Ways of ceasing to belong to St Raphael’s work

The young people cease to belong to the St Raphael work, first of all when they write the letter asking to join the Work in order to dedicate their lives entirely to the service of the Church and of souls; secondly, when with the passage of time they feel they have a vocation but not with the same sort of self-giving, and they ask to join the Work with an identical divine vocation, in order to give themselves to God in Opus Dei in a different sort of way.

Others cease belonging to the St Raphael work when they begin to become professionally established, and the apostolate carried out with them corresponds rather to the St Gabriel work.

Keeping in touch with everyone

Finally there are others who leave voluntarily. For some of these it was clear that they did not fit in and would never come to understand and assimilate the spirit of the Work. For others, circumstances lead them to far-away places where they can collaborate only with their prayer. Always try to maintain cordial relations with all of them: directly and personally with the former, and by letter with the latter. Believe me, if you don’t do that, you will lose very valuable collaborators and you will cease doing good to their souls.