Forever in thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is part of Christian life, as we realize how much God has done for us and for others. St Josemaria developed gratitude as a virtue throughout his life, as those who lived with him recall. In December 1972 St Josemaria wrote, "There will come [...]
Tags: Abandonment to God, Gratitude, Alvaro del Portillo, Javier Echevarria, Opus Dei

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We need to converse with God

The primacy of prayer over action “Of maximum usefulness in the Church of Jesus are not the so-called practical men nor even the pure proponents of theories, but the true contemplatives,” wrote Josemaria Escriva’s first successor, Monsignor Alvaro del Portillo , in the pages of the [...]
Tags: Alvaro del Portillo, Contemplation, Javier Echevarria, Prayer

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When love is strengthened

"My parents really loved each other," recalled St Josemaria, "and they suffered a lot, but they never failed to smile." In this article, Bishop Javier Echevarria talks about the love of married people in the teachings of St Josemaria. The family is a school of love, [...]
Tags: Javier Echevarria, Marriage, Love, family

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February 16, 1932: “Deeds are love – not sweet words”

This divine locution gave rise to n. 933 in The Way: "There is a story of a soul who, on saying to our Lord in prayer, ‘Jesus, I love you,’ heard this reply from heaven: ‘Love means deeds, not sweet words.’ "Think if you also [...]
Tags: Generosity, Javier Echevarria, Ascetical struggle

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Benedict XVI, source of light and strength

The 5th anniversary of the election of Benedict XVI Bishop Javier Echevarria, Prelate of Opus Dei It is five years since the election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as the successor of St Peter at the head of the Catholic Church. On April 2, 2005 Pope John Paul [...]
Tags: Javier Echevarria, Pope, Ratzinger, Benedict XVI

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Homily on the Feast of Saint Josemaría, 2009

Today we are offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to God in the liturgical commemoration of St Josemaria Escriva, whom God our Lord “raised up in the Church to proclaim the universal call to holiness and apostolate”. We do so in union with thousands of [...]
Tags: Javier Echevarria, Pope, Priesthood

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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

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Bishop Javier Echevarría, Prelate of Opus Dei. Rome, June 26, 2004

Dear Brothers and Sisters, A few days ago, in the Liturgy of the Hours, we priests meditated once again on the choice God made of David as King of Israel.1 The description of the scene is simple and clear. The sacred text says that David was [...]
Tags: Apostolate, Fortitude, Javier Echevarria

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Close to the Pope

When Saint Josemaría Escrivá was very young he used to dream of getting close to the Pope even for only a few moments, to have the chance of showing him his love and readiness to serve him. Msgr Javier Echevarría says: “His joy when he [...]
Tags: Church, Javier Echevarria, Pope, Unity

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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