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.’”

Work, labor and the Work of God!

By Rob J. King, an Episcopalian

Today I was reflecting on the nature of 'work,' what is it, what do we mean by it, and what its importance is in the Kingdom of God.

At many times in my life, I have had a distorted view of 'work.'

For example, during 1997 - 1999, perhaps the most financially stable time in my life (two incomes, married, housing provided by the United Methodist Church, nice annuities growing towards retirement, no kids yet, etc.), my view of work was directly related to finance. I was prosperous, but to be frank miserable. I loved my congregation, I loved preaching the Word of God, but like St. Augustine, my heart was restless until it found its rest in the LORD Jesus Christ. I would read feverishly from the great Spiritual Masters, names such as Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen, yet still I felt a strange longing inside of me.

Then, whether it was a good decision or not, I decided to pursue Ph.D. studies in order to become a "Professor of Theology." I enrolled in the Th.M. program at Duke (following my M.Div. from 1994 - 1997), applied to several Ph.D. programs and lo and behold I became a Notre Dame Ph.D. student for three years of my life (followed by continued teaching at the undergraduate level since 2004).

Yet, still throughout this life of the Mind, my heart and my soul were restless.

Work, however, soon became a form of Spiritual Discipline. While a Ph.D. student, I would daily enter my library closet (little rooms with doors and book shelves in the Notre Dame Hesburgh Library), and then contemplate my Greek Orthodox icon, pray fanatically, and then read French, Greek, the early Church Fathers, contemporary social ethics and then close each day by returning home to my humble graduate student apartment.

Work became less about "payment" and more about growth in holiness.

Eventually, I began my journey back to the Catholic Church, have been somewhat frustrated at its institutional apostasy (e.g. professors who are religious pluralists, not fully pro-life, etc.), but nonetheless, back towards the rosary-praying, Virgin Mary-venerating Catholicism of my youth.

Along the journey (my own 'journey home') I have been engrafted into the Vatican-supporting apostolate known as The Coming Home Network, attended their conferences in 2003 and 2006 (and soon will attend 2007's conference!), and am striving to take my 'work' and make it all part of 'The Work of God' (Opus Dei). I even met with a numerary of Opus Dei in 2004, but the Holy Spirit has not yet moved me to 'officially' join.

Nonetheless, although not an 'official' part of Opus Dei, from support for the poor in Africa to helping to weed out heresy in the Catholic communion, I am finding that I rather like the vision of St. Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei. To be frank, the whole notion that my own paltry work, whether it is grading 30 student essays or doing my dishes or cleaning the toilet or praying for someone's healing, can all be a means of sanctification is TRULY OUTSTANDING.

To work as God works, not that I am "god" in any sense, but that the Holy Spirit is working through me to do "The Work of God" is truly revolutionary. As Brother Lawrence, a monk who lived prior to St. Josemaria Escriva, one time penned, "Lord of the pots and pans and things, make me a saint by cleaning up the dishes!" (paraphrase).

To become holy by cleaning one's dishes (or by grading student essays or even cleaning the toilet!), such a Theology of Holiness is much needed in the United States and throughout the world.

May God bless MIGHTILY each of your respective 'works' and I pray in JESUS' Name that your work be part of 'The Work of God' for the salvation of all souls, here on earth and in purgatory.

The Holy Angels

By Dennis Socrates, Lawyer from the Philippines in Gaudium cum Pace

It is no accident that St. Josemaria founded Opus Dei, by divine inspiration, on the feast of the Holy (Guardian) Angels (October 2, 1928). The mission of St. Josemaria and Opus Dei—essentially, to propagate the universal call to holiness, and the truth that all the normal circumstances of ordinary life can be a path to sanctity—is anchored on the fact that we are children of God by grace. And one very consoling “proof” of our divine filiation—of God’s fatherly love towards each of us—is that He gave us our Guardian Angel to help us on our journey towards sanctity. God, in His parental care, gave us our betters to serve us. The holy angels are with us in all the circumstances of daily life.

St. Josemaria writes: “Whenever you are in need of anything, or are facing difficulties, whether great or small, invoke your Guardian Angel, asking him to sort the matter out with Jesus, or to carry out a particular service you may require.” (The Forge, No. 931) Also:

“The Guardian Angel always accompanies us as our principal witness. It is he who, at your particular judgment, will remember the kind deeds you performed for Our Lord throughout your life. Furthermore, when you feel lost, before the terrible accusations of the enemy, your Angel will present those intimations of your heart—which perhaps you yourself might have forgotten—those proofs of love which you might have had for God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.” (Furrow, No. 693)

May we come to appreciate more and more each day the love God has for each of us, his children, by keeping in touch with our Guardian Angel, and with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Angels, our mother.

DEO OMNIS GLORIA

The meetings draw an eclectic group of men

By Scalia in Spero Forum

I am not a member but probably will be at some time in the future. Opus Dei is a personal prelature of the Church founded by a Spanish Priest in 1928. Opus Dei is 100% orthodox. This Pope [John Paul II] loves and respects Opus Dei, which irks liberal Catholics.

The premise of Opus Dei is very simple: lay Catholics must lead their lives in a priestly manner, although they are not priests. You can join the group in various fashions: some unmarried lay people take vows of celibacy, while others are married and enjoy a full married life. Their faith is white hot and unapologetic. They possess a missionary zeal unfamiliar to many Catholics.

I have attended numerous "evenings of recollections" held by an Opus Dei priest in a Baltimore suburb (only once did they ask for money and that was even a soft sell!). The evenings of recollections are held at a large home donated by a member, which has been converted to a chapel. The meetings draw an eclectic group of men from many races and nationalities. These members tend to be highly educated or extremely devout. A typical group of forty men, from my experience, will include: 5-6 medical doctors, 5-6 lawyers, 2-3 PhD's from the applied physics lab of Johns Hopkins, computer geeks, 3-4 graduates from service academies and blue collar folks. My roommate from the Naval Academy is thinking about joining right now. Opus Dei wants to evangelize all walks of life, including the highest realms of society. The current priest who heads the group is a former Wall St. wonder boy who punched out to serve the Lord.

An interesting side note. Scott Hahn talked to 5-6 priests about converting to the Church. All the priests either tried to dissuade him or were ambivalent about his conversion. Then he met an Opus Dei priest who welcomed him with open arms. Opus Dei is big on conversion.

The group obviously isn't for everyone but you may want to check them out. Here is their site. http://www.opusdei.org/

That's holiness. That's the sacred

By Scott Hahn in Catholic Pages

Just about seven years ago when professor Tom Howard entered into the Church, Christianity Today, the leading evangelical news magazine, came out with a cover story about Tom Howard's pilgrimage into the Roman Catholic Church. They tried earnestly to make it seem as though it was kind of a warm fuzzy feeling that led him back to Rome because he was so enchanted with the liturgy and he spoke of the worship and this sort of thing. They spoke of it as just kind of an emotional attraction where he was attached to these external rituals.

When you talk to Dr. Howard you discover, on the contrary that if that was really his motivating force, he would've remained an Anglican. In his own Anglican parish there was far more ritual, but there was something missing. There was something missing of the antiquity and the ripe incarnational humanness of Catholic worship. The more he studied, the more he recognized that the historic, apostolic liturgy is what really belongs by birthright to the Catholic Church.

This is something I'm discovering. I've only been a Catholic five or six years now, but I've discovered this in many ways. I've been on Opus Dei retreats now three times where they have celebrated the New Order, the Novus Ordo Mass in Latin - not a lot of smells and bells, just a certain holy simplicity. But I've walked away from these celebrations thinking, That is powerful; that is holy. There is so little in American life where you can go and say, "That's holiness; that's the sacred." I came away from those Latin Masses with that sense. Then I discovered afterwards in the documents of Vatican II, the express declaration that pride of place belongs to the Latin language in our liturgies. I'm not somebody who goes around crusading for Latin. Deep down, I was raised in the public schools. If I was raised in the 80's, I probably would have watched MTV. But I know in my heart of hearts that there is something of the transcendent, there's something of the sacred and of the holy, in the way the Mass is often celebrated with Latin. It isn't necessary; it isn't guaranteed. You can do a trashy job with Latin just like you can with English or any vernacular language. Likewise you can do a very adequate job of expressing the transcendent, and the sacred in English as well.

I resolved to smile more

By Roger Bissonnette, car mechanic and school bus driver, Besner & Bissonnette Inc. He is married with two adult children.


My daughter became a member of the Work in 1980, and my wife followed a few years later. They attended activities for ladies at the Manoir de Beaujeu. I had been a mechanic with my own garage for many years and I attended Mass regularly every Sunday. My wife was involved in the parish, particularly with the catechism of the altar boys. I practiced, but it never occurred to me that a layman like me could strive after sanctity. That, I thought was only for priests and nuns. But when my wife had me read some of the homilies of Saint Josemaria, I found out that I too could be a saint. This was new to me.

What impact did the teachings of Saint Josemaria have on your work?

Well I had always offered my work to God, as this is what I had been taught at school and by my parents. But after knowing more about the life of Saint Josemaria, I got more specific, and I offered my work for the people in my apostolate, for my family, my co-workers, my friends. I had the habit of swearing occasionally when something went wrong, but now I realised I had to give a good example, so I changed that… Like in many garages around here we used to have certain inappropriate calendars on the wall. I realised that they had to go, so I took them down and placed a prayer card of our Founder instead. It helped to keep presence of God and was occasionally a subject of conversation with customers.

What other characteristic were you struck by in Saint Josemaria?

One thing that struck me in those filmed get-togethers is that he was always cheerful, with a radiant and contagious smile. Then I noticed that all the members of the Work always wore authentic smiles. So I resolved to smile more too, regardless of the snags and setbacks I might encounter in the garage. A friend came to me once and asked me how come I was never in a bad mood… I didn't quite know what to tell him. So I told him I learned this from our Father. Hearing Saint Josemaria speak made me think and be more reflective. My wife even says my character got smoother, with less of those hard edges.

At first I must admit that it was not easy to put into practice all the things I was learning. It was pretty tough to smooth away those hard edges, but then I was told that I should always have an attitude of beginning and beginning again, and I learned that God was a loving Father who loves us always despite our weaknesses.

Opus Dei aims to serve the Church

By Oli, London UK at Super Duper

One of the accusations leveled against Opus Dei is that it is a "Church within the Church". Opus Dei is not a Church within the Church. It aims to serve the Church. It is not a drive to create some sort of pristine 'inner space', unrelated to and unaffected by the outer world. The vocation to Opus Dei is to the sanctification of one's work and apostolate- bringing other people closer to Christ.

St Josemaria said that "our cell is the street"- we are called to be saints in the middle of the world. if our lives seem cosy and comfortable, we know we are not being generous enough. if we have surrounded ourselves only with people who think like us, we are not 'in the world'.

One only has to read a newspaper- even just to spend one minute in any London street- to see how much work needs to be done, how many people look lost and directionless, how many sins are committed through ignorance, how many sins are committed because 'good' people do nothing. These are sins of omission on the part of those who know better as well as on the part of the perpetrator- think of the slow approval of human hybrids...

We each have a role to play in making this world a better place, and that is our vocation. Whether or not you are called to serve God in Opus Dei, He has asked you to serve Him in some way, and by saying yes to that call and being faithful you will become a saint.

Let us pray not to be lead into temptation , because to be immersed in the world yet keep one's heart for Christ is impossible without grace...

Excellent introduction to Opus Dei

By Veronica Singh (Ottawa, Canada) on Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace: My Spiritual Journey in Opus Dei by Scott Hahn

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

I was extremely surprised when I was given this book as a gift. I had no idea that Scott Hahn was a member of "The Work" as OD members call it. As someone who has had many positive experiences with Opus Dei and who has wanted to know more about them for a while, I found this book to be exactly what I was looking for. There is not much of Scott Hahn's own biographical journey here, although it is briefly mentioned in places. It is really an introduction to the spirituality of Opus Dei for the ordinary person. Extremely clear and well written, and inspiring! After reading this book, I have a deeper understanding of the motive, mission and philosophy of Opus Dei (their charism, really) and a more profound respect for their work.

Bishop would recommend Opus Dei to anyone

by Dr. Bombay, a Senior Member of Catholic Answers Forum

I had a chance to meet our bishop and I asked him about Opus Dei.

He said he thought very highly of it and would recommend it to anyone. Apparently, he's been involved with Opus Dei people for many years and spoke glowingly of them.

I didn't ask if he was a member himself (thought that was too personal a question).

The work on the Work

By a member of the Dominican Laity on Monday, September 17, 2007

Okay, so this isn't the most timely review, seeing as John Allen's Opus Dei: An Objective Look Behind the Myths and Reality of the Most Controversial Force in the Catholic Church first came out two years ago and the paperback reprint three months ago. But I do what I can, when I can, to keep the insect overlords who send me review copies happy.

Between the 2005 hardcover publication and the 2007 trade paperback, the DaVinci Code movie came and went. Allen took advantage of this to frame the preface he wrote for the paperback edition, in which he makes this perhaps surprising claim:

With the possible exception of Pope John Paul II, Opus Dei never had a better friend than Dan Brown.

Brown's absurd caricature of Opus Dei led to "Operation Lemonade," the strategy of using the attention the book brought as an opportunity for the prelature to inform the curious (and the doubtful) about what Opus Dei is really all about.

And if Brown is the Work's second-best friend, John Allen comes in third. From now on, anyone who wants to bring a charge against Opus Dei or its founder will first have to check whether the charge has been investigated and answered by Allen in his book.

He begins with a look at St. Josemaria Escriva, whom some have charged with vanity, Masonry, and fascism, and at the new association he founded, upon the spirituality of divine filiation and sanctification of secular work. Then he looks at eight "Question Marks About Opus Dei": secrecy; mortification; women; money; Opus Dei in the Church; Opus Dei and politics; blind obedience; and recruiting.

Among Allen's conclusions, which may disappoint the anti-Opus Dei folks:

* "Many of the charges leveled against... Saint Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer... are open to interpretation, and in any event do not seem to disqualify in terms of personal sanctity."
* "Opus Dei is not especially 'secretive.'"
* "Practices of corporal mortification... have a long pedigree and accepted theological rational, and do not generally seem to be taken to extremes."
* Opus Dei is not rich, at least by the standards of other organizations in the Catholic Church...."
* "The profile of Opus Dei as 'elitist' has some historical validity.... Yet Opus Dei is not 'elitist' in the sense in which people often invoke the term, meaning an exclusively white-collar phenomenon."
* "Opus Dei's is not an exclusively vertical spirituality; it does have a social conscience."
* "Opus Dei is not 'taking over' the Catholic Church."
* "Opus Dei is not the voracious recruiting machine of myth, given the snail's pace of recent grown, averaging 650 new members per year worldwide the last four years."
* "There's little evidence... that unwilling people are being subjected to this regime [of numerary life] through 'mind control.'"

Even granting that:

* "A substantial number of ex-members... report feeling damaged by their experience... These reports suggest the need for care in vocational discernment, especially among the young."

Allen follows up with:

* "Some of the critical testimony of ex-members comed down to the failure of certain officials of Opus Dei to use good judgment. As time goes on and Opus Dei matures, these episodes seem less frequent, and the internal climate seems more open."

Bottom line, and slightly simplifying: Much of the controversy is ill-founded (if often exacerbated by Opus Dei's tone-deaf reactions), and much of the rest is due to Opus Dei's learning curve as it grows from a personal vision of its founder to a self-sustaining, worldwide association of the faithful (i.e., the boneheadedness of iindividual members). I had the sense in reading this book that Allen himself was surprised to come to such a benign impression of the Work.

Still, he offers three suggestions that might help Opus Dei "to thrive, assuaging the anxieties people sometimes have and thus opening new apostolic horizons": increased transparency; increased collaboration with other Church organizations; and increased institutional self-criticism. (Note: All very American suggestions. Even Allen doesn't seem sure they'd have much appeal within Opus Dei. Collaboration in particular is viewed as against "the spirit of the Work," which is directed ad extra.)

In any case, anyone looking for a thorough (in spots thorough to the point of dullness) examination of the controversies surrounding Opus Dei really should start here. Not only because Operation Lemonade and other changes on the prelature's part have made a lot of the criticism anachronistic, but because Allen seems to make a real effort to present both sides of the still-disputed questions surrounding Opus Dei.

A Coming To and a Coming Home

By Bing Bonilla May 24, 2007

“I’m a recovering drug dependent,” confesses Gil, 52, entrepreneur and former leftist activist. After eight years, he is now on the 12th and final step of the drug recovery program: helping others, especially other dependents. His wife Ming, a cooperator of Opus Dei believes “St. Josemaria interceded for us through the Immaculate Mother and answered our prayer.”

Gil started a livelihood project in Angeles City that employs 50 men.
Little did Ming imagine that when she married Gil, he was hooked on drugs. She felt trapped but she also remembered her vows to live with him for better or for worse. She made a novena to St. Josemaría whom she got to know through her sister-in-law, a supernumerary member of Opus Dei. It was a struggle for her and for his family to get him to a rehabilitation center. The first time he was put on a drug rehabilitation program in April 1996, they did not know what to expect. On the way there, they prayed the Rosary. During the visit, Gil’s sister brought a relic of St. Josemaría and would caress his back with it. When he got out of the rehab center, things were better. But soon after, he would have a relapse. After four drug rehabilitation confinements and through much prayer, “Gil never again took drugs and he even gave up his smoking and drinking habits”, Ming happily says.

Ming recounts, “one night, I knelt down to pray the Rosary with arms outstretched. I finished all three mysteries while offering the pain as a sacrifice and asked God to end this family trial. I do not usually read the newspapers, but the following morning, I got hold of one and saw an article about a French doctor who was doing laser acupuncture that got rid of drug addiction. I immediately called up my mother-in-law and we went to see the doctor. I considered it a miracle that my husband agreed to see the doctor. After a month, he was recovered. The relationship within the family got better. I believe that St. Josemaría interceded for us through the Immaculate Mother and answered our prayer.”

Five years ago, Gil started a livelihood project in Angeles City, that employs fifty men and helps sustain their families. The project is a parking lot near the wet market, which was a way to help keep a sanitary food depot. “We need to clean up Angeles, especially Pampang, the heart of the city,” stresses Ming. The place is considered among the most depressed of municipalities with a bad road network and busted drainage system.

“So we cleaned up and leveled this part of our property, settling the squatters in another two-hectare property. This makes it safer for those going to the market, with guarded parking slots and proper traffic,” Gil explains.

The book that spread devotion to St. Josemaria


The devotion to St. Josemaría has spread among the employees who have been introduced to him through the book, “God Provides” which chronicles miracles and favors granted through the intercession of the saint. The book was passed around among them. Prayer cards could be seen on some of the employees’ tables and Ming has been told of answered favors every time they pray it. Among the employees of their small company, about 10 are recovering drug dependents.

As a member of a wealthy clan in the city with tracts of land that had been illegally occupied by settlers, Gil realized they had yet to resolve their own land problems. Another project was to turn over titles to the squatters.

“We talked to the city government, and they told us to turn over 13 hectares as payment for investment taxes,” recalls Gil. “They would be the ones to subdivide and distribute the property to the squatters. The transfer was completed only three weeks ago. The first installment was last December. We started this project in 1997. In spite of the intimidation we received from some of the townfolks, we remained consistent. We want to really resolve this because we just inherited these properties and these problems. We don’t want to pass these on to our children.”

Gil believes a person should have a property of his own because this gives him self-esteem and will enable him to manage it with a sense of responsibility.


To help inculcate these values, Ming and Gil came up with the San Marcelo Youth Camp, named after Saint Marcellus, a Roman centurion who refused to take part in idolatrous rituals of Emperor Maximian Hercules. The Christian soldier was beheaded for his defiance. Gil considers this saint the patron of conscientious objectors, and it was providential that the government approved the project on the martyr’s feast day, October 30. They had named their company PhiloVier Corporation, after their children Tamara Philomena and Camilo Javier.

The Youth Camp trains young people in leadership and the exercise of freedom. “We climb mountains with them to appreciate nature and be aware of the Creator; we bring them to museums to be proud of their origins; and we bring them to drug rehabilitation centers to see what happens to people who go into drugs,” Ming enumerates. “We show them that they have choices in what they do with their lives. Often they grow up thinking that, since they are poor, they don’t have much to do but just work enough to get by. We present possibilities to them so that they expand their horizons. Recalls Gil, “We even brought the 1st batch to Mt. Pinatubo. When we got there, I told them to find their spot, without talking. If in times of crisis, you call on God, this time, in the sight of beauty, you invoke God.”

The alumni are now the ones recruiting their friends and relatives to join these camps. They look for sponsors and come up with initiatives for fund-raising. Some have become peer counselors.

Gil and Ming do this exercise of expanding horizons on a more day-to-day level in their own company. They provide pointers on critical thinking, team-building, values formation, and in some cases, the basics of communication (written and oral) in the course of their meetings and more individualized dealings.

But Gil and Ming know that whatever good they’ve somehow helped bring about in the people around them would really redound to them, to their own home.

“We also want to protect our children when they go out into the world,” Ming admits. “Gil was saying we should not just prepare our children for what’s out there but to also help people around us become good, so that when our kids go out, these same people would be around to somehow protect our kids.”