Opus Dei founder St Josemaria Escriva, his life day by day, teachings on holiness, apostolate, laity, Catholic Church. Testimonies from Opus Dei members http://www.josemariaescriva.info/ As God’s plans are not human plans, I would like to reveal my journey to the Catholic Faith. My father was Muslim and my mother Catholic, they got married in the Catholic Church but my father preferred to continue his religion and made an agreement with my mother that she too would continue with her religion and the children would be Catholic. We are four in the family, and I am the youngest. The first three got baptized as babies and got through the rest of the sacraments as usual, as my dad had agreed, but after I was born my dad suddenly decided that they could wait for me to grow up and choose between being Catholic or Muslim. My mother was not really for the idea, but my father was firm, so she gave in. All the same my father would always allow me to go to church with my mother, though he preferred that I do not attend any doctrine classes until I was old enough to choose my religion.

The Creed
Meanwhile, I continued to attend Mass on Sundays. I liked the singing in Mass but one of the songs that called my attention a lot was the Creed. I really did not know the significance it had, but I liked the words. One of the Sundays I decided to arrive a bit earlier so as to copy down the words. Like that I could sing it whenever I wanted. After some years had passed, I realized how providential it had been. Each year I would ask my dad if the time had come, but I suppose for him the right age was eighteen or more, so I decided to hold on.
When I got to be sixteen my father got sick; I was far from home in a boarding school, so I really did not know the seriousness of his condition. He was admitted in hospital and, a week after, the day he was to go home, he got worse and passed away.

It was my decision
What I got to know afterwards was that one of the days that my mum went to see him in hospital with a friend of hers who had been praying a lot for me to be baptized, and knew the situation very well; she happened to ask my dad if he would let me be baptized and my father said it was my decision. This I got to know long afterwards, but meanwhile, my second worry was that I had not been able to ask him about my being Catholic as I had always wanted. On the way to the funeral, I mentioned this to one of my sisters and she assured me that it was up to me to decide and that for sure dad would have respected my decision.
When all had passed and things were calm I told my mum that I wanted to begin catechism classes as soon as possible, which had to be in my school. I must admit it was quite fast because my companions had been waiting for the parish priest since the year before but he had been very busy, but suddenly we got a message that he would be coming to confer the Sacraments to all the ones who were ready. I tried my best to study hard and fast though I had a feeling that I needed to learn a lot more. My prayer was to be able to pass the test and I promised our Lord to go deep in the doctrine after receiving the sacraments. Thank God all went well and I have kept my promise up to this day.
All the same, our Lord had better plans for me so as to grow in my faith, because three months after being baptized I got in touch with Opus Dei, and what better way could there be to go deeper into my Faith? Three years after that I discovered that God was calling me to Opus Dei, so I continue to thank God, for the gift of Faith and for my vocation to the Work.



]]> On the feast of Pentecost, the Church celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. Who is the Holy Spirit? What was the descent of the Holy Spirit like? How does He act in the lives of Christians? What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit?

1. What was the descent of the Holy Spirit like?
St Luke narrates the descent of the Holy Spirit in the Acts of the Apostles, chapters 1 and 2. Before his Ascension Jesus commanded the disciples “not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the holy Spirit. (…) When the holy Spirit comes upon you, (…) you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Some days later, St Luke continues, “they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues.”

That day, the Blessed Trinity was fully revealed, and from then on the Kingdom announced by Christ has been open to all who believe in Him.

Contemplating the mystery
St Luke tells us that after St Peter had spoken and proclaimed Christ’s resurrection, many of those present came up to him and asked: “Brethren, what shall we do?” The Apostle answered: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” And on that day, the sacred text tells us, about three thousand were added to the Church.
Having just read in the Acts of the Apostles about Pentecost, the day when the Holy Spirit came down on the Lord’s disciples, we are conscious of being present at the great display of God’s power with which the Church’s life began to spread among all nations. The victory Christ achieved through his obedience, his offering of himself on the Cross and his Resurrection – his triumph over death and sin – is revealed here in all its divine splendour. Christ is Passing By, no. 127

A sure way to be humble is to contemplate how, even without talents, fame or fortune, we can be effective instruments if we go to the Holy Spirit so that He may grant us his gifts. The apostles, though they had been taught by Jesus for three years, fled in terror from the enemies of Christ. But after Pentecost they let themselves be flogged and imprisoned, and ended up giving their lives in witness to their faith.
Furrow, no. 283

Help me to pray for a new Pentecost, which will once again set the world on fire.
Furrow, no. 213

2. Who is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is one of the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity. He is God with the Father and the Son, and “with the Father and the Son [he] is adored and glorified”, as the Nicene Constantinopolitan Creed has proclaimed from of old. Consubstantial with the Father and the Son, the Spirit is inseparable from them, in both the inner life of the Trinity and his gift of love for the world. In adoring the Holy Trinity, life-giving, consubstantial, and indivisible, the Church’s faith also professes the distinction of persons. When the Father sends his Word, he always sends his Breath. In their joint mission, the Son and the Holy Spirit are distinct but inseparable. To be sure, it is Christ who is seen, the visible image of the invisible God, but it is the Spirit who reveals him.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 687-689

Contemplating the mystery
Our heart now needs to distinguish and adore each one of the divine Persons. The soul is, as it were, making a discovery in the supernatural life, like a little child opening his eyes to the world about him. The soul spends time lovingly with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and readily submits to the work of the life-giving Paraclete, who gives himself to us with no merit on our part, bestowing his gifts and the supernatural virtues!
Friends of God, no. 306

The disciples, witnesses of the glory of the risen Christ, were filled with the strength of the Holy Spirit. Their minds and hearts were opened to a new light. They had followed Christ and accepted his teachings with faith, but they were not always able to fathom the full meaning of his words. The Spirit of truth, who was to teach them all things, had not yet come. They knew that Jesus alone could give them words of eternal life, and they were ready to follow him and to give their lives for him. But they were weak, and in the time of trial, they fled and left him alone. On Pentecost all that is a thing of the past. The Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of strength, has made them firm, strong, daring. The word of the Apostles resounds forcefully through the streets of Jerusalem.
Christ is Passing By, no. 127

3. What is the proper name for the Holy Spirit and what are his titles?
The term “Spirit” translates the Hebrew word ruah, which, in its primary sense, means breath, air, wind. On the other hand, “Spirit” and “Holy” are divine attributes common to the three divine Persons. By joining the two terms, Scripture, liturgy, and theological language designate the inexpressible Person of the Holy Spirit, without any possible equivocation with other uses of the terms “spirit” and “holy.”

The titles of the Holy Spirit
When he proclaims and promises the coming of the Holy Spirit, Jesus calls him the “Paraclete,” literally, “he who is called to one’s side,” advocatus or advocate. “Paraclete” is commonly translated by “consoler,” and Jesus is the first consoler. The Lord also called the Holy Spirit “the Spirit of truth.” Besides the proper name of “Holy Spirit,” which is most frequently used in the Acts of the Apostles and in the Epistles, we also find in St. Paul the titles: the Spirit of the promise, the Spirit of adoption, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of the Lord, and the Spirit of God – and, in St. Peter, the Spirit of glory.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 691-693

Contemplating the mystery
Get to know the Holy Spirit, the great Stranger, on whom depends your sanctification. Don’t forget that you are God’s temple. The Advocate is in the centre of your soul: listen to him and be docile to his inspirations.
The Way, no. 57

4. What symbols of the Holy Spirit are there in Sacred Scripture?
Water: the water of Baptism signifies the action of the Holy Spirit in the soul. Fire, because in the form of tongues “as of fire,” the Holy Spirit rests on the disciples on the morning of Pentecost and fills them with himself. Spiritual tradition has retained this symbolism of fire as one of the most expressive images of the Holy Spirit's actions. The dove, because when Christ comes up from the water of his baptism, the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, comes down upon him and remains with him. This image is the one that is most used in art to represent the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 694-701

Contemplating the mystery
As a bookmark for whatever book he happened to be reading, he always used a strip of paper with this motto written on it in a bold and energetic hand: Ure igne Sancti Spiritus! You could almost say that, rather than writing the words, he had engraved them: “Inflame with the fire of the Holy Spirit!” O Christian, I would like to leave that divine fire engraved on your soul and burning on your lips and blazing in your works.
The Forge, no. 923

Interior dryness is not lukewarmness. When a person is lukewarm the waters of grace slide over him without being soaked in. In contrast, there are dry lands which seem arid but which, with a few drops of rain at the right time, yield abundant flowers and delicious fruit. That is why I ask: When are we going to be convinced? How important it is to be docile to the divine calls which come at each moment of the day, because it is precisely there that God is awaiting us!
The Forge, no. 224

5. What is the mission of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in the history of the Redemption?
Jesus does not reveal the Holy Spirit fully, until he himself has been glorified through his Death and Resurrection. Nevertheless, little by little he alludes to him even in his teaching of the multitudes, as when he reveals that his own flesh will be food for the life of the world. He also alludes to the Spirit in speaking to Nicodemus, to the Samaritan woman, and to those who take part in the feast of Tabernacles. To his disciples he speaks openly of the Spirit in connection with prayer, as St Luke tells us at chapter 11, verse 13 of his Gospel: “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” And when he explains to them the witness they will have to bear, he says: “When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Mt 10:19-20).
Catechism of the Catholic Church nos. 728, 689-690

Contemplating the mystery
This is what Our Lord wants, for we need it if we are to follow him closely. There is no other way. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in each soul – in yours. Be docile and present no obstacles to God, until he makes your poor flesh like that of Jesus on the Cross.
Furrow, no. 978

Like the men and women who came up to Peter on Pentecost, we too have been baptized. In baptism, our Father God has taken possession of our lives, has made us share in the life of Christ, and has given us the Holy Spirit. Holy Scripture tells us that God has saved us “through the baptism of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit; whom he has abundantly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Saviour, in order that, justified by his grace, we may be heirs in hope to life everlasting” (Titus 3:5-7).
Christ is Passing By, no. 128

6. How does the Holy Spirit act in Christian’s lives?
“No-one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ unless the Spirit moves him,” says St Paul in the Letter to the Corinthians. And in the Letter to the Galatians he says, “God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying ‘Abba! Father!’” Knowledge of the Faith is not possible except in the Holy Spirit. To come in contact with Christ we must first have been drawn to him by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit – the whole of the Blessed Trinity – comes to dwell in our souls through the sacrament of Baptism. The Holy Spirit with his grace is the one who first awakens faith in us and initiates us into the new life that consists of coming to know the one true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 737-742

Contemplating the mystery
It is worth while putting our lives on the line, giving ourselves completely, so as to answer to the love and the confidence that God has placed in us. It is worth while, above all, to decide to take our Christian life seriously. When we recite the Creed, we state that we believe in God the Father Almighty, in his Son Jesus Christ, who died and rose again, and in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life. We affirm that the Church, one, holy, catholic and apostolic, is the body of Christ, enlivened by the Holy Spirit. We rejoice in the forgiveness of sins and in the hope of the resurrection. But do those words penetrate to the depths of our own hearts? Or do they remain only on our lips? The divine message of victory, the joy and the peace of Pentecost, should be the unshakeable foundation for every Christian’s way of thinking and acting and living.
Christ is Passing By, no. 129

A thought which brings peace to the heart and which the Holy Spirit suggests to those who seek the will of God: “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” What can worry the soul that sincerely repeats these words?
The Way, no. 760

7. What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit?
The gifts that the Holy Spirit pours into the souls of Christians complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations in their daily activity. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 1830-1831

Contemplating the mystery
The Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, the soul’s sweet guest, pours out his gifts: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and the fear of the Lord. Then one experiences joy and peace.
Friends of God, no. 92

Through the gift of piety, the Holy Spirit helps us to realise with certainty that we are children of God. And, being children of God, how can we be sad? Sadness is the end product of selfishness. If we truly want to live for God, we will never lack cheerfulness, even when we discover our errors and wretchedness. Cheerfulness finds its way into our life of prayer, so much so that we cannot help singing for joy. For we are in love, and singing is a thing that lovers do.
Friends of God, no. 92

Among the gifts of the Holy Spirit, I would say that there is one which we all need in a special way: the gift of wisdom. It makes us know God and rejoice in his presence, thereby placing us in a perspective from which we can judge accurately the situations and events of this life. (…) Not that the Christian should neglect to see all that is good in humanity, appreciate its healthy joys or participate in its enthusiasm and ideals. On the contrary, a true Christian will vibrate in unison with all the good he finds in the world. And he will live in the midst of it with a special concern, since he knows, better than anyone, the depth and the richness of the human spirit.
Christ is Passing By, no. 133

8. Why do we say that the Holy Spirit prepared Mary with his grace?
The Holy Spirit prepared Mary by his grace. It was fitting that the mother of him in whom “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” should herself be “full of grace.” In Mary, the Holy Spirit fulfills the plan of the Father’s loving goodness. With and through the Holy Spirit, the Virgin conceives and gives birth to the Son of God. By the Holy Spirit’s power and her faith, her virginity became uniquely fruitful. Finally, through Mary, the Holy Spirit begins to bring men, the objects of God’s merciful love, into communion with Christ.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 721-726

Contemplating the mystery
It is indeed just that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit should crown the Blessed Virgin as Queen and Lady of all created things. You have to make use of her power! With the daring of a child, join in this celebration in Heaven. For myself, I crown the Mother of God and my Mother with my purified failings, since I have no precious stones or virtues. Take courage!
The Forge, no. 285

Mary becomes transformed in holiness in the depths of her most pure heart on seeing the humility of God: “The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you; and therefore the Holy One to be born of you shall be called the Son of God.” The Blessed Virgin’s humility is a consequence of that unfathomable depth of grace which comes into operation with the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity in the womb of his ever Immaculate Mother.
Friends of God, no. 96

See further: Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), Chapter 3: I Believe in the Holy Spirit, nos. 683-686.
]]> The Novena to the Holy Spirit is a long-standing custom through which the Church encourages the faithful to prepare for the descent of the Holy Spirit in the best possible way.

Some prayers to the Holy Spirit, in preparation for Pentecost, are downloadable here in pdf and epub format.


The Novena begins 10 days before Pentecost, i.e. on the day that Christ our Lord ascended into Heaven. On that day, Jesus promised his disciples that he would send them the Paraclete.

St Josemaria, founder of Opus Dei, describes this moment in the Church’s history as follows: “Let's turn now to the days between the ascension and Pentecost. As a result of the triumph of Christ's resurrection, the disciples are full of faith; they eagerly await the promised Holy Spirit. They want to stay close to one another, and so we find them ‘with Mary, the mother of Jesus,’ praying as a single family.” (Christ is Passing By, 141)

Don Alvaro del Portillo tells us that “precisely because the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity is the one who is invoked the least, our Father had a special devotion to him. I can say unhesitatingly that the Father, in his preaching, was a great herald of the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity.

He often told me that ever since 1926 or 1927 he had practiced the devotion to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity very intensely. Every year he followed the Novena to the Holy Spirit using the book by Francisca Javiera del Valle. In April 1934 he composed a prayer to the Paraclete, and gave a copy of it to Ricardo Fernandez Vallespin, who was then the Director of the first Opus Dei hall of residence.”

“The Holy Spirit performs God’s works in the world. He is, as the liturgical hymn sings, the giver of gifts, the light of hearts, the soul’s guest, rest in work, and consolation in sorrow. Without his help, there is nothing in man that is innocent and worthy, because it is the Holy Spirit who cleanses what is stained, cures what is sick, enkindles what is cold, straightens what has gone astray, and leads men to the door of salvation and eternal joy” (Christ is Passing By, no. 130).]]> Living a life of faith does not mean we understand everything, because human reason is limited and God's wisdom is infinite. St Josemaria talked about this in Santiago, Chile, July 7, 1974.]]> What is God like? The Blessed Trinity is the mystery of God in himself, the central mystery of Christian faith and life. ]]> I want to thank Saint Josemaria for hearing my prayers through his novena and granting me the grace that my father, who had a stroke almost four months ago, has recovered miraculously in spite of all his sufferings. I recommend everyone to have faith in Saint Josemaria’s intercession, because every time I have prayed for something my prayer has been heard, and I have never felt abandoned, but just the opposite: our Saint brings me closer and closer to God and our Blessed Lady. Thank you, Saint Josemaria!]]> A friend gave me a copy of The Way when I was in college. That was the very first book I read by St. Josemaria. It touched me deeply, and I wanted to read more. I learned many things from St. Josemaria’s writings: how to talk to God, how to take care of little things, love for the Church… But most of all they made me very happy. I wanted to share it with as many people as possible, including my family and friends from my country, Korea.

When I heard that Opus Dei was beginning its apostolic activities in Korea, in the summer of 2009, I became more interested and started to look for Korean translations about St. Josemaria or his writings. I learned that The Way had been translated and published a few years ago, and it was greatly appreciated by many readers. However, there were still many, many more works I would love to see in Korean.

A friend whose second language was Korean, had already started translating a short biography of St. Josemaria for children. I helped to revise the text, while beginning to translate some of his homilies and writings. When I finish some text, I share it with my friends in Korea, who share it with their friends. Someday, we hope, these writings will be published so they can reach more people.

I am a beneficiary of translations myself. Mostly, I read St. Josemaria’s writings through English translations. Each time, I am more grateful for the author and for the many translators who work to bring St Josemaria’s teachings to more people.

St. Josemaria wrote, “I would like to write books of fire which would run like wild-fire throughout the world.” I spend time searching and searching for the best word, or the perfect phrase to translate that “fire” that I find in all his books. Still, sometimes they are not satisfactory. Words alone don’t seem enough to carry the contagious passion with which St. Josemaria spoke about Love. Then, two thoughts console me: Soon more people will meet St. Josemaria in Korea and then more and better translations will come. Then again, certainly, the saint will help from Heaven, to kindle the fire where mere words fail. ]]> The Hong Kong Post Office issued a set of commemorative St Josemaria stamps to mark the tenth anniversary of his canonization on October 6, 2012.

The set is headed by a stamp showing St Peter’s Square on the day St Josemaria was canonized. Below it is a phrase from his homily “Passionately Loving the World” in Chinese and English: “There is something holy, something divine, hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each of you to discover it” (Conversations, no. 114).

The set includes several photos of St Josemaria, the founder of Opus Dei, together with others showing the Year of the Dragon logo, as it appeared in the Chinese Year of the Dragon.

It is not the first time that sets of St Josemaria stamps have been issued. After the Opus Dei founder’s canonization on October 6, 2002, the Vatican’s Philatelic Office issued a St Josemaria stamp and a St Josemaria postmark. Other countries did the same around that date, such as Uruguay, whose national post office issued a set of four stamps with a print-run of 60,000. In Spain, Costa Rica and Paraguay, special postmarks were produced for the centenary of St Josemaria’s birth, also in 2002.

In 2004 Japan also issued a set of stamps with a photo of St Josemaria.
]]> Saint Josemaría at the shrine of Torreciudad with Msgr. Alvaro del Portillo and the architect Heliodoro Dols. His comment on seeing the altarpiece was: “You [...]]]> Clips from a filmed gathering with St Josemaria Escriva during his catechetical journey to Brazil, which started on May 22, 1974.]]> May 22, 2013. Romereports.com. During this week's catechesis, the Pope talked about how the Holy Spirit helps Catholics in their every day lives. He improvised a few words, calling on Catholics to build unity among them. He also asked faithful to pray for China and to reflect on their personal lives. ]]> Philosophy professor Rafael Alvira recalls his first impressions of St Josemaria: his vitality, his friendliness and his simplicity. He also practised unity of life, something he always spoke of as characteristic of the spirit of Opus Dei.]]>