Jolly good saint

The creeping tentacles of secularism and paganism or the unbridled worship of the things of this world keep growing, without us being aware of it. Here in our benighted country, we continue to suffer the dire consequences inflicted upon us by selfish and ambitious politicians out to grab power by sowing chaos and confusion, and running roughshod over the rule of law for the sake of the "truth" that according to them is nothing but their victory in the last elections were it not for the massive fraud. Their naked desire for the power and glory of this world has completely consumed them. What is happening to us is happening worldwide.

In America, the battle for the hearts and the minds of the people centers on whether to worship "the creation or the creator". This is the thrust of a bestselling book (Da Vinci Code) masquerading fiction and falsehood as historical facts and established truths to discredit Jesus Christ and the Bible through seemingly plausible but unsound and unfounded reasoning intended to deceive. The book wanted to convey to the gullible readers that God is just Nature, not the Creator of Nature. Two noted American theologists, in their own book (Cracking Da Vinci’s Code) presented the issue as a conflict between Paganism and Christianity. According to them, "Both offer good news. Both propose redemption. Paganism proposes liberation from the Creator to do one’s own thing and to figure out how to save oneself. The Bible (Christianity) proposes reconciliation with the Creator, who comes to His creation as Savior. No one who truly seeks that Savior will be turned away"

This spiritual crisis and what the world needs now was foreseen by a Saint whose footsteps trod this Earth for seventy three years. He is St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer. St. Josemaria had a clear vision of the current intensifying conflict between the worldly and the unworldly, of man’s role of "being in this world but not of this world". He founded the Opus Dei (the "work of God") on October 2,1928 to provide the much needed guidelines for souls in their perilous journey on this iniquitous earth. As our late daughter Joyce used to tell people, when he founded it, he had only three things: 26 years of age, the grace of God and a good sense of humor. His main message is that people from all walks of life can sanctify themselves and, in the process sanctify others, by doing their work well (with the greatest possible human perfection) just as Jesus of Nazareth, the carpenter’s son, has done everything well. It is through his ordinary work and the fulfillment of his personal, family and social duties that man sanctifies himself and glorifies God. This spirit of Opus Dei is mainly set forth in St. Josemaria’s books, particularly The Way, the best among the best-sellers.

Opus Dei is a personal prelature of the Catholic Church composed of lay people, both men and women, and priests. The clergy was incorporated into "the work" only fifteen years after it was founded through the establishment of the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross. Obviously there are a lot more lay members. As a Personal Prelature formally erected on November 28,1982, the ministries it undertakes are subject to the authority of its own bishop, not the bishop of the diocese where they are carried out. There are different levels of membership but all members have a "plan of life" under the guidance of a spiritual director precisely to fully equip them in resisting the growing tentacles of secularism and paganism as they live out God’s call in this world and as they participate in the many ministries of the work. This plan entails the daily Rosary prayers, daily mass, spiritual reading, regular confessions and mental prayer.

Twenty-nine years ago tomorrow, June 26, 2004, St. Josemaria, the Opus Dei founder left this world to be with God forever. Indeed, during his lifetime he "turned all the circumstances and events of his life into opportunities to love God and to serve the Church, the Pope and all souls with joy and simplicity". In 1998, on this same occasion, our late daughter Joyce who was then already stricken with cancer, wrote an article entitled "Divine Caress" to honor Jolly Good Saint Josemaria. Joyce said: "I am writing to honor our beloved founder Blessed Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, whose birthday in heaven – his death – we celebrate on June 26. And what better way to do this than to lay open how he helped/helps me go through this sickness. Being in Opus Dei for 17 years now, I have inhaled the pure air of his fatherly vigilance and have drunk the clean waters of his teachings. And these come in handy-like second nature-when I go through trials in my life, like this divine caress which comes in the form of cancer".

Solemn Eucharistic Concelebration will be held in honor of St. Josemaria this evening 7:15 pm at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Cubao with Bishop Honesto F. Ongtioco as main celebrant, and tomorrow at the Manila Cathedral at 10:00 am.

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