I first encountered St. Josemaria Escriva and Opus Dei during our time in Victoria, BC, a decade ago. Many of the strong, faithful Catholic families we knew during that season were involved in the Work, as it is known affectionately. Opus Dei offered spiritual formation as well as community at a time when I needed both. When we moved to Vancouver, I continued to be involved with the organization.
In the ordinary holiness of the everyday members of Opus Dei, I see the influence of its founder, St. Josemaria Escriva. He is a relatively modern priest who was born in Spain in 1902, died in 1975, and was canonized in 2002. In Holiness for Everyone: The Practical Spirituality of St. Josemaria Escriva, author Eric Sammons provides a compelling and inspiring look at the works of this great saint and how his idea of “sanctity in ordinary life” can help each of us to live our faith in our everyday lives.
I received this book for review; all opinions expressed are my own. This post contains affiliate links; as an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Holiness for Everyone overview
In the foreword, Scott Hahn explains, “A family… is really a family of families—each constituent group a little different from all the others, but all holding on to some common inheritance… The Church, too, is a family of families. We have dioceses and parishes, movements and religious orders, eastern rites and western, sodalities, and even military orders… My family within the family is called Opus Dei.”
Like Hahn, I have found family and community within the circles of the Catholic Church and Opus Dei. Through many moves and life changes, including divorce, this family has supported us. Unlike us, Eric Sammons is not a member of the Work, and he writes his book for others who may be interested in this saint without wanting to join the organization. For St. Josemaria has much to offer Catholics in general.
Sammons explains, “When Catholic hear mention of St. Josemaria, too many think, ‘Oh, he’s the Opus Dei saint,’ and then relegate his life and teachings as only applicable to Opus Dei members. What a shame. As you will see in these pages, St. Josemaria developed over many years of work and prayer among laypeople a spirituality whose goal is the sanctity of every many and woman.”
In Part 1: Laying the Foundations, Sammons discusses the teachings of St. Josemaria. He begins by sharing how we are all called to be saints and how the Church has had a long tradition of encouraging holiness in all members, laity and religious alike. He provides an overview of St. Josemaria’s life. He then delves into three areas of faith: divine filiation, freedom to love, and desire for holiness, exploring what the Church and St. Josemaria have to share about this.
In Part 2: Building a Saintly Life, Sammons offers practical tips for applying St. Josemaria’s teaching to our everyday lives. He examines the idea of becoming a contemplative in the midst of the world—just how do we find time to pray and read our Bibles in the midst of busy, modern life? He explores St. Josemaria’s teachings that our work—no matter what work that is, from mothering to bricklaying to nursing to delivering mail—can be a way to heaven. Sammons then looks at how we live in the family of God and how we proclaim Christ to the world.
My thoughts on this book
I started reading Holiness for Everyone on my retreat last spring and was instantly drawn into Sammons’ accessible, open style of writing. While I’ve been part of Opus Dei for over a decade, I really appreciated Sammons’ curiosity about this saint and his teachings. Sammons shows how St. Josemaria didn’t really teach anything new; he just took ideas that had been overlooked or forgotten and brought them to light again.
It’s a common fault among Christians to feel that “others” are called to spread God’s word—missionaries or pastors and priests or youth group leaders—people who are called to specific tasks within the church, while the rest of us laypeople aren’t really quite as holy. Sammons shows how St. Josemaria confronted this idea by showing that everyone is called to holiness, to doing God’s work where we are, to making even our mundane work into something that glorifies God.
However, it’s still too easy to let everyday life overtake our desire for holiness. After getting home from retreat, this book sat on my bookshelf, until I went on retreat again. As I tried to decide what to take along for spiritual reading, the yellow cover jumped out at me. Um, yeah, I really should finish the books I start to read. So I took it along and again found myself drawn to Sammons’ very practical, readable tips for drawing closer to God and for finding Him in the work I do. Even if I’m just scrubbing floors or reading to my kids.
Whether or not you’re involved in Opus Dei, I highly recommend Holiness for Everyone. It’s a practical, easy-to-apply look at Church teachings, the life of one saint, and how we can live more godly lives. In some ways, this “way to heaven” makes me think of St. Therese of Lisiux’s “little way.” Not all of us are called to huge, grand deeds like St. Mother Theresa or St. Francis Xavier. Some of us are called to simply live for Jesus where we are, and Sammons gives us practical tips for doing just that.
More about Eric Sammons
Eric Sammons is the author of eight books and the editor of Crisis Magazine. He’s also a podcaster, speaker and a former diocesan director of evangelization. For more about him, drop by his website. Holiness for Everyone is available on his website, from Sophia Institute Press, Amazon, or your favourite Catholic bookstore.
Opus Dei in Vancouver, BC
To find out more about Opus Dei events in the lower mainland, including monthly recollections and girls’ clubs, please drop by the women’s centre website. Opus Dei also offers regular silent retreats at the Copper Ridge Conference Centre near Britannia Bay.
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