Blessed José Olallo

Celebrating the second Centenary of his birth (1820-2020)

   

Modelof Holiness for a renewed Hospitality


HisFeast Day, 12 February

 

 

JoséOlallo, an exemplary Brother

BlessedJosé Olallo Valdés was a Brother of St John of God, ever watchful andpersevering. The Lord found him at his post, caring for the sick; this is whyHe called him his "good and faithful servant," and threw open thegates of paradise to him. The Church publicly proclaimed his holiness on 29 November2008 and invites us to imitate him. 

WeBrothers of St. John of God, and the Church in Cuba, and especially all thepeople of Camagüey, have all beenenriched with so many gifts, including the gift of the holiness that Brother Olallopractised and manifested in hospitality (Cf. 1Cor. 1, 3-9). Let us thank Godfor this great gift, here in this city of Camagüey, where Brother Olallo livedand bore witness to Our Lord’s merciful love.

 

Witnesses 

Followinghis death, numerous witnesses bore testimony to the holiness of Brother Olallo,with such words as these:

"hearrived alone, without a name, to the gate of the hospice; at the time of hisdeath he was acclaimed the Father of the poor";

fora long time he was the soul of his hospital;

hespent his life nursing the sick; with one hand he gave them bread, with theother he gave them the Spirit;

hismemory lives on for ever.

 

For54 years he devoted himself to constantly and generously serving the poor and thesick. His nursing work wasalways driven by great zeal for the holistic care of the person and by a humbleand friendly spirituality.

 

Hedied on 7 March 1889, leaving everyone in admiration of him in their grief. Hisfuneral was the occasion for the people to acclaim him to be a saint enteringheaven. 

 

On16 December 2006, Pope Benedict XVI declared that the Servant of God hadpractised the theological, cardinal and related virtues to a heroic degree. Andon 29 November, 2008, he was proclaimed Blessed in the city of Camagüey. 

 

He lived the Gospel of mercy in person 

BlessedOlallo Valdés is a gift, an example, a familiar model for our hospitaller  work. Blessed Olallo is one of those ordinary saintswho have shown us that holiness is not a luxury, or the privilege of the few, andthat it can be attained in our ordinary lives, but by extraordinarily doingordinary things every day. 

 

BlessedOlallo’s life was a commentary on the most beautiful pages of the Gospel:mercy, hospitality, serving the sick, works of charity: giving food and drink, visitingthe sick, healing and loving; the whole chapter of the Beatitudes (Mt.5); thechapter on the Good Samaritan (Lk 10); the chapter on the Last Judgment: come,my true and faithful servant, and enter into joy, because I was hungry,thirsty, and sick ..., and you gave me food and drink, and you visited me..(Mt.25).

 

BlessedOlallo is now in the "wonderful garden" of the holiness of theChurch, and a source of pride for us hospitallers, because his life, hisexample in the way he lived his consecration and stood by the sick in times ofdifficulty, crisis, and change, should be like a new springtime for us at thismoment in society and the Church through which we have to live our lives. 

 

Called to be holy. 

Letus be attracted to the supernatural way of practising hospitality in difficult times,as Blessed Olallo practised it; let us be attracted to the wonder of holinesswhich is everyone's task. All of us are called to be saints, to form part ofthe rainbow of the saints, where each one gives out a different light, each onereflecting the light of God's holiness. The ray of light our Blessed gave out iscalled charity, love, it is called hospitality; a strong, very special light inthe rainbow of holiness.

 

This,then, is our life project – to be saints. So let’s  get on with it! Let’s go to the University ofthe Holy Spirit; we will learn the essential things for making us holy. Let usgo to the school of the saints, of our Brother - Blessed Olallo – where willfind a model, a familiar example we can follow. Let's not leave it untiltomorrow. Now the train of holiness is approaching – let’s jump on theHospitality carriage. Let's get on, and let it carry us to a wonderful destination.


+ José L. REDRADO, O.H.

 

 

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