Towards Holiness: A Podcast Mini-Series
In this featured mini-series on the St. Josemaria Institute Podcast, we are pleased to share a collection of three meditations from Fr. Javier del Castillo exploring the prominent themes in Towards Holiness, a homily by St. Josemaria Escriva on the universal call to holiness.
Throughout this series, Fr. Javier reflects upon two important questions set forth in Towards Holiness: What does it mean to be holy? What does it mean that God’s will for us is to become saints?
The writings and spirituality of St. Josemaria continually remind us that holiness can be found in the ordinary moments of each day. In seeking the grace of Christ in each moment, we increase our desire and capacity to love others and communicate God’s light to the world. Our witness each day should be such that when people meet us, they are immediately drawn to the love of Christ and inspired to pursue holiness in the midst of everyday life. As Fr. Javier reminds us, there are no limits upon who is called to holiness.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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- Towards Holiness | Homily by St. Josemaria Escriva
- “Towards Holiness” Collection | A curated selection of items in the St. Josemaria Institute Shop
POINTS FOR CONSIDERATION
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- “We are deeply moved, and our hearts profoundly shaken, when we listen attentively to that cry of St. Paul: ‘This is God’s will for you, your sanctification.’ 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. In order to bring peace, genuine peace, to souls; in order to transform the earth and to seek God Our Lord in the world and through the things of the world, personal sanctity is indispensable” (Friends of God, 294).
- “Our Lord Jesus Christ preached the good news to all, without distinction. He calls each and everyone to holiness; he asks each and every one to love him: young and old, single and married, healthy and sick, learned and unlearned, no matter where they work, or where they are” (Friends of God, no. 294).
- “The path that leads to holiness is the path of prayer; and prayer ought to take root and grow in the soul little by little, like the tiny seed which later develops into a tree with many branches” (Friends of God, no. 295).
- “To follow Christ–that is the secret. We must accompany him so closely that we come to live with him, like the first Twelve did; so closely, that we become identified with him. Soon we will be able to say, provided we haven’t put obstacles in the way of grace, that we have put on, have clothed ourselves with Our Lord Jesus Christ” (Friends of God, no. 299).
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.
