56 YEARS AT THE SERVICE OF HOSPITALITY

As I look back over my 56 years of life lived in hospitality, I can clearly see a common thread running through it, the driving force of my whole life: the presence of God throughout. He is the protagonist of my journey, the fulcrum and life-giving power, driving my path forward and giving a meaning to my life as a man consecrated to hospitality.

My thoughts go back to the day on which, without really knowing why, I left my village and entered the Apostolic College of the Brothers of St John of God in Palencia. This decision marked the whole path my life was to take.

This was followed by several stages: the first stage was when I was sent to Bolivia, which was quite a novel experience, and one that left its mark on my vision of life, in contact with another culture, with other people and their needs, that overturn your life plans and the way you live your consecration.

On my return to Spain I spent a long period travelling from one Apostolic Centre to another, responsible for animating community groups and managing different Centres.

The third stage is the present one, facing sickness, as I manage this final phase, ready as always to do God’s will, struggling with passion to recover my health - a stage which is giving me the opportunity to live and experience fragility at the service of hospitality, from another dimension as the agent of Humanisation, fostering and encouraging opportunities for dialogue and evangelisation.