God is not to be sought in the clouds Tags: Unity of life, Ordinary life Escriva refutes the persistent cliché according to which family life and work are mutually exclusive spheres from which we supposedly drop out, exhausted, like a spent shell. Relentlessly optimistic, this author of best-selling books full of useful lessons, reminded us in the 20th century that public and private life can be transformed into service and defend the highest values on the road to eternal life. It is no accident that the Work of God has thousands of members around the world. The Way became for me not just a book, but a fact of life. Its author became for me an intimate friend, a relative. I constantly refer to this book and it has certainly influenced me. Take, for example, the famous problem of getting up in the morning. Escriva says: ‘If you do not get up on time, you have failed in your personal life.’ Thus, his influence begins at the start of the day. It important to understand that God is not to be sought in the clouds, somewhere outside of life, under ideal conditions, but rather here and now. Escriva built on this foundation, on the encounter with God here, on the reality of life, in the conditions in which we find ourselves. Escriva says that the practice of your profession can be an occasion for revealing God. I felt that to be the case a long time ago – to be precise, when Escriva set forth the concept for me. I felt that for me the encounter with God takes place right here at my writing desk. The poet prays through poetry. Perhaps this may seem blasphemous, but I believe that priests and confessors will understand me when I say that God is no less truly present here at my writing desk, in the practice of my profession, than He is in a church. This, Escriva taught me. He says that our profession is our vocation. He says that through his profession, each person finds his way (…) If people understood that their profession is their vocation, they would encounter God, and their encounter with Him would only deepen. In this, Escriva helped me (…) When I read The Way, I suffered a great deal, because I did not know how to pray. Then suddenly he told me: ‘You say you do not know how to pray? Stand before God and you are already praying’ (…) Escriva’s school of prayer is wonderful. It surpasses the many books about prayer I have read (…) He says: ‘First, prayer; then repentance; in the third place, and only in the third place – action.’ (The Way, 82) This is indeed surprising. We are all so obsessed by our important personal affairs. The wheels are always turning in our minds. And yet he says that before doing anything, we must pray, and only afterwards act. This is amazing. And he speaks so aphoristically, concisely, with words like arrows shot from a bow (…) I remember how some of his thoughts astonished me to such an extent that they gave rise to verse. Let me give you an example. Escriva has an aphorism about truth: ‘Do not be afraid of the truth – even if it leads you to death.’ (The Way, 34). O, the idea drives you mad And begs to be put in verse Do not linger, the truth itself Gives him a running. Breathe in the common words The movement of thought and harmony. It is forever new— The trite, old truth The poet, of course, is not the saint… His time, however, is short Be true to it despite the obstacles, Like the meek martyr to the truth. The personality of Josemaria Escriva stands behind these lines. He is faithful to the truth, above all to the truth of Christ, although it leads us to death. This is the personality of Josemaria Escriva.” http://www.josemariaescriva.info/article/god-is-not-to-be-sought-in-the-clouds