We arrived June 1973 in Vancouver.
For a long time I was the only one of Opus Dei in this city.
Well, I felt the support of prayers. I did not feel alone, but I felt like
I wished I had a lot of other members here to support me.
I always remembered St Josemaria's advise that if we are faithful to our
plan of life, we will persevere in our vocation.
We are all very united through the communion of saints
and you were not alone then. All the Work was with you
and all the Church, because the communion of saints is a wonderful thing.
I think that we all have a renewed sense of the unity of our family. Coming home
to visit us, and really excited to be getting to spend time with the Father.
Good afternoon Father and welcome to Canada. We are so honored to have you
here with us today.
Just like a family gathering and we can tell him all the
things that we have been doing, all the things that we are looking forward to be doing.
Would we be able to play a piece on piano for you and then after could we
have a photo with you?
He was just explaining, you know, how do how to manage
to do that. I can't exactly remember what he said - but I wrote it down - and and it
was very helpful very practical advice.
I was wondering if you could explain to us
a bit about how Opus Dei is a small part of the Church. Thank you.
Especially when he talked about friendship, it really hit home to me.
Friendship is not necessarily thinking exactly the same way in everything.
Friendship means loving the other person, want what is good for the other.
One of the major issues is educating children and teenagers in the proper use of freedom. Many find this very
challenging, as society seems to be pulling young people in the wrong direction.
Educating in freedom is fundamental,
because an education that is not done in freedom is not good.
One needs to help young people realize, according to their age, that they are free
to love and to the extent to which they choose the good, they are more free.
In contrast, choosing evil, even if it presents itself under the appearance of
good or has certain good aspects, ends up weakening the strength of freedom.
- Good afternoon Father - I see a big fish over there
I have the pleasure today of presenting to you a gift from all of us.
Salmon - this is a salmon. Salmon is born,
they are born in riverbeds, but they eventually leave this environment and
go out into open ocean. When the time comes for salmon to
reproduce, they return to the rivers often to the same spot in the river
where they were born. This journey, known as the salmon run, is
tremendously difficult. Salmon must swim upstream against the current,
to reach their breeding grounds.
We should never fear to go against current, whenever it is necessary.
And for that, we need deep formation, strong convictions
so that we are not pushed by the winds of opinions that blow in different directions,
in various environments. In this way we will have greater freedom. We will
be masters of our own life, not dominated by environments or fads.
Father, here in Canada, like many other places around the world,
there's a particularly strong push for progressive movements,
such as abortion, euthanasia, moral relativism.
I find that people are quick to label and once they know I'm a practicing Catholic
they no longer want to talk about certain topics. In their minds, after the
Supreme Court rulings, the battle is won and the decision is final.
Could you please share some ideas how we could do better to spark the
conversation and how we can maintain hope when the rest of the world claims
the battle is over?
The battle is not over because, clearly we are still struggling.
The battle is far from ended.
But in any case, sometimes we may have the impression that we are losing ground.
Nevertheless, we need to maintain a sense of history. There are times in history
when progress is clear, and others when it looks like things are not going well
But after all, we need to think of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the true strength, that sustains the Church, and therefore
that sustains all our ability for struggle and our victory, even though we may not
see the victory immediately. We need to be confident, based mostly
not on our own strength, but on the strength of Jesus Christ. That is what
should lead us to prayer and to the Eucharist, which is where we find strength.
Because we find this strength in Him, in Jesus.
My kids often remind me of forgiveness. One day my daughter came home saying that
she couldn't forgive her friend from daycare. And my my son said: "Ila, do you
know that Jesus said to forgive 70 times 7?" And to my astonishment I asked
"Alexander what does that mean to forgive 70 times 7?" and he said "I don't know
because I don't know yet how to multiply."
This is Declan.
Our Father used to say: "Seeing you I am full with hope". Indeed, we are and
we were and we will always be our Father's hope to extend the Work,
so that we may truly be the continuity of that great mission that our Father
received from God and that is now our mission, because the Work is in our hands.
We all have the same vocation. We all have the same mission that is, as our
Father said, to put Christ on the summit
of all human endeavours. In our activity, in the activities of those around us,
and spreading this love of God, this gift of God, throughout the entire world.