STRIVE FOR HOLINESS IN EVERYDAY LIFE

Pope John Paul II

We offer our readers three ¡tenis which focus on the work and
teaching of Blessed Josemaría Escrivá.
On Sunday, March 10, 1996, in a homily preached at the Roman
parish of Blessed Josemaría who was beatified in 1992, the Holy
Father recalled the central message of the Founder of Opus Dei by
referring to the universal can to holiness: 'Having been /nade adoptive
children of God through a .spiritual rebirth by water and the Holy
Spirit, fthe faithfid] become members of the Mystical Body of Christ
which is the Church. The Spirit lives in baptized persons as in a temple.
Therefore, every Christian is called lo be holy like bis heavenly
Father.' During the Sunday liturgy the Pope dedicated the new parish
church.
The other two ¡tenis are the texts of homilies given at Masses to
celebrate Blessed Josemaría'sfeast on June 26. Mgr Dónal O Cuillea-
náin highlighted bis lovefor the Church and the Pope, while Fr Charles
Connolly stresssed bis great devotion to the Holy Spirit.

1. `God's love has becas poured finto
our hearts through the Holy Spirit
(Rom 5:5).
These words of the Apostle Paul,
cent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles
gathered in the Upper Room.
This year, then, the feast of Pente-
cost have particular importan.ce in
N‘vill

taken from his Letter to the Romans,
introduce us to the atmosphere of the
Easter events. In fact, the Holy Spirit
was given to us by virtue of the sacri-
fice of Christ. 'While we were yet sin-
ners Christ died for us' (Rom 5:8). By
his redeeming death he opened as it
were an interior space in man, thus
preparing the coming of the Holy
Spirit whom he would send.
In this way today's liturgy directs
our gaze not only towards Easter, but
far beyond: as far as the day of Pente-
cost when we will live again the des-
Rome, as it marks the beginning of the
great city mnission in preparation for
the Jubilee of the Year 2000. It is a
favourable occasion, a time of grace
offered to the Christian community
and to the whole city for rediscovering
Gospel values and for preparing to
enter the third millennium spirituality
and socially renewed.
Openness of heart and niind
'Harden not your hearts as at
Meribah.'
2. In the second reading proclaimed
a few moments ago, St Paul writes that

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 Position Paper 274
the love of God was `poured' into our
hearts through the Holy Spirit. The fact
that the work of the Holy Spirit is coni-
pared with the gift of water is signi-
ficant (cf. Encyclical Letter Dominum
et Vivificantem, nos. 1-2). This scene
aboye all recalls the episode from the
Book of Exodus, described in the first
reading. In the desert the people of
Israel, tired of suffering from thirst,
began to complain. God ordered
Moses to strike the rock and water
fiowed from it. Thus the Israelites were
able to satisfy their thirst (cf. Ex 17:
3-6).
In the responsorial psalrn we re-
called that place, which Moses called
Massah and Meribah, in memory of
the greet rniracle worked by the Lord.
Ilarden not yoiir hearts says God, 'as
at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in
the desert, where your fathers tempted
me' (Ps 95 [94] 8-9). This is the same
biblical text that is recited every day in
the Liturgy of the Hours.
God's gift
3. The passage from the Gospel ac-
cording to John refers to the analogy
between the work of the Holy Spirit
and the gift of water. The symbolism
is developed in the conversation that
took place by the well of Sychar be-
tween the Samaritan woman and
who asks for some water: `Give
me a drink' (Jn 4:7). The woman ex-
presses her surprise because the person
making this request is a Jew, and there
were not good relations between Jews
and Samaritans (cf. Jn 4:9).
But Christ replies: `Ifyou knew the
gift of God, and who it is that is saying
to you, "Give me a drink", you would
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have asked him, and he would have
given you living water' (Jn 4:10).
The Samaritan woman is surprised
by these words. What is the living wa-
ter? Jesus himself explains: 'Whoever
drinks of the water that I shall give him
will never thirst; the water that I shall
give him will become in him a spring
of water welling up to eternal life'
4:14). He speaks of 'living water', that
is, of the love of God poured hito our
hearts by the Holy Spirit. Divine love
becomes in man the spring of eternal
life, capable of satisfying all his deep-
est desires not just those temporal, but
first and foremost, those eternal.
Greetings
4. Dear brothers and sisters of the Par-
ish of Blessed Josernaría Escrivá, I am
pleased to be among you today for the
solemn dedication of your new parish
church. I greet the Cardinal Vicar, the
Auxiliary Bishop of this area, the par-
ish priest, Fr Alberto Ortolani, and the
priests who assist him in the various
pastoral activities. I address a word of
gratitude to Bishop Javier Echevarría
Rodríguez, Prelate of Opus Dei, and to
all those who ¡nade the construction of
this new church possible, a church you
have been waiting for lince the day
your parish was established.
I affectionately greet the various
groups of children, young people and
adults involved in the different levels
of catechesis, as well as all those who
participate in the parochial activities of
Caritas, the Oratoiy and the Scouts.
A place of prayer and brotherhood
We give thanks to the Lord because we
have the joy of dedicating this church.
It is a special place for human as well

as Christian gathering, since the area
lacks the inost essential services and
structures for encouraging meeting
and dialogue among its residente. May
this church increasingly become a
place of prayer and meeting, of
brotherhood and communion.
With today's Liturgy of Dedication
this building becomes a sacred place,
a church, God's dwelling among men.
In receiving the sacrament of Baptism,
something even more profound hap-
pens to the faithful. Having been made
adoptive children of God through a
spiritual rebirth by water and the Holy
Spirit, they become members of the
Mystical Body of Christ which is the
Church. The Spirit lives in baptized
persons as in a temple. Therefore,
every Christian is called to be holy,
like his heavenly Father.
This truth, so clearly proclaimed by
Jesus in the Gospel, was witnessed to
by Blessed Josemaría through his life
and constant teaching. 'God awaits us
every day,' he loved to repeat. 'Be sure
of this: there is something holy, divine,
hidden in the inost ordinary situations,
something that each one of us must
discove.r. And he used to add: 'There
is no other way, my children: either we
know how to find the Lord in our or-
dinary lives, or we will never find him'
(Conversations with Mgr. Escrivá de
Balaguer, no. 114).
Apostolate of like to like
5. Today we dedicate your parish to the
Founder of Opus Dei, who worked so
hard to spread the ideal of holiness.
Dear brothers and sisters, may you
know how to make your own his pro-
gram of life and pastoral commitment:
Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer and Opus Dei Virtual Library
Pope John Paul II
to live by striving for holiness and to
let every person you meet, whether
man or woman, understand that they
too are called to full communion with
God.
I am aware that with the help of your
priests a group of spiritual guides is
being formed who wish to be involved
in supporting evangelization within
the parish, after having more deeply
studied the doctrine and morals of the
Church and having acquired greater
knowledge of the responsibility of the
laity in the apostolate. I express my
sincere appreciation for this sound
pastoral endeavour. I hope that, by par-
ticipating in the apostolic and mission-
ary effort of the entire Diocese for the
city mission for the Great Jubilee of the
Year 2000, your zeal may continue to
grow and may be sacred by many in-
habitants of the area.
We are well aware that dialogue
with souls, if canied out in a profound
manner, develops slowly. Do not
abandon this fundamental apostolate;
the concrete fruits, even though slow
in coming, will certainly not fail to
arrive.
I entrust you all to the maternal
hands of the Blessed Virgin and to the
intercession of Blessed Josemaría.
Preparing for Easter
6. Yeni Lumen cordium'. Come,
Light of hearts (Sequence of Pente-
cost).
The conversation with the Samar-
itan woman, which we heard in today's
Gospel, speaks indirectly about the
Holy Spirit as 'the light of hearts'. The
woman in fact admits that Christ
knows her sins even before she had
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confided them to him; in this way she
sees he is a prophet.
This is a particularly significara
theme during the Lenten season. The
'light of the heart' is necessaty for a
good preparation for the celebration of
Easter, including through the sacra-
ment of Penance.
Renewed loyalty
Especially during Lent, all the faith-
ful are invited to study more deeply the
value of Confession as a fundamental
moment for recognizing the evil and
sin which are present in their lives, for
being reconciled with God and with
their brothers and sisters, and for re-
newing their loyalty to Christ and his
Gospel. In this effort of rediscovering
the authentic meaning of Gospel re-
pentance, a fundamental contribution
can be offered by the parishes and
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sillines with the special sermons which
are usuall y preached during the period
of Lent. All this encourages the faith-
ful to enter into the spirit of Easter and,
as `true worshippers', to `worship the
Father in spirit and truth' (cf. Jn 4:23).
Prayer
Light of the Holy Spirit, illumine our
lives,
help us to be generously involved in
this season of Lent;
proclaim to us, even now,
the splendour of the light and joy of
Easter.
Lord, you are truly the Saviour of
the world;
give us the living water,
so that we will no longer thirst for
all eternity (cf. Gospel acclaniation).
Amen.