Circular Letters   Spiritual Meditations
Vatican II  and the Church Unity in Diversity
In this Year of Faith proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI, we want to continue our mediations on the documents of Vatican II. The second major Constitution of the Council was the Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium. Pope John Paul II calls this document the “key to the Council”: “The conciliar view of the Church…was meant to give the Christian community a new pulse of vitality, a renewed spirit of communion and participation. The Church in our time must increasingly resemble the family, in which no one feels marginalized or merely part of the herd” (Angelus, Oct. 22, 1995). read more...
Crusade for Priests   The Holy Curé of Ars and the Priesthood
Rarely has someone been so acutely aware of the meaning of the priesthood, its greatness and immense responsibility as St. John Mary Vianney, the holy Curé of Ars. He himself stated, "Oh, how great is a priest! The priest will not understand the greatness of his office till he is in Heaven. If he understood it on earth, he would die, not of fear, but of love." In a catechetical sermon he explained to his parishioners in simple words the sublime dignity of the priesthood and its importance for the sanctification of the people. We are quoting here some passages of his sermon On the Priesthood: read more...
Association of Priests   "The Son of man is to come with his angels" (Mt 16:27)
Dear Brothers in the Priesthood! God, the Father, revealed to Peter that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Then, Peter learned from Jesus Himself that the Son of God became man to "suffer many things", be killed and raised from death in order to open up for us read more...

"Behold, I send an angel before you, to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place which I have prepared. Give heed to him and hearken to his voice, do not rebel against him...for My name is in him."

(Exodus 23:20-21)

The Spirituality of Angels
and the Association
‘Opus Sanctorum Angelorum’

Those who See the Face of God

Originally published in the Weekly English Edition
of L’Osservatore Romano (the Vatican newspaper) March 23, 2011

 

The Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith sent to the presidents of the Bishop’s conferences a circular letter on the association Opus Angelorum that was dated 2 October 2010. It was then published in the English edition of L’Osservatore Romano on 24 November, 2010, p. 17. In this letter, the Congregation informs in particular about the approbation of the “Statutes of the Opus Angelorum” by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life and about the approbation of the “formula of a consecration to the Holy Angels for the Opus Angelorum ” by the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith.

read more....

 

Vatican Link for Opus Sanctorum Angelorum

Retreats and Missions
2013 Registration
MAINE
Silent Retreat June 6-9, 2013 Mary Joseph Spiritual Center Biddeford, ME
MASSACHUSETTS / CONNECTICUT
3 Day Mission June 3-5, 2013 St. Monica Parish Methuen, MA
Silent Retreat June 13-16, 2013 Immaculata Retreat House Willimantic, CT
RHODE ISLAND
3 Day Mission June 10-12, 2013 Holy Name of Jesus Parish Providence, RI
MICHIGIAN
2 Days of Reflection July 13-14, 2013 Assumption Grotto Parish Detroit, MI
CALIFORNIA
Three Day Mission June 24-26, 2013 St. Patrick's Parish Rippon, CA Silent Retreat June 27-30, 2013 St. Clare's Retreat Center Soquel, CA Three Day Mission August 5-7, 2013 Sacred Heart Chapel Covina, CA Silent Retreat August 8-11, 2013 Oceanside, CA Three Day Mission August 12-14, 2013 Little Flower Haven La Mesa, CA Silent Retreat August 15-18, 2013 Oceanside, CA Three Day Mission August 19-21, 2013 St. Gerard Majella Los Angeles, CA
PRIEST RETREAT
Silent Priest Retreat November 11-15, 2013 Maryville Retreat Center Holly, Michigan
Retreat Registration

St. Theotonius

and the Order of Canons Regular
of the Holy Cross

Photos from Public Veneration of Relics of St. Theotonius

Dear Members and Friends of Opus Angelorum,

The celebration of the Paschal Triduum, the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ, is at the center of the life of the Church. These are the holiest days of the year, when we commemorate the Redemption, the source of all grace and the beginning of the Church. In this Year of Faith, these mysteries take on special meaning for us, since the Resurrection is the one greatest proof of our Faith: "If Christ has not risen, then your faith is in vain! You are still in your sins" (1 Cor 15:17).

The faith affects all our thinking and acting, all we do, for being people of faith, we are a people of hope. Though our attachments are sometimes strong and separation involves suffering, we know that this world is passing; it is not our ultimate happiness. Hence, we are willing to let it go and cling to the eternal values, despite the contrarieties of life. The Psalmist writes, "Taste and see that the Lord is good!" (Ps 34:8). If we pray, we come to experience Our Lord in His goodness, even amidst the trials and separations.

As the Church lets go of Pope Benedict and welcomes a new successor to the See of St. Peter, we want to reawaken our faith in the loving Providence of God and the sure guidance of the Holy Spirit. In his farewell address, Pope Benedict encourages us,

I would like to invite everyone to renew firm trust in the Lord. I would like that we all entrust ourselves as children to the arms of God, and rest assured that those arms support us and us to walk every day, even in times of struggle. I would like everyone to feel loved by the God who gave His Son for us and showed us His boundless love. I want everyone to feel the joy of being Christian. …Yes, we are happy for the gift of faith: it is the most precious good, that no one can take from us! Let us thank God for this every day, with prayer and with a coherent Christian life. God loves us, but He also expects that we love Him!

Speaking with Jesus in prayer, meeting Him in the Blessed Sacrament, living by our Christian principles, we draw ever nearer to Jesus and experience Him more and more in His goodness, His providential and loving kindness. Despite all our suffering, faith fills us with peace. And when faith becomes our stronghold, we quite naturally share it with others. We want them to share in the happiness and peace we have found.
In these days of special grace, filled with the light of the Paschal Triduum, we want to pray especially for the Church, that she may stay strong and united under the leadership of Peter in the midst of the tempests of our culture and age. May she be a beacon of hope in a world of confusion and despair. I keep you all in prayer and may God fill you with many Easter blessings.

Fr. Wolfgang Seitz, ORC ~ Director

Passio Domini	Angel Stories	Angels in the writings of the Saints
The Redemption accomplished through Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection lies at the center of our Catholic faith. This mystery is commemorated every Thursday and Friday in the Work of the Holy Angels in the celebration of the Passio Domini (“Passion of Our Lord”), where we watch and compassionate our Lord in His redeeming suffering.	Recently I was climbing up a mountain in Wicklow on a very windy day with my son-in-law. Coming near the top there was a very strong breeze. We braced ourselves against the breeze, but a severe gust of wind blew me off the track and I fell. My son in law tried to catch me to no avail. I rolled over and over and suddenly I stopped rolling and had a severe pain in my ankle. My boot had got caught between two rocks and this is what stopped me. read more...	From the City of God, Bk XI, ch. 9 What the Scriptures teach us concerning the creation of angels At present, since I have undertaken to treat of the origin of the Holy City, and first of the holy angels, who constitute a large part of this city, and indeed the more blessed part, since they have never been expatriated, I will give myself to the task of explaining, by God's help...the Scriptures which relate to this point. Where Scripture speaks of the world's creation, it is not plainly said whether or when the angels were created; but if mention of them is made, it is implicitly under the name of "heaven", read more...

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A weekly Holy Mass is offered in honor of St. Joseph for the intentions of our benefactors.

Opus Sanctorum Angelorum • 13800 Gratiot Ave. • Detroit, MI 48205
Tel. (313) 527-1739 • Fax: (313) 527-1729
Email: contact@opusangelorum.org
Rector: Father Ludwig M. Oppl, ORC

The texts of the Circular Letters are copyrighted and may not be reproduced without written permission. © 2012 Order of the Holy Cross