St. Josemaria Escriva and Opus Dei

LAST June 26 was the feast of St. Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei. It also was the 40th anniversary of his death in Rome, his transit to heaven in 1975. His cause for canonization was opened soon after his death, and he was finally beatified in 1992 and canonized in 2002.

No, I did not meet him personally, even if I was already in touch with Opus Dei before he died. But I became intimately familiar with his writings and ideas, all of which “hit” me in an irresistible way.

That he was a very holy man is quite an understatement. He just oozed with goodness and charity in spite of the difficulties and misunderstanding he encountered in his most faithful pursuit of his vocation.

During his time, his vocation, which was to found Opus Dei and to preach about the universal calling to sanctity in the middle of the world, was quite such a novelty that it sparked a good amount of controversy.

But he persevered in his effort without letting go of charity.

As a kid and, I suppose, like any other kid, I have always wanted to be good, to behave well, to know as much as I can, but all these often were frustrated for a number of reasons.

When I “met” St. Josemaria through his writings and the Opus Dei members who were my college classmates then, I soon realized what was lacking and deficient in me. And more than that, I felt reassured that I can do something about it, with God’s grace and, of course, my own effort.

It’s a spirituality that takes everyone as he is, with all his assets and liabilities, but also encourages him and offers him the appropriate means to be what he ought to be, i.e., as a child of God.

This is what “hooked” me and led me to say “yes” to a lifetime and all-embracing vocation of total dedication to God’s continuing redemptive work on earth. I am not afraid anymore of my defects, weaknesses and possible mistakes and sins I can commit. I feel assured there’s a way to even make use of them to foster the search for holiness.

This is what I learned from St. Josemaria Escriva, and this is what I would like to share with everyone else. Holiness and piety need not be strange characters in our life. They are the main ones and are highly practicable and reachable.

It would be good if we get to know St. Josemaria better.