PODCAST · religion
Taste & See
by Zac Wierschem
Taste & See is a weekly podcast of heartfelt reflections and meditations on the Sunday readings. Join Zac Wierschem from Paradisus Dei as he guides you into a deeper encounter with Jesus—alongside a global community that prays together each week.Learn more about Paradisus Dei and our life-changing programs at: paradisusdei.org
Episodes
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Loving With Whole Hearts
For the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Zac reflects on Matthew 22:34-40, where Jesus names the greatest commandment: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind," and a second like it, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Drawing on the...
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God's Coin
For the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Zac reflects on Matthew 22:15-21, where the Pharisees' disciples try to trap Jesus over paying taxes to Caesar and He answers, "Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." Drawing on his recent pilgrimage to...
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Welcomed Back to the Feast
For the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Zac reflects on Matthew 21:33-43, the parable of the wicked tenants who kill the landowner's servants and finally his son, showing how Jesus told this hard parable to the chief priests and elders not to condemn them but to bring them to contrition, just as…
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From Resentment to Redemption
For the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Zac reflects on the parable of the two sons (Matthew 21: 28-32), unpacking why Jesus told the chief priests and elders that tax collectors and prostitutes would enter the Kingdom before them — because contrition and a changed heart matter more than outward...
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Generous Beyond Justice
For the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Zac reflects on the parable of the workers in the vineyard, using a childhood memory of sibling rivalry over a Capri Sun to illustrate the difference between demanding what's "fair" and receiving what's freely given in love. He contrasts the grumbling…
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Impossible Debt—Infinite Mercy
For the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, marking the podcast's 100th episode, Zac unpacks the parable of the unforgiving servant, using the true story of St. Maria Goretti's deathbed forgiveness of her killer to show how even our deepest wounds are a "smaller debt" compared to the infinite debt of…
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Remember Who You Are
For the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Zac reflects on Matthew 18:15-20 and the practice of fraternal correction, arguing that Jesus' opening words — "if your brother" — mean correction only makes sense once we first recognize the other person as family. Drawing on his own relationship with his...
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Receiving the Cross as Gift
Reflecting on Matthew 16:21-27, Zac recounts getting sick right before his friend Vince's funeral, forcing him to skip singing in the choir he'd hoped to honor Vince with, and how his frustration at being sidelined mirrored Peter's rebuke of Jesus for embracing suffering. Recognizing himself in...
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A Friend's Death and the Living God
Reflecting on Matthew 16:13-20, Zac shares the story of his late friend Vince — a man who bore juvenile arthritis and many surgeries with faith— and Vince's sudden death just a week after a road trip together, prompting Zac to imagine Christ asking Vince at his particular judgment the same…
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Exalted Through Humility
This episode pairs Francisco Bayeu's The Assumption of the Virgin with the Gospel story of the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15:21-28), drawing out humility as the thread connecting both. Just as Mary appears at the bottom of Bayeu's painting despite being assumed into heaven's heights, the Canaanite...
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Near to Him
In Matthew 14:22–33, Peter steps out of the boat and walks toward Jesus in the midst of a storm, revealing a heart that desires intimacy with Christ more than safety or certainty. Through Carlo Maratti's painting, this reflection explores how vulnerability, trust, and courage allow us to leave…
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His Heart, Our Hope
In Matthew 14:13–21, Jesus takes five loaves and two fish, blesses them, breaks them, and feeds over five thousand people, leaving twelve baskets of leftovers. The episode explores how Caravaggio's Supper at Emmaus reveals that these same Eucharistic actions point to Christ's desire to satisfy…
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Worth Everything
Reflecting on Jesus' parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:44-52), this episode explores Eduard Veith's Madonna and Child Surrounded by Angels, revealing how the Holy Family's poverty conceals the riches of heaven. Through the winter landscape, the care of the...
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Crowned by the Cross
In this episode, we pray with the Gospel of the wheat and weeds, where Jesus teaches, "Let both grow together until the harvest" (Matthew 13:30), and reflect on the icon of Constantine and St. Helen holding the Cross. Through the story of Constantine's conversion and the centrality of the Cross…
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Everything is Gift
Drawing from Christ's Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:1-9, this episode reflects on The Angelus by Jean-François Millet and the profound generosity of God who continually sows His gifts into our lives. Through the image of two poor laborers pausing their work to pray, we explore how the...
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In Love, At Rest
Drawing from Jesus' invitation in Matthew 11:25–30, this episode explores how God reveals His deepest truths not to the powerful and self-sufficient, but to those who become like spiritual infants and allow themselves to be loved. Through Interment of Saint Cecilia in the Roman Catacombs by Luis…
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Beggars for Love
In this reflection on Matthew 10:37-42, viewed through Gerrit van Honthorst's The Denial of St. Peter, we encounter Peter stepping away from the candlelight and into darkness as he denies the One he loves most. The episode explores Christ's difficult teaching that we must love Him above all else...
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Fearless in Love
Through William Bouguereau's Madonna with Child and John the Baptist, we explore Christ's repeated command in Matthew 10 to "do not be afraid" and reveals that true courage flows from knowing we are deeply loved. The childlike affection between Jesus and John, sheltered beneath Mary's maternal...
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The Answered Prayer
Reflecting on Matthew 9:36–10:8 through Nicolás Francés's painting of the Twelve Apostles, this episode explores how God calls unique individuals into a unified mission for the salvation of souls. The apostles reveal that holiness is not uniformity but a beautiful diversity of gifts…
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The Heart That Hungers
On the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, this episode reflects on Jesus’ teaching in John 6: 51-58 and a 15th-century German painting of the Last Supper to explore the mystery of the Eucharist as Christ’s true Body and Blood. Through the artwork’s symbolism, listeners are invited to see Christ as the...
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A Place at Table
This episode reflects on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity through John 3:16–18 and The Hospitality of Abraham by Andrei Rublev, revealing the Trinity not as an abstract doctrine but as a divine communion of love that invites us into relationship. Through the symbolism of the icon—especially...
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Spirit and Silence
This Pentecost reflection on John 20: 19-23 explores how the Holy Spirit enters into locked and fearful hearts, bringing peace, renewal, and mission, just as Jesus breathed the Spirit upon the disciples in the upper room. Through Félix-Henri Giacomotti’s La Pentecôte, the episode highlights…
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Return to Galilee
Using Rembrandt’s The Ascension of the Lord alongside Matthew 28:16–20, this reflection explores how Christ’s Ascension invites us to lift our hearts toward heaven while remaining rooted in His presence through the Church and the Eucharist. By returning to Galilee—the place of first love for the...
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No Longer Orphans
In this episode on John 14: 15-21, Jesus promises that we are not abandoned but deeply loved children of God, given the Holy Spirit and His own presence so we are never left as orphans. Through His sacrifice and the gift of the Eucharist, He restores our identity as sons and daughters, healing…
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The Way Home
In this episode on John 14:1-12, Jesus reveals that He is not just a guide but the Way itself—the only path to the Father, who is the true destination of our deepest longing. Through the image of pilgrimage, the reflection shows that without a clear destination, life becomes aimless, but with...
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The Language of the Heart
In the gospel for next Sunday, John 10: 1-10, Jesus reveals Himself as the Good Shepherd who lovingly calls His sheep by name, invites them to recognize His voice, and leads them into abundant life. The episode emphasizes that God speaks not just through words, but through the “language of the...
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Recognizing Him Again
This episode on Gospel of Luke 24:13–35 reveals that the story of Cleopas and the road to Emmaus is not just a past event, but the very pattern of every Mass today. Just as the disciples encountered Jesus in their pain and recognized Him in the breaking of the bread, we too are invited to move…
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The Whole Gospel in Three Words
This episode reflects on Divine Mercy Sunday through Gospel of John 20:19–23, revealing that the risen Christ enters our fear, guilt, and shame not with condemnation, but with the gift of peace through forgiveness. Through the powerful witness of Immaculée Ilibagiza, the episode shows that true...
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Step 7: Practice Superabundant Mercy
This episode centers on Mary Magdalene in Gospel of John 20: 1–9, revealing how deep love for Christ becomes a channel of “superabundant mercy”—a grace that prevents us from falling into sin rather than just forgiving us after. Through a personal story of heartbreak and unexpected redirection…
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Step 6: Find God in Others
This episode connects Gospel of Matthew 21:1–11 with the mystery of the Incarnation, showing how Jesus intentionally enters Jerusalem in radical humility by riding a donkey—a symbol of burden, suffering, and the human condition. Drawing from his lived experience in Kibera, Zac illustrates how the...
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Step 5: Find God in Yourself
On this Fifth Sunday of Lent in John 11:1–45, Jesus reveals Himself as “the resurrection and the life,” entering into human suffering—He even weeps—and calling Lazarus out of death to manifest God’s glory. Through the story of Raul, a dying man encountered at the Missionaries of Charity, the...
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Step 4: Rejoice, Beloved Sinner
In this episode we reflect on Gospel of John 9:1–41 where Jesus heals the man born blind and reveals that true sight is not only physical vision but the ability to recognize God at work in our lives. As the fourth step of the Lenten journey toward superabundance—Set Your Mind on the Things...
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Step 3: Give God Your Time — Thirsting for Living Water
Reflecting on Gospel of John 4:5–42 (The Woman at the Well), the third step to superabundance invites us to give God some of our time in prayer, especially at the places of our deepest thirst. Just as Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at noon—at the height of heat, shame, and longing—He waits for…
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Step 2: Use Money for Others
In this episode reflecting on Gospel of Mark 9:2–10 and the Transfiguration, the second step to superabundance invites us to use money for others as a natural response to an authentic encounter with Christ. Just as the disciples saw everything differently after meeting Jesus on the mountain, a…
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The First Step to Superabundance: Honor Your Vows
For the First Sunday of Lent, reflecting on Gospel of Matthew 4:1–11, this episode launches the “7 Steps to Superabundance” with Step 1: Honor Your Vows. Through the example of a father’s fidelity during his wife’s battle with cancer and Christ’s victory over temptation in the desert, we see that...
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Fulfilled by Love
In this episode about Matthew 5: 17-20, we reflect on Jesus’ words that He came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it—by filling it to the brim with love. Through Zac's personal story of rigidity, a meditation on the Pharisees, and the image of the law as a cup, we see how obedience without...
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Taste of Joy
In this episode, we reflect on Jesus’ call to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, drawing from lived experience among the Missionaries of Charity in Kenya and the witness of a joyful sister who embodied this Gospel (Matthew 5:13–16). Through the image of salt—its power to…
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The Comfort of Mourning
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…
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Light in the Darkness
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…
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Testimony of Joy
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....
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Mine Before Mission
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…
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Under Joseph's Care
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…
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Spirit of Nazareth: Mary's Heart
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…
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Spirit of Nazareth: Abiding Presence of God
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…
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Spirit of Nazareth: Loving Sacrifice
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...
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Welcome to Taste & See!
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...
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Spirit of Nazareth: Joyful Service
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...
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Throne of Humility
In this episode, we explore the profound kingship of Jesus Christ, revealed not in earthly power but in His selfless sacrifice on the cross, as highlighted in the Gospel of Luke. Through the story of Fr. Jaison, a humble pastor who embodies servant leadership by cleaning parish bathrooms, we see...
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Living for Christ
In this episode for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time on Luke 21:5-19, Zac draws from encounters at a young adult retreat with a joyful Chinese Jesuit priest descended from a canonized martyr and a tearful participant inspired to priesthood despite family persecution, the discussion connects to...
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Giving Over Getting
In this episode for the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica on November 9th, 2025, we explore John 2:13-22, where Jesus cleanses the temple, drawing parallels to personal experiences of inner turmoil. Host shares a recent dating dilemma filled with anxiety and indecision, resolved through...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Taste & See is a weekly podcast of heartfelt reflections and meditations on the Sunday readings. Join Zac Wierschem from Paradisus Dei as he guides you into a deeper encounter with Jesus—alongside a global community that prays together each week.Learn more about Paradisus Dei and our life-changing programs at: paradisusdei.org
HOSTED BY
Zac Wierschem
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Taste & See have?
Taste & See currently has 105 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Taste & See about?
Taste & See is a weekly podcast of heartfelt reflections and meditations on the Sunday readings. Join Zac Wierschem from Paradisus Dei as he guides you into a deeper encounter with Jesus—alongside a global community that prays together each week.Learn more about Paradisus Dei and our life-changing...
How often does Taste & See release new episodes?
Taste & See publishes regularly with 105 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Taste & See?
You can listen to Taste & See on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Taste & See?
Taste & See is created and hosted by Zac Wierschem.
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