Hiya!

On Friday night after Confession and Adoration, I was talking to this awesome priest (in full black............cassock? is it? ) Anyway, he was really awesome, and after hearing what I said, invited me along to this spiritual direction/formation thing for women. Its held twice a week, for an hour and a half each time, and apparently its all organised, and if I like it, either he (or any other priest there) would willing to be a personal spiritual director for me!

Then I found out he is Opus Dei, and my parents aren't too keen on Opus Dei - mainly because they think they are too conservative. (I'm a bit too conservative for my parents as well, lol) But, they don't reallly mind, although I'd rather have their agreement...I'm not planning to become a member as I'm seriously looking at the cloister.

But why do Opus Dei have such an interesting reputation? And does anyone - or has anone been to any of these formation/direction groups?

Any opinions or even knowledge would be great

I don't have any personal experience with Opus Dei ... but JP2 liked them, their founder is a Saint, and lots of good, holy bishops are involved with them ... so they're good enough for me!

What I think started getting them this "iffy" reputation is ... when you're a member of Opus Dei, you're a member. I mean, it tends to eat up a lot of your time. It becomes a huge part of who you are.

So people get really concerned when someone they know starts devoting a huge amount of time to something they don't understand, or approve of ... they feel like they've been "dumped" and "excluded" from a big chunk of the life of someone they love ...

When this happens with parents and teenagers, well, you can imagine. "Susie went off to college and joined a cult." People sometimes can get hysterical.

Aaah, righty I've been looking stuff up on the net, and it seems that people either love or hate Opus Dei.....

is it a Night of Recollection? I've been to those down in Baltimore. They're great! Usually there's adoration, confession, a talk by a priest, a talk by a laywoman (usually someone who is in a high position in opus dei and does spiritual direction) and benediction. They are super orthodox and going to Nights of Recollection during the first few months back in the Church really helped me to grow in my faith. I never really got great catechesis when I was young, but I learned so much from Opus Dei when i came back to the Church and I owe a lot of my faith to them.

people who don't like orthodoxy generally don't like Opus Dei.

I have friends who are associated with Opus Dei, including a few priests I know. I think the main concern is that Opus Dei priests aren't always the best for spiritual direction for those discerning a vocation to religious life since they are primarily about forming laity for their vocation in the world. I think it all depends on the priest.

Myself, I'd be very nervous about a priest who offered to be my director on first meeting. Usually a spiritual director worth his salt waits to be approached, not the other way around.

Like any organization I think Opus Dei probably isn't perfect and that some get carried away! I think it also depends on what level you are associated with them. I've heard both sides of the story and everything in between!

I wonder if this thing he is inviting you to is the intial step toward becoming a full lay member since it's 2x a week! I have friends who go to monthly days of recollection which might be different. IF this is the former than just go slowly because this is a vocation in itself.

I myself tend to stay away from movements like this....just me!

My dad was involved with the Nights of Recollection, and LOVED it! Because of family obligations, he couldn't continue going, and that was fine with the other members. Opus Dei place a big emphasis on "ordinary holiness"...living out your vocation, moment by moment, for the greater glory of God. We have some books by St. Jose Maria Escriva...PM me if you'd like them!

I have had some experience with Opus Dei and I think they ROCK. Go for it!!

I haven't heard that at all. I know a lot of people who are discerning religious life that go to nights of recollection, and back when I used to go to Opus Dei things I was discerning religious life. There wasn't any real pressure to join, or to become a numerary. the priests were generally interested in helping everyone gro in their faith and discern God's will, whatever it is.

Check out the Apologetics section. I wrote up a sort of apologia for the Work.

I hope you got my PM.

ummm can you tell me about these? they sound great! i did not know of any Opus Dei Precsence in Bawlmore.

btw what does on talk about witht their spiritual director?

i would like the books...

e-mail me: brendan1104@yahoo.com

P.S. I love St. Josemaria's writings...

ha, ha something cam and i agree on!

brendan.... st. Josemaria was not a traditionalist

i said i liked his writings not how he said the new mass....

p.s.

Sam:

you've gone nuts!

your just mad because i am no longer a trad.

hey that ryhmes. its ok i still go to the tridentine mass.

Um...sorry to give to wrong impression - I asked him if he knew any priests who'd offer spiritual direction.....and he said that he himself did.

And yes, I will go. It won't hurt! and Opus Dei in NZ tends to be very solid, just what I want...

And thanks Cam for the PM

well, the nights of recollection are only for Opus Dei women, I think. They meet once a month in the chapel in St. Joseph's Hospital.

i'm not sure about stuff for guys... they might have some information at BaltimoreCatholic:

http://www.baltimorecatholic.com

ask Richard, the guy who runs the site. he knows EVERYTHING in regard to catholic stuff going on in Baltimore.

Opus Dei is solid everywhere, not just NZ.

LOL

thanks photo

Yup! Its just that unlike the rest of NZ, Opus Dei still maintains solid Catholic EVERYTHING. Unlike our wishy washy ....ok, this is uncharitable. But coz NZ is sooooooo secular, its always amazing to see Catholics actually uphold their beliefs.... Opus Dei tends to stay Catholic and not get influenced by society - thats all

Cam42 probably knows more about the Work than I do but I could give my opinions. I think the formation program that you're referring to is circle. Circle is a weekly meeting led by a numerary (there's girls' circle and guys' circle) that focuses around some topic. Because the circle that I go to consists of college women, the topics are ordered toward student life. So past topics have been about study, examination of conscience, apostolate, etc. First there's a short prayer, then the gospel reading for the following sunday, then the numerary expounds on this a little bit. Next, we review the previous circle's topic. Then the numerary proceeds to talk about the present week's topic. After that, there's a reading (usually from one of JP2's writings) and then there's closing prayer. So that's circle. I've found it very imformative and helpful for my spiritual life.

About spiritual direction from the Work: do it! My SD/confessor is an Opus Dei priest and he is excellent- I feel that my vocation has matured from meeting with him. I also meet with one of the numeraries once a week and she has been helpful in giving me practical advice on how to live my life now as a college student. All in all, you could do no better than to have an O.D. SD. They are orthodox and love Christ so much. hope this helps!

Well, I didn't realise it, but my confessor is an Opus Dei priest and he is really cool - and it was he who invited me along for this afternoon. It should be interesting, and I'll tell you about how it went if you like.

Thanks everyone!

Hello; I am a ex of the Opus Dei, I was numerario member during
4 years, my experience was not good. All their activities go focused
to the proselitismo and to obtain money. The collaboration with other
catholic institutions is little or null. Http://www.odan.org is a
page of exmembers in the USA /, perhaps does not please, but there
is people who after to happen through the Opus Dei is lost even the
faith in God.

are you Dan Brown?

HA!

lol.


Anyway, everyones really nice. I can't make it to the things very often, as I'm working before uni starts. Still, its nice to know something solid for Catholics is out there.

I definitely got the idea thats its NOT for everyone. Personally, I quite like the idea of sanctifying everything and offering it all to God. (I think thats a basic idea...) Also, the whole "seeking holiness in everyday life" is so important for everyone, and Opus Dei is just one way to go about doing it. It was good though.

This was an interesting thread. I wish there were an Opus Dei house closer to Grand Rapids. Some time I may have to make a trip down to South Bend.

These are the latest data read on the Work in USA: 2005

USA, there is only one centre for the study (one for each section) in New York (the famous Opus Dei center of Lexington Avenue). There are about 10-12 students per tank in good years(the estudy center is for the numerarys, two years). The fact is that the U.S. Are divided into 4 areas: dl (delegation) from Chicago, California and Texas and the eastern area that is directly answerable to the Regional Commission of New York. This distribution corresponds rather to geographical reasons, the number of centres 30 rounds per section throughout the country. Here is the list of cities that are centers with the number for each of them (mens section, I do not have the complete data for the sf (women's section), but what I said that was very similar): New York (4) , Washington (3), Boston (2), Providence (1), New Jersey (1), Princeton (1), Pittsburgh (1), Miami (2), Chicago (4), South Bend (Notre Dame; 1) ; Illinois-Champaign (1), Milwaukee (1), Saint Louis (1), Dallas (1), Houston (1), San Antonio (1), San Francisco (3), Los Angeles (1). The opening of many of these centers is due to the attention of supernumerary because in this country is very frequent change of city for work and the number of supernumerary is relatively high. As a result, many of these centers have only 4-5 numerarys. Cities that have several centers is mainly to be near major universities (Princeton, Harvard, Notre Dame, UCLA, etc.)

Numerarys= Celibe members
Associate=Celibe members, not living in a center of the Opus Dei
Supernumerarys=Married members