(Ep. 7) Far From Meaningless: 3 Lessons from the Hidden Lives of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

(Ep. 7) Far From Meaningless: 3 Lessons from the Hidden Lives of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

New Horizons: Living the Faith as a Young Professional In the final episode of this mini-series, Rob Hays inspires listeners to contemplate how the hidden lives of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph reveal the deep meaning and holiness of work and ordinary life.  Inspired by the teachings of St. Josemaria Escriva, Rob especially encourages young professionals to look to the example of the Holy Family to fight off the temptation to think that our work is meaningless, that our decisions don't matter, that we don't make a difference, and that we aren't capable of changing the world.  In particular, Rob highlights three lessons that they teach us:  1. The little things of life matter. The hidden life of Jesus, which lasted almost two decades, shows us that all human existence--our work and the daily activities of life--have a holy and divine purpose.  2. Our daily life is anything but ordinary. St. Joseph's faithfulness and obedience to God allowed him to always do what needed to be done. He directed his life to the service of others regardless of his circumstances and without complaints. This is an important and crucial reminder to us about the value of our daily life and work. 3. The "secret sauce" is love. Mary, like Jesus and Joseph, lived a poor, ordinary life in Nazareth dedicated to her family and her daily duties. But, when we look through the eyes of faith, we know that her life was far from meaningless-- her secret was to fill the ordinary with love. Resources mentioned in the episode include: "The Way, Furrow, The Forge [https://stjosemaria.org/product/the-way-furrow-the-forge/]", and "Christ is Passing By [https://stjosemaria.org/product/christ-is-passing-by/]". Are you enjoying the mini-series? Please help us reach more listeners by leaving us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify now. Thank you! View Transcript [https://stjosemaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Episode-7-Far-From-Meaningless-3-Lessons-from-the-Hidden-Lives-of-Jesus-Mary-and-Joseph.pdf]

(Ep. 6) Face to Face, Heart to Heart: Living and Sharing Our Faith at Work

New Horizons: Living the Faith as a Young Professional In this episode, Rob Hays tackles the sometimes uncomfortable but essential call to evangelize in the workplace, a responsibility St. Josemaria Escriva called our “principal mission.” Through personal stories and practical insights, Rob explains that we are not called to impose, but to witness—face to face, heart to heart—through sincere friendship and daily fidelity. Drawing from the writings of St. Josemaria, Rob offers three key virtues for living out this mission: 1. Sincerity – Be truthful in word and deed. Sincerity reveals God's love and builds credibility with coworkers. 2. Daring – Be unafraid to step into spiritual conversations. Through “holy shamelessness,” we overcome fear of rejection and embrace the prompting of the Holy Spirit. 3. Perseverance of a Donkey – Like the donkey that carried Christ into Jerusalem and those donkeys that would faithfully turn the waterwheels, we are called to be humble, steady, and constant. Evangelization often means quietly showing up day after day with faith, love, and grit. Rob reminds listeners that our example, not eloquence, is often what opens hearts. When rooted in prayer, sacraments, and daily effort, our ordinary work becomes a powerful means of apostolate. Resources mentioned in the episode include: "The Way, Furrow, The Forge [https://stjosemaria.org/product/the-way-furrow-the-forge/]" and "Friends of God [https://stjosemaria.org/product/friends-of-god/]". Are you enjoying the mini-series? Please help us reach more listeners by leaving us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify now. Thank you! View Transcript [https://stjosemaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Episode-6-Face-to-Face-Heart-to-Heart-Living-and-Sharing-Our-Faith-at-Work-Transcript.pdf]

(Ep. 5) Climbing to the Heights: How Little Things Add Up to Big Things

New Horizons: Living the Faith as a Young Professional In this episode, Rob Hays invites young professionals to shift their focus from ambition to excellence. Ambition often fixates on outcomes we can't control—success, recognition, influence—while excellence is rooted in what we can control: our inputs—our prayer life, study, and the care we give to our daily work. Drawing from the teachings of St. Josemaria Escriva, Rob offers two key ways to pursuing excellence in our professional and personal lives: 1. Study: Dedicating ourselves to ongoing formation, seeing study as both a professional and spiritual responsibility. 2. Little things add up to big things: The "little things" – carrying out the small duties of each moment with love and attention. Rob also reflects on prestige as modeled in the life of Christ, not as a goal to pursue, but as something that arises naturally from a life of excellence, and which becomes a powerful tool for apostolate when grounded in prayer and humility. Resources mentioned in the episode include: "The Way, Furrow, The Forge [https://stjosemaria.org/product/the-way-furrow-the-forge/]" and "Friends of God [https://stjosemaria.org/product/friends-of-god/]". Are you enjoying the mini-series? Please help us reach more listeners by leaving us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify now. Thank you! View Transcript [https://stjosemaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Episode-5-Climbing-to-the-Heights-How-Littles-Things-Add-Up-to-Big-Things-Transcript.pdf]

(Ep. 4) How To Deal With Conflict at Work: 3 Practical Steps to Integrate Into Your Daily Life

New Horizons: Living the Faith as a Young Professional In this episode, Rob Hays offers 3 practical steps to integrate into your daily life to successfully deal with conflict in the workplace, and bring you closer to God. Witnessing how many young professionals today prefer to avoid conflict altogether, Rob believes its important to see it as an opportunity to grow in personal holiness. Drawing on St. Josemaria Escriva's teachings, Rob walks us through the steps: 1. Rest in your identity as a child of God (divine filiation). 2. Stay rooted in God’s presence throughout the day (presence of God). 3. Embrace daily difficulties with a spirit of mortification. Resources mentioned in the episode include: "The Way, Furrow, The Forge [https://stjosemaria.org/product/the-way-furrow-the-forge/]", "Friends of God [https://stjosemaria.org/product/friends-of-god/]" and "Christ is Passing By". Are you enjoying the mini-series? Please help us reach more listeners by leaving us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mini-series-of-the-st-josemaria-institute-podcast/id1809215888] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7CudsSt8BJM6f7hztkcGG2] now. Thank you! View Transcript [https://stjosemaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Episode-4-Dealing-with-Conflict-Transcript-.pdf]

(Ep. 3) Building Relationships: How to Grow Your Career Through Genuine Friendship

New Horizons: Living the Faith as a Young Professional  In this episode of New Horizons, Rob Hays reframes networking as a path to authentic friendship, grounded in three often-overlooked virtues: service, cheerfulness, and naturalness. He first highlights St. Joseph as a model of service—quiet, faithful work done with love and selflessness. Rob encourages us to view networking as a way to give rather than get, shaped by a spirit of generosity in our professional lives. Next, he explores how true cheerfulness—rooted in faith—draws others in and builds trust. Rob reminds us that real connection does not come from self-promotion, but from joyful, self-forgetful engagement with others. Finally, he turns to Christ as the model of naturalness: simple, sincere, and fully present. In a world of performance and image, Rob urges us to live and relate with authenticity, letting our faith be seen in ordinary, honest actions. Together, these virtues invite us to see networking not as strategy, but as a way of living with purpose. Resources mentioned in the episode include: "The Way, Furrow, The Forge" [https://stjosemaria.org/product/the-way-furrow-the-forge/] and "Friends of God" [https://stjosemaria.org/product/friends-of-god/]. View Transcript [https://stjosemaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Episode-3-Networking-and-Relationship-Building-Transcript.pdf]