Wanting Jesus Alone to Shine Illustrated Biography of St

JESÚS GIL & ENRIQUE MUÑIZ

WANTING JESUS ALONE TO SHINE ILLUSTRATED BIOGRAPHY OF ST. JOSEMARIA ESCRIVA, THE FOUNDER OF OPUS DEI

Josemaria Escriva is born 1902 Introduction in Barbastro, Spain, — page 10 January 9 and baptized January 13. 1. For something very great Josemaria falls seriously 1904 — page 12 sick and recovers unexpectedly through the intercession of Our Lady of Torreciudad.

2. The only shame is to sin Between 1910 and 1913 1910 — page 16 his three younger sisters all die. 3. Next year will be my turn — page 20 April 23, Josemaria 1912 makes his First Holy Communion.

His father’s business fails 1915 and the family moves to Logroño, Spain.

Signs of a vocation 1917 emerge. Josemaria enrolls as a day- 1918 4. Footprints in the snow student at the Logroño — page 28 Seminary in 1918. Copyright © Midwest Theological Forum www.theologicalforum.org

Josemaria moves to 1920 5. Nights spent in prayer Zaragoza to complete — page 34 his training for the priesthood, living in the St. Francis of Paola Seminary.

3 TIMELINE – LIST OF CONTENTS

Still at the seminary, Josemaria 1923 begins studying for a law degree. November 27, his father dies. 1924 6. José Escriva — page 40 March 28, Josemaria 1925 7. In a country parish ordained a priest. — page 46

April, Fr. Josemaria moves to 1927 Madrid to do a doctorate in law. October 2, Fr. Josemaria is 1928 8. Madrid, October 2, 1928 inspired by God to found — page 50 Opus Dei, a path to holiness through daily work and ordinary life. Sixteen months later, on February 1930 9. Women in Opus Dei 14, 1930, God makes him — page 58 realize that Opus Dei is for 10. New lights women too. — page 66 11. Founded on suffering — page 72 Opens the DYA Academy 1933 12. The first craziness for students in Madrid. — page 78 Consideraciones espirituales 1934 published in Cuenca, Spain, as the forerunner of The Way.

The Spanish Civil War breaks out; 1936 13. Summer 1936 Fr. Josemaria forced into hiding. — page 82 Fr. Josemaria escapes from 1937 14. A rose in the night the Republican Zone via — page 86 the Pyrenees; in 1938, he 1938 settles in Burgos, Spain. First edition of The Way 1939 15. Beginning again published in Spanish. — page 96 Copyright © Midwest Theological Forum www.theologicalforum.org 16. How trivial all setbacks are! March 19, the Bishop of Madrid 1941 — page 104 grants the first diocesan approval to Opus Dei.

February 14, during Mass, 1943 17. The Priestly Society God shows him how priests of the Holy Cross — page 110 can belong to Opus Dei. 4 UNITED Vancouver CANADA KINGDOM IRELAND NETHERLANDS TIMELINE – LIST OF CONTENTS Dublin Seattle London Berlin GERMANY Québec BELGIUM Bonn Paris Ottawa Montréal AUSTRIA Toronto SWITZERLAND FRANCE Boston om Chicago New York June 25, the first 1944 San Francisco UNITED STATES SPAIN PORTUGAL Washington D.C. ITALY ordination of Opus Dei Lisbon Madrid faithful to the priesthood. Los Angeles TUNISIA MOROCCO Houston Fr. Josemaria moves to Rome. 1946 18. Another night spent in prayer Atlantic Ocean ALGERIA — page 122 Miami LIBYA MEXICO WESTERN The Holy See grants Opus Dei 1947 CUBA SAHARA México DOMINICAN its first pontifical approval. City REPUBLIC HAITI MAURITANIA JAMAICA CAPE MALI PUERTO NIGER June 29, Fr. Josemaria sets 1948 19. The Roman Colleges of the GUATEMALA HONDURAS VERDE RICO SENEGAL up the Roman College of the Holy Cross and of Holy Mary EL SALVADOR NICARAGUA GAMBIA Holy Cross for men from all GUINEA — page 128 COSTA RICA Caracas IVORY NIGERIA over the world. PANAMA VENEZUELA SIERRA LEONE COAST Bogotá LIBERIA CAMEROON June 16, Pope Ven. Pius XII grants 1950 20. Marriage as a divine vocation COLOMBIA definitive approval to Opus Dei, enabling Quito CONGO — page 136 GABON diocesan priests to join the Priestly 21. Three consecrations ECUADOR Society of the Holy Cross and people of — page 140 PERU any religion or none to become Opus Dei BRAZIL Lima Cooperators. Fr. Josemaria is made an ANGOLA

Honorary Domestic Prelate (Monsignor). La Paz Brasilia 1953 22. In Rome and from Rome BOLIVIA December 12, he sets up Rio de km , to the whole world Janeiro the Roman College of Paciﬁc Ocean — page 146 PARAGUAY Sao Paulo NAMIBIA Holy Mary for women Asunción m, from all over the world. CHILE

URUGUAY Montevideo Santiago Buenos Aires ARGENTINA He is appointed a member 1957 of the Pontifical Theological Academy, and Consultor to the Congregation for Seminaries.

He is awarded an honorary doctorate 1960 by the University of Zaragoza, Spain. Copyright © Midwest Theological Forum He is appointed Consultor to the 1961 www.theologicalforum.org Pontifical Commission for the Authentic Interpretation of the Code of Canon Law. 1962 23. Second Vatican Council October 11, the Second — page 162 Vatican Council begins.

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November 21, Pope St. Paul VI 1965 inaugurates the ELIS Centre in Rome providing training for manual workers. Publication of the book 1967 Conversations with Msgr. Escriva de Balaguer.

Opus Dei holds an Extraordinary General 1969 Congress to study its transformation into a personal prelature. 1970 24. At the feet of Our Lady of Guadalupe Msgr. Josemaria visits Mexico — page 170 to pray at the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He makes a two-month catechetical 1972 25. Catechetical travels trip through Spain and Portugal. — page 178 Publication of Christ 1973 is Passing By. Msgr. Josemaria makes a six-month 1974 catechetical trip to Latin America. February, Msgr. Josemaria 1975 26. Back to Torreciudad makes a further pastoral visit — page 192 to Latin America. May 25, visits 27. Looking at Our Lady Barbastro and Torreciudad in — page 200 Spain. June 26, he dies in Rome. At that point sixty thousand people belong to Opus Dei. September 15, Alvaro del Portillo elected as Msgr. Josemaria’s first successor.

Josemaria Escriva’s cause of 1981 canonization opens in Rome. Copyright © Midwest Theological Forum November 28, St. John Paul II 1982 www.theologicalforum.org declares Opus Dei a personal prelature, a canonical form desired by St. Josemaria and made possible by the Second Vatican Council. Msgr. Alvaro del Portillo appointed as its first prelate, and afterwards (1991) ordained a Bishop.

8 Wanting Jesus Alone to Shine

St. Josemaria’s book Furrow 1986 is published posthumously in Spanish, followed by The 1987 Forge in 1987. Previously the books Friends of God (1977) and The Way of the Cross (1981) had been published.

The Holy See publishes its Decree on 1990 the Heroic Virtues of Josemaria Escriva. The Holy See publishes its 1991 Decree on a miraculous cure attributed to his intercession. 1992 May 17, St. John Paul II beatifi es Josemaria Escriva in St. Peter’s Square, Rome. March 23, Bishop Alvaro 1994 del Portillo dies a few hours after returning to Rome from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. April 20, St. John Paul II, confi rming the results of Opus Dei’s General Elective Congress St. Josemaria’s spiritual message: in Rome, appoints Msgr. The divine paths of the earth Javier Echevarria prelate — page 218 of Opus Dei.

The Holy See publishes its Decree 2001 on a second miraculous cure attributed to Blessed Josemaria. 2002 October 6, the canonization Copyright © Midwest Theological Forum of St. Josemaria Escriva in www.theologicalforum.org St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican. Publication begins of historical-critical editions of St. Josemaria’s complete works, including previously unpublished writings.

9 Madrid, October 2, 1928

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Two years after his ordination Fr. Josemaria moved to Madrid, with the permission of his bishop, arriving on April 20, 1927. In 1923 he began studying for a law degree at the University of Zaragoza, and completed it after being ordained. Now he wanted to study for a doctorate in law, which could only be done at the Central University in Madrid. In Madrid he worked untiringly in priestly ministry. He served as chap- lain to the Foundation for the Sick, a charitable institution; prepared thousands of children for their First Confession and First Holy Communion; and visited thousands of the sick and those with special needs, either in their homes or in hospitals. He criss-crossed Madrid regularly to admin- ister the Anointing of the Sick and Viaticum to those who were dying, often alone, in the poorest parts of the city. * * * Barbastro, Logroño, Zaragoza, Madrid: each of these held special meaning for St. Josemaria, for different reasons. Barbastro, where he spent his childhood, held a host of memories where joys and deep sorrows inter- mingled. Logroño, where he received God’s call and his father died. Zara- goza, where he was ordained and celebrated his first solemn Mass in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Pillar. Madrid, however, would forever have a special place in his heart. He loved to say, referring to St. Paul, that Ma- drid was his Damascus. It was in Madrid that God revealed to him his will and gave him at last, after so many years, the light for which he had been begging. It was a clear, rousing call that fully confirmed the signs he had felt deep in his soul since he was a teenager.

Copyright © Midwest Theological Forum The whole experience was www.theologicalforum.orgsimple, deep, and unexpected, what he called “the way God does things.” On the morning of October 2, 1928, he was making a retreat in the main monastery of the Vincentian Fathers in Madrid. He was in his room, re-reading the notes he had made over the past ten years of the various suggestions from God he perceived in his soul. Suddenly he saw, with utter clarity, the mission that the Lord was entrust- ing to him. It was to open up in the world a path to holiness through people’s daily work and ordinary duties. →

51 8. MADRID, OCTOBER 2, 1928

(Above) The Foundation for the Sick, Madrid. (Below) Notes to St. Josemaria with details of sick people needing his pastoral ministry in different parts of Madrid.

(Above) The Central University, Madrid, where St. Josemaria earned a law doctorate.

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From that day onward, he knew with certainty that this was the task to which he had to dedicate his whole life. This was what he had been pray- ing for since he was a teen. There was no room for doubt: he had seen it: see was the verb he always used to describe that decisive moment, while the bells of the neighboring church of Our Lady of the Angels were pealing. Those joyous bells would never cease to sound in his ears. * * * ASQUELADD / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Three years ago today, he wrote on October 2, 1931, in the Vincentian monastery, I was putting order into some scattered notes I’d been taking. At that point, the mangy donkey realized the beautiful, heavy load that God our Lord in his inexplicable goodness was placing on its shoulders. That day, the Lord founded his Work: from that point on, I began to do apostolate with lay people, students and others but all young. And to form groups. And to pray and get others to pray. And to suffer… And he added, I received enlightenment about the whole of the Work while I was reading through those papers. I was shaken to the core. I knelt down – I was alone in my room, between one talk and the next – and thanked God, and it still moves me to recall the pealing of the bells of Our Lady of the Angels church. * * * Out of humility he referred to himself as a mangy donkey in his Personal Notes. I’m worth nothing, I have nothing, I can do nothing, I know nothing, I am nothing – nothing! he would say. This acknowledgement of his own lowliness led him constantly to praise God’s greatness and the marvels the Lord was working in his life. ◼

(Right) St. Josemaria in the 1920s.