The Years of the Second Vatican Council
In 1959, the recently-elected Pope John XXIII convened an ecumenical council: the Second Vatican Council, which began in 1962 and concluded in 1965. St. Josemaría followed with enthusiasm at the inspiring moments and with concern at the moments of tension (which were not lacking), the Council's sessions, and took great interest when the different documents approved were later put into practice, attending to processes of renovation and change.

The expansion of Opus Dei drew attention to its Founder not only from Christian spheres, but also from society as a whole, and from the media. From 1966 onwards, journalists from France, the United States, Spain, and Italy met and interviewed St. Josemaría. In all cases these were ample interviews, in which the Founder of Opus Dei answered questions thoroughly. In 1968, all these interviews and a homily delivered in 1967 were published as Conversations with Msgr. Escrivá de Balaguer. During these years, St. Josemaría considered it opportune to select, revise, and publish some of the meditations and homilies he had delivered: this was the origin of two new books: Christ is Passing By, which appeared in 1973, and Friends of God, published posthumously in 1977. Other works also published after St. Josemaría's death include: The Way of the Cross (1981), Furrow (1986) and The Forge (1987).