"You have been saying and writing for many years that the vocation of
the laity consists of three things: 'to sanctify work, to sanctify
themselves in work, and to sanctify others through work'. Could you
explain exactly what you mean by sanctifying work?
It is difficult to explain it in a few words, because the expression
'sanctifying work' involves fundamental concepts of the theology of
Creation. What I have always taught, over the last forty years, is that a
Christian should do all honest human work, be it intellectual or
manual, with the greatest perfection possible: with human perfection
(professional competence) and with Christian perfection (for love of
God's Will and as a service to mankind). Human work done in this manner,
no matter how humble or insignificant it may seem, helps to shape the
world in a Christian way. The world's divine dimension is made more
visible and our human labour is thus incorporated into the marvellous
work of Creation and Redemption. It is raised to the order of grace. It
is sanctified and becomes God's work, operatio Dei, opus Dei.
We have reminded Christians of the wonderful words of Genesis which tell
us that God created man so that he might work, and we have concentrated
on the example of Christ, who spent most of His life on earth working
as a craftsman in a village. We love human work which He chose as His
state in life, which He cultivated and sanctified. We see in work, in
men's noble creative toil not only one of the highest human values, an
indispensable means to social progress and to greater justice in the
relations between men, but also a sign of God's Love for His creatures,
and of men's love for each other and for God: we see in work a means of
perfection, a way to sanctity.
Hence, the sole objective of Opus Dei has always been to see to it that
there be men and women of all races and social conditions who endeavour
to love and to serve God and the rest of mankind in and through their
ordinary work, in the midst of the realities and interests of the world."
