Audio - St. Josemaria Institute

The Great Unknown | A Homily for Pentecost Sunday

Having just read in the Acts of the Apostles about Pentecost, the day when the Holy Spirit came down on the Lord's disciples, we are conscious of being present at the great display of God's power with which the Church's life began to spread among all nations.

The Ascension of Our Lord | A Homily by St. Josemaria Escriva

Once more the liturgy reminds us of the final moment in Jesus' life among men, his ascension into heaven.

St. Josemaria Escriva: A Pilgrim at Fatima

St Josemaria’s first visit to Fatima was on February 6, 1945, at the request of Sr Lucia, who at that time was living in Tui, Spain. He said that it had been the Blessed Virgin who opened the gates of Portugal to him.

Our Lady Leads Us to the Holy Spirit

The month of May… offers us a privileged opportunity for drawing closer to the Holy Spirit.

Marian Pilgrimages in the Month of May

St. Josemaria desired to show an outward expression of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary during the month of May, which the Church traditionally dedicates to her.

To Jesus Through Mary

To Jesus through Mary | A Homily by St. Josemaria Escriva

If we look at the world, at the People of God, during this month of May, we will see devotion to Our Lady taking the form of many old and new customs practiced with great love.

Our Lady of Peace: The Prelatic Church of Opus Dei

On May 2, the Prelature of Opus Dei celebrates the anniversary of the dedication of the Prelatic Church of Our Lady of Peace.

Ten-Day Devotion to the Holy Spirit | 2023

Join the St. Josemaria Institute in praying the Ten-Day Devotion to the Holy Spirit in preparation for Pentecost from May 18 to 27, 2023.

A Spiritual Toolkit for the Marian Month of May

The St. Josemaria Institute is pleased to share this Spiritual Toolkit offering a curated selection of resources to aid your devotion to Our Lady during the month of May.

DAY OF RECOLLECTION | May (Year A)

A monthly Day of Recollection is a time set aside specifically for a Christian to go deeper into his or her relationship with God.

St. Catherine of Siena: "She knew how to love...serve...speak out."

When the Church was going through difficulties, St Josemaria had deep recourse to St Catherine, since she had been a passionate defender of the truth.

Join our team... We're hiring!

View the current job openings at the St. Josemaria Institute.

Our Lady of Montserrat and St. Josemaria Escriva

St. Josemaria had been suffering from diabetes for about ten years. And it was on the feast of Our Lady of Montserrat, April 27, 1954, that he was cured of diabetes.

“The Gift of Never Losing Jesus” | Spring Appeal 2023

The events of St. Josemaria's life and how he lived them also teach us about the beautiful and unforgettable events in our lives as Christians.

“Come & Take Possession of My Heart” | The First Holy Communion of St. Josemaria Escriva

St. Josemaria made his First Communion on April 23, 1912 and would always observe with unabashed fervor the anniversary of that wonderful day.

Christ's Presence in Christians | A Homily for Easter Sunday

"Christ is alive." This is the great truth which fills our faith with meaning. Jesus, who died on the cross, has risen.

Our New Life is Born in the Empty Tomb

All sorts of questions fill the air on Easter morning, on that first morning of our new life: “Who will roll us back the stone?” “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?”

"The Seven Last Words of Jesus Christ": Reflections and Prayers from St. Josemaria Escriva

"The Seven Last Words" is a beloved devotion of the Church that invites us to recall and meditate on Jesus' last words as he hung on the cross.

The Eucharist, Mystery of Faith and Love | A Homily by St. Josemaria Escriva

"Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end" (Jn 13:1). The reader of this verse from St John's Gospel is brought to understand that a great event is about to take place.

Commentaries on Holy Week | Reliving the Moments of Our Redemption

This Holy Week, and afterwards every day, has to be a leap of quality for us, asking our Lord to completely fill our lives. We have to communicate to many people the new life that Jesus gained for us by the Redemption.

Following in His Footprints: Accompanying the Lord through Holy Week

“And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’” (Mt 21:9).

DAY OF RECOLLECTION | April (Year A)

A monthly Day of Recollection is a time set aside specifically for a Christian to go deeper into his or her relationship with God.

“Intimations of Love” | The Priestly Ordination and First Mass of St. Josemaria Escriva

As a teenager, St. Josemaria Escriva followed the normal course of a high school student. He aimed to be a good student, get excellent grades, and dreamed of being an architect. Becoming a priest was not what St. Josemaria had originally thought was for him.

A Priest Forever | A Homily by St. Josemaria Escriva

When saying Mass a few days ago I paused to reflect on a phrase from the psalms in the Communion Antiphon: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."

DAY OF RECOLLECTION | March (Year A)

A monthly Day of Recollection is a time set aside specifically for a Christian to go deeper into his or her relationship with God.

"Christ is Passing By" | 50th Anniversary (1973-2023)

In 2023, the book Christ is Passing By by St. Josemaria Escriva is celebrating its 50th anniversary of publication.

Unromantic Dust

We begin Lent with the ultimate reality of human life: we are marked with ashes on our head. And this is meant to stand for who we are...

Lent 2023: Repaying Love with love

Beginning on Ash Wednesday, the St. Josemaria Institute invites you to join us each week of Lent as we open ourselves and our hearts to Jesus Christ, especially in the Holy Mass and the Eucharist.

Mary, Mother of Fairest Love and St. Josemaria Escriva

"The holy Virgin Mary, Mother of Fair Love, will bring relief to your heart, when it makes you feel that it is of flesh, if you turn to her with confidence."

St. Josemaria Escriva: A Pilgrim at Lourdes

St. Josemaria Escriva was a pilgrim at Lourdes many times during his life, remarking that: “It would be bad manners to pass by there without dropping in on her.”

I want results.

We are careful about calorie counting, protein intake, omega supplements, as we try to increase one thing and decrease another. It’s easy to be obsessed with the process: we want to see the results, the fruits, of our discipline. Result seeking in the spiritual life, however, can be misplaced...

DAY OF RECOLLECTION | February (Year A)

A monthly Day of Recollection is a time set aside specifically for a Christian to go deeper into his or her relationship with God.

"Footprints Towards Love": An Interview with Holly Rodriguez

In this interview, the St. Josemaria Institute speaks with Holly Rodriguez, artist and author of Loving Christ through St. Josemaria Escriva.

NEWS | EPPC Internship: St. Josemaria et al. & Sports, Research in Spanish and English

Interested in Sports and Saints? Learn more about the EPPC Internship: St. Josemaria et al. & Sports, Research in Spanish and English

A Spiritual Toolkit for Lent

This Lent explore our curated selection of resources to help you begin again and advance in your faithfulness to Christ and desire for holiness.

Seven Sundays Devotion to St. Joseph | 2023

Join the St. Josemaria Institute for our annual Seven Sundays Devotion to St. Joseph from February 5 to March 19, 2023.

DAY OF RECOLLECTION | January (Year A)

A monthly Day of Recollection is a time set aside specifically for a Christian to go deeper into his or her relationship with God.

Light Shines in Darkness: The Christmas Mystery

The readings for the Mass of Christmas night highlight several appearances: from Isaiah, a light has shone; in St Paul, The grace of God has appeared; in St Luke’s Gospel, the angel of the Lord appeared, followed by a multitude of the heavenly host.

Christmas 2022: God is here!

The St. Josemaria Institute joins you in celebrating Christmas near the crib of the Child Jesus!

Homily on the Solemnity of the Virgin of Guadalupe

Just as Our Lady hurries to visit her cousin St. Elizabeth in the Gospel of St. Luke, so today we see how she does the same to visit us and stay with us.

Our Lady of Loreto and St. Josemaria Escriva

Since the fourteenth century, pilgrims have made their way to the Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto at the Basilica of the Holy House in Loreto, Italy. St. Josemaria Escriva went to Loreto for the first time in January 1948.

Fulfilling the Fiat: Responding with Mary to God’s Call

In a season when Mary’s responsiveness to God’s will is continually before us, the Church in her Advent liturgy invites us not only to reflect on her perfect obedience but also to imitate it.

Feast of St. Nicholas of Bari: Source of Joy and Thanksgiving

Support our annual St. Nicholas Appeal in which we ask our friends and followers who have never given before to consider making a one-time gift before the New Year!

DAY OF RECOLLECTION | December 2022

In this month's recollection, we reflect on our calling to live as children of God. Baptism makes us heirs of God's kingdom and participants of his divine nature. We rejoice in this mystery as we spend this month preparing ourselves for the coming of the Lord.

Advent 2022: Prepare and Rejoice!

The St. Josemaria Institute invites you to join us in preparing our hearts and homes this Advent 2022 as we "Prepare and Rejoice!" for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus Christ.

Charity Consists in Understanding | Giving Tuesday 2022

On this Giving Tuesday, when we are asked to be generous towards so many great causes, do we pause to truly understand what and how much is being asked of us?

Abiding Presence: Christ our Eucharistic Refuge

The Lord does not remain with us in the Eucharist for His own sake, but to meet our deepest human needs for love and friendship: “Jesus, who has encouraged this feeling of emptiness in us, comes out to meet us” (Christ is Passing By, no. 170).

Time is a Treasure | A Homily by St. Josemaria Escriva

I want to talk to you about time, that passes so swiftly. I am not going to repeat to you the well-known phrase about one year more being one year less...

“My Memories of St. Josemaria Escriva: 1953-1975”

In 2009, Fr. Joseph Soria wrote “My Memories of St. Josemaria Escriva”, a series of articles for The Westbrook Voice (Canada) in which he described some of the most memorable moments he shared with St. Josemaria Escriva.

DAY OF RECOLLECTION | November 2022

In this month's recollection, we reflect on our duty to transmit the gift of faith to others, beginning with our friends and family. We consider that, for parents especially, the duty to form their children well is of primary importance.

Novena to the Immaculate Conception

Join the St. Josemaria Institute for our annual Novena to the Immaculate Conception from November 30 to December 8.

In the Footsteps of Christ | A Homily by St. Josemaria Escriva

I am the way, the truth and the life. In these clear and unmistakable words Our Lord traces out for us the true path that leads to everlasting happiness.

Our Lady of the Pillar and St. Josemaria Escriva

"My devotion to Our Lady of Pilar has always accompanied me: my parents, with their Aragonese piety, instilled it in my soul since I was a child," said St. Josemaría.

Letting God Work: Pope Benedict XVI on St. Josemaria Escriva

"A man open to the presence of God discovers that God is always working and still works today: We should, then, let him enter and let him work."

St. Josemaria and the Guardian Angels

Opus Dei was founded in 1928 on October 2nd– the feast day of the Guardian Angels. St Josemaria’s devotion to the Guardian Angels, whom he saw as celestial protectors and messengers, was fostered early on as a young boy.

October: Month of the Holy Rosary

The Church dedicates the entire month of October to the Holy Rosary so that individuals, families, and communities would pray the Holy Rosary, if possible, on a daily basis for peace in the world.

DAY OF RECOLLECTION | October 2022

In this month's Recollection, we reflect in a more intimate way upon the Christian vocation to holiness. We turn toward St. Josemaria and Our Blessed Mother in a special way as models of faithful responsiveness to God's call.

Our Accuser is Cast Out: The Feast of the Holy Archangels

“For the accuser of our brethren has been cast out, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb” (cf. Rev 12:10-11).

Is it Pointless? | On Interior Struggle and Determination

We don’t need to be told that we struggle... We struggle daily not only to become holy but just to be good people—naturally good, naturally virtuous.

Looking into the Heart of the Sorrowful Mother

“Behold your Mother!” (Jn 19:27). This is our Lord’s command to us from the cross. What do we see when we behold our Mother?

Towards Holiness | A Homily by St. Josemaria Escriva

Today, once again, I set myself this goal and I also remind you and all mankind: this is God's Will for us, that we be saints.

DAY OF RECOLLECTION | September 2022

In this month's Recollection, we reflect upon the magnificent reality of Christ as the Good Shepherd who knows and calls us by name.

The Holy Mass in the Christian’s Life

To "live" the holy Mass means to pray continually, and to be convinced that, for each one of us, this is a personal meeting with God. We adore him, we praise him, we give thanks to him, we atone for our sins, we are purified, we experience a unity with Christ and with all Christians.

A Spiritual Backpack: Inspiration for Returning to School

The St. Josemaria Institute is pleased to share this “spiritual backpack”, offering a curated selection of resources for students, families and teachers to help maintain a happy spiritual life as everyone begins the new school year.

Finding Joy in Our Poverty

How much is holy poverty a driving force on your path to Christ? For the first disciples of Jesus, as for the Saints of every age, poverty is a privileged way of identifying oneself with the “affections” of Christ.

The Blessed Virgin, Cause of Our Joy | A Homily by St. Josemaria Escriva

"Mary has been taken up to heaven by God in body and soul, and the angels rejoice." Joy overtakes both angels and men. Why is it that we feel today this intimate delight, with our heart brimming over, with our soul full of peace?

Lifting Up Our Eyes: The Transfiguration of the Lord

The saying goes that most people see only what they want to see. If that's true, then most of us live with a kind of selective blindness.

DAY OF RECOLLECTION | August 2022

In this month's Recollection, we reflect on the spirit of detachment as we seek to live more fully in the presence of God.

Discovering Something Divine in the Ordinary

St Josemaria concentrated much of his apostolic drive in convincing ordinary Christians that being ordinary is okay. But his message was not one of mere contentment with everyday life or of shunning the wealth and fame typically associated with "extraordinary" people.

A Spiritual Toolkit on the Vocation of Marriage

The St. Josemaria Institute is pleased to share this Spiritual Toolkit offering a curated selection of resources on the vocation of marriage.

Living in Hope: Saints Joachim and Anne

Nothing disappoints more than misplaced hope. And maybe nothing is easier to misplace than our hope. From time to time we are all tempted to put our hopes for happiness, even for a kind of salvation, in people whom we idealize or future circumstances we imagine will be perfect.

Prayer and Prerequisites

Prerequisites are built into some of the most significant things we do in life. University admissions, job applications, marriage, and entrance into religious life all have their prerequisites...

Freedom, A Gift from God | A Homily by St. Josemaria Escriva

This hymn to freedom is echoed in all the mysteries of our Catholic faith. The Blessed Trinity draws the world and man out of nothing, in a free outpouring of love. The Word comes down from Heaven and takes on our flesh, an act which bears the splendid mark of freedom in submission.

Novena for a Happy and Faithful Marriage | 2022

Join the St. Josemaria Institute in praying the Novena for a Happy and Faithful Marriage in preparation for the Feast Day of Sts. Anne and Joachim, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on July 26.

Tips for a Happy Summer

All honest human activities can be offered to God, sanctified, and turned into a means and opportunity for apostolate. Work, but also rest, which we need in order to renew our strength so that we can support our families and serve society.

DAY OF RECOLLECTION | July 2022

In this month's Recollection, we reflect on establishing a plan of life that will help us to discover our path to sanctity as we seek to imitate the life of Christ.

Teaching the Faith in the Family: Guidelines from St. Josemaria Escriva

The parents' mission to educate their children in the faith stems from the sacraments. When they teach the faith at home, it is the Church that is teaching. Their home is the domestic Church.

On the Feast of Corpus Christi

Today, on the feast of Corpus Christi, we come together to consider the depths of our Lord's love for us, which has led him to stay with us, hidden under the appearances of the blessed Sacrament.

Learning to Praise

The acclamations and blessings that fill the liturgy for Trinity Sunday, both in the Mass and Liturgy of the Hours, urge us to give voice to our praise: Blessed be the most holy Trinity! Praise to You! Glory be to You! How do we enter into this praise with more than our lips?

More than Miracles: Pentecost and the Power to Love Like God

Are we as aware as the first Christians were of the Spirit dwelling within us? Do we need to learn to perceive what was so obvious to them? What evidence is there that God abides in us and we in Him?

DAY OF RECOLLECTION | June 2022

In this month’s Recollection, we reflect on our personal relationship with the Holy Spirit and how we can cultivate the virtue of docility to His work in our life.

Join us in the Holy Land in 2023!

Save the date for an unforgettable spiritual pilgrimage: February 19 - March 3, 2023.

Seeking the Face of the Ascended Lord

"At several points in the Gospel, Jesus sensitively anticipates the longing that His ascension will leave in us: 'The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and you will not see it" (Luke 17:22).

Your Mercies Cover Me: St Charles de Foucauld

In view of St. Charles' recent canonization, we share with you an excerpt from "Home Again" by Fr. John Henry Hanson, O. Praem.

“Just plain stupid!”

The Lord warns us against angrily calling another “You fool!” (Mt 5:12). But the fact that He calls certain individuals foolish shows that some merit the epithet (cf. Mt 7:26, 23:17, et al.).

"The Ultimate Relationship": An Interview with Joe Hernandez

In this interview, the St. Josemaria Institute speaks with Joe who shares how the St. Josemaria Apostolate of Evangelization began and is growing beyond their hopes and expectations!

DAY OF RECOLLECTION | May 2022

In the meditations for this month's Recollection, we reflect on "Devotion to Our Lady" and "Revitalizing Society".

"With hope and a personal desire for holiness!" | Spring Appeal 2022

Let us give thanks to God for giving us this new season of Easter and spring to fill us once again with hope and a personal desire for holiness!

Novena to St. Josemaria Escriva | 2022

Join the St. Josemaria Institute in praying the Novena to St. Josemaria Escriva from June 17 - 25, 2022.

Who We Are: Loved, Enlightened, and Forgiven

In 1990, Israeli construction workers uncovered a chamber tomb containing a very ornate ossuary (or bone box) with the name “Joseph, son of Caiaphas” inscribed on it.

The Daily Miracle: The Power that Fills our Empty Nets

In the spiritual life we have to reckon with a unique “balance of power” between what God can do and what we can do.

A Revolution in Intimacy

Jesus has been invited once again to a dinner. His host has insisted on his coming, eager to offer Him a special reception. But an unexpected event interrupts them.

The Paschal Christ: The Living Sign of Divine Mercy

Pope St John Paul II in his 1980 encyclical letter "On The Mercy of God," Dives In Misericordia, observed that modern man is uncomfortable with the idea of mercy.

The Collected Letters of St. Josemaria Escriva

"The Collected Letters: Volume 1" by St. Josemaria Escriva is now available in English from Scepter Publishers.

Holy Week and the Paschal Triduum | "Contemplating the Mystery of Christ"

A selection of podcasts, articles, and reflection questions to help guide your prayer during Holy Week and the Paschal Triduum.

The Price of Pardon & Peace

The Lord wants us always to bear in mind two things: the mercy we have received, and where that mercy comes from: the Cross of Jesus.

DAY OF RECOLLECTION | April 2022

In the meditations for this month's Recollection, we reflect on "Encountering Jesus in the Eucharist" and "A Life of Service".

Are You Happy?

The Church has one question for the world. It is a question asked of rich and poor, of the powerful and the weak, of those behind bars and those relaxing on the beach: Are you happy?

The Prodigal Son: Looking for Heaven on Earth

The Prodigal Son went out looking for heaven on earth. He was restless at home. He entertained a fantasy that things could be better elsewhere—in a faraway place, with different people, where he could be carefree, an anonymous rogue.

Letting God: The Annunciation & Freedom

A friend of mine once told me: “You are never freer than when you are doing God’s will, and never less free than when you are doing your own.” There you have the Annunciation.