Opus Dei & the Virtue of Magnanimity

Ninety years ago, on October 2nd, God showed Opus Dei to the young St. Josemaria Escriva. It happened in an instant, he fell to his knees dazzled by all that God had just showed him. On this anniversary, our desire is not simply to celebrate this milestone in the history of Opus Dei but also to learn from the operating system of this faithful instrument of God’s providence. To relive the path taken by St. Josemaria will help us to desire the virtue of magnanimity—greatness of spirit and largeness of heart—a genuine craving for great and noble ambitions and adventures:St. Josemaria Escriva realized early on that God had a plan for him, that He wanted something from him. How could he find the answer? Where should he seek it? He set out to search above all by listening to the Word of God.Sacred Scripture, the Word of God, speaks to us today and we need to seek out our place in it to find our path.
“Magnanimity means greatness of spirit, a largeness of heart wherein many can find refuge. Magnanimity gives us the energy to break out of ourselves and be prepared to undertake generous tasks which will be of benefit to all. Small-mindedness has no home in the magnanimous heart, nor has meanness, nor egoistic calculation, nor self-interested trickery. The magnanimous person devotes all his strength, unstintingly, to what is worthwhile. As a result he is capable of giving himself. He is not content with merely giving. He gives his very self. He thus comes to understand that the greatest expression of magnanimity consists in giving oneself to God” (St. Josemaria Escriva; Friends of God, no. 80).
What was the secret that would not let St. Josemaria slow down? An overwhelming sense of being a child of God and the confidence and boldness that this reality entails.Tell Our Lord: “I really have no idea of the undiscovered qualities that I have—maybe this is my chance to discover the hidden greatness in me. This is a chance for me to be ready for great undertakings and to pass on to young people a great openness and eagerness for great ideas.”A resolution from this reflection: “To protect our times of prayer ferociously.”

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