St. Josemaria Institute Podcast ST. JOSEMARIA INSTITUTE

In our meditation of the week: Fr. Peter Armenio delves into the profound significance of the Resurrection challenging the notion that the Christian’s life is one defined by suffering alone.

Instead, Fr. Peter emphasizes how Jesus’ Resurrection offers us a beacon of hope, turning our focus from pain to the promise of transformation when we unite ourselves to the Cross.

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In our meditation of the week:  Fr. Peter Armenio inspires our prayer this Easter season reminding us that the heart of our calling as Christians is to always be credible witnesses to the Resurrection by making the living Jesus real in the world.

But how do make the Resurrection of Jesus credible today?

If we're going to announce the Resurrection, like our early Christian brothers and sisters, we have to aim for intimate union with Christ. As Fr. Peter explains, we have to "constrain Jesus to stay with us" like the disciples on the way to Emmaus. And, as St. Josemaria said, "Christ is passing by, don't let him go. Be attentive to him when he's coming by."

We must constrain Jesus, therefore, with our desire to be with him, to speak with him, and to implement his words. We must recognize him in the breaking of the bread and be centered on the Eucharistic table; we must learn to listen and talk to Jesus through Scripture; and we must be faithful to our designated time of prayer. Prayer is very much in the first place to making the Resurrection credible.

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In our meditation of the week: Fr. Peter Armenio offers a reflection on Easter-- the highest celebration of Our Lord's life and victory. But, we must never forget that we wouldn't have that victory without the Cross. To believe in the Resurrection, we have to believe in the power of the Cross.

As Fr. Peter explains, every day is a good day to bring the Cross to our prayer and to meditate on the dynamic of the Cross. Our union with Christ through our contradictions and sufferings--the little crosses that we have to bear--produce a Resurrection of Christ in our own hearts and souls.

Fr. Peter also reflects on the feast of the Annunciation, explaining how everything is a spinoff from Our Lady's "yes." By work of the Holy Spirit, her "yes" allowed us to enjoy the gift of God's humanity and the dynamics of the Cross and Resurrection.

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In this meditation for Easter Sunday: Fr. Javier del Castillo invites us to contemplate the Resurrection of Christ and how the Resurrection is an event that can only be accessed by people of faith who have had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ.

Why is the Resurrection such a mysterious event that is not public, but is only accessed through a personal encounter with Our Lord? Because, as Fr. Javier explains, God preordained that the news of his Resurrection be spread through witnesses that had the credentials of having seen, heard, and touched Our Lord. This is the nature of a witness. Jesus appeared to the apostles, so that they could spread the great news of the Resurrection.

Our personal encounter with Jesus today comes from meeting him in our baptism, in holy communion, and in confession. The sacraments make him present here and now. Thanks to the priesthood, we have Jesus Christ present in the Church so that every generation can have the same encounter that the Apostles had. Therefore, as Christians, we are sharers in the great light of the Resurrection, which is the love of Christ that is alive today and that can enlighten all of humanity.

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In our meditation of the week: Fr. Javier del Castillo explains the great lesson Jesus teaches us in the gospel for the Fifth Sunday of Lent (John 12:20-33), which is that we have to die -- to self and in this world-- in order to really see who he is.

From a Christian outlook, death is a passageway to eternal life where we get to see God, face to face, if we have lived according to the faith. Because of Jesus, we can no longer think that our death in this world is the end or something to be feared, it is actually now a new beginning.

Therefore, as Fr. Javier explains, the consideration of death is needed to help us to precisely put our heart in the right place. Not knowing when we're going to die is actually something that has has to help us be more faithful every day and to always be prepared for whenever God calls us to himself. And Jesus came to also teach us that all we need to prepare for eternity is love, everything else is superfluous.

Today is is what we have; we don't have tomorrow yet. We need to love today, so that we can love for eternity. In the presence of Our Lord, Fr. Javier encourages us to ask ourselves: What is it that I am attached to? Am I placing God above all that and placing him first?

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In our meditation of the week:  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."

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