PODCAST | A God Who Forgives
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In this meditation: 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’t forgive our own sins. It is not a conquest of our own. We can’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:
“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’s what I want to do.”
To accompany our Lenten meditation of the week, explore “Lent 2024: Possumus! Yes, we are ready!”: a collection of devotions, readings, and meditations from the St. Josemaria Institute to ignite your life of prayer as you make your heart and soul ready for Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of Our Lord.
Rev. Javier del Castillo
Fr. Javier del Castillo is a priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei and currently serves as President of the St. Josemaria Institute. He earned a degree in electronic engineering and moved to Rome to complete his ecclesiastical studies, where he was ordained a priest in 2005 and earned a doctorate in Philosophy from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in 2007. He worked as a chaplain in high schools in the Washington, D.C. and Chicago areas for several years, offering spiritual accompaniment to students, parents, and teachers. From 2015 on, he served as the vicar of Opus Dei in the midwest; he was appointed regional vicar of the United States in 2022. He became vicar of the United States and Canada in 2024, following the restructuring of the regions, until his appointment as Vicar General in April 2025.
