January 9, 1902 - Josemaría Escriva's arrival into the world

Tags: Barbastro, The Escriva family

Saint Josemaria Escriva in 1903

Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer was born in the Spanish city of Barbastro on January 9,1902, and died in Rome on June 26,1975.

A few weeks before his death, trying to bring his life into sharp focus, he expressed a deep awareness of Divine Providence: "Our Lord has made me see how he has been leading me by the hand." There was for him just one pivotal date between the years 1902 and 1975: October 2, 1928, the day Opus Dei was founded. This supernatural event marked his life so profoundly that almost every autobiographical reference reflects an indelible consciousness of a personal mission. Describing his arrival into the world, he says, "God our Lord was preparing things so that my life would be normal and everyday, nothing extraordinary. He had me born in a Christian home, as was typical in my country, of exemplary parents who practiced and lived their faith."

Josemaría was born near the end of a winter's day, at about ten o’clock at night. For this reason he used to say, with a twinkle in his eye, that his first moments had been like the footsteps of "a sleepwalker," for he had begun life with a whole night ahead of him. But in saying this he probably also was making a veiled allusion to the long night of obscurity that for years enveloped his spiritual mission.

On the next day, January 10, he was entered into the city register of births. These facts were recorded there:

That said boy was born at 10:00 P.M. yesterday in the home of his parents, at 26 Calle Mayor. That he is the legitimate son of Don Jose Escrivá, merchant, 33 years old, and of Doña Dolores Albás, 23 years old, of Fonz and Barbastro respectively. That he is the grandson, on his father's side, of Don Jose Escrivá, deceased, and of Doña Constancia Corzan [sic], natives of Peralta de la Sal and Fonz respectively. And on his mother's side, of Don Pascual Albas, deceased, and of Doña Florencia Blanc, natives of Barbastro.
And that said boy has been registered with the names of José María, Julián, and Mariano.

The fragments of the baptismal font of Barbastro’s cathedral, have been donate to Opus Dei and are now in Rome

A few days later, on January 13, the Octave of the Epiphany and the feast of the Baptism of our Lord, he was baptized in the cathedral of Barbastro with the names that were already inscribed in the city register: Jose, for his father and grandfather; Maria, out of devotion to the Blessed Virgin; Julian, for the saint on whose feast day he was born; and Mariano, in honor of his godfather.

Through the years, Josemaría showed deep gratitude toward the priest who had conferred this sacrament on him. His name was Angel Malo [bad angel] -a name not easily forgotten! Father Josemaría remembered him every day in the Memento of the Masses he celebrated over the course of half a century. He showed the same kind of gratitude to his godparents.

From "The Founder of Opus Dei", Vol. 1. Vazquez de Prada.