opus dei

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BrooklynBoy200

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Is Opus dei the same as it is portrayed in the Da Vinci Code? I know about 90% of that book is not true and i know that Opus Dei probably doesn’t have albino hitmen running around shooting their enemies, but do they really have belts with spikes on them and stuff?
 
Nope. No monks in Opus Dei. No cloisters either.

It is primarily a lay organization dedicated to personal Holiness, with a few Diocesan priests as members. My Spiritual Director is an Opus Dei priest. Some of the lay members remain celibate and have various extra devotions.

Opus Dei is very orthodox and loyal to the Holy See. They also have a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
 
From my understanding, some members practice forms of self denial that involve minor discomfort, like sleeping on the floor or taking a cold shower, but nothing like what the Da Vinci Code presents.
 
Yes as in most other things that book was off the deep end.

Opus Dei, which is fully approved by the Church (with its own place in Canon Law) and whose founder was canonized by Pope John Paul II --is a vocation within the lay vocation (exept for the priests obviously). All the mortifications as mentioned above (not like DV-Code) are rooted in the traditions of Christians in the Church (and the saints!)–even of the laity (such as tertiaries).

And myself knowing various members of “the Work” as it is called in English–I can say they are seeking holiness in ordinary life.

Kevin,O.SS.T.,Ter.
 
Opus Dei members practise different forms of mortification, including corporal mortification.

Numerary and Associate member do use a small spiked chain called a cilice, which is a small, spiked chain worn around the thigh under one’s trousers, for a period of time each day. I believe that it is not worn for more than two hours at a time, and I do not believe that it causes serious physical pain, more like discomfort.

Some members (the numerary members, I think, though I am not sure if this means all of the numerary members) also practise flagellation, using a discipline made of knotted cords, and sleep on the floor once a week.

You will find this all shocking or not, depending on your understanding of these forms of physical penance.

The members of Opus Dei do everything with the guidance of a spiritual director so, in theory at least, there’s always someone to keep an eye on things and make sure that the individuals performing these penances are keeping things in perspective, while encouraging other, less mature individuals to seek other forms of sacrifice and penance. We should hope so at least.

Our degenerated culture, which has a horror of discomfort and pain, and which sees no value whatsoever in suffering, is incapable of understanding or accepting these things. Opus Dei is not the only group that employs them however; they have traditionally been part of monastic life, and even contemporary holy men and women such as Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, St. Padre Pio and Archbishop Oscar Romero have employed them too.

I will admit that I myself approach the topic of cilices and disciplines with more than a little caution… there is great potential there for emotionally immature individuals to do themselves a great deal of physical and psychological damage. And there’s always the danger of spiritual pride involved in these kinds of activities. One should never undertake these kinds of penances without the permission and guidance of a very wise and holy spiritual director. For most ordinary Catholics, they are not necessary… fasting and abstinence are much more prudent choices and much less dangerous for the person who wants to deepen the penitential dimension of his or her spiritual life.

IMHO, anyway… 🙂
 
it needs to be especially loyal to the Pope. What’s wrong with passionate dedication to Christ?
 
the poor, worked almost exclusively with the poor, and lived in the wasteland. He was baptised by a poor, renegade preacher and seer in the desert, and He chose ordinary men as His first apostles. He was murdered by the powerful and corrupt, for having spoken the simple truth, without apology, qualification or hesitation. He was not a champion of institutions, but of common humanity.
 
Read “The Way” and you’ll find out what Opus Dei is all about. St. Jose Maria Escriva is the man!👍
 
Fr.Joe said:
Read “The Way” and you’ll find out what Opus Dei is all about. St. Jose Maria Escriva is the man!👍
Click to expand...
I’ll give you an Amen to that one! Praise be to God for such a wonderful person!
 
Read “Christ is Passing By.” I just finished it this evening, Very good and wise collectrion of homilies.
 
I admire the members of Opus Dei. The spirituality they evoke is very human and very ordinary–you might miss it entirely just by looking. However, it is as old as the early Christians and they genuinely practice it in their lives. The members of Opus Dei may seem elitist–I know many who are professionals-Doctors, businessmen and people in places of authority–but they practice their faith in the utmost humility. If you have a center of Opus Dei near you, I would highly recommend attending their retreats–it is a feast for the soul!
 
Opus Dei is awesome! I have had the privilige to attend some of their evenings of recollection. I suggest you pick up Scott Hahn’s new book, “Ordinary work, Extraordinary Grace” “My Spirtual Journey in Opus Dei”. Doubleday Publishers. Its a great read.
 
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