Is anyone on this forum a member of Opus Dei? God Bless

-- john placette (jplacette@catholic.org), April 23, 2003

Answers

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), April 23, 2003.

Guess not.

-- jake (jake1REMOVE@pngusa.net), April 28, 2003.

I am. Did you have a question about Opus Dei?

-- Peter Bancroft (editor@opusdei.org), May 22, 2003.

Peter, I have heard many controversial statements made about Opus Dei.

It seems that although there is a lot of press about Opus Dei, there are, per capita, very few members.

What are the positives?

God Bless

-- john placette (jplacette@catholic.org), May 22, 2003.

I'm NOT a member of Opus Dei, but I know a couple of people who are. They helped run a lot of cool single professional Catholic activities at a parish I once attended.

As far as I can make out, their spirituality is centered on private and personal growth in holiness: frequent sacraments (daily Mass, monthly confession), prayer (rosary, eucharistic adoration, etc) and spiritual reading (bible, Church fathers, St Jose Escriva...)

Then on individual basis they try to influence their professional millieu with Gospel values. Oh and occasionally they go on retreats and spiritual exercises.

A couple dozen of us young Catholic professionals used to hang out together on weekends - maybe a half dozen were in Opus, others were in Regnum Christi, others were 3rd order something or others and others were just "pedestrians" - we had a lot of fun together and good wholesome fun doing pilgrimages, pic-nics, parties, hikes, etc. A couple "couples" of the group have subsequently paired off and are getting married.

Opus Dei per se is a Personal Prelature (like a Military diocese - it's extra-territorial, not confined by geographic limits), so it has a bishop and priests and lay people who fall under its own jurisdiction rather than in say, the Archdioceses of New York or Baltimore etc.

This unique status (it's the only one of its kind in the Church) has led to many turf wars and piques and misunderstandings as ALWAYS happens in the Church with new groups. Inevitably you had the dozen or so half-formed or poorly instructed members going off half-cocked making crazy proclamations and Maria Monk type sensational charges...all to the embarrassment of real Opus Dei members who are no more extraordinary than your typical faithful Catholic lay person.

I've read a bit of "The Way" by St Jose...it's decent stuff. And all the real members I've met are simple, down to earth people.

-- Joe (joestong@yahoo.com), May 23, 2003.

Some Catholics today may be reluctant to attend the Tridentine Mass because they believe they must be able to understand Latin to benefit from the Mass. This is not so! The Latin Mass had been offered century after century for millions, if not billions of Catholics, who did not understand Latin. What those unfamiliar with the Latin Mass do not realize is that Missals have been printed to provide the Latin prayers along side the vernacular translations. Therefore the beautiful and ancient prayers of the Tridentine Mass are easily silently prayed by the congregation in union with the priest.

At Sacred Heart Church a booklet Missal is handed to each person who attends the Tridentine Mass so that, after a few Sundays of practice, he or she can easily follow the rubrics of the "Tridentine Rite."

What is surprising is that the congregation at Sacred Heart Church includes many young single and young married Catholics. This is surprising since none of these young people were raised in the Tridentine rite and became acquainted with it either accidentally or by studying the history of the Mass. They appreciate the customs handed down to them by their forefathers; such as kneeling for communion, receiving it only from a priest or deacon, the moments of silence for private prayer, the decorum and reverence of the entire ceremony, and the emphasis on the adoration of God. However, these outward reverent signs are but a reflection of the deeper spiritual benefits of the Mass.

Surely, these young people, as well as the young men who are now entering Traditional Latin Seminaries in overwhelming numbers, will be the members of the Church who will help preserve this most ancient of Christian religious rites.

---------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Una Voce, it is an International lay organization that was formed to promote the Tridentine Mass. It's headquarters is in Rome. You are invited to attend our meetings. The meetings are held on the last Sunday of each month immediately following the 1:30 Tridentine Mass.

If you would like more information about Una Voce you can contact Ed Kristy at 909-463-4606. We welcome you to our next meeting.

-- Rog (RHBaxter@earthlink.com), May 24, 2003.

Your fall down is closer. You can't handle the truth

-- You know who (youknow@hotmail.com), January 20, 2004.

John,

I know many members of Opus Dei. They are all great people in their own individual ways. The question you ask is rather personal.

Its kind of like asking if a person strives in their heart to be a good Catholic, or if they live a life of holy purity. This is something that might be shared among intimate friends, but not generally shared publicly.

Anyone who jumps to share this about themselves publicly is a little bit full of pride (which detracts from the purity of intention of those who strive to attain holiness).

This is one reason why members of Opus Dei appear secretive at times to outsiders.

The other thing is that members really don't give much weight at all to impressing people as a direct object of their acts. They live their lives trying to attain sanctity and hope they can teach by example as a secondary aim.

But the thing is, unless the observer is already sensitive to developing their own spiritual life, they will not see this. In the worst case, the observer, out of pride, will assign a pride- based motive even to someone whose actions are objectively good in every way.

God bless,

-- Pat Delaney (pat@patdelaney.net), January 21, 2004.

Rog,

I was told that the Vernacular missallette thing was a very recent development, something like less than two decades before Vatican II. Can anyone confirm?

-- Skoo (Anonymous@God.bless), January 21, 2004.