My Father's Prayer

By Beatasum in Catholic Me (I am blessed)

My father was a very devout Catholic. He prayed, on his knees by his bedside every morning and every night. He encouraged me to do the same.
Growing up in the Sixties and Seventies, I was not as prayerful as he would have liked. I had other things on my mind: school, boys, dances, music and other non-religious activities. My father prayed everyday for me, in the hopes that I would one day recognize the need for prayer in my life. It took some time for his prayers to come to fruition, but as an adult I now realize how important prayer is. I still feel that I can improve upon my prayer-life and I am grateful, today, to have come across a card that my dad possessed, upon the back of which he had he typed out his petition.

The prayer itself, is an appeal to God to grant a favour through the intercession of the priest, and founder of the organization Opus Dei.

Spanish priest, Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer died on June 26, 1975, at age 73 and was beatified by Pope John Paull II, in 1992. On October 6, 2002, the Pope canonized him fully as a saint. His Feast Day is June 26 (two days after my birthday).

From an early age, Josemaría Escrivá began carrying a rosary in his pocket and he developed a lifelong love and adoration of the blessed Virgin Mary. He had a special connection to the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe; while alive he remarked about a painting of this Virgin giving a rose to Juan Diego. “I would like to die that way” he said. In fact, his natural death did occur in a room under the painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

I don’t know enough about Opus Dei to argue whether or not accusations about political statements by Josemaría Escrivá are true or not. I do know that Dan Brown uses Opus Dei to great negative effect in his books, so I am inclined to disregard the rumours against it, since Dan Brown is at the top of my list of “useless articles”, as my mother would say.

I know also, that for some reason my dad had a very strong attachment to this particular priest/saint. The card on which the prayer is printed is well-worn by his hands–it is torn and stained and a corner is missing, but the words are still clear and the sentiment rings out.

My father mysteriously crossed out eleven lines at the top of the reverse side of the card. I wish I knew what they had read, but he used a black marker, so he must have been determined that nobody read it. He also crossed out his brother’s name since he had died. The remaining intercession touched me deeply this morning and I am determined to fulfill his intention:

“My deepest wish now as always Lord, is
that Josemaria Escriva in his constant
advocacy before Your Throne, might
deign to include my daughters,
my brother Mick and my
sisters; to plead that they would
retain or redevelop the fullest real-
ization and appreciation of the great
benificence bestowed on them by being
born into the True Faith; to the point
where each of them would resolve again
to nurture, treasure and safeguard it
for the remainder of their earthly
sojourn.”

With all my heart, I thank you Daddy for all your prayers for me.

Beatasum