With the desire to enter the heart of the venerable José Gras from October to May, every first Thursday of the month at the afternoon, several members of the sea and daughters of Christ the King have gathered telematically in an unavoidable appointment. A total of ten laity from the movement from Benifaió, Granada, Jaén and Sevilla, have participated in the II edition of the course entitled «José Gras: Introduction to his spirituality». An optional and open course whose objectives have been, among others, to contextualize the venerable at a specific time in the history of Spain and the Church; As well as reading, praying and deepening first -hand texts by Joseph Gras, discovering the royalty and sovereignty of Christ in his thinking.
As a prelude to each meeting, builders and communities of the kingdom have gradually doing a praying and reflexive reading of chapters of "After the king's footprints", Book written by Mª Fernanda Mendoza Ruiz, daughter of Cristo Rey, who can be considered the Vademécum of the spirituality of the Venerable. Over time, there have been different people who, as speakers, have accompanied this process of deepening in our charism: Alberto de Castro, Flor Mª Porras, Ángeles Carámbano, Eva Maldonado and Francisco José Sánchez Corrales.
The climax to this magnificent experience has been a face -to -face meeting that has been titled «From the Verge del Immaculada: María in José Gras». Between May 31 and June 1, training participants have abandoned the screens to find themselves physically in Granada, being the emblematic abbey of the sacromonte witness of the reunion. On Saturday morning, lay and religious joined the prayer of the Church with the laudes and then delved into the Marian devotions of fat throughout their lives. In a dynamic way they made a biographical journey by interspersing texts and games, standing at four moments: his agramuntí childhood; his pilgrimage being seminarista in Barcelona to Montserrat; his belonging and contribution to the Marian Bibliographic Academy in his Ecijana stage; and, finally, his participation of the popular devotion of the Granada of the Virgen de las Angustias.
During the afternoon, Abad, Mr. Antonio Fernández Siles, made Cicerone in the offices
private and explained what was Sacromontan daily life at the end of the 19th and early twentieth. This could be located to the venerable in its spatial and routine context, because we remember that he lived for more than half a century between the walls of the Sacromonte abbey whose motto is «Maria did not touch the sin first."
Next, the encounter was focused on the Immaculate, beginning with an approach to the history and art of abbey to continue with the evolution of theological reflection on dogma. A tour from the patristic passing through the figure of the Blessed Juan Duns Escoto until reaching the "Ineffable God" The apostolic letter of Pope Pius IX that defined the immaculist dogma when José Gras was just twenty years old.
After the training, the most special moment of the day with the worship of the exposed Lord came, an intimate moment in an unparalleled space. And, in the movement we assume as directed to us the words of the Catalan priest in good: "Tax adoration of infinite love and defend the infinite honor of the King of Kings." On Saturday he concluded with a fraternal and relaxed evening in a restaurant in Albayzín.
On the morning of VI Sunday of Easter, after the laudes, builders and communities of the kingdom they held a literary walk through the Immaculist Granada by the hand of the hand of «The talisman of Mary». Starting from the venerable crypt, they toured emblematic grenades enclaves. Places where José walked and in which lay people delighted not only with the genius of the fat feather, but also with the unbeatable beauty of architecture, sculpture and painting linked to the Immaculate in the Andalusian city. The meeting culminated with the Eucharist in the Cathedral chaired by Mr. José Mª Gil Tamayo, Archbishop of Granada.
We take advantage of these lines to thank the Abbey of the Sacromonte, in general, and its abbot, in particular, the closeness and kindness with which they always host our movement. We also express our gratitude to the Cabildo of the Metropolitan Cathedral, and especially his Dean, Mr. Eduardo García López, for the collaboration and help in the preparation of this meeting.
