Josemaria Escriva: The Way
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The founder of Opus Dei, St. Josemaria Escriva took inspiration from previous spiritual writers such as Ignatius of Loyola, Teresa of Avila, Thomas a Kempis and Dom Chautard.
Pedro Rodriguez who wrote the critical edition of Escriva's The Way said that Escriva was inspired by the book of Dom Chautard when he wrote that the "apostolate is an overflow of the interior life."
Thus, John Paul II said during Escriva's canonization:
- Today this invitation is extended to all of us: "Put out into the deep", the divine Teacher says to us, "and let down your nets for a catch" (Lk 5,4). To fulfill such a rigorous mission, one needs constant interior growth nourished by prayer. St. Josemaria was a master in the practice of prayer, which he considered to be an extraordinary "weapon" to redeem the world. He always recommended: "In the first place prayer; then expiation; in the third place, but very much in third place, action" (The Way, n. 82). It is not a paradox but a perennial truth: the fruitfulness of the apostolate lies above all in prayer and in intense and constant sacramental life. This, in essence, is the secret of the holiness and the true success of the saints.
For Escriva, lay Christians are called to sanctity in the midst of their ordinary work and daily activities. The sanctification of work and society is achieved by converting this work into prayer by offering work done with:
- (a) professional competence and a spirit of excellence, both technical and ethical, practising virtues such as honesty, integrity, magnanimity, justice,
- (b) presence of God and rectitude of intention, living a life of grace, initiated at baptism and renewed through the sacraments of confession and the eucharist. This presence of God is sustained through the recitation of short prayers or aspirations during the day and at work, such as "Jesus, I love you", "All glory to God", "Queen of Apostles, pray for us." Sanctification of one's work is also enabled by other regular daily practices of prayer: praying the Holy Rosary, time spent in meditation, reading the Holy Gospel, and some spiritual books.
Read more about this topic: Interior Life (Catholic Theology)