Nothing more than a part of the Church that's serious about their faith

By Joe. Joe is thirty-three, married, and teaches in Seoul, Korea. He describes himself as a Buddhist-Catholic.


You remember that secret Catholic organization, the bad guys in the Divinci Code? Opus Dei. Well, I met with them on Thursday of last week. And let me tell you, did we do some strange things.

No, not really. Opus Dei is nothing more than a part of the Church that's serious about their faith. Their founder, Father Josemaria Escriva, was canonized as a saint by John Paul II. I have great respect for Opus Dei. In my opinion, if you believe something, or claim that you believe something, your actions should follow. In other words, if you're really a Christian, this belief should have some serious consequences for your life. But enough preaching, let me get back to the evening.

It took place in an elegant chapel in Hannamdong, Seoul. About a dozen of us sat on the pews while someone read for ten minutes from Saint Escriva's writings. The subject was prayer. We then prayed, oddly enough. The priest talked for fifteen minutes on loving the world and how the world is good, and if it's not, it's our responsibility to do something about it. This was followed by thirty minutes of silence and reconciliation, which is reflecting on our recent thoughts, words, and actions.

Another talk by the priest on joy, a brief benediction of the blessed sacrament, and the evening concluded. My favorite part was the Gregorian chanting at the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Evening of Recollection. It was somber, quiet, reflective, and even joyous, in a quiet, inward bubbling way. It felt sacred... even, dare I say, holy.