Opus Dei and Motherhood...

A mother's letter to Holly Pierlot at A Mother's Rule of Life: How to Bring Order to your Home and Peace to your Soul

Dear Holly,

I want to suggest another book for your reading list:-). Scott Hahn writes about his experience and membership in Opus Dei in a new book called Ordinary Work Extraordinary Grace (I'd double check that title). His style is so wonderful, you can feel the beauty of Opus Dei and it's nice to be familiar with his voice because I can hear him telling his story--it really hits home. I tell you because the Mother's Rule of Life, for lack of a better way to put this) is sooooooo Opus Dei-again, I am struck by the confirmation I am finding! I believe you have a patron saint for your book! I, myself, am and have been for the past two years in the midst of a heavy battle with living through a rule, but time and time and time...:) again, it is confirmed for me that this is God's call to me. Even in one of the pamphlets from the Opus Dei priest, he talks about the Loaves and the Fish!!!

Scott also talks about how people balk at the Opus Dei "plan of life"--basically a prayer rule. But he then says his spiritual director helped him to implement each step little by little and he had extraordinary amounts of time to complete things, or experienced an unexpected relief from duties, or became far more productive in the same amount of time, all the while coming closer to God and improving his relationships with family and friends! The similarities are so striking. So, I am praying to St. Josemaria Escriva to help me and I know he will! Also Opus Dei priests are particularly called to helping the laity sanctify their daily work and they offer so much in the way of spiritual direction and formation. Perhaps this is the best place many of the moms who long for spiritual direction, as I do, can look for that long lost spiritual director!!!