Opus Dei

[smad0142]

How does somebody join the prelature in an area without any OD centers? How does one even get involved to experience the OD in an area without any centers? Thanks!!

 

[Edward_H]

How does somebody join the prelature in an area without any OD centers? How does one even get involved to experience the OD in an area without any centers? Thanks!!

Talk to a Director in a Center. My understanding is you can’t. They take your formation very seriously, and if they can’t support you fully, they will not commit to the formation required for membership.

That doesn’t mean you can’t receive formation from them as a Catholic, or as a cooperator of Opus Dei.

Are you already attending some means of formation, Recollections? Retreats? Often recollections are held at some distance greater than what the Center would support for membership.

It’s a vocation and it takes some considerable period of discerning…but you can benefit greatly from the formation they can provide to you as a nonmember, if you’re not too far from a Center.

Roughly, where are you?

 

[valoriuslobo]

I think there’s a lay group too. I heard Madonna joined it.

 

[Edward_H]

Opus Dei is itself a lay group. There are a couple of types of members, mainly numerary (unmarried, celibate) and supernumerary. Most of their priests are drawn from the numerary members.

There are also cooperators who are not members, but who receive formation and who support the Work and pray for it.

And there are people who simply come to the recollections, go on retreat, etc.

 

[smad0142]

I am in Colorado.

What is life like as an Opus Dei cooperator?

 

[thirddec]

what is opus dei and what do they promote?

 

[laszlo]

opusdei.org/

 

[Edward_H]

I am in Colorado.

What is life like as an Opus Dei cooperator?

Opus Dei’s entire focus is the ordinary life. Living God’s will intensely in the middle of the world. Turning all work, all human events into prayer. So life as a numerary, as a supernumerary, as a cooperator, as an attendee at recollections is really not all that different.

Opus Dei members follow a plan of life. But they encourage others - as the Church itself does - to follow a life where the presence of God influences our daily life.

Opus Dei members follow what are called the Norms…a way of practicing the presence of God…no different really than any serious Catholic. It may involve different efforts for different people depending on their schedule. Daily Mass, mental prayer, spiritual reading, a quick visit to the Blessed Sacrament, daily Rosary, etc. Frequent confession. These are means to help maintain a presence of God, spread-load across the day (not all at once if possible).

Cooperators try to attend recollections (like mini-retreats) once a month, they may also attend a circle (led by a supernumerary member of the Work) once or more a month. These circles are simply very short means of formation…reading the day’s Gospel, reflecting on a few points, and then a short class (on some useful topic…e.g., cheerfulness, how to get more out of scripture reading, fortitude, etc.), and a short narrated examination of conscience. Cooperators, as all people, are encouraged to attend an annual retreat.

Nothing members do is in any way strange or out of the ordinary. But how they do things might be out of the norm, but not at all outside of what the Church teaches.

Members (but again anyone can do this and is encouraged to do this) might start a period of work with a short aspiration (short prayer) and with an intention. e…g, My Lord and My God, be with me as I debug this software program, I offer it up for all expectant mothers; help me to do this work with great love and persistence…etc.