Taste & See

Summary

In this episode, we sit with the Beatitudes in Matthew 5: 1-12 as Jesus reveals the paradoxical path to true happiness. Through personal vulnerability and the suffering of the world around us, we reflect on what it means to mourn with God rather than turn away from pain. “Blessed are those who mourn” becomes an invitation to share in God’s own heart—and to discover the comfort that only He can give.

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Reflection Questions

1. Where have I grown comfortable in a way that has dulled my compassion for others’ suffering?
2. What might God be revealing to me about my own heart through discomfort or conviction?
3. What would it look like this week to mourn with God and respond in love, prayer, or action?

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Meditation

Here's the link to the meditation: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tA1haz-k7PE9EHyngfQO2gOuCd-fKc2NryINWaTFEy4/edit?usp=sharing

__Important Information

Learn more about the mission of Paradisus Dei and its life-changing parish programs here.

The World English Bible is in the public domain and was used for all scripture quotations.

Intro music: "My Life (Main)” by Good B Music

Meditation Music: Reawaken Hymns Worship Pads - foundations in the key of A

In Matthew 4:12–17, Jesus enters Galilee and fulfills Isaiah’s promise: “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.” This episode reflects on how physical sickness became a doorway into spiritual surrender, revealing a deeper truth—that our greatest illness is often the need to control rather than to trust. Through the image of Christ as the Divine Physician, we are invited to see the Kingdom not as something far away, but as near, intimate, and close enough to touch our wounds. As Ordinary Time begins, this reflection leads us through an examen of the past month, preparing our hearts to move forward renewed by the Light who meets us in the darkness._

Reflection Questions:

1. Where have I been “sitting in darkness” recently—physically, emotionally, or spiritually—and what light am I longing for?
2. Where in my life might Christ be inviting deeper healing—not just comfort, but transformation?
3. What does it mean for me personally that “the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” right now?

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Here's the link to the text of the examen for this episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Ev7tGcWDTd6TeslyRkCPJqn-n85VFeTWGRBuf4I2l8/edit?usp=sharing

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Learn more about the mission of Paradisus Dei and its life-changing parish programs here.

The World English Bible is in the public domain and was used for all scripture quotations.

Intro music: "My Life (Main)” by Good B Music

Meditation Music: Reawaken Hymns Worship Pads - foundations in the key of A

In this episode, we reflect on John 1:29–34, where John the Baptist points away from himself and joyfully testifies, “Behold, the Lamb of God,” revealing Jesus as the one upon whom the Spirit remains. Rather than proving Jesus through arguments or signs, John witnesses through humble obedience. This reflection invites us to consider how true Christian witness flows not from striving, but from abiding—allowing the Spirit who remains on Christ to remain in us and speak through our joy.

___Reflection Questions:

1. Do I believe that my quiet faithfulness can be a powerful witness to Christ?
2. Where have I encountered Jesus in a way that changed me, even subtly?
3. Who in my life needs the quiet witness of joy more than explanations or advice?

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Here's a link to the text of the meditation that you can bring into your personal prayer.

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Learn more about the mission of Paradisus Dei and its life-changing parish programs here.

The World English Bible is in the public domain and was used for all scripture quotations.

Intro music: "My Life (Main)” by Good B Music
Meditation Music: Reawaken Hymns Worship Pads - foundations in the key of A

On the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Matthew 3:13–17), Zac reflects on a foundational truth of the Christian life: identity comes before mission. Through the Gospel of Jesus’ baptism and a personal story of his father’s daily blessing, we are reminded that our worth is not earned by what we do, but received from whose we are—beloved children of the Father. As the heavens are opened over Christ, we hear words spoken not only to Jesus, but to us: “You are my beloved child.” From this belonging flows our work, our healing, and our joy.

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3 Reflection Questions to go deeper:

1. When was the last time I truly rested in the truth that I am God’s beloved child, apart from anything I do?
2. In what ways have I been trying to earn love, approval, or belonging through my work or achievements?
3. As I begin this new year, how can I intentionally return to my identity as God’s beloved before taking on new goals or missions?

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Here's the link to the text of the meditation for you to take into personal prayer, read over again, etc.

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Learn more about the mission of Paradisus Dei and its life-changing parish programs here.

The World English Bible is in the public domain and was used for all scripture quotations.

Intro music: "My Life (Main)” by Good B Music
Meditation Music: Reawaken Hymns Worship Pads - foundations in the key of A

On the Feast of the Holy Family, this episode invites us to rest under the quiet, steadfast care of St. Joseph—the trustworthy father chosen to protect Jesus and Mary through danger, uncertainty, and exile. Through the Gospel of the flight into Egypt and a personal story of evacuation and trust, we reflect on how God leads His children to safety through faithful fatherhood and surrendered obedience. As the year closes, we are encouraged to entrust our fears, dreams, and future to St. Joseph, allowing Jesus to grow peacefully in the Nazareth of our hearts.

Gospel passage: Matthew 2: 13-15, 19-23

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Reflection Questions:

1. Who has been a “St. Joseph” in my life—someone whose faithfulness helped carry me through a difficult season?
2. Where in my life do I need to believe again: “It’s all going to be okay”?
3. As I enter a new year, what is one fear, burden, or dream I want to entrust to St. Joseph so that Jesus may grow quietly within me?

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Here's a link to the text of the examen!

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Learn more about the mission of Paradisus Dei and its life-changing parish programs here.

The World English Bible is in the public domain and was used for all scripture quotations.

Intro music: "My Life (Main)” by Good B Music

Meditation Music: Reawaken Hymns Worship Pads - foundations in the key of A

In this Fourth Sunday of Advent (Matthew 1: 18-24) , we are invited into the hidden wisdom of Nazareth, where God chose not the biggest city, but the biggest heart—Mary’s Immaculate Heart—as the place of the Incarnation. The episode confronts our fear of being ordinary or forgotten and reveals that true greatness is found in joyful service, loving sacrifice, and God’s abiding presence within the quiet routines of daily life. As Christmas approaches, we are encouraged to prepare for Bethlehem by first going to Nazareth—allowing Mary to lend us her heart so that Christ may be born anew in us._______________________________

Reflection Questions:

1. Where in my life do I fear being ordinary, forgotten, or unseen, and how does God want to meet me there?
2. What fears or hesitations keep me from “taking Mary into my home” and entrusting myself to her heart?
3. As Christmas draws near, what would it look like for me to let Christ be born in my heart through humility, trust, and surrender?

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Here's the link to the text of the meditation! Take it into personal prayer, reread it, or share it with a friend!

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Learn more about the mission of Paradisus Dei and its life-changing parish programs here.

The World English Bible is in the public domain and was used for all scripture quotations.

Intro music: "My Life (Main)” by Good B Music

Meditation Music: Reawaken Hymns Worship Pads - foundations in the key of A

In this week’s episode on the 3rd Sunday of Advent, Zac shares a raw and vulnerable story of wrestling with doubt in the silence of a seminary chapel—only to discover that God’s abiding Presence can pierce even the deepest darkness. Through the Gospel scene of John the Baptist in prison, in Matthew 11: 2-11, we learn that God’s silence is never His absence, and that true freedom comes from a hope the world cannot chain. Jesus reveals His presence through His works, especially in the Eucharist, and invites us to become living witnesses of His love in our own Nazareths. In moments of faith and in moments of desolation, the abiding Presence of God remains the unchanging Light at the center of our lives.

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Reflection Questions:

1. When have you experienced God’s silence and assumed it meant His absence?
2. What “prisons” in your life—doubts, fears, habits, circumstances—seem to confine you right now?
3. How might God already be abiding with you inside those very places?

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Here is the link to the meditation for you to bring into personal prayer and read over again on your own time.

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Learn more about the mission of Paradisus Dei and its life-changing parish programs here.

The World English Bible is in the public domain and was used for all scripture quotations.

Intro music: "My Life (Main)” by Good B Music

Meditation Music: Reawaken Hymns Worship Pads - foundations in the key of A

In this second Sunday of Advent episode, Zac reflects on the mark of the Spirit of Nazareth: loving sacrifice. He draws from his own vocational journey with the Missionaries of Charity and the witness of John the Baptist. Zac also explores how sacrificial love, though often painful, frees us to love authentically, experience God’s peace, and prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. Through reflection, storytelling, and meditation, listeners are invited to consider what gifts of the heart they can offer Christ this Advent.

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Reflection Questions

1. What personal sacrifices have you made out of love, and how have they transformed you?
2. How might your offerings of love and sacrifice impact others in ways you cannot yet see?
3. What gift of your heart could you vulnerably offer to Christ this Advent to prepare for His coming?

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Click Here to access the full text of the meditation.

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I'm praying for each of you - please don't forget to pray for one another!_____________________________________________________

Learn more about the mission of Paradisus Dei and its life-changing parish programs here.

The World English Bible is in the public domain and was used for all scripture quotations.

Intro music: "My Life (Main)” by Good B Music

Meditation Music: Reawaken Hymns Worship Pads - foundations in the key of A

Taste & See is a weekly podcast that builds a community of prayer by offering heartfelt reflections and meditations on the Sunday readings. Hosted by Zac Wierschem from Paradisus Dei, each episode is a preparation of the heart for the Sunday Mass of the upcoming weekend. Personal reflection questions and the text of the meditations are also provided to guide you and your family as you prepare to receive the superabundant grace God offers every Sunday and to deepen the graces you receive in prayer.

Meditation Music: Reawaken Hymns Worship Pads - foundations in the key of ALearn more about the mission of Paradisus Dei and its life-changing parish programs here.

In this First Sunday of Advent episode, Zac reflects on Christ’s first, second, and “third” coming through a tender childhood memory of joyful waiting, revealing how Advent invites us into the same hopeful anticipation. He explores how Jesus comes to us today—especially in children, the poor, the weak, and the Eucharist—and how joyful service prepares our hearts for His return in glory. Through Scripture, storytelling, and a moving meditation in Jesus’ voice, this episode invites listeners to watch, wait, and love with the Spirit of Nazareth.

Gospel Passage: Matthew 24: 37-44

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Reflection Questions

1. When you think about Advent as a season of “joyful waiting,” what emotions or memories surface for you?
2. In what ways do you personally experience Christ’s presence in the “third coming,” in the people and situations of your daily life?
3. What does “joyful service” look like in your life this week? Where is Jesus inviting you to serve Him?

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Here is a link to the text of the meditation!

_____________________________________________________

Learn more about the mission of Paradisus Dei and its life-changing parish programs here.

The World English Bible is in the public domain and was used for all scripture quotations.

Intro music: "My Life (Main)” by Good B Music

Meditation Music: Reawaken Hymns Worship Pads - foundations in the key of A