Perhaps I could begin as our grandparents commence their stories, “A long, long time ago...” because it is now over twenty-five years ago that I first entered that rectory in Toledo where I attended my first youth meeting. But I am going to start a bit before this, because for me the Home was not only the formation on Saturday afternoons, but from the very beginning it was a way of life, in which all that I did was in relation to Him.

I will tell you my personal situation in the summer of 1981. I was living in Madrid and was fifteen years old (don’t even think about calculating how old I am now!) I had just finished my sophomore year of high school. I was popular and had a group of friends in my confirmation class at the parish, but at the same time I had other friends who were a bit more dangerous. Every once in a while, especially during vacations, we would go down to a village in Toledo, Mocejón, where my parents are from and where I also had a group of friends. In the evenings, our fun was the “dance” where all the teenagers of the village would get together. From the very beginning, this village had a great significance in my life with respects to the Home.

One evening I was at the Mocejón dance with my friends when a good-looking and friendly young man with a great fluency in speech and conviction came up to me and invited me to go for a walk. I think he did so more with the intention of “flirting” with the girl from Madrid than of getting married, but things didn’t turn out has he expected and after nine years of going out, we got married, now over sixteen years ago.

Rafa, this good-looking young man, had gone to two camps with a group called the “Home of the Mother of the Youth” and his spiritual director was a priest named Fr. Rafael Alonso. In reality, I was bothered at first by the fact that he was the “perfect guy:” He was in the same grade as I, he was in a youth group, he liked nature, he was good-looking, he had a motorcycle... it was too good to be true. The fact is, I fell madly in love with him, as you fall in love when you’re 15 and 20 and 30 and... it still lasts, even though he no longer has as much hair and has exchanged the motorcycle for a car that is falling to pieces.

At first, I didn’t like it at all when, after arriving from Madrid, I had to wait for Rafa to return from the meetings with the Home. He thus ended up inviting me to go with him. It was a great adventure to go from Mocejón to Toledo, but once we had tested living and sharing the Home, we never missed any of the afternoon meetings in Toledo. The first day I went, Rafa was leading the meeting for the younger boys and he took me with him, leaving me with the girls who had their own meeting. That first meeting with the younger girls won me over, perhaps because it awoke in me that educative instinct which since then has always been present in my life. I did not enjoy the following meeting with the other teenagers as much as I had the first. I do not know if it was because I had to be with “the priest in a cassock,” even though he also had a great sense of humor...or maybe it was the “old-fashioned” things he said (my Christian background was based on the false idea that ‘Christ lets me do whatever I want because He is my best friend’). Afterwards I was a bit frightened, but the girls invited me back the following week for a camping trip. That sounded more to my liking. What nice girls they were! With the passing of time I discovered that “my beloved Rafa” had made sure that they would “look after me” and invite me to all the activities. During the camping trip, Father spoke to us about Confession. I suppose that he also spoke about other things, but that is all I heard. I don’t know how many years it had been since my last confession. When I got back to Madrid, I stopped in a Church and went to confession.

The following week, a pilgrimage to Fatima was organized and those girls who were so nice, Marivi and the now Sr. Reme and Sr. Conchi, invited me and I went. The night before we left, we made a few preparations for the trip and they taught me some songs. This also attracted me because singing and playing the guitar has always helped me to grow closer to God and Our Mother. I am able to tell them things and express feelings that I can’t otherwise express. During the pilgrimage, I felt for the first time that Our Lady was truly my Mother; she was there with me and she loved me. SHE LOVES ME! When you feel this to be true, nothing else matters. I even almost liked the fact that the priest wore a cassock. From then on, I let God change me. Well, not always, but I lived in peace because I told God: “Do with me whatever You want and if I should ever not let You, feel free to knock me over the head” and He certainly does so whenever I forget.

I continued going to the younger girls’ meetings in Toledo and afterwards Rafa and I stayed for the youth meetings. We not only experienced a spiritual union, but we also saw each other as friends, FRIENDS with capital letters...the type of friends who, even though they do not see each other everyday, share their lives together in every moment because they are on the same path.

Shortly afterwards Rafa organized a camping trip in Mocejón for the younger boys from Toledo and a group of altar boys. After this, a group of boys and girls began in Mocejón. Some of the best experiences I remember from this time period were the Holy Week Retreats that helped us to live Holy Week very intensely. Some of our parents came as well. Another great event was the family Rosary, when we would spend many memorable afternoons together with Our Lady. There soon formed a good group of wonderful parents, without whom we could not have done many things. If any of you are now reading these words, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart.

In July of 1982, a pilgrimage to Italy was organized. One of the first stops was Lourdes. There, across from the grotto, in the shade of a fir tree, some of the girls had a meeting with Father Rafael. He spoke to us about what the Home. If anyone in their right mind had heard us, they would have said we were crazy. Father told us that there would be religious, priests, and families who would defend the Eucharist, defend Our Mother, especially in the privilege of Her virginity, and give their lives for the conquest of the youth for Jesus Christ. He spoke of young people willing to give themselves completely to the Church. Some of our hearts were so full of joy, that we felt they were going to explode.

I remember how Mavisa, Ana, and I were talking together afterwards. We all wanted to make the commitment with the Home. We wanted to live what we had heard, but when we talked to Reme about it, we couldn’t have been more disappointed. She told us that Father was not counting on us, but only on Reme, Conchi, and Marivi, who had been with him longer. When we mentioned it to him, I suppose he must have prayed about it and that Our Mother, who is a great Mother, also wanted us to form part of Her gift, the first part of her gift. She makes Her choices with a criteria that is very different from ours. She doesn’t choose the prettiest, or the most intelligent, or the most loving, or the most generous. She chooses whom She wants, when She wants.

On July 29th, before the tomb of Saint Peter, we made our first committment with Our Lord and Our Mother. It is difficult to express my sentiments, feelings, and thoughts at that time, but I do know that these memories have been present in every moment of my life.

To top it all of, in October 1982, John Paul II came to Spain and we were able to be with him during the youth encounter in Bernabeu Stadium (Madrid) and later in Toledo. It was an unforgettable experience to see that the Church was young and alive, loving the Pope because he was the Head. We felt we were one with him because urged us to be “salt that gives taste to the world,” because he was demanding and also gave. A father always demands, and yet gives more at the same time.

Thank you, Lord, for all that you gave me during those years! Thank you for giving me a knock over the head when I went off the path. Thank you for making me feel so special and chosen. Thank you for my family and thank you for the special graces because I know that even today my children are living experiences in the Home similar to the ones I have lived so, so long ago...but that’s another story!

©HM Magazine No. 136 - May/June 2007