My son was invited to work in an Opus Dei school in the South Brox

By Ridgerunner at Catholic Answers Forum

While my son was a freshman in law school, he was invited to work for the summer in an Opus Dei school in the South Bronx.

Well, the South Bronx is a far cry from Murray Hill. The purpose of the school was to tutor young black and Latino toughs in some academic subjects, athletics and lessons on character. I have no idea how they recruit the students; with the parents perhaps. I suspect some are told by the juvenile office to go, or else.

The living conditions were spartan, and the neighborhood where the kids came from and where the staff lived, was beyond awful. The kids were tough and street-smart. The "teachers" were expected to set a no-nonsense example of what it is to be a man...but a man of character. They first had some intensive schooling themselves. Some of the kids washed out. Some expressed to my son at the end how it had made a difference in their lives, including one kid who had tried to rough him up during athletics and learned he had made a mistake.

Kids who successfully completed the program were allowed to then attend, for free, a school in New York, run by Opus Dei, the academic excellence of which is beyond question. "Crotona" I think is the name of it.

Every once in awhile, the "teachers" were invited to Murray Hill. They were served an excellent but sparing meal in the dining room there, then repaired to a very nice lounge where various Opus Dei members would expound on various topics; religion, business, the law, physics, government...everything imaginable, and all from first-hand experience. Some of their credentials were incredible. He met the guy who designed the chapel at Murray Hill; a very accomplished architect named Henry Menzies. You can google his website. Those "discussion sessions" are a regular feature of life at Murray Hill, and my son felt privileged to be able to even be at them. The people he met were anything but removed from the "real world".

My son admired the people in the various levels of participation. Never did he feel anybody was being coerced into anything. Never did he feel he, himself was being coerced or bamboozled into becoming a member. But he knew from the beginning that this was a life that required a lot.

At the end, he could understand how people would do it. He likened it to being a Marine in a way. You could get there, but it would take every bit of effort you had. The Marines want particular sorts, and are unashamed in that. So, I guess, does Opus Dei. You really have to want to do it in order to do it. Some people don't. Some people think they do, then figure out that they don't.

At my son's graduation, one of his close friends' sisters, a very accomplished and wonderful young lady, mentioned that she was going to join Opus Dei shortly. After talking to her a bit, I could picture her making it. She explained to me how she had an interest in perhaps working in a school Opus Dei operates for young black women, where they're taught to be professional caterers, hoteliers and accomplished chefs. Not the worst project anyone could think of.

That's it. Everything I know about it is second hand. But one can't say anything bad about Opus Dei to my son without challenge.

Spiritual Steroids

By Kallyne Pudner in The Philosopher-Mom. Kallyne is "your typical Philosophy Ph.D with nine kids".


I'm BAAACK! I love my life! I love my husband, and my kids, and the mess I found when I walked through the door, because it represents OPPORTUNITY for me to love them and love God! Woo-hoo!

I hear someone thinking: "It's an imposter, a Stepford-Philosopher-Mom. Remove this blog from the reader; it's gonna be a goody-goody yawner from now on."

I hear someone else thinking: "She's on drugs."

And the latter someone is right, in a manner of speaking. I'm on spiritual steroids, which is what a retreat will do for you. There's nothing illegal, nothing that's gonna get Major League Baseball after you, about spiritual steroids; I can't recommend the injection highly enough.

To answer the questions about where I went and what it was all about: I went to Hoschton, Georgia, a place you will only have heard of if you're in the habit of driving on I-85 between Atlanta and the South Carolina line (so, like, if you're a NASCAR fan, maybe). The retreat I made was directed by Opus Dei; a team of albino monks was helicoptered in to train us in assassination methods.

JUST KIDDING!! (I know a lot of people like it, and God knows it's gotten more attention from the publishing industry than LOADING...PLEASE WAIT, but I think Dan Brown's Big Book is just silly.)

Seriously, Opus Dei is about getting closer to God doing whatever you normally do. How sweet is that? I sweep the salt off the kitchen floor, I get closer to God. I grade 130 papers in five days, I get closer to God. I walk up and down four flights of stairs four times a day twice a week, I get closer to God. I blog, I get closer to God.

I put eight sheets on eight beds, then find four of them in the pasture, having been made into cat-parachutes...and I get closer to God! As opposed to getting closer to court-ordered rehab!

It is refreshing to find holiness in my daily work

By Kathleen Miller in The Daily Grotto

I discovered Opus Dei just after my reversion to Catholicism about 11 years ago. A friend (my youngest daughter's godmother) invited me to a women's evening of recollection and it was there that I learned how this great saint founded Opus Dei by divine inspiration on October 2, 1928.

Going to these recollections given by an Opus Dei priest and some of its members opened a whole new world for me which included going to daily Mass, frequenting the Sacrament of Confession, making visits to the Blessed Sacrament, and growing in my love for the Eucharist, and Our Lady.

Saint Josemaria Escriva, a priest from Barbastro, Spain was canonized by John Paul II on October 2, 2002. Seeking "sanctity" in your ordinary day was something this saint strove for daily.

In his own words St. Josemaria Escriva points out "Your daily encounter with Christ takes place right where you work, where your aspirations and your affections are. There we must seek sanctity, in the midst of the most material things of the earth, serving God and all humankind. Heaven and earth seem to merge, my daughters and sons, on the horizon. But where they really meet is in your heart, when you strive for holiness in your everyday lives."-St. Josemaria Escriva, from the homily Passionately Loving the World, October 8, 1967.

I would love to spend time in a monastery and pray for hours and hours on end. But that is not what I am called to do. There are meals to cook, bills to pay, floors to mop, a husband and children to care for. It is refreshing to me that I too can find holiness in my daily work.

To learn more about this wonderful saint whom I hope that you will turn to for intercessions go to St. Josemaria Escriva.

An Eastern Catholic on Opus Dei

By Taylor Black, an Eastern Catholic writing for The Gonzaga Witness

In recent years, Opus Dei has often been under attack for a number of different practices that people either attribute to it or misunderstand about it. As an Eastern Catholic who has attended many Opus Dei activities and has many friends who are Opus Dei members, I thought I would share my experiences as answers to some common misconceptions.

One of the first misconceptions of Opus Dei is that it is somehow promoting a fascist philosophy. One of my good friends, whom we shall call Hank, is a numerary (a celibate member of Opus Dei). He grew up in Cuba under the socialist regime that was taking over at that time. He remembers family members and friends being shot to pieces in front of his eyes. His own father was shot after he and his mother escaped to United States and became legal immigrants. This same Hank helped run a summer course that I and about 30 other boys from around the West Coast attended called "Leadership for America."

In the four years that I attended the camp, we looked at the leadership philosophy of Abraham Lincoln, Henry V, Saint Thomas More and many others. We also played a lot of football, watched some John Wayne classics and went to Mass and confession. I never heard mention of anything that sounded like fascism. We were all having good, old-fashioned American boy fun and learning about good, virtuous democratic leaders.

Many other misconceptions that abound about Opus Dei concern the lives of the members. There are rumors that they live the lives of monks, that they whip themselves, that they are held in psychological obedience to their superiors and that they look down on women. All these misconceptions center on the novelty of a person who is dedicated to God, living in the world and making it a better place.

Escriva believed that a person didn't have to become a monk or a nun to be holy. He believed that each and every person can become a saint simply by living a holy life by sanctifying and offering to God their daily work and lives. This is the very beauty of Opus Dei. It is the beauty of God's calling any person, wherever they are in their lives to a life of holiness.

There are powers with which we are at war

By David Werling, who reviewed Michael Walsh's book at Amazon.com

If those writing negative reviews about this book are Opus Dei members, then those writing positive reviews about this book are limp wristed liberals. Give me a break. Try reviewing the book instead of pushing your agenda. Of course, people who liked this book were swayed by the agenda than any actual facts contained therein.

I'm not a member of Opus Dei, and even though I've read portions of The Way, I'm far from being an expert about Opus Dei. However, it was so glaringly obvious that Michael Walsh has a bone to pick and had skewed his facts so badly it really was an utter waste of time to continue reading.

How in the world can a Jesuit criticize any religious organization for meddling in secular politics? It's laughable.

One has to wonder why so many people have gone so far out of their way to throw insults and slander at others trying to live simple, Christ-centered lives as they go about their humble, normal, everyday activities. There are powers with which we are at war... powers that would like to see less Christ-centered, humble people running around.

What I love about Opus Dei

By Chuck Zimmerman, an Opus Dei cooperator in mid-Missouri

Today’s feast of the Baptism of the Lord reminds us of our own baptism into the family of God and our call to grow in holiness: “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt. 5:48).

We may not all be called to the same level of spiritual or intellectual insight as the likes of Augustine or Aquinas and we may never be martyred like St. Paul or St. Thomas Moore, but we are certainly all called to be saints. What I love about Opus Dei is that it encourages the sanctity of the ordinary Christian life:

“It doesn’t matter what age you are; it doesn’t matter what your position is or what your circumstances are or who you are: you have to convince yourself, commit yourself, and desire holiness. You well know that holiness does not consist in extraordinary graces received in prayer, or unbearable mortification and penance; nor is it the inheritance only of those who live in lonely oases, far from the world. Holiness consists in faithful and loving fulfillment of one’s desires, in joyful and humble acceptance of God’s will, in union with him in your everyday work, in knowing how to fuse religion and life into a fruitful and harmonious unity, and in all sorts of other ordinary little things you know so well.”

(From Jesus as Friend by Fr. Salvatore Canals)

Opus Dei is not as its enemies either think or want others to think

By Brian Crozier, English historian, Distinguished Visiting Fellow on War, Revolution, and Peace of Stanford University's Hoover Institution

The charge that Opus Dei had been aiming at political power, and had achieved it at last, was heard in February 1957, when Ullastres and Navarro Rubio joined Franco’s cabinet.

In this bare form, the charge seems to be unfounded because based on a misconception of what Opus Dei is. It is not, as its enemies either think or want others to think, a political party; nor is it a political pressure group. Nor, for that matter, is it a kind of super labour-exchange for politicians...

What happened was more pragmatic and less sinister. Franco had heard of the intellectual and technical merits of Ullastres and Navarro Rubio and sent for them; they happened to be members of Opus Dei. On the same occasion, he had heard of the intellectual and technical merits of Castiella and Gual Villalbi and sent for them; but Castiella and Gual Villalbi happened not to be members of Opus Dei.

In other words, Opus Dei was not a group to be conciliated by being given a share in power, as the Monarchists were, or the Falange, or the Army.

"How does one who is not a professional preacher preach Christ?"

By David Schütz, at Sentire cum Ecclesia. David is a Catholic, married to Cathy, father of Maddy & Mia. Presently, he is the Executive Officer of the Ecumenical & Interfaith Commission of the Archdiocese of Melbourne. He was once a Lutheran pastor.

That's a question that Jeff Tan asks on his blog. And it is a good one--one that became acute for me about six and a half years ago...

Jeff's best answer is that of St Josemaria Escriva--which accords very well with the Lutheran theology of vocation. As Jeff puts it, that is "In my ordinary work, lived extraordinarily with Christ at its centre."

There may be opportunities for verbal witness as well as active witness. Family, friends and work colleagues (probably in that order) are the best possibilities--at least statistically.

If you are married and have a family, then the question is a no-brainer. Evangelise your spouse and children. Of course, if they are Christian too, this becomes mutual evangelisation which is really neat and what makes a strong spiritual family.

If you are a member of a parish, evangelise other members of the parish. No, really. We often forget that the best place for witnessing to our faith may be our faith community. Christian communities need to be constantly evangelised (which is why Father preaches homily every week, although he may have forgotten that). What about talking about the homily over coffee after mass instead of sport/weather/the kids etc.? Small groups and fellowship groups and bible studies etc. are great places to offer one another mutual evangelisation. Or get involved in RCIA (they could do with the help!). Hospitality to other members of the parish or to new members or even potential enquirers is another way. Invite them over for a meal and encourage them in the faith. Become a mentor to the young people in the parish. Organise a youth group aimed at strengthening young people in their committment to the faith! The possibilities are endless.

And never discount the blog. Yeah, you might only get a few readers, and most of them might already be Christian (in which case what I said above may apply), but that's a few readers more than you would be witnessing to without the blog! Also it is a very unintrusive method of evangelisation. It is pure "proposition" rather than "imposition".

I'm not keen on door knocking or on pestering your workmates with "do you have a personal relationship with Jesus." But you might find a work mate who is a lapsed Christian who might be open to some encouragement or might (if he/she knows you are Christian) come to you for advice. This happened to me when I was working as a school librarian. Teachers, and even the the headmaster (who was a lapsed Catholic), would drop into the Library every now and again with a personal question relating to religion or faith. You have to be ready for these opportunities.

As for doorknocking, well, this does work if there is a good purpose in it. Eg. If you are door knocking to let people know when service times are for Christmas in the local parish, or when trying to make contact with Catholics in the area who may not have made contact with the parish. But it has to be done as an official program of the parish, be supported by the priest, come with training, and is best done by someone who holds an office in the parish.

Just some ways. But St Escriva is right, your ordinary work done extraordinarily with Christ at the centre is always the base line for "non-professional" preachers!