The Way is a forty-six-chapter book by Josemaria Escrivá, a Spanish Jesuit priest and founder of Opus Dei, a conservative Catholic organization. It is a bit disjointed, but The Way did inspire a worldwide movement. The strength, the attraction of The Way, is largely because it is based on real, living experience. The Way draws on Josemaría Escrivá as a priest. He was ordained in 1925. The Way has expanded through the years and its printings. Over the years, more than four and a half million copies have been sold, in forty-three different languages. What other books do you think are worldwide?
Summary of The Way
The Way was first published in 1934. The Way has been called a reference to the Imitation of Christ, the popular medieval book that is the best-selling religious work outside of the Bible. The Way has forty-six chapters on many topics. Some noteworthy ones include prayer, Holy Mass, obedience, the will of God, and perseverance.
Those forty-six chapters contain 999 points, most of which are about Christian piety. There are 999 of these points because Escrivá had such a fondness for the Trinity. The format makes The Way enjoyable to read, despite the text being slightly disjointed. However, the chapters pass quickly, and the points are simple but profound. Ecriva wrote thirteen books in his lifetime.
An example from the book is useful, so take point 164, in the Heart chapter: “How goes your heart? … Don’t be worried. The saints, who were perfectly ordinary, normal beings like you and me, also felt those natural inclinations. And if they had not felt them, their supernatural reaction of keeping their heart, body, and soul for God, instead of giving it to creatures, would have had little merit.
There are some famous points about The Way that readers should know.
- “Do everything for Love. Thus, there will be no little things: everything will be big. Perseverance in little things for Love is heroism.”
- “How beautiful it is to give up this life for the life.”
- “Everything that doesn’t lead you to God is an obstacle. Tear it out and cast it far from you.”
- “Make few resolutions. Make specific resolutions. And fulfill them with the help of God.”
- “To reform. Every day a little. This has to be your constant task if you want to become a saint.”
There is also a quote from the cover of The Way that could be helpful. “Read these counsels slowly. Pause to meditate on these thoughts. They are things that I whisper in your ear-confiding them as a friend, as a brother, as a father. And they are being heard by God. I won’t tell you anything new. I will only stir your memory, so that some thought will arise and strike you; and so you will better your life and set out along ways of prayer and of Love. And in the end, you will be a more worthy soul.”
The Opus Dei Movement
Opus Dei’s stated mission is to help its lay and clerical members seek holiness in their everyday occupations and societies. Opus Dei was officially recognized within the Catholic Church in 1950 by Pope Pius XII. Laypeople make up the majority of its membership of Opus Dei; the remainder are priests under the governance of a prelate elected by specific members and appointed by the Pope.
As Opus Dei is Latin for “Work of God,” the organization is often referred to by members and supporters as “the Work.” Aside from their personal charity and social services, they organize training in Catholic spirituality applied to life. Opus Dei members are located in over ninety countries. About 70% of members live in their own homes, leading family lives with secular careers, while the other 30% are celibate, most of whom live in Opus Dei centers.
Conclusion
The Way is almost a one-hundred-year-old book. It has sparked a global movement. It would be good for readers to consume this book and learn about the Opus Dei movement. Because Ops Dei is a catholic movement that deepens the faith of participants, the book will appeal to serious Catholics. This is the book that started it all.
