St. Josemaria on never doubting the Church: filial trust and joy over news from the Church

 

Pope Francis recently made changes to church law on personal prelatures that affect Opus Dei, provoking all sorts of reactions on the web. 

Opus Dei itself reacted by saying that it will study the changes "in a spirit of communion with the Holy Father." 

This reaction is in accord with the teachings of St. Josemaria, its founder. In one of his letters, recently published by Scepter, St. Josemaria writes: 

"You know how the Ordinaries of the dioceses in which we work, generally understand us and love us; and - whatever juridical form the Work may eventually have - the Church, which is our Mother, will respect the way of being of her children, because she knows that, with it, we only intend to serve her and to please God.

This is the reason why we do not admit, about the Church, neither a doubt nor a suspicion: nor do we tolerate it, in others, without protest. We do not look for the vulnerable sides of the Church - because of the action of men in Her - to criticize her, as some who do not seem to have faith or love are wont to do. I cannot conceive that one can love one's mother and speak of her with detachment.

And we will never be sufficiently satisfied with our work, no matter how many services, with the grace of God, we render to the Church and to the Pope, because love will demand more of us every day, and our labors will always seem modest, because the time at our disposal is short: tempus breve est (1 Cor 7:29). 

Together with selfless love, we must have great confidence: I am sure that confidence will grow in your souls, with God's help, in spite of the misunderstandings that the Lord will allow, which, I insist, will never be misunderstandings of the Church.

In this spirit of filial trust, we will always receive with joy and happiness any news that comes to us from the Bride of Jesus Christ, even when it may be painful or may seem so in the eyes of people outside the Work, since we know that nothing bad can come to us from the Church: diligentibus Deum omnia cooperantur in bonum (Rom 8:28); for those who love God, all things work together for good. 

And I dare to assure you that this joy of ours, no matter what happens, will not fail to cause astonishment and surprise, and above all edification, in those who without reason, because there can be none, expect a different reaction from us". (Letter n. 8 of St. Josemaria, 53 y 54, 1943)

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Relevant articles:

Motu proprio "Ad charisma tuendum": Some reflections

What has changed in personal prelatures

Opus Dei and the German Way: the meaning of filial obedience