Tuesday, October 2, 2018 was the 90th anniversary of the founding of Opus Dei in Madrid, Spain, by Saint Josemaria Escrivá, a 26-year-old priest, during a retreat. Something happened on that Tuesday morning as he was reviewing his personal notes that he was always reluctant to describe in any detail. In a gripping account of the first years of Opus Dei, Uncommon Faith: The Early Years of Opus Dei, author John Coverdale describes the message as St. Josemaria explained it:
“Escrivá understood clearly that for the vast majority of Catholics the vocation to sanctity entails a call not to become a priest, monk, or nun but to sanctify themselves in the world, in the normal setting of their daily life. He saw that Christ has redeemed and sanctified all of creation and calls most men and women to put into practice the great commandments of love of God and love of neighbor in their work, family life, recreation, and other activities. Stockbrokers, factory workers, computer programmers, store clerks, students, and retirees are called to holiness, not despite having to live in the world, but precisely in and through the situations and activities that make up their daily lives. As Escrivá would write in The Way: ‘Your duty is to sanctify yourself. Yes, even you. Who thinks that this task is only for priests and religious? To everyone, without exception, our Lord said: Be perfect, as my heavenly Father is perfect.’”
It is why St. John Paul II, in canonizing St. Josemaria, called him the “Saint of Ordinary Life”.
In his fascinating book, Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace: My Spiritual Journey in Opus Dei, the respected Catholic biblical scholar and lecturer, Scott Hahn, a former Presbyterian minister, describes the key moment when he first “got” Opus Dei. As Hahn grew closer to the Catholic Church, he had long theological arguments with his wife, Kimberly, a devout daughter of a Presbyterian minister. Hahn would spend hours preparing explanations for her of Catholic doctrinal points, but his efforts only backfired, placing a strain on their marriage.
Finally, Hahn asked a friend in Opus Dei for counsel. The friend suggested he “turn down the apologetics” and “turn up the romance.” The effect on his marriage was “electric,” Hahn writes, and his wife was eventually received into the Catholic Church.
“‘Turning up the romance accomplished what endless debate could never force,” Hahn writes. “And that, to me, is Opus Dei.” The fundamental importance of real friendship in living and communicating the faith to others is just one of aspects of the message of St. Josemaria which Hahn deftly describes in his very personal account.
Join us in giving thanks for his dedication in spreading this message throughout the world. It’s also a very good moment to seek his intercession for the Church which he served so selflessly until the moment of his death on June 26, 1975.