Prelate of Opus Dei: The importance of good humor in the image of Saint Josemaría

Through a message posted today, June 17, the Prelate of Opus Dei —Mons. Fernando Ocáriz—reflected on “the good humor” of Saint Josemaría Escrivá, founder of “La Obra”, within the framework of his liturgical memory that will be celebrated on June 26.

“On a human level, I want to leave you as a legacy the love of freedom and good humor,” wrote Saint Josemaría in a letter dated May 31, 1954.

Bishop Ocáriz explained that good humor is a state of mind, which is usually characterized as “the willingness to notice and show the funny aspects of situations.” Although the Prelate stressed that, sometimes, there are situations that are not at all fun, he stressed that in all life situations there must remain “the deepest root of a good humor that transcends the superficial: joy.”

This joy, he commented, is one that arises from faith “in the immense love” that God has for each of his children. A joy that is based on the humble forgetfulness that each person can have of themselves, “to think about others and approach their own life in terms of service.”

“For this reason, as Saint Josemaría explains: ‘We will never achieve true good humor if we do not truly imitate Jesus; if we are not, like him, humble,’” said the Prelate.

Finally, Mons Ocáriz asked for prayers for the next meeting of experts on the statutes of Opus Dei and for the trip that will take him, in the coming months, to several countries in Europe and America.

The Prelate’s trip to America will take place in the context of the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the visit that Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer made to Latin Americabetween 1974 and 1975.

A few weeks ago, Opus Dei launched new multimedia material that shows the impact and fruits of the prelature in these nations. The websitecreated for this purpose, points out that the resources seek to express “how the charisma of Opus Dei has come to life in different cultures.”