42 new Opus Dei priests ordained

The Prelature of Opus Dei, which promotes founder St. Josemaria Escriva's refreshingly this-worldly vocation of "finding God in work and daily life," has just ordained 42 new priests. This, of course, is not to belie the fact that the most earthly good is often done by the most heavenly-minded. Opus Dei promotes the vocation of sanctification of life and work among both men and women in ordinary walks of life. It does this through the hard work of regular training in the bread-and-butter virtues and habits that foster spiritual growth. Faith, after all, is hard work: discipleship comes with a cost. Opus Dei has its own priests, who are drawn from men already involved in the work. A news release about the recent ordinations reads:

Bishop Javier Echevarria ordained 42 new priests for the Prelature of Opus Dei in the Basilica of St. Eugene in Rome on May 21. The new priests come from Nigeria, the United States, the Philippines, and various European and Latin American countries.

Perhaps only those involved as numeraries, supernumeraries or cooperators in "the work," as it is called, will fully understand when I say that these priests are exceptional men. As to the the deluded public, which prefers to garner its "facts" from the likes of Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code [critique here], this will probably only inspire thoughts of dark conspiracy and near-pathological paranoia. Any faithful Catholic with a hunger for a deeper life of faith, growth in sanctity, and clarity of vocation in daily life, has a wealth of resources in the writings of St. Josemaria Escriva, renown for their bracing martial temper, as well as other publications of Scepter Publishers and, most of all, from the regular meetings of the work itself.

Recommended reading:

• James Socias, ed., Handbook of Prayers [highly recommended Scepter prayer book including nearly 600 pages of just about everything you'd ever need--including the Mass, examinations of conscience, prayers before and after confession, etc.]
• St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way, Furrow, The Forge (Single Volume Edition) [short, often profound paragraphs for daily reading consisting of St. Josemaria Escriva's spiritual direction, rebukes, encouragement, and advice]
• St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way [first of the three-part readings in Escriva's spiritual direction as a separate volume]
• St. Josemaria Escriva, The Furrow [second of the three-part readings in Escriva's spiritual direction as a separate volume]
• St. Josemaria Escriva, The Forge [third of the three-part readings in Escriva's spiritual direction as a separate volume]
• St. Josemaria Escriva, Christ is Passing By [Biblical commentary drawn from Church documents, the Fathers, and Escriva]
• St. Josemaria Escriva, Holy Rosary [Rosary with commentary and illustrations]
• St. Josemaria Escriva and Alvaro Del Portillo, The Way of the Cross [The Stations of the Cross with commentary and illustrations]
• Peter Berglar, Opus Dei: Life and Work of Its Founder, Josemaria Escriva
• Josemaria Escriva, Conversations With Monsignor Josemaria Escriva