“This day shall light shine upon us; for the Lord is born to us.” (Is 9:2) “This is the great announcement which moves Christians today. Through them it is addressed to all mankind. God is here. This truth should fill our lives, and every Christmas should be for us a new and special meeting with God, when we allow his light and grace to enter deep into our soul.”

‘Iesus Christus, Deus homo: Jesus Christ, God-man. This is one of “the mighty works of God,” (Acts 2:11) which we should reflect upon and thank him for. He has come to bring “peace on earth to men of good will,” (Lk 2:14) to all men who want to unite their wills to the holy will of God—not just the rich, not just the poor, but everyone…’

St. Josemaria Escriva
“Christ Triumphs through Humility”
Christ is Passing By, 12-13

“Every time Christmas comes around, I love to look at representations of the Child Jesus. Statues and pictures which show a God who lowered himself remind me that God is calling us. The Almighty wants us to know that he is defenseless, that he needs men’s help. From the cradle at Bethlehem, Christ tells you and me that he needs us. He urges us to live a Christian life to the full — a life of self-sacrifice, work and joy.”

- St. Josemaria Escriva, Christ is Passing By, 18

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Fr. Dick Rieman, first member of Opus Dei in the United States, makes a brief appearance towards the end of the documentary. He talks about being at the canonization of St. Josemaria in Rome on October 6, 2002. After the canonization he told his students back home, “I am the only guy who has had pizza with a saint.”

Saint Josemaría Escrivá, the founder of Opus Dei, opened a new path of holiness in the Catholic Church, teaching that people can become holy by performing their work and daily duties with a Christian spirit.

Finding God in daily life:
Opus Dei is a Catholic institution founded by Saint Josemaría Escrivá. Its mission is to spread the message that work and the circumstances of everyday life are occasions for growing closer to God, for serving others, and for improving society.

Opus Dei complements the work of local churches by offering classes, talks, retreats and pastoral care that help people develop their personal spiritual life and apostolate.

As Pope John Paul II reminded us on October 6, 2002, during the Solemn Mass of Canonization, in his preaching, St. Josemaría Escrivá never ceased to insist that “interior life, that is, the life of relationship with God, and family, professional and social life, made up of small worldly realities should not be separated, but that they should constitute one sole existence, that is ‘holy and full of God’”. These affirmations effectively summarize the message of St. Josemaría and, at the same time, of his figure, because-in him-the message, priestly activity and the human person were fused into one.

Quotes:
“You don’t know how to pray? Put yourself in the presence of God, and as soon as you have said, ‘Lord, I don’t know how to pray!’ you can be sure you’ve already begun.” (Saint Josemaría Escrivá)

“To pray is to talk to God, but about what? About Him, about yourself; joys, sorrows, successes, and failures, noble ambitions, daily worries, weaknesses! And acts of thanksgiving and petitions: and Love and reparation. In a word: to get to know Him and to get to know yourself: to get acquainted.” (Saint Josemaria Escriva)