Opus Dei

This biographical timeline covers basic dates and occurences in St. Josemaria's life. At various points there are links to more detailed information found on the St. Josemaria Website.

Children can often cause their parents to worry. St. Josemaría relates two stories from his own family to show that sometimes what’s needed is understanding and trust on the part of parents (2:38).

In 1972 St. Josemaría met with a group of high school teachers. "What is the most important virtue for a teacher?", he is asked (00’52’’).

“I bless human love with both of my hands as a priest,” said St. Josemaría. He also recommended that spouses argue as little as possible and always make up at the end, asking one another for forgiveness (2:32).

When speaking with God, St. Josemaría advised, “don’t choose your words. Just as when you speak with your wife and your children, or with people you love… Let your heart go” (2’42”).

Even a broken soup bowl was a topic for St. Josemaría’s prayer. He said he was like a soup bowl, broken by sin and repaired—thanks to confession—to continue serving sound nourishment to others (1:58).

Saint Josemaria had an inkling at an early age that God had something important in store for him. This segment from an Italian animated film (with English subtitles) about St. Josemaría's early life presents some episodes from his youth.

St. Josemaría Escrivá was canonized on the 6th of October, 2002. From 1928 until his death in 1975, he preached that all men and women are called to holiness. His statue in the Vatican reminds thousands of Catholic faithful of this message (1:40').

This is the second book by Saint Josemaría Escrivá (after “The Way”) to be placed in its full historical context. “It is a book,” some have said, “that the heart grasps immediately.”

Without love, life wouldn’t be worth living. Therefore St. Josemaría counseled: “Fall madly in love,” both when our love is in heaven and when it’s on earth (0’58”).