St. Josemaría Escrivá encourages through his wisdom and wit

At certain times in our lives, we all need guidance. Everyone needs that friend who knows our strengths, weakness, and quirks—friends who can see our situation with a deeper clarity than we can amid our experience of it. Their words can both console and convict us. Sometimes God sends us a saint to be that friend.

I first heard of The Way by St. Josemaría Escrivá in college from a peer minister at the Newman Center. While giving a presentation, he pulled out the pocket-size book and read, “‘The Mass is long,’ you say, and I reply: ‘Because your love is short.’” (529, The Way). He closed the book and continued his talk, but my interior bristled at the quote. “Can a saint say something like that?” The bluntness of the phrase struck me. Then, deep in my heart, I realized I had sometimes interiorly rushed the Mass along in my mind. My love was short.

After that, the more from The Way I read, the more excerpts both struck me and stuck with me. His clear, concise, and often blunt style continued to console and convict me as I spent more time with the little book. Fourteen years later, when my mind wanders at Mass, I often remember that phrase from The Way. I sigh and pray “I am sorry Lord that my love is short. Please help me to love.”

St. Josemaría Escrivá was canonized in 2002 by Pope St. John Paul II and was the founder of Opus Dei, which is a religious apostolate that means “the work of God.” He has also been called the saint of the ordinary because of his ability to see everyday circumstances in light of faith and to live heroic sanctity in day-to-day life. He encountered people in their struggles and hardships, and offered counsel that helped his directees see more clearly how the Lord was at work in whatever the situation.

St. Josemaría Escrivá is like an uncle up in heaven who effectively calls us out when we need to be convicted but also provides consoling advice when we’re troubled or desire to grow in holiness. He balances wisdom with wit, depth with succinct clarity. Besides his characteristic succinctness, there is also a beauty and intimacy with Christ that is the thread that ties all of the collected sayings of The Way together.

If you would like to incorporate more reading into your life but lack the time, you might appreciate that The Way is formatted as a collection of sayings divided by topic, making it a quick read. This little work also fits into your purse or coat pocket, making it easily accessible when you’re waiting in line or for an appointment, which can give you brief quotations to mull over throughout the day.

Some of the 46 topics in this collection include prayer, lukewarmness, examination of conscience, perseverance, joy, humility, character, the will of God, spiritual childhood, and many more.

• “May your behavior and your conversation be such that everyone who sees or hears you can say: This man reads the life of Jesus Christ” (2).
• “Jesus is your Friend—the friend with a human heart, like yours, with most loving eyes that wept for Lazarus. And as much as he loved Lazarus, he loves you…” (422).
• “You don’t know how to pray? Put yourself in the presence of God, and as soon as you have said, ‘Lord, I don’t know how to pray!’ you can be sure you’ve already begun” (90).

Other works by St. Josemaría Escrivá that are published as collections of sayings are Furrow and The Forge.
 
Ashley Njaa is the Director of Evangelization for the Diocese of Fargo.