The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast

Posted Every Monday

The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast is a free, weekly thirty-minute podcast, posted on every Monday, featuring Fr. John Dear and his reflections about Jesus, Gospel nonviolence, and peacemaking, and guests who teach, speak out, organize and work for a more just, most peaceful, more nonviolent world. Through these weekly reflections, we hope to inspire everyone to follow the nonviolent Jesus more faithfully and do our part to welcome God’s reign of peace with justice on earth!

Here is the schedule for the first five podcasts. The link we will provided on the day they are posted; the podcast APP will be available in early February. It will also be posted every Monday on the homepage of the National Catholic Reporter, HERE.

This week on “The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast,” John Dear offers an Advent reflection on Luke 1, “Mary’s Advent Journey of Nonviolence,” from the Anunciation to the Visitation to the Magnificat. Luke tells her story as the three movements of the spiritual life–from contemplative nonviolence to active nonviolence to the Magnificat as prophetic nonviolence.
 
How did Jesus learn his spectacular nonviolence? Luke says from Mary, his holy Jewish mother. Mary’s journey begins with contemplative prayer, so Luke teaches that the spiritual journey of peace and nonviolence begins with contemplative peace and nonviolence. The Annunciation is a scene of contemplative prayer where Mary communes with the God of peace. She surrenders her life to God, does only God’s will, listens attentively for God, and in that silence and stillness, encounters God and is ready to say Yes.
 
In the Visitation as active nonviolence, Mary reaches out to “love her neighbor” and “show compassion to someone in need.” These public actions would become the bedrock teachings of Luke’s Jesus. In this second movement of nonviolence, we learn to reach out in love and compassion to serve someone in need, and bring peace, joy, and consolation. That’s what peacemakers do.
 
Finally, in the third movement of Mary’s journey into prophetic nonviolence, she proclaims the greatness of the God of peace, announces that God is throwing down the rulers from their thrones and lifting up the lowly, and remembering God’s promise of mercy, of nonviolence!, for generations to come! Like Mary, this Advent, we proclaim a prophetic announcement about the coming of God’s reign of peace and nonviolence here and now. Listen in, take heart, and go forward in the Christmas blessings of contemplative, active and prophetic nonviolence. Advent blessings to everyone!

Upcoming Podcasts

  • Dec. 22nd. #51. John Dear on the Epiphany of Christmas
  • Dec. 29th. #52. “Highlights of The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast, 2025”

The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast

Posted Every Monday

The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast is a free, weekly thirty-minute podcast, posted on every Monday, featuring Fr. John Dear and his reflections about Jesus, Gospel nonviolence, and peacemaking, and guests who teach, speak out, organize and work for a more just, most peaceful, more nonviolent world. Through these weekly reflections, we hope to inspire everyone to follow the nonviolent Jesus more faithfully and do our part to welcome God’s reign of peace with justice on earth!

Here is the schedule for the first five podcasts. The link we will provided on the day they are posted; the podcast APP will be available in early February. It will also be posted every Monday on the homepage of the National Catholic Reporter, HERE.

This week on “The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast,” John Dear takes a deep dive into Matthew 2, the famous story of the three Magi. He offers this Christmas reflection as four movements: 1) the journey to the nonviolent Jesus; 2) the epiphany of meeting the nonviolent Jesus; 3) what we do after we meet the nonviolent Jesus; and 4) the epilogue, how the empire, the culture of violence and war, reacts to the coming of the nonviolent Jesus and the threat of active nonviolence.
 
John invites us to reflect on the story of the Magi as our story. Like the three wisdom figures, we too are on a spiritual journey, a holy pilgrimage, one that lasts a lifetime—the journey to the God of peace, to God’s reign of peace and the nonviolent Jesus.
 
During the episode, he offers questions for your Christmas reflection, such as: When did you have an epiphany of the God of peace? When have you met the nonviolent Jesus among the poor, the homeless and the marginalized? How does nature point you to the God of peace? What gifts do you bring the nonviolent Jesus? 
 
The shocking part of Matthew 2 is what happens after the Epiphany, he proposes. The Magi were ordered to report back to the lying, greedy, warmaking, sociopathic tyrant, King Herod. But Matthew shows that once you meet the nonviolent Jesus and experience the God of peace—you disobey the ruling authorities who kill, oppress and wage war! The Magi commit civil disobedience and head home a different way!
 
Matthew invites us this Christmas to seek the nonviolent Jesus on the margins of the culture of violence, empire and war; to let our encounter with the nonviolent Jesus lead us away from the corrupt culture of violence and war; to live as wisdom pilgrims of nonviolence who obey Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount teachings; to do our part to stop the ongoing slaughter of the innocents; and to serve God and God’s reign of peace only from now on. Check it out! Merry Christmas everyone! May the God of peace bless you on your Epiphany journey!

Upcoming Podcasts

  • Dec. 29th. #52. “Highlights of The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast, 2025”

The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast is available on these other platforms too!

National Catholic Reporter
National Catholic Reporter
(In the Opinion Section - Guest Voices)
Spotify
Spotify
True Fans
True Fans
Amazon Music
Amazon Music
Fountain FM
Fountain FM
Apple Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
Podcast Index
Podcast Index
Podbean Podcasts
PodBean
YouTube

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                                                           The Beatitudes Center for the Nonviolent Jesus is a 501c3 Nonprofit organization. Donations are tax deductible.

The Beatitudes Center
PO Box 1915
Morro Bay, CA 93443

www.beatitudescenter.org
info@beatitudescenter.org