Bishop Javier Echevarría, Prelate of Opus Dei. Rome, June 25, 2005

Dear brothers and sisters, Once again we joyfully celebrate the liturgical feast-day of Saint Josemaría Escrivá, bringing it forward to June 25 this year, as tomorrow is a Sunday. This means that we are commemorating the Founder of Opus Dei on the anniversary of the ordination [...]
Tags: Eucharist, Javier Echevarria, Ratzinger

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St Josemaría’s own account of his sister’s death

After St Josemaría died, a sealed envelope was found among his papers. Written on it were the words, “Not to be opened until my death. Mariano, 2-VII-1957.” Inside were six handwritten sheets that read as follows: When Alvaro told me that the doctor gave my sister [...]
Tags: Eucharist, The Escriva family, Death

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He put all his love into saying Holy Mass

Msgr Javier Echevarría saw from close at hand, from 1953 onwards, how St Josemaría prepared to celebrate Mass, how he said it, how he did his thanksgiving afterwards, and how he prolonged it throughout the day. The following is an extract from Msgr Echevarría’s book [...]
Tags: Gratitude, Eucharist, Faith, Javier Echevarria, Prayer, Piety, Priesthood

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Help me to keep him company!

Msgr. Pedro Casciaro first met Saint Josemaría in 1935, when he was studying architecture in Madrid. Right from the start, the Father, as people called him, opened up broad horizons of holiness and apostolate to him. In the following extract, he recalls one of the [...]
Tags: Eucharist, Presence of God

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He asked me to let him stay there alone for a little while

The Augustinian Father José Llamas Simón met Saint Josemaría in 1944, when the founder of Opus Dei was preaching a spiritual retreat to the Community of the Royal Monastery of Saint Lawrence in El Escorial, Madrid. In the testimony he wrote for the Cause of [...]
Tags: Eucharist, Jesus Christ, Prayer, Retreat

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Holy Mass, Center and Root of Christian Life

“I have always taught you, my beloved daughters and sons, that the root and the center of your spiritual life is the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar.” 1 Saint Josemaría Escrivá’s words and writings constantly pointed to the Eucharist as the center and root [...]
Tags: Eucharist, Jesus Christ, Presence of God, Priesthood, Blessed Trinity

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Saint Josemaría’s love for the Eucharist

Saint Josemaría often talked about the need for Christian life to be essentially Eucharistic. He summed it up in a classic phrase: having a “Eucharistic soul”. He liked to make explicit acts of faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament: “I [...]
Tags: Love of God, Eucharist, Javier Echevarria, Piety, Priesthood