St Gabriel Windows

St Gabriel Windows
Photocopy c. 2013 Jamie Laubacher

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

In Conversation with God

There is a great meditative prayer series called: In Conversation with God, published by Scepter. It is comprised of seven volumes and Saint Josemaria Escriva's maxims (such as those contained in The Way, The Forge and Furrow, as well as his other writings) are used generously throughout the series within the context of particular focused topics; other saints, religious, philosophers, popes, church documents and the like are included as well.

Authored by Fr. Francis Fernandez Carvajal, a priest of the Opus Dei Prelature, In Conversation follows the liturgical year with the daily scripture readings and is so valuable in its subject matter. The topics truly inspire your accountability to improve while also making clear Church teaching. The placement of St. Escriva's quotes within the topics provide an interpretation of sorts. Again and again, I find myself saying: yes, I remember that thought from this particular book...and now I more fully understand it. It was this series that brought me exactly that, more understanding and more appreciation for the spirituality emitted by St. Escriva. This series is appropriate for both men and women. (You could buy one volume appropriate for the liturgical season at hand, to try). If you have read a small portion of Escriva's writings, you are well on your way to getting a lot out of such a series.

I might add that while you may or may not be drawn to, or feel the call of a vocation to Opus Dei, founded by St. Josemaria Escriva, the writings of this remarkable saint and others of the prelature are widely available to us for personal spiritual enrichment.

As providence would have it, I came upon this series by way of another person's recommendation through their spiritual director, and it is with much gratitude I express this.


"With supernatural intuition, Blessed Josemaria untiringly preached the universal call to holiness and apostolate. Christ calls everyone to become holy in the realities of everyday life. Hence work too is a means of personal holiness and apostolate, when it is done in union with Jesus Christ."

Pope John Paul II in his homily at the beatification of Saint Josemaria

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