Thank God, it’s Monday!

Scott McKellar, director of the Bishop Helmsing Institute

We are all familiar with the more common expression “Thank God, it’s Friday!” We all meet people who are forced to work at jobs they find difficult or unexciting and who seem to live for the weekend. The Genesis narrative makes it clear that the addition of “toil” to human work did not occur until after the Fall. While we may all sympathize with the person who wants to relax after a long work week, the “toil” of work is not God’s original plan. Tags: Opus Dei, Work, Ordinary life

A magnet drawing people to Christ

Joseph Pearce, Associate Professor of Literature, Ave Maria University, USA

Converted to Catholicism at the age of 28 after reading G. K. Chesterton, Joseph Pearce is the author of Literary Converts and many biographies of converts and literary figures. In this recent interview for www.josemariaescriva.info he speaks of how much he was helped by St Josemaria. Tags: Conversion, Culture, Church, books

Antidote to consumerism

By BERNARDO M. VILLEGAS

As an antidote to consumerism it is necessary to create "lifestyles in which the quest for truth, beauty, goodness and communion with others for the sake of common growth are the factors which determine consumer choices, savings and investments." Tags: Detachment

Einsiedeln

During his journeys through Europe St Josemaria often stopped at Einsiedeln. As soon as he caught sight of the towers of the shrine from the car, he said a Salve straight away. As Bishop Alvaro del Portillo, who went with him on these visits, later recalled, “He only went to pray to our Lady. He would stop the night in Lucerne, and go on from there to Einsiedeln, where he often celebrated Mass." Tags: Our Lady

Cornerstone or stumbling block?

Dwight G. Duncan, professor at University of Massachusetts School of Law

Dwight G. Duncan is professor at University of Massachusetts School of Law Dartmouth (formerly Southern New England School of Law). He holds degrees in civil and canon law. Tags: Church, Benedict XVI

I saw three hundred, three hundred thousand, thirty million, three thousand million…

Andrés Vázquez de Prada

At the beginning of 1933 St Josemaria gave the first of what would afterwards be called "St Raphael circles". The St Raphael circles or classes are the axis of all the other Christian formational activities for young people on the human, spiritual, and religious-doctrinal levels. They include a preparatory course and a professional course. Tags: Spiritual guidance, Doctrine, Formation, History, Youth, Catechesis

A Surprising and Unusual Book

Pedro Rodríguez

The Way, one of the twentieth century's best known spiritual works, had a great impact on me personally and has been part of my life since the day it first came into my hands. Later, I studied it in depth and I have written about its history, spirituality and theology. It is a surprising and unusual book. Tags: books

Priestly Holiness and Ministry: Priests that Love the Mass

Father John McCloskey

I understood that St. Josemaria was striving to live this in his own life and that his teaching, so clearly based on the teachings of the Church and the example of many saintly priests, was reinforced by his own example. Tags: Eucharist, Priesthood, Sacraments

St Josemaria’s visits to France

St Josemaria often crossed France, going from one country to another by car, with Don Alvaro del Portillo and Fr Javier Echevarria. In total there are at least twenty-two trips we know about. Tags: History

Work, Path to Holiness

Janne Haaland Matlary

When I was asked to deliver a key note speech with the title “Work, path to Holiness, I was both honoured and awed, but most of all, surprised. I am no expert on Escriva, no theologian, and certainly no expert on holiness. I lead an ordinary life as a mother and professor of international politics at Oslo University. But I have discovered his message about work to be true, in my own ordinary condition. And this must the very core of the issue: that the Work works, so to speak. Tags: Ordinary life