Opus Dei: Mental prayer

This is Chapter 10 of Dominie Stemp's narrative on her journey in Opus Dei written in her blog. You can find Chapter 1 here.

The mental prayer 'norm' is 2nd on the list (I am doing the norms in the order with which they are read out in the weekly circle).

The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church no. 534 says

"Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God....."

Of all the norms - this I find the hardest of all because it demands a great deal of mental gymnastics - and requires one to think. But it is absolutely necessary to pray daily - and as Pope Francis said recently - if you don't pray - you pray to the devil! How many times has this Holy Father mentioned the devil? - I have lost count! He did what appeared to be an impromptu exorcism on Pentecost Sunday - on a man with 4 evil spirits. Well he is the Pope after all! Our Lord gave his apostles power to do exorcisms and every diocese in the world has to have an exorcist.

But what did he mean though - that if we don't pray we pray to the devil? Because he likened the devil to worldly possessions and immoral behaviour. I think what he meant is that - if we don't pray to God, we love the world and everything it has to offer - which can lead us astray and into Satan's arms - sins of the flesh and all that!

The celibate members in Opus Dei (numeraries) and clergy are required to spend 1 hour in mental prayer daily - divided into 2 periods (ideally morning and afternoon).

The married members are supposed to do a minimum of half an hour daily - divided into 2 sessions. Flexibility is allowed though and sometimes I have to do half an hour in one go. If I know what's happening in my day - I can work out when to fit the mental prayer in. During school term-time it isn't a problem, because I can do some mental prayer before the mass begins. During school holidays I may only manage to do the prayer in the evening when my boy has gone to bed. Sometimes I do 10 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the afternoon. The goal for supernumeraries is to work up to the full hour, time and circumstances permitting.

What does one pray about? Well anything and everything! - God is there to listen to all your worries and concerns. You can pray about the Church, the sick, the poor, exams to sit, wayward children, lapsed Catholics, scandals to stop - God wants to know everything about you. You can also thank God for any good things that have happened and you can pray on behalf of others. Think of it as having a friendly conversation with our Creator. If you are angry at something or someone - tell Him! Sometimes you want to know if something you are doing is pleasing to God and you may want some concrete 'proof'. It may take a few days to get some 'sign' so you need to discern these things. That 'sign' can come through a person or an event perhaps. Discernment really is the key here.

In Opus Dei we are encouraged to take the day's Gospel to our prayer. A daily missal will help or any number of apps like "Evangelizo" have the daily mass readings. In the Gospel Our Lord speaks to us, although I must confess most of the time I don't know what Our Lord is saying to me when I read the Gospel. I think this is where Lectio Divina comes in - not that I have really tried that approach.

The other 'aids' to mental prayer are a series of 7 small books with a meditation for every day of the year. These are called "In Conversation with God" by Francis Fernandez. They are not supposed to be read like a novel - one is supposed to read them slowly and ponder the points. Other aids are 3 little books by St Josemaria - "The Way", "The Furrow" and "The Forge". These have 1000s of bullet points which act as 'triggers' to the brain - to get it praying!

So, there is no excuse NOT to pray. People say they have no time - but you can bet your bottom dollar they have time to watch some series on TV or watch sport. Everyone has time to pray.

What about praying while doing a physical activity? Well this is fine for say - walking the dog. But doing the ironing? You may end up burning the clothes! Ironing requires a certain amount of concentration so not a good idea to pray at the same time. Walking the dog - in a quiet field does not require too much concentration (unless there are sheep nearby and you have a terrier!).

What have you got to lose?

If God will give me another life to live on earth, I will be a numerary 30 times over

By mariano3 in Can I trust Opus Dei?

I am an African, a former numerary in Opus Dei.

I had crisis of vocation, common when you graduate from university really thinking out what to do in life, a period when one needs a lot of prayer and direction. My prayer life at that point was tepid. I was away from the centre on compulsory national service, hence not so much accessible for spiritual direction. Besides, looking back I realised I have not been very sincere to my directors over the years for them to truly understand my situation then to adequately help me. Somehow I lost this great vocation. I asked that I wanted to leave and there was no compulsion to stay. The door was wide open for me to leave. The truth is that its easier to leave Opus Dei than to join.

The greatest regret I have today is not being a numerary. Now I am married happily with two kids, I have just finished praying the three decades of rosary and seeking intercession of Blessed John Paul II, that God may grant my kids vocation to Opus Dei (my daily prayers).

If God will give me another life to live on earth, I will be a mumerary 30 times over. I am what I am today from the tremendous formation I have received from Opus Dei free of charge.

Read more in: http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2013/01/06/can-i-trust-opus-dei

Like any family, like the Church, it has sinners and jerks

By mmw in National Catholic Register

I love “the Work” and yes, that what it is often called on the “inside”. It is all about getting closer to God, hands down. Do people have bad experiences? Yes, sure, I did even back in college when I was stalked by a numerary. But you know what? I called my mom, who was in Opus Dei, and said this was out of control, and she called someone and next thing I know someone I knew as a child came to visit me at college and wanted to know what was happening. Long story short, the poor woman who was indeed stalking was moved out of college apostolate and the new woman who started visiting my University became the backbone of a thriving group that brought many people closer to God.

Opus Dei is like any family, it is like the Church, it has sinners and jerks and really holy people and a bunch of people who are trying really hard to do the right thing. They follow what the Church teaches, which is why I think some people who tend to affiliate with the “I’m more catholic than the pope” idea don’t like OD. I remember once being on retreat and the priest made an announcement before mass that the kneelers (customarily used for receiving) were not to be used because the Bishop has just declared that the norm for receiving communion was to be standing, so that’s what we were going to do. End of story, bishop is in charge.

Opus Dei also takes a lot of things seriously- liturgy, Humanae Vitae, the church’s teaching on homosexuality, that tends to alienate more left leaning Catholics. All in all, I love my vocation in Opus Dei and it helps me turn my normal life into a prayer and occasion of loving and serving God. That, and I am a lazy you know what who needs to be kicked in the pants regularly. No, nobody kicks me, but the constant stream of formation is very helpful to me to remember where I am and where I need to be.

One last misconception I wanted to talk about. Opus Dei talks about apostolate of friendship so that you are inviting people you know to activities that you benefit from on a one on one basis, that’s why they don’t do bulletin announcements generally and blanket invites to things other than big talks or masses.

Oh and about the “OD” group that was not an OD group- please don’t assume that people were trying to take over your life and recruit you for Opus Dei. We are encourage to spread doctrine. I know that once I started a Catechism reading group at my child’s school with another Super Numerary but “Opus Dei” per se was not involved in any way except in me asking my spiritual director, “hey do you think I have time for that?” It was my baby, not Opus Dei’s. I was inspired by what I had learned in Opus Dei formation to learn more doctrine. That was it!! That’s my two cents!

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/simcha-fisher/opus-dei-the-good-the-bad-and-the-albino#ixzz2efAbqLpO

Works for me

By CV in National Catholic Register

I’m a cooperator and I try to attend a monthly circle (which is an hour-long discussion led by a female numerary) with other cooperators and a monthly evening of recollection (a couple of meditations led by a priest, ending with Benediction. There’s also an opportunity to go to Confession if you want to). I try to go to a weekend (silent) retreat once a year, which is basically a longer version of the evening of recollection (with more meditations, quiet time for prayer and reading, and daily Mass). I should point out that I’m under no obligation to attend these activities and quite often I am so bogged down with child and work activities that I can’t get my act together to go.

But…I always benefit from the experience, and I grow in my spiritual life, when I DO make the effort to go. It’s basic Catholic stuff…prayer, spiritual talks, opportunities for Confession, encouragement to say the Rosary, etc. I have a chaotic, normal life with my kids and husband and we are fortunate that we belong a great parish led by a wonderful, orthodox pastor. But the guy is simply too busy to give his parishioners the kind of reflective spiritual direction that is available through my local OD study center (I guess I am lucky that we have one in my city. Not every city does).

Opus Dei provides regular opportunities for me to cultivate habits (prayer, more-than-once-a-week Mass, spiritual reading) that help me grow in my faith and hopefully be a better wife, mother, daughter, worker, etc. I’m inclined to be lazy and disorganized when it comes to building these crucial activities into my life on my own and that’s the God’s honest truth. So I’m happy those opportunities are made available to me on a regular basis. I NEED ongoing formation, period. And I think it’s important to note that I have never experienced any pressure to attend. When I show up they are happy to see me and I’m never criticized for how long it’s been since I last attended. And the only time they ask me for money is once a year, a couple of sentences in the context of an annual one page newsletter around December. I’ve worked in marketing and fundraising for years and frankly I think they might be a little TOO reserved when it comes to asking for donations.

In short, the whole experience is fairly low key and more “intellectual” (if I can use that word) that the hugging/group share kind of thing that might appeal to others. My husband and I are both professionals but the Opus Dei people I have encountered really run the gamut in terms of occupations and social class. I know attorneys and college professors as well as store clerks and at-home moms. At the last (social) gathering I went to I remember talking with: a male fast food restaurant manager, a male judge, a female psychiatrist, a female who makes jewelry in her home, and a female speech therapist. Runs the gamut. I certainly wouldn’t describe any of us as “rich.” Truly, anyone and everyone is welcome. I have had friends and family turn down my invitations to check it out because they have preconceptions, have only read about it in The DaVinci Code, fear they’ll be pressured, etc. That’s too bad, in my view.

Regarding the Dragons movie promotion, I was invited to a free prescreening and there was a good deal of positive anticipation among the Opus Dei people I interact with regularly. But it was more a situation in which you were encouraged to share your recommendation with your family and friends to see the movie (if you liked it enough to do so). Again, no pressure…pretty low key. I was offered flyers to pass out at my parish if I wanted to do that. Considering that the other “Catholic” movie opening the week after Dragons is “Priest” (about the priest vampire!) it’s kind of a no-brainer to help promote the better movie if you ask me.

Early in my experience with this organization, when I was still trying to figure out what it was and whether or not I wanted to be part of it, I had the opportunity to talk with an Opus Dei priest (that’s another thing…the OD priests are just extraordinary human beings in the mold of St. Josemaria. No kidding..they are a tremendous gift to the Church). Anyway, this particular priest told me that “joining” Opus Dei itself is not the point of what they do and why they are here. The point is to grow in your Catholic faith to ultimately grow closer to God. Opus Dei is just one path toward that goal. It’s not the only one.

Works for me.

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/simcha-fisher/opus-dei-the-good-the-bad-and-the-albino#ixzz2ef5c048B

Opus Dei's history in Canada

By Stephen Butcher at Christian Post

Jacques Bonneville was the first Canadian to join Opus Dei. The Ottawa-born engineer and father of nine discovered the teachings of Saint Josemaria in 1955 while pursuing a doctorate in Boston, two years before the Work came to Canada at the invitation of Cardinal Paul-Emile Léger. Dr. Bonneville passed away on July 13 2011 at the age of 90; he was accompanied by Cecile, his wife of 65 years.

It was on June 7, 1957 that the first members of Opus Dei moved to Canada at the request of Saint Josemaria to start the apostolic work. A few weeks later, Opus Dei’s first centre opened its doors on rue Plantagenet near the Université de Montréal. Fr. John Martin and Fr. Joseph Escribano (currently the chaplain of Parkhill Residence, a university residence in Ottawa) were among the first to arrive, followed shortly afterwards by Alfonso Bielza, an aeronautical engineer from Spain.

A couple of years later, Joseph Atkinson, a young Albertan and who had recently obtained his Ph. D. in Chemistry from MIT and Ernest Caparros, a young law school graduate joined them. Mr. Caparros later became a professor in the law faculty at Université Laval and the University of Ottawa.

Read the rest at: http://www.catholichurch.net/2013/08/opus-deis-history-in-canada.html

What Opus Dei Isn't

By Kendra Tierney at Catholic All Year

A friend asked me to weigh in on this really, REALLY long negative take on Opus Dei, written by an unhappy former member, and the resulting back and forth on her facebook timeline. But, it got way too long for facebook, so I'm putting it here.

So . . . what Opus Dei isn't:

MOSTLY it isn't albino assassin monks.

I have been involved with Opus Dei for over seven years. I am a cooperator and my husband is a supernumerary and I'm allowed to tell you that because it's NOT a secret.

The people I have met through Opus Dei have been WITHOUT EXCEPTION absolutely lovely. I am friends with people who are cooperators like me, married members like my husband, celibate members (called numeraries) and priests -- from all over the country and all over the world. And they have all been kind and helpful and, most tellingly, well-formed Catholics.

Because that's the point of Opus Dei: Catholic formation. It's really just that: helping people to know and live their faith in whatever life circumstances they find themselves.

I have personally found the formation, spiritual direction, and friendships I have found through Opus Dei to be absolutely invaluable to me as a wife, mother, writer, and Catholic.

According to the internet, there are people who are very unhappy with their experiences with Opus Dei. But, of course, the same could be said about the Catholic Church at large.

Opus Dei is a tool. That's it. You can put a ladder down on the ground and jump up and down on it and say, "This ladder doesn't work. It's stupid." Or you could prop it against the wall like you should, but then start kicking out rungs here and there until you can't go up any farther and say, "Hey, this ladder stinks, and so do all the other people with ladders." But really, in neither of those cases would the ladder be at fault.

Frankly, I'm not going to be all that much help addressing the issues brought up by that article. Because I'm not a numerary, I haven't had many of the life experiences that he has had in that regard, and also because my experience with Opus Dei has been utterly unlike what he describes. Mostly it sounds to me like Opus Dei was never a good fit for this guy (and vice versa) and I wonder why he stuck with it for so many years when he never much seemed to like it. I would generally not recommend that for anyone.

I can, however address the concerns in the Facebook comments, which I hope are not widespread, because they were, to me, very surprising in how far from my reality they were. But just in case they are widespread, here goes . . .

1. It's secretive and exclusive: Opus Dei just isn't organized like, say, the Boy Scouts, where there's a hierarchy and set guidelines, and you can call National HQ and sign up. There is cooperation between members, but each center is run independently, by its own members. St. Josemaria envisioned it as an apostolate of friendship. Meaning that one friend would recommend it to another and word would spread that way. People are generally introduced to what cooperators and members do slowly, for the same reason you'd introduce someone who expressed an interest in math to addition before handing them a calculus book. But I have found the members I know very willing to answer questions. And hey, they let ME in, so how exclusive could it be?

2. It's bossy and time consuming: Opus Dei has only ever made recommendations to my husband or myself. No event is required. No personal practices are mandatory. But that said, it would be pretty silly to say you wanted to be a part of an organization, but not want to take any of its recommendations.

Here are the recommended activities for a cooperator like myself:

1. A daily plan of life (things I try to get to each day, like a Morning Offering, Mass, the Angelus etc.).

2. A monthly mini-retreat lead by a priest called an Evening of Recollection (2-3 hours).

3. A monthly "circle" lead by a supernumerary or numerary member (1 hr).

4. Monthly spiritual direction by a priest or lay member of Opus Dei (People often choose a lay member since then it can be a person who has a more similar life experience to yourself. I have had both, both were great. I see a priest now.).

5. A yearly retreat (1 weekend).

In addition to those things, a supernumerary also usually participates in:

1. A weekly circle (1 hr).

2. A yearly doctrine seminar (1 week).

It can feel like a lot sometimes, but it's all voluntary. And when I realize how much more effective and efficient I am when I am properly focused, it seems silly not to make the time.

Also, what I lose in help around the house and with the kids on the evenings and weekend and week that my husband is gone, I more than make up for in having a husband who is willing to help around the house and with the kids on every other day! I'm still pretty sure I come out on top time-wise over wives whose husbands spend a lot of time golfing, fishing, playing with model trains, or going to Star Trek conventions.

3. The members are "image conscious in the extreme and worldly": I'm not sure what to do with this one. That has not been my experience. I live in LA, so you could pretty easily throw that label around, but the Opus Dei families that I know really run the financial gamut. Some are struggling financially, but have a great perspective on it. And even the ones who are wealthy have a refreshing lack of attachment to their things. It's hard to have that without formation. I do often hear encouragement to dress nicely, which in a world of moms in velour sweat suits is pretty counter-cultural. But I find that looking pulled-together makes me act pulled-together, and maybe even BE pulled-together. But again, an individual is free to disregard that or any other advice.

So that's MY experience of Opus Dei. If you have had a bad experience with Opus Dei, or one of its events or members, please allow me to say that I am honestly very sorry. But know that your experience is not representative of all experiences with Opus Dei.

Read the rest of the article and the comments from readers here: http://www.catholicallyear.com/2013/04/what-opus-dei-isnt.html

Can I Trust Opus Dei?

by Dan Burke in Roman Catholic Spiritual Direction
Q: Dear Dan, I am contemplating a vocation to Opus Dei. For years, I have been hearing a call. I am afraid however, when I read negative info on websites. I feel torn apart. Can you guide me, provide some insight?
A: Dear Friend, your concerns are valid. To set the stage for my comments I need to state that I am not a member or in any way formally or informally affiliated with Opus Dei. However, I have engaged with an Opus Dei priest who wrote the forward for my book Navigating the Interior Life, I have attended one Opus Dei meeting, and I have read quite a bit on Opus Dei, including the web site you reference (though I have not provided the link because I believe the authors of the site are guilty of calumny and detraction). I also have a few good friends who are in some form of relationship with Opus Dei.
Lets take a look at a few of the accusations against Opus Dei.
Corporal Mortification: This is listed on one site as the top bullet point reflecting problematic issues with Opus Dei. Beyond the tactic of putting this item forward first, the complaint about this issue is, on its face, absurd. Why, because they don’t really practice corporal mortification? Actually, no, they do. It is because in the teaching and tradition of the Church, there is nothing wrong with corporal mortification as long as it is undertaken with free will and under the guidance of a spiritual director. So, why all the shouting about it? Simply put, these people reject the traditions of the Church. If you are not familiar with the tradition and practice, Fr. Barron has provided a very helpful video discussing the corporal mortification practiced by Pope John Paul II.
Aggressive Recruitment: Here’s a quote the opponents of Opus Dei offer as problematic, “University residences, universities, publishing houses. . . are these ends? No, and what is the end? . . . to promote in the world the greatest possible number of souls dedicated to God in Opus Dei…”(Founder of Opus Dei, Cronica, v, 1963)”.
The first point is that they deceptively omitted St. Jose Maria Escriva’s name and substituted “Founder of Opus Dei.” Why would they do this? Because it militates against their cause. The founder of Opus Dei is a saint. He has undergone extreme scrutiny and found to be holy enough to be named a saint. Do they reject the Church’s work and decision on this matter? I think the answer is obvious.
Aggressive Recruitment Continued: So, they cite the quote provided above in their opening paragraph outlining the problem of recruitment. Let’s cut to the essence of the quote. They are concerned that St. Escriva is encouraging recruitment of souls to God within the Church approved framework of Opus Dei! Oh the horror! More people to God in a Church approved institution!? This must be stopped! Forgive me, I can’t hold back the sarcasm because this is simply juvenile The Church teaches that all of us are called to this “aggressive recruitment” – it is called “evangelism.” Jesus, in Luke chapter fourteen tells us to, “Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.” Is it ok to make friends with folks in order to “compel” them to “come in”? Is there a better way? Is it problematic to make friends with people to help them to heaven? Are you kidding me?
“Alienation” from Families: The complaints here are simply painful reflections of the normal process of separation from family for those entering religious life. Coupled with the challenges of their suffering, these complaining parents either are not committed to the Church or are ignorant of Church teachings on religious life. I don’t mean to belittle their struggles but the implications are clear.
In the history of the Church, religious are always called out of their families and into the new family of their charisms. Many orders have fallen out of the rigor of this practice as they stray from the parameters established by the Church and their founders. Unfortunately, many modern witnesses of this trend assume that this laxity is the healthy norm when it is not. They then compare the practices of Opus Dei to these wayward organizations and coupled with the pain of losing their children to the work of God, they feel compelled to cry foul. The real foul here is the failure of the traditional orders to maintain their fervency for Christ.
Is Opus Dei Beyond Reproach?
All that said, is Opus Dei a perfect institution beyond reproach of any criticism? No, and no such institution exists. Are they guilty of any of the negative criticism they receive? I am sure they are. Is the problem endemic to the organization? I have not seen it and neither has the Holy See. Thus, the constitutions of the organization are valid and Church approved and supported.
Furthermore, if I claim to be a magisterium faithful Catholic, I need to be supportive of the Holy See and the organizations they approve. Does this mean I cannot be critical? Of course not. However, we need to think with the Church in these matters, not criticize organizations on the basis of practices that are actually approved by the Church. Otherwise, we will find ourselves opposing the Church itself and maybe Christ Himself.
My bottom line conclusion? You should pursue a vocation within Opus Dei with all your heart. Allow the Lord to lead you and enjoy the journey. If you find the charism does not match your call, pursue others with all your heart and enjoy the journey!
I would like to open the comboxes to those of you who have testimonies of good experiences within Opus Dei and other similar organizations that are faithful to the magisterium of the Church. How have they helped you? How have you been blessed by your involvement? I am not interested in reiterations of the calumny, detraction, or gossip. If you have complaints, avoid these grave sins and take your concerns to those who have the proper authority and perspective to address them. Again – positive comments only please.
====
Some snippets of the comments:
By mariano3
I am an African a former Numerary in Opus Dei. I had crisis of vocation common when you graduate from University really thinking out what to do in life, a period one need a lot of prayer and direction. My prayer life at this point was tepid, I was away from the centre on compulsory national service, hence not so much accessible for spiritual direction. Besides, looking back I realised I have not been very sincere to my directors over the years to truly understand my situation then to adequately help me. Somehow I lost this great vocation. I asked that I wanted to leave and there was no compulsion to stay the door was wide open for me to leave. The truth is that its easier to leave Opus Dei than to join.
The greatest regret I have today is not being a Numerary. Now I am married happily with two kids, I have just finished praying the three decades of rosary and seeking intercession of Blessed John Paul 2, that God may grant my kids vocation to Opus Dei (my daily prayers) when I came across this post.
If God will give me another life to live on earth, I will be a Numerary 30 times over. I am what I am today from the tremendous formations I have received from Opus Dei free of charge.
---------------
By Macchabee
Opus Dei is a remarkable gift. Some of the people I have met in the discipline are truly remarkable without being sanctimonious. Among them are some of my closest friends. The people I have met are interesting in many ways. Nothing that I ever encountered in its guidance is contrary to the Magisterium of the Church. The Retreats I attended when I could were brilliant in their insights and the availability of the Sacraments was another gift. .
Opus Dei is Catholicism.
I am grateful for the graces I have received under their auspices. So thank you. And fellow Catholics remember Christianity is not a spectator sport. The spectators are seated in the arena watching, while the Christian is in the arena contending for his own soul and the souls of his neighbor.
I respectfully suggest that if someone is doing something good, give them your encouragement. When the culture and media pass on untruths, follow Solzhenitsyn's rule at the very least "Do not participate in the lie."
Read more: http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2013/01/06/can-i-trust-opus-dei#ixzz2eZDWU6Ai
Read more: http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2013/01/06/can-i-trust-opus-dei#ixzz2eZDQcISt

Secret of Opus Dei: Fall in Love with Jesus

July 10, 2013 AD by J.Q. Tomanek at Ignitum Today

Ms. Elia Rivera is the Executive Director of the St. Josemaria Institute in Woodridge, IL which is a suburb of Chicago. With St. Josemaria’s feast recently St Josemaria Institutepast, I have contacted Rivera to introduce us to the institute, Opus Dei, and its founder, St. Josemaria Escriva.

JQ: Good morning Ms. Rivera. I hope you have had a wonderful week so far. Before we get into the institute and Opus Dei, can you give us a brief summary of your vocation, family, history, and work you do with the institute?

ER: My family has been close to Opus Dei for many years so I have known about St Josemaria Escriva my entire life. However it was during college when I really became familiar with the life and teachings of St Josemaria and chose to become a Cooperator. A Cooperator of Opus Dei is not a member but an individual who chooses to offer spiritual and material support to the mission and activities of Opus Dei. As Cooperators we usually also participate regularly in the activities offered by Opus Dei such as retreats, circles, classes, and other activities for spiritual and personal development.

I joined the St. Josemaria Institute as Executive Director over two years ago. After working several years in the field of sacred art I felt like this was a natural transition. Like sacred art, which clearly serves the purpose to help us in our worship and knowledge of God, the saints also help us in our worship and knowledge of God, especially through their examples of love, prayer, dedication, suffering and joy. And, through the mission and activities of the St. Josemaria Institute, we are able to share St. Josemaria’s teachings on the Christian vocation, the universal call to holiness, the sanctity of life and family, and the dignity of work, among people who are searching and longing for a deep and lasting friendship with God in the midst of their daily (“ordinary”) lives.

- See more at: http://www.ignitumtoday.com/2013/07/10/secret-of-opus-dei-fall-in-love-with-jesus/#sthash.N6vYuC2j.dpuf

Sanctifying the Ordinary: The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei

By Caitlin Bootsma in Aleteia: Seekers of the Truth

Tutoring and providing character development classes for inner city students in Chicago. Helping to rebuild houses in San Antonio after substantial flood damage. Leading college students in a weekend by the lake, balancing set hours for studying, prayer and fellowship. Restful and informative mornings for young mothers that include watching and discussing Fr. Robert Barron’s Catholicism series while babysitting is provided for their children. Lectures by some of the most respected theologians and thinkers in the Catholic world at one of Rome’s pontifical universities. All of these moments I have experienced because of the Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei.

Latin for “the Work of God,” Opus Dei (as it is typically referred to) has as its particular charism the sanctification of daily work. According to its founder, St. Josemaría Escrivá, “It is in the midst of the most material things of the earth that we must sanctify ourselves, serving God and all mankind.” This focus facilitates seeing the face of God in his sons and daughters and in the ordinary tasks of everyday life, whether that be in setting the table for dinner, teaching a class to elementary students, or studying for an exam. Read the rest here.

They never pressured me

Part of a comment of Pete Vere in Catholic Lite

I basically showed up on their doorstep, a young Traditionalist journalist who had recently returned to Church, having just been accepted into a canon law licentiate program because of a gentleman who was close to the Work, and was suspicious to know why. I had lots and lots of questions, which they patiently answered.

I attended several activities, and never felt any pressure to join. Some of my friends would visit from my hometown, want to join, and were told they needed to take time to pray and discern, that Opus Dei was a vocation that could not be rushed, that the Church recognized many different paths to sanctity and holiness, and they needed to make sure Opus Dei was a good fit for them. However, I noticed that I was never offered spiritual direction whenever I showed up for recollection, or retreats.

So one day I said to the director: "Am I being singled out because I'm traddy?"

He laughed, and said: "Yes and no. The work is a path to holiness recognized by the Church, but not the only path to holiness that the Church recognizes. The Church also recognizes your involvement with the Ecclesia Dei movement as a path to holiness, you have a good spiritual director back home who is guiding you on this path, and we don't want to interfere with that unless he feels it would help you."

And it was true. My spiritual director back home was an elderly Benedictine moral theologian who often assisted the local Tridentine indult priest. One day Father came to Ottawa to visit me, do theological research, and he quietly wanted to check out Opus Dei since a number of his parishioners had made contact and expressed interest. They invited Father to stay at their residence.

At the end of the weekend, just as he was loading his suitcase in the car to return home, Father turned to the director, pointed at me and said: "Make sure you keep an eye on my Pete while he's down here. He needs some good spiritual direction to keep him focused on his studies when I'm not around. If he gives you any problems, call me."

The director laughed, and after that I was invited to receive spiritual direction. That being said, I never felt called to join, and they never pressured me to.

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

Holiness for Everyone: The Practical Spirituality of St. Josemaría Escrivá

A book of Eric Sammons with a foreword by Scott Hahn

Eric Sammons is not a member of Opus Dei. He is a convert to Catholicism from Evangelical Protestantism and was received into the Catholic Church in 1993. He has appeared on EWTN and is a frequent guest on Catholic radio. He is now the Director of Evangelization for the Diocese of Venice in Florida. He has a Master's Degree in Theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville and lives in Florida with wife, Suzan, and their six children.

Here is the description of his book as found in his website: http://ericsammons.com/index.html

=============================

God intends nothing less than sainthood for you!

The early Church held that all believers could achieve holiness. Over time this conviction was largely forgotten. Sainthood seemed to be an honor only intended for a select few among the priests and religious.

Eric Sammons tells how twentieth century Spanish priest—and canonized saint—Josemaría Escrivá, the founder of Opus Dei, recovered the message of the universal call to holiness. Declared “the saint of ordinary life” by Pope John Paul II, St. Josemaría developed a spirituality directed toward the sanctity of every man and woman. His legacy is the belief that each of us can, by God’s grace, achieve holiness through the course of our ordinary life and work.

The heart of Sammons’ practical guide to the spiritual life is a detailed examination of the steps in St. Josemaría’s thoughtful plan for building a saintly life in spite of your hectic work and home life – in a world filled with distractions and temptations.

Strive for your own personal holiness as you implement your daily plan to:

• Be a Contemplative in the Midst of a Busy World

• Live a Life of Prayer

• Recognize the Presence of God

• Make a Plan of Life

• Make Your Work a Way to Heaven

Holiness for Everyone! will inspire you as it sets your feet on the path to sainthood.

=====================================================

"Eric Sammons shows that St. Josemaría has recovered the most powerful truth of classic Christianity and restated it in a way that is compelling for men and women of our time" - Scott Hahn

2012 Holds Multiple Anniversaries for Opus Dei

By Jim Graves in National Catholic Reporter

The beginning of each of the past three decades has brought about a significant event for Opus Dei, whose mission is to promote holiness among laypeople as they go about their daily work.

In 1982, Pope John Paul II approved changing the organization’s status from a secular institute to a personal prelature. In 1992, Opus Dei’s founder, Msgr. Josemaria Escriva, was beatified, and, in 2002, he was canonized. As the prelature celebrates the anniversaries of each of these major events, it continues to enjoy steady growth and have far-reaching influence as it goes about its mission.

Pope Benedict XVI has long supported the unique apostolate of Opus Dei. Upon St. Josemaria’s canonization, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger expressed the belief that the saint’s message helped correct an erroneous idea of sanctity — that holiness was reserved only for “the great.”

More recently, Pope Benedict told the head of Opus Dei, 79-year-old Bishop Javier Echevarria Rodriguez, “When you foster the eagerness for personal sanctity and the apostolic zeal of your priests and laypeople, not only do you see the flock that has been entrusted to you grow, but you provide an effective help to the Church in her urgent evangelization of present-day society.”

Opus Dei (which is Latin for “Work of God”) was founded by a young Father Escriva in 1928, and it was approved by Pope Pius XII in 1950. Today, it has 90,000 members in 60 countries, including 3,000 in the United States. Typical elements of its apostolate include evenings of recollection, retreats, spiritual direction and religious-education classes. Opus Dei members also oversee schools, including the respected IESE Business School, the graduate school of management at the University of Navarra in Spain. IESE recently opened up a campus in New York.

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/2012-holds-multiple-anniversaries-for-opus-dei/#ixzz1uXOBGQtE

She advised people to make God the center of their lives

By Graydon Megan in the Chicago Tribune

Maria Palos shared her deep Roman Catholic faith with everyone around her — strangers she met on the bus, young couples seeking marriage advice and women she encouraged through her support of Lexington College, a women's hospitality management school run by the conservative Catholic community Opus Dei.

"She was definitely one of the catalysts for the school," said her son Tony Palos Jr.

As for counseling couples on marriage, the mother of nine "would advise them to make God the center of their lives," her son said.

Born Maria Ramirez, Mrs. Palos grew up in Monterrey, Mexico. In 1956, she met Tony Palos, a young man from Chicago visiting there on vacation. He extended his stay after winning a Mexican lottery and spent that time courting her.

The couple married in 1957 and raised nine children. Her husband died in 1991.

Mrs. Palos considered her strong spiritual life a gift, one she was eager to share with others. Her son said she acted "almost like a precinct captain for God." If she saw a stranger with a baby on the bus or in her neighborhood, she would ask whether the baby had been baptized and, if not, encourage the mother to baptize the infant.

Read the rest of the article here.

Cherished Event

By Atty. Jose Sison in Philippine Star

Time flies fast indeed. And this is especially true with respect to some events in our life that remains deeply etched in our hearts because they involve our dearly beloved ones. Tomorrow, our family will be commemorating one such event which happened nine years ago. This is the death anniversary of our beloved and only daughter Joyce. As a father, I seize every opportunity to write about her and dedicate it to all the fathers and daughters who are still together in this world. The urge to do so keeps coming back because I want to show that while my bonding with my sons is usually more intimate and closer, as in all other fathers’ bonding with their sons, my bonding with my daughter was as intimate and close as it should be because all our children are God’s precious gifts to us.

On March 10, 2003, at about 15 minutes before two o’clock in the afternoon, Joyce our oldest daughter and the loving and caring sister of five brothers, after hanging on to life — but not afraid of death — finally ended her short but meaningful and fruitful earthly life and began another life of eternal bliss as she moved into the beatific House of our Lord in heaven.

In her short life span of almost 39 years, our family enjoyed her company only during the first 18 years because she decided to devote the rest of the 21 years in the service of the Lord. But the strong father-daughter bond formed during the period she spent with us made it most difficult for me to let her go. All fathers perhaps who have an only daughter would feel the same. They would naturally resist letting go of “daddy’s girl” whom they used to carry in their arms so lovingly and protectively, forgetting or even ignoring how great and glorious it is to be blessed with such daughters who chose to devote their entire life in the service of God.

After she joined Opus Dei (the “Work”), events spent together with her became so precious few and far between. But they were enough to fill my storage of happy memories with her. The most memorable yet was in 1993 when Joyce, Josie my wife and I went on a spiritual journey to Rome for the beatification of St. Josemaria. That was indeed one of the most spiritually edifying experiences in our life. This event and many other memorable events with her not only strengthened our bond but also made us realize how happy she was in her work. We felt her joy and from then on we became closer though far apart.

Every time we visited her in any Opus Dei center we saw and felt love all around through her and her sisters in the Work with their ever smiling faces. On special occasions when we joined her in the centers of her assignment, that father-daughter bond simply grew stronger. Even when she was in Rome and other far away centers she never failed to get in touch with us. We felt her presence and support wherever she was, through her prayers thus prompting Josie to describe her as our “one woman prayer department.”

News of her cancerous ailment was therefore so heartbreaking and devastating. But her illness, which she called God’s “divine caress”, became the source of so many more awakenings in me about a daughter’s love for her father, requited belatedly and inadequately. To make up for lost time, I tried my best to visit her nearly every day, especially when she was transferred to the “Pandan” and “Punlaan” centers in Manila. Those almost daily moments with her enabled me to understand the meaning of Christian love more deeply and taught me lessons on Sufferings in life by “rejoicing in hope, being patient in tribulation and persevering in prayer.” She made me realize that the greatest suffering of sick people is to see their loved ones suffer because of their own suffering. Thus without any words uttered, I got her message to please change your “tears for Joyce to tears of joy.”

Read up to end of this beautiful piece here.

How Lila Rose Became Pro-Life … and Catholic

by JUSTIN BELL 02/03/2012 from the National Catholic Register

At 9 years old, Lila Rose saw an image of an aborted baby in a book at her home. She said it struck her to the heart, and she asked, How could anybody do this to a baby?

In time, she became educated about the abortion issue and wanted to act, to speak out, and help save some of the lives that were being taken.

At 15, Rose started her organization Live Action, which she continues to lead today. In 2006, Rose began her series of undercover videos of Planned Parenthood that revealed non-reporting of apparent illegal situations. Rose and friends would pose as minor, pregnant girls seeking abortions, while videotaping conversations with workers, and then later posting the videos on YouTube.

Last year, Live Action released a video where a manager at a Planned Parenthood in New Jersey aided a couple pretending to be operating a prostitution ring of 14- and 15-year-old girls.

Live Action’s video investigations have placed serious scrutiny on the largest abortion provider in the country, including a more than $61-million loss of state funding, according to the group. The investigation in New Jersey led to an Illinois law that expanded the list of those who are obligated to report sex violations involving minors to authorities.


You said you converted to Catholicism not that long ago. Can you walk me through that process a little bit?

I was received into the Church two and a half years ago. Best day of my life, although every day after that has been pretty good, too. I was raised as a Protestant, and my parents were very faithful people; and they taught us to read the Bible and love and respect life. I learned about Jesus Christ as a Protestant.

But in my upbringing, my dad was on his own spiritual journey, reading the Church Fathers and doctors. So we had these books in the home: a lot of Ignatius Press books, for example. And so, I was reading these as a young teen. I read Joan of Arc by Mark Twain when I was 12. I was reading Mother Teresa’s writings at 12, 13 … like Total Surrender, Loving Jesus. Then I was reading St. Thomas Aquinas, and I was actually translating him in and out of Latin. That was part of the education experience that I was given by my parents because we’re home-schooled. They really pursued classical education for us. That was really neat, too; that’s another side of the story, but …

I was becoming formed by some of the best thinkers and saints of our Church, doctors of our Church, as a teen. I was very much drawn to the Church. I was drawn to Our Lady. I admired her so much, although the Protestant community doesn’t really talk about her very much. … My family talked about our faith, and, of course, about theology and different aspects of the Catholic tradition and everything. But we were still Protestant.

So then, when I got to UCLA, I fell in with — literally, one day I was looking for a church to go to — I had been experimenting with different Protestant churches, and I couldn’t find one that I clicked with, as they say, because the Eucharist wasn’t there and the theology was not sound. And I knew it, but I hadn’t really gotten to the place in my head that: Oh, I need to be Catholic; that just makes sense. I had been intellectually convinced over a period of years, but I really didn’t have Catholic friends, you know, strong Catholic friendships or anything like that, so it didn’t really occur to me that I could convert.


You didn’t see a way to convert then?

I didn’t see a way to that. And my family, I thought, Well, maybe one day if they do [convert], then I could with them, but they were not doing it at the time.

So I was looking for churches and [said] “I’ll go to Mass.” I had been to Mass a few times before … so I called up my friend Jen, and she was going to a Mass at this women’s Catholic center, which turned out to be a women’s Opus Dei center. … I didn’t realize there were all women in the little chapel; I was kind of clueless.

I went, prayed through the Mass, and then I was sitting with a woman in the back of the Mass; and I turned to her afterwards, and I said, “You know, is there someone here that can mentor me, or something like that?” She was a numerary [a type of member of Opus Dei who, according to the institution’s website is “completely available to attend to the apostolic undertakings and the formation of the other faithful of” Opus Dei], and she’s like, “Yes, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/how-lila-rose-became-pro-life-and-catholic/#ixzz1lZnVUP00

It gives you an inner joy

By Adrienne Treleaven in Independent Catholic News

I first came into contact with Opus Dei as a very shy 16 year old. I applied to do a course in Hospitality at Lakefield, a college in London. My parents allowed me to go even though financially it was quite a burden for them. The main reason they were willing for me to go was the fact that I would be in a Catholic environment and able to attend Mass on a regular basis. Little did I expect how much I would come to know my faith more deeply and the effect it would have on my decision about my life.

I spent two years training in the theory and practice of Household Management gaining my qualifications in Hospitality.

During these years of training, what attracted me most was the family atmosphere, the warmth, the care and the love that the people of Opus Dei showed to everyone. It was not long before I realised I had found what was going to make me happy. I remember saying to myself one day “this is what I want to do, this is for me”. God was giving me a vocation to Opus Dei as an assistant numerary.

So why am I happy?…to give oneself in whatever capacity is very rewarding: it gives you an inner joy that no one and nothing can take from you. Knowing that I have in my hands – what I do and how I do it – the possibility of passing on to others the love that God has for each person.

This profession, for that is what it is, is a very special way of serving one’s family and the wider community. One learns that in serving one receives more than one gives and so this is a wonderful experience even from a purely human point of view. Throughout the day I often remind myself that I am doing the same work that Our Lady did and moreover I receive a salary for doing a job I enjoy immensely.

Read the rest here.

Dora del Hoyo: a very important person for Opus Dei

Dora del Hoyo, said the Prelate of Opus Dei, "was a woman of faith. Because she was the very first numerary assistant, she had to be able to trust in what God, through St. Josemaria, was asking of her.

She lived the virtue of hope, knowing that Opus Dei would grow and expand, becoming what we see today. She was able to trust and hope in this way because her love of God was so great that she forgot about herself; she lived for the Lord and for the others. We have a great intercessor, to whom we owe gratitude. She learned from our Founder that what is most important is always to serve: to serve the Lord and to serve souls.”

Dora del Hoyo Alonso was born in Boca de Huergano (Leon, Spain) on January 11, 1914. Her parents were exemplary Christians and raised her to be a good daughter of God.

On March 14, 1946, in Bilbao, Spain, Dora asked for admission to Opus Dei. From the beginning, she knew how to correspond faithfully to her divine vocation. Outstanding among Dora’s characteristics were her devotion to the Holy Eucharist–the Holy Mass was the center and root of her interior life– as well as her tender love for the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph and her confident recourse to her guardian angel. Dora moved to Rome on December 27, 1946, at the invitation of St. Josemaria, and remained there until the end of her life.

Dora knew how to seek holiness and apostolic meaning in every task, even those that appeared most trivial, combining a spirit of service with professional competence. From Rome, she assisted with the formation of women from around the world, and contributed to the apostolic work of Opus Dei carried out all over the world and at every level of society.

Dora died on January 10, 2004. On that day Bishop Javier Echevarria, the Prelate of Opus Dei, made these remarks,

“Dora was very important for Opus Dei because of her faithfulness and her work well done, always humbly desiring to pass unnoticed, to ‘do and disappear.’ She took the Blessed Virgin Mary as her teacher, as Saint Josemaria Escriva had encouraged her, and because of this she was effective to the very end of her life. She wanted no glory or recognition, and she gave one hundred percent throughout her entire life."

Her remains lie in the crypt of the Church of the Prelature, Our Lady of Peace, Bruno Buozzi 75, Rome.

===

I remembered Dora in the garden in the month of August, at the age of 89, watering the pumpkins she would use to make the last cabello de angel of her life, to fill the ensaimadas. “If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing well,” she would always say–and so she collected the seeds, planted them, and took care of the seedlings. Finally, she filled jars and jars with her cabello de angel for the many people who would enjoy this treat, made with the love of a grandmother. She made marmalade and candy. She enjoyed anything that had to do with spreading the warmth of hearth and home. She didn’t talk about this–she just did it, and that was enough.

“She loved life and delighted in carrying out the familiar, lovable traditions of each holiday, and she spared herself no work in this regard. She created the extraordinary by doing ordinary things with perfection: the peace which comes from living the virtue of order, from finding everything in its proper place, a simple but well prepared meal, and a spotless table set with good taste and simplicity. She was always working but she did so calmly, seeking to serve the others, taking care of the clothing, the garden, all the details of the meals, the cleaning, making sure that “the cold things were cold and the hot things were hot,” as she liked to repeat, doing all of the things which she had learned from Saint Josemaria himself, in order to be a sower of peace and joy.

“In life we get to know a lot of people, and we value and remember them. But there are some people who are unforgettable because, doing things that no one notices and without calling attention to themselves, they make a deep impression on us. We ask ourselves what it is about them…and we begin to discover the heroes of the world, the ones who know how to make us happy in little things, the saints, who show us the wonder of creation, the goodness of the world, the importance of caring for others, one by one, cheerfully, enjoying what they are doing.

“I was reading a novel recently and I came upon a passage which immediately made me think of Dora. The author was writing about a Hungarian immigrant working for a lady in North America at the beginning of the twentieth century. ‘They liked to make delicious and plentiful meals, and see the others enjoy them; they liked to prepare soft, clean beds and see the children sleeping in them…both of them had in their depths a kind of overflowing joy, a pleasure in life which was delicate but invigorating.’

“Dora, following the example of the Blessed Virgin, took care of the others like a mother or an older sister and sought their good in the beauty of the work she carried out. In those details, apparently unimportant, she demonstrated her love for God and for the transcendent life to which He had called her.”

Isabel García Martín
Rome (Italy)

From: http://doradelhoyo.org/

Listening to people’s hearts

Fr. Ron Gillis provides spiritual direction for many
By Lisa Socarras | For the Catholic Herald

Born and raised in Boston, Father Ron Gillis calls 1967 the year of “The Impossible Dream” because the Red Sox won the American League Pennant and because the youngest of eight children in the Gillis household was ordained to the priesthood.

“My father was in seventh heaven,” he said, reflecting on his vocation. “I regard it as a miracle, the whole expectation that you could be called by God to give everything. I looked at the crucifix and said, ‘Lord, You did all that for me. What should I be willing to do for You?’”

Today, 44 years later, Father Gillis serves as chaplain at both the Reston Study Center and Oakcrest School in McLean, and as a spiritual director at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., a position he has held for the past 30 years. Some years, he has given ongoing spiritual direction to more than 40 seminarians, driving twice a week from Northern Virginia to listen, advise and guide those in priestly formation.

As an Opus Dei priest working in the Washington, D.C., area for the past 38 years, Father Gillis has administered the sacraments, taught courses, preached, and provided spiritual direction and evenings of recollection for hundreds of married men and women as well as students. He always has been selfless and ready to help others on their personal path to sanctity, part of the universal call to holiness.

Opus Dei, a personal prelature of the Catholic Church, was founded in Spain in 1928 by St. Josemaría Escrivá, who taught that work and the circumstances of ordinary life are occasions for growing closer to God, serving others and for improving society.

Even as a young man, Father Gillis had a strong sense of purpose for his life and never had any doubts about his vocation.

“It was impossible to grow up in Catholic Boston and not have a strong sense of vocation because vocations were abundant,” he said. “It was a very common question for Catholic young people to ask, ‘What is my vocation?’”

“We were surrounded by the Faith and by the sense of dedication, also present in our parents, who raised large families. They were working-class people, very committed to the Faith,” said Father Gillis.

He attended Catholic elementary and secondary school where his teachers sensed he had a vocation to the priesthood.

“The nuns were after me in the eighth grade to go away to junior seminary,” he said, adding that he was not ready at that young age to make the commitment.

Later, while a junior in high school, Father Gillis said a friend “dragged me along” on a retreat at a Trappist monastery and it made a profound impact on him.

“It was in August and it was the feast of St. Bernard,” he said. “I always remember that it was like going to heaven. It was so beautiful, the peacefulness, the spirituality, the whole thing was magnificent, the Divine Office, the Liturgy. Then we were helping to make the hay with the monks. The silence, I remember thinking this is really the peace of God. This is really wonderful, but I don’t want to stay here.”

He asked himself how one could bring this sense of the presence of God into the midst of the world.

“I don’t have a monastic vocation. I like being in the middle of the world. When I encountered Opus Dei, that’s what happened. I saw that these people are involved in things, but they take spirituality very seriously. I was struck by this kind of formula that we need to bring Our Lord to so many people who are good people who live in the middle of the world,” Father Gillis said.

Following his freshman year of college at the University of Toronto, he became a member of Opus Dei and then transferred to Boston University because there was no Opus Dei center in Toronto. After earning a bachelor’s in history, he went to Rome in 1964 to study for the priesthood as a seminarian at the Roman College of the Holy Cross. While in Rome, he had the opportunity to learn from St. Josemaría Escriva himself.

“He was a great coach and a tremendous leader of men,” said Father Gillis. “Ashttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif the founder, he was strong and enormously affectionate.”

He instilled in the seminarians that the only thing that really matters is personal sanctity, that we be saints. Always ready to admit his own challenges, the saint taught that determination to persevere, even in times of tremendous trial, is the journey of the soul toward holiness. To begin again is man’s goal because of our fallen nature we will have failings.

“The spirit of St. Josemaría is that the important thing is the struggle,” said Father Gillis. “The struggle is the sign of holiness. A saint is a sinner that keeps trying.”

To read the rest the article, see here.

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.