LOVING THE POPESelection of texts from St.Josemaría’s preaching andwritings on love for theChurch, and somerecollections from those whoknew him. p. 2

POPE FRANCIS Beginning of a new stage inthe history of the Church. p.6

FAVORSAccounts of people who havesought the intercession of St.Josemaría. p.8

Bulletin of the Office forthe Causes of Saints. Prelature of Opus Dei.New York

2013

TO SERVE THE CHURCHAS THE CHURCH WANTS TO BE SERVED“Faithfulness to the Pope includes a clear and definite duty: that ofknowing his thought, which he tells us in Encyclicals or other docu-ments. We have to do our part to help all Catholics pay attention to theteaching of the Holy Father, and bring their everyday behavior into linewith it.”St. Josemaría Escrivá, The Forge, no. 633.

SaintJOSEMARÍAtoday

2 SAint JOSEMARÍA today LOVING THE POPE

IN PERIODS BETWEEN POPES“In those two times between Popes [1958 and 1963], besides

encouraging us to offer suffrages with filial piety for the soul ofthe deceased Roman Pontiff, he asked us to pray insistently forhis Successor. He added that we should strive to love himalready, seeing in him the dolce Cristo in terra [the Sweet Christon earth], our common Father, Peter. He didn’t limit himself togiving us this advice once or twice during those days; he repeat-ed it untiringly and helped us transform our work into prayer,offering it for the future Pope that God wanted to place at thehead of the Church.

“I recall his emotion and faith when we told him about thefumata Bianca, the white smoke [indicating a new Pope had beenchosen]. From that moment on he began to pray devoutly theoremus pro Beatissimo Papa nostro1, let us pray for our BlessedPope, without knowing as yet who he was. He loved himalready with his whole heart and prayed that the new Pontiffwould carry out his Pontificate in a holy and effective manner.

“He confided to us that, as a son, he wanted to share alreadyin the burden that our Lord had placed upon the person elect-ed. He wanted to help him with all his strength, and thereforehe began to pray in a constant way for him. More than once,during those lengthy periods of anticipation, he exclaimed: Ialready love him with my whole soul, whoever he might be.”

Javier Echevarría, Memoria del Beato Josemaría Escrivá, Rialp, Madrid 2000, p. 347.

1 “A liturgical prayer which includes: ‘May God protect him, encourage him,make him happy on earth, and free him from his enemies.’”

“Thank you, my God,for that love for the

Pope you have placedin my heart.”

St. Josemaría Escrivá, The Way, no. 573.

“There is no otherpossible attitude for aCatholic: we have todefend the authorityof the Pope always,

and to be ready alwaysto correct our own

views with docility, inline with the teaching

authority of theChurch.”

St. Josemaría Escrivá, The Forge, no. 581.

PHOTO/THE PRELATE OF OPUS DEI, BISHOP JAVIER ECHEVARRÍA, THANKS BLESSED

JOHN PAUL II AT THE CANONIZATION OF ST. JOSEMARÍA, ON OCTOBER 6, 2002.

LOVING THE POPE SAint JOSEMARÍA today 3

PHOTOS/PAUL VI SAYS GOOD-BYE TO ST. JOSEMARÍA AFTER A LENGTHY VISIT TO ELIS CENTER IN ROME IN 1965. THIS INITIATIVE

OFFERS HUMAN AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO YOUNG WORKERS.AUDIENCE WITH BLESSED JOHN XXIII GRANTED TO ST. JOSEMARÍA AND MSGR. ALVARO DEL PORTILLO

DESIRE TO “ROMANIZE” ALLCATHOLICS

“I have taught you to love the adjective‘Roman,’ which we use to designate the chil-dren of the one, true Church. I want to preachthis and to ‘Romanize’ all the souls I can. . . .We have to ‘Romanize’ ourselves, I insist. Partof that effort means preparing our soul so thatnone of the unfortunate things we might seeever weaken our faith, so that we are neverscandalized when we hear this sort of news. Itwill also help you grow in your love for theholy Church, the Spouse of Jesus Christ.”

St. Josemaría Escrivá, as quoted in Andrés Vázquez dePrada, El Fundador del Opus Dei, Vol. 3, Rialp, Madrid,2003, pp. 140-141.

PRAYING FOR THE POPEAND HIS INTENTIONS

“For me, in the hierarchy of love, the Popecomes right after the Most Holy Trinity andour Mother the Virgin. I cannot forget that itwas his Holiness Pius XII who approved OpusDei at a time when some people consideredour spirituality a heresy. Nor can I forget thatthe first words of kindness and affection Ireceived in Rome in 1946 came from the thenMonsignor Montini. The affable and paternalcharm of John XXIII, every time I had occa-sion to visit him, remains engraved in mymemory. Once I told him ‘In our Work allmen, Catholics or not, have always been lov-ingly received. It is not from your Holiness thatI learned ecumenism.’ And Pope John laughedwith obvious emotion. What more can I tellyou? The Roman Pontiffs, all of them, havealways had understanding and affection forOpus Dei.”

St. Josemaría Escrivá, Conversations with Saint JosemaríaEscrivá, no. 46.

4 SAiNt JOSEMARÍA today LOVING THE POPE

PHOTO/ST. JOSEMARÍA WOULD RECITE THE CREED WHENEVER HE WENT TO ST. PETER’S BASILICA. THIS IS A CUSTOM THAT HE FOSTERED

IN HIS SONS AND DAUGHTERS. THE PHOTO IS FROM HIS EARLY YEARS IN ROME.

“May the dailyconsideration of theheavy burden which

weighs upon thePope and the bishops

move you tovenerate and love

them with realaffection, and to help

them with yourprayers.”

St. Josemaría Escrivá, The Forge,no. 136.

THE FIRST TRIP TO ROME

“At nightfall on June 23, [1946] we arrived in Rome. At thefirst glimpse of St. Peter’s from the Via Aurelia, the Father,deeply moved, said the Creed. We had rented some rooms onthe top floor of a building at 9 Piazza della Citta Leonina; therewas a balcony from which St. Peter’s Basilica and the pontificalpalace could be seen. When he went out on this balcony andsaw the rooms occupied by the Vicar of Christ, the Father saidhe wanted to remain there awhile; and so he did, staying recol-lected in prayer while the others, exhausted, went straight tobed. Out of love for the Pope, made all the more palpable bythis proximity to the papal apartment, and without a thoughtfor his fatigue, for his diabetes and the intense thirst which thismust have been causing him, or for the toll taken on him by thehardships of his long sea voyage, the Father spent the wholenight in prayer, on that balcony.

“This episode gives us some idea of the intensity of thefounder’s love for the Church and the Pope.”

Alvaro del Portillo, Immersed in God, Scepter Publishers, New York, 2000, pp. 2-3.

LOVING THE POPE SAint JOSEMARÍA today 5

“I should point out that Msgr. Escrivá neverbecame nervous. However, whenever he wasnear the Roman Pontiff, he felt deeply moved,an emotion which he never wanted to lose norto hide. Similarly, he was delighted when I, ashis secretary, would have the chance to greet theSuccessor of St. Peter. He always told me thesame thing: Get down on your knees anduse those opportunities to show youraffection and veneration for the Vicar ofChrist, and to increase your prayer andyour union with the Pope. I saw the samedeep emotional reaction in him in 1965, duringthe inauguration ceremony for the ELIS Centerin Rome. During his address to Paul VI, hisvoice and his hands trembled, something com-pletely out of keeping with his way of being, asa person who had confronted the most tryingcircumstances with serenity and aplomb.”

Javier Echevarría, Memoria del Beato Josemaría Escrivá, Rialp,Madrid, 2000, p. 346.

A LOVE FOR THE ROMAN PONTIFF THAT WAS SHOWN

EXTERNALLY

PHOTOS/THE VENERABLE BISHOP ALVARO DEL PORTILLO GREETS BLESSED JOHN PAUL II AFTER THE BEATIFICATION OF ST.JOSEMARÍA ON MAY 17, 1992.

“I venerate with all my strength the Rome ofPeter and Paul, bathed in the blood of martyrs,the center from which so many have set out topropagate throughout the world the savingword of Christ. To be Roman does not entailany manifestation of provincialism, but ratherof authentic ecumenism. It presupposes thedesire to enlarge the heart, to open it to all menwith the redemptive zeal of Christ, who seeksall mankind and takes in all men and women,for he has loved all of them first.

“Saint Ambrose wrote a few words whichcomprise, as it were, a song of joy: ‘Where Peteris, there is the Church; and where the Churchis, not death, but eternal life reigns’ (St.Ambrose, In XII Ps Enarratio 40, 30). For wherePeter and the Church are, there Christ is; andhe is salvation, the only way.”

St. Josemaría Escrivá, In Love with the Church, no. 11.

AUTHENTIC POWER IS SERVICE

“Joseph is a ‘protector’ because he is able to hear God’s voiceand be guided by his will; and for this reason he is all the moresensitive to the persons entrusted to his safekeeping. He canlook at things realistically, he is in touch with his surroundings,he can make truly wise decisions. In him, dear friends, we learnhow to respond to God’s call, readily and willingly, but we alsosee the core of the Christian vocation, which is Christ! Let usprotect Christ in our lives, so that we can protect others, so thatwe can protect creation!

“Caring, protecting, demands goodness, it calls for a certaintenderness. In the Gospels, Saint Joseph appears as a strong andcourageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see greattenderness, which is not the virtue of the weak but rather a signof strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for compassion,for genuine openness to others, for love. We must not be afraidof goodness, of tenderness!

“Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and thatthe Pope too, when exercising power, must enter ever morefully into that service which has its radiant culmination on theCross. He must be inspired by the lowly, concrete and faithfulservice which marked Saint Joseph and, like him, he must openhis arms to protect all of God’s people and embrace with ten-der affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, theweakest.”

Pope Francis, Homily on March 19, 2013, for the inauguration of hisPontificate.

“Offer your prayer,your atonement, andyour action for thisend: ut sint unum!—

that all of usChristians may shareone will, one heart,

one spirit. So thatomnes cum Petro adIesum per Mariam—

that we may all go toJesus, closely united

to the Pope, throughMary.”

St. Josemaría Escrivá, The Forge, no. 647.

6 SAINT JOSEMARÍA TODAY pOPE FRANCIS

Pope francis SAINT JOSEMARÍA TODAY� 7

STRENGTHENING THE CHURCH’SCREDIBILITY

“The proclamation made by Peter and the Apostles does notmerely consist of words: fidelity to Christ affects their whole lives,which are changed, given a new direction, and it is through theirlives that they bear witness to the faith and to the proclamation ofChrist. In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks Peter three times to feed hisflock, to feed it with his love, and he prophesies to him: ‘When youare old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird youand carry you where you do not wish to go’ (Jn 21:18). Thesewords are addressed first and foremost to those of us who are pas-tors: we cannot feed God’s flock unless we let ourselves be carriedby God’s will even where we would rather not go, unless we areprepared to bear witness to Christ with the gift of ourselves, unre-servedly, not in a calculating way, sometimes even at the cost of ourlives . . . We should all ask ourselves: How do I bear witness toChrist through my faith? Do I have the courage of Peter and theother Apostles, to think, to choose and to live as a Christian, obe-dient to God? . . . Let us all remember this: one cannot proclaim theGospel of Jesus without the tangible witness of one’s life. Thosewho listen to us and observe us must be able to see in our actionswhat they hear from our lips, and so give glory to God! . . .Inconsistency on the part of pastors and the faithful between whatthey say and what they do, between word and manner of life, isundermining the Church’s credibility.”

Pope Francis, Homily, April 14, 2013, in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside theWalls.

“Welcome thePope’s words with areligious, humble,internal and effectiveacceptance. And passthem on.”St. Josemaría Escrivá, The Forge, no. 133.

“Every day you mustgrow in loyaltytowards the Church,the Pope and theHoly See ... with alove that should bealways moretheological.”St. Josemaría Escrivá, Furrow, no. 353.

THE IMPOSSIBLE HAPPENED

My Grandma who is 92passed out and we had

to take her to the hospital...asshe was unconscious...Thedoctors said there was nohope.

I prayed to St. JosemaríaEscrivá...and kept my hand onher head...and the impossiblehappened, she regained con-sciousness and now is safelyback home.

Thank you, dear St. Josemaríafor the miracle...I am very,very grateful!

D.P. (U.S.A., e-mail)

and with only a few excep-tions I have found everythingquickly.

I could make a long list, frombig things such as money, my

wallet, important documents, keys, etc., toother small items that seem to get lost almostevery day. I go to the Father and sooner or latereverything turns up.

M. F. C. (Barcelona, Spain)

8 SAint josemaría today FAVORS

FAVORS

Iam a flight attendant. I became a Catholic through reading thewritings of St. Josemaría. I was on a trip to São Paulo, Brazil,

four days ago and I lost my wallet. I was so depressed and dis-couraged, it had my driver’s license, a picure of my son, my cred-it cards... Last night before I went to sleep I prayed to St.Josemaría: Please dear Father, would you help me recover mywallet and I will spread your devotion wherever I go.

This morning I was awakened by a phone call from Brazil fromthe hotel. The van driver found my wallet and it is safe andsound in the safe and the next crew will bring it back to me. Thisis truly a miracle considering where I was... It is unheard of torecoup things like these in our travels.

Thank you St. Josemaría.

W.T.L. (U.S.A., e-mail)

LOST AND FOUND

Iwould like to give witness, while also resolv-ing to write down each time it happens, to

the great number of favors St. Josemaría hasgranted me to help find things I have lost.

Whenever I can’t find something, which hap-pens to me quite often, I go to his intercession,

A WALLET THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY

FAVORS SAINT JOSEMARÍA TODAY� 9

THE CAR REAPPEARS

During the Easter Vigilceremonies in 2012, our

SUV was stolen. We live about30 miles from Madrid andspent part of the night at thepolice station giving anaccount of what had hap-pened. A month later ourinsurance company called andsaid they were ready to settlewith us, but we decided thatwe preferred to wait

One morning about threemonths later, my aunt who isa Supernumerary called to askif we had found the car, sinceshe had just finished a novena

A STRIKING CHANGE

to St. Josemaría for this inten-tion. I was impressed that shehad decided to pray the nove-na again after such a longtime, and even more so whentwo hours later we received acall from the police to tell usthat the car had been found,filled with gas and without ascratch on it. I thank St.Josemaría for this new favor.

M. L. P. (Madrid, Spain)

In January I went with somefriends to see a painting

exposition, and afterwards wedecided to eat the sandwicheswe had brought with us in apark. We sat down on a bench;nearby was a young man whoseemed to have drunk most ofthe jug of wine he was hold-ing. I felt sorry for him anddecided to give him a prayercard to St. Josemaría. But firstI offered him something toeat, which he was happy toaccept. Afterwards I gave himthe prayer card. He told methat he recognized it because

his mother had the sameprayer card in their homeback in the Netherlands. Inthe following days I contin-ued praying for that person,whom I called “the Dutch fel-low.”

A week later I went with thesame friends to pray in thechapel of St. Josemaría in theAlmudena Cathedral and Isaw him there, completelysober, also praying. This hashelped me to have more faithin prayer, on seeing the fruitof the prayers of this man’smother united to mine.

I. S. (Madrid, Spain)

CLOSE TO MY HOME

I had always been givenassignments to teach in

schools quite far from myhome, in other provinces.

One day I had the good for-tune that a neighbor spoke tome about St. Josemaría. Iprayed with a lot of faith andthe next semester I was givena teaching position in a schoolabout 35 miles from myhome. And the following yearI passed the exams to becomea permanent teacher and wasassigned to a school right nearwhere I live.

J. G. M. (Jaén, Spain)

10 SAiNt JOSEMARÍA today FAVORS

A HAPPY LIBERATION

I am writing to tell you thatSt. Josemaría, for the third

time, has obtained for me amiracle. Last Sunday, the 24th,my husband and I went toTorreón Coahuila to pick upsome of our belongings, sincewe had recently moved. Onthe way to the city, we werekidnapped by a group ofheavily armed men withassault rifles who forced us toget into the back of the van.We thought we were going todie. They took everything wehad: cell phones, wallets,

THE SAINT OF WORK

I am writing to you to let you know that thisbeautiful Novena worked for me. I have

been looking for work for six months. I had e-mailed a past supervisor to request that I usehis name as a reference. I said the Novenatwice. A few days after I completed the secondNovena, I received an email from that pastsupervisor asking if I was still looking forwork. I was interviewed the next week by hisnew company.

Due to family obligations, I was hoping for afamily-friendly job. He offered me a salaryposition at 32 hours a week. My pay was evenat a higher rate than I was expecting. I am inmy second week and I enjoy every minute atwork, it is challenging but nothing I can’t han-dle. My kids and husband are adjusting surpris-ingly well.

I love this beautiful Novena and am going tokeep saying it to help me be the best employ-ee I can. Thank you!

E.N. (California)

St. Josemaría gained for us themiracle of saving our life. I amwriting this because I wantthe whole world to knowabout the miracle obtainedfrom God in his infinitemercy. Thank you Our Ladyof Guadalupe, thank you SaintJosemaría.

A. M. C. (Mexico)

money, wedding rings. I beganto pray because they werebeating my husband. For sev-eral hours I prayed andentrusted our souls to God.

When I had finished prayingto St. Josemaría, the situationchanged dramatically. Thekidnappers said they weresparing our lives, gave us backeverything and returned us tothe highway. We didn’t seeanything because we werecrouched down in back, butwe heard their voices.

FAVORS SAiNt JOSEMARÍA today 11

One day I received a phone call and wastold to come right away if I wanted

to see my mother alive. I took the firstflight available and went directly to thehospital. Before I entered the roomwhere my mother was dying, my sisterinformed me of the extreme seriousnessof her condition. I had to wait at thedoor for a few minutes because thedoctor was inside. I began to pray the rosary,mixing the words with my tears.

When I was able to enter I saw my motherbreathing with great effort, helped by an oxygenmask. She was not conscious nor did she openher eyes. The doctor invited me to say good-byeto her because in his opinion she had only a fewminutes to live. I kissed my mother on the fore-head and then asked the doctor why he hadn’tintubated the patient. He said that would onlyhasten the end. Then he left and I remainedthere weeping and praying. I put my hand in myjacket pocket to take out a handkerchief andthere I found a small prayer card of St. Josemaría,whom I have always admired a lot and to whomI felt a special devotion.

With the confidence of one to whom all thedoors here below had closed and the onlyremaining hope was in God, I took the prayercard and spoke as if I had St. Josemaría himselfbefore me. I told him that I didn’t consider

myself worthy to ask God formy mother’s cure, but that Iknew the love and trust that hehad always had in God. While Iprayed and wept I placed theprayer card of St. Josemaría underthe pillow and said: St. Josemaría, askour Lord that they intubate mymother!

Hardly three or four minutes had gone by beforethe doctor entered and said: I’ve changed myopinion. I just met two colleagues in the hallwayand they convinced me that we should intubateyour mother. At that moment I had the convic-tion that our Lord had heard me.

I had said to St. Josemaría: also ask him to leavemy mother with us for another five or six years.The truth is that I don’t know why I said five orsix years.

After being intubated my mother experiencedan extraordinary improvement. And eight dayslater she got up and left the hospital. The strangething is that she lived afterwards for almost sixyears—just what I had asked of St. Josemaría.

B. G. J. (Barcelona,Spain)

FINDING WORK The Office for the Causes of Saints receives hundreds of testimonies aboutfinding jobs after praying the Novena for Work to St. Josemaría(http://www.josemariaescriva.info/opus_dei/NovenaforWork.pdf).

MY MOTHER’S CURE

PrayerOh God, through the mediation

of Mary our Mother, you granted your priest Saint Josemaría countless graces,

choosing him as a most faithful instrument to found Opus Dei, a way of sanctification

in daily work and in the fulfillment of the Christian’s ordinary duties. Grant that I too may learn to turn

all the circumstances and events of my life into occasions of loving you

and serving the Church, the Pope and all souls with joy and simplicity,

lighting up the pathways of this earth with faith and love.

Deign to grant me, through the intercession of Saint Josemaría, the favor of...

(make your request). Amen

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.

This bulletin is distributed without charge. Those wishing to helpdefray the printing and distribution costs can send their tax-deductible contributions to Prelature of Opus DeiOffice for the Causes of Saints139 E. 34th StreetNew York, NY 10016e-mail: ocs@opusdei.org

Imprimatur: +Most Rev. Javier Echevarría, Prelate of Opus Dei

Graphic design: GPI/Editcom, Barcelona

Cover photo: Basilica of St. Peter, October 6, 2002, day of theCanonization of St. Josemaría.

Learn more about St. Josemaría Escrivá at:www.escrivaworks.org / www.josemariaescriva.info / www.opusdei.org