Zhanara discovers Catholicism in Amsterdam

In the city of canals, it’s already dark. At the Church of Our Lady of Amsterdam, after the sun has set, the Pascal Vigil begins.

To Zhanara, this celebration has a special meaning: she will become a daughter of God in the Catholic Church. She came closer to the faith by the grace of God; the help of a group of friends made the way easier.

How did you prepare for Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion?

In September 2006, I found information on the Internet about the church of Our Lady of Amsterdam. That’s how I came in contact with its rector, Fr. Ploeg. From him I received all kinds of help and encouragement. He suggested that I follow a Christian doctrine course at the Aenstal Residence, located in the middle of Amsterdam.

I also attended meditations on the gospel preached by this priest at Aenstal. I met other girls and saw in practice what it’s like being a Catholic. I was impressed by the way they helped me to know the doctrine and to practice love for God. These weekly meditations were a great inspiration for me.

My friend Marco was a constant support along my path towards Christianity, always willing to explain different aspects of the faith. Another important part of my preparation was a spiritual retreat at the Zonnenwende Conference Center. I spent four days devoted to deepening my knowledge and love of God.

Opus Dei, a Catholic personal prelature

By Wikipedia on Opus Dei, version of November 27, 2006

John Paul II established Opus Dei as a personal prelature of the Catholic Church on 28 November 1982.

This legal framework, the Pope said, is "perfectly suited" to Opus Dei's "true nature and theological characteristics": a unified, secular, international body of priests and lay people, both men and women, sharing the same vocation with no distinctions, under the governance of one head.

Being a part of the Church's hierarchical structure, like a diocese, indicates that Opus Dei is an integral part of the Church itself, and not a mere product of voluntary association.

Personal prelatures, similar to dioceses and military ordinariates, are under the governance of the Vatican's Congregation for Bishops. These 3 types of ecclesiastical structures are composed of lay people served by their own secular clergy and prelate. Unlike dioceses which cover territories, personal prelatures —like military ordinariates— take charge of persons as regards some objectives regardless of where they live.

As to "what the law lays down for all the ordinary faithful", the lay members of Opus Dei, being no different from other Catholics, "continue to be ... under the jurisdiction of the diocesan bishop", in the words of John Paul II's Ut Sit.

25 years ago, John Paul II made Opus Dei a personal prelature

John Paul II's Apostolic Constitution Ut Sit (extract and edited version):

With very great hope, the Church directs its attention and maternal care to Opus Dei, which—by divine inspiration—the Servant of God Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer founded in Madrid on October 2, 1928, so that it may always be an apt and effective instrument of the salvific mission which the Church carries out for the life of the world.

From its beginnings, this Institution has in fact striven, not only to illuminate with new lights the mission of the laity in the Church and in society, but also to put it into practice.

It has also endeavored to put into practice the teaching of the universal call to sanctity, and to promote at all levels of society the sanctification of ordinary work, and by means of ordinary work.

Furthermore, through the Sacerdotal Society of the Holy Cross, it has helped diocesan priests to live this teaching, in the exercise of their sacred ministry.

Opus Dei has spread and works in a large number of dioceses throughout the world. It is an apostolic organism made up of priests and laity, both men and women, which is at the same time organic and undivided. This means it is an institution endowed with a unity of spirit, of aims, of government and of formation.

Since Opus Dei has grown, with the help of divine grace, it has become necessary to give it a juridical configuration which is suited to its specific characteristics.

Largely accomplished by everyday Joes

By Margaret in Catholic Answers Forum

Reacting to a post on whether or not the current living conditions are incompatible with holiness, Margaret makes the following post:

I’m afraid I’m going to have to disagree with the assertion that current living conditions are incompatible with holiness. As you yourself noted, we are all called to holiness. I realize that our culture is now largely working in direct opposition to human decency and morality, but that neither excuses us from striving for sanctity nor requires that we withdraw from the world at large.

I belong to Opus Dei, and we are pretty strong believers in the possibility of being a saint in the middle of the world. One of the models that St. Josemaria, our founder, held up for us, were the early Christians. They lived in a profoundly pagan society that was going to rot from within in less than three hundred years. Yet in the midst of that, they managed to spread the light of Christ throughout the known world. This was largely accomplished by everyday Joes—farmers, soldiers, merchants, etc.—who simply went about their day being Christians in the midst of this paganism. They obviously didn’t feel that their corrupted culture was incompatible with holiness.

Making a Good Confession

By Miss Kade


So I've been reading Scott Hahn's "Lord, Have Mercy." It's all about his thoughts and observations on the sacrament of penance. I started reading it a week or two ... I'm almost done now. I'm realizing there is a LOT that goes into this sacrament. It's nothing to gloss over and as this is one of the major differences from my non-denominational days, its something I need to be very attentive of.

I'm really trying to figure out what goes into making a "good" Confession. Mr. Hahn says one of the best ways to do that is to know what doesn't make it a good Confession. He outlines some very good points for the not-so-great confessions.

One of the biggest trademarks of a poor confession: withholding the truth, or the full truth. We are so tempted to brush our offenses under the rug, minimize them as much as possible. But then we don't really receive the fullness of the sacrament then, now do we? We can't possibly, because we only get out of it as much as we put into it. And if you're not truly confessing, you can't truly receive the grace that comes from the confessing!! What a waste of our confessor's time, and of our time really.

I have to stop for a second, I used the word "offenses." That is huge! When I was studying Opus Dei (which I need to get back into, I'm not sure I don't want to be a little devotee just yet!), I was obviously reading a lot of St. Josemaria Escriva's writings. One of the biggest things I noticed about his language was that he referred to sin, not so much as "sin," but more as "offenses against our Lord." Wow! Never really thought about it with that terminology, but it makes so much more sense. I'd like to get rid of the word "sin" altogether. It's such a vile, nasty little thing. It can become such a barrier with its connotations between us and our God.

It's like "sex"... let's just stop calling it sex. Instead, let's call it what it is, "baby-making!" If you aren't prepared to make a child together, forget it for that night, because that's what you're doing! Instead of using the word "sin" so much in talking about our sins, I think we should start using the phrase "offending our Lord" a lot more! That is what we are actually doing! It cuts out the wedge that stands between our evil desires and our Lord altogether. It chokes the life out of making it just about ourselves and our bad nature. It is, at the very least, between us and God. BOTH are involved.

So when we are pouring out our instances where we have deeply offended our Lord, our beautiful Savior, to our confessor, we shouldn't hold anything back. We're dealing with the One who loves us most, and He deserves nothing less than our complete and total surrender. The grace will flow in only if we pour ourselves out.

The first time I heard of it I was captivated

ONE MAN’S MEAT By Benjamin G. Defensor, November 18, 2007

AT the “twilight of his years,” marketing guro [teacher in Filipino], Manoling de Leon, has written Pinoy Pilgrim: In Search of Filipino Identity, which is a marketing text, a memoir and a spiritual journal and Baedeker rolled into one. When martial law was declared in 1972, the Manila Chronicle, then one of the four major broadsheets, was in the middle of a marketing drive masterminded by Manoling. “I’m a veteran marketing man after all. I think along the lines of satisfying a need or filling a demand,” he says. The book may be divided into three major sections: business, family and faith. And Manoling wove them all together seamlessly. But let me start with his encounter with faith, with Opus Dei, as a matter of fact. Manoling first heard of Opus Dei while working in Madrid but did not get to really know it until he met Fr. Joe Cremades in Manila. After that, “I was convinced that God was calling me to Opus Dei, or the Work, as a supernumerary member. “For someone with my background, a married man with a growing family who climbed the corporate ladder following my own style of daring, hard work, and ambition, prepared for professional work by self-study and intense personal experiences, I felt that it was a personal privilege to discover that all of my past life had a certain direction. “God wanted me to be holy. “The first time I heard of it, I was captivated by what seemed like a goal worth like no other. “It seemed impossible, which is why it challenged me.” But we have to go back a little farther to understand what he is saying. Manoling was one of the first of our OCWs—overseas contract workers. As a teen-ager he worked with the US army in Guam. As a whiz kid, the US Army proposed him for special training in the US but after going for a vacation before leaving for the US, he decided to stay home and work his way up from there instead. Manoling never went to college. The only MBA training that he received was eight-hours—one working day—watching the late Francisco Dalupan, the founder of the University of the East, work. Here’s how Manoling summed up Dalupan’s eight-hour MBA course: “Being an executive is hard work. You need to take very good care of the details. You need to think, know what questions to ask, find out problems and suggest solutions. Or, you can get others to think of solutions, and make sure they are done. “Your job is to do or execute the plans. That’s what an executive’s job is. You may also be part of the planning, thinking of the future based on the decisions you make today. “Following up is one of the most difficult jobs of an executive, but if you do it well, you’ll be successful. “Anyone can try to be an executive, but only the good executives finish what they start. They are the one who succeed. “That’s it. My MBA, the only schooling I received about being an executive. In eight hours, I was convinced that I learned what an executive’s job is and I liked it. At the end of the day, I was tired but happy, my mind full of ideas to try out.”

She no longer wanted to listen to a human speaker

By Joseph Ratzinger at Pilgrim Fellowship of Faith (quoted by Danny Garland, Jr in his blog Irish-Catholic and Dangerous)


"The ministry of the Word demands a profound self-denial on the part of the priest: he is measured by the standard of Paul's saying: 'It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me' (Gal 2:20).

A little incident from the early history of the Opus Dei comes to mind. A young woman had the chance for the first time to attend lectures by the founder, Don Escriva. She was tremendously eager to hear such a very famous speaker. Yet when she had taken part in the Mass with him -so she said later- she wanted no longer to listen to a human speaker but only to discern what was God's Word and his will."

Gambling with eternal happiness

By A Pilgrim in the Wilds (from Cainta, Rizal, Philippines)

A man’s right to swing his fist ends where my nose begins.

Recently at a dinner, I listened to a guest’s bigoted remarks about a minority group not present at the table. The host tried skillfully to change the subject, but the guest persisted. Then, glancing at his young children near him, the host said softly, "Please. Not in my house. I suppose your private attitudes are your business, but when they are aired here, they become mine. I have to tell you that I disagree and disapprove. If I don’t speak out now, you – and the children here and other guests – might think that my silence is tacit approval. I hope you understand."

Today’s Gospel reflection is related to the recent Bible Sharing titled, "Living Examples," written for November 8, 2007. Again, we are being warned against setting a bad example for others and leading them astray. At the same time we also have a responsibility to make others aware of any wrongful and sinful acts they commit, as indicated by the above scriptural snippet. This is what we call fraternal correction, and which, as we can see, is deeply rooted in Sacred Scripture. Besides, it is one of the seven Spiritual Works of Mercy taught by the Church which is: To Admonish sinners. Further, such correction is hinted at by St. Paul in his Second Letter to Timothy:

2 TIM 3, 16: "All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, correction, and for training in righteousness."

St. Josemaria Escriva says something important on the subject:

"There is a great love of comfort, and at times a great irresponsibility, hidden behind the attitude of those in authority who flee from the sorrow of correcting, making the excuse that they want to avoid the suffering of others. They may perhaps save themselves some discomfort in this life. But they are gambling with eternal happiness – the eternal happiness of others as well as their own – by these omissions of theirs. These omissions are real sins."

"When you correct someone – because it has to be done and you want to do your duty – you must expect to hurt others and to get hurt yourself. But you should never let this fact be an excuse for holding back."

If every spiritual leader and religious superior would faithfully and properly undertake fraternal correction of the members of their communities, then very likely we would have more and more individuals entering through the "narrow gate" and walking upward along the constricted road toward holiness and eternal life.

Unfortunately, many of our religious superiors and lay leaders want to be nice to others and be popular with everyone. Motivated by a false sense of compassion, they end up being overly tolerant of the spiritual faults and short-comings of those under their care. The members then end up "malformed," instead of being "transformed." They become religious "spoiled brats," rather than proficient Disciples of Christ. Sad to say, the same thing is happening in many, if not most, of our parish communities.

As parents, we also have the authority and the moral responsibility to correct our children and lead them toward the right path. The family, after all, is the basic unit of society and the concepts of religion and the Church start here. We all know the utmost importance of the family’s basic role in our society, and that is why today, the family is the number one target of destruction by the forces of evil and their human servants.

A quiet but effective revolution in the world of spirituality

By Fr. Roy Cimagala at Inquirer.net

LAST Oct. 6 was the fourth anniversary of the canonization of a holy priest who made a quiet but effective revolution in the world of spirituality. His name? St. Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei.

The first time I read his books many years ago, what immediately struck me were the forcefulness and practical sense that his words possessed. While always educated and refined, they transmitted a lot of common sense, of affection and of being street-smart.

He seemed able to open people’s consciences, to read and understand them with what later on I learned to be Christian compassion and charity. He did not present theories. He just talked in a language that the heart could easily assimilate.

Right now, theologians are studying his thoughts and arguments, and are drawing precious lessons, indicating the richness of his spiritual and pastoral legacy.

It did not take long for me to realize that he was talking about a sanctity that was not lost in sophisticated theories and elaborate practices.

There was the quality of immediacy, of the here and now, about the kind of holiness he was preaching about. I understood that holiness cannot and should not be some remote ideal to pursue. It has to be lived now, no matter how imperfectly.

I understood from him that the drama of sanctification takes place in one’s heart, and is played out mainly in the small, ordinary things of our life, and seldom, if ever, in the public stages of extraordinary events.

It’s the drama of to whom you give your heart to God or to oneself. And this choice is always at the center of our life, our thoughts, words and actions. It’s the choice that we always have to make and that ultimately defines us.

The drama can have its difficult moments, but St. Josemaria practically screamed his reassurance that God is our Father who loves us even to the point of sending the Son to us, and the Son finally offering his life for us.

When I started the practice of reading the gospels, I then met divine words that explain these convictions St. Josemaria was so full of. “Where sin abounded, grace abounded even more,” St. Paul said (Rom 5,20). And in another letter, “For this is God’s will, your sanctification.” (1 Thes 4,3)

For most of us, our sanctity is in the heroism of our self-giving to God and to others in the ordinary circumstances of our life. It’s in the effort to try to understand an annoying companion, or in putting the finishing touches to one’s household chores.

It’s in the smile we try to evoke in spite of contrary feelings, or in the hidden and persevering effort to study and work. It can be in the faithful and generous living out of one’s commitments, both big and small, public and private.

It can also be in maintaining both human and Christian integrity in one’s business and politics, even if the environment is filled with structures of sin.

The expressions of sanctity can be endless because the love that propels it never says enough. They remain constant whatever the circumstances, converting ordinary circumstances into paths to love God and others.

There is nothing mushy or showy in his idea of sanctification, but it can generate tons of tender feelings, of exuberance, and of apostolic zeal. It finds thrill in the routine of every day, joy and peace in every moment.

And the more I got to know about St. Josemaria, the more I got convinced of the consistency between his words and his deeds. And yes, he can easily throw a spell on you, the kind that leads you to conversion and self-giving.

When I read St. Paul’s “We speak not in the learned words of human wisdom, but in the doctrine of the Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” (1 Cor 2,12), I think of how St. Josemaria entered my life and affected it.

The greatest lesson I learned from him is that loving and achieving sanctity is just a matter of decision of the heart that can and should be made at any time and in any place. On the part of God, his grace never lacks. It’s our call.

Fr. Roy Cimagala is chaplain of the Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE) in Talamban, Cebu City. E-mail: roycimagala@hotmail.com

Benefits of company as family

By Jeffrey Pfeffer, Business 2.0 Magazine, CNN Money
October 2 2006: 11:29 AM EDT

About the same time that the "Da Vinci Code" was hitting theaters in May, I was camped out at a university in Barcelona, discovering some of the lesser-known secrets of Opus Dei, the Catholic society at the center of the book and movie's byzantine plot.

No, I didn't see any albino monks, cilices, or dead bodies. I was merely on sabbatical for three weeks at IESE, a leading Spanish business school founded by Opus Dei in 1958 as part of the University of Navarra. And the only thing I observed was great management.

For starters, IESE recently placed fourth among the top executive education programs in the world, according to rankings by the Financial Times. Unlike many European business schools, which have tried to mimic the U.S. model, IESE is intentionally different, with a greater emphasis on ethics and values both in the curriculum and in how it is run.

During my visit, dozens of faculty and staff members talked to me about what a great place IESE is to work because of its caring culture. Few were devout Catholics and even fewer were members of Opus Dei.

Then, when my wife came down with severe ear pain from flying with a cold, Jordi Canals, IESE's dean, arranged a difficult-to-get appointment with an ear specialist, got a taxi to take her to the appointment, and paid for everything, no questions asked.

Why a caring culture makes sense for IESE is pretty apparent: Emphasizing the long term, the school is interested in the personal transformation of its students and building closer relationships with them, and is willing to make the difficult economic trade-offs to convert noble sentiments into reality.

Friendship: the marvelous aspect

By Michael Pakaluk

The marvelous aspect of The Work, I think, is the importance placed on
friendship. Members of The Work are encouraged to be good friends to
their family and neighbors. In fact, as we understand it, the
principal way in which we are to be apostolic is through being good
friends to others. "Those words, whispered at the proper time into
the ear of your wavering friend; that helpful conversation you manage
to start at the right moment; the ready advice that improves his
studies; and the discreet indiscretion by which you open for him
unsuspected horizons for his zeal-all that is the 'apostolate of
friendship'" (The Way, n. 975). We aim to bring others to Christ
through sanctifying our friendships, by intimate and thoughtful
one-on-one discussions and by acts of kindness and consideration.

I have hope when I see Opus Dei and other faithful organizations in action

Question from Terry on 11/10/2005 at EWTN Catholic Q&A

Dear Father,

Question then a comment.

It seems to me that Opus Dei is attacked primarily because it affirms the truth of the catholic church and is uncompromising regarding the faith. It always seems the devil follows after something holy to either mimic it, deconstruct it, and/or cause scandal. Even so, I have hope when I see Opus Dei and other faithful organizations in action. Is Opus Dei growing?

Also, a quick testimony. Thank you for your efforts here and at EWTN. I felt compelled to affirm Opus Dei and its good works, as it is highly likely that I was redirected back to the catholic faith by one of its faithful members.

I have always had a fondness for Opus Dei, as a friend of mine is a member of Opus Dei. 15 years ago, I told a friend that "I had intellectual issues with the catholic church." His answer was to give me a book titled "Theology and Sanity" by Frank Sheed. The result took a few years, as God worked on me, till I finally read the book, it was then that I realized how unintellectual I had been, as that book blew me away. I clearly needed a catholic intellect, and I did not have one, but one formed by many influences that were false.

There is good theology and bad theology. There is good faith and bad faith (which is really not faith at all). Opus Dei is about helping good faith thrive. As Christ truly wants us to live according to our state in life as the daily struggles are what God uses to mold us and shape us.

I am not a member of Opus Dei, but over the last 15 years I have heard people attack it, and as of late, with the assistance Dan Brown book, so much the more. I will always defend the catholic church, and for that matter the principles of Opus Dei and its faithful members.

I wanted to thank you for your good works as well.

Answer by Fr. John Trigilio on 5/25/2006:

Thank you. As a Cooperator in Opus Dei, I get many questions and since my car's license plate is OPUS DEI, I get many strange looks. Dan Brown's ludicrous book and the offensive movie based on it ("the Da Vinci Code") are both PROPOGANDA, i.e., lies and deceptions. EWTN on the other hand, transmits only the TRUTHS of our faith.

The blessing of EWTN and Opus Dei and all those elements of the church LOYAL to the Magisterium is that it fulfills what Jesus refers to in the Gospel when He says "You are LIGHT of the world; You are the SALT of the earth."

When Christians spread the light of truth, they are doing the will of God. When the Devil is called the Prince of Darkness it is because he is also the Author of All Lies. Error loves darkness since it can grow more and more dangerous when it cannot be seen. Truth wants to illumine the mind and to be in the open. EWTN and Opus Dei are out in the open and have nothing to hide.

Marked all the most important moments of my life

By Andrea Godone

Hi, I’m an Italian cooperator of Opus Dei since 1982.

I’ve not read The Da Vinci Code and I probably will not read it.

I know Opus Dei very well. It has marked all the most important periods and moments of my life, and I admit that what our Father, St. Josemaria, said is true: "Opus Dei is the better place to live and the better place to die”.

Next week I’ll be on Lake Como, at the Castle of Urio, for my annual retreat and I’ll pray also for Dan Brown: there are better ways to gain money than writing errors and fairy tales.

I want to submit to the readers the latest favour which Saint Josemaria did to me: I work as a business analyst in a merchant bank. And since two years ago I had a boss who hated me due to my Christian faith and to my being a cooperator of Opus Dei. In December 2004 I prayed the prayer card of our Father in order to obtain the favor that my boss would go away.

One week later, my boss told us about his [resignation] in a week or two.

Then came the new boss: a lovable person, who loves me a lot, and whose sons frequent a Faes School of Milan (a school directed by parents whose spiritual formation is directed by the Prelature of Opus Dei).

Now me and my new boss go together to the monthly spiritual retreat for professionals organized by the Prelature in our town.

As you can see, Opus Dei is everything (good) but a secret association.

My best wishes,

Andrea Godone

On being hidden

By happymama at 8:54 am on Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Yesterday I was sweeping innumerable crumbs in my kitchen. I admit I found myself beginning to think, “why do I have to do this every single day? All I do is sweep, sweep, sweep!” Mess, mess, mess. It is not my goal to have a perfectly clean home. But we shouldn’t have to step on left-overs every time we walk into the kitchen. For a moment I was bemoaning my daily chores.

The little devil sitting on my left shoulder started whispering, “And what would you rather be doing with your precious time, my dear?”

To which the little angel sitting on my right shoulder responded, “Honey, go look in that little book over there on your bookshelf.”

I had been meaning to flip through The Way again. It’s a compilation of sayings by St. Josemaria Escriva. Here’s the quote I found:

So your talents, your personality, your qualities are being wasted. So you’re not allowed to take full advantage of them. Meditate well on these words of a spiritual writer: “The incense offered to God is not wasted. Our Lord is more honored by the immolation of your talents than by their vain use.” 684

I’ve long trusted in the immeasurable value of all the little things we do in life, when they are done out of love. I long ago realized the foolishness of desiring to “fix” the world’s problems by myself. I have embraced the hidden life… but still need to be reminded every now and then to continue choosing this life, lest I should complain and lose focus on loving. This is why the writings of the saints are such a treasure for us all. They cry out to us from across the centuries: carry on!

The boys recently found some honey locust seed pods, and we broke them open. The 4yo [4 year old] asked if we could plant them, so I said, “sure, dig a hole.” The boys did, and put in the seeds. “Now cover them up.” But they didn’t want to. They wanted to be able to see them and watch them grow. It’s an instinctive desire to want to watch things change and grow. The same is true of our spiritual lives. We’d rather see progress than actually work for it. And this is why God usually chooses to hide our spiritual growth. If humans walked around with some sort of “holiness gauge” on their sleeves for all to see, then holiness would become a competition, and the whole point of sanctity - love - would be forgotten. It’s a lesson to be learned not once, but over a lifetime.

One of my favorite Marian books is called Mystery of Mary: Model of the Growth of Christian Life by Fr. Marie-Dominique Philippe, O.P. (Of the Brothers of St. John.) He writes much about the hiddenness of the Holy Family. Here’s an excerpt I read recently:

The mystery of the hidden life, from the return from Egypt to the Finding in the Temple, presents to us the model of the very humble and simple sanctification of the manual work of Mary, as mistress of the household in Nazareth. Scripture gives us no detail concerning this entire period, the predominant character of which is to be hidden and to develop according to the common law of mankind. It simply states: “And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him…”

It’s only this progress of the Child-God… that the Holy Spirit wanted to point out so as to bring it to full light. Corresponding to Jesus’ physical and experiential progress, there occurs in Mary’s heart a wonderful ascent in love. This very obscure work we mentioned, totally directed as it is towards God and totally in the service of fraternal charity, is as it were the daily food which enables this ascent in charity to be realized in such a divine and simple, but also such a steady way.

If charity transforms work by ordering it to God & neighbor, by giving it a new meaning, the work accepted out of love is at the same time a sort of fuel which keeps this divine fire of love burning, which offers it some human penal matter to burn to enable it to be more and more pure and bright in the eyes of God, but more and more hidden, as though covered with ashes, in the eyes of men.

It is in this light that we should understand how charity transforms all the tedious labor connected with the duties of our state of life… God likes to plunge the souls he loves into the common and banal duty of mankind for a long time, so that they may progress and become stronger in their humble love… This entire period remains a mystery of joy. Jesus is present. No matter how tedious and difficult, the labor becomes joyful and a source of joy if Jesus is there and it is done for Him. For human labor keeps the family community closely united and enables it to experience a new intimacy, that of common work accomplished together in view of reaching the same goal…

Advice to distressed pregnant women

At Unborn of the Day

St Josemaria Escriva was asked a question by a social worker during one of the many talks he gave around the world. She wanted to know how to talk to the poor women who came to her as a social worker and as a Catholic when they were distressed after becoming pregnant - she wanted advice about what to say to them.

His responded in part: “Tell them they should be proud of the confidence God has in them, giving a baby to the world who is a child of God even while still in the womb. So, they should not be dismayed. No, they should give thanks to God for making them instruments of such a marvelous thing, an extraordinary miracle, this participation in the creative power of God. “

He went on to tell them the true story about a wise Chinese doctor whom he knew. This man worked in a very poor area. A woman came to him (a non-Christian) who was distressed because she was pregnant with her ninth child. She told him she wanted an abortion because there was not enough food to feed this child. He told her he could not kill her child but then he had an idea and asked her about her oldest child. She told him about her oldest child - a son. He pointed out quite logically that if having enough food was the problem it was this son who ate the most - a Solomon-like leading comment. No, she said, he’s my child I could never harm one of my children. He then, gently pointed out that the one in her womb was also one of her children.

A way of breaking through your heart's hard exterior

By Miss Kade

Lately, I've been reading City of God by St. Augustine. The first little chunk is tough to get through. I love St. Auggy like a brother, but sometimes he rambles on about history and such. Its well worth it once you get into the meat of it though. Confessions is by far the most human thing I've ever read so far. Its what made me fall in love with him. I'm hoping City of God will turn out to be the same.

I've finished my The Way of St. Josemaria Escriva too. I'm actually circling it right back over because it was so good! He's so blunt. He'll speak those words in your ear you are so desperately needing to hear but don't really want to. My favorite quote of him so far:

"Paradoxes of a little soul. When Jesus sends you what the world calls good luck, feel sorrow in your heart at the thought of his goodness and of your wickedness. When Jesus sends you what people consider bad luck, rejoice in your heart, for he always gives you what is best. This is the beautiful moment to love the cross."

He has such a way of breaking through your heart's hard exterior. Before I became Catholic, anytime I fell, I just wanted to hide away from him. Like I needed to act out a certain period of "shame time" before it was "okay" to come back and speak with him. But should that ever be my response? NEVER! God is never partial. He is complete and full and perfect. He is always there, even when we'd rather Him not see what we're doing. The only way things get better is when we acknowledge that and seek Him out as whom He truly is.

And not only is He there all the time, but so are the saints. I often sit and wonder how I ever got along without them... How wrong I was to cast them off before. I am so grateful for every word ever muttered from their mouths that has been recorded. Words like St. Josemaria's have spoken volumes to me and prodded me to think about how I'm living my life. They make me want to put more of an effort forth. It gives me so much comfort to think about all the Christians who have come before us, many of who faced grave trials we'll never get even the slightest glimpse of (facing beheadings, quarterings, and much, much worse), who conquered this life by the power of Christ and are now up there rooting for all of us. What love Christ has for His church that He gives us gifts like these. We are all connected through one body, and that's His. How I am so thrilled to be aware of that now.

Whew, so yeah, I'm enjoying my readings lately. ;0)

JP2 on St. Josemaria: Christianity an incentive to building up the world

By John Paul II on the canonization day of St. Josemaria Escriva.
With Escriva's teaching that God comes close to us and we can cooperate with his plan of salvation, John Paul II said that "it is easier to understand what the Second Vatican Council affirmed: 'there is no question, then, of the Christian message inhibiting men from building up the world ... on the contrary it is an incentive to do these very things' (Vatican II, Gaudium et spes, n. 34)."

"All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God" (Rom 8,14). These words of the Apostle Paul, which we have just heard, help us understand better the significant message of today's canonization of Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer. With docility he allowed himself to be led by the Spirit, convinced that only in this way can one fully accomplish God's will.

This fundamental Christian truth was a constant theme in his preaching. Indeed, he never stopped inviting his spiritual children to invoke the Holy Spirit to ensure that their interior life, namely, their life of relationship with God and their family, professional and social life, totally made up of small earthly realities, would not be separated but would form only one life that was "holy and full of God". He wrote, "We find the invisible God in the most visible and material things" (Conversations with Josemaría Escrivá, n. 114).

This teaching of his is still timely and urgent today. In virtue of the Baptism that incorporates him into Christ, the believer is called to establish with the Lord an uninterrupted and vital relationship. He is called to be holy and to collaborate in the salvation of humanity.

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it" (Gn 2,15). The Book of Genesis, as we heard in the first reading, reminds us that the Creator has entrusted the earth to man, to "till" it and "keep" it. Believers acting in the various realities of this world contribute to realize this divine universal plan. Work and any other activity, carried out with the help of grace, is converted into a means of daily sanctification.

"The ordinary life of a Christian who has faith", Josemaría Escrivá used to say, "when he works or rests, when he prays or sleeps, at all times, is a life in which God is always present" (Meditations, 3 March 1954). This supernatural vision of life unfolds an extraordinarily rich horizon of salvific perspectives, because, even in the only apparently monotonous flow of normal earthly events, God comes close to us and we can cooperate with his plan of salvation. So it is easier to understand what the Second Vatican Council affirmed: "there is no question, then, of the Christian message inhibiting men from building up the world ... on the contrary it is an incentive to do these very things" (Vatican II, Gaudium et spes, n. 34).

To elevate the world to God and transform it from within: this is the ideal the holy founder points out to you, dear brothers and sisters, who rejoice today to see him raised to the glory of the altars. He continues to remind you of the need not to let yourselves be frightened by a materialist culture that threatens to dissolve the genuine identity of Christ's disciples. He liked to repeat forcefully that the Christian faith is opposed to conformism and interior inertia.

Following in his footsteps, spread in society the consciousness that we are all called to holiness whatever our race, class, society or age. In the first place, struggle to be saints yourselves, cultivating an evangelical style of humility and service, abandonment to Providence and of constant listening to the voice of the Spirit. In this way, you will be the "salt of the earth" (cf. Mt 5,13) and "your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (ibid., 5,16).

To fulfil such a rigorous mission, one needs constant interior growth nourished by prayer. St Josemaría was a master in the practice of prayer, which he considered to be an extraordinary "weapon" to redeem the world. He always recommended: "in the first place prayer; then expiation; in the third place, but very much in third place, action" (The Way, n. 82). It is not a paradox but a perennial truth: the fruitfulness of the apostolate lies above all in prayer and in intense and constant sacramental life. This, in essence, is the secret of the holiness and the true success of the saints.

Nigeria: A Life Worth Emulating

By Sonnie Ekwowusi, Lagos

As we mark our 47th independence anniversary full of hope and optimism of a better Nigeria where true patriotism, selfless service and unity reign, the name of one Nigerian who died last week is apt for mention. Although his name might not have made the headlines, nevertheless he quietly contributed to the building of the country through tireless pastoral work and active participation in projects targeted at overall human development. Many across the country who have met him will easily attest to his warm character, alluring personality, contagious smile, simplicity and unpretentious self-effacement. He was an obedient, affable, humble, sweet and patient gentleman. He made friends across the different divides and remained loyal to those friends till death. His wit, learning and good remarks were as attractive as his presence.

Slim, soft-spoken, extremely refined and orderly with a respectable towering figure, he rarely lost his calm even in the thick of the Lagos vehicular traffic jams. He was an approachable Catholic priest. He always kept his door open for all who cared to step in and solicit for his advice. A consummate Christian humanist, he was interested in both the spiritual and material needs of his flock. He was pained by the suffering afflicting many Nigerians. In Lagos , Benin , Enugu , Owerri, Calabar, Kaduna and Abuja , his name rings a bell in some circles. Different mourners from different parts of the country who thronged the Ikoyi Cemetery last Thursday to bid him farewell testified how he touched their lives in different ways. One mourner who could not control his emotion broke down in tears.

I am talking about Fr. James Munoz Chapuli, Catholic priest of Opus Dei, Censor Deputatis, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, who passed away last Tuesday after a brief illness and was buried last Thursday in Lagos . He would have clocked 66 on December 18. Wondering why he is being introduced as a Nigerian when his names sound foreign? Well, Fr. James, as he is fondly called, was born a Spaniard, but upon arriving Nigeria and living for many years, he opted to become a Nigerian citizen. In fact, he came to Nigeria in 1969 after sojourning in Kenya, and since then had been habitually residing and working in Nigeria until death struck. By simple calculation, he lived in Nigeria for 38 years, which means that he was more Nigerian than many Nigerian citizens by birth. Impelled by the passionate love for the country and desire to render services to those in need, he became a Nigerian by naturalization. He had a true Nigerian heart. He performed his civic responsibility as a Nigerian citizen: he voted at elections. Once he queued up like everyone else at a pooling station to cast his vote. Spotting a tall oyibo priest in white cassock in the queue, some of the voters raised their hands in protest. But upon learning that he was a naturalized Nigerian citizen, they were much edified.

Fr. James, no doubt, was a towering figure, both in height, at heart and in intellectual capacity. His exceptional intellectual versatility; lucidity of his thought especially in philosophical and theological matters; perception of his mind; knack for hard work and love for justice endeared him to the hearts of many. He spoke flawless English, with a melodious accent, which did not betray his Spanish root. A prodigious writer, he was a columnist of Aceprensa and other international periodicals. Under the pseudonym, Jide Martins, he penned many brilliant essays which were published in both local and international press. In his Censor Deputatis job, he patiently reviewed many written works of many authors. He went the extra mile of contacting those authors and exchanging ideas in their work with them.

Outstanding as a man; outstanding as a good lawn tennis player; much more outstanding as a priest, Fr. James subscribed to the ultimate values that give meaning to life. He spoke a lot about the meaning of human existence. He tirelessly spread the message of Opus Dei, which is, that the daily work of a man or a woman in the heart of the society is a means for serving God, one's neighbour, and above all, a means for seeking holiness. As chaplain of Helmbridge Study Centre, Surulere, Lagos , he instilled in the students and young people the ideal vividly recaptured by St. Josemaria, Opus Dei founder, in his book, The Way: "Don't let your life be sterile. Be useful. Braze a trail. Shine forth with the light of your faith and of your love ". Interestingly many of those young lads, whom he tutored, attended his funeral with their wives.

I first met Fr. James in Enugu way back in the 80s. As a law student I was invited to participate in an activity involving law students at the Opus Dei Centre located in Independence layout, Enugu. I remember opening the door of the place and encountering the smiling face of a lanky priest in immaculate cassock. I can't remember now whether any conversation transpired, but I can remember shaking hands with the smiling priest. That priest was Fr. James. Since then our paths have crossed especially in this tiresome journey of trying to cloth the naked public square with the truth.

There is no doubt that in the death of Fr. James, the Opus Dei Prelature and the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, have indeed, lost a rare gem. Fr. James's legacy eloquently testifies to the wonderful legacies of many Christian missionaries and Catholic priests who had sacrificed their lives to make Nigeria great. They were generous men who left the luxury and comfort of their countries to come to Nigeria to suffer and to die. They came to Nigeria when things were very much upside down in Nigeria . No single good road. No flyovers. They were bitten by anopheles mosquitoes. They ate little and slept little. They endured many sufferings: heat, misunderstanding, native hostilities and calumnies. For the love of God and their fellow men Nigeria , they did not run away from Nigeria . Some even got donations from abroad to establish secondary schools, hospitals, primary health centres and sports centres in the hinterlands of Nigeria . Remember Father Slattery of St. Finbarr's College? Remember his great contribution to education and sports in Nigeria? I am sure you can remember the names of many others who sacrificed themselves rendering great services in Nigeria .

To spend one's life at the service of others without making noise about it, is an ideal worth embracing. After all, at the end of the day, that is the true element that clearly marks the greatness of any man or woman. Other things will come and go, but the things that accompany one after one's life on earth are good deeds and the lives one has touched. With his openness and generous heart, Fr. James spent his life at the service of others. His life is worthy emulating. May his soul rest in peace.

Opus Dei

By Robert Royal in First Things



The present writer has been invited to attend Opus Dei conferences, has spoken at events organized by people in the Work (as it is called by members), and has even made a retreat under the prelature’s auspices.

In my experience, the activities of Opus Dei are better organized, more unobtrusively hospitable, and more clearly thought through than are those of any other organization, religious or secular, known to me. In a church that lately has often mistaken incoherence for simplicity and disorder for spontaneity, Opus Dei breathes a refreshingly competent spirit. The Work, quite clearly, works.

But what does it work at? Primarily, I would say, at developing the spiritual life of those it touches. A few members of Opus Dei have in my presence shown a hint of a cult of personality toward its founder, the now Blessed Josémaria Escrivá de Balaguer. But for the most part, Opus Dei members seem to me as healthy, non-fanatical, and ordinary as any average group of Catholics who take their spiritual lives seriously. The young people in particular seem both happy and happy to have found a solidly Catholic group that encourages them to live good lives in the world of today.

Benedict XVI and Opus Dei

By Robert O'Connor in The Truth Will Make You Free

In his new “Jesus of Nazareth”, Benedict insists that “When Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of God, he is quite simply proclaiming God, and proclaiming him to be the living God, who is able to act concretely in the world and in history and is even now so acting. He is telling us: ‘God exists’ and “God is really God,’ which means that he holds in his hands the threads of the world. In this sense, Jesus’ message is very simply and thoroughly God-centered. The new and totally specific thing about his message is that he is telling us: God is acting now – this is the hour when God is showing himself in history as its Lord, as the living God, in a way that goes beyond anything seen before.

The logic is inexorable...The Kingdom of God is the Person of Christ, and wherever there is “another Christ.”

This is the verbal founding of Opus Dei. St. Josemaria Escriva recalls August 7, 1931: “At that moment of elevating the Sacred Host, without losing paper recollection, without being distracted… there came to my mind, with extraordinary force and clarity, the phrase of Scripture ‘et si exaltatus fuero a terra, omnia traham ad me ipsum’ [And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself] (Jn. 12, 32). Ordinarily, in the face of the supernatural, I am afraid. Afterward comes the "do not be afraid, it is I." And I understood that it would be the men and women of God who would lift the Cross with the doctrines of Christ over the pinnacle of all human activity. And I saw our Lord triumph, drawing to himself all things.”

John Coverdale recounts: “Reflecting years later on this experience, Escriva said that he understood our Lord to be saying those words to him ‘not in the sense in which the Scripture says them. I say it to you in the sense that you are to raise me up in all human activities, in the sense that all over the world there should be Christians with a personal and very free dedication, who will be other Christs.’”