A little revolutionary book

IT’S entitled, “The Way.” It’s the first book written by

Opus Dei founder, St. Josemaria Escriva, dubbed as the precursor of

the lay spirituality in the Church. It’s now on its 80th year since

its first edition that came out in 1939. To date, its print-run has

reached close to 5 million copies. It has been translated from its

original Spanish to some 40 languages, including Tagalog.

            It contains 999 crisp and powerful spiritual

considerations that the author culled from his years of preaching

about the universal call to sanctity, a revolutionary if also

controversial issue at that time. From the moment he founded Opus Dei

in 1928, he had been talking about how everyone, especially the lay

ordinary persons, are called to sanctity and apostolate in the middle

of the world.

            For him, the things of the world are no hindrance in

developing and keeping a close relationship with God and with others.

In fact, they are the means, the occasion, the instrument and the

reason to develop love for God and for others.

            In one homily, he said: “You must understand now, more

clearly, that God is calling you to serve him in and from the

ordinary, material and secular activities of human life...Understand

this well: there is something holy, something divine, hidden in the

most ordinary situations, and it is up to each one of you to discover

it.”

            Definitely, this book has touched and fired up the lives

of many people to such an extent that these people discovered a divine

vocation to spread this part of the gospel all over the world.

            I must say that I am one of them. Way back in the 70s,

when I was still in my collegiate years in Manila, someone handed me

this book. I was not actually eager to read any book other than what

my teachers asked me to study. Much less was I particularly keen in

reading spiritual books.

            But I found it hard to refuse my friend who lent it to me.

Besides, the book looked small, relatively thin. And when I opened it,

I realized that it contained points that were short. So I gave it a

try.

            But the try turned out to be a serious, absorbing read. I

must say that even from its first point, I was already ‘hit.’ And the

succeeding ones reinforced it. I felt interpellated and investigated,

and soon a larger picture that I have been ignoring till then loomed.

It made me discover the importance of developing a spiritual life.

            At that time, I was not serious about religion though I

went through the motions of attending Sunday Mass and whatever

religious activities the school organized for the students. Soon, I

was asking questions about how my studies and other human

responsibilities were related to faith, religion, piety, etc.

            I started talking to a priest and unloaded some of my

questions, doubts, fears, plus, of course, my weaknesses, failures,

temptations and sins. I must say I always felt lighter after each

chat. I knew something was taking place and shaping up in my heart,

but did not know exactly what it was and where it was leading me to.

            Soon, I saw how the dots and broken lines in my life were

connected. And when I was told about a possible vocation, for one

reason or another, I just answered, Yes, I think I do have it. I was

willing to make a drastic change of plans in my life to accommodate

what I was convinced was what I was meant for.

            The little book was a favourite companion of mine, not

only in times of prayers but also in some random moments when I found

myself idle and feeling empty. It always gave me some light, some

impulse, both in good times and in bad, in my high moments as well as

in my low. Up to now, it still is my favourite companion.