My dear children: may Jesus watch over my daughters and sons for me!
The liturgical memorial of our Lady’s parents, Saints Joachim and Anne (which we will celebrate on the 26th), leads me to thank our Lord for the reality that the Work is a true family. As Saint Josemaría wrote: “All of us in Opus Dei, my children, form one home. The reason we are a single family is not based on the material fact of living under the same roof. Like the first Christians, we are cor unum et anima una (Acts 4:32), and no one in the Work can ever feel the bitterness of indifference” (Letter 11, no. 23).
We give thanks to God that we don’t want anyone in Opus Dei to feel this bitterness of indifference. And therefore we strive to prevent the diversity of characters, work schedules and very diverse circumstances of ordinary life from occasionally leading to a certain practical indifference towards others. For all of us to live with one heart and one soul, it is essential that any concern of our brothers or sisters be truly our own. Let us not hesitate to ask our Lord to give us a heart like his, capable of expanding “in a crescendo of affection that overcomes all barriers" (The Way of the Cross, 8th Station, no. 5). When we meditate on how Christ died for us, we see a love that knows no conditions and that leads us to give our own life for our brothers and sisters. As Pope Leo XIV recently reminded us: “Jesus shows us the meaning of authentic love for God and for others. It is a love that is generous, not possessive; a love that forgives without question; a love that reaches out and never abandons others” (Leo XIV, Angelus, 13 June 2025).
In the upcoming days, the Jubilee of Youth will begin in Rome. Let us pray that these days will leave a powerful mark in the lives of those taking part, a true encounter with the living Christ: he is the hope that never disappoints (cf. Rom 5:5), the only one able to satisfy our longings for happiness.
Let us also continue to pray for the work on the Statutes, which (as I already told you) are being reviewed by the Holy See.
Your Father blesses you with all his affection.
Pamplona, July 21, 2025