In the archives of our lives, some dates are marked in red. “These are dates that will never be covered over by the dust of forgetfulness because they are forever entered into the haven of memory.”
In the month of June 1957, the Superior of the house entrusted father Ignacio with the responsibility of preaching in a small town in Navarre. His heart danced with joy. He couldn’t have received more welcome news than speaking about the love of Jesus.
He caught the bus in Pamplona, to a little town called Gallipienzo, where he was to serve.
During Saturday afternoon he dedicated long hours to the confessional. He spoke to each one of the penitents about the heart of mercy and unconditional love of Christ Jesus.
And then it happened what Father Ignacio tells in his book : “Night came. I went to bed. I couldn’t sleep; the dark clouds of my soul would not dissipate. I got up and went over to the window to take in some fresh air and contemplate the stars. I don’t remember well whether I was still thinking about my ill humor or trying to pray, but the fact is that suddenly, something happened. And here we arrive at the fatal moment of having to explain the inexplicable”.
“Forty years have passed since that night, but all of its details are as alive and present in my memory as if they had just occurred this very night. But I am convinced that not then, nor now, nor ever, can it be reduced into exact words. Only metaphorical language can evoke, envisage or shed some light on what happened there.”
What was it? An enlightenment. An enlightenment that embraced and illuminated the entire universe of my soul. It was vast oceans teeming with life and movement. A flood of tenderness. An irresistible tide of affection that pulls, captivates, moves, and reshapes – like swiftly moving currents tumble rocks in a river…
What was it? Perhaps just one word could synthesize “it”: LOVE. The love that assails, invades, floods, surrounds, pervades, and drives one mad.
Awareness was not removed; it was overflowing. My state of consciousness was swept and carried away by the floodtide of love which submerged everything in a state of total intoxication. There was no alternative but to yield, to surrender and to weep, without knowing what to say or do. It is the full and total possession wherein all desires and words are silenced forever.
…………
Some fifteen years after that intoxicating night occurred, in other words, when he was 45 old, his fundamental work begun: books, Encounters, Prayer and Life Workshops, massive Gatherings, audio cassettes, videos…
Father Ignacio affirms that “the broad, vital outlines of this complex and varied work (PLW) emerged from the experience of that eventful night, as for example: the never ending message of the eternal, gratuitous love of the Father; surrender as the mainframe of inner liberation and the living of pure faith; The absolute principle of his message is: “The will of God is to be happy”.
“This mosaic of colors, accents and forces of sustenance that constitute the backbone of our message and work were derived and have evolved from that glorious night in which the waves of love inundated me for all time.”
Extracted from the book “The Fire and the Rose” by Father Ignacio Larrañaga
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