From his first confession to being the unofficial patron saint of diabetics, St. Josemaria will surprise you. St. Josemaria, pray for us!
You've probably heard of Opus Dei, a Catholic organization whose mission is to spread the Christian message that every person is called to holiness and that every honest work can be sanctified.
But did you know its founder was a Spanish priest who is the unofficial patron saint of people with diabetes? And that's just the beginning of what might surprise you about this influential 20th-century saint.
St. Josemaría Escrivá is known for teaching that ordinary work can be a path to holiness, revolutionizing how Catholics today think about spirituality in daily life. But even if you're familiar with his famous teaching about finding God in your work, how well do you actually know this modern saint?
His feast day, June 26, is the perfect time to test your St. Josemaría trivia.
You can find the answers at the bottom. When you're done, let us know your score!
St. Josemaría Trivia
1Where was St. Josemaría born?
2When St. Josemaría was two years old, he became gravely ill. When he recovered, his mother made a pilgrimage in thanksgiving to what sacred site?
3At his first confession, what funny penance did the priest assign St. Josemaría?
4As a teenager, before he decided to become a priest, what career had he planned to pursue?
5What did he see one day that inspired him to discern a call to the priesthood?
6When and where did he receive the founding inspiration for Opus Dei?
7How did Josemaria escape danger in the Spanish Civil War?
8What was the first book St. Josemaría wrote, which became a spiritual classic?
9How many years after his death was he canonized?
10Fill in the blank: St. Josemaría taught that we should strive to become "_______ in the midst of the world”
Answers
1. He was born in Spain, in the city of Barbastro.
2. The hermitage of Our Lady of Torreciudad, located twelve miles from Barbastro. He later recalled that, seated on a mule and along rough roads, “My mother carried me in her arms to Our Lady.”
3. To eat a fried egg
4. He had intended to be an architect.
5. At the age of 16, while walking on a cold winter day, St. Josemaria noticed footprints in the snow left by the bare feet of a Carmelite friar. As he considered the life of dedication represented by those footprints, he felt an awakening in his soul and wondered if he too was called to give himself to God.
6. On October 2, 1928, while in Madrid on a spiritual retreat, St Josemaria envisioned “a mobilization of Christians of all walks of life who would make the world holy by offering to God their daily duties.” From that day forward the young priest dedicated all his energies to this mission.
7. They crossed the Pyrenees mountains on foot, making a dangerous journey through Andorra to reach France.
8. The Way (Camino), a collection of 999 spiritual maxims first published in 1934
9. 27 years, as he died in 1975 and was canonized in 2002
10. “Contemplatives” (What does that mean? Read about it here)
What's Your Score?
9-10 correct: Opus Dei Expert
7-8 correct: Spirituality Scholar
5-6 correct: Modern Saint Enthusiast
Under 5: St. Josemaría still wants you to offer God your daily work!
