"Human life - your life - and its humdrum, ordinary business, have a meaning which is divine, which belongs to eternity.”(Saint Josemaría)
Every day the faithful of the prelature raise their hearts to God through this set of prayers in which they praise, thank and petition God the Father, through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit, for their own needs and those of others.
The statutes defining Opus Dei’s mission and structure, published (in Latin) in "The Canonical Path of Opus Dei," A. de Fuenmayor, V. Gomez-Iglesias, J. Illanes, Midwest Theological Forum, 1994.
Catechism of the Catholic Church (nn. 874-913) – These points about the structure of the Church speak of the vocation of laypersons and their participation in the priestly, prophetic and royal mission of Christ.
John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation on the Lay Faithful (Chapter I, nos. 16 and 17) – This excerpt on the vocation and the mission of the laity in the Church and in the world helps illuminate the vocation of Opus Dei members, 98% of whom are laypersons.
Second Vatican Council, Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity (Chapter I, n. 2) – These reflections on apostolate of the laity are of interest with regard to the apostolate Opus Dei members carry out in society.
Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Church (Chapter V, nn. 41 and 42) – This passage on the universal call to holiness highlights a central message Opus Dei.
Second Vatican Council, Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests (Chapter II, n. 9) – This excerpt on the relation of priests and laity sheds light on the organic cooperation between priests and laypersons in Opus Dei.
This essay on the vocation to Opus Dei may be of interest to those who are discerning a vocation to Opus Dei, to their families, or to anyone else who would like a more in-depth description of the vocation to Opus Dei. The author is a member of Opus Dei who is a professor at Seton Hall Law School. The essay was first published in 1994.
Most of these books are available at Sinag-tala or Scepter Publishers (see links at the bottom of the page).
The English translation of the apostolic constitution, Ut sit, by which Opus Dei was established as the Catholic Church's first personal prelature.
This is the Vatican document, issued by the Sacred Congregation for Bishops and approved by Pope John Paul II, that explains the fundamental traits of the Prelature of Opus Dei.