100 years of San Josemaría, founder of Opus Dei

San Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei, was ordained a priest one day like today, on March 28, 1925, 100 years ago. In this note we tell you how his first Mass was two days later, amid the pain of having lost his father a few months before.

The priestly ordination of San Josemaría, which was then 23 years old, was held in the church of San Carlos, in the Spanish city of Zaragoza. The ordination was chaired by Mons. Mons. Miguel de los Santos Díaz Gómara, then auxiliary bishop of Zaragoza.

Andrés Vázquez de Prada, in his book The founder of Opus Deihe says that the saint “continued with the five senses the liturgical ceremonies: the anointing of the hands, the delivery toolsthe words of the consecration … excited and confusing before the goodness of the Lord, had nothing in the day of his call, giving thanks as a tender lover. ”

The first Mass of San Josemarina

Two days later, San Josemaría celebrated his First Mass in the Basilica del Pilar. For that day a stamp was distributed, which on one side had an image of the Virgin Mary, and on the other November 27, 1924. AMDG Invitation and memory “

“In the Holy Chapel before a handful of people, I celebrated my first Mass without noise,” I would write the founder of Opus Dei.

Her cousin, Sixta Cermeño, said about it: “My husband and I were the only ones of the Albás family who, accompanying her mother, we attended that first Mass. We were the mother of Josemaría – the aunt Lola – her sister, the boy – who would be six years old -, we – my husband and me – two neighboring neighbors who are called by Cortes. “They would have the same age as her.

Father José López Sierra described his turn that the mother of the saint, Mrs. Dolores, was “made a sea of ​​tears, which sometimes seemed to faint”, while on his knees, “without even blinking, motionless all the Mass, we contemplated the sacred gestures of that angel on earth.”

Vázquez de Prada also recalls that “the new presbyter had the filial illusion that his mother was the first person who received from his hands one of the ways for him consecrated” but “a lady advanced to Mrs. Dolores to kneel in the recliner when he was going to distribute the communion”, so the new priest was forced to give it first.

The modest celebration later in the Family House occurred with “an excellent plate of rice” and when everyone left, St. Josemaría returned to his room and reviewed “the events of recent months and the recent blows of the day” and “subsidiaryly protested the Lord: how you treat me, how you treat me!”.