April 27, 1954: St Josemaria is cured of diabetes

Andres Vazquez de Prada

On April 27, 1954, feast of our Lady of Montserrat, after having something like a severe allergic reaction, St Josemaria was cured inexplicably (according to medical opinion) of the diabetes which he had suffered from for several years. Tags: Sickness, Death, Our Lady

Saint Josemaria's first Holy Communion

Andrés Vazquez de Prada

Saint Josemaria made his First Communion on April 23,1912, exactly ten years after his Confirmation. It was the feast of Saint George, patron saint of Aragon and Catalonia, and the traditional day for the First Communion ceremonies in the church of the Piarists’ school. Tags: Eucharist, Holy Communion

St Josemaria and the Sacrament of Reconciliation

Javier Echevarria

Bishop Javier Echevarria, prelate of Opus Dei, talks about his memories of the Founder of Opus Dei in the book Memoria del Beato Josemaria. Among other things, he describes how St Josemaria fostered contrition by meditating on the Cross, and also his spirit of atonement, culminating in the reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Tags: Sacrament of Reconciliation, Contrition, Humility, Javier Echevarria

Bishop Javier Echevarria: “Pope Francis will feel Benedict XVI’s spiritual strength and companionship”

José Beltrán

Interview with Bishop Javier Echevarria, prelate of Opus Dei, published March 24, 2013 in the Spanish daily La Razon. The new Pope, says Bishop Echevarria, “will often find support in the rich, ever-relevant teachings of Benedict XVI.” Tags: Church, Javier Echevarria, Pope, Poverty, Opus Dei prelate, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis

Tabgha: the Church of the Multiplication

J. Gil

Tabgha, in the Holy Land, was the site of a miracle worked by Jesus: the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish, with which our Lord fed five thousand men. Tags: Faith, Holy Land, In the footprints of our Faith

Faith and Life in St Josemaria Escriva

Giulio Maspero

“The faith of a son, which is faith in the Son, was manifested in the faith of a father, the faith that characterized St Josemaria’s life. He felt very much a son of God, and also very much a father.” For the Year of Faith we publish an article by Giulio Maspero which will shortly appear in the journal Romana Tags: Passionately Loving the World, Faith, Unity of life, Josemaria Escriva, Year of Faith

I Will Not Leave You Orphans

Bishop Javier Echevarria

“I will not leave you orphans” – these words come to my mind at the end of this pontificate. Benedict XVI is not leaving us orphaned, because his magisterium, his teachings, still live; he is with us in his prayer and fatherly love. Tags: Church, Pope, Opus Dei prelate, Pope Benedict XVI

The Church of the Beatitudes at Tabgha

J. Gil

Our Lord had left Nazareth and was living in Capernaum, on the northwest shore of Lake Genesareth, where some of the twelve Apostles or their relatives had houses. The multitudes that the Gospel speaks of came to that small fishing village to find Jesus, but also went after him in other places in the surrounding district. One of the most notable of these was Tabgha. Tags: History, Holy Land, In the footprints of our Faith

Saint Josemaria meets a Pope for the first time

Saint Josemaria professed a great love for the Holy Father. When he first arrived to Rome, he spent the entire night praying for the Pope. Tags: Church, Pope, Rome

Is “God” an unknown word?

Passing on the faith in today’s society is one of the challenges to Christians during this Year of Faith. Here we give the text of the conference presentation “Communicating Christian identity today,” by Jutta Burggraf. “I want to talk about passing on the faith. To children, to other family members, to friends, neighbours and coworkers. We want to dialogue with everyone.” Tags: Faith, God, Communication