Today we greet each other Happy Valentine’s Day. Flowers and roses are sent to our beloved women in our lives. Today we also celebrate important historical anniversaries in Opus Dei, a personal prelature of the Catholic Church, namely, the anniversary of the start of the apostolate of Opus Dei with women and the anniversary of the foundation of the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross. Both these landmark dates point to the persevering prayer of the Founder, St. Josemaria Escriva, who initially did not think women could form part of Opus Dei and who could not find the solution of having priests ordained to serve in Opus Dei. On February 14 in their respective years, God nudged St. Josemaria forward to include women in the Prelature’s apostolate and to found the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross that will be intrinsically joined to the Prelature by which priest could be ordained with the Prelature as title of ordination.

All these should help us check our hearts’ content. The contemplation of the Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple will aid us in appreciating the pure heart of Mary and Joseph as they experienced those anxious moments.