Opus Dei Books

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Can anyone recommend any good books reflecting the group accurately? The only stuff we hear about them these days is negative stuff. I don’t know much about them, but I like what their founder, St.Josemaria Escriva said about physical mortification:

The best mortification one can do is smile when you don’t want to.
 
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redkim:
I’ve been told that they are sexist, but it certainly doesn’t sound like it here:

opusdei.org/art.php?w=32&p=8033
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Rekim,
I believe if you read all the different things on the above site you will see that it is truly a “Work for God”…Annunciata:)
 
I’m not a member of Opus Dei, but I read the book “Saint Josemaria Escriva” and it has alot in it about Opus Dei, and how and why he started it. The book is by Michele Dolz and it is very interesting. In it there is mention that the book “The Way” is the Opus Dei handbook.

Hope this helps,
:blessyou:
Annie
 
I think the best you could do is read Escriva’s own words in his little trilogy “The Way” “The Furrow” and “The Forge” Unfortunately most of the other stuff about Opus Dei is very biased - in both directions. I don’t think reading about OD is going to give a really accurate picture of what it’s like. For that you need to talk to people who were or are involved in it. I spent quite a bit of time with OD when I was in college. They are definitely sexist - something their website is obviously not going to proclaim. There’s some other things about them I don’t care for, but they also are not an evil cult as some claim. They have a really good spirituality and can offer alot to people of a certain Catholic bent.
 
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Minerva:
I think the best you could do is read Escriva’s own words in his little trilogy “The Way” “The Furrow” and “The Forge” Unfortunately most of the other stuff about Opus Dei is very biased - in both directions. I don’t think reading about OD is going to give a really accurate picture of what it’s like. For that you need to talk to people who were or are involved in it. I spent quite a bit of time with OD when I was in college. They are definitely sexist - something their website is obviously not going to proclaim. There’s some other things about them I don’t care for, but they also are not an evil cult as some claim. They have a really good spirituality and can offer alot to people of a certain Catholic bent.
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Minerva,
Were you a Member/Worker or a Cooperator?
I’m a Cooperator and I have never found OD to be sexist. It is a wonderful way to follow and to sanctify yourself in your ordinary life, right where you’re at…whatever your profession… lawyer,housewife, janitor, doctor,teacher,student and I could go on and on. Annunciata:)
 
I wasn’t a member, but I was good friends with several members (young numeraries, supernumeraries, numeraries-to-be). I went to Circle every week for a year, went on a silent retreat, dated a young man who was in a similar OD status as I was, read the Escriva trilogy and other books, and considered joining myself for awhile. I agree that their spirituality about sanctifying everyday life is excellent, and even though I’m no longer affiliated with OD I’ve tried to apply some of the lessons I learned there to my everyday life to this day. The reason I left OD is a long, sad, story - basically two of my friends who were also flirting with joining OD read some BS on the internet about it, decided OD was a cult, and became utterly hysterical and unreasonable. They refused to be friends with me anymore because they thought I would brainwash them and draw them back into this evil cult. The whole thing was getting just too weird for me so I decided to take a break from OD. I started hanging out with different people who weren’t involved in OD and just went on with my life basically. As I did this I reflected more upon OD and the things that had bothered me but I didn’t speak up about. I say they are sexist because of what I found to be a ridiculous obsession with preserving traditional gender roles - something Jesus never spoke about! The priest at the retreat scolded me in the confessional because I told him that I wanted to be a professor but also have children. He told me to “stop being so masculine” In general I found the group to have a rather condescending and patronizing attitude towards women. The women I met in it, especially the married ones, were very docile and submissive, while the men were anything but - instead very cocky and focused on their hot-shot careers in law, medicine, and academia. The prevailing attitude was that part of being a good Christian is adhering to 1950s gender roles, which is just nonsense since Jesus said absolutely nothing about women having careers. So anyhow, this is getting long, hope I answered your question 🙂
 
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Minerva:
I wasn’t a member, but I was good friends with several members (young numeraries, supernumeraries, numeraries-to-be). I went to Circle every week for a year, went on a silent retreat, dated a young man who was in a similar OD status as I was, read the Escriva trilogy and other books, and considered joining myself for awhile. I agree that their spirituality about sanctifying everyday life is excellent, and even though I’m no longer affiliated with OD I’ve tried to apply some of the lessons I learned there to my everyday life to this day. The reason I left OD is a long, sad, story - basically two of my friends who were also flirting with joining OD read some BS on the internet about it, decided OD was a cult, and became utterly hysterical and unreasonable. They refused to be friends with me anymore because they thought I would brainwash them and draw them back into this evil cult. The whole thing was getting just too weird for me so I decided to take a break from OD. I started hanging out with different people who weren’t involved in OD and just went on with my life basically. As I did this I reflected more upon OD and the things that had bothered me but I didn’t speak up about. I say they are sexist because of what I found to be a ridiculous obsession with preserving traditional gender roles - something Jesus never spoke about! The priest at the retreat scolded me in the confessional because I told him that I wanted to be a professor but also have children. He told me to “stop being so masculine” In general I found the group to have a rather condescending and patronizing attitude towards women. The women I met in it, especially the married ones, were very docile and submissive, while the men were anything but - instead very cocky and focused on their hot-shot careers in law, medicine, and academia. The prevailing attitude was that part of being a good Christian is adhering to 1950s gender roles, which is just nonsense since Jesus said absolutely nothing about women having careers. So anyhow, this is getting long, hope I answered your question 🙂
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Minerva,
Thanks for your honesty and explanation of how your experience helped to make the decisions you made…

OD isn’t for everybody as is the Charismatic Renewal is not for everybody, but in themselves they are good…not evil. Sometimes the “human element” creeps in causing confusion and distortion leading to misinterpretations… In any case, I hope you did pursue your career, you seem like a fine young woman with a whole lot to offer.
In Christ, Annunciata:)
 
Not a member of OD but have been involved with them Recollections, Silent Retreats, Circle etc. for over one year now.

Have found nothing at all wrong with the Prelature. In fact I have been very pleasently suprised by the underlying spirituality. Not one niggle of negativity so far. I do think that it is for some and not for others as the last post pointed out.

Men and women have seperate recollections, retreats and circles and I have no problem with this at all. In fact all benefit from it as far as I can see. No distractions 😉

I would suggest also the Way, the Forge as well as Friends of God and Christ Passing By by St Escriva.
God Bless
 
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