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| Bishop Alvaro (right) with St. Josemaria Escriva |
It is almost one month now since we all got to learn about the date of Bishop Alvaro del Portillo's beatification in Madrid, Spain. I write this article today, February 19th, to honor him on the celebration of his saint's day.
As I may have mentioned in a previous post, the first prayer card I ever received was Bishop Alvaro's. It was given by my Communication I professor on the day I was taking a 'make-up' exam for his subject. I remember clearly that I was feeling bad and reluctant to take that exam since it wasn't my fault that my blue book, i.e. what students from my university would use as official answer sheet for semestral exams --- was lost or misplaced by my professor. He said he was really sorry he couldn't find it anymore and that the only option left for him was to request me to retake the exam or I will just have to bear getting an incomplete (INC) grade for his subject. It took a while before I decided to retake the exam hoping that my blue book could still be found. But apparently, it was irrecoverable. And of course, who would want to get an INC mark in the first semester of one's first year in college!
I was feeling particularly bad because I recall that I was suffering from sore eyes on our final exam day for Communication I. I struggled to read through all the exam questions wearing dark shades. It was quite a painful ordeal for me to be in that condition. And after just a week, here comes my professor saying that he couldn't seem to locate my blue book.
But maybe God has his ways of introducing me to the Work of God through Bishop Alvaro. And now I look back always grateful to my college professor, Prof. Vibar, for having 'lost' my blue book.
The date of Bishop del Portillo's beatification will be on September 27, 2014 as many of us from the center have started to prepare to be in Madrid and swing by Rome for a week or so.
Bishop Alvaro, St. Josemaria Escriva's first successor in Opus Dei, has always been a very strong support to our Father. For this reason, he was called 'Saxum' by St. Josemaria. Saxum is the Latin word for 'rock', just like how Jesus called St. Peter 'the Rock' on which He will build his Church.
A big project is underway in the Holy Land where a conference center of Opus Dei will soon rise. It will be called 'Saxum Conference Center' in honor of Bishop Alvaro.
For those who wish to know how they can support the construction of Saxum, please visit http://www.saxum.org/.