Opus Dei

  • Thread starter Thread starter Truism
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
T

Truism

Guest
I recently became aware that several people on EWTN (Father Trigilio, et.al.) are members of Opus Dei. I know nothing about this organization, but admire EWTN and Father Trigilio.

Can anyone out there inform me of the true nature and workings of Opus Dei? Unfortunately, due to its secrecy and possibly my lack of information, it has a negative connotation for me. I cannot reconcile all these good people with a negative situation. Looking for answers and enlightenment. Thanks.

P.S. Let’s forget Dan Brown and stick to reality.
 
Really, how secret is Opus Dei anyways?

By comparison, how much do we really know about the Franciscans? :eek:
 
I recommend spending some time on their excellent website. www.opusdei.org.

There are some good videos on there too in addition to some very well written documents on the spirituality of Opus Dei, its relation to the Catholic Church, etc.

Bottomline. Great people, focus is learning how to turn all activities into prayer. Changing diapers, creating a spreadsheet, teaching a class, selling software, mowing your grass. “Pray always…rejoice always”. Welcome/Embrace God’s will. Embrace the Cross with a smile.

There’s a strong focus on maintaining a presence of God throughout the day,morning offering, daily Mass, Spiritual reading, giving a supernatural motive to your work, Bible reading, mental prayer, daily exam, saying the Rosary, aspirations, frequent and very sincere confession.

There are means of formation…evenings of recollection (focused meditations), retreats, spiritual direction, study circles, and formal doctrinal formation.

I’ve found the members very personable, sincere, hard working, family focused, devout, optimistic, and very happy, ordinary people. You might never realize that you’re working next to a member…they don’t wear membership on their sleeves…membership is very different compared with other lay-like organizations. “The apostolate of friendship and confidence”. But they believe the formation and the spirituality is helpful to not just members, but all Catholics, and Christians.

There is a focus on sacrifice, small temperances, forming concrete resolutions, and pursuing holiness, realizing that we’re going to fall at various times, and that we’re going to need to “begin again” with God.

St Josemaria Escriva, the founder, used the expression Sacrament of Joy to refer to Confession. That sums up both the focus on holiness and optimism that I’ve found with members of Opus Dei.

But read their own website.
 
The only thing I have to add is a comment about the “secrecy” of O.D.

It’s not that we’re secretive, it’s just that its a very personal calling. Being a cooperator, or a member at all, is not something I just throw out there. Not because it’s a secret, instead because its a personal journey of spiritual formation I take throughout my life to become closer to God. The big secret is, we love God and try to sanctify ourselves (and thereby the world) by/while living IN the world. That’s it.

It’s not for everyone, but everyone’s welcome. It floats some peoples’ boats, and others are drawn to other organizations, KofC for example. Heck, you don’t even have to be Catholic to be a member!! I invite most everyone I know who are spiritually serious, and receptive to Catholic teachings. Some have stayed, and others found it wasn’t their speed.

There’s no wax-sealed invitation or anything crazy like that. 👍
 
One other thing to what others, and I, have already written: There is a wonderful focus on what seems uniquely termed (but not a unique concept to Catholicism or to Christianity): “divine filiatiion” A reminder that we are truly sons and daughters of a Father God. Joy springs from this reminder, again and again.

It’s an easy to gloss over (“yeah yeah i get it…blah blah…sons and daughters of God…sure…everyone knows that”) point, but the concept is quite deeply understood and appreciated and communicated by Opus Dei. It’s a wonderful concept to draw infinite strength from.

Opus Die is very focused on everyone’s soul, on becoming [canonize-able] saints in the middle of the word. St Josemaria once said, paraphrasing: “out of one hundred souls, we are interested in one hundred of them”. Not from a “membership” point of view, but from a “salvation” point of view. The “universal call to holiness”, “unity of life”, divine filiation, “spirit of service” “spirit of sacrifice”. Mary, St Joseph, the Holy family, the 30 years of Jesus’s “hidden life” (the point being) that there can be no doubt that he was very busy doing his his Father’s (and his foster father’s) work all those years in the “middle of the world”.

Hope this helps.

To get a good sense for the spirituality of Opus Dei, buy a copy of a little book called “The Way”.
 
Thank you to everyone who responded. I will go to the recommended websites and read the recommended books.

In other readings, it says that people are asked to turn over their entire salary (whether single or married, living in one of their Centers or living independently). If this is true, doesn’t that seem suspect? It sounds like total mind control, indeed control over every aspect of a person’s life. I’m just learning about this, so please let me know how you see this and what is true/untrue.
 
I feel so sorry for Opus Dei. Dan Brown has done a number on their reputation and it is completely unfounded.

They are no more secretive than any other Catholic group. All you have to do is look at their website. 🙂

In addition to the great resources recommended above, I would also recommend Scott Hahn’s book Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace: My Spiritual Journey in Opus Dei.

I would not take any criticism of them at face value. Not that every member is above reproach or anything, but, because of Dan Brown, there are a lot of wacky accusations out there. You definitely need to check the source.

I’ve never heard of anyone being asked to give their entire salary over to Opus Dei. I would be skeptical of such a claim.
 
Opus Dei is a secret Catholic society that hires albinos to do the dirty work of the church like killing infidels who wish to expose certain secrets we would rather have hidden.

At least so I’ve heard.
 
I don’t know the answer. Maybe John Allen’s book would shed some light on it.

There are various forms of membership related to one’s availability to help the “Work”. Numerary members are celibate, but most continue to work in the world…doctors, engineers, scientists, etc. Their percentage is fairly low…not sure…maybe 10%, maybe less. There are priests…even smaller percentage. And there are supernumerary members…married…by far the largest percentage of membership. There are also cooperators who are not formal members.

Not sure about financial obligations. As with anything…if you’re into something…you’re into something. :>

I am a cooperator…and I was told I had 2 obligations only. To pray for the work daily (and it can be as simply and as beautifully as one well said Haily Mary per day)…and to support the work financially at whatever amount I felt I could… literally from a dollar upward. There’s no pressure or value discussed at least as far as my experience has been concerned. But the Work bends backwards to help you…sending priests distantly to help…etc. I’ve never seen such hard working, generous, helpful, happy people in my life.
 
WetCatechumen said:
Opus Dei is a secret Catholic society that hires albinos to do the dirty work of the church like killing infidels who wish to expose certain secrets we would rather have hidden.

At least so I’ve heard.
Click to expand...
In case anyone doesn’t realize it, he’s kidding. 😃
 
I’m speaking from my own experience. I should also mention that I have no personal or negative feelings towards Opus Dei.

I inquired about Opus Dei a few months ago by directly contacting the director of the local center. After my initial contact, he would email me often and he also included me in the email list (mostly schedules for the Evening of Recollection).

After I attended an Evening of Recollection, I sent the director an email thanking him for the invitation, I enjoyed the evening etc. but I never heard from him again. I’ve even been taken off the monthly email lists and received no explanation. I know I didn’t do anything offensive, and the only thing I can point to is my occupation (I’m a blue collar guy). Some of my friends actually warned me about this; they all have high profile jobs and told me they were contacted nonstop. They knew it was because of the money they made and they foresaw my occupation as being a stumbling block. I refused to believe them, however, and I went to the EOR anyways. Looking back, I do see how their attitudes changed towards me once they found out what I did for a living.

I know people will post that there are taxi cab drivers and trash men etc. in OD and that’s fine. Maybe there are. I have no ill feelings towards OD so I’m not saying it’s a widespread problem. I’m simply sharing my experience for others to have a dissenting opinion.
 
I’ve heard nothing but good things about Opus Dei from those who have been called to it. And I think that’s the key in this; if you feel your spirituality matches that of Opus Dei, your life will gain so much. If not…it will be a struggle.
Spirithound said:
By comparison, how much do we really know about the Franciscans?
Click to expand...
We know plenty about them and their tremendous awesomeness 🙂
 
I have no first-hand experience with OD. Based on what I’ve read, the controversy did not begin with Dan Brown. Reports of its methods of recruitment, indoctrination, internal control and retention of members are very troubling.

The organization seems to defy classification in its politics and theology. It is often accused of being conservative, traditional and right wing, but since the death of its founder, it has become modernist in many ways.

I’ve heard OD described as a masterful blend of Lifespring, Later Day Saints and Amway. Human potential training meets multilevel marketing.

amazon.com/Opus-Dei-Investigation-Powerful-Secretive/dp/0060750685

amazon.com/Opus-Dei-Objective-Controversial-Catholic/dp/0385514506/ref=pd_sim_b_6

americamagazine.org/content/articles/martin-opusdei.cfm

nationalcatholicreporter.org/word/pfw121605.htm

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opus_Dei_bibliography
 
WetCatechumen said:
Opus Dei is a secret Catholic society that hires albinos to do the dirty work of the church like killing infidels who wish to expose certain secrets we would rather have hidden.

At least so I’ve heard.
Click to expand...
It is true. I tried signing up for their assassin training program, but I had too much pigment in my skin. Although I have yet to check with the Jesuits. I heard they were hiring new people for their World Domination Committee.
 
Biedrik said:
It is true. I tried signing up for their assassin training program, but I had too much pigment in my skin. Although I have yet to check with the Jesuits. I heard they were hiring new people for their World Domination Committee.
Click to expand...
I hear the Jesuits have a great program for those that are CISCO Certified working with their Protestant Database and networked supercomputer.
 
No you don’t have to have a lot of money to become a member. One can be sought out by being intellectually gifted. I was a director of an English language academy in Pamplona Spain and they would ask me for the names of the top ten students in the 12th grade to invite to their summer programs.
Also there is a built in dislike of religious orders. I asked a friend (now an Opus Dei priest) to go one Sunday to Mass at a Trappist monestary in the south of Navarra. He was very hostile to having any religious contact with non Opus Dei sources. I wanted to see the ancient building and hear the chant.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top