Opus Dei

Opus Dei stands for the Work of God in Latin.

Depending on the point of view, several definitions can be given:

• From a spiritual perspective, Opus Dei is a path of sanctification in professional work and in the fulfillment of the ordinary duties of a Christian.
• Descriptively: Opus Dei consists of people of all professions and walks of life (farmers, nurses, architects, homemakers...) who share the pursuit of holiness in their ordinary life.
• In terms of its activity, Opus Dei is a great catechesis, offering Christian formation to all who desire it.
• For those who know it, Opus Dei is a family, reflecting the Christian charity, warmth, and welcoming affection taught in its means of formation.
• From a juridical and canonical perspective, Opus Dei is a Personal Prelature of the Catholic Church. (Essentially, a personal prelature functions like a diocese with specific pastoral characteristics).

God our Lord showed Opus Dei to Saint Josemaría Escrivá on October 2, 1928.

All people who have received this divine vocation: a call from God to seek holiness in work and daily life, and to help others encounter the Lord in ordinary activities.

A vocation is a great divine gift. To discover it, prayer is necessary, asking God to know His will. It is also essential to consult the directors of Opus Dei, who know the specific characteristics of this vocation and can help discern whether one has that vocation.

Following Saint Josemaría Escrivá, Opus Dei spreads the teachings of Jesus Christ, applying them to ordinary life and showing that holiness in everyday tasks is accessible and attractive.

Opus Dei strives to make its formation both theoretical and practical, ensuring balance, coherence, and unity in the Christian's life. In Opus Dei's activities of formation, participants not only learn doctrinal concepts but also receive encouragement and practical advice to live them out.

The formation offered in Opus Dei can be grouped into several areas:

• Doctrinal formation: to gain a deep knowledge of the teachings of the Catholic Church.
• Human and spiritual formation: to acquire the virtues characteristic of a Christian who seeks to love God ardently in daily work.
• Apostolic formation: fostering an active concern for the salvation of souls.

Throughout the Americas and most of Europe; in Australia, New Zealand, and in numerous countries across Asia and Africa (for example Japan, the Philippines, India, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Nigeria, Congo, Cameroon, etc.). For information regarding Opus Dei in your country, visit the official website: opusdei.org.

Opus Dei was born in Spain, but with an intrinsically universal vocation. As soon as the end of World War II permitted, it began expanding internationally:

(Currently, Opus Dei is present in over sixty countries).

«A clear manifestation of this divine Providence is the constant presence across the centuries of men and women, faithful to Christ, who illuminate with their lives and message the diverse epochs of history. Among these distinguished figures an eminent place is occupied by Blessed Josemaría Escrivá, who, as I stressed on the solemn day of his beatification, recalled to the contemporary world the universal call to holiness and the Christian value that professional work can acquire in the ordinary circumstances of each person» (October 14, 1993).

«With supernatural intuition, Blessed Josemaría preached untiringly the universal call to holiness and apostolate... In a society where an unbridled craving for material possessions turns them into an idol and a source of distance from God, the new Blessed reminds us that these very realities, creatures of God and of human ingenuity, if used uprightly for the glory of the Creator and the service of our brothers and sisters, can be a path for men and women to encounter Christ» (May 17, 1992).

«Escrivá de Balaguer, with the Gospel in hand, constantly said: "Christ does not ask us for a little bit of goodness, but for a great deal of goodness. But He wants us to attain it not through extraordinary actions, but through ordinary actions, although the manner of carrying out those actions must not be ordinary." There, *nel bel mezzo della strada*, in the office, in the factory, we become holy provided we carry out our duty competently, for love of God, and cheerfully, so that daily work turns not into a "daily tragedy," but into a "daily smile"» (July 25, 1978).

«We consider with paternal satisfaction all that Opus Dei has accomplished and continues to accomplish for the Kingdom of God; the desire to do good that guides it; the burning love for the Church and its visible Head that distinguishes it; the ardent zeal for souls that spurs it onto the arduous and challenging paths of an apostolate of presence and witness across all sectors of contemporary life» (October 1, 1964).

Opus Dei spreads the call to holiness in the fulfillment of one's professional work and personal obligations. «The spirit of Opus Dei has as an essential characteristic the fact of not taking anyone out of their place, but rather leading each person to fulfill the tasks and duties of their own state, of their mission in the Church and civil society, with the greatest possible perfection.» Key features of the spirit of Opus Dei include the following:

- A Christian is a child of God by virtue of Baptism. This foundational truth of Christianity holds a central place in the spirit of Opus Dei, as its founder taught: «Divine filiation is the foundation of the spirit of Opus Dei.» Consequently, Opus Dei fosters trust in Providence, simplicity in one's relationship with God, a profound sense of the dignity of every human person and fraternity among all men, Christian love for the world and created realities, interior peace, and optimism.

- The Christian can seek holiness through their everyday activities. In the words of the founder of Opus Dei: «Ordinary life can be holy and full of God»; «The Lord calls us to sanctify our ordinary task, because therein lies Christian perfection.» Key consequences include:

• The transcendence of little things. «"Great" holiness consists in carrying out the "little duties" of each moment,» taught the founder. For example, details of service, good manners, respect for others, material order, punctuality: when lived for love of God, these details are deeply significant for Christian life.
• Marriage and family life are among the ordinary realities upon which a Christian must build sanctification. «For a Christian, marriage is not a mere social institution, much less a remedy for human weakness: it is an authentic supernatural vocation.»
• Sanctifying work, sanctifying oneself in work, and sanctifying others through work.

- The sanctification of work is the hinge on which the spiritual life of the Christian rests. Sanctifying work requires carrying it out with the greatest possible human perfection (professional competence) and with Christian perfection (for love of God's will and in the service of mankind).

According to the spirit of Opus Dei, work can be sanctified and become a path of holiness: "Having been assumed by Christ, work presents itself to us as a redeemed and redeeming reality: not only is it the background of man's life, but a means and path to holiness, a reality that can be sanctified and that sanctifies." Any honest work is an opportunity to give glory to God and serve others.

"We are people of the street, ordinary Christians, immersed in the bloodstream of society; and the Lord wants us to be holy, apostolic, precisely in the midst of our professional work—that is, sanctifying ourselves in that task, sanctifying that task, and helping others sanctify themselves through that task."

- The faithful of Opus Dei are citizens who enjoy the same rights and are subject to the same obligations as their fellow citizens. In their political, economic, and cultural activities, they act with full personal freedom and responsibility, never claiming to represent the Church or Opus Dei in their secular choices, nor presenting their decisions as the only ones compatible with the faith. This entails deep respect for the freedom and opinions of others.

- The spirit of Opus Dei encourages prayer and penance to sustain the effort to sanctify ordinary occupations. The faithful of the prelature incorporate into their daily lives mental prayer, daily attendance at Holy Mass, frequent sacramental confession, reading and meditation on the Gospel, and devotion to Our Lady. To imitate Jesus Christ, they also practice sacrifices, especially those that facilitate the fulfillment of duty and make life pleasant for others.

- Members of Opus Dei strive to bear witness to their Christian faith. In the words of the founder: «By working shoulder to shoulder in the same concerns as our companions, our friends, and our relatives, we will be able to help them come to Christ.» This zeal to make Christ known is inseparable from the desire to contribute to meeting the material needs and solving the social problems of one's environment.

- Friendship with God, daily work, and personal apostolic zeal must blend into a «simple and strong unity of life,» a classic expression of Saint Josemaría. A Christian must not «lead a kind of double life: on the one hand, an interior life, a life of relationship with God; and on the other, a separate and distinct family, professional, and social life.» On the contrary, «there is only one life, made of flesh and spirit, and that is the life that must become—in soul and body—holy and full of God».