“Seek Holiness in Ordinary Life” Auxiliary Bishop Obodo to Members and Friends of Opus Dei 

At a solemn Mass marking the 50th anniversary of the death and the 100th anniversary of the priestly ordination of St. Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei, Most Rev. Ernest Obodo, Auxiliary Bishop of Enugu, delivered a homily on the theme “Duc in altum – Put out into the deep”, drawn from the Gospel of the day.

Bishop Obodo began by reflecting on how Jesus met people in their ordinary daily lives, not merely to perform miracles, but to preach the Word of God. Jesus found people hungry for the word but was looking for a platform to reach out to them before he found Peter’s boat. He noted how Christ used Peter’s fishing boat as a platform to reach the crowd, highlighting that evangelization begins with the ordinary—right where people live and work.

In that spirit, he praised St. Josemaría’s spirituality, which teaches that the world is not evil, for it was created good by God. “Running away from the world is a spirituality that is contrary to God’s will,” the bishop said, adding that Opus Dei promotes sanctification of the world from within, not escape from it.

Quoting St. Josemaría, he emphasized:

“You must realize now more than ever that God is calling you now to serve Him in and from the ordinary secular activities of human life. He waits for us every day in the laboratory, in the operating theatre, in the army barracks, in the university chair, in factories, in workshops, in the fields, in homes, and in the immense panorama of work. Understand this well, there is something holy, something divine, hidden in the ordinary situations, and it is up to each one of us to discover it.”

He also cited the Second Vatican Council, which affirms that all the faithful, regardless of state in life, are called to holiness.

Bishop Obodo commended the contributions of Opus Dei members in various fields such as banking, education, and agriculture, and urged them to extend their witness to areas in Nigeria that require urgent moral and ethical renewal—politics, the military, INEC, and the leadership of the police force. “We have a duty,” he stressed, “to sanctify our nation and proclaim the Gospel right from where we are.”

Reflecting further on the Gospel, he said “like Peter we are meant to obey the Lord who asked him to throw his net despite his failed efforts. Citing St. John Chrysostom, the bishop noted, “God does not need our efforts; He needs our obedience.” He lamented the growing lack of obedience in families, parishes, and institutions, urging a return to faithful trust in God.

He concluded with a reflection on generosity and divine reward, reminding the faithful that all we have belongs to God, who doesn’t need our permission to use it. “Jesus used Peter’s boat and later rewarded him with an abundant catch. As Scripture says, ‘Give, and it will be given to you… the measure you give is the measure you will receive’ (Luke 6:38).”

Bishop Obodo closed by affirming that the core message of St. Josemaría is the call to transform the world through holiness in the ordinary, beginning in the little corner where each person finds themselves.

**Report from The Choice Flame**

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