Letter from the Prelate of Opus Dei (March 2011) everyday life offers many opportunities to show God our desires to approach Him Lent, the archbishop said, is a special time to commit themselves with more love.
March 3, 2011
PDF: Letter of March 2011. dear children: may Jesus watch over my daughters and sons!
"Nothing is so dear and loved by God, and the fact that men turn to Him with sincere repentance" [1]. Particularly topical words long, and even more in the coming weeks, as in eight days of Lent begins. In the liturgy of Ash Wednesday, with words of St. Paul, the Church exhorts us, with affection and interest, not to receive in vain the grace of God. For He says in time I have heard you. And on the day of salvation I helped you. Behold, now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation [2].
In a Christian view of life, every moment is favorable and every day is a day of salvation, but the liturgy of the Church "says the Holy Father referred these words in a completely special Lent [3]. The weeks that we have to walk are particularly suited to approach the Lord once again, drawn by its grace. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to make us discover the seriousness of this call, so do not spend these days in our soul and wrote St. Josemaria as water passes over rocks, without a trace [4]. Tell the Lord, let me soak , transform, I will become, I will go back to the Lord and love him as He wants to be loved [5].
think not only in the conversion of a sinner who chooses to open to grace, from spiritual death to life with a capital. They are also daily changes that lead to a woman or a Christian man to be closer to God , to participate more intensively the life of Christ through the sacraments frequently, to cultivate the spirit of prayer, to be practical and effective service for the spiritual and material of others. As explained Benedict XVI, conversion is going against, where the "current" lifestyle is superficial, incoherent and illusory often drags us, over us and makes us slaves of evil or, in any case, prisoners of mediocrity moral. With the conversion, however, aspire to the highest measure of Christian life, we adhere to living and personal Gospel, Jesus Christ [6].
In the Church, the Lord has given us many ways, many ways to foster successive personal conversions, so necessary in the Christian life. Remember, in the words of St. Josemaría, that these moves have made perseveringly spiritual, and even many times during a single day: "Restart? Yes, every time you make an act of contrition, and should make many-day, start again, because you give God a new love [7]. Do we think that God often waits for us at that moment? Do we stop to think: what is it, Lord, from me? "We are moved by desire to get closer and closer to Jesus Christ ?
However, I would like now to some specific ways of re-routed towards friendship with the Holy Trinity: the spiritual retreats, which are increasing in many places during Lent. As is evident, not only offer us in these weeks, but the liturgy of the time, with the urgent call for the removal of life, many Christians invited to attend on these dates to any of these activities. The same is true for monthly withdrawals, which occupy an important place among the means of spiritual formation that facilitates Prelature thousands of people in the world. San Josemaría
was noted that this spiritual practice is common in the Church since the early centuries: whenever a person tries to prepare for a mission, or simply felt the urge to reciprocate with greater commitment to the touches of grace, seeks to enhance their dealings with the Lord. Withdrawals made them and the first Christians. After Christ's Ascension to Heaven we find the Apostles and a large group of people gathered in the Cenacle, together with the Blessed Virgin Mary, waiting for the outpouring of the Counselor that Jesus promised. There the Holy Spirit dwells in oratione persevering unanimitas ( Acts 1, 14), immersed in prayer.
behaved the same way those souls who in early Christianity, without detracting from the lives of others, were given to God in their homes, and the hermits who marched into the wilderness, to devote himself to solitude with God. .. And work! (...). All Christians who are sincerely concerned for his soul, made in one way or another your withdrawals. Because it is a Christian practice [8].
From the earliest years of work, our founder attached great importance to those days dedicated to prayer and consideration, which are very necessary to maintain vibrant inner life. What do you and me in these days of retirement? , once asked, and answered: try much to the Lord, seek Him, like Peter, to maintain an intimate conversation with him I say conversation Just think: dialogue of two, face to face, not hiding in the anonymity. We need that personal prayer, that intimacy, that deal directly with God, our Lord [9].
At the beginning of his pontificate, Benedict XVI again recommend the days of retreat, particularly those made in complete silence [10]. And in the traditional Lenten message this year referring to the Gospel of the second Sunday of the Transfiguration of the Lord, insists is the invitation to avoid the bustle of everyday life to dive into God's presence: He wants to convey to us, every day, a word that penetrates deep of our spirit, where discerning good and evil (cf. Heb 4, 12) and strengthens the will to follow the Lord [11].
To remove these means fruit formation and transformation , defined them as our Father, we must gather your senses and powers, without this task is very difficult, if not impossible discovering the Counselor lights kindled in the soul and hear his voice, which suggests specific control points to monitor Jesus Christ and walk in their path.
Therefore, daughters and sons, I recommend that you do not neglect this aspect, the silence in the monthly and annual retreats, with the necessary adaptation to the specific circumstances of those who attend these training facilities. There is, in effect, to be people who already have some familiarity with the things of the spirit that people who are taking the first steps in the Christian life. As the faithful and prudent manager who speaks the Gospel, we must know provide adequate ration at the right time [12].
Therefore, regarding the development of the various apostolic works and those attending should organize these days of pondering retirement with a supernatural sense of the situations of the participants, although this necessitates the need to increase their numbers. For the same reason, as always instilled in us our founder, no longer provide retreats, circles, etc., But reach fewer people than had been originally planned, although this only once.
Ultimately, as we read in Groove, on retirement should be a time of gathering to know God, to know and thus progress. A time to discover what and how to reform, what must I do?, What should I avoid? [13]. In those days, also says St. Josemaría, your test should have more depth and greater length than usual night time. "If not, you lose a great chance to rectify [14].
The liturgy of Lent provides rich material for meditation, as demonstrated in the Holy Father in his message. The scene from the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness, we read on the first Sunday, reminds us that Christian faith involves , following the example Jesus and united with Him, one struggle "against the rulers of this dark world" (Eph 6, 12), in which the devil acts and not be weary, nor today, to entice the man who wants to approach the Lord [15]. So we have to consider if we prepare for this fight, go with confidence to the supernatural means. San Josemaría tactic intended to follow a supernatural war hold-the daily struggles of your inner life-in positions, which places far from the main walls of your fortress.
And the enemy goes there, your little mortification, to your prayer usual, your work ordered, your plan of life and is difficult to reach close to the towers, lean to the assault, in your castle. "And if it comes, arrives without efficiency [16].
The following Sunday we will hear the voice of the heavenly Father, pointing to Christ, says: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear him [17]. We must try harder to find, in times of personal prayer, what God says to each one, to put it into practice. And see how we rely on the grace that comes from the sacraments, and in the advice received in spiritual direction personal.
By the third Sunday of Lent, March 27, the liturgy presents the request of Jesus to the Samaritan woman: "Give me a drink" (Jn 4, 7), which expresses (...) God's passion for every man and wants to inspire in our hearts the desire of the gift of "water welling up to eternal life" (ibid ., 14) [18]. Discover the call to keep in mind that we, his disciples, we must bring his light and grace everywhere, above all, helping our friends and relatives to be reconciled to God by going to the sacrament of Penance, and also inviting to participate in a retirement or retreat during these weeks.
we approach the feast of St. Joseph, patron of the Church and Work. Ready to renovate on day 19, with gratitude and joy, our love commitment to the Lord in the work, and pray with confidence to the Holy Patriarch who obtain from God the grace to many men and women of all ages and conditions, they decide to follow Jesus Christ in Opus Dei.
addition, that day marks the anniversary of the formal execution of the Bull Ut sit with the beloved John Paul II erected Opus Dei Personal Prelature, determining the organic cooperation priests and lay people to carry out the inspiration that the Lord put into the soul of St. Josemaría on October 2, 1928. We have an obligation to be faithful, conscious that the Holy Spirit wanted this figure at Vatican II, opening the channel to the pastoral needs of the Church.
Day 28 marks the anniversary of the ordination of our Father. Let us thank you very much to the Blessed Trinity because each of us is really the son of the response of our founder to receive the priesthood of Christ. Without their generous acceptance, total, the divine will, there would be Opus Dei in the Church. The foundation of the Society stands in answer to the question - why I get a priest? - that our father was formulated during his years at the seminary in Zaragoza, and underpins the deeper reason for his determination to undertake and continue that way.
Pray, turning to his intercession, so that in all countries increase the number of priestly vocations, faithful men who love God, joyfully engaged in the service of souls, with full fidelity to the Pope and in close union with their diocesan bishops. And missing even in the work of priests needed to meet the apostolic works that the Lord calls us. At the same time, insist the Holy Trinity for all Catholics, men and women, priests nourish the soul which Heaven has put in each, in each.
without ceasing to pray for the Pope and his collaborators, especially during the first week of Lent, when the Roman Curia will preach the retreat. We also take advantage of these course dates for our annual retreat. I look real forward to accompany me spiritually during those days, I do not mind saying that I invoke the Lord daily for any or no wasted the stream of grace that God gives us in the media.
With all my affection, I bless your Father
+ Javier
Rome, March 1, 2011.
--------------------- [1] St. Maximus the Confessor Epistle 11 (PG 91, 454).
[2] Ash Wednesday Second reading (2 Cor 6, 1-2).
[3] Benedict XVI, General Audience Address, 17-II-2010.
[4] St. Josemaría, Christ Is Passing , n. 59.
[5] Ibid .
[6] Benedict XVI, General Audience Address, 17-II-2010.
[7] St. Josemaría, Forge, n. 384.
[8] St. Josemaría, Notes of a meditation, 25-II-1963.
[9] Ibid .
[10] Benedict XVI, Address to a group of bishops in ad Limina visit , 26-XI-2005.
[11] Benedict XVI, Message for Lent 2011, 4-XI-2010, n. 2.
[12] Lk 12, 42.
[13] St. Josemaría, Furrow, n. 177.
[14] St. Josemaría, Way, n. 245.
[15] Benedict XVI, Message for Lent , 2011 , 4-XI-2010, n. 2.
[16] St. Josemaría, Camino , n. 307.
[17] Mt 17, 5.
[18] Benedict XVI, Message for Lent 2011, 4-XI-2010, n. 2.
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