A flame to set the world on fire with new lifeBruno: We got to know each other during our school years and it was Nadine who gave me the idea of attending a spiritual retreat. It was from there that I wanted to know more about the teachings of Josemaria Escriva.Nadine: I advised Bruno about this because I had already attended an Opus Dei retreat. I got a lot out of it and so I thought that it would be good to share this experience with my boyfriend. Bruno: Bit by bit, I started to realize that the message of Josemaria Escriva was in perfect unison with my own life. I liked that idea of being able to become a saint without having to leave the world as such behind, but rather by studying, working, enjoying myself … Nadine: It is good to be aware of your own defects and to understand the limitations of our nature. This helps you to constantly seek dialogue with others, without considering yourself better than anyone else. It enables you to continually deepen in your understanding of the love of God and progress on your way towards personal holiness. Bruno: It’s important for young people to sanctify their study because it’s important to contribute effectively to society through your own work. There is also another aspect to consider. By achieving good results in university, your colleagues begin to appreciate you more. This in turn gives you the opportunity to know more people and therefore to share the discovery of the love of God with them. For those who have found true happiness, it’s impossible to keep it to yourself. You have to share it with others. It’s also very special to be friends when you can share these more in-depth experiences. Nadine: Sanctifying your study also means being available for your fellow students when they are in need of help. This could be, for example, to lend your notes to a friend. It might seem of little importance but it is certainly worthwhile. At university, sometimes there can be a lot of competitive spirit and it’s not always easy to find someone who will help you. These kind of gestures help in a friendship and they also help others to open up to you. In this way, your colleagues are willing to talk and confide in you. This helps you to be optimistic and to discover even more good people around than you had thought existed. Being happy and enjoying yourself means to discover happiness in the smallest of things. There is no need to have amazing experiences to enjoy yourself. It’s enough to do good things, even simple things, and to value the poetry of ordinary life. For example, to go for an outing, to walk around town or to have dinner with friends and have some great conversations, getting to know one other more in the real meaning of the word. Bruno: I often think of the first years of Opus Dei, when the founder was surrounded by a few young men who were willing to put their lives on the line. He always had complete confidence in young people, opening up great horizons to them. Because of that, he used to always say: Dream and your dreams will fall short of reality. Nadine: The love that Josemaria Escriva had for young people is the same love that the Holy Father shows: his great confidence in what we can really be for the future of the world. http://www.josemariaescriva.info/article/a-flame-to-set-the-world-on-fire-with-new-life- |