St. Josemaria Escriva

St. Josemaria Escriva Biography

St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer was a Roman Catholic saint and founder of the Opus Dei organization. He was born on January 9, 1902 in Barbastro, Spain. His father was a small business owner and his mother was a housewife. St. Josemaria was the third of eleven children and was known for his strong faith and devotion to the Church from a young age.

He studied law and received his degree in 1925. However, he felt a strong calling to the priesthood and entered seminary in 1927. He was ordained a priest in 1925 and began his ministry in Madrid.

In 1928, St. Josemaria had a profound spiritual experience while praying in a chapel. He felt a strong call to spread the message that all people, regardless of their occupation, could be holy and find sanctification through their work. This led to the founding of the Opus Dei organization in 1928, which focused on helping people to sanctify their work and daily lives.

St. Josemaria was a highly influential figure in the Catholic Church and was known for his strong devotion to the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary. He traveled extensively and preached throughout Europe, South America, and the United States. In 1975, he was named a cardinal by Pope Paul VI.

St. Josemaria died on June 26, 1975 in Rome and was canonized as a saint by Pope John Paul II in 2002. His feast day is celebrated on June 26. He is remembered for his strong faith, his dedication to the Church, and his commitment to helping people find holiness in their daily lives. St. Josemaria Escriva is the patron saint of diabetes becuase he suffered from diabetes for over 10 years. St. Josemaria Escriva’s feast day is June 26th.

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Detailed Biography of St. Josemaria Escriva

St. Josemaria Escriva was born in Barbastro, Spain, on January 9, 1902. He was the second of six children, but three of his sisters died as infants. His father was a businessman who faced financial difficulties and had to move the family several times. His mother was a devout Catholic who taught him to love God and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

St. Josemaria felt called to the priesthood when he was 16 years old, after seeing some footprints in the snow left by a barefoot friar. He decided to dedicate his life to God and to serve the souls of others. He studied civil law along with his ecclesiastical studies, and was ordained a priest in Zaragoza, Spain, on March 28, 1925.

He moved to Madrid in 1927 to obtain a doctorate in law and to do pastoral work among the poor, the sick, and the young. He also had a special concern for the sanctification of lay people in their professional and social activities.

On October 2, 1928, he received a divine inspiration that changed his life and the history of the Church. He saw that God was asking him to found Opus Dei, a personal prelature of the Catholic Church that fosters among Christians the search for holiness in the world, especially in the ordinary circumstances of life and the sanctification of work. He understood that Opus Dei was not his own idea, but a gift from God for the whole Church and humanity.

He began to spread this message of universal call to holiness among people of all walks of life: students, workers, professionals, families, priests, religious, etc. He also helped many people discern their vocations to different states of life, including marriage, priesthood, and consecrated life.

He faced many difficulties and oppositions in his apostolate, especially during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), when he had to hide from the anti-clerical persecution and risk his life to minister to those in need. He also suffered from diabetes and other illnesses that affected his health.

He traveled extensively throughout Spain and other countries to preach retreats, give spiritual direction, and encourage people to love God and serve others with joy and generosity. He also wrote several books of spirituality that have been translated into many languages and have reached millions of readers. His best-known book is The Way, which contains 999 brief points for meditation and prayer.

He founded the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross in 1943, an association inseparably united to Opus Dei, to which belong thousands of diocesan priests around the world who seek holiness in their priestly ministry.

He was always faithful to the Magisterium of the Church and had a close relationship with the popes, especially Pope Pius XII, who approved Opus Dei as a secular institute in 1950; Pope John XXIII, who called him “the saint of ordinary life”; and Pope Paul VI, who praised his “sense of divine filiation” and his “love for freedom”.

Death and Legacy of Saint Josemaria Escriva

He died suddenly in Rome on June 26, 1975, after a final affectionate glance at a picture of Our Lady in the room where he worked. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 17, 1992, and canonized by the same pope on October 6, 2002.

His liturgical feast is celebrated on June 26. He is venerated as a saint by millions of people who have been touched by his teachings and intercession. He is also considered a precursor of the Second Vatican Council, as he anticipated many of its teachings on the dignity and mission of the laity, the universal call to holiness, ecumenism, dialogue with the world, etc.

St. Josemaria Escriva is a saint for our times, who shows us how to find God in our daily lives and how to become saints ourselves by doing everything out of love for Him. He is also a friend who accompanies us with his prayers and advice from heaven.

If you want to know more about St. Josemaria Escriva and Opus Dei, you can visit these websites:

– https://stjosemaria.org/

– https://opusdei.org/en/

Prayers to St. Josemaria Escriva

Prayer of Intercession to St. Josemaria Escriva

Dear St. Josemaria, you were a man of great faith and compassion, dedicating your life to serving God and others. Please intercede for me, that I may follow in your footsteps and strive to find holiness in my daily life. Help me to love others and serve them selflessly, as you did. Amen.

Prayer to St. Josemaria Escriva

St. Josemaria, you taught us the importance of loving God and finding meaning and purpose in our work. Please pray for me, that I may find joy and fulfillment in my work and use it to serve others. Help me to be a light in the world and to bring hope to those in need. St. Josemaria, you knew the power of love to transform the world. Please pray for me, that I may learn to love selflessly and to be a force for good in the world. Help me to spread your message of hope and compassion to all those I meet. Amen.

Prayer to St. Josemaria Escriva

St. Josemaria, you dedicated your life to serving God and others. Please pray for me, that I may find my own calling in life and have the courage to follow it. Help me to be a faithful servant of God and to find joy and purpose in my work and relationships. St. Josemaria, you knew the importance of living a life of faith and devotion to God. Please pray for me, that I may grow in my own relationship with God and find strength and guidance in His love. Help me to follow your example and to live a life of holiness and service. Amen.

Top 10 Quotes by St. Josemaria Escriva

“The only way to change the world is to sanctify ourselves in our work and in the ordinary circumstances of life.” – St. Josemaria Escriva
“We must not be afraid of loving. Love is the most powerful weapon we have to transform the world.” – St. Josemaria Escriva
“Human greatness does not lie in being more than other men, but in being more of a man than other men.” – St. Josemaria Escriva
“You should love your work, because through it you contribute to the common good and serve God.” – St. Josemaria Escriva
“The world is in need of love. It is in need of self-giving, of sacrifice, of generosity.” – St. Josemaria Escriva
“We must be holy, because without holiness we cannot see God.” – St. Josemaria Escriva
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” – St. Josemaria Escriva
“The more we love, the more we can do.” – St. Josemaria Escriva
“Love is the key to the door of salvation.” – St. Josemaria Escriva
“Faith is a light that God kindles in the soul and which guides the steps of man.” – St. Josemaria Escriva

Miracles of St. Josemaria Scriva

One miracle of St. Josemaria Escriva involved a woman in Spain who was diagnosed with a terminal illness and was given only a few weeks to live. She and her family prayed for St. Josemaria’s intercession, and she experienced a miraculous recovery. Her doctors were unable to find any medical explanation for her sudden improvement and declared her cure to be a miracle.

Another miracle involved a man in Italy who was suffering from a serious illness and was unable to walk. After praying for St. Josemaria’s intercession, he experienced a sudden and complete recovery, and was able to walk again without any difficulty.

There have been several other reported miracles attributed to St. Josemaria’s intercession, all of which were investigated by the Church and deemed to be genuine miracles. These miracles were an important part of the process of his canonization as a saint.

Opus Dei

In Latin, “Opus Dei” means “Work of God”. Opus Dei is a personal prelature within the Catholic Church. It was founded by St. Josemaria Escriva, a Spanish priest, in 1928. The organization’s mission is to encourage people of every sector of society to seek holiness in the midst of the world, or to live a fully Christian life while continuing their normal way of life, work, and social relationships. St. Josemaria believed that ordinary people, including those who are married, single, or priests, can love and serve God without giving up their everyday work and social relationships.

St. Josemaria played a central role in the founding and development of Opus Dei. He received a vision from God that led him to establish the organization, and he dedicated his life to spreading its message and helping others to live a holy life in the midst of the world. Under his leadership, Opus Dei grew and spread to many countries around the world, and it continues to be a significant presence within the Catholic Church today.

Children’s Story about the life of St. Josemaria Escriva

There was once a kind and devoted man named St. Josemaria Escriva who lived in Spain. St. Josemaria was known for his strong faith and love of God, and he spent much of his time praying and serving others.

When St. Josemaria was a young boy, he went to church every day and loved to learn about God and the teachings of the Catholic Church. As he grew older, he felt called to become a priest and serve God in a special way. So he went to seminary and studied hard to become a good and holy priest.

One day, while praying in a chapel, St. Josemaria had a powerful spiritual experience. He felt a strong call to spread the message that all people, no matter what they did for a living, could be holy and find sanctification through their work.

St. Josemaria believed that everyone could find meaning and purpose in their daily lives by loving God and serving others. He started an organization called Opus Dei to help people do just that. He traveled all around the world, preaching and spreading his message of love and compassion.

St. Josemaria became very well-known and loved by many people for his selfless dedication to serving God and others. He was even made a cardinal by the Pope.

Today, St. Josemaria is remembered as a saint and is loved by people all over the world. His message of love and service continues to inspire people to follow in his footsteps and find meaning and purpose in their own lives.

Papal Writings and Sermons about St. Josemaria Escriva

Pope John Paul II praised St. Josemaria Escriva as a “brilliant example of holiness and apostolic zeal” and recognized his contributions to the Church through the organization he founded, Opus Dei.
In his homily at St. Josemaria’s canonization in 2002, Pope John Paul II said, “St. Josemaria Escriva reminds us that holiness is not the privilege of a few, but rather the universal call of all the baptized. He teaches us that the Christian life is not only a matter of fulfilling certain ethical or religious obligations, but rather of loving God with all our heart and soul.”
Pope Francis also spoke highly of St. Josemaria Escriva and the message of Opus Dei, saying, “Opus Dei helps people to sanctify their everyday life, to find God in everything and to see that everything is a gift from God.”
In a letter to the faithful of Opus Dei, Pope Benedict XVI praised St. Josemaria’s message of finding God in ordinary life and said, “St. Josemaria’s message is as timely as ever, for it reminds us that the path to holiness is not reserved for a select few, but is the common calling of all the baptized.”
Pope Francis also celebrated the message of St. Josemaria Escriva and the work of Opus Dei, saying, “Opus Dei helps people to sanctify their everyday life, to find God in everything and to see that everything is a gift from God.”

Reflection on the Feast of St. Josemaria Escriva

Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Josemaria Escriva on June 26th. On the feast of St. Josemaria Escriva, we are reminded of his message of finding God in everyday life and of the importance of living a life of holiness and service to others. St. Josemaria’s life and teachings offer a powerful example of how we can grow in our relationship with God and become more like Christ by living out our faith in the ordinary circumstances of our daily lives.

As we celebrate St. Josemaria’s feast day, we can take a moment to reflect on the ways in which we are called to live out our own vocations to holiness. Whether we are called to be a parent, a teacher, a doctor, or any other profession, we can strive to live our lives with a Christian spirit and to find joy and meaning in the work that we do.

As we pray for the intercession of St. Josemaria, let us ask for the grace to follow his example and to find holiness in our own lives. May we seek to serve God and others with love and compassion, and may we find joy and fulfillment in the work that we do.

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Also check out our handmade St. Josemaria Escriva Medal and St. Josemaria Escriva Rosary and St. Josemaria Escriva Rosary Bracelet .

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