God as Father: In the Message of Blessed Josemaria Escriva

By Fernando Ocariz

St. Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei, did not write theological treatises. His was a pastoral activity that led him largely to preach and to pen letters and instructions, mostly for members of the Work that he founded. But his thoughts are knit together by a careful, loving meditation and contemplation of the word of God which caused them to yield new lights to readers in the most varied situations. Without doubt many of these are linked to a heightened awareness of divine filiation-our relationship with God as his sons and daughters.

"Divine filiation is a joyful truth, a consoling mystery. It fills our spiritual life, showing us how to speak to God, how to know and love our heavenly Father. It makes our interior struggle overflow with hope and gives us the trusting simplicity of little children." These lines are taken from a meditation given by Saint Josemaría in March of 1952. In this short book, Fr. Ocariz offers "a preliminary attempt" at analyzing and collating the truly impressive theological richness of Saint Escriva's teaching on divine filiation.