• Mary and Joseph’s quiet faith amid hardship and rejection
• What it means to “make room” for Christ in our interior life
• The Nativity as a call to conversion and simplicity of heart
• How Advent prepares us to welcome Christ more fully at Christmas
• Welcoming Christ more intentionally this Christmas season.

Download our free Advent devotional, Journey to the Manger, for guided prayer with the writings of St. Josemaria and questions for deeper reflection to accompany our Advent podcast series.

View Transcript
Visit Show Page

Support the show

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

Let us know that our podcast is important to you:

• Share your favorite episodes with others and leave us a rating or review.
• Stay connected with us on Facebook and Instagram.
• Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: www.stjosemaria.org

Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: Give today!

In the fourth meditation of our Advent series, Fr. Eric Nicolai invites us to accompany the Magi on their long, hope-filled journey to Bethlehem. Attentive to the mysterious star and guided through moments of clarity and darkness, the wise men reveal what it means to seek Christ with perseverance, humility, and faith. Through art, Sacred Scripture, and the Magi’s lived experience, Fr. Eric shares how God guides each of us—sometimes through brilliance, sometimes through obscurity—toward the manger.

Listen now to reflect on:
• How to follow God’s light even when it seems distant or obscured.
• What the Magi teach us about discernment, perseverance, and trust.
• How darkness, confusion, and uncertainty can still draw us closer to God.
• The unity of shepherds and the Magi before the Child in the manger.
• How the Magi teach us to forgive, to trust, and to keep moving toward God.

Download our free Advent devotional, Journey to the Manger, for guided prayer with the writings of St. Josemaria and questions for deeper reflection to accompany our Advent podcast series.

View Transcript
Visit Show Page

Support the show

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

Let us know that our podcast is important to you:

• Share your favorite episodes with others and leave us a rating or review.
• Stay connected with us on Facebook and Instagram.
• Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: www.stjosemaria.org

Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: Give today!

In this third meditation of our Advent series, Fr. Eric Nicolai invites us to contemplate the shepherds, who were the first to receive the news of Christ’s birth. Though they appear to be secondary figures in the Nativity story, their recognition of the Child wrapped in swaddling clothes becomes a powerful revelation: the newborn Jesus is the true Lamb of God, the light shining in the darkness, and God-with-us.
As we follow their humble faith and joyful haste toward the manger, we ask for hearts ready to recognize Christ’s presence with the same simplicity and awe.

Listen now to reflect on:
• The shepherds’ unique role in caring for sacrificial lambs, and how this prepared them to recognize Jesus.
• The symbolism of the swaddling clothes and what they revealed about Christ’s mission.
• The contrast between earthly poverty and the glory of God’s revelation.
• Why the shepherds became the first evangelizers after encountering the Child.
• How their humility, attentiveness, and readiness to adore can shape our Advent prayer.

Download our free Advent devotional, Journey to the Manger, for guided prayer with the writings of St. Josemaria and questions for deeper reflection to accompany our Advent podcast series.

View Transcript
Visit Show Page

Support the show

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

Let us know that our podcast is important to you:

• Share your favorite episodes with others and leave us a rating or review.
• Stay connected with us on Facebook and Instagram.
• Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: www.stjosemaria.org

Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: Give today!

In this second meditation of our Advent series, Fr. Eric Nicolai invites us to contemplate St. Joseph, the “strong and silent” figure whose hidden fidelity protected the Savior of the world. Drawing on the Gospels, the devotion of the Church, and the reflections of Pope Francis, he shows how Joseph’s fatherly heart reveals a model of decisive action, humble service, and spiritual readiness. Joseph’s four angelic dreams and his immediate response to each one inspire us to reject procrastination, embrace our mission, and move with trust toward the manger.

Listen now to reflect on:
• Joseph’s role as protector of Mary and Jesus
• Why he is a model of courage, responsibility, and reliability
• The meaning of his four dreams and his instant obedience
• How Joseph teaches us to find our mission in the ordinary
• What it means to serve God quietly and faithfully during Advent

Download our free Advent devotional, Journey to the Manger, for guided prayer with the writings of St. Josemaria and questions for deeper reflection to accompany our Advent podcast series.

View Transcript
Visit Show Page

Support the show

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

Let us know that our podcast is important to you:

• Share your favorite episodes with others and leave us a rating or review.
• Stay connected with us on Facebook and Instagram.
• Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: www.stjosemaria.org

Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: Give today!

In this first meditation of our Advent series, Fr. Eric Nicolai invites us to contemplate Mary, the Blessed Mother, who shows us how to awaken from spiritual lethargy and guides us as we prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ. Through the mystery of the Annunciation and her total dedication to God, Mary becomes the one who helps us protect, nourish, and welcome the life of Jesus within us.

Listen now to reflect on:

• The meaning of Advent as a time of awakening and preparation
• Mary’s total dedication to God from her youth
• The Annunciation as the beginning of our redemption
• The power of Marian devotion and sacred images
• Practical ways to let Mary accompany us through Advent

Download our free Advent devotional, Journey to the Manger, for guided prayer with the writings of St. Josemaria and questions for deeper reflection to accompany our Advent podcast series.

View Transcript
Visit Show Page

Support the show

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

Let us know that our podcast is important to you:

• Share your favorite episodes with others and leave us a rating or review.
• Stay connected with us on Facebook and Instagram.
• Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: www.stjosemaria.org

Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: Give today!

In this meditation for the Solemnity of Christ the King, Fr. Leo Austin invites us to contemplate the final gospel of the liturgical year, a gospel in which Christ’s kingship is revealed through the cross in suffering, silence, and mercy. We are invited to recognize that the kingdom Christ brings is present in the heart of every Christian who asks for grace and opens themselves to his reign.

Listen now to reflect on:

• Why the Cross is the true throne of Christ the King.
• How the “good thief” reveals a path to conversion.
• What it means for Christ to reign first in our soul.
• The difference between suffering like Christ and suffering with Christ.
• The interior kingdom Christ offers: joy, mercy, and friendship with God.

View Transcript
Visit Show Page

Support the show

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

Let us know that our podcast is important to you:

• Share your favorite episodes with others and leave us a rating or review.
• Stay connected with us on Facebook and Instagram.
• Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: www.stjosemaria.org

Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: Give today!

In this meditation, Fr. Eric Nicolai helps us contemplate Mary’s unwavering dedication to God, exemplified in her Presentation in the Temple. From her youth, she was overshadowed by the power of God, prepared and preserved by grace to become the Mother of Our Redeemer. Drawing on Scripture and the Church’s history of devotion, Fr. Eric reveals how Mary’s fiat at the Annunciation was the fruit of a heart already dedicated and attentive to God’s will.

Listen now to reflect on:
• Mary’s lifelong dedication to God
• The Presentation of Mary as a sign of her total purity and consecration
• The meaning of Mary as the new Ark of the Covenant and dwelling place of God
• How the feast invites us to renew our own commitment to God’s will
• The example of Mary’s confidence and perseverance in her mission

View Transcript
Visit Show Page

Support the show

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

Let us know that our podcast is important to you:

• Share your favorite episodes with others and leave us a rating or review.
• Stay connected with us on Facebook and Instagram.
• Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: www.stjosemaria.org

Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: Give today!

In this meditation, Msgr. Fred Dolan reflects on how a plan of life can help us stay anchored in God amid the distractions of daily life. Drawing on the teachings of St. Josemaria Escriva, he explains that holiness is achieved through steady, faithful habits that keep us close to Christ throughout the day.

To help put this concept into action, explore St. Josemaria's plan of life on our blog: https://stjosemaria.org/plan-of-life/

Listen now to reflect on:
• The meaning and purpose of a personal plan of life
• How daily prayer transforms routine into encounter with God
• The importance of constancy and small acts of fidelity
• Practical ways to strengthen friendship with Christ in ordinary life
• How perseverance in prayer leads to joy and peace

View Transcript
Visit Show Page

Support the show

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

Let us know that our podcast is important to you:

• Share your favorite episodes with others and leave us a rating or review.
• Stay connected with us on Facebook and Instagram.
• Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: www.stjosemaria.org

Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping us keep our episodes free and accessible for all our listeners: Give today!