Catholic Review of: Women of Opus Dei

I always approach anything about Opus Dei with trepidation, because there is so much misinformation in the press and in the minds of Catholics themselves about it. I began to read this book with the same caution that I have grown accustomed to. One of the misconceptions about Opus Dei is that it is made up of elite professionals who practice extreme mortification. Another is that the organization is steeped in secrecy, an impression advanced by the works of Dan Brown. This book goes a long way toward debunking these misconceptions.

Each chapter of the book is an interview with a female member of Opus Dei. A member is one who has a vocation as either a celibate numerary, a super-numerary who is married, or a numerary assistant. The celibate numeraries are free to go wherever the Work (as Opus Dei is referred to by the members) needs them. They are college presidents, center directors, teachers, business women, CEOs, doctors, etc. In short, they use their professional skills where needed around the world. Super-numeraries are most often married members who are raising families. Some, in addition, have professions in addition to their call to marry and raise families. Numerary assistants are women who have been called to use their professional skills in hospitality. That is, they work in centers of Opus Dei and practice all the skills required in making a home for other members. Their work is truly professional as they create the living environment not only for the priests and other celibate members, but also for those people who attend retreats and others who live in centers while students at local universities. They are paid good salaries, have health benefits and generous annual vacations.

Opus Dei emphasizes doing everything with a supernatural outlook, that is for love of God and others. It teaches that we are called to be holy in whatever vocation we are called to. The stories shared by the women who were interviewed reflect the way they travel this road to holiness. Some are professional women while others are full-time wives and mothers. These women explain how they accomplish their spiritual practices in the midst of their busy lives. In fact, these practices are what give order and meaning to all of their other activities .  They all agree, that without those daily spiritual exercises, their lives do not run as smoothly as when they include them.    

Another insight into their lives is their effort to do everything well. Work poorly done is not a fit offering to God, so there is an emphasis on approaching every task with the intention of doing it well.

One feature of the book is the set-apart definitions of terms. This is helpful for those who are not familiar with the Catholic Church or Opus Dei. The book is in an interview format, so it is easy to read while being filled with interesting information.

For anybody seeking to know more about Opus Dei, this book is a valuable resource. The interviewees are happy in their vocations and speak freely about the spiritual practices they follow. I recommend it without hesitation to the skeptics as well as to those who just want to know more about this organization that periodically finds itself in the headlines because of books or movies which totally misrepresent it.