From the Opus Dei website
"If we really want to sanctify our work, we have inescapably to fulfil the first condition: that of working, and working well, with human and supernatural seriousness."[1]
We have seen, in a previous article, that working for a supernatural reason is the "soul" of the sanctification of work.[2] Now we will look at the "body" it animates: work well done. If our reason for working is truly love for God and neighbor, this necessarily entails that the job be done as well as possible.
We should especially keep in mind that, as St. Josemaria taught, sanctifying our ordinary work requires doing the work itself well, aiming to do it as perfectly as possible, and fulfilling all our professional and social obligations. It requires working conscientiously, responsibly, lovingly and perseveringly, without negligence or sloppiness.
Holiness does not consist in doing more difficult things every day, said St. Josemaría, but in doing them every day with greater love.
To profit from this teaching of Opus Dei’s founder, we should bear in mind that when we speak about working well we are referring above all to the activity involved, and not to its outcome.
It can happen that, in spite of our best efforts, the end product is defective, either through some unintentional mistake or through factors outside our control. In these cases, which are not uncommon, we see clearly the difference between working with a Christian outlook and being successful in a merely human sense. In the first case, it is the act of working itself which is esteemed, and although the desired object hasn’t been achieved, it was done as well as possible for love of God and the desire to co-redeem with Christ, and so nothing has been wasted. Thus we don’t get upset when confronted with setbacks but try to overcome them, seeing them as an opportunity to be more united to Christ’s Cross. But if one is seeking primarily success, then when things don’t work out well everything is regarded as a failure. Clearly someone with this perspective will never understand what it means to sanctify professional work.
Working conscientiously means trying to do things as perfectly as possible humanly speaking, for supernatural reasons. It doesn’t mean working well and afterwards adding a supernatural motive. It is much deeper than that. What leads a Christian to do things perfectly is love for God, because "it is no good offering to God something that is less perfect than our poor human limitations permit. The work that we offer must be without blemish and it must be done as carefully as possible, even in its smallest details, for God will not accept shoddy workmanship. ‘You shall not offer anything that is faulty,’ Holy Scripture warns us, ‘because it would not be worthy of him’ (Lev 22:20)."[3]
Photo: Welding
When a person tries to do things well, he is usually successful and produces a good result. Moreover, striving to sanctify one’s work generally leads to professional prestige, since love for God leads one "to excel oneself gladly in duty and in sacrifice."[4] But we should never forget something that bears emphasising: that at times God allows setbacks and failures precisely so that we purify our intention and share in Christ’s Cross. And this doesn’t mean that we haven’t worked well and sanctified our work.
Human virtues in work
Work well done brings into play the human virtues informed by charity. "A complete range of virtues is called into play when we set about our work with the purpose of sanctifying it: fortitude, to persevere in our work despite the difficulties that naturally arise and to ensure that we never let ourselves be overwhelmed by anxiety; temperance, in order to spend ourselves unsparingly and to overcome our love of comfort and our selfishness; justice, so as to fulfil our duties towards God, society, our family and our fellow workers; prudence, to know in each case what course to take, and then to set about it without hesitation...And all this, I emphasise, is for the sake of Love."[5]
We need all the human virtues in our work, because they form a fabric in which the threads mutually reinforce one another. But an order exists among them: some threads have to be inserted before others, as when weaving a tapestry.
Since the first requirement is to work, and work well, one understands why our Founder highlights "two human virtues, industriousness and diligence, which merge into one, for they both help us in our efforts to make good use of the talents we have each received from God."[6]
As in the Gospel parable, our Lord has endowed us with talents to fulfil the mission of placing him at the summit of earthly activities by sanctifying our profession. We cannot behave like the wicked and slothful servant,[7] who buried the talent he had received. God wants the gifts he has given us to be productive. And so we have to work hard, diligently, exactingly, to a high standard, doing the best we can.
Industriousness and diligence lead one to undertake the job that has to be done, not what we feel like doing, and to do it as and when we ought. "A hardworking person makes good use of time, for time is not only money, it is glory, God’s glory! He does as he ought and concentrates on what he is doing, not out of routine nor to while away the passing hours, but as the result of attentive and pondered reflection. This is what makes a man diligent. Our everyday usage of this word ‘diligent’ already gives us some idea of its Latin origin. "Diligent" comes from the verb ‘diligo,’ which means to love, to appreciate, to choose something after careful consideration and attention. The diligent man does not rush into things. He does his work thoughtfully and lovingly."[8]
We have to fight against laziness, one of the seven deadly sins and "mother of all vices."[9] One of its forms is indolence in the fulfilment of duty:[10] putting off what we find difficult and giving priority to other things we like more or which take less effort. "Don’t put off your work until tomorrow,"[11] St. Josemaría urges us. At times, "relying on flimsy excuses, we become too easygoing and forget about the marvellous responsibility that rests upon our shoulders. We are content with doing just enough to get by. We let ourselves get carried away by false rationalisations and waste our time, whereas Satan and his allies never take a holiday."[12] We don’t serve God faithfully "if we can be called careless, unreliable, frivolous, disorganised, lazy or useless."[13]
Professional work is a field for the exercise of all the human virtues, following the example of Jesus’ years in Nazareth. Order, serenity, cheerfulness, optimism, fortitude, constancy, fidelity, humility, meekness, magnanimity, and all the other human virtues, turn professional work into a fruitful terrain that flowers under the rain of grace.
The secret of working better each day lies in little things—small aspects a child of God pays attention to in order to finish a job as perfectly as possible.
Without the daily effort to practise these virtues it is easy to commit the same mistake as those who consider themselves "practising" Catholics because they go to Mass and say some prayers, but whose professional life is not governed by Christian moral principles, and more or less openly coexists with faults against justice, truthfulness, or uprightness.
Work of this sort is not pleasing to God, and it cannot be described as well done, or sanctified, even though the end product may be humanly outstanding for its "technical" perfection in some aspects. St. Josemaría always taught the need to put one’s faith into practice, to "incarnate" it, in one’s professional work, in a unity of life. And this is done through human virtues informed by charity.
Without charity, a person is unable to sanctify his work, because charity (supernatural love for God and for souls) is the essence of holiness. A Catholic who is a conscientious worker does not sanctify his work if he is lacking in charity. In reality neither can he be said to work very well, because charity dwells within the virtues, and if it is absent they all sooner or later degenerate into injustice, hatred, anger, envy….
St. Josemaría Escrivá, with his two successors, Don Álvaro and Don Javier.
Love for God is not a mere sentiment. It is the action of the theological virtue of charity which, together with faith and hope, ought to govern the daily lives of the children of God through the exercise of the human virtues. Only thus can we identify ourselves with Christ, perfect God and perfect Man.
Little things
The Christian virtues are normally expressed and developed in professional activity through little things. Industriousness itself, which in a certain sense underlies the other virtues in a person’s work, does not consist in just working a lot, because one shouldn’t forget that "by neglecting small details you could work on and on without rest and yet live the life of a perfect idler."[14]
The virtue of industriousness can lose its true value if we are inattentive to small points of order we find difficult, or we fail to begin and finish things punctually, or we neglect family duties or apostolic tasks with the excuse that work absorbs almost all our energies. Paying attention to little things helps protect against this danger, for it safeguards one’s right intention, since many small details are noticed only by God.
Holiness does not consist in doing more difficult things every day, said St. Josemaría, but in doing them every day with greater love. The secret of working better each day lies in little things—small aspects a child of God pays attention to in order to finish a job as perfectly as possible.
Another thing altogether is being a perfectionist, the defect of seeking perfection in the external product of the work as the end in itself. This attitude represents a distortion of the human virtues, a sign that one has lost the big picture, the prudence that leads one to say at times: "the best is the enemy of the good." This striving after perfection can cause one to neglect other qualities of good work, like finishing it on time. Perfectionism is a surrogate for perfection; it is a sign of self-love and vanity, and has to be overcome with the realism of Christian humility which recognises one’s limitations and trusts in God.
God created everything out of love, and his works are perfect: Dei perfecta sunt opera.[15] Our work is a participation in the work of creation,[16] and it too has to be perfect, insofar as our abilities permit, with God’s grace.
Attention to detail marks the "divine way" of working of a child of God, because it expresses the perfection of love. And it is fundamental to becoming contemplatives in our work, because just as God created the world and saw that it was good,[17] contemplating the reflection of his Love and Truth in what he had created, analogously, with the infinite distance that analogy here implies, our work will be "good" and a means of contemplation if it is not only finished down to the last detail, but carried out in a morally upright fashion.. Thus it will be prayer, contemplative prayer, because work carried out as perfectly as possible, putting love into the small things, allows us to discover "that ‘divine something’ which is hidden in small details."[18] And so, our Father concludes, "when a Christian carries out with love the most insignificant everyday action, that action overflows with the transcendence of God."[19]
Learning to work well
The marvelous panorama that the teaching of St. Josemaría opens to us has to be put into practice in daily life. "It’s not enough to want to do good; we must know how to do it."[20] To serve God and others through our work requires preparation—competence not only in the technical aspects but also in the moral, human and Christian ones.
"When a Christian carries out with love the most insignificant everyday action, that action overflows with the transcendence of God."
"To be useful, serve," are words St. Josemaría wanted to engrave on our hearts so we would never forget that, in order to be a good doctor or a good housewife, it’s not enough to have good will: we also require skill and virtues. "I cannot see the integrity of a person who does not strive to attain professional skills and to carry out properly the task entrusted to his care."[21]
Professional formation to enable us to sanctify our work does not consist only in study and knowledge. As has been said above, it takes much more than that—human virtues informed by charity. This is the principal reason why professional formation lasts all of one’s life, and is improved day by day when we strive to grow in Christian virtues. "It is not sufficient merely to want to have these virtues. We have to learn how to practise them. Discite benefacere—learn to do good (Is 1:17). We need to make a habit of exercising each virtue, by actually being sincere, truthful, balanced, calm and patient… For love is proved by deeds and we cannot love God only by word, but ‘with deeds and in truth’ (Jn 3:18)."[22]
A wonderful channel for this formation is to be found in spiritual direction. If we open our hearts wide, we will receive sound advice—at times relating to ethical or moral duties—because the Holy Spirit will grant us his light and grace. We also have to be ready to receive this formation in the workplace itself, by paying attention to our colleagues’ observations. This requires humility, a readiness to recognise our own limitations and to allow ourselves to be helped, overcoming self-sufficiency, presumption and vanity.
Professional ambition
Professional ambition is a strong incentive to learn how to work well. But it is important to understand it from a Christian point of view, and not see it simply as a natural inclination. Rightly understood, it is the desire to serve God and others through our work, to give a Christian meaning to human progress and thereby imbue society with the spirit of Christ. This is the core of a child of God’s professional ambition, which spurs our human interest in the task at hand and nourishes it with supernatural hope, leading us to strive to turn "the prose of each day into heroic verse."[23]
The most humdrum activities are no longer a monotonous chain of repetitive actions, just as they weren’t such for Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Nazareth. We discover in our tasks a new dimension, the joy of God’s presence, who accepts the offering of work that is well done.
For a child of God, professional ambition is not a selfish whim. It is the ambition to carry out the work God wants, so that we sanctify it and make it fruitful. Therefore our professional vocation is an important part of our divine vocation. But God’s will in this regard is discovered not only in our natural interests and aptitudes (though these are certainly an important factor) but also in the circumstances divine Providence places us in, and specifically through the duties we have to fulfil and the services we can offer.
The confluence of all these factors configures our professional vocation, which is called a "vocation" because it really does represent a call from God to choose, in accord with our circumstances, the professional activity best suited to our sanctification and apostolate.
"You should put your professional interests in their place: they are only means to an end; they can never be regarded—in any way—as if they were the basic thing. These attacks of ‘professionalitis’ stop you from being united with God!"
In this context we see clearly the difference between professional ambition and its pathological expression, "professionalitis" The former is love for work as a means of sanctification and apostolate; the latter is enslavement to an idol that has become an end in itself. And this can happen without our expressly intending it, if we fail to rectify our intention and work in practice for earthly goals and human success.
St. Josemaría warns us of this danger: "you should put your professional interests in their place: they are only means to an end; they can never be regarded—in any way—as if they were the basic thing. These attacks of ‘professionalitis’ stop you from being united with God!"[24] Learning to work well also means learning to keep work in its place, a place which is so important that it is the hinge of sanctification in ordinary life, but always only a means.
Good professionals are recognised by the quality of their work. Everybody knew St. Joseph as the carpenter;[25] and Jesus was the carpenter’s son, ‘fabri filius,’ a carpenter himself.[26] They haven’t left us any of the products of their work, the articles they made—and well made they were, within the limitations of the tools at their disposal, working with effort, order and cheerfulness, while Mary looked after the household chores with the same spirit. What they have left us, though, is Jesus’ redemptive love in his daily work, and that of Mary and Joseph united to him with one heart. This is the core of the sanctification of work.
1. The Forge, 698
2. Cf. The Way, 359
3. Friends of God, 55
4. Furrow, 527
5. Friends of God, 72
6. Ibid. 81
7. Mt 25:26
8. Friends of God, 81
9. Furrow 505. Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1866
10. Cf. St Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae, II-II, q.54, a.2, ad 1
11. The Way, 15
12. Friends of God, 62
13. Ibid.
14. Furrow, 494
15. Deut 32:4 (Vg)
16. Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2427
17. Gen 1:10 ff
18. Conversations, 116
19. Ibid.
20. Christ is Passing By, 50
21. Ibid.
22. Friends of God, 91
23. Christ is Passing By, 50
24. Furrow, 502
25. Mt 13:55
26. Cf. Mk 6:3
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Mortification Through Smiling
By Jamie McAdams in Roman Catholic Cop. He is "a cradle Catholic who has refound his faith in the last ten years" and has been "a police officer for the last 14 years."
I'll let you in on a little secret of mine. I revel in the witty comeback. Ohhh, nothing excites me when someone says something and I have just the zinger for them and I fling it at them. It must be how a pitcher feels when he puts one right over the edge of the plate and catches the batter looking for strike three. And I have to admit that my favorite comeback is the old "that's what she said!" This is reserved for when someone says something completely innocent and you turn it into something of a sexual nature and say, "that's what she said!"
Obviously, it's not good for my spiritual life turning innocent statements into sexual ones because I have to have my mind in the gutter. The witty come back, I think, can be a hindrance to my interior growth too because quite often there is someone at the other end of the remark. To have a good zinger sometimes you have to have some who has been zinged. Sometimes, it is better to hold my tongue so that someone does not get hurt.
Many of my comments are stupid (my wife's word!) puns. I'll take a comment and twist it around and repeat it in a way that the person obviously did not mean. Stupid I know, but it's a family trait. I inherited it from my uncles and I realize it's probably not as funny to anyone else as it is to us. How can biting my tongue help my interior life in these cases? It can be my little way of interior mortification. This struck me when I read a quote from St. Josemaria Escriva:
"The appropriate word you left unsaid; the joke you didn't tell; the
cheerful smile for those who bother you; that silence when you're unjustly
accused; your kind conversation with people you find boring and tactless; the
daily effort to overlook one irritating detail or another in those who live with
you . . . this, with perseverance, is indeed solid interior mortification." The Way, #173
If there is one quote that I would put one a Post-it and put on the dashboard of my car so I could remember it would be this one. Through a little mortification we learn to sacrifice and endure a little suffering. I am always one to preach joy and happiness but through a little sacrifice and suffering we can share in the sufferings of Christ and become more Christ-like. Mortification does not require us to wear camel hair undergarments or scale the Scala Santa on our knees. We can follow St Therese of Lisieux and just do those little things that help us get closer to Christ.
That's why the quote of St Josemaria means so much to me. It's filled with a list of small little things what would be difficult for me. Not telling that joke. Giving someone I do not like a cheerful smile. Having kind words or conversations with people I do not really want to talk to. These are all interior things that are very difficult for me to do.
Sometimes the biggest mistakes we make in our conversion is trying to make huge leaps. God is patient and gives us the grace we need to change. It's a long race. There are sidetracks. Sometimes for three steps forward in our interior life we take two steps back. The important thing to do is to make sure is that we keep moving forward even if it's my taking small steps like biting our tongue.
So next time you see me and I give you a pleasant smile ask yourself, "Did I just help Jamie get closer to God because I am that person who annoys him??" :-)
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Modern day African prince, convert to Catholicism and devoted to Opus Dei
By Edward Rugumayo in Daily Monitor
Prince Atwooki Silvano Katama died in 2006 and his biography was written two years later by a friend who shares his first name. This was no easy task considering that the biographer is an Italian, writing about a Tooro Prince at the beginning of the 21st century when most kingdoms and their corresponding royal powers and tittles have been swept away by modernity.
The biography is fast paced, interspersed with recollections from Katama and friends. It is an enduring gift to the Batooro and Ugandans in general. Those who would like to understand Tooro culture and history should read this book.
The author ably brings out Katama’s early life and situation in the historical context of Tooro Kingdom under British rule. He shows how young Katama is brought up in palace culture. Katama’s friends knew him as a dedicated royalist, steeped in palace culture, and its unusual linguistic expressions. He was also an accomplished raconteur and conservationist at dinners and parties, with a vast repertoire of royal history, embellished with humour and a tendency to spice up. He was a talented linguist, endowed with a prodigious memory and fluent in Latin and Swahili.
One of the enduring aspects of Katama’s life was his devotion of Opus Dei prelature, founded by Jose Maria Escriva in 1928. Katama’s two sons died in a car accident on their way to meet him as he returned from a golf touring in Kilembe in 1977. The family received more support, material and spiritual from a Catholic than Protestant priest, especially when the Catholic priest informed them that their prayers can make a difference to the ultimate destination of the souls of Fred and Wilbert. This ray of hope was a turning point in Ms Katama’s life (Edith, a daughter of a church of Uganda reverend, had been a protestant to this point), who as a result became a Catholic. It also made Silvano return to religion. During their exile in Kenya, they had lost almost all their possessions. Katama, like Biblical Job, turned more to God, through Opus Dei, a way of sanctification in the ordinary duties of a Christian which upholds the serving of both God and fellow men with joy and simplicity. Its core teaching is that one need not to be a priest or nun to have a close relationship with God, or to be holy. You can be a saint if you fulfill your obligation in your vocation fully, be it a carpenter, cook, doctor, or president.
Later, most of Katama’s activities were guided by this concept of sanctification, which the author elaborates. Such was their devotion that Silvano and Edith attended early morning mass regularly. In 20 years, they travelled some 60,000km, one and a half times the earth’s circumference! Not highlighted in the book was Katama’s receptive ear to friendly advice. Two incidents will illustrate this attribute. After graduating from Italian Chianti (a red wine), Silvano moved up the drinking ladder to brandy; from tot to glass and to bottle. His brother Joseph Kairumba told him that he should stop drinking for the sake of their mother.
Accordingly, he stopped drinking in 1975. But he was not done with smoking. During exile in the 1980’s, my daughter Mbabazi (eight-years-old at the time) was so fond of him that whenever he visited, she plaited what was left of his hair. But before doing so, she admonished Silvano for his smoking habits; then snatched the cigarette, stamped on it and warned him not to smoke again. Following these recurrent scenes, Silvano stopped smoking and later acknowledged that it was Mbabazi who made him finally quit in 1985. Receptiveness to constructive criticism improved Katama’s physical and spiritual wellbeing.
The book describes Katama’s early education and later as an engineer, the place he worked in as a civil servant, with distinction and clean record, especially as secretary at the National Housing Corporation which built Crested Towers, Bukoto and Bugolobi flats. His political role in the pre-independence Lancaster House negotiations is highlighted, with other Tooro luminaries like Dr Apuuli Byaruhanga, Dr Akiiki Nyabongo, Atwooki Edward Winyi and Stephen Mugarra among others. Katama’s encounters with President Obote and his active role in NRM politics are discussed extensively.
This book is a deserving tribute to Katama, who did so much for his country and brought happiness to many lives. He well deserves a peaceful rest.
Silvano Borruso started his teaching career in 1957. He has been living and teaching in Kenya since 1960. He retiredfrom teaching in January 2006. His degree in Agricultural Science at the University of Catania, Italy, has enabled him to pursue Science teaching together with an abiding interest in the Humanities.
With the Paulines Publications Africa he has published A History of Philisophy (2007), The Art of Total Living (1996, 2nd ed.2003), The Art of Thinking (1998, reprinted 2004), and a new translation of The Confessions of St Augustine (2008).
Friday, September 18, 2009
Opus Dei Cooperator Tells Of Life As An Acrobat In Las Vegas
Grzegorz Roś, from Poland, is 29. He works as an acrobat in Las Vegas. “My profession allows me to entertain people and to ‘amuse’ God,” he says. Grzegorz is a cooperator of Opus Dei.
What exactly is your work?
I’m one of 85 acrobats who take part in a show called "Le Rêve" (The Dream). The director is Franco Dragone. It’s a spectacular show that could take place only in Las Vegas. With a pool as the setting, we combine sport and art at a high level of technical proficiency. Many of my companions are world famous acrobats who have won medals in international gymnastics, acting, dance, and music competitions.
How did you discover your talent?
I started performing acrobatics as a child; it’s a popular sport in my hometown, Złotoryia, Poland. My trainers suggested that I take it up as a career, and with a friend, Tomasz Wilkosz, I created an acrobatic duo. When we heard about a new production on the other side of the Atlantic, we went to Paris for an audition and were accepted.
How is your life in Las Vegas?
Life in Las Vegas is intense. People come here from all over the world, from many cultures, religions and convictions. For my colleagues, Christianity is just one more among these cultures and religions. This is truly a place where it’s easy to forget the fundamental ideas that guide one’s life.
At first sight, it could seem that this “city of leisure,” situated in the middle of a desert, is the least appropriate place to find God and encounter spiritual peace. But it’s not that way. Here I’ve learned to deepen my friendship with God in daily life, which in my case usually takes place on a trapeze or flying through the air, working with people with all kinds of different ideas.
Exactly what do acrobats do?
Perform pirouettes well, acting in unison, synchronizing our acrobatics with each other, and doing so day after day—it’s not easy work. Sometimes we experience physical pain. But I think this work enables me to serve people, to help them rest, and even to “amuse” God. And so I try to put everything I have into each performance.
How did you get in touch with the Work?
Before coming to the United States, I received as a gift three books by St. Josemaría Escrivá: The Way, Furrow and The Forge. I asked for more information and got in touch with a member of Opus Dei in Las Vegas. Soon I began to take part in activities of Christian formation. Since then, between performances, I try to do some mental prayer every day.
My work requires a lot of almost routine repetition of the same exercises. That takes a lot of physical effort, concentration and precision. The spirit of Opus Dei helps me do my work better, since I know that God is the main spectator.
How do you see your future in Las Vegas?
Well, in this city the Work is still growing. We are few, but the need to be more is so evident that it fills us with eagerness. I cooperate with Opus Dei by prayer and by my apostolate. Bringing others to God is like acrobatic artistry: not everything depends on what you try to do, on your human abilities, although these are essential elements. I can’t do much by myself; but with the others and God, I can.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Prayer for purity
By Raul Nidoy in Reason
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John Paul II’s theology of the body has been called “a kind of theological time bomb set to go off with dramatic consequences ...perhaps in the twenty-first century.” This prayer is a way of helping set off that time bomb.
This prayer is based on insights found in a little book, Achieving Chastity in a Pornographic World, written by Fr. T.G. Morrow who based his insights on John Paul II’s theology of the body. The prayer is intended to facilitate the practice of a method that Fr. Morrow suggested to uproot sexual addiction and to build a sturdy habit of chastity.
In a nutshell, the method means repeating the values and reasons of chastity (several times a day) so as to convince the sexual appetite, permeating it with reason, until it is converted and is at peace.
I thought of integrating the reasons into a prayer which can be said three times a day (morning, noon, nighttime) because, as Mother Teresa said, "purity is a fruit of prayer." The Catechism also stated: "chastity is also a gift from God, a grace, a fruit of spiritual effort."
Benedict XVI quoted St. Benedict of Nursia's Mens nostra concordet voci nostras, our mind must be in accord with our voice. "The word, the voice, goes ahead of us," explained Pope Benedict, "and our mind must adapt to it. For on our own we human beings do not know how to pray as we ought." This prayer has that intention: to help the mind, our reason, to be shaped by truth, in its role of regulating the sexual appetite, while at the same time acknowledging our powerlessness in achieving the virtue of chastity.
On this St. Augustine has personal experience and clear doctrine: "I thought that continence arose from one's own powers, which I did not recognize in myself. I was foolish enough not to know . . . that no one can be continent unless you grant it. For you would surely have granted it if my inner groaning had reached your ears and I with firm faith had cast my cares on you."
St. Josemaria put it succintly: "It is not possible to lead a clean life without God's assistance. He wants us to be humble and to ask for his aid."
This prayer is a sample of what people can personally compose, as a way of doing what Fr. Morrow suggested, i.e. to make a list of reasons which one reads and reflects on several times a day. You can also give me feedback so this particular prayer can be of more help in bringing back purity to this pornographic world.
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Fr. Morrow's book has been praised by eminent theologians and spiritual writers:
Dr. William May calls this book “eminently practical,” one that gives “great hope” to people struggling with sexual temptations and addictions.
Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR said, the book “effectively brings spirituality and morality together with the best contemporary psychological thinking.”
Father John F. Harvey, OSFS, the Founder of Courage said: “Father Morrow concentrates on presenting a spiritual strategy which will help the person on the long road back to inner freedom. That strategy includes not only deep honesty with one’s self but also a life of reflective prayer, known as prayer of the heart.”
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According to Fr. Morrow, these are the basic values or the goodness of chastity, which we can remind ourselves of frequently "so as to alleviate any interior resentment and find peace in the chaste decision":
1. Sex is holy, not a plaything. It should never be trivialized.
2. Created in the image of God, I can live by reason, not just by
urges (as the animals do).
3. Persons are to be loved, not merely used as objects of enjoyment.
4. I must not treat persons as objects, even in the mind, lest I
become a user of persons in practice.
5. Unchaste activity destroys my most precious friendship, that with
God, the source of all happiness.
6. Unchaste activity brings pleasure but not happiness.
---
Further reading:
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/sexuality/se0109.html
http://www.cfalive.org/ChastPornW506.pdf
O most loving Father, we need you to attain purity and the joy it brings, for without you we can do nothing.
Teach us your children to reverence our bodies and the bodies of our sisters and brothers in Christ. Help us to recognize in each human body, and in each one of its parts, an incarnate spirit, an image of God, a sacred temple of the Holy Spirit, a person worth all the blood of Christ, a child of God to be loved with your benevolent Love.
Teach us to reverence the sacredness of human sexuality, an icon of your divine self-giving and creative power.
Deliver us, Father, from the evil of seeing the bodies of your daughters and sons as mere things and objects, and the evil of using them for our own selfish ends.
Forgive us our sins which destroy our friendship with you, the source of all our happiness.
O most beloved Mother, through your all-powerful prayer, help us to live with the dignity of a child of God. May our reason and free will be the masters our feelings and desires. And may Jesus, God who is Truth and Love, be our one master and Lord. Amen.
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John Paul II’s theology of the body has been called “a kind of theological time bomb set to go off with dramatic consequences ...perhaps in the twenty-first century.” This prayer is a way of helping set off that time bomb.
This prayer is based on insights found in a little book, Achieving Chastity in a Pornographic World, written by Fr. T.G. Morrow who based his insights on John Paul II’s theology of the body. The prayer is intended to facilitate the practice of a method that Fr. Morrow suggested to uproot sexual addiction and to build a sturdy habit of chastity.
In a nutshell, the method means repeating the values and reasons of chastity (several times a day) so as to convince the sexual appetite, permeating it with reason, until it is converted and is at peace.
I thought of integrating the reasons into a prayer which can be said three times a day (morning, noon, nighttime) because, as Mother Teresa said, "purity is a fruit of prayer." The Catechism also stated: "chastity is also a gift from God, a grace, a fruit of spiritual effort."
Benedict XVI quoted St. Benedict of Nursia's Mens nostra concordet voci nostras, our mind must be in accord with our voice. "The word, the voice, goes ahead of us," explained Pope Benedict, "and our mind must adapt to it. For on our own we human beings do not know how to pray as we ought." This prayer has that intention: to help the mind, our reason, to be shaped by truth, in its role of regulating the sexual appetite, while at the same time acknowledging our powerlessness in achieving the virtue of chastity.
On this St. Augustine has personal experience and clear doctrine: "I thought that continence arose from one's own powers, which I did not recognize in myself. I was foolish enough not to know . . . that no one can be continent unless you grant it. For you would surely have granted it if my inner groaning had reached your ears and I with firm faith had cast my cares on you."
St. Josemaria put it succintly: "It is not possible to lead a clean life without God's assistance. He wants us to be humble and to ask for his aid."
This prayer is a sample of what people can personally compose, as a way of doing what Fr. Morrow suggested, i.e. to make a list of reasons which one reads and reflects on several times a day. You can also give me feedback so this particular prayer can be of more help in bringing back purity to this pornographic world.
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Fr. Morrow's book has been praised by eminent theologians and spiritual writers:
Dr. William May calls this book “eminently practical,” one that gives “great hope” to people struggling with sexual temptations and addictions.
Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR said, the book “effectively brings spirituality and morality together with the best contemporary psychological thinking.”
Father John F. Harvey, OSFS, the Founder of Courage said: “Father Morrow concentrates on presenting a spiritual strategy which will help the person on the long road back to inner freedom. That strategy includes not only deep honesty with one’s self but also a life of reflective prayer, known as prayer of the heart.”
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According to Fr. Morrow, these are the basic values or the goodness of chastity, which we can remind ourselves of frequently "so as to alleviate any interior resentment and find peace in the chaste decision":
1. Sex is holy, not a plaything. It should never be trivialized.
2. Created in the image of God, I can live by reason, not just by
urges (as the animals do).
3. Persons are to be loved, not merely used as objects of enjoyment.
4. I must not treat persons as objects, even in the mind, lest I
become a user of persons in practice.
5. Unchaste activity destroys my most precious friendship, that with
God, the source of all happiness.
6. Unchaste activity brings pleasure but not happiness.
---
Further reading:
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/sexuality/se0109.html
http://www.cfalive.org/ChastPornW506.pdf
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Opus Dei: a lot more people of modest social status
Sep 17, 2009
Interview by Rokas M. Tracevskis in Baltic Times
Bryan P. Bradley, an American with no Lithuanian roots, has been working with the Catholic organization Opus Dei in Lithuania for many years. In 1994, he decided to settle and work in Lithuania. Bradley is now fluent in Lithuanian. Opus Dei became widely known throughout the non-Catholic world largely thanks to Dan Brown’s book The Da Vinci Code. Now Bradley is a project manager at the Baltic Management Institute in Vilnius. He previously wrote about the Baltic region for news agencies Reuters and Bloomberg, whose first Baltic office he opened in Vilnius.
What do you think about The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown? Is the picture it presents of Opus Dei realistic?
The Da Vinci Code is pure fiction. It has some entertainment value, judging by sales, but fails ridiculously on substance. It’s just musings on the author’s conspiracy-theory view of the world. The book and movie did spark a lot of public discussion of the historical basis of Christianity and the Church, which many people don’t realize are so strong. So that’s positive. All the hype also made more people aware of Opus Dei. A lot of people inquired what the organization is really like.
Tell us more about Opus Dei’s activities in Lithuania and the other Baltic countries.
Opus Dei has been active in the Baltic countries since they regained independence. I first came to Lithuania in 1992 to help organize a youth summer camp. Opus Dei is just a small part of the Catholic Church that contributes in its own way to spreading the Christian message in society. Its members are ordinary Christians who try to understand their faith very well and then really live it in all the aspects of their lives – at home, at work and so on. They struggle to work well and be good friends, good parents, trying to make all their efforts a real service to the people around them and to the needs of society. That’s their way of serving God.
In Vilnius, Kaunas, Riga and Tallinn there are centers of Opus Dei, where people can attend classes about Catholic faith and piety or get personal spiritual guidance. There are also already several social initiatives in the region promoted in part by members of Opus Dei: youth clubs, student residences, courses on parenting skills, volunteer activities to help the less fortunate.
The media says that there is a bigger percentage of people from business, finance and politics in Opus Dei than in other Catholic organizations. Is it true? Why?
You can find some bankers and business persons and even politicians in Opus Dei, since those are all honest professions that can be carried out with a Christian spirit and an attitude of service to society. But among Opus Dei members – there are about 85,000 around the world – you’ll find a lot more people of modest social status: farmers and bus drivers, school teachers, medics, the occasional university professor. They don’t make headlines, but they contribute just as much to society and the Church with their hard work and Christian example.
How do you find the situation of Roman Catholicism in Lithuania now?
Very positive. Most people consider themselves Catholic and at least sometimes go to church. You see more and more solid young priests, families that really practice their faith, public debates on social issues where the voice of Catholic-minded intellectuals is heard and respected. The Church is recovering from the Soviet era ban on religious instruction. The faith stayed alive thanks to some heroic people, but restored independence found a country where, despite the many Catholic hearts, few had a Catholic mind. They felt Catholic but didn’t really understand the faith, its rational basis and guiding principles. In a world of aggressive secularism and materialism, that’s important. And huge steps have been taken in this area of religious education for both young people and adults.
You were a reporter for Reuters in Lithuania and opened the Baltic office of Bloomberg News. Was it a challenging job?
It was an exhilarating job. These have been years of huge change in the Baltic economies and societies. Whether in boom or in bust, this is one of the most dynamic corners of Europe, and it was fun trying to bring the world’s attention to that fact. Sure, there were challenging and stressful elements, especially when covering political issues where it’s hard to get at the objective facts. My more significant articles would sometimes get printed in newspapers around the world, from China to Texas. But I always thought the biggest achievement was when the Baltic media used my stories, since that meant I was a step ahead of even local journalists.
Tell us more about the Baltic Management Institute where you work now.
BMI is a consortium of European universities that teamed up in 1999 to offer world-class management studies for business leaders in Lithuania and neighboring countries. About 50 high-level executives are accepted into the BMI International Executive MBA program every year. Courses and projects are all delivered in English by professors who fly in from business schools like HEC School of Management in Paris, which the Financial Times rates No. 1 in Europe. BMI’s other partner schools are IAG-LSM in Belgium, Denmark’s Copenhagen Business School, NHH in Norway and Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania. I joined BMI two years ago, attracted by how much the school is doing to promote professionalism and integrity in the corporate world.
What are the short-term and long-term prospects for Lithuania’s economy?
I don’t think anyone doubts that the next year or two are going to be extremely challenging for all three Baltic economies. But I expect within five years the region will be back on track with steady growth, enjoying the benefits of EU membership and their own talented labor forces.
How will the world look in 30 years? Your forecast, please.
I expect that in 2039 political and economic power will be better balanced among the two hemispheres and the various continents, that the rhythm of life will be little changed, that intellectuals will devote much energy to the ethical implications of new technologies, especially biotechnologies, and that the most-prized holiday settings will be peace and quiet in low-tech nature settings. I think athletes will continue setting new records, scientists will find new sources of energy and food, and growing populations will come to be recognized as one of the most valuable resources any country can have. And I think we’ll see a cultural shift away from secular materialism in favor of Christian humanism.
You like good food. What restaurants in Vilnius you would recommend?
I don’t eat out much, but the most enjoyable meal I’ve had in Vilnius was at Rene, a restaurant in the Old Town inspired by the Belgian surrealist painter Rene Magritte. They make great food and have fun doing it. My favorite lunch spots are Trys Meksikieciai near the Cathedral, and Basil, beside the fountain on Europa Square, for a hot sandwich and a cold beer.
Interview by Rokas M. Tracevskis in Baltic Times
Bryan P. Bradley, an American with no Lithuanian roots, has been working with the Catholic organization Opus Dei in Lithuania for many years. In 1994, he decided to settle and work in Lithuania. Bradley is now fluent in Lithuanian. Opus Dei became widely known throughout the non-Catholic world largely thanks to Dan Brown’s book The Da Vinci Code. Now Bradley is a project manager at the Baltic Management Institute in Vilnius. He previously wrote about the Baltic region for news agencies Reuters and Bloomberg, whose first Baltic office he opened in Vilnius.
What do you think about The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown? Is the picture it presents of Opus Dei realistic?
The Da Vinci Code is pure fiction. It has some entertainment value, judging by sales, but fails ridiculously on substance. It’s just musings on the author’s conspiracy-theory view of the world. The book and movie did spark a lot of public discussion of the historical basis of Christianity and the Church, which many people don’t realize are so strong. So that’s positive. All the hype also made more people aware of Opus Dei. A lot of people inquired what the organization is really like.
Tell us more about Opus Dei’s activities in Lithuania and the other Baltic countries.
Opus Dei has been active in the Baltic countries since they regained independence. I first came to Lithuania in 1992 to help organize a youth summer camp. Opus Dei is just a small part of the Catholic Church that contributes in its own way to spreading the Christian message in society. Its members are ordinary Christians who try to understand their faith very well and then really live it in all the aspects of their lives – at home, at work and so on. They struggle to work well and be good friends, good parents, trying to make all their efforts a real service to the people around them and to the needs of society. That’s their way of serving God.
In Vilnius, Kaunas, Riga and Tallinn there are centers of Opus Dei, where people can attend classes about Catholic faith and piety or get personal spiritual guidance. There are also already several social initiatives in the region promoted in part by members of Opus Dei: youth clubs, student residences, courses on parenting skills, volunteer activities to help the less fortunate.
The media says that there is a bigger percentage of people from business, finance and politics in Opus Dei than in other Catholic organizations. Is it true? Why?
You can find some bankers and business persons and even politicians in Opus Dei, since those are all honest professions that can be carried out with a Christian spirit and an attitude of service to society. But among Opus Dei members – there are about 85,000 around the world – you’ll find a lot more people of modest social status: farmers and bus drivers, school teachers, medics, the occasional university professor. They don’t make headlines, but they contribute just as much to society and the Church with their hard work and Christian example.
How do you find the situation of Roman Catholicism in Lithuania now?
Very positive. Most people consider themselves Catholic and at least sometimes go to church. You see more and more solid young priests, families that really practice their faith, public debates on social issues where the voice of Catholic-minded intellectuals is heard and respected. The Church is recovering from the Soviet era ban on religious instruction. The faith stayed alive thanks to some heroic people, but restored independence found a country where, despite the many Catholic hearts, few had a Catholic mind. They felt Catholic but didn’t really understand the faith, its rational basis and guiding principles. In a world of aggressive secularism and materialism, that’s important. And huge steps have been taken in this area of religious education for both young people and adults.
You were a reporter for Reuters in Lithuania and opened the Baltic office of Bloomberg News. Was it a challenging job?
It was an exhilarating job. These have been years of huge change in the Baltic economies and societies. Whether in boom or in bust, this is one of the most dynamic corners of Europe, and it was fun trying to bring the world’s attention to that fact. Sure, there were challenging and stressful elements, especially when covering political issues where it’s hard to get at the objective facts. My more significant articles would sometimes get printed in newspapers around the world, from China to Texas. But I always thought the biggest achievement was when the Baltic media used my stories, since that meant I was a step ahead of even local journalists.
Tell us more about the Baltic Management Institute where you work now.
BMI is a consortium of European universities that teamed up in 1999 to offer world-class management studies for business leaders in Lithuania and neighboring countries. About 50 high-level executives are accepted into the BMI International Executive MBA program every year. Courses and projects are all delivered in English by professors who fly in from business schools like HEC School of Management in Paris, which the Financial Times rates No. 1 in Europe. BMI’s other partner schools are IAG-LSM in Belgium, Denmark’s Copenhagen Business School, NHH in Norway and Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania. I joined BMI two years ago, attracted by how much the school is doing to promote professionalism and integrity in the corporate world.
What are the short-term and long-term prospects for Lithuania’s economy?
I don’t think anyone doubts that the next year or two are going to be extremely challenging for all three Baltic economies. But I expect within five years the region will be back on track with steady growth, enjoying the benefits of EU membership and their own talented labor forces.
How will the world look in 30 years? Your forecast, please.
I expect that in 2039 political and economic power will be better balanced among the two hemispheres and the various continents, that the rhythm of life will be little changed, that intellectuals will devote much energy to the ethical implications of new technologies, especially biotechnologies, and that the most-prized holiday settings will be peace and quiet in low-tech nature settings. I think athletes will continue setting new records, scientists will find new sources of energy and food, and growing populations will come to be recognized as one of the most valuable resources any country can have. And I think we’ll see a cultural shift away from secular materialism in favor of Christian humanism.
You like good food. What restaurants in Vilnius you would recommend?
I don’t eat out much, but the most enjoyable meal I’ve had in Vilnius was at Rene, a restaurant in the Old Town inspired by the Belgian surrealist painter Rene Magritte. They make great food and have fun doing it. My favorite lunch spots are Trys Meksikieciai near the Cathedral, and Basil, beside the fountain on Europa Square, for a hot sandwich and a cold beer.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Opus Dei has made me more fun-loving and strong
By aea in Catholic Answers Forum
I've read a number of St. Josemaria's works and find that they show excellent Christian spirit. The only concern about Opus Dei (and I'm not a member) was their history of cold showers. But alas, not everyone has taken a cold shower, and I think that practice may have been discarded.[N.B. Some members took cold showers at a certain point in Opus Dei history, specifically some Spanish members. Not all members practiced it, and there never was any rule set by the founder that obliges all members to practice it.]
I know a numerary in Opus Dei and he is full of humor; Christ had a faith that was life-affirming, and I know my encounters with Opus Dei spirituality have cemented and reaffirmed my faith, not to mention make me more fun-loving, strong and self-disciplined.
I've read a number of St. Josemaria's works and find that they show excellent Christian spirit. The only concern about Opus Dei (and I'm not a member) was their history of cold showers. But alas, not everyone has taken a cold shower, and I think that practice may have been discarded.[N.B. Some members took cold showers at a certain point in Opus Dei history, specifically some Spanish members. Not all members practiced it, and there never was any rule set by the founder that obliges all members to practice it.]
I know a numerary in Opus Dei and he is full of humor; Christ had a faith that was life-affirming, and I know my encounters with Opus Dei spirituality have cemented and reaffirmed my faith, not to mention make me more fun-loving, strong and self-disciplined.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Vocation to Opus Dei: Slow down and take time for discernment
By Pete Vere. This is an excerpt of an article in Catholic Light.
St. Josemaria Escriva always saw Opus Dei as an apostolate of Christ embracing the world. Subsequently, Opus Dei members interact with the world quite a bit through social activities, education and the pursuit of professional practice and credentials. Rather than ship teenage boys off to apostolic schools, these young men are encouraged to pursue spiritual and academic excellence, to develop a trade or profession toward which they are suited, and to be active in the world.
There's no pressure to join Opus Dei as a numerary or supernumerary. The vast majority of people I have encountered at Opus Dei events are cooperators - that is, non-members who support Opus Dei's work but who do not feel called to membership. They participate in some spiritual and social activities, insofar as they feel called and find time to do so.
And Opus Dei is happy with that. They understand that a vocation to numerary or supernumerary is a calling from God that needs to be discerned carefully through prayer and contemplation. So Opus Dei's usual reaction when someone wishes to become a cooperator, numerary or supernumerary, is to tell the individual to slow down and take time for discernment before Our Lord.
Yet what about priestly vocations? Some priests discern a vocation to Opus Dei having already been ordained, but the majority are called from the ranks of numeraries - that is, the celibate male members. Most of these individuals are well-established in professional careers as doctors, lawyers, engineers, accountants, business professionals, university professors, etc. In other words, they're out there in the world, interacting with other people, living in the world, conversant of the world, but not of the world, yet attempting to embrace the world as Christ embraced the world from the cross. Far from being sheltered throughout most of their lives, Opus Dei seminarians enter their seminary formation with proven track-records as spiritual and professional leaders.
St. Josemaria Escriva always saw Opus Dei as an apostolate of Christ embracing the world. Subsequently, Opus Dei members interact with the world quite a bit through social activities, education and the pursuit of professional practice and credentials. Rather than ship teenage boys off to apostolic schools, these young men are encouraged to pursue spiritual and academic excellence, to develop a trade or profession toward which they are suited, and to be active in the world.
There's no pressure to join Opus Dei as a numerary or supernumerary. The vast majority of people I have encountered at Opus Dei events are cooperators - that is, non-members who support Opus Dei's work but who do not feel called to membership. They participate in some spiritual and social activities, insofar as they feel called and find time to do so.
And Opus Dei is happy with that. They understand that a vocation to numerary or supernumerary is a calling from God that needs to be discerned carefully through prayer and contemplation. So Opus Dei's usual reaction when someone wishes to become a cooperator, numerary or supernumerary, is to tell the individual to slow down and take time for discernment before Our Lord.
Yet what about priestly vocations? Some priests discern a vocation to Opus Dei having already been ordained, but the majority are called from the ranks of numeraries - that is, the celibate male members. Most of these individuals are well-established in professional careers as doctors, lawyers, engineers, accountants, business professionals, university professors, etc. In other words, they're out there in the world, interacting with other people, living in the world, conversant of the world, but not of the world, yet attempting to embrace the world as Christ embraced the world from the cross. Far from being sheltered throughout most of their lives, Opus Dei seminarians enter their seminary formation with proven track-records as spiritual and professional leaders.
Elmbrook appreciated
By Michael Pakaluk in the Boston Pilot
In September of this year, Elmbrook University Center, a “corporate apostolate” of Opus Dei, located just off the Cambridge Common on Follen Street, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Since I personally have gained much from Elmbrook, it seems right to acknowledge this debt publicly. My fellow columnist, Dwight Duncan, has already written about the history of Elmbrook; I wish to explain what I consider the spirit of the place.
Businessmen speak of “barriers to entry,” by which they mean a substantial cost associated with the development of a product, making it difficult for chance competitors to enter a field. Barriers to entry are paradoxically regarded as good, because they raise the stakes and insure that sacrifice is rewarded.
It seems to be part of the inscrutable providence of God that Opus Dei in each generation has carried along with it a barrier to entry, which takes the form of some kind of bad reputation. The content of the bad reputation changes over time. Today, of course, people have all kinds of strange ideas of Opus Dei stemming from “The DaVinci Code.” When I was a graduate student at Harvard in the late ‘80s, Opus Dei was said to be a neo-fascist operation related to the Franco regime in Spain.
“Opus Dei -- isn’t that an ultra-conservative movement?” my friends would ask. I would explain that Opus Dei had no political program at all; that its members were free to embrace any political view they wished -- right or left -- which was consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church; that in fact personal freedom in matters of prudential judgment was encouraged and celebrated at Elmbrook.
To some, these explanations made no difference. You had to be willing to ignore at least for the moment “what people think” in order to learn what Elmbrook was really about.
I first visited Elmbrook for an “evening of recollection.” It was an intimate setting: a dark chapel, and a priest seated at a desk in the corner, his New Testament illumined by a small light, reading from the Scriptures and commenting. He wasn’t preaching -- he explained -- but meditating on Scripture in such a way as was meant to be an aid to your own personal dialogue with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. He spoke about Christianity with a sincerity and passion I had not encountered before -- I think because it was clear that he regarded the Christianity of the first disciples as entirely real and as exactly what we should be imitating today.
I sought spiritual direction from this saintly priest, Father Sal Ferigle, and went on to take numerous classes with him in sound doctrine, Christian moral teaching, and apologetics. This teaching was an anchor for me during the years I was studying for my doctorate in philosophy.
To say this would perhaps be to say enough from my point of view, and yet I learned as much from the “spirit” which I saw in Father Sal and in the other men who lived there -- I mean attitudes which give a personality to how we embrace the Catholic faith. Labels are misleading, but one might sum up these attitudes under the headings of confidence, simplicity, and fidelity.
To read the rest of the article, please see Boston Pilot.
In September of this year, Elmbrook University Center, a “corporate apostolate” of Opus Dei, located just off the Cambridge Common on Follen Street, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Since I personally have gained much from Elmbrook, it seems right to acknowledge this debt publicly. My fellow columnist, Dwight Duncan, has already written about the history of Elmbrook; I wish to explain what I consider the spirit of the place.
Businessmen speak of “barriers to entry,” by which they mean a substantial cost associated with the development of a product, making it difficult for chance competitors to enter a field. Barriers to entry are paradoxically regarded as good, because they raise the stakes and insure that sacrifice is rewarded.
It seems to be part of the inscrutable providence of God that Opus Dei in each generation has carried along with it a barrier to entry, which takes the form of some kind of bad reputation. The content of the bad reputation changes over time. Today, of course, people have all kinds of strange ideas of Opus Dei stemming from “The DaVinci Code.” When I was a graduate student at Harvard in the late ‘80s, Opus Dei was said to be a neo-fascist operation related to the Franco regime in Spain.
“Opus Dei -- isn’t that an ultra-conservative movement?” my friends would ask. I would explain that Opus Dei had no political program at all; that its members were free to embrace any political view they wished -- right or left -- which was consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church; that in fact personal freedom in matters of prudential judgment was encouraged and celebrated at Elmbrook.
To some, these explanations made no difference. You had to be willing to ignore at least for the moment “what people think” in order to learn what Elmbrook was really about.
I first visited Elmbrook for an “evening of recollection.” It was an intimate setting: a dark chapel, and a priest seated at a desk in the corner, his New Testament illumined by a small light, reading from the Scriptures and commenting. He wasn’t preaching -- he explained -- but meditating on Scripture in such a way as was meant to be an aid to your own personal dialogue with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. He spoke about Christianity with a sincerity and passion I had not encountered before -- I think because it was clear that he regarded the Christianity of the first disciples as entirely real and as exactly what we should be imitating today.
I sought spiritual direction from this saintly priest, Father Sal Ferigle, and went on to take numerous classes with him in sound doctrine, Christian moral teaching, and apologetics. This teaching was an anchor for me during the years I was studying for my doctorate in philosophy.
To say this would perhaps be to say enough from my point of view, and yet I learned as much from the “spirit” which I saw in Father Sal and in the other men who lived there -- I mean attitudes which give a personality to how we embrace the Catholic faith. Labels are misleading, but one might sum up these attitudes under the headings of confidence, simplicity, and fidelity.
To read the rest of the article, please see Boston Pilot.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Life in the Sycamore Tree: Lessons from Zaccheus
By Deacon Keith A. Fournier in Catholic Online.
In the last chapter of the Gospel of St John we read “There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.” (John 21:25) This verse underscores the importance of the stories that are actually recorded in the Gospels. The people have been selected from among many others for a purpose. They can put us in touch with the Lord, ourselves and the purpose of our lives.
Upon prayer and reflection, they become an invitation to conversion. St. Josemaria Escriva once wrote “I advised you to read the New Testament for some minutes every day, and to enter into each scene and take part in it, as one more of the characters. This is so that you incarnate the Gospel, so that it is “fulfilled” in your life... and “make others fulfil it” (Furrow #672).
Luke introduces us to a tax collector named Zacheus. “At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received him with joy. (When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over."(More than what the Law required) And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost." (St. Luke 9:1-10)
The Context
Israel was under Roman occupation. An unfair tax was extracted by people like Zacheus who worked for the oppressor. They earned their living by adding an extra surcharge for themselves. These Jews were considered traitors. However, they were still Jews, sons of the Covenant and children of Abraham, trying to make a living. Zacheus was not unlike some of us in our own day, separating “what we do” from “who we are”. “After all” we may tell ourselves, “we are simply trying to make a living.” Yet Zacheus wanted to see Jesus more than he wanted to maintain his economic comfort. Jesus knew that. He had come to Jericho that day seeking to save the lost. He knew Zacheus like He knows each one of us. The “crowds” around Zacheus may have deemed him as unworthy of the encounter that was about to occur but God did not see him this way. Jesus saw Zacheus’ heart and he drew him to Himself.
Each one of us should find hope in this story because, literally or figuratively, we have compromised in our lives. Perhaps in our work, by failing to live fully the implications of our faith. Perhaps in our family, by failing to love in the way that we know we ought, sacrificially. Perhaps in our “free time”- by giving into pursuits that we know actually lead to bondage. The “Good News” is that, no matter what has happened in our past, Jesus walks into the dusty streets of our own lives this day. He comes for us. Let us learn some lessons from Zacheus about life in a Sycamore tree.
Remember that God is already there
Jesus already knew that Zacheus was in Jericho. He knit him together in his mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-16) and knew everything about him. In fact, the Lord came to Jericho for Zacheus. He did not need to get the Lord’s attention and neither do we. Jesus comes into each one of our lives, searching for us, because He still comes to “…seek and save what was lost.” We often think of the Christian life in terms of our efforts to reach God and to do His will. However, the opposite is what really occurs. God seeks us and we respond. Yet, we need to “position” ourselves for the meeting. Zacheus climbed that tree to see Jesus; he positioned Himself for the encounter; the call, the vocation that was given to Him that wonderful day. Those words of the Master "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost." would forever frame his future responses to God’s continuing invitation. He would never be the same.
The Christian life is about God’s action and our response to what He is already doing. Jesus reminds us “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). Zacheus serves to remind us of who does the choosing and who does the responding. At the root of the word “vocation”, is the latin word “vocatio”, meaning “voice”.
To read the rest of the article, please see Catholic Online.
In the last chapter of the Gospel of St John we read “There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.” (John 21:25) This verse underscores the importance of the stories that are actually recorded in the Gospels. The people have been selected from among many others for a purpose. They can put us in touch with the Lord, ourselves and the purpose of our lives.
Upon prayer and reflection, they become an invitation to conversion. St. Josemaria Escriva once wrote “I advised you to read the New Testament for some minutes every day, and to enter into each scene and take part in it, as one more of the characters. This is so that you incarnate the Gospel, so that it is “fulfilled” in your life... and “make others fulfil it” (Furrow #672).
Luke introduces us to a tax collector named Zacheus. “At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received him with joy. (When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over."(More than what the Law required) And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost." (St. Luke 9:1-10)
The Context
Israel was under Roman occupation. An unfair tax was extracted by people like Zacheus who worked for the oppressor. They earned their living by adding an extra surcharge for themselves. These Jews were considered traitors. However, they were still Jews, sons of the Covenant and children of Abraham, trying to make a living. Zacheus was not unlike some of us in our own day, separating “what we do” from “who we are”. “After all” we may tell ourselves, “we are simply trying to make a living.” Yet Zacheus wanted to see Jesus more than he wanted to maintain his economic comfort. Jesus knew that. He had come to Jericho that day seeking to save the lost. He knew Zacheus like He knows each one of us. The “crowds” around Zacheus may have deemed him as unworthy of the encounter that was about to occur but God did not see him this way. Jesus saw Zacheus’ heart and he drew him to Himself.
Each one of us should find hope in this story because, literally or figuratively, we have compromised in our lives. Perhaps in our work, by failing to live fully the implications of our faith. Perhaps in our family, by failing to love in the way that we know we ought, sacrificially. Perhaps in our “free time”- by giving into pursuits that we know actually lead to bondage. The “Good News” is that, no matter what has happened in our past, Jesus walks into the dusty streets of our own lives this day. He comes for us. Let us learn some lessons from Zacheus about life in a Sycamore tree.
Remember that God is already there
Jesus already knew that Zacheus was in Jericho. He knit him together in his mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-16) and knew everything about him. In fact, the Lord came to Jericho for Zacheus. He did not need to get the Lord’s attention and neither do we. Jesus comes into each one of our lives, searching for us, because He still comes to “…seek and save what was lost.” We often think of the Christian life in terms of our efforts to reach God and to do His will. However, the opposite is what really occurs. God seeks us and we respond. Yet, we need to “position” ourselves for the meeting. Zacheus climbed that tree to see Jesus; he positioned Himself for the encounter; the call, the vocation that was given to Him that wonderful day. Those words of the Master "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost." would forever frame his future responses to God’s continuing invitation. He would never be the same.
The Christian life is about God’s action and our response to what He is already doing. Jesus reminds us “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). Zacheus serves to remind us of who does the choosing and who does the responding. At the root of the word “vocation”, is the latin word “vocatio”, meaning “voice”.
To read the rest of the article, please see Catholic Online.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Experience of recruitment in Opus Dei
By Austin Ruse in Catholic Light (Not Catholic Lite). September 6, 2009 8:23 PM. This is the last post in a series of posts on how recruitment is done in Opus Dei and in the Legion of Christ.
I am a Supernumerary in Opus Dei. Here is how it happened. Over the course of years I attended spiritual direction with Opus Dei members, attended evenings of recolletion and cooperator circles and all this and no one ever asked me to join!
Finally, after many years of this, I was having a drink with a Supernumerary who was and is a very good friend and i said this to him, "Pat, I have been hanging out with you Opus Dei guys for years and years and not once have any of you asked me to join. Is there something wrong with me?"
He almost spit out his drink laughing and said, "Consider yourself asked."
These are the high-pressure tactics I experienced!
Best to all!
Austin
I am a Supernumerary in Opus Dei. Here is how it happened. Over the course of years I attended spiritual direction with Opus Dei members, attended evenings of recolletion and cooperator circles and all this and no one ever asked me to join!
Finally, after many years of this, I was having a drink with a Supernumerary who was and is a very good friend and i said this to him, "Pat, I have been hanging out with you Opus Dei guys for years and years and not once have any of you asked me to join. Is there something wrong with me?"
He almost spit out his drink laughing and said, "Consider yourself asked."
These are the high-pressure tactics I experienced!
Best to all!
Austin
Friday, September 4, 2009
Wikipedia: There Be Dragons
I contributed this to Wikipedia
There Be Dragons is an upcoming historical epic written and directed by Roland Joffé, a British filmmaker well known for directing The Mission and The Killing Fields. It is a drama set during the Spanish Civil War which features themes such as betrayal, love and hatred, forgiveness, friendship, and finding meaning in everyday life. The film, scheduled to be released in 2010, includes the story of Josemaría Escrivá, a recent Roman Catholic saint who has been called the saint of ordinary life.
The movie stars Charlie Cox (Stardust and Casanova), Wes Bentley (American Beauty), Derek Jacobi (I, Claudius), Golshifteh Farahani (Body of lies), Dougray Scott (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Desperate Housewives), Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace), and Lily Cole (Rage and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus)
Contents
* 1 Story and themes
* 2 Cast
* 3 Production
* 4 References
* 5 See also
* 6 External links
Story and themes
The director Roland Joffé said that There Be Dragons is “a film about what it means to be a saint in this day and age."[1] It is "a story about people trying to find meaning about their lives," he said.[2] The film includes the early life of Josemaría Escrivá, a modern-day saint and the founder of Opus Dei, an institution of the Catholic Church which teaches that ordinary human life is a path to sanctity. Escrivá, who died in 1975, was canonized by John Paul II in 2002. Joffé, who initially shied away from the project, was "ultimately intrigued by the chance to dramatize the life of a modern-day saint, particularly considering Escrivá's 'liberating' view that a path to God could be found in an ordinary life."[3]
The epic film tells the story of a present-day Spanish journalist, Robert, who is mending relations with his dying father, Manolo, who took part in the Spanish Civil War. The journalist discovers through his investigations that his father was a close childhood friend of Josemaría Escrivá, a candidate for sainthood, with whom he had a complicated relationship.[4][3] Manolo became a soldier during the Spanish Civil War and became obsessed with a beautiful Hungarian revolutionary, Ildiko. She rejects him and gives herself to a brave militia leader Oriol. Manolo becomes jealous and takes a path of betrayal.[5]
There Be Dragons is a drama which explores themes such as betrayal, forgiveness, friendship, and finding the meaning of life in everyday life. According to Joffé, they are "making a film about love, human love and divine love, about hate, about betrayal, about war, about mistakes, about everything it is to be a human being."[3]
Joffé, an agnostic who was nominated for the Academy Award for his film The Mission which deals with Jesuits and liberation theology, said that he is "very interested in the idea of embarking on a piece of work that took religion seriously on its own terms and didn't play a game where one approached religion denying its validity."[6]
The story was written by Joffé himself, who said that he has creative freedom over the project and likened this to that of St. Josemaria who "made no attempt to influence the people he worked with in terms of their politics. At that time, that's pretty heroic. That's a time when almost all human beings were faced with making extraordinary choices," he said.[7] He said that freedom is "the key to Josemaria, a key to his message."[8][2]
"Reconciliation matters" is the main take away message that Joffe expects from the viewers. Life, he said, is an opportunity to love: "It’s a choice, and in making that decision you become free. You do not become free when you hate. The weird thing is when you really love, you feel it like a breath of freedom, you think ‘Oh my God, I’ve chosen this, and it’s beautiful’.”[9] He emphasized that Christianity is about love and the teaching of St. Josemaria "encourages a spiritual relationship with God in 'very simple things,' in cooking a meal, being with one’s family, or even having a fight."[9]
The title refers to its theme exploring the unknown territories of hatred, guilt, and forgiveness, said the producer Ignacio G. Sancha.[3] "There be dragons" is an abbreviation of "here there be dragons" from the Latin hic sunt dracones, an ancient way of denoting in maps a place where there is danger, or an unknown place, a place to be explored.
[edit] Cast
The film stars Charlie Cox (Stardust) as Josemaría Escrivá and Wes Bentley (American Beauty) as his friend Manolo.
Dougray Scott (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Desperate Housewives) plays the role of Robert, the journalist son of Manolo.
Olga Kurylenko of Quantum of Solace plays the role of a young Hungarian woman fighting with the Republicans in the International Brigades.
Olga Kurylenko plays a young Hungarian woman fighting with the International Brigades
Golshifteh Farahani of Body of lies plays the role of Leila, Robert's girlfriend.
Rodrigo Santoro ("Xerxes" in 300) plays the role of Oriol, the young left-wing revolutionary that leads the "Iron Column".
Derek Jacobi of I, Claudius plays the role of Honorio.
Model and actress Lily Cole of Rage and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus plays the part of Aline.
Production
The film is produced by Roland Joffé (who is the director and the writer of the screenplay), Guy J. Louthan, Ignacio G. Sancha, and Ignacio Núñez. The last two are members of Opus Dei.[1] Funds came from an investment fund created by Ignacio G. Sancha and Ignacio Núñez that has 100 private investors which include believers and several atheists.[4][3] The television network and media company, Antena 3, the first private station in Spain, is also funding the film. Roland Joffé, the Director, is also funding the movie. The production services have been provided by Morena Films of Spain and Historias Cinematográficas of Argentina.
The New York Times, which called the movie a religious epic, reported the script was first offered to Hugh Hudson and Alejandro González Iñárritu who both turned it down. Joffé also turned down the offer to work as film director. "But he said he reconsidered after he saw a video of Escrivá answering a question from a Jewish girl who wanted to convert to Catholicism. Escrivá told her that she should not convert, because it would be disrespectful to her parents. 'I thought this was so open-minded,' Mr. Joffé said."[4] In the press conference held in Buenos Aires on 24 August 2009, Ignacio G. Sancha stated that "our role is to create a space of free creativity for Roland, who has absolute free hand as a filmmaker. The value of the project lies in the fact that someone completely independent is portraying Josemaría according to his own view."
Joffé then wrote the new script, travelling to Spain, Italy and South America to do research.[4]
There Be Dragons also features Argentine production director Eugenio Zanetti, who won the Oscar in 1996 for Restoration. Costume designer is Yvonne Blake, who won an Oscar for Nicholas and Alexandra and designed the costume of Superman. Two-time Oscar winner Michele Burke is in charge of the special make-up effects.
Fr. John Wauck, an Opus Dei priest and a professor of Literature at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, serves as an on-set adviser, playing the same role that Daniel Berrigan played for Jeremy Irons in The Mission. Luis Gordon, a former spokesman of the prelature of Opus Dei, stated that "The film team asked us for help in gathering information and we gave them access to the documentation. That's the beginning and end of our collaboration with this film."[10]
To portray Madrid in the 1930s, the movie is being filmed in Lujan, Argentina.[11]
The movie will be released in 2010.
References
1. ^ a b DPA (2009-08-26). "Director of The Mission shooting film on Opus Dei founder - Feature". Earthtimes. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/282848,director-of-the-mission-shooting-film-on-opus-dei-founder.html. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
2. ^ a b Catholic Herald Staff Reporter (4 September 2009). "British actors line up for film about life of Opus Dei founder". Catholic Herald. http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/articles/a0000632.shtml. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
3. ^ a b c d e Nicole Neroulias (August 31, 2009). "After 'Da Vinci,' Opus Dei cautiously optimistic about new film". Nola.com. http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2009/08/after_da_vinci_opus_dei_cautio.html. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
4. ^ a b c d Laurie Goodstein (Aug 21, 2009). "Bringing a Saint's Life to Screen". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/22/movies/22opus.html?scp=3&sq=opus%20dei&st=cse. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
5. ^ Reuters live phone conference
6. ^ Thaddeus M. Baklinski (2009-08-26). "Academy Award Nominee to Film Movie on Opus Dei Founder". Lifesite News. http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/aug/09082504.html. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
7. ^ Mark Pattison (28 August 2009). "Filming starts on biography of Opus Dei founder". Catholic Spirit. http://thecatholicspirit.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2425&Itemid=33. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
8. ^ Presentation of the film
9. ^ a b Catholic News Agency (31 October 2009). "Upcoming movie about St. Josemaria Escriva focuses on love, forgiveness and redemption, says director". Catholic News Agency. http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=17545. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
10. ^ Austen Ivereigh (2009-06-08). "Opus Dei founder gets 'The Mission' treatment". America Magazine. http://www.americamagazine.org/blog/entry.cfm?blog_id=2&id=43282913-3048-741E-5441352727319255. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
11. ^ Associated Press (Aug 24, 2009). "Roland Joffé filming Opus Dei pic". Hollywood Reporter. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3ia3f0e0ee831a6936dd0723f09a3e454b. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
There Be Dragons is an upcoming historical epic written and directed by Roland Joffé, a British filmmaker well known for directing The Mission and The Killing Fields. It is a drama set during the Spanish Civil War which features themes such as betrayal, love and hatred, forgiveness, friendship, and finding meaning in everyday life. The film, scheduled to be released in 2010, includes the story of Josemaría Escrivá, a recent Roman Catholic saint who has been called the saint of ordinary life.
The movie stars Charlie Cox (Stardust and Casanova), Wes Bentley (American Beauty), Derek Jacobi (I, Claudius), Golshifteh Farahani (Body of lies), Dougray Scott (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Desperate Housewives), Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace), and Lily Cole (Rage and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus)
Contents
* 1 Story and themes
* 2 Cast
* 3 Production
* 4 References
* 5 See also
* 6 External links
Story and themes
The director Roland Joffé said that There Be Dragons is “a film about what it means to be a saint in this day and age."[1] It is "a story about people trying to find meaning about their lives," he said.[2] The film includes the early life of Josemaría Escrivá, a modern-day saint and the founder of Opus Dei, an institution of the Catholic Church which teaches that ordinary human life is a path to sanctity. Escrivá, who died in 1975, was canonized by John Paul II in 2002. Joffé, who initially shied away from the project, was "ultimately intrigued by the chance to dramatize the life of a modern-day saint, particularly considering Escrivá's 'liberating' view that a path to God could be found in an ordinary life."[3]
The epic film tells the story of a present-day Spanish journalist, Robert, who is mending relations with his dying father, Manolo, who took part in the Spanish Civil War. The journalist discovers through his investigations that his father was a close childhood friend of Josemaría Escrivá, a candidate for sainthood, with whom he had a complicated relationship.[4][3] Manolo became a soldier during the Spanish Civil War and became obsessed with a beautiful Hungarian revolutionary, Ildiko. She rejects him and gives herself to a brave militia leader Oriol. Manolo becomes jealous and takes a path of betrayal.[5]
There Be Dragons is a drama which explores themes such as betrayal, forgiveness, friendship, and finding the meaning of life in everyday life. According to Joffé, they are "making a film about love, human love and divine love, about hate, about betrayal, about war, about mistakes, about everything it is to be a human being."[3]
Joffé, an agnostic who was nominated for the Academy Award for his film The Mission which deals with Jesuits and liberation theology, said that he is "very interested in the idea of embarking on a piece of work that took religion seriously on its own terms and didn't play a game where one approached religion denying its validity."[6]
The story was written by Joffé himself, who said that he has creative freedom over the project and likened this to that of St. Josemaria who "made no attempt to influence the people he worked with in terms of their politics. At that time, that's pretty heroic. That's a time when almost all human beings were faced with making extraordinary choices," he said.[7] He said that freedom is "the key to Josemaria, a key to his message."[8][2]
"Reconciliation matters" is the main take away message that Joffe expects from the viewers. Life, he said, is an opportunity to love: "It’s a choice, and in making that decision you become free. You do not become free when you hate. The weird thing is when you really love, you feel it like a breath of freedom, you think ‘Oh my God, I’ve chosen this, and it’s beautiful’.”[9] He emphasized that Christianity is about love and the teaching of St. Josemaria "encourages a spiritual relationship with God in 'very simple things,' in cooking a meal, being with one’s family, or even having a fight."[9]
The title refers to its theme exploring the unknown territories of hatred, guilt, and forgiveness, said the producer Ignacio G. Sancha.[3] "There be dragons" is an abbreviation of "here there be dragons" from the Latin hic sunt dracones, an ancient way of denoting in maps a place where there is danger, or an unknown place, a place to be explored.
[edit] Cast
The film stars Charlie Cox (Stardust) as Josemaría Escrivá and Wes Bentley (American Beauty) as his friend Manolo.
Dougray Scott (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Desperate Housewives) plays the role of Robert, the journalist son of Manolo.
Olga Kurylenko of Quantum of Solace plays the role of a young Hungarian woman fighting with the Republicans in the International Brigades.
Olga Kurylenko plays a young Hungarian woman fighting with the International Brigades
Golshifteh Farahani of Body of lies plays the role of Leila, Robert's girlfriend.
Rodrigo Santoro ("Xerxes" in 300) plays the role of Oriol, the young left-wing revolutionary that leads the "Iron Column".
Derek Jacobi of I, Claudius plays the role of Honorio.
Model and actress Lily Cole of Rage and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus plays the part of Aline.
Production
The film is produced by Roland Joffé (who is the director and the writer of the screenplay), Guy J. Louthan, Ignacio G. Sancha, and Ignacio Núñez. The last two are members of Opus Dei.[1] Funds came from an investment fund created by Ignacio G. Sancha and Ignacio Núñez that has 100 private investors which include believers and several atheists.[4][3] The television network and media company, Antena 3, the first private station in Spain, is also funding the film. Roland Joffé, the Director, is also funding the movie. The production services have been provided by Morena Films of Spain and Historias Cinematográficas of Argentina.
The New York Times, which called the movie a religious epic, reported the script was first offered to Hugh Hudson and Alejandro González Iñárritu who both turned it down. Joffé also turned down the offer to work as film director. "But he said he reconsidered after he saw a video of Escrivá answering a question from a Jewish girl who wanted to convert to Catholicism. Escrivá told her that she should not convert, because it would be disrespectful to her parents. 'I thought this was so open-minded,' Mr. Joffé said."[4] In the press conference held in Buenos Aires on 24 August 2009, Ignacio G. Sancha stated that "our role is to create a space of free creativity for Roland, who has absolute free hand as a filmmaker. The value of the project lies in the fact that someone completely independent is portraying Josemaría according to his own view."
Joffé then wrote the new script, travelling to Spain, Italy and South America to do research.[4]
There Be Dragons also features Argentine production director Eugenio Zanetti, who won the Oscar in 1996 for Restoration. Costume designer is Yvonne Blake, who won an Oscar for Nicholas and Alexandra and designed the costume of Superman. Two-time Oscar winner Michele Burke is in charge of the special make-up effects.
Fr. John Wauck, an Opus Dei priest and a professor of Literature at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, serves as an on-set adviser, playing the same role that Daniel Berrigan played for Jeremy Irons in The Mission. Luis Gordon, a former spokesman of the prelature of Opus Dei, stated that "The film team asked us for help in gathering information and we gave them access to the documentation. That's the beginning and end of our collaboration with this film."[10]
To portray Madrid in the 1930s, the movie is being filmed in Lujan, Argentina.[11]
The movie will be released in 2010.
References
1. ^ a b DPA (2009-08-26). "Director of The Mission shooting film on Opus Dei founder - Feature". Earthtimes. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/282848,director-of-the-mission-shooting-film-on-opus-dei-founder.html. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
2. ^ a b Catholic Herald Staff Reporter (4 September 2009). "British actors line up for film about life of Opus Dei founder". Catholic Herald. http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/articles/a0000632.shtml. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
3. ^ a b c d e Nicole Neroulias (August 31, 2009). "After 'Da Vinci,' Opus Dei cautiously optimistic about new film". Nola.com. http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2009/08/after_da_vinci_opus_dei_cautio.html. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
4. ^ a b c d Laurie Goodstein (Aug 21, 2009). "Bringing a Saint's Life to Screen". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/22/movies/22opus.html?scp=3&sq=opus%20dei&st=cse. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
5. ^ Reuters live phone conference
6. ^ Thaddeus M. Baklinski (2009-08-26). "Academy Award Nominee to Film Movie on Opus Dei Founder". Lifesite News. http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/aug/09082504.html. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
7. ^ Mark Pattison (28 August 2009). "Filming starts on biography of Opus Dei founder". Catholic Spirit. http://thecatholicspirit.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2425&Itemid=33. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
8. ^ Presentation of the film
9. ^ a b Catholic News Agency (31 October 2009). "Upcoming movie about St. Josemaria Escriva focuses on love, forgiveness and redemption, says director". Catholic News Agency. http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=17545. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
10. ^ Austen Ivereigh (2009-06-08). "Opus Dei founder gets 'The Mission' treatment". America Magazine. http://www.americamagazine.org/blog/entry.cfm?blog_id=2&id=43282913-3048-741E-5441352727319255. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
11. ^ Associated Press (Aug 24, 2009). "Roland Joffé filming Opus Dei pic". Hollywood Reporter. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3ia3f0e0ee831a6936dd0723f09a3e454b. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
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