Felisa Martínez Meléndez is an Associate member of Opus Dei who has just celebrated her 90th birthday. We invited her to give this testimony.
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“Suddenly God invites you…”
I would like to begin by explaining that to be an Associate member of Opus Dei is to continue being the same as you were before: to have a family, work, friendships, hobbies and obligations. Then suddenly, God invites you to offer Him these things, and to offer Him even your body and your soul. It feels frightening at the beginning, but later, you realize that He repays you with a very great joy.
An Associate does not have to live in a Centre of Opus Dei. Neither does he or she have to change cities for the apostolic needs of the Work. Our life is more stable and thus, we are able to give continuity to the apostolates of a place. Because of my work, I lived many years in Mexico, D.F. but now I live happily in San Luis Potosí which is my native land.
“Although I knew Opus Dei many years ago ...”
My niece Lea is a member of Opus Dei. One day, she told me that she was going to do a course in a place called Montefalco. I didn’t know what that was, but I told myself, “By asking, I will get more answers.”
I inquired and when I went to visit her, I realized that she was amongst good people. I chatted with some of them there and we became friends. I felt attracted to join the Work... but I wasn’t in a hurry.
But I felt restless and in 1970, I started going to confession in the Church of the Holy Cross, which is near Bellas Artes. There were priests of Opus Dei giving priestly attention to the people. For four years, I went frequently to confession to try to sort things out... and for a time, I was talking with a young woman who was also a member of the Work. I began to realize that she didn’t have to do anything extraordinary: she had only to do her work well, offer it to God, bring other people close to Christ... So in 1974, I decided to ask for the admission to the Work.
“Now my work is to pray and to offer my ailments”
Since then, I have tried to go punctually to the Centre of the Work each week to receive spiritual help. With the guidance I receive, I have tried to give good example to my family and friends. I have also explained what it means to be a Christian who fights for sanctity and who tries to bring others close to God; that they may realize the importance of helping other people.
At my age, my work is to pray and to offer the ailments that come with my age. I believe that –well, that is what the others tell me– I continue having the sense of humour of a young person. And I hope to live the years that God may give me, fighting to improve and, if it is useful for the others, to be an example of happiness.