Like a safe port for our little boat

Yoko Kohno, homemaker and teacher, Nishinomiya, Japan

February 1, 2009

I was baptized at Christmas 1964. A little time later, through a friend, my mother-in-law and I met the Work. As someone recently baptized and just beginning my married life, I found Saint Josemaria’s teachings immensely valuable and received them with gratitude: everything was new to me.

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My name is Barchin and I am a Muslim

Barchin, economist, Kyrgyzstan

January 28, 2009

My name is Barchin and I am the eldest daughter of a large Muslim family from Kyrgyzstan. I studied economics in Bishkek, the capital. For reasons of work, my husband and children and I moved to Spain. In April 1999 we and two other Kyrgyz families went to consult a lawyer, as we needed help to legalize our position in our new country, and by the summer of 2000 the whole problem had been resolved satisfactorily.

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"The Way of Escrivá"

Aleksandr Zorin

January 27, 2009

“Escrivá 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.”

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Giovanni Trapattoni, Soccer coach, Italy

Humility in victory and good spirit in defeat

January 19, 2009

Josemaria Escriva has taught many athletes that their efforts in training and in competition, their companionship with team-mates, their esteem for their opponents, their humility in victory and good spirit in defeat, are a specific path for reaching God and for serving others.

Selecting the right partner

John Perrottet, contractor, Sydney, Australia

January 13, 2009

One simple observation, often overlooked by many, is the key to a successful marriage is selecting the right partner. The teachings of Saint Josemaria and his influence led me to take this responsibility very seriously. Living in Warrane College, I was able to mix with a good group of people and I am happy to report that, with the help of St. Joseph, I was able to find a great wife – Anne. We now have twelve children ranging in age from twenty one to three years old. This is my greatest treasure here on earth and one that I would never have thought possible without the influence of Saint Josemaria. It is a direct result of his teaching about the vocation to marriage and on being generous with our Lord in giving life.

André Frossard, Writer and journalist

People were radiant to be gathered round him

January 2, 2009

I never met Msgr. Escriva. I only knew him by hearsay, from what people in Opus Dei told me. Then I saw the film of a gathering with Msgr. Escriva.

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A little book I always carry with me

Emily Mwangi, Kenya

January 1, 2009

I met Opus Dei in Kibondeni College (Nairobi), where I was happy and studied enthusiastically. While I was there I achieved the National Certificate in Hospitality and Catering. Now I realise that as well as the professional training I received a good dose of cultural and Christian formation, that not only helps me to behave well and honestly, but enables me to help other people to do the same.

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Alessandra Borghese, Journalist, Italy

A New Kind of Contemplation

January 1, 2009

Another saint for whom I feel great affection, and to whom I am indebted for significant guidance in my spiritual life, is Josemaria Escriva, the Founder of Opus Dei. I don’t belong to Opus Dei, but I feel very attracted by the spirit behind it, which was proposed by Saint Josemaria. We generally think that to become saints we have to do something quite out of the ordinary. Saint Josemaria taught us, instead, that all we have to do is fulfil our duties, our job, our calling in life, with love.

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Evangelisation in the Workplace

http://www.caseresources.org

January 1, 2009

Since I finished my formal professional training at the age of 21 I have worked, and have loved working in an office. It’s something I have done full-time for almost 30 years, working as a PA to a variety of successful executives in both the public and private sector. At 50, I retired, only to start all over again studying charity management, and doing office work on a part-time basis so as to have enough spare time to devote to voluntary work, my home and family.

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Father, I’m Jewish…

Roberto Ackerman, Venezuela

January 1, 2009

I was invited by a friend in the Work to meet “the Father” (Saint Josemaria). I felt a healthy curiosity about him, and now I always carry a picture of him with me, and sometimes I talk to him. I don’t pray to him, because I don’t belong to the same religion, but I think he must be in the same heaven, with our Father God.

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Do you believe that God is the Lord of history?

Peter Berglar

June 26, 2008

Peter Berglar, a German Professor of Modern and Contemporary History, was also a well-known biographer of key historical characters: men and women who lived in times of change and realized the fact. Towards the end of his life he wrote the biographies of three Saints who were charismatic figures in the Chuch: St Peter, St Thomas More, and St Josemaria. In the following passage Berglar relates how he met Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei.

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St Josemaria for a patron saint

Jennifer G. Miller

June 25, 2008

A mother blogs about her small son’s devotion to his patron saint, Josemaria.

Thursday is the Optional Memorial of St. Josemaria Escriva. This is one of my son’s patron saints. We named him after this saint in thanksgiving to St. Josemaria. In 2002 we made a pilgrimage to Rome for the canonization of Josemaria with the intention of having a child, as we were having difficulties getting pregnant. The next year our son was born, so in thanksgiving his middle name is a form of Josemaria.

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