The Joy of Advent #4 ~ Joy at the Birth of John the Baptist & Zechariah’s Benedictus

The Presentation of Jesus with Anna & Simeon: Be Filled with Joy & Led by the Spirit

The JOY of Advent & Christmas #7: The Presentation [https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/The-Joy-of-Advent-7-Simeon-1000-x-1500-px-683x1024.jpg]https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/The-Joy-of-Advent-7-Simeon-1000-x-1500-px.jpg The Presentation in the Temple Painting by Philippe de Champaigne, 1648 THE FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION You can be filled with joy and led by the Spirit! Join the podcast today as we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation with Anna and Simeon. These two seniors, guided by the Holy Spirit and filled with joy when they recognized the Savior, will show us how. JESUS CAME TO FULFILL ALL THE LAW Today, we will discuss these points: (1) Forty days after Jesus’ birth, Joseph and Mary follow the Mosaic Law for the presentation of Jesus in the temple and Mary’s purification; (2) the meaning of the presentation and redemption; (3) the humble Blessed Mother offered “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,” as prescribed in Leviticus 12:8; (4) although their lives differed, hope-filled seniors Simeon and Anna saw the Lord and had much in common; (5) Simeon prayed the “Nunc Dimittis,” now a canticle in the Liturgy of the Hours; and (6) you too can be led by the Spirit and filled with joy and peace.  LINKS The episode is based on a chapter from my book: The Joy of Advent: Journey with the People, Events and Prayers at the First Coming of Jesus Christ [https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Advent-Journey-People-Prayers/dp/1736733303/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1GY3PE7555LDS&keywords=the+joy+of+advent+by+dwyer&qid=1668279427&sprefix=the+joy+of+advent+by+dwyer%2Caps%2C99&sr=8-1]. For bookmarks or prayer points from The Joy of Advent Podcast series, go to: WRAPYourselfinJOY.com [https://wrapyourselfinjoy.com/]. Check out more podcasts here! [https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com/wrap-yourself-in-joy-podcast/] FIND KAREN’S  BOOKS: * * Wrap Yourself in JOY: Find the Joy and Fight the Fear [https://www.amazon.com/WRAP-Yourself-JOY-Find-Fight/dp/B0B5Q6V5MG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1KLJ16UNQUE8Z&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.0QG0WgWFMqNVw0NKZMLqyg.nbtAbmKPbWGecLr4lUKYSsnn0SpVToB2hQwB-pN6xIM&dib_tag=se&keywords=Wrap+Yourself+in+JOY%3A+Find+the+Joy+and+Fight+the+Fear&qid=1720547466&sprefix=wrap+yourself+in+joy+find+the+joy+and+fight+the+fear%2Caps%2C74&sr=8-1] * Esther for Such a Time as This: Prayer, Reversals & Joy [https://www.amazon.com/Esther-Such-Time-This-Reversals/dp/B09WPT8BWZ/ref=sr_1_3?crid=15CEWZU4LMO77&keywords=ESTHER+by+dwyer&qid=1657740141&sprefix=esther+by+dwyer%2Caps%2C62&sr=8-3] * Nehemiah: Rebuilding Hope & Joy in Your Life [https://www.amazon.com/Nehemiah-Rebuilding-Hope-Your-Life/dp/B09X47TNGF] The post The Presentation of Jesus with Anna & Simeon: Be Filled with Joy & Led by the Spirit [https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com/the-joy-of-advent-christmas-7-the-presentation-of-jesus-with-anna-simeon-be-filled-with-joy-led-by-the-spirit/] appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network [https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com].

The Joy of Advent #6 ~ Jesus Christ is Born: Join the Angels & Shepherds in Praise

The Joy of Advent #6 ~ Jesus Christ is Born [https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The-Joy-of-Advent-JOY-6-1000x1500-px-683x1024.jpeg]https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The-Joy-of-Advent-JOY-6-1000x1500-px.jpeg The Adoration of the Shepherds, painting by Domenico Zampieri, 1610 JESUS CHRIST IS BORN Today, we return to the book of Luke. There, we join Blessed Mary and Joseph on their 80-mile trek to Bethlehem. When they arrive, they find it crowded with people who, like them, had come at the command of Caesar Augustus. We will encounter the Angels and Shepherds who have much to share. Connecting your heart with the Angel’s Gloria and the Shepherd’s praises will help you find more JOY and peace. NO HOME FOR THE CREATOR OF CREATION Join us today as we discuss these points: (1) Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the City of David, prophesied over 700 years earlier by the Prophet Micah (Micah 5:1-3). (2) Emperor Caesar Augustus issued a decree requiring a public enrollment of his subjects. (3) Joseph, a descendant of King David, had to travel to Bethlehem because he was of David’s lineage. Mary also went along—she might have been required to register, or Joseph wanted her with him. (4) Finding no room in an inn, Jesus, God Incarnate and the Savior of the World, was born and wrapped tightly in cloth by His Mother Mary, then laid in a manger where animals eat. (5) We join the Angel’s “Gloria” (Luke 2:14-20), named because the first word in St. Jerome’s Latin translation is “Gloria,” and then visit the Baby in the manger with the shepherds. (6) This is the night to create a “manger” for Jesus in your heart by inviting Him to be your Savior and Lord now and forever. Bishop Fulton J. Sheen notes: Joseph “searched in vain for a place where He, to Whom heaven and earth belonged, might be born. Could the Creator not find a home in creation? …  A stable would be the last place in the world where one would have looked for Him. Divinity is always where one least expects to find it”(Life of Christ, 1958, p. 13-24). LINKS The episode is based on a chapter from my book: The Joy of Advent: Journey with the People, Events and Prayers at the First Coming of Jesus Christ [https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Advent-Journey-People-Prayers/dp/1736733303/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1GY3PE7555LDS&keywords=the+joy+of+advent+by+dwyer&qid=1668279427&sprefix=the+joy+of+advent+by+dwyer%2Caps%2C99&sr=8-1]. For bookmarks or prayer points from The Joy of Advent Podcast series, go to: WRAPYourselfinJOY.com [https://wrapyourselfinjoy.com/]. Check out more podcasts here! [https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com/wrap-yourself-in-joy-podcast/] FIND KAREN’S  BOOKS: * * Wrap Yourself in JOY: Find the Joy and Fight the Fear [https://www.amazon.com/WRAP-Yourself-JOY-Find-Fight/dp/B0B5Q6V5MG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1KLJ16UNQUE8Z&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.0QG0WgWFMqNVw0NKZMLqyg.nbtAbmKPbWGecLr4lUKYSsnn0SpVToB2hQwB-pN6xIM&dib_tag=se&keywords=Wrap+Yourself+in+JOY%3A+Find+the+Joy+and+Fight+the+Fear&qid=1720547466&sprefix=wrap+yourself+in+joy+find+the+joy+and+fight+the+fear%2Caps%2C74&sr=8-1] * Esther for Such a Time as This: Prayer, Reversals & Joy [https://www.amazon.com/Esther-Such-Time-This-Reversals/dp/B09WPT8BWZ/ref=sr_1_3?crid=15CEWZU4LMO77&keywords=ESTHER+by+dwyer&qid=1657740141&sprefix=esther+by+dwyer%2Caps%2C62&sr=8-3] * Nehemiah: Rebuilding Hope & Joy in Your Life [https://www.amazon.com/Nehemiah-Rebuilding-Hope-Your-Life/dp/B09X47TNGF] The post The Joy of Advent #6 ~ Jesus Christ is Born: Join the Angels & Shepherds in Praise [https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com/the-joy-of-advent-6-jesus-christ-is-born-join-the-angels-shepherd-in-praise/] appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network [https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com].

The Joy of Advent #5 ~ Joseph Takes Mary as His Wife & Joyfully Embraces God’s Plans

Joseph Dreams, Takes Mary as His Wife & Joyfully Embraces God’s Plans [https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/TheJoy-of-Advent-5-pinterest-1000-x-1500-px--683x1024.jpeg]https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/TheJoy-of-Advent-5-pinterest-1000-x-1500-px-.jpeg The Dream of St. Joseph, Painting by Anton Raphael Mengs, 1773 JOSEPH’S DREAM FROM GOD TO TAKE MARY AS HIS WIFE Today, we turn to Matthew’s Gospel and hear about Joseph’s dream to take Mary as his wife, and how he joyfully embraced God’s plan. Mary and Joseph often changed their plans  as they listened to God. They serve as an example to us of how to trust in God’s plan rather than our own. Join the podcast today as we learn about an angel sent to Joseph in a dream and discover how God can help us most when we exchange our plans for His! THE FAMILY RECORD & EMBRACING GOD’S PLANS Today, we will discuss these points: (1) the genealogical record or family tree, of Jesus through Joseph, (2) how Jewish lineages around the time of Christ often did not include women’s names, but Christ’s ancestry in Matthew mentions five women, (3) Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba were four women in Christ’s lineage who turned from sin or idolatry to God, (4) Joseph’s dream involving communication from an angel and his response to embrace God’s plans, and (5) how we can trust in God’s plan.  LINKS The episode is based on a chapter from my book: The Joy of Advent: Journey with the People, Events and Prayers at the First Coming of Jesus Christ [https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Advent-Journey-People-Prayers/dp/1736733303/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1GY3PE7555LDS&keywords=the+joy+of+advent+by+dwyer&qid=1668279427&sprefix=the+joy+of+advent+by+dwyer%2Caps%2C99&sr=8-1]. For bookmarks or prayer points from The Joy of Advent Podcast series, go to: WRAPYourselfinJOY.com [https://wrapyourselfinjoy.com/]. Check out more podcasts here! [https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com/wrap-yourself-in-joy-podcast/] FIND KAREN’S  BOOKS: * * Wrap Yourself in JOY: Find the Joy and Fight the Fear [https://www.amazon.com/WRAP-Yourself-JOY-Find-Fight/dp/B0B5Q6V5MG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1KLJ16UNQUE8Z&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.0QG0WgWFMqNVw0NKZMLqyg.nbtAbmKPbWGecLr4lUKYSsnn0SpVToB2hQwB-pN6xIM&dib_tag=se&keywords=Wrap+Yourself+in+JOY%3A+Find+the+Joy+and+Fight+the+Fear&qid=1720547466&sprefix=wrap+yourself+in+joy+find+the+joy+and+fight+the+fear%2Caps%2C74&sr=8-1] * Esther for Such a Time as This: Prayer, Reversals & Joy [https://www.amazon.com/Esther-Such-Time-This-Reversals/dp/B09WPT8BWZ/ref=sr_1_3?crid=15CEWZU4LMO77&keywords=ESTHER+by+dwyer&qid=1657740141&sprefix=esther+by+dwyer%2Caps%2C62&sr=8-3] * Nehemiah: Rebuilding Hope & Joy in Your Life [https://www.amazon.com/Nehemiah-Rebuilding-Hope-Your-Life/dp/B09X47TNGF] The post The Joy of Advent #5 ~ Joseph Takes Mary as His Wife & Joyfully Embraces God’s Plans [https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com/the-joy-of-advent-5-joseph-takes-mary-as-his-wife-joyfully-embraces-gods-plans/] appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network [https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com].

The Joy of Advent #4 ~ Joy at the Birth of John the Baptist & Zechariah’s Benedictus

The Joy of Advent #4 - The Birth of John the Baptist [https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Joy-of-advent-4-2025-FiNAL-1000-x-1500-px-683x1024.jpg]https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Joy-of-advent-4-2025-FiNAL-1000-x-1500-px.jpg The Birth of John the Baptist: “Zachariah wrote, His Name is ‘John’.” Painting by Jacopo Pontormo, 1526, USA CELEBRATION AT ZECHARIAH’S HOME AND NAMING OF THE BABY The Scriptures invite us to a celebration at Zechariah’s home. It’s time to name his newborn boy and perform the baby’s circumcision. You can imagine yourself as one of the neighbors who has come to help name the baby born to the old couple, the priest Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth. What would you say? Maybe this: “The boy is a miracle baby! What a blessing from the Lord for Elizabeth! Shockingly, Zechariah has been muted since the last time he served in the temple. I wonder if he will ever recover his speech.” ZECHARIAH’S TONGUE IS FREED Today, we will cover these points: (1) John’s circumcision, (2) the neighbors choosing the name Zechariah to honor his father, (3) Zechariah wrote, “his name is John” and immediately, his tongue was freed, (4) Zechariah praises God for the promises that will be fulfilled  in His son John and the coming of the Messiah, and (5) we can pray the Benedictus with joy every day of Advent. LINKS The episode is based on a chapter from my book: The Joy of Advent: Journey with the People, Events and Prayers at the First Coming of Jesus Christ [https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Advent-Journey-People-Prayers/dp/1736733303/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1GY3PE7555LDS&keywords=the+joy+of+advent+by+dwyer&qid=1668279427&sprefix=the+joy+of+advent+by+dwyer%2Caps%2C99&sr=8-1]. For bookmarks or prayer points from The Joy of Advent Podcast series, go to: WRAPYourselfinJOY.com [https://wrapyourselfinjoy.com/]. Check out more podcasts here! [https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com/wrap-yourself-in-joy-podcast/] FIND KAREN’S  BOOKS: * * Wrap Yourself in JOY: Find the Joy and Fight the Fear [https://www.amazon.com/WRAP-Yourself-JOY-Find-Fight/dp/B0B5Q6V5MG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1KLJ16UNQUE8Z&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.0QG0WgWFMqNVw0NKZMLqyg.nbtAbmKPbWGecLr4lUKYSsnn0SpVToB2hQwB-pN6xIM&dib_tag=se&keywords=Wrap+Yourself+in+JOY%3A+Find+the+Joy+and+Fight+the+Fear&qid=1720547466&sprefix=wrap+yourself+in+joy+find+the+joy+and+fight+the+fear%2Caps%2C74&sr=8-1] * Esther for Such a Time as This: Prayer, Reversals & Joy [https://www.amazon.com/Esther-Such-Time-This-Reversals/dp/B09WPT8BWZ/ref=sr_1_3?crid=15CEWZU4LMO77&keywords=ESTHER+by+dwyer&qid=1657740141&sprefix=esther+by+dwyer%2Caps%2C62&sr=8-3] * Nehemiah: Rebuilding Hope & Joy in Your Life [https://www.amazon.com/Nehemiah-Rebuilding-Hope-Your-Life/dp/B09X47TNGF] The post The Joy of Advent #4 ~ Joy at the Birth of John the Baptist & Zechariah’s Benedictus [https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com/the-joy-of-advent-4-joy-at-the-birth-of-john-the-baptist-zechariahs-benedictus/] appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network [https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com].

The Joy of Advent #3 ~ Filled with JOY: The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth

Filled with JOY: The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth [https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Joy-of-Advent-Advent-3-pinterest-1500-x-1000-683x1024.jpg]https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Joy-of-Advent-Advent-3-pinterest-1500-x-1000.jpg The Visitation Painting by Philippe de Champaigne, 1643-1648 The Visitation of Mary & Sharing Joy with Elizabeth Do you need more JOY  in your life this Advent? Today, Mary and Elizabeth will show you how to share and receive more joy. In this podcast, we join Blessed Mary on her journey from Nazareth to the Hill Country of Judea, near Jerusalem. There she visits her old cousin Elizabeth. Both women are expecting, celebrating the upcoming births, and excited to see each other. Previously, we read that God supernaturally conceived His Son Jesus in the Virgin Mary and granted a child to be born to old Zechariah and Elizabeth. “For nothing is impossible with God!” Today, we cover these inspiring events: (1) John the Baptist leaps for joy, (2) Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and proclaims words of great joy, (3) Mary praises and skips with joy in the Magnificat Canticle, (4) and the two share joy-filled fellowship around stories of Gabriel and Scriptural promises about to be fulfilled with their sons, including Jesus, the Messiah. LINKS The episode is based on a chapter from my book: The Joy of Advent: Journey with the People, Events and Prayers at the First Coming of Jesus Christ [https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Advent-Journey-People-Prayers/dp/1736733303/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1GY3PE7555LDS&keywords=the+joy+of+advent+by+dwyer&qid=1668279427&sprefix=the+joy+of+advent+by+dwyer%2Caps%2C99&sr=8-1]. For bookmarks or prayer points from The Joy of Advent Podcast series, go to: WRAPYourselfinJOY.com [https://wrapyourselfinjoy.com/]. Check out more podcasts here! [https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com/wrap-yourself-in-joy-podcast/] FIND KAREN’S  BOOKS: * * Wrap Yourself in JOY: Find the Joy and Fight the Fear [https://www.amazon.com/WRAP-Yourself-JOY-Find-Fight/dp/B0B5Q6V5MG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1KLJ16UNQUE8Z&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.0QG0WgWFMqNVw0NKZMLqyg.nbtAbmKPbWGecLr4lUKYSsnn0SpVToB2hQwB-pN6xIM&dib_tag=se&keywords=Wrap+Yourself+in+JOY%3A+Find+the+Joy+and+Fight+the+Fear&qid=1720547466&sprefix=wrap+yourself+in+joy+find+the+joy+and+fight+the+fear%2Caps%2C74&sr=8-1] * Esther for Such a Time as This: Prayer, Reversals & Joy [https://www.amazon.com/Esther-Such-Time-This-Reversals/dp/B09WPT8BWZ/ref=sr_1_3?crid=15CEWZU4LMO77&keywords=ESTHER+by+dwyer&qid=1657740141&sprefix=esther+by+dwyer%2Caps%2C62&sr=8-3] * Nehemiah: Rebuilding Hope & Joy in Your Life [https://www.amazon.com/Nehemiah-Rebuilding-Hope-Your-Life/dp/B09X47TNGF] The post The Joy of Advent #3 ~ Filled with JOY: The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth [https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com/the-joy-of-advent-3-filled-with-joy-the-visitation-of-mary-to-elizabeth/] appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network [https://ultimatechristianpodcastnetwork.com].