{"store":{"baseInfo":{"podcastTitle":"Open Wide the Doors","slug":"openwidethedoors","podcastDescription":"”Be not afraid, open wide the doors for Christ.” Episodes include homilies, reflections, and lectures given by Fr. Daniel Belken, who is a priest of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau in Missouri, and has been ordained a priest since June 2020.","podcastLogo":"https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/14765151/open_wide_doors_1500.png","podcastShareLogo":"https://d2bwo9zemjwxh5.cloudfront.net/image-logo/14765151/open_wide_doors_1500_1200x628.jpg?s=a0595609566cf6b1d0fce5e7d0bc1342&e=png","podcastUrl":"https://openwidethedoors.podbean.com","podcastCanSearched":true,"feedUrl":"https://feed.podbean.com/openwidethedoors/feed.xml","theme":"focuspod","podcastDeepLink":"https://www.podbean.com/pw/pbblog-8gnik-e14c5f?from=usersite","removePodbeanBranding":"no","brandingLogo":null,"timeZone":{"timeZoneId":11,"gmtAdjustment":"GMT-06:00","useDaylightTime":1,"value":-6,"text":"(GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada)","daylightStartTime":"Second Sunday Of March +2 Hours","daylightEndTime":"First Sunday Of November +2 Hours","timezone":"America/Chicago"},"podcastDownloads":null,"totalEpisodes":224,"showComments":true,"iOSAppDownloadLink":null,"customizeCssUrl":null,"androidAppDownloadLink":null,"showPostShare":true,"showLike":true,"author":"Fr. Daniel Belken","enableEngagementStats":true,"shareEmbedLink":"https://admin5.podbean.com/embed.html?id=pbblog-8gnik-e14c5f-playlist","language":"en","sensitivitySessionExpireTime":3600,"podcastApps":[{"name":"Apple Podcasts","link":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/open-wide-the-doors/id1636338082","image":"https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/fs1/site/images/admin5/apple-podcast.png","title":null},{"name":"YouTube","link":"https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0rFqthoZOmrjiWMISbHMozGT-N4qsi06","image":"https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/fs1/site/images/admin5/youtube_logo.png","title":null},{"name":"Podbean App","link":"https://www.podbean.com/pw/pbblog-8gnik-e14c5f?from=usersite","image":"https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/fs1/site/images/admin5/podbean-app.png","title":null},{"name":"Spotify","link":"https://open.spotify.com/show/38occOjTRJee3SuC4f4NjA","image":"https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/fs1/site/images/admin5/spotify.png","title":null}],"components":{"base":[{"id":"MainStyle","val":"light"},{"id":"Font","val":"Roboto"},{"id":"SecondaryFont","val":"PT Sans"},{"id":"PlayerColor","val":"#FF2C2C"},{"id":"PlayerStyle","val":"player1"},{"id":"PlayerWave","val":"show"},{"id":"Favicon","val":"https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/3j3d2d/Podcast_Renders-_OWTD5daf0c72-2b30-7634-59b2-37f9fe417f9f.jpg"},{"id":"CookiesNotice","val":"hide"},{"id":"CookiesNoticeContent","val":"

Cookies Notice

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. By using our website you agree to our use of cookies.

"},{"id":"EpisodePageListenOn","val":"hide"},{"id":"EpisodePageCustomizeComponent","val":"hide"}],"home-header":[{"id":"HomeHeaderTextColor","val":"#ffffff"},{"id":"BackgroundImage","val":"https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/zy7mj2/Podbean-Banner.jpg"},{"id":"BackgroundImageForMobile","val":"https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/s6nhzc/Podbean-Banner-Mobile.jpg"}],"page-header":[{"id":"PageHeaderTextColor","val":"#ffffff"},{"id":"SecondaryPageBackgroundImage","val":"/assets/focuspod-banner-light.jpg"},{"id":"SecondaryPageBackgroundImageForMobile","val":null}],"episode-list":[{"id":"EpisodeListType","val":"list"},{"id":"EpisodesPerPage","val":8},{"id":"EpisodeStats","val":"hide"}],"navigation":[{"id":"NavigationFontColor","val":"#FFFFFF"},{"id":"NavigationBackgroundColor","val":"#000000"},{"id":"NavigationSearch","val":"show"},{"id":"NavigationLinks","val":[{"id":"Home","type":"Link","value":"/","text":"Home","subitems":[]},{"id":"Subscribe","type":"Link","value":"https://www.podbean.com/site/podcatcher/index/blog/GpgzoofMGSe7","text":"Subscribe","subitems":[]},{"id":"248c730c-45d1-3adc-079b-c471a0f0cfcb","type":"Link","value":"https://www.openwidethedoors.com","text":"Website","subitems":[]}]}],"footer":[{"id":"FooterType","val":"Footer1"},{"id":"FooterFontColor","val":"#000000"},{"id":"FooterBackgroundColor","val":"#ffffff"},{"id":"FooterCopyright","val":"Copyright 2023 All rights reserved."},{"id":"SocialMediaLinks","val":{"facebook_username":"","twitter_username":"","instagram_username":"","youtube_username":"","linkedin_username":""}}],"customize-container1":[],"customize-container2":[{"id":"ComponentImageText-1","val":{"ComponentFontColor":"#000000","ComponentBackgroundColor":"#FAF7F4","ComponentImage":"https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/h3p5v5/First-Mass.jpg","ComponentContent":"

Introduction

\"Be not afraid. Open wide the doors to Christ.\" Those words were a part of Pope John Paul II's timeless first address after being named the Holy Father. Through my homilies, talks, and lectures, here presented, it is my hope to continue that same work that John Paul II dedicated himself to so many years ago.

As a priest, I seek to bring others closer to God as a humble instrument, and pray that I can, in some small way, continue to resonate that very same theme that John Paul II begun his papacy with.

Therefore, what he has said, I say to you: \"Be not afraid. Open wide the doors to Christ!\"

"}}]},"allLinks":[],"mainStylesDefaultSettings":null,"defaultCustomizeComponents":null,"scripts":[],"metas":null,"appConfig":{"package":"com.podbean.app.podcast","app_store_id":973361050,"app_name":"Podbean","scheme":"podbean"},"customizeCss":null,"canEditCss":null,"enableJsCodeInCustomizeContent":false,"enabledIframeCodeInCustomizeContent":true,"sectionMaxCount":10,"enableEditorLink":true,"enableEditCookiesNotice":true,"siteRedirectToFeed":false,"podcatcherRssUrl":null,"showFeed":true,"showTopBar":true,"enableWebSiteLike":true,"organizationName":null,"organizationPageLink":null},"backToListUrl":"/","tinymceLoaded":false,"listEpisodes":[],"userLikedEpisodes":[],"userLikeCheckedEpisodes":[],"topBarIframeLoaded":false,"listTotalCount":0,"listTotalPage":0,"listPage":0,"listType":"all","listValue":"","listName":"","pageLoading":false,"apiBaseUrl":"https://openwidethedoors.podbean.com","apiV2BaseUrl":"","apiCommonParams":{"t":"69d42521","clientSignature":"1983dd8045c8eb992a4b7f641fa55f6f","u":null,"customizing":null},"apiCommonHeaders":{},"comments":[],"commentsTotalCount":0,"commentsTotalPage":0,"commentsPage":1,"commentEpisodeId":"pb27155014-azix5","episode":{"id":"pb27155014","idTag":"azix5","title":"December 8, 2025: Madonna and Child","logo":"https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/14765151/open_wide_doors_1500_300x300.png","shareLogo":"https://d2bwo9zemjwxh5.cloudfront.net/image-logo/14765151/open_wide_doors_1500_1200x628.jpg?s=a0595609566cf6b1d0fce5e7d0bc1342&e=png","largeLogo":"https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/14765151/open_wide_doors_1500.png","previewContent":null,"content":"

When we celebrate the Immaculate Conception, there is more to this celebration than meets the eye. Can it encourage us to change ourselves?

","publishTimestamp":1765237245,"duration":387,"mediaUrl":"https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/5332yg3e8v6tibs3/Homily-December_8_2025.mp3","mediaType":"audio/mpeg","shareLink":"https://admin5.podbean.com/embed.html?id=pb-azix5-19e5a46","likedCount":null,"deepLink":"https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-azix5-19e5a46","transcriptUrl":null,"permalink":"/e/december-8-2025-madonna-and-child/","downloadLink":"https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-azix5-19e5a46?download=1","fallbackResource":null,"fallbackResourceMimetype":null,"downloadCount":0,"status":"publish","hasMoreContent":false,"chaptersUrl":null,"explicit":false},"episodeShareLink":null,"deepLink":"https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-azix5-19e5a46","playlist":{"episodes":[],"current":0,"start":0,"stop":0,"playing":true,"playerLoading":true,"playbackRate":1,"playbackRateIndex":1,"volume":1},"toasts":[],"confirm":null,"customizeEditorFormZIndex":999,"lastRequestTime":null,"validateChangesOnBeforeunload":true,"windowWidth":1000,"VITE_FS1_CDN_URL_PREFIX":"https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/fs1","reloadStats":false,"userIdEncrypted":null,"userProfilePicture":null,"username":null,"isVerified":false,"loadUserInfo":false,"loginUrl":"https://www.podbean.com/site/user/login?return=https%253A%252F%252Fopenwidethedoors.podbean.com%252Fe%252Fdecember-8-2025-madonna-and-child%252F&rts=b8cf1fd75ba7018f853d1559984549d55bdaa9cf","recaptchaV3Loaded":false,"recaptchaV2Loaded":false,"likesLoaded":false,"commentLikeMap":{},"commentOffset":0,"widgetCommentsLoaded":false},"episode":{"id":"pb27155014","idTag":"azix5","title":"December 8, 2025: Madonna and Child","logo":"https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/14765151/open_wide_doors_1500_300x300.png","shareLogo":"https://d2bwo9zemjwxh5.cloudfront.net/image-logo/14765151/open_wide_doors_1500_1200x628.jpg?s=a0595609566cf6b1d0fce5e7d0bc1342&e=png","largeLogo":"https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/14765151/open_wide_doors_1500.png","previewContent":null,"content":"

When we celebrate the Immaculate Conception, there is more to this celebration than meets the eye. Can it encourage us to change ourselves?