Shrine of St. Josemaria Escriva

by Dr. Bernardo M. Villegas in Manila Bulletin,
May 1, 2014

Barely two months after it was dedicated and declared a diocesan shrine by Bishop Florentino F. Cinense of the Diocese of Tarlac, the Shrine of St. Josemaria Escriva in Gerona, Tarlac, has already become a pilgrimage place for thousands of devotees from all over the Philippines.  Strategically located on the national road to Baguio and just a few kilometers from the Pura exit of the TPEX toll road, the still unfinished Church is already a focal point for numerous liturgical services for both the citizens of Tarlac and Filipino and foreign pilgrims from all over.  It is a testimony to the widespread devotion to the “Saint of Ordinary Life,” as St. John Paul the Great called him the day after the late Pope canonized the founder of Opus Dei.


St. Josemaria started to preach in 1928 that every baptized Christian is called to be a saint.  This universal calling to sanctity, which sounded strange in 1928, was confirmed by the Second Vatican Council several decades later.  St. Josemaria was also the first to speak very clearly about the work of everyday life being the main instrument for one’s sanctification, the sanctification of the work itself, and the sanctification of others through one’s work.  In fact, the person that was the most faithful to the spirit of St. Josemaria and who became his first successor to head this Personal Prelature, Bishop Alvaro del Portillo, is about to beatified next September 27, 2014, in the City of Madrid.

The homily delivered by Fr. Melvin Castro, executive director of the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (ECFL) of the CBCP, during the dedication rite explained some of the features of the shrine:

“…In the facade of this altar, there is an empty space…For that vacant space, we are awaiting the beatification of Msgr. Alvaro del Portillo, the first successor of St. Josemaria, founder of Opus Dei.  Some of us have had the great privilege of having seen Bishop Alvaro in life.  He died March 23, 1994.  I will not forget that day.   Allow me to be personal for a while.  When Msgr. Alvaro died, I was still in my seminary formation.  However, I had to leave the seminary in April, 1994, some weeks after Don Alvaro died, because of a grave family problem.  I thought at the time that I would not be able to go back to seminary life.  But I prayed to him…True enough, I was able to return by October of 1994, and I attribute this blessing to the intercession of Bishop Alvaro.  Having said this, we wish to take this opportunity to ask Bishop Cinense’s permission to go to Madrid for Bishop Alvaro’s beatification.  So, see you in Madrid in September.”

Fr. Castro also emphasized that the St. Josemaria parish does not belong to Opus Dei:  “This is our church, everyone’s parish!  That’s why the main painting in the altar’s facade…shows, in the upper portion, this shrine being held by an angel, representing each one of us, each one of us who helped build this church.  On the other side of the facade, we notice another angel holding a piece of parchment paper, where the names of the barangays covered by the parish church is written…because this is the church of everyone…”  True enough, in a pilgrimage I made to the church last April 6, as I signed the book of pilgrims just at the entrance of the Chapel of Adoration, I read names of individuals from all over the Philippines, as far as Iloilo, Davao, Cebu, etc.  Already, in less than two months after its formal dedication, the Shrine of St. Josemaria Escriva has already attracted devotees from all over the Philippine Archipelago.

In no time at all, we should expect pilgrims coming from various parts of Asia.  As Fr. Castro explained:  “Let us not forget that this is the very first church established in honor of St. Josemaria in the whole of Asia.  Thus, it is an honor…that this singular privilege is being enjoyed by the Diocese of Tarlac, because one way or the other many of us in the diocese owe St. Josemaria a lot of favors.  In one way or the other, St. Josemaria and many of his children have touched our lives; hence many of us remember him with great fondness. Thus, this afternoon is a celebration for all and of all.”

At the Holy Mass I attended in the shrine last April 6, I was impressed to see married couples with their children filling the church.  When the parish priest Fr. Renato Dimaculangan asked me to say a few words after the Mass, I told the Mass goers that St. Josemaria is a very effective intercessor for a happy family or as he would put it, “bright and cheerful homes.”

I am encouraging people from the diocese and from all over the Philippines to go to the shrine to pray especially for the favors related to unity between husband and wife and harmony in every family.  During his life, St. Josemaria never tired of speaking about marriage as a path to sanctify.  Next to the Holy Family, whose image is the centerpiece of the shrine, St. Josemaria will be known as the patron of a happy family, of a bright and cheerful home.  For comments, my e-mail address is bernardo.villegas@uap.asia.

Pope Francis refers to St. Josemaria as "precursor of Vatican II"

November 17, 2013. Below is an English translation of a message of the Secretary of State, Monsignor Pietro Parolina addressed to Msgr. Javier Echevarria, Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, where he refers to St. Josemaria as a precursor of the Second Vatican Council.

On the occasion of the International Congress dedicated to "St. Josemaria Escriva and theological thought," organized at the end of the Year of Faith by the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, an academic institution inspired by him, the Supreme Pontiff Pope Francis directs his affectionate greetings to everyone, with the hope that the beautiful example of priestly life of the Founder, precursor of Vatican II in proposing the universal call to holiness, inspire in all the faithful of the great family of Opus Dei a renewed awareness that the believer, by virtue of baptism which incorporates him to Christ, is called to be holy and to collaborate with his daily work to the salvation of mankind.

His Holiness, while recalling the perennial novelty preached through word and life by St. Josemaria Escriva --that the fruitfulness of the apostolate lies in prayer and in an intense and constant sacramental life--asks a prayer for himself and his ministry, and invoking the light of the Holy Spirit for a fruitful reflection, imparts the requested Apostolic Blessing to His Excellency, the Rector and the faculty, which extends to those present and to the people of the Pontifical University.

Archbishop Pietro Parolin

Secretary of State of his Holiness

ST. JOSEMARIA AND THE POOR

By DR. BERNARDO M. VILLEGAS.

St. Josemaria Escriva would have been the male equivalent of Mother Teresa of Calcutta (now Blessed Teresa) in the last century if he did not receive the vocation from God to found Opus Dei, a way of sanctification in daily work and in the fulfillment of the ordinary duties of a Christian. He spent the early years of his priesthood substantially given to the ministry of the poor and the sick in the most depressed areas of Madrid, the capital of what at that time was very much a Third World country. If he had been in the Manila of today, he would have spent countless hours administering to both the material and spiritual needs of the very poor in such districts as Tondo and Payatas.

As Chaplain of an NGO that was called the Foundation for the Sick, he spared no effort and time to attend to thousands of poor and sick people. As one of his biographers, Andres Vazquez de Prada, wrote in The Founder of Opus Dei, "The Foundation for the Sick waged war on ignorance and misery, through schools, soup kitchens, clinics, chapels, and catechetical programs scattered all through Madrid and the surrounding areas. On the ground floor of Santa Engracia, there was a public dining room, and on the second floor, a 20-bed infirmary. The parlors and bedrooms of the Foundation looked out into a large courtyard with a public church attached. There, early each morning, the chaplain said Mass." Through his personal example, he made it clear that the spiritual needs of the poor should be given the highest priority in any charitable work.

The priority given to the spiritual needs of the poor is clearly reflected in the following description given by Vazquez de Prada in his book: "There were all kinds of activities at the Foundation on weekends. As a prelude to his other pastoral ministrations, the chaplain started off in the confessional. On Saturdays, the poor and sick from the surrounding neighborhoods came to Santa Engracia – that is, those whose ailments did not prevent them from getting there – or physical and spiritual care in the clinic and the chapel. On Sundays, it was the turn of the boys and girls of the schools that the Apostolic Ladies conducted. They all gathered at Santa Engracia, and Father Josemaria heard their confessions. So many people showed up there on the weekend that an observer used to say, 'Here at the Foundation, everything is done by the ton.'"

Despite his great concern for the material welfare of the poor, he never made the mistake of converting the Catholic religion into a purely social work. He made sure that first and foremost, the poorest of the poor had access to the life-giving Sacraments. In his own words, "I went for hours and hours all over the place every day, on foot, from one area to another, among poor people ashamed of their poverty and poor people too miserable to be ashamed, who had nothing at all; among children with running noses – dirty, but children, which means souls pleasing to God. How indignant I feel in my priestly soul when they say that small children should not go to confession! That's not true! They should make their personal confession, speaking one on one to the priest in secret, just like everyone else. What good, what joy it brings them! I spent many hours in that work, and I'm only sorry that it was not more."

After he saw that it was God's will that he should found Opus Dei on that fateful October 2, 1928, Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels, he devoted all his energies to spreading the doctrine of the universal call to sanctity, a teaching that became the centerpiece of the Second Vatican Council almost forty years later. His preferential love for the poor, however, never left him. He made sure that the young university students whom he introduced to the spirituality of Opus Dei would spend many hours in the slum districts of Madrid, bathing the sick, cutting their nails, giving them all the possible mateArial and spiritual care of which they were capable, even at the risk of contamination from infectious diseases (tuberculosis was at that time still incurable). These examples from the first years of Opus Dei have been replicated thousands of times all over the world today as the faithful of the Prelature have given the highest priority in their corporate and personal apostolic works to giving material and spiritual assistance to the poorest of the poor. In all the continents where Opus Dei is present, there are hospitals and clinics for the poor; technical schools for out-of-school youth in farming, electro-mechanical skills, culinary arts, and other skills that enable the children of the poor to obtain gainful employment. In the Philippines for example, faithful of the Prelature of Opus Dei have established such technical schools for out-of-school youth like Dualtech in Manila and CITE in Cebu; Punlaan and Anihan in Luzon and Banilad in Cebu; Family Farm Schools in Batangas and Iloilo; and many other personal initiatives of individual members and cooperators.

Read the rest at: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/362090/st-josemaria-and-the-poor

Josemaria's Way

By Robert Moynihan, an excerpt from Catholic Culture

In one of the most important gestures of his pontificate, Pope John Paul II on October 6 canonized St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, the founder of Opus Dei. With that gesture, he placed the full weight of his papal authority behind Escriva's "Work"

"To be holy does not mean being superior to others; the saint can be very weak, with many mistakes in his life. Holiness is this profound contact with God, becoming a friend of God: it is letting the Other work, the Only One who can really make the world both good and happy."

— Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, remarks on the canonization of St. Josemaria Escriva, from the L'Osservatore Romano, Special Issue, October 6, 2002

"Heroism, sanctity, daring, require a constant spiritual preparation. You can only give to others what you already have. And in order to give God to them, you yourself need to get to know him, to live his life, to serve him." — St. Josemaria Escriva, The Forge, no. 78

The 20th century ended, for the Catholic Church, on October 6, 2002. It ended precisely 40 years after the opening of the Second Vatican Council in 1962.

It ended on a warm, blue autumn day in Rome with John Paul II's canonization of Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, the founder of Opus Dei, as a saint.

In so doing, the Pope presented sanctity as the vocation of every baptized person, and so reiterated the central message of the Second Vatican Council. (This year marks the centenary of the birth of Josemaria Escriva, on January 9, 1902, in Barbastro, northern Spain. He died in Rome on June 26, 1975.)

The 20th century was the century that brought the medieval world to a definitive end.

That old world was "Christendom" (admittedly in considerable disarray from the French Revolution onward), dominated politically by at least nominally Christian kings and kaisers and aristocratic elites, dominated militarily and economically by Western Europeans, who colonized the world.

The First World War saw those elites slaughtered in the trenches of France, ushering in the Communist, Fascist and Nazi periods.

The Second World War saw the final destruction of the old European order, as Western European cities were bombed, the continent's Christian tradition was rejected and ridiculed, and its Jewish population murdered or expelled. Out of that war came the United Nations, the creation of the state of Israel, the general de-colonialization of the world, and, after a decade or so, the Second Vatican Council (1962-65).

The essential historical purpose and effect of that Council — as it now seems from a vantage point of 40 years — was to prepare the Church for a new world order : the order which is now nearly upon us.

No longer would the world be Europe-centered; the age of "globalization" could already be sensed in the era of intercontinental ballistic missiles (the Cuban missile crisis occurred in the month the Council opened, in October 1962) and international communications.

No longer would the Church be primarily organized in small, separated communities (parishes, dioceses) of people who lived most of their lives in one place, in one cultural context; the Church would increasingly be organized as one world-wide community, a less canonically and jurisdictionally structured social body than a world-wide order, or organism — like the new Church movements . . . or like a personal prelature (the group founded by Escriva, Opus Dei, is for the moment the only personal prelature in the Catholic Church).

The 20th century was marked by vast and pitiless persecutions of the Church. The Communists and the Nazis made clear to the Church that state power in the emerging "modern" world could seek out, crush and physically eliminate unwanted religious groups. (There were more Christian martyrs in the 20th century than in all previous centuries.)

But, if the post-World War II "new world order" were also to be un-Christian, perhaps in a veiled way but with even more sinister and effective means of control and persecution, because more advanced and comprehensive, what chance would the Church have to survive and prosper?

Having experienced the 20th century, the solution seemed evident: the Church needed to "go to ground" — to de-clericalize, de-hierarchicalize, and to have its members intermingle in all aspects of ordinary human life, indistinguishable in any outward way from other members of society, except in the excellence of their work, engaged in as a vocation . . . a vocation to sanctity in the midst of the world. And so, at the Second Vatican Council, the Church made the extraordinary leap, the epochal transformation, from a Church organized along lines that had worked well enough in the medieval age, hierarchical and clerical, to a Church organized to survive and flourish and live out the faith in a "new age," an age of a looming "new world order."

And this was the deep meaning of Pope John Paul II's words when he said, after canonizing Escriva, that the message of the Opus Dei founder is to stand up to "a materialist culture that threatens to dissolve the most genuine identity of the disciples of Christ."

The Holy Father pronounced the formula of canonization for the Spanish priest at 10:23 a.m. in St. Peter's Square. And so, in a certain sense, we may say that we know the exact minute that the old century and the old world ended: at 10:23 a.m. in Rome on a sunny October morning in the year 2002.

Some 300,000 pilgrims, many of them members of Opus Dei, who filled St. Peter's Square, applauded at that moment.

Read the rest at Catholic Culture.

‘Killing Fields’ and ‘Mission’ director makes biopic of Opus Dei founder

By Josephine Darang in Philippine Daily Inquirer

ROLAND JOFFE, the director of “The Killing Fields” and “The Mission,” is an agnostic. But he’s the director of “There be Dragons,” a movie about St. Josémaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei which is now showing in Spain and will be released in the United States on May 7. The film is based mainly on the life of the founder during the Spanish Civil War in 1936 and shows how Father Escriva at that time chose to forgive his enemies who persecuted not only him, but also Opus Dei, which he had founded on Oct. 2, 1928. Forgiving one’s enemies was something Joffe couldn’t understand.

The film director introduced his Escriva film in Rome on March 21. He was quoted in an interview comparing Escriva to Nelson Mandela in their shared love for freedom and forgiveness. The director admitted, “This story forced me to think as much as I ever have in my life.”

‘God is found in everyday life’

In researching for the film, Joffe (as told to Zenit) was struck by Father Escriva’s teaching, “God is found in everyday life,” “How can God be found in war?” Joffe asked.

“But then,” the director added, “the same question can be asked of all the fundamental challenges in life, and how we face them: How we respond to hatred and rejection, or the desire for revenge and justice—all those dilemmas are heightened in wartime. Those dilemmas are, in a sense, the “dragons” of the film—turning points in our lives where we’re faced with potent choices.”

‘Father, I am Jewish’

A video of a Jewish girl talking to Monsignor Escriva in Chile in 1974 inspired Joffe to go ahead with the film.

During that meeting where hundreds of people were present to listen to the Opus Dei founder, the girl told Escriva: “Father, I’m Jewish but I believe in the Catholic religion, and I would like to convert to Catholicism, but I am a minor and my parents won’t let me.”

Monsignor Escriva answered: “Look, I am going to tell you something that will make you very happy. I learned this from this son of mine (referring to Don Alvaro, a fellow priest, in the background). I must tell you that the first love of my life is a Jew: Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth—a member of your race! And the second love of my life is Mary, most holy Virgin and Mother, mother of the Jewish man Jesus, and my Mother and your Mother. Do you like that?

“And then, I must tell you to be very good toward your parents, to be patient, to pray. Don’t make any gestures of rebellion. Is that clear? ”

Escriva then advised the Jewish girl to continue studying for her catechism and assured her that the Lord Jesus would move her parents to let her follow calmly and serenely the path she wanted.

Read the entire article here.

There Be Dragons: A film that shows that forgiveness can change the future

By Diane Thunder Schlosser in Enerpub

Joffe deftly explains that There Be Dragons is about “bringing love to the world --- the absence of love and what that does. When loves goes it leaves a vacuum – and that vacuum can fill with very many unpleasant things: fear, hatred, despair….This movie is made for all human beings with the sure knowledge that all human beings count – all human beings have value -- and all human beings, as St. Josemaria would say, are capable of being saints…”

Although this is not strictly about recently canonized St. Josemaria Escriva per se, he does figure prominently, and we see vignettes of his life as a young priest and a glimpse of the early days of Opus Dei -- his vision of the Universal Call to Holiness 30 years before Vatican II. In the aftermath and angst over the priest scandals, There Be Dragons sets before us a model of the priesthood that needs to be re-embraced. When was the last time Hollywood produced a movie about a priest – a real priest?

Not a vampire-chasing vengeful priest. Not a sensationalized exorcist. Not a fictitious albino ‘monk’ or even a crooning Bing Crosby priest, but a real priest! This generation is privileged to know of a priest who lived in our lifetime and has been canonized in our lifetime, yet St. Josemaria is not just a saint for members of Opus Dei. He is not just a saint for the people of Spain. He has been raised to the high altars of the Church and canonized a saint for all of us as a model of heroic virtue for the 21st century. As Joffe explains,

“Here is a man who, in a time of civil strife, civil war – when God appeared to be silent – was an example of someone going through a spiritual crisis who never lost the sense that each human being is a saint, that every human being is deserving of love, and he lived that. That is saintliness. Those subjects are worthy of honest storytelling. Josemaria also claimed that ordinary people were quite capable of being saints – and I think this kind of heroic forgiveness is what he was talking about….(it is) what offers room for hope. But the price is high: It takes a deep sense of what it is to be fully human…and, yes, heroic resolve not to be caught up in prevailing hatreds, but to fight them with unremitting love.” (www.mercatornet.com/sheila_liaugminas/view/8815/)

Read the entire article here.

There Be Dragons: Joffe confirms his greatness as an intense and profound director of the highest quality

By Austen Ivereigh

In an era of ideological conformity the founder of Opus Dei had the courage to tell people to think for themselves, and like Nelson Mandela in South Africa brought healing to Spain, the British film director Roland Joffé told an audience at the Vatican last night.

Presenting There Be Dragons at a private screening of 150 Vatican officials, he said St Josemaría Escrivá – one of the central characters in the movie, which opens Friday in Spain – “answered the question that his time gave him, which is that when politics was industrialising and the world was splitting into rigid opposing camps a young priest stood up in Spain and refused to condemn.”

The movie is set against the background of the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) which left half a million dead and continues to divide Spain. In it the young Fr Escrivá tells his followers in the newly-created Opus Dei that they must forgive and not take sides – even against those who are wrong.

In this way, said Joffé, “Josemaría extended what I would call the warm embrace of the Church to people who weren’t Christian as well … We are all in this world together. That was an extraordinary thing to do, and the power of that message I think is extraordinary and relevant to us.”

Among the audience at the Pontifical North-American College were 11 cardinals, eight bishops, 14 monsignori, and 24 ambassadors, as well as representatives from movements such as Focolare and Sant’Egidio with Jesuits, Franciscans and Dominicans.

Also in the audience were the writer and director Susanna Tamaro and the film composer Ennio Morricone, who composed the theme to one of Joffé’s 1980s epics, The Mission.

After the screening, Morricone said: “With this film Roland Joffe confirms his greatness as an intense and profound director of the highest quality".

Tamaro described the film as “powerful, very well filmed, and dramatically very effective”. By choosing to tell the story of opposing paths taken by two childhood friends, Joffé “brings out the importance of freedom which God gave us to try to reduce the power of evil in the world”.

Tamaro added that the film had the power “to do great good for the new generations deprived of great figures to admire and emulate”.

Joffé told them “it would be wonderful” if There Be Dragons, which premieres tomorrow evening in Madrid and goes on release in Spain Friday, helped the 21st century to be seen as “the century of reconciliation”, in which “we began once again to discover our innate humanity that exists in all of us” and to heal the wounds of the 20th century wars.

He added: “It’s wonderful that President Mandela was capable of doing that in South
Africa, and it’s wonderful to me that Josemaría Escrivá as a young man fought for the importance of that, and carried the Christian message in such a remarkable way that I who am, I confess, a rather wishy-washy agnostic, found myself standing in total admiration and driven to want to do my best for this movie.”

Read the rest of the article here.

There Be Dragons: You will not regret seeing this film. Not one tiny bit

By Marcel LeJeune, MTS

I am currently at the Theology of the Body Congress in Philadelphia. It is a gathering of many who believe in the power of the message of John Paul II's Theology of the Body. There are some real influential movers and shakers here including academics, leaders, catechists, priests, religious, bishops, laity, etc. from around the country and more than a dozen countries.

We were privileged to get see the first screening of There Be Dragons outside of LA tonight. It is a new movie which will be released in theaters this fall. It is a major motion picture and is currently in post-production, so we saw an unfinished version of the movie. Because of a confidentiality agreement, I can't give details, but suffice it to say - this one isn't your run-of-the-mill "Catholic" film that doesn't have the budget to put together a nice production. Rather, it is a major motion picture with a message for us all.

The film is based upon the life of St. Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei (who, if you aren't familiar with him - he is a rock star of a Saint you need to get to know). It really brought St. Josemaria alive for me in a new way. It moved me. Once I am able, I will give details about the film. But, you should know this - you will not regret seeing this film. Not one tiny bit.

Roland Joffe is the director of the film. He also directed one of my favorite films of all time - The Mission - as well as The Killing Fields. He was nominated for the Oscar for best director for both films. He is top-notch and There Be Dragons nears the same level of film making.

More about the film from a recent press release:

New major motion film reflects on the life of Opus Dei founder, St. Josemaría Escrivá

View a trailer at www.ThereBeDragonsFilm.com

Hollywood, CA, July 28— Academy Award nominated director Roland Joffé returns to Hollywood with an epic film that explores the nature of humanity in his latest movie “There Be Dragons.” The famed director of the deeply Catholic film “The Mission” returns to a spiritual plot in his latest film, a powerful story of forgiveness and reconciliation woven around the figure of St. Josemaría Escrivá during the Spanish republic and Civil War in the mid 1930s. The film combines action, adventure, passion and romance with the extraordinary drama of human tragedy and Divine redemption.

Recently, more than 68 million Catholics in the United States and more than 1 billion around the world marked the feast day of St. Josemaría Escrivá, the founder of Opus Dei. Without question, this controversial religious organization and the entire Catholic Church have been the subjects of much criticism and conspiracies. Yet, even during these challenging times, the life of this intriguing Catholic figure has inspired the making of a $35 million major motion picture.

Immersed in God: Josemaria Escriva, Founder of Opus Dei As Seen by His Successor, Bishop Alvaro Del Portillo

In The Best SEO Checklist

This book is well worth its price. It brings to life Blessed Josemaria Escriva through the eyes of the man who was at his side for over 40 years. When reading the writings of Escriva one feels that they are indeed pious things to reach for, but this book shows that Escriva actually practiced what he preached.

How apt the title of the work is: Immersed in God. It paints a true picture of who Escriva was. Everything that he did, he referred to God. When reading this book you will discover this. When they had games to guess a number in the Father’s head, it would always be either 3 or a multiplication of 3, in honor of the Holy Trinity. When he used to read the newspaper, he would be praying for all the people and events to the Lord. When he would greet someone he would first mentally greet his or her guardian angel. He would always give up a better seat for someone else. He was a man who used every moment of his life as a sacrifice to offer to God. He was indeed a saint-he is the definition of one. Read this work--you will find yourself imitating him.

The First Priest of Xavier School

Interview with Fr. Jimmy Liao, Xavier School, posted 14-Jun-2005 8:20 AM

Fr. Jimmy Liao was the first Xaverian who became a priest. He graduated from Xavier School in 1966 and pursued BS Commerce in Accounting in De La Salle University. Then, he became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in 1970. Even though he had great qualifications in the field of Business, he still decided to follow his vocation and join the priesthood. He was ordained to the priesthood in Madrid , Spain in 1977, and soon after, he enrolled in the Doctorate in Sacred Theology program of the Universidad de Navarra in 1979 soon after his ordination.

What lessons, if any, did you absorb from Xavier School? I can never repay Xavier School for inculcating in me: seriousness in studies, religious piety, and service to others. I always remember Xavier’s motto: “Luceat Lux”, to let the light shine, specially the light of faith. The Jesuit formation values not only reason and logic, but also fosters high ideals.

As a priest for almost 30 years, are you happy with your vocation? Definitely very happy, with no regrets to being a servant of God.

How does your schooling in Xavier influence you to be a priest, if I may ask?

I would say that Xavier School prepared the ground for me to receive a vocation. The seed of the vocation to Opus Dei, a Personal Prelature composed of lay people and secular priests, was planted when I was at La Salle . My training and work as a CPA gave me a perspective to pursue spiritual bookkeeping and come up with income statements that show a spiritual profit. Material profits are transitory and ephemeral, while spiritual profit is lasting and forever. Material profits can never be equal to the spiritual profit of closeness to God.

What are your fondest memories of Xavier School? Fr Louis Papilla and the Sodality. Fr Papilla touched my life quite profoundly. In fact he was the one who endorsed me to be a scholar at La Salle , where I was introduced by a Xaverian classmate, Tony Chua, to Opus Dei’s activities and eventually joined it as a Numerary lay member in 1968.

What is your thought on minimizing conflicts between Islam and Christianity? I am not a deep thinker. But for my two cent’s worth, my opinion is: Love each other as I (Jesus) love you. Fr Rafael Cortina told one of our classmates that a Xaverian, a medical doctor and also a deacon of the United Evangelical Church, could be considered a good Christian since he visited quite often the Jesuit priests who were sometimes sick in the Jesuit House. This type of behavior of Christian love will certainly reduce conflicts among religions.

Off the record, how do you react as a priest to temptations of the flesh? Prayer, mortification, apostolic zeal and hard work. I remember what Fr Daniel Clifford advised us sometime in 1965 during Religion class: “For 1 minute of pleasure, why should you sacrifice eternity?” I would modify the above: For 1 minute of pleasure, is the risk worth it?

Given that all those belonging to batch 66 are likely in the age range of 5:30 , what advices can you give for them to face depression and mortality? I myself am already 56 years old. Another 10, 20 or 30 years, either I will be attending funerals of other classmates or my classmates will be attending my funeral. Life is short. Jesus died because of love for others. Some people died for money. Others for fame. Even not a few died without knowing why. How about dying for love? Given the shortness of life, my 1 peso worth of opinion: 1) What you do now, ask yourself: when you stand in the eternity of time, would you do it? This viewpoint of eternity of time will change one’s perspective, values and decisions; 2) I strongly recommend doing physical exercises to promote blood circulation, and also to protect the temple of God .

When you decided to become a priest, how did you handle the objections of your parents? Though they did object to my vocation, I prayed very hard and stayed firm in my decision. I missed their presence on the day of my ordination in Spain in 1977. Soon after, through the dealings of some Opus Dei members with them, my parents came to understand my calling and appreciate it a lot. In fact, my late father began to take up catechism classes and, upon my return from Spain in 1979, I baptized him with the name of Josemaria, as a sign of my devotion and gratitude to St. Josemaria Escriva, Founder of Opus Dei.



Pastoral Ministry of Father Jimmy Liao

1977-79 Chaplain of Club Indar, Vitoria ( Spain ) while pursuing Masteral and Doctorate studies in Pamplona; 1979-81 Chaplain of Samar Study Center , Q.C., Philippines; 1981-85 Chaplain of Shiu Fai Cultural Center, Hong Kong; 1985-91 Chaplain of Cheng Jung Study Center , Taipei ( Taiwan ); Spiritual Director of Taipei Minor Seminary ( Taiwan ); 1991-96 Chaplain of Samar Study Center , Q.C., Philippines; 1996-2003 Chaplain of Tak Sun Kindergarten and Primary School, Hong Kong; 2003-2006 Chaplain of Heshan University; Residence, Taipei ( Taiwan; Professor/Spiritual Director of Taiwan; Regional Major Seminary, Taipei ( Taiwan ); 2006 - Present Chaplain, Stella Orientis Chapel, University of Asia and the Pacific, Pasig, Philippines

We have a Father. We must not forget it

By Bishop Finn

Dear Friends,

Once again we come together in praise and thanks to God on this Feast of St. Josemaria Escriva, to thank God for the prayers and example of this simple priest – a man of our own time, who nonetheless is a saint for all ages.

I know that one of the primary things that has attracted me to St. Josemaria is his humble devotion, his fidelity to the Church at a time when there was much upheaval, and his simple plan to help us see all of our most everyday tasks and efforts, our daily work, as a path to holiness.

You know so well, you who have read the Way, the Furrow, the Forge, that these little bits of sage wisdom – always consonant with the Gospel, represent a thousand little ways to holiness in the midst of the world. St. Josemaria, as a young priest, prayed fervently, “ut videam!,” Lord, that I may see! And he was given such a profound God’s-eye view of the way that ordinary men and women, lay faithful, family men and women, and diocesan priests as well, could be holy in accord with God’s plan: not by leaving the world but precisely by living close to God in the world – and offering all that happens, and all they do as a gift to God for the end of sanctification.

The unique insight of our saint was that he knew quickly and with a supernatural resolution that all were called to holiness. We need not go to a monastery – though some may indeed be called by God to go there. We need not become ordained, though we ought not resist if God calls us to the clerical state. We can reach heaven surely and safely by being contemplatives in the middle of the world. This is so important because, in fact it is the vocation of probably 95% of humanity!

Yes, understandably we give a lot of prayer and attention to the vocations of priesthood and consecrated life. Please don’t stop praying for these vocations. But what is God’s plan for the spiritual transformation of the world? It is for all of us to live a way, a path, a ‘plan of life’ which constantly reminds us of God’s presence, steeps us in prayer, many small mortifications and loving sacrifices, interior conversion, sound direction, growth in virtue, life of the Sacraments, good reading of Sacred Scripture and other holy books.

Emblematic of the simplicity and depth of St. Josemaria’s vision for holiness is the truth that God is our Father. You recall perhaps the story of St. Josemaria, traveling on the streetcar after a long day with many challenges,

“In mid-October, 1931, while in a streetcar ‘I felt the action of God, bringing forth in my heart and on my lips, with the force of something imperatively necessary, this tender invocation: Abba! Pater! (‘Abba! Father!’). Probably I made that prayer out loud. And I walked the streets of Madrid for maybe an hour, maybe two, I can’t say; time passed without my being aware of it. People must have thought I was crazy. I was contemplating, with lights that were not mine, that amazing truth. It was like a lighted coal burning in my soul, never to be extinguished.’”

Dear friends, Jesus, of course, gave this to the world. One of His greatest revelations was that He has a Father, and that we can call Him “Our Father.” But in this moment the power of this light struck the Founder, and He could never be the same. But this truth is not for a few. It is for all the sons and daughters. It is for you and me. WE have a Father. We must never forget it. We must, again and again, surrender ourselves onto His lap, into His arms.

One of the virtues that St. Josemaria talks about frequently is “naturalness.” It is not exactly in St. Thomas Aquinas’ list of virtues, but it is a combination of humility and joy, detachment and generosity. We should live and work within the world, not thinking it evil, but desiring to make it holy. We don’t want or need any extravagant things, but always beautiful and well-ordered. We don’t cultivate any idiosyncrasies. We don’t want to appear odd or flamboyant. We are just quietly at home in doing our work, in caring for others’ needs, in reaching out in apostolate, in being cheerful and not giving in to self-pity or sadness.

Think about how you can grow in this virtue of naturalness so that God can use you without drawing any attention to yourself. In our holiness we must have zeal and piety, but never in such a way that we want to draw attention to our self. We are, as St. Josemaria said, Like God’s donkey, quietly pulling the load and doing the work.

Pope Benedict has used this same image in the bear tamed by St. Corbinian. An ancient tradition tells that the first Bishop of Freising, St Corbinian (died in 730), set out for Rome on horseback. While riding through a forest he was attacked by a bear that tore his horse to pieces. Corbinian not only managed to tame the animal but also to make it carry his baggage to Rome. Bishop Joseph Ratzinger placed this image on his coat of arms, saying he himself was that bear. The pack saddle is the burden of his Episcopate. You and I must be willing to carry the load for love of God and love of the Church. We are God’s pack animals, his donkey, St. Corbinian’s bear.

Our gathering for Holy Mass this morning is a joyful praise to God for a Godly man who taught so many everyday folks a way to work for God. His name “Josemaria” makes us think of the Holy Family, Joseph and Mary, who, in obedience to God’s plan, made a home for the Savior of the world. With the prayers of Mary and Joseph and of our patron St. Josemaria Escriva, may we persevere in whatever God asks of us. Let us renew our joy in doing always the Work of God.

St. Josemaria, pray for us!

Saint of ordinary life

By Eric Sammons in The Divine Life: Why We Were Created. Eric began his study of the Catholic faith in 1991 as an Evangelical Protestant, converting to the Catholic Church in 1993. He serves as head of evangelization at St. John Neumann parish in Gaithersburg, MD, and is cofounder of Little Flowers Foundation, a non-profit whose mission is to assist Catholic families seeking to adopt children with special-needs.

June 26th is the feast of St. Josemaría Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei. St. Josemaría died on June 26th, 1975 (thus making him the most recently deceased canonized saint) and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002.

St. Josemaría is of course best known for founding Opus Dei, but paradoxically that fact has in some ways worked to make him less well-known among “ordinary” Catholics, the very people he was most trying to reach. In my experience, many Catholics seem to think that you have to be a member of Opus Dei to have a devotion to St. Josemaría, or that you have to support every single thing Opus Dei has ever done. But the truth is that St. Josemaría is a wonderful teacher for all Catholics, and his teachings and spirituality are perfectly suited for Catholics of all stripes.

The reason St. Josemaría is a great saint for today is that he calls us to strive for holiness in the midst of the modern world. Forty years before Vatican II declared a universal call to holiness, St. Josemaría was preaching this belief throughout Spain, insisting that every man and woman can become holy in – and through – everyday, ordinary life. I am not a member of Opus Dei, but I have found his teachings and spirituality to be quite helpful in my own pursuit of holiness and I encourage everyone to learn more about this great modern Saint.

I am currently in the preliminary stages of writing a book about St. Josemaría and his spirituality that is intended to be directed towards non-Opus Dei members.

Escriva's Legacy to Opus Dei and to the World

By Prof. Bro. Dave Ceasar Dela Cruz, CCS in νέος λειτουργοὺς.

Liturgy is the source and summit of Christian life, it also points to the life of the Church. Spirituality is always rooted in the liturgy.

Saint Josemaria, during his priestly ministry, celebrated the liturgy in the most perfect way he can. He believed that when we celebrate liturgy, the spirituality of a Christian is enriched so that his life may be patterned on how the Church worship... perfect, holy - just as our Father in heaven is perfect and holy.

Many criticized the liturgical celebrations of the prelature as if they are so conservative or traditional. I can say, "hahaha". They may be conservative to the point that they really follow the liturgical norms. Traditional because they do what they already practiced before in their own local Church.

Opus Dei preserved the beauty and sanctity of the liturgy in the very best way we can. This is a challenge for the local Church and in every parishes.

If you will attend liturgical celebrations of the prelature, you can say that Christ is present because the liturgy is so solemn and perfect because Christ himself solemnly work on our lives and makes perfect everything on earth for the glorification of the Father. How I wish that every liturgical celebration be like that in our diocese and in our country.

Another thing I want to point out is their love for the beauty of the vessels and vestments. Our professors in liturgy, my classmate priest during his homily on the 1st Mass of a new priest of their order, and even some liturgical authors professed that the beauty of the vessels and of the vestments reflects the dignity and beauty of the liturgy and of the sacraments which they received.

I remember one time in my former work place, I pity all the sacred vessels because they are rusted and dirty... Never ever I used such vessels. The vestments, Oh my! Horrible! In every major celebrations of the institute were I work before, I tried to brought out every collections of antique vestments and vessels in my house for the use of the celebration. In every liturgical celebration, you teach the people on the beauty of the liturgy on earth that reflects the liturgy in heaven! Much more with the kids, while they are young, let them see beauty of the liturgy for it is the foretaste of heaven on earth!

Now that I am moving to my new and own house, one room is dedicated to be an oratory for my private use and for visitors of the office of the Vice Postulation. I really made a point that everything in the oratory be perfect and beautiful. It doesn't only reflect my love for liturgy, being a liturgist, but the presence of the perfect and holy God when I pray the liturgical prayers...

The Prelature of the Opus Dei and of the Holy Cross and the whole Christendom will celebrate the feast of Saint Josemaria on Saturday, June 26. I am very grateful for the spirituality that El Padre taught me through my spiritual fathers of the prelature. Never ever will I abandoned the teachings of El Padre for I knew his great love for the Church, the love that led him to sufferings, trials, and misunderstanding as a way of purification.

May Saint Josemaria be an inspiration for us all!

Bo Sanchez: A story that inspired me so much

By Bo Sanchez

Let me tell you a story that inspired me so much.

One day, Lina wasn’t feeling well.

When she went to the doctor, they diagnosed her to have an acute rheumatic heart disease. Her heart valves were damaged so much, she needed an immediate heart surgery.

After what appeared to be a successful operation, she woke up with a terrible headache.

Thinking it was just an effect of the anesthesia, the doctors gave her oral pain killers. But the pain didn’t stop. The doctors gave her injectable pain relievers but they didn’t work too.

The headache persisted. This worried her doctors and ordered her to have a cranial MRI to find out what was causing the pain.

To the horror of her family, the doctors found a tumor in her brain.

Imagine this: After her open-heart surgery, Lina went home to prepare for a brain surgery!

Through all this time, Liza told me how much she prayed for her sister Lina. Her sister, Liza, texted all 500 names in her cell phone. She asked her friends in Opus Dei to ask for the intercession of Jose Maria Escriva.

Soon, Lina went back to the hospital to check if her heart was strong enough for a brain surgery. As she was being prepared for the operation, she noticed that she no longer had headaches.

On the day of the operation, doctors performed a few more tests and MRI’s. The operation was scheduled to start at 7am. But at 9am, the operation had not yet begun. “There are some complications,” the doctors explained to the family.

After lunch, the doctors called the family to tell them that all the tests showed that the tumor had disappeared! They couldn’t explain it. There was no need for an operation.

Ex-protestant ordained minister (a woman) attends Mass in honor of St. Josemaria

I read this post by Sandy Marshall, a convert to the Catholic Church, who was formerly an ordained minister in protestant churches. She converted along with her husband and daughter. She said that they "remain blissfully happy with our move."

The first paragraph of her post reads:

On Saturday, we attended a Mass at Christ the King parish. The mass was offered in honor of Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei. Bishop Kevin Farrel presided and preached with a dignity that could not mask his passion for this remarkable man. The music was exquisite, the interior of the building lovely, and all told it was a glorious morning. Because it was the 5th anniversary of our coming into the church, the mass had a particular significance for us, which we later remarked upon around the dinner table with friends.

Read the rest of her blog here.

The Little Football Team that Could

In News Today

“I-think-I can, I-think-I-can,” puffed the little train as it labored with all its might, pulling up a mountain the load that other, bigger engines had refused. We all know the happy ending to the popular children’s tale, “The Little Engine that Could,” a story often used to teach the virtues of hard work and optimism in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. A similar story with a modern twist might be called “The Little Football Team that Could.”

On April 17, 2010, the Western Visayas Elementary Football squad led by Westbridge players RR Portigo – Team Captain, Carlo Dalisay, Lord Irvin Jimena, Migui Chavez, Paolo Divinagracia, John Palacios, Michael Inocencio and Andro Untal, together with Jekar Sullano, Jesse Dianala and Exiamirum Sierra, Jonas Oren, Paul Bernil, Charlone Lapating and Robert Supremo from various schools in the region, won the coveted Palarong Pambansa Championship in Tarlac, beating out NCR 3-0 in the finals.

The victory becomes even sweeter when one realizes that Westbridge is a school with only 147 students in its elementary department, has no athletic scholarships, and runs a very limited budget for its football team. The championship comes at the end of a long road of dedicated practice by the students, determined support by the parents, incessant value-formation by the school, and relentless training by Westbridge Coach Armand Heria.

Even more notable is the team’s composition, which includes several honor students, some student government officers, and a multi-awarded singer in interschool events. Academic and extra-curricular demands did not stop them from attending arduous practice rain or shine, vacation or no vacation. As the students gave their all in practice, the championship caravan of supportive parents followed with food, energy drinks and even tents to out-of-town games, and raising funds for tournaments in Manila and Bacolod.

Team Captain Renz Richard Portigo with his proud parents, Dr. Ric and Tina.
Team Captain Renz Richard Portigo with his proud parents, Dr. Ric and Tina.
The school, too, living up to its motto, “Duc in Altum” – Launch Out into the Deep”, entered its fledgling footballers in tournaments with soccer powerhouses like Barotac-Tamasak and the Makati Football Club.

Never mind the losses, the team was told, the important thing was to try hard and do your best, echoing the sporting determination encouraged by St. Josemaria Escriva, patron of Paref-Westbridge. At the same time they were reminded to give due importance to academics and other pursuits that would further develop their personalities. Recognizing the valuable attitudes of the boys, their parents, and the school, Coach Armand was confident in setting high standards of discipline and training, standards high enough to extract the team’s potential and win them a championship.

And win they did. The team, composed first won the Mayor’s Cup trophies. Next came the PRISAA wins: three in a row. Their wins against Barotac, something unthinkable a few years ago were followed by the Mizuno Cup top spot. Their quest led to the Palarong Pambansa Championship, and ultimately the gold.

Perhaps the Westbridge victory can be best described in the words of Italian soccer coach Giovanni Trapattoni: “Josemaria Escriva has taught many athletes that their efforts in training and in competition, their companionship with team-mates, their esteem for their opponents, their humility in victory and good spirit in defeat, are a specific path for reaching God and for serving others.”

Well done.

If Mass is boring

Interview with the Prelate of Opus Dei by Jesus Colina of Zenit

Holy Mass is about love, reminds Bishop Javier Echevarría Rodríguez, prelate of Opus Dei, when asked for advice for those who are sometimes bored by the Eucharistic celebration.

Bishop Echevarría, who together with Bishop Alvaro del Portillo was the person closest to St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, has dedicated his latest book, "Living the Holy Mass," to this sacrament.

Bishop Echevarría is a member of the Vatican's Congregation for Saints' Causes and the Supreme Court of the Apostolic Signature; he is a consultor for the Congregation for the Clergy and an honorary member of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas. His book is an attempt to rediscover love for the Eucharist, "which must be the center of our life," he explains in this interview with ZENIT.

ZENIT: What would you recommend to Catholics who say they are bored at Mass?

Bishop Echevarría: I would recommend that they participate with sincerity in the Mass, seeking and loving Jesus. In "The Way," St. Josemaría wrote: "You say the Mass is long and, I add, because your love is short."

Feelings must not be given too much importance: enthusiasm or apathy, desire or lack of it. The Mass is sacrifice: Christ gives himself out of love. It is an action of God and we cannot fully understand its grandeur, because of our limited condition as creatures. But we must make the effort, not only to be at Mass, but to live it in union with Christ and the Church.

ZENIT: When did you discover the mystery that the Eucharist conceals and reveals?

Bishop Echevarría: Thank God, I try to rediscover it every day: in the Liturgy of the Word -- which helps to maintain conversation with God during the day -- and in the Eucharistic liturgy. We should always be ever more astonished before this reality that surpasses us, but in which the Lord allows us to participate, better said, invites us to participate.

In the Mass, not only is a descendent communication of the redeeming gift of God fulfilled, but also an ascendant mediation, man's offering of himself to God: his work, his sufferings, his griefs and his joys, everything is united to Christ -- through him, with him and in him. I cannot be silent about the deep impact that St. Josemaría made on me when he celebrated the Holy Sacrifice, on contemplating his daily Eucharistic devotion.

It profoundly moves us to think that in the presentation of the gifts, the priest asks God to accept the bread and wine, which are "fruit of the earth (or of the vine) and the work of men." Man can offer his work in any circumstance to God, but in the Mass, that offer reaches its full meaning and value, because Christ unites it to his sacrifice, which he offers to the Father for the salvation of men.

When the Mass is the center and root of the Christian's day, when all his tasks are oriented to the Eucharistic sacrifice, it can be affirmed that his whole day is a Mass and that his place of work is an altar, where he gives himself fully to God as his beloved son.

ZENIT: In his pontificate, Benedict XVI is stimulating a rediscovery of the enormity of this sacrament. What has most caught your attention in the words and gestures of the Pope on the Eucharist?

Bishop Echevarría: Especially important, it seems to me at this time, is his insistence that the liturgy is God's action and, as such, it is received in the continuity of the Church.

The Pope has written that the best catechesis on the Eucharist is the Eucharist itself well celebrated. Therefore, the first duty of piety for the priest that celebrates or for the faithful that participate in the Mass is the attentive, devout observance of the liturgical prescriptions: the obedience of pietas.

Moreover, the Pope also insists that the Eucharist is the heart of the Church: God present on the altar, the close God, builds the Church, congregates the faithful and sends them to all men.

ZENIT: Something more personal. According to your memories, what was the Eucharist for St. Josemaría? What role did it have in his day?

Bishop Echevarría: I served Mass many times for St. Josemaría. At these times he would ask me to pray so that he would not get used to celebrating that very sublime and sacred act. In effect, I was able to verify something he once said: that he experienced the Mass as work -- at times an extenuating effort, such was the intensity with which he lived it.

Throughout the day, he would recall the texts he had read, in particular the Gospel, and many times he commented on it, in a perfectly ordinary tone, as food for his spiritual and human life.

He was conscious of the fact that in the Mass the protagonist is Jesus Christ, not the minister, and that the faithful fulfillment of the prescriptions enables the priest to "disappear," so that Jesus alone shines. Many people who attended his Mass -- also in the difficult circumstances of the Spanish Civil War -- commented later that his way of celebrating Mass had something that moved them profoundly, and that they felt invited to grow in their devotion to the Holy Sacrifice. I am convinced that what moved those who participated -- those of us who participated -- in his Mass was precisely that: that he let Christ appear and not his person.

Showing the real story in Africa

By Rome Reports

Africa continues to be an unknown territory for many. Not only for those who visit it’s deep jungles or it’s deserts. Even those who read the headlines daily don’t get the full grasp of the reality on the continent.

Harambee, an NGO, says the media rarely tells the full story on Africa. In an effort to change that, it’s established the 'Communicating Africa' award, which offers professional audiovisual journalists a challenge.

Rosalinda Corbi
International Coordinator of Harambee Africa International Onlus
“It’s about recognizing Africa through a news report. The award has two categories, one for western journalists an another for African journalists. Each one can tell their own story about Africa according to their point of view.”

It’s an award for journalists to shed some light on the rich untold stories about the history of this continent. It’s not about giving a naive or simplistic view of Africa, but instead an effort to show that even in a place ravaged by war and hunger there is also hope and there’s the earnest work of many organizations.

That’s why the prize is just the tip of the iceberg and Harambee wants to gradually change the bias about the continent with as great expectations as its people.

This NGO came to be out of donations that were collected for the canonization in 2002 of Saint Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei. Since then Harambee has been dedicated to African development.

So far it’s financed more than one and half million euros 28 projects in 14 African countries. One way of providing a small contribution for development of the continent, is by focusing on the education of children.

Giovanni Mottini
President of Harambee Africa International Onlus
“We’re convinced that education is a priority to Africa because in about 10 or 15 years today’s kids will the future of these countries. Among them will be those who will be responsible for making the tough decision in these countries. That’s why education is our priority.”

Harambee means, “all together” in Swahili and it illustrates exactly what Africa needs and the nature of this organization. All together, for a continent that has so much to show the world.

Opus Dei: A Call to Holiness for Everyone

By Derrick Flannigan, of Washington, Missouri, who teaches music and theology. 8 March 2010

During this Lenten season, we are inclined to look at our lives and ask how we can better serve Our Lord and others by means of daily sacrifice. For some this may mean giving up chocolate or deciding to pray the Holy Rosary each day. But how are we to approach the spiritual life after these forty days in the desert? Are we to simply go back to our old habits?

These questions have lead me to the writings and work St. Josemaria Escriva, the "founder" of Opus Dei. Although this organization has been criticized in recent years, Opus Dei has helped members both in and outside of the Catholic Church to experience a life of virtue while living in society. Escriva is known for admitting that he did not begin Opus Dei ("work of God") saying, "I did not invent anything; another is acting and I am merely ready to serve [God] as an instrument". The essence of Opus Dei is to assist people in experiencing God in their work, study, family life and ecclesial worship.

After first encountering Opus Dei, I thought it was most likely started after the Second Vatican Council. However, Opus Dei was started in 1928 and actually was under scrutiny by many in the Church. Today Opus Dei is a personal prelature of the Church and has study centers throughout the world. By helping the faith to live lives of holiness, Opus Dei is ultimately fulfilling what the Council called all to: become holy...become saints! Anyone who has read Lumen Gentium knows that the Church calls all to holiness, not just priests and religious. And this is exactly what Escriva saw the need for when he "began" the Work!

Escriva challenges everyday Christians to live a life of heroic virtue. This type of virtue is one in which we strive to encounter Christ in our daily lives and are faithful to Him. Many of us won't be great saints in the Church, but we're all called to holiness, to live our faith the best we can and see Christ in others! I love the description that our current Pope Benedict XVI gave when commenting on Opus Dei: "Heroic virtue does not mean that the saint works out a 'gymnastics' of holiness that ordinary people could not tackle. It means, instead, that God's presence is revealed in the life of a person; it is revealed when the person could do nothing by himself or for himself" (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, 9 Oct 2002: L'Osservatore Romano, page 3)

It's clear that we cannot do anything good without God. It's also clear that we have been called by God! Because of this call we can be sure that Our Lord will give us the gifts necessary to do His will and truly live a life of holiness. The primary gifts of Our Lord are the Sacraments, the means of grace for mankind! How often do we fail to remember that Our Lord gives of Himself freely in these seven gifts. We must strive to use such gifts for the good of our souls and those around us! Our Lord is waiting for us to respond...He wants to do so much good by means of us...let us go to Him!

And so, after prayer and reflection, I hope to pursue a vocation with Opus Dei, striving to learn from St. Josemaria Escriva practical ways to serve Our Lord and encounter Him as a theology teacher, son, brother, uncle, boyfriend, colleague and friend. Please pray for me as I begin this journey, which will begin this evening with my first session of spiritual direction with a priest of Opus Dei and an "Evening of Recollection" with other men of Opus Dei! Thank you for your prayers and for responding to God's call to holiness!

St. Josemaria Escriva is one of my son’s patron saints

By Jennifer Gregory Miller in Family in Feria and Feast

St. Josemaria Escriva is one of my son’s patron saints. We named him after this saint in thanksgiving to St. Josemaria. In 2002 we made a pilgrimage to Rome for the canonization of Josemaria with the intention of having a child, as we were having difficulties getting pregnant. The next year our son was born, so in thanksgiving his middle name is a form of Josemaria.

Dh and I have told him this story over and over again, and include our “St. Josemaria, pray for us!” every evening in our night prayer. Now at the ripe old age of 4 1/2 our son has totally embraced this saint. And although it’s been really busy this month with many a feast passing by with just a few words and prayers, we are definitely celebrating this nameday.

This site on St. Josemaria has a section for young readers (see sidebar), with this link going a nice short biography. There are also recommendations for reading.

Through the Mountains is the first book we read together. It’s in comic book format, but a very detailed presentation of St. Josemaria’s life. We all learned so much about him reading this every night to our son. Some of the materials was over his head, but he wanted to read it all, so we read it in small chunks every night. We had many discussions stemming from the book.

Our current read-aloud is Yes! The Life of Josemaria Escriva for Young Readers. This is better for younger readers (or listeners). I believe this is a translation into English from another language, as there are some awkward phrasing and several typos. But my son really, really loves it, because it really is detailed on his early years in his family life and has lovely illustrations.

I didn’t realize how much this book was making an impression on him until the last two nights. As I was reading one of the chapters, my son starting talking out loud. I paused and asked if he wanted to continue, and he replied, “Yes, I was just praying.”

I didn’t think much about that until tonight when we said our night prayers together as a family. Our usual prayers are Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Angel of God and invocations to saints, and then spontaneous prayer which include prayer requests and going over the day. When we got to the Hail Mary, ds said we need to say 3 Hail Marys and then led them.

I was puzzled as to where he got this idea of adding the two extra Hail Marys, so after prayers I asked him. He said “We’re praying three Hail Marys to the Virgin Mary, like St. Josemaria’s family did!” And then I remembered that we read that chapter of Josemaria’s family prayer the night before.

It impresses me how absorbent a child is. I have never said explicitly that we read about saints to imitate them. And yet, how easily my son was inspired and made his own decision to imitate his patron saint.

We will be attending a special Mass in honor of St. Josemaria Thursday evening. I know it will be a little difficult due to usual bedtime routine, so I pray St. Josemaria will help the boys (and Mommy!)

And although the suggested feast day food is crespillos (see bottom of page), the recipe doesn’t fit our food allergy needs (nor, I admit, our tastebuds. Fried sweetened spinach?). So I am making allergy safe brownies for dessert, and we have a special favorite cereal for breakfast.

St. Josemaria’s teachings are simple and straightforward, but so helpful for me. Everyone is called to be a saint, echoing Vatican II’s “Universal Call to Holiness” — even lay people are called to be holy and become saints. And in our ordinary daily lives we must have a sanctification of our work.

“Since 1928 I have understood clearly that God wants our Lord’s whole life to be an example for Christians. I saw this with special reference to his hidden life, the years he spent working side by side with ordinary men. Our Lord wants many people to ratify their vocation during years of quiet, unspectacular living.”

The ordinary Christian can seek holiness in and through the ordinary circumstances of life. “Ordinary life can be holy and full of God.” And in everyday life, the Christian practices all these virtues: faith, hope and charity, and the human virtues – generosity, industriousness, justice, loyalty, cheerfulness, sincerity, and so on. In practising these virtues, a Christian imitates Jesus Christ. “The Supernatural value of our life does not depend on accomplishing great undertakings suggested to us by our overactive imagination. Rather it is to be found in the faithful acceptance of God’s will, in welcoming generously the opportunities for small, daily sacrifice.”

For the majority of Christians, marriage and the family are among the things upon which sanctity should be built, and should thus be given a Christian dimension. “For a Christian, marriage is not just a social institution, much less a mere remedy for human weakness. It is a supernatural calling.”

I forgot I had written these posts.

And I’ll close with my favorite prayer to the Holy Spirit written by St. Josemaria:

Come, O Holy Spirit:
enlighten my understanding
to know your commands;
strengthen my heart
against the wiles of the enemy;
inflame my will…
I have heard your voice,
and I don’t want to harden
my heart by resisting,
by saying ‘later…tomorrow.”
Nunc coepi! Now!
Lest there be no tomorrow for me!
O, Spirit of truth and wisdom,
Spirit of understanding and counsel,
Spirit of joy and peace!
I want what you want,
I want it because you want it,
I want it as you want it,
I want it when you want it.