Why has Dan Brown chosen a lay Catholic organization to slander?

By Mike Humphrey in AskACatholic.com

What is Opus Dei?

The goal of this lay Catholic organization is to encourage the ordinary parishioner / the lay Catholic to grow in holiness in the world for Our Lord Jesus. The Church has given official approval to the existence of Opus Dei by erecting it as a personal prelature. {Personal prelatures are ecclesiastical jurisdictions provided for by the Second Vatican Council and the Code of Canon Law that are created to meet specific pastoral needs with greater flexibility. Opus Dei combines in a single worldwide institution priests and laity, women and men, sharing the same vocation of spreading the ideal of holiness in the world and the sanctification of work.}

A critique of Opus Dei, pro and con

In my area, I have friends and family members who have both very positive and very negative experiences with Opus Dei. Critics have charged it with controlling the lives of some of its members, and with manipulative recruiting practices. Here is just one example.

Some have experienced a cult-like environment where:

* rash judgments are made
* mind control is involved.
* people are pulled away from their families and
* people are used for their money.

They will refer to the Opus Dei Awareness Network for a list of similar experiences they have had as well as the book "Beyond the Threshold" by Maria Del Carmen Tapia, a former Opus Dei numerary.

On the other side I've had some friends that have nothing but admiration for the goals and way of life Opus Dei has to offer those who choose to get involved.

One of our colleagues, Terry, has stated:

I have nothing but admiration for Opus Dei (or more properly entitled the Holy Cross Prelature) However, their methods of living are too much for me to embrace in my life, but I admire those that do so.

When I reflect on the family and friends who have had bad experiences with those that have had a MUCH more positive experiences, the only difference I see is a greater commitment to practicing the faith by those with a positive experience.

No one, not even Opus Dei members, are denying that the organization, like any other lay or religious organization, has its set of problems. The Church has established statutes for the governance of Opus Dei, putting an end to the somewhat secretive treatment of its internal rules. The question is: Are they dealing with it. I believe they are.

One book recommended by the head of Opus Dei in America as well as a good friend of mine:

Opus Dei : An Objective Look Behind the Myths and Reality of the Most Controversial Force in the Catholic Church by John L. Allen.

No matter what the ups and downs of Opus Dei are, there's obviously something positive here that the Church wants to foster.

But where does someone who has had a bad experience with Opus Dei go to grow in holiness?

I would recommend one of two options:

* as a lay Catholic, live a sacramental life by striving to get to daily Mass and trying to say the rosary daily if possible
* if you feel that you are called to a vowed religious order, check out the various orders named after the Saints:

o Benedictine, (my favorite),
o Dominican,
o Jesuit,
o Franciscans, etc.

Some of these religious orders also have third orders for the lay Catholics like the Benedictines and Franciscans. This allows the lay Catholic to be associated with a Catholic religious order while still living in the world. It usually involves some minimum requirements like making a regular visit to the order, saying some prayers, etc,. The KEY: Make sure they are loyal to the Church's Magisterium, the official Teachings of the Church and the Holy Father. Many are but many ARE NOT.

While on the issue of people who have had a bad experience with Opus Dei, I'd like to express one major concern.

Throughout Church history there have been times where religious people in authority have scandalized the Faith by either their actions or inactions. The problems in Opus Dei, like any other religious organization are not anything new. There is a tendency though for people who have had a bad experience, with what is otherwise a virtuous organization, to have their experience re-affirmed in a movie like the Da Vinci Code.

If we make generalities on people or organizations based on bad experiences, we don't allow God to work in the hearts and minds for that change that is needed. We ultimately end up stereotyping an organization or person solely based on previous sins. I should know this because I've done that to certain frineds :)

My question is:

Why has Dan Brown chosen a lay Catholic organization to slander?

Why not the Benedictines, Dominicans, Franciscans or some other Catholic religious order? Surely "some" of them have their set of "problems and sins", which over time they are able to rectify.

I think part of the reason is because of the world-wide effect a compelling lay Catholic organization in the workplace dedicated to holiness and the Holy Father would have on the world if the goals of Opus Dei were to succeed. Just my opinion.

By Mike Humphrey in AskACatholic.com

It is about becoming a saint

By daughterofmary at the Catholic Answers Forum

"The Work" - Opus Dei - is about sanctification in daily life. It is about becoming a saint no matter if you are a priest, sister, nun, mother, wife, fireman, waitress, plumber, etc. Everyone is called to holiness and to respond to grace daily in just one's everyday life. [The writings of St. Josemaria Escriva] will help you to know more about the spirituality of Opus Dei.

I have a friend who is discerning becoming an Opus Dei priest. He is so inspiring and so devout. He is very involved with opus dei. I have only ever met good people that are very solid in their faith when it comes to Opus Dei. I have never encountered anything wrong with them.

By daughterofmary at the Catholic Answers Forum

It turned out to be a great experience

By Richard Dujardin at Projo.com

Charles Kineke recalls the first time he went on a retreat with Opus Dei.

The Annapolis graduate and former F-14 fighter pilot had attended some evening meetings sponsored by the group -- whose name means "Work of God" -- when a friend asked him if he'd like to go on a four-day mostly "silent" retreat at Opus Dei's Arnold Hall in a Boston suburb.

It turned out to be a great experience, he says. People prayed and listened to a Catholic priest talk about how to practice virtue and bring one's faith into daily life. But after two days, the friend who invited Kineke on the retreat, told him, "I'm exhausted from all these prayers. Let's go out and get a beer."

So they did just that, as the retreat continued..

Not bad, not bad at all, thought Kineke, who had first learned about Opus Dei from a "friend of a friend" in his wife's home schooling network.

The retreat mirrored the meetings, known as "evenings of recollection," that he had attended over several months at St. Sebastian Church in Providence . There too, under the auspices of Opus Dei, men would come together to pray, meditate and listen to an Opus Dei priest or layman talk about an aspect of the faith before heading downtown to sing and drink beer at an Irish pub.

"I said to myself, 'this Opus Dei stuff is great. You pray some, you drink beer, sing songs and hang out with the guys. And my wife thinks it's good because I'm going out to pray, which is what she wants me to do. It doesn't get better than this.' "

Kineke acknowledges that his experience is quite different from the image of Opus Dei presented by critics whose accusations have been given new life these last few years by Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. The novel, whose film version is set to open this Friday, portrays the group as a dark and sinister organization whose members flagellate themselves and will stop at nothing, not even murder, to carry out their agenda.

Most critics don't go that far, but some liberal Catholics argue that Opus Dei -- founded in 1928 by Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, a Spanish priest who was canonized four years ago by Pope John Paul II -- is an elitist organization that denigrates women. They suggest that the group's emphasis on achieving holiness through prayer and discipline could lead to religious extremism.

As with other Opus Dei members, Kineke thinks the charges about the group, which they refer to as "the Work" are off base.

'You hear stories about people being pressured to join the Work. When I tried to join, it was the direct opposite."

Kineke, a senior vice president at Citizens Bank, said he was so impressed with what he had seen on the retreat and days of recollection that he approached Robert Sylvain, who directs Opus Dei's Mathewson House on Providence's East Side, to say he wanted to join.

"He told me, not so fast, that I couldn't just join, because Opus Dei is a calling. I had to come in for a chat every week or so for four months before I was even invited. Even then, I had to go through a catechism of the faith and 18 months of (spiritual) formation. It was great for me because even though I was born and raised Catholic there was a lot of stuff I didn't know."

WITH 85,000 members worldwide, and about 3,000 in the United States, Opus Dei describes itself as an international lay Catholic group whose main focus is the sanctification of people's ordinary lives, including their work. Members say Father Escriva's great insight was that being a saint is not the province of a few, but the universal destiny of every Christian. The priest taught that holiness can be lived out in one's everyday life.

Toward that end, its members -- both married and unmarried -- commit themselves to a "plan of life," a daily regimen that includes a morning offering, a half hour of prayer, recitation of the Rosary, an examination of conscience and attendance at Mass, as well as frequent confession -- as a step toward holiness and bringing God into their homes and workplaces.

St. Josemaria on justice, poverty, and civic responsibility

Teachings of St. Josemaria on education and civic responsibility. Taken from St. Josemaria.info


“A man or a society that does not react to suffering and injustice and makes no effort to alleviate them is still distant from the love of Christ's heart.” (Christ is passing by, 167).

“That is what our entire life is, my daughters and sons —a service with exclusively spiritual aims, because Opus Dei is not, and will never be —nor could it be—a tool for temporal ends. But at the same time, it is also a service to mankind, because all you are doing is trying in an upright way to achieve Christian perfection, acting most freely and responsibly in all the areas of the civil life.” (Opus Dei in the Church, p. 107).

Opus Dei must be present “wherever there is poverty, wherever there is unemployment, wherever there is sadness, wherever there is pain, so that the pain is borne with cheerfulness, so that the poverty disappears, so that the unemployment is overcome.” (In A glance toward the future from the heart of of Vallecas, Madrid, 1998, p. 135. Words from October 1, 1967.)

“We try to bring about a world with less poverty, less ignorance, more justice. I will tell you that the first means is prayer, self-sacrifice, which you can do in your work, doing it well.” (In A glance toward the future from the heart of Vallecas, Madrid, 1998, p. 138. Words from October 1, 1967)

“It is easy to understand the impatience, anxiety and uneasiness of people whose naturally Christian soul stimulates them to fight the personal and social injustice which the human heart can create... I understand and share this impatience. It stirs me to look at Christ, who is continually inviting us to put his new commandment of love into practice.” (Christ is passing by, 111).

Saints in business suits, janitor uniforms, blue jeans, t-shirt and sneakers

By Margaret, who commented on Olivia Darby's article on Opus Dei

THANK YOU Olivia for such a great column.

I am a supernumerary on the other side of the Pond from you, and then across the country from there to California. :-) I think we're even more thinly spread here than you are in the UK.

And you are so right about the superwoman bit-- I have eight kids. Believe me, there have been many days when superpowers would have come in handy. (Bi-location, in particular, if you're listening, Lord!!!)

I honestly had to laugh out loud when I read the Da Vinci Code, because it was just so obvious that the author had never actually spent time around people in the Work. I like normal people. I have no interest in spending my free time hanging around with brainwashed zombies who alternately beat themselves senseless and kill people. :-) If the Work had been filled with anything other than normal, kind, funny people, I would have passed right along and never given it a second thought.

As it is, I view my vocation as how God intends me to be a saint, and hopefully my family and friends too. The statues in church can be a bit misleading, because those saints are nearly all in religious habits. I hope Opus Dei's contribution to society will be many, many saints in business suits, janitor uniforms, or in my case, blue jeans, t-shirt and sneakers.

I found great friendship

By mmr at the Catholic Answers Forum. She is a fitness instructor from Ireland

My experience of Opus Dei has been really good. But as somebody mentioned, it's a vocation, so God and no one else will tell you if it's for you.

I have found great friendship and support and advice amongst the people of Opus Dei, and most importantly, sound non-judgemental advice both spiritually and humanly.

But equally I have friends who have felt it too intense for them. I think it has a huge amount to do with your stage in life and your temperament. If you are feeling stressed, or have a tendency to be a perfectionist, or not speak up for yourself when you feel uncomfortable about something, then it's probably not a good mix. Opus Dei members are hugely apostolic, and I don't think they try and hide or apologize for it: it's why they exist.

I really don't get how they are constantly accused of being secretive. I have never met a more assertive bunch ( in a healthy way). So if you think you are being pressured you have to be clear and articulate about that and set boundaries. I push back all the time. But honestly I also get such a positive reaction when I do, I think its almost encouraged.

I think that Opus Dei is a great organization, trying to help people get closer to God and to be better people. It's just not for everyone.

Finding God in Everyday Life

By Jim Lopez, a medical student in the Philippines

Finding God in all things. Aside from Saint Ignatius, one of the Church's best examples of faithfully epitomizing this motto was Saint Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei.

Opus Dei, or the Work of God, is a group of Catholic men and women who dedicate themselves to Christ while actively being involved in the world, as businessmen, teachers, professionals, workers, even athletes. Through the years, the Opus Dei has produced many venerable examples proving that living the ordinary life can merit sainthood as well.

In one of the fastest canonization processes in the Church, Josemaria Escriva was canonized in 2002 by Pope John Paul II.

I suddenly remembered Saint Josemaria, because in a week's time, another school year begins in the Philippines. I'll be dressed once again in the white uniform of a medical student at the University of the Philippines. A stethoscope shall once again be hanging on my shoulders, a nameplate pinned on my vest pocket. Again, my responsibilities as editor of the college newspaper, as member of a Greek-letter organization, and as a devoted son to my family amid a very busy schedule shall once again remind me of the need to find God in all things.

Spiritual Professionalism

By David H. Lukenbill in Catholic Eye, a daily look at politics, public policy, and culture, from one Catholic's eyes


One of the greatest moments in my life was when I became a Catholic and a most significant step towards that communion was learning of the work of Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei, who is now St. Josemaria Escriva.

It was from the writing about Opus Dei, initially Uncommon Faith, which tells of the early development of Opus Dei, which then led me to his writings, and I acquired the Centennial Edition, a collection of all of his published work in nine volumes.

I also acquired the original multi-volume edition of the Catholic Bible, seven volumes for the Old Testament and 12 for the New Testament, which is the best modern translation and commentary I have found, and a project initiated by St. Josemaria and completed by the faculty of the University of Navarra.

This grounding in the precepts of the approach to work and faith—they are forever joined—has been the greatest blessing to me, and with liturgy and contemplation, propels me toward the ever developing work of perfecting my service.

An excellent new book, Virtuous Leadership: An Agenda for Personal Excellence, by Alexandre Havard, Director of the European Center for Leadership Development, addresses this in a focused way, informed deeply by the work of St. Josemaria, and opens his introduction thus:

“Leadership is only superficially about what we imagine. Hearing the word, one thinks of heads of state or government moving nations to action, captains of industry bringing products to market that change our lives, generals leading armies into battle. One supposes it to be an amalgam of ambition, charisma, cunning, know-how, access to money, and a gift for being in the right place at the right time.

“These are talents and qualities and resources leaders can use to advantage, but none of them constitutes the essence of leadership.

“Leadership is about character.

“No, leadership is character.

“There are those who think one must be born to lead—that some have a knack for it and some do not, that leadership is largely a matter of temperament combined with experience. Not everyone can be a Roosevelt or a de Gaulle or a Churchill, they think.

“Nothing could be further from the truth. Leadership is not reserved to an elite. It is the vocation not of the few but the many.” (p. xiii, italics in the original)

Practicing normal ordinary Catholicism in a very real daily way

By Carrie, writing for Wedding at Cana

The whole premise of Opus Dei is calling each person to holiness in their ordinary life 'work' ... in their individual vocation. You as a wife, mother, homeschooler, Chiropractor. Me as a wife, etc. The factory worker is called to be a saint just like the Pope and that Carmelite nun.

The spirituality is nothing new. It is just focused on practical approaches to a life of virtue in the midst of daily challenges and struggles. For instance: one of the talks on the retreat was a in-depth look at what the virtue of friendship looks like and what it doesn't look like. That talk was wonderful! Its all good so far. I have not seen anything in the least bit unbalanced. Nor have I seen anything bizarre or out of the ordinary. This really is just practicing the normal ordinary Catholicism in a very real daily way.

The main focus and attention is on the Sacraments as a means of Grace in an effort to make Christ the center of thought, action, and life. The Eucharist, of course, is the supreme unity available to us. Our True Food for this journey to the Kingdom of God.

It also stresses that it isn't just about where we spend the rest of eternity but how many people we can bring with us by being the 'salt' and 'light' of the world... by being truly effective on the world around us by 'walking the walk' (only if necessary talking the talk)!

This really is worth investigating for any Catholic or person that is taking Christ and the Gospel really seriously. All of the events are open to people to come and see... NO secret society stuff!

I have gone to their 'circles' for about 9 months and have now started doing the monthly recollections for the last 4 months. This past weekend was my first silent retreat. All of it has been beyond good. This retreat and the women's recollections have been exceptional. (9AM-12PM on the 3rd Fridays each month at my parish, St. Peter's in Spring Grove, IL. Fr. 'Rocky' and Fr. Lange have done most all of them. All are welcome! Childcare is provided for a small fee.)

This is my take. I already told Julie, my closest friend, along with Jim, my sweet, that I can't imagine that God is calling only me of our 'group' to this. If I have to, I will drag her and you all along with me... but it would be much easier if you just jump on board without the power struggle.

God has given us this wonderfully practical and balanced way to achieve the goal of our heart of hearts... unified life with our Christ. This is a Saint making factory for lay, priest and religious alike. Please join me in diving deeper into this great Work of God, Opus Dei. Yes, you can consider this your personal invitation.... because He and I love you so very much!

Opus Dei students and young professionals prepare for Pope

By Angelo Stagnaro, Catholic News Service, 4/10/2008. Opus Dei is one of the Ecclesial Movements flourishing in the Church during this time of "New Evangelization"


NEW YORK (CNS) - Students and young professionals associated with Opus Dei gathered April 5 to get ready for Pope Benedict XVI's visit by creating banners and practicing cheers, chants and songs.

Headed by the high school students in the group, the banner-making party at Opus Dei's U.S. headquarters in New York prepared two pieces they hoped will attract the attention of the pope as he makes his way around the city.

They planned to carry the banners wherever they thought they might be able to see the pope from the street.

Opus Dei is a personal prelature founded in 1928 by St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer in Madrid, Spain. Its principle aim is to help people come closer to God in their work and everyday lives. It has 88,000 members worldwide, 3,000 in the United States.

"During this time of war, I really believe that the pope's visit will help Americans come to see what is the right response to our enemies," said Will Narduzzi, 15, a sophomore at Seton Hall Preparatory High School in West Orange, N.J.

Jim O'Toole, 15, said he believed the pope's visit will be a blessing for the country.

"He's a beacon to the world especially in terms of respect for life and humanity," he said in an interview.

One of the 30-foot banners portrayed the New York City skyline, and over the image were superimposed the words "Omnes cum Petro," referring to the need for all Christians to see the pope as the head of Christ's church. The words are from the opening of a common Opus Dei prayer.

The second banner showed the pope's coat of arms splayed across an American flag along with the words "Gratias tibi Benedictus XVI" ("Thank you, Pope Benedict").

Alvaro Aguirre, a 19-year-old Spaniard from Navarre and an undergraduate student at Manhattan College, was particularly enthused about Pope Benedict's visit.

"I feel pumped up!" said Aguirre. "I think that many young Catholics felt Pope Benedict would be an extreme intellectual incapable of speaking to youth.

"Of course, we've found the opposite to be true. The pope knows how to speak to us, how to make complex theological issues easily understandable to people without any particular academic training," he said.

John Wilson, 23, was very hopeful the pope will continue his message of engaging Islam and other religions.

"The effects of what he says and does may not be immediately obvious to us but I believe that five and 10 years down the road, they will be obvious to everyone," he said.

Before arriving in New York for his April 18-20 visit, the pope will attend an interfaith meeting April 17 in Washington. He will be in the nation's capital April 15-17. He will attend an ecumenical meeting in New York April 18.

Opus Dei officials expected approximately 250 high school boys from the New York City area to participate in their activities when the pope arrives, along with 50 from Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Washington, and about 10 people from Guatemala. Plans called for daily Mass, prayer and a party.

Miguel Leonardo, 22, said he hoped the pope's visit would have a practical effect on the country.

"America struggles with its loss of a sense of morality in modern times. I believe the pope's visit will help renew our relationship with the pope and the church in general," he said.

Many of the students, especially those from out of town, did not have tickets to any of the New York papal events, and so they planned to pursue a "catch as catch can" strategy to see the pope.

Peter Scarby, 31, said he believed Pope Benedict's message would be poignantly felt by all Christians. "The pope has always been very ecumenically minded. His presence will spur dialogue among all Christians," he said.

Two Opus Dei priests, Fathers Robert Brisson and Javier Garcia, both administrators for the prelature on the national level, were scheduled to serve as television commentators during the pope's Yankee Stadium Mass.

I am not superhuman

By Olivia Darby in New Statesman. She joined Opus Dei at age 19. She is now 23 years old and works for an educational charity helps disadvantaged children in London.


If you have learned about Opus Dei from the media and Da Vinci Code, it is easy to believe that it is a shadowy sect, governed by some sinister Dr No type figure, high on power and attempting world domination.

I am a member of Opus Dei. I take the bus with you. I walk past you in the street. I might be behind you in the supermarket queue, and you might buy me a drink at a bar. I am 23, I work for a charity, I love cooking, reading, and walks along the Thames. I struggle to get up every morning and I find it impossible to be tidy. Superhuman – I don't think so. When my brother asks me whether I've been brainwashed, I can only sigh, "I wish!” Maybe Opus Dei could wave a magic wand and help me keep my room tidy!

I am in the middle of the world – your world – but you probably wouldn't notice me amongst the hundreds of other people you pass on your way to work. I'm not a nun. I do not live in a dungeon, nor an ivory tower. Members of Opus Dei live their lives side by side with everyone else.

I guess this can lead to the other fear – the infiltration of society by a group of people who you don't quite understand. There are two good reasons to laugh at this. Firstly, I am free. Contrary to popular expectations, I have never been instructed to kill any infidels. I joined Opus Dei four years ago. I think I may have got an inkling of this if it were the case, and if someone did ask me I would a) say no, and b) make them an appointment with their doctor. Secondly, there are about 500 members of Opus Dei in the UK, out of sixty million people. None of us has super powers!

But hold on, I may have missed the key point: the vocation to Opus Dei is a vocation to be saints in our daily lives. Saints have to emulate Jesus. They have to love people. Saints are people who try every day (even though they might not always succeed) to love God a little bit more, and consequently make the lives of those around them easier.

What does this mean to me? I work with around 180 disadvantaged children a week. I chose this work because I hope I can have a positive impact on their lives. But perhaps more importantly, I try to see each child as an individual, as a child of God, just like me, regardless of their religious background. With so many children, there is the temptation to see them as numbers, and just look at the statistics (x number passed their exams, no one got pregnant this year). But the real point is to develop the personality of each child, to help them to learn about themselves, to pass their exams so that they can give something back to society. Too see the joy on a girl's face when she realises that she is worth something after she has helped a younger child achieve something.

My vocation means looking after my friends. Not to be a fair weather friend, but to be there through thick and thin. My vocation means that of course I want my friends to come closer to God, because I believe that fulfilment comes through loving Him. But this does not mean that I would pressure them into it. My boyfriend is not a Catholic. I would love him to share my faith, but faith is a gift –it cannot be forced on someone. I love him just the same.

My vocation means trying to build a deeper relationship with God, through daily Mass, prayer and sacrifice. People get a bit worried about the sacrifice bit. But really, we all make sacrifices for the people we love. You don't know that someone loves you until they give you their last rolo. And we make so many sacrifices for much less important reasons- stilettos, leg waxing, nails so long that you're almost disabled (vanity, vanity). What is forgoing salt or getting up on time for love of God compared to blisters from too-tight shoes?

I chose to join Opus Dei. No one even suggested it to me before I said that I wanted to. And ever since I have been a firm believer in St Augustine's "our hearts our restless until they rest in You alone, O Lord". Accepting my vocation, which crept up on me and was never in my life-plan as a teenager, has given me a great peace. I couldn't have said no, not because anyone forced me, but because saying no to God, when he has called you, does not make one happy. Trust me - as a nineteen year old it wasn't what I had thought I wanted - but I was also quite sure it was the right thing to do. I'd be lying if I told you it was always easy - as I said before, I'm not superhuman - but it is always worth it.

Finish at least one of your projects

By William Keenan. He first encountered Opus Dei in Manchester in the 1960s. He is a writer and journalist and he worked for many years on the Daily Mirror as a feature writer, television critic and investigative journalist. He has also written several detective novels and radio plays for the BBC.

I first came into contact with Opus Dei when a doctor in my parish began holding monthly social gatherings for parishioners at his home. One day he invited a priest of Opus Dei to give a talk. I seem to recall, that the talk wasn’t received too well with many of the liberal Catholics at the meeting. But I found the idea of finding holiness in everyday life and ordinary work fascinating.

I was then a journalist on the Daily Express in Manchester editing and laying out the feature pages, which included the City pages, the Leader page and the William Hickey gossip pages. My working hours were from four or five in the evening until around three a.m. the following morning. If I went straight home and to bed I would often have difficulty getting to sleep. I would find myself looking at the ceiling and redesigning pages and rewriting headlines in my head.

Several times a week when we finished work we would drive to the Press Club in Albert Square for a couple of pints of beer. This would mean getting to bed about four in the morning and rising about lunch time. After lunch I would try to do some writing. Then it was time to go to the office again.

I decided I would like to know more about Opus Dei and finding holiness in work and everyday life. The doctor who had organised the meeting was not a member of Opus Dei but used to go to the monthly evenings of recollection at Greygarth Hall, the Manchester centre of Opus Dei. He said the next time he was going he would take me with him. But he was unable to make it in the next few months so I took myself off to Greygarth for an evening of recollection.

Recollection, I discovered, consisted in a priest giving two meditations followed by Benediction. Afterwards there were tea, cakes, and biscuits. After that evening of recollection what impressed me very much was not what had been said during the meditations but the happiness and cheerfulness of the people I met and chatted to over tea and biscuits. That was the reason I continued attending over the next few months.

One person I seemed to get on particularly well with was a student from the Basque country of Spain who I think was doing a doctorate in electrical engineering. One day he asked how my writing was going and I told him about a play I had just started working on. He looked a little puzzled because the previous time we spoke I had told him about a novel I was writing whose central character was a northern detective called John Marne whose ankle had been crushed by a thieves' get-away car so he would always walk with a limp.

When he asked what had happened to the John Marne novel I explained that I had decided it wasn’t working, that it was no good and that I would be better doing a play. He then produced a copy of The Way -- the book for meditations written by St Josemaría Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei -- which is now a best selling spiritual classic. He showed me Point 42 which says, “Why those variations in your character? When are you going to apply your will to something? Drop that craze for laying corner stones, and finish at least one of your projects.”

The point really went home. I kept thinking about it and realised that of my many unfinished writing projects the detective novel was the nearest to completion. So I sat down and finished it.

I sent it off convinced that it wasn’t good enough, and it was immediately accepted. This led to two other novels and a biography and about eight plays for BBC Saturday Theatre. Many times when I was three quarters through writing them, I wanted to start something else and had to struggle to put the finishing touches to each particular project.

Since then I have met many writers who, when they were three quarters through what they were working on, would decide it was no good. And I would repeat the point in The Way and get them to finish it. A good friend of mine had been commissioned by the BBC to write a television play. One day he rang me to say he couldn’t finish it. It wasn’t working, it wasn’t good. He was going to send the BBC their money back. I took him for a pint and persuaded him to keep the money and finish his play. He did and it was broadcast without need for a rewrite.

I think it only fair to say that the point in St Josemaria’s The Way has not only helped me but also many of my friends and fellow writers.

Opus Dei’s center helps local clergy to seek holiness

By Santosh Digal at the Catholic Bishops' Conference website

MANILA, March 11, 2008—The Theological Centrum of the Opus Dei in the Philippines has been helping priests strive for holiness in their priestly ministry, says Fr. Mickey Cardenas, director.

The Vatican Council II reminded that all are called to holiness. In this regard, priests have greater role to help laity to achieve holiness. “But what about priests themselves who need to be helped in the same direction? Theological Centrum is an answer to that,” Cardenas told CBCP News.

Based in Mandaluyong City, Theological Centrum (TC) is an initiative for the "on-going formation of priests and seminarians for the local churches,” he said.

It assists many dioceses in the Philippines in the task of seminary formation integrated in various programs for formation, said the priest.

TC was established in 1985 by some priests of the Prelature of Opus Dei and the Archdiocese of Manila, along with a number of professionals, who were eager to assist bishops in their response to the call of the Vatican II.

To allow TC carry out this task more effectively in a new juridical framework and to initiate other activities, the Studium Theologiae Foundation Inc. (STF) was established.

Founded by Mgnr. Josemaria Escriva, Opus Dei is a personal prelature of the Catholic Church that helps clergy and lay people seek holiness.

TC coordinates several activities for priests and seminarians all over the country, such as Holy Hours, publications of newsletters and books for spiritual reading and the ecclesiastical sciences, retreats and recollections, spiritual direction, conferences on Philosophy and Theology, yearly seminar for priests and seminarians, and live-in seminars at a regional or national level, said Cardenas.

Often regional meetings of priests are held such as in Manila, Laguna, Leyte, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Bicol, Tuguegarao, Bayombong and Baguio.

Since 1986, TC, with the help of generous benefactors, initiated a major project that aims to offer a much-needed support to the Church in the Philippines, a project called Formation for Seminary Formators of the Local Church.

For last 20 years, through this project, Bishops have been sending priests and seminarians to the University of Navarre in Pamplona, Spain, and to the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, for studies in the different ecclesiastical fields.

These two universities include research and study in the ecclesiastical sciences—schools of theology, canon law, philosophy, institutional social communications, and an institute for higher religious studies. The Schools grant the Bachelor's, Licentiate, and Doctoral degrees established by the Holy See.

TC carries out the selection process on the bases of the candidates' responsibilities to their bishops, and especially on their potentials in handling important tasks of formation in the seminaries.

TC shares the reflections of late Pope John Paul II that considers the importance of prayer in working together with the whole Catholic community to foster vocations to the priesthood, to give particular attention to seminary training and sound continuing education for the clergy, particularly trainers of future priests, Cardenas said.

TC’s library, holding around 3,000 basic books on Philosophy, Theology and Canon Law, is open to all the clergy.

TC also publishes reading materials like the Documentation Service to enhance the doctrinal and pastoral materials of the clergy. One effective instrument TC tries to establish in the training of diocesan priests and seminarians is to ensure their competence and formation in their ecclesiastical studies.

The Center published several books for the doctrinal, ascetical and pastoral needs of priests and seminarians.

Through its various programs, TC helps priests of the country to grow in priestly ministry and holiness, Cardenas added.

Fr. Peter Stravinskas on Opus Dei

By Fr. Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Ph.D., S.T.D. He is founding editor of The Catholic Answer magazine and the author of over 30 books and 500 articles.

Q. My husband and I are loosely affiliated to Opus Dei as cooperators, and like you we are surprised at the attitude of so many diocesan priests. After all, Opus Dei is very loyal to the Pope. Why would this threaten so many priests?

A. It's an indication of the sad state of affairs in some places that loyalty to the Holy Father is automatically interpreted as belonging to some type of secret society. Often I am "accused" of being a member because I represent orthodox Catholic teaching.

Easy to laugh off criticisms

By Gladys in Helium. About herself, she says: "My friends call me quirky, crazy and just plain weird. I'm not sure they're compliments. I'm passionate about a few things in life; namely jazz, food, travelling, my trusty piano and God. Always looking out for a chance to make a positive difference, no matter how small. We only live once anyway."

As a person who participates actively in Opus Dei's activities, it's easy for me to laugh off some of the criticisms and accusations so often leveled at the organization. I'm not an Opus Dei member, but I've had the chance to interact and observe its members now for almost 5 years. Opus Dei members have to be some of the most ordinary and civilized people around. Most of them hold normal jobs like many of us, they go to work 9-5 and they eat normal meals like us. While they lead ordinary lives, what is extraordinary about them is the way they lead their ordinary lives.

You see, Opus Dei's mission is to call all Catholics to find holiness through their normal everyday work and activities. We so often find a huge gap between work and God, and many people often complain about how work seems to take them away from their relationship with God. Opus Dei attempts to bridge that gap by bringing people closer to God THROUGH their work.

Members are taught to put in so much love into their work that it becomes a form of prayer and glorification to God. Order and attention to details are some of the little things that are given importance but the end result is people who are extremely dedicated to living their lives extraordinarily well for God and with God, and to spread that belief to their friends and family.

I've learnt so much about my faith since attending Opus Dei's activities (which by the way are open to all). Not only do I have so much more in-depth knowledge about the Catholic faith, but my relationship with God has deepened and grown. The environment at Opus Dei is really beneficial for anyone who wants to improve their relationship with God, or to just find out about the faith.

20th-century a Kempis

By Stratiotes Doxha Theon "Στρ ... (Richmond, Missouri) 5.0 out of 5 stars, June 14, 2007. A review of The Way.

This collection of inspirational sayings is too often underrated. Read it as Fr. Josemaria suggests in the preface of the book and you will find much with which to be challenged. It is a 20th-century Thomas a Kempis fortified with the importance of the so-called "small and insignificant" things of life.

It is a call for Roman Catholics in particular to gain from careful and continuous study of the scriptures along with the mystagogy that Roman Catholics have appreciated since the first century. Given careful consideration, the sayings can enhance your devotional life in a way that impacts every other aspect of your life. Fr. Josemaria reminds us again and again that every Christian has a vocation, a calling, and that bringing Jesus to ordinary life transforms and sanctifies that life. It is a message all Christians can find life-changing.

It is a simple teaching that one might wonder why it has caused such a stir. But it is in the application that this teaching can shake and transform our culture. For that reason, I think, it is feared by those resisting such change. It is only for the brave; your church and your culture may not be ready for the revolution it could bring. But little could compare to the rewards that await those brave. You will find versions of this and other of the author's works at escrivaworks dot org.

Relationship with non-members is one of respect

By Pat Delaney, answering allegations by someone against Opus Dei

The relationship between the members themselves and, between members and non-members is one of respect, and always cognizant of the personal freedom that is necessary and central to a person's ability for developing their spiritual life.

Opus Dei, if you request it, will provide a spiritual director. This is a well established practice in Catholicism. A spiritual director's job is to know the person and give advice in life situations so that a person can make their own choices informed about how their actions conform or not with Catholic Doctrine.

I totally disagree about confessors and the seal of the confessional. I confess to many priests in and out of the Work. Some of those in the Work are old friends. I also have a spiritual director that I keep in touch with on my own schedule. I have not recently contributed money to the Work, but I plan to resume that and other such activities on a very regular basis as this type of regular practice was interrupted due to my own life circumstances.

I have known the Work for many years. In fact, I have previously been a member, and did in fact "whistle." I was an active member for five years before I decided it was not quite right for me about 8-9 years ago. Nevertheless, the people in the Work are still very much a part of my life in some ways. I have NEVER encountered any of the conspiratorial nonsense that you allege. The types of things you allege cannot be proven otherwise as you allege they are done secretly.

What I have seen within the work are many highly gifted people who live saintly lives, and less gifted ones who are willing to struggle with themselves. As with any human organization, there is an occasional idiot or two hanging around that everyone tries to be patient with in the hope that they will grow.

I have also seen much of is something else. I have seen people who, when they see the the opportunity for much sacrifice in their life, the sacrifices that will really need to be done to reform their spiritual life, will recoil in disgust after making an initial attempt. This often happens in the spiritual development of any person and is referred to as the "the dark night." Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Theresa of Avila refer to these periods as occurring twice along the path to great spiritual perfection. This path is well know and is defined by three phases: Purgative, Illuminative and Unitive and are separated by these dark periods. This is all explained quite will in "Spiritual Passages" by Father Benedict Groeschel (not in Opus Dei).

Many people when they reach these dark phases, or encounter some other great temptation, give in to the temptation to just stop trying. These people sometime find their way back to spiritual development, sometimes not. Unfortunately, rather than realize this failure is the result of their own weakness, these people will try and blame their own personal decision on factors controlled by others.

I see this often among ex-members who wish to justify there own personal decision to leave the Work. They associate the demands of growing in the spiritual life, with the rigors associated with living the "Norms" and other activities that EVERY person, in and out of the Work will eventually need to undertake if they are to develop themselves and grow to be a person of great virtue, i.e., a saint.

Inside Opus Dei

By Courtny Gerrish in WTMJ-TV, MI, February 22

Strange rituals, and dark secrets. 'The DaVinci Code' exposed its version of 'Opus Dei' to the world. Turns out...Opus Dei has a stronghold in Milwaukee. But what exactly is it?

Opus Dei is an organization within the Catholic church. The Opus Dei we saw on the big-screen showed members inducing self-flagellation, and following cult-like practices. But we found...reality is very different from the fiction of 'The DaVinci Code'.

Just ask Sharon Ruplinger...a busy mom of five. Or ask Chris Wolfe, a political science professor at Marquette. Both are members of Opus Dei.

"As a mother, I can find so much in the doctrine classes, in the talks that are periodically given on virtues," Sharon explains.

"I think in the long run that does make me a better professor. I hope so anyway," Chris says.

St. Josemaria Escriva founded Opus Dei in Spain in 1928. It calls on Christians to bring holiness into their everyday lives.

Sharon adds, "It's for lay people, in the middle of the world, to grow in holiness."

In addition to their daily routine, most Opus Dei members attend daily Catholic mass. Members get support not only from God, but from each other. They often gather at Opus Dei centers for mini-retreats. Chris says he enjoys the retreats.

"Pulling yourself out of the hub-bub of the day, and recalling to mind, well, what are the really important things in life," he says.

Tom Mammoser has been a member for 40 years, and lives at the Layton Study Center in Brookfield. "I guess you could say Opus Dei for me is a way of life, a guide in my life," Tom explains.

Today, there are over 60,000 Opus Dei members across 6 continents. But despite this popularity, many of us only know the 'DaVinci Code' version.

"It's less dramatic than the movie would present," Tom admits.

The movie portrays Opus Dei as an oppressive, secretive society. "I think people in Opus Dei don't have any secrets about being members of Opus Dei. But on the other hand, they're not out there wearing it on their sleeve," Tom says.

Despite the apparently flawed depiction, many members think 'The DaVinci Code' was a good way for the faith to progress.

"I think Opus Dei came out of the whole mess with a lot more people interested in it, and kind of an intriguing group," Chris says.

A study that started with a young Spanish priest...and continues today here in Milwaukee, and across the world.

"It's a wonderful thing, and a lot of people feel it's making a difference in their lives...and making a difference in society," Tom points out.

Opus Dei places a strong emphasis on family. In many cases both spouses are members, but they do worship separately. The reason: They say men and women each have different spiritual needs.

Anyone is welcome to attend Opus Dei events. Check out OpusDei.org if you want to learn more about the group.

Our Choices

By Deacon Keith Fournier at Catholic Online, 2/8/2008. Abridged.

LOS ANGELES (Catholic Online) - “Today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and doom.... I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD your God.” (Deut. 30:15)

Jesus said to his disciples: “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and ... be killed and on the third day be raised.” Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9: 22-25)

The readings of the Liturgy on this Thursday following Ash Wednesday invite us to probe the meaning of the Christian vocation by examining our choices. Not only do we make choices, our choices make us. We become what we choose, changing ourselves in the process.

As we walk this Lenten pilgrimage we can reflect on how Jesus chose, in His Sacred humanity. He walked the path of surrendered love. So should we. In His Sacred humanity, Jesus shows us the model and then provides the means for our own transformation.

With His outstretched arms on the Cross, He freely chose love and bridged the gap between heaven and earth.

We are invited during Lent to embrace even that which we do not want as the very means of this transformation.

The Christian tradition insists that even undeserved and unmerited suffering, when joined in love to the sufferings of Jesus Christ, can produce extraordinary fruit within us and around us. This is the mystery of suffering in the Christian life.

Saint Josemaria Escriva once wrote “The great Christian revolution has been to convert pain into fruitful suffering and to turn a bad thing into something good. We have deprived the devil of this weapon; and with it we can conquer eternity."

How do we treat those circumstances that cause us to struggle? How do we deal with what we find unpleasant?

This day, let us ask for God’s grace to choose life and live; to choose the way of redemptive love. Let us pick up our cross, follow the One whose choice on our behalf secured our true freedom, and find the Way.

Benedict XVI: Work is a Means and Path of Holiness

By Benedict XVI's address to Italian Artisans

Dear friends, continue with tenacity and perseverance to preserve and put to good use the productive craft culture that can give life to important opportunities for balanced financial progress and encounters between men and peoples.

Furthermore, may you as Christians be committed to living and testifying to the "Gospel of work", in the awareness that the Lord calls all the baptized to holiness through their daily occupations.

Josemaría Escrivá, a Saint of our times, notes in this regard that since Christ who worked as a craftsman took it into his hands, "work has become for us a redeemed and redemptive reality. Not only is it the background of man's life, it is a means and path of holiness. It is something to be sanctified and something which sanctifies" (Christ Is Passing By, Homily, n. 47).