The Cremades Plans:
A Family's Friendship with Saint Josemaria
ISBN 9781008994324
ASIN B0919QT4FN
This book was recommended on one of the newsletters I read. I had never head of the book or the author prior to that. And I believe this is the only book that Father Javier has published. It is available in Spanish as Los planes de los Cremades: Una familia amiga de san Josemaría and in English as The Cremades Plans:
A Family's Friendship with Saint Josemaria. The description of the book is:
“My father, Juan Antonio Cremades, first met Saint Josemaria Escrivá when they were fellow-students in the Department of Law at the University of Zaragoza, Spain, from 1925 to 1927. It was there that they made friends. Years later, at a very painful time for the founder of the Opus Dei, when his mother had just died, my father was able to do him a service for which Saint Josemaria was very grateful ever after. And for that reason, the large Cremades family – my parents and all of us ten siblings – enjoyed a very close, direct friendship with him until he went to Heaven. In this book I have collected some of the adventures – really big adventures! – that we had with our father and friend, Saint Josemaria. I have tried to highlight his kindness, the affection and friendly warmth that he scattered (especially on my lucky family), his sanctity, his joy and sense of humor. Also, his closeness to God, and the way he was able to bring all those who crossed his path closer to God.”
And it was an absolutely fascinating read. I have known many great priests, but cannot imagine having a priest as a family friend while growing up who is now canonized. A family friend who had deep affection for your parents and for your entire family. But that is the store we encounter in the vibrant, entertaining, and often humorous biography. This story was a wonderful read.
The family, their faith, their friendship with Saint Josemaria Escriva. Wow! It is wo well written. The sections in this book are:
Introduction
Death of Doña Dolores
The reason for this book
Students at the university
The Father enters our family
We meet for the first time
A chase straight from a film
The First Communion of my youngest siblings
My parents’ legacy
Silver Wedding Anniversary in Rome
My eldest sister and I
We made a start
Mass and breakfast at Villa Tevere
Toccata and fugue
Saint Paul VI meets our family
The wheels of justice turn slowly, but surely
Afternoon snack at Villa Sacchetti
Enjoying Rome, and farewell
On our return, the great decision
The day after
Six months later
Seven years after my failed escape attempt
And my sister, the one with the boyfriend…?
And the rest of the gang…?
Absolutely free
Jewels for a monstrance
The mother of the sons of Zebedee, twentieth-century version
Another even bigger plan
The issue of the photographer keeps rumbling on
Surgery
From Salamanca to the Eternal City
Like sardines in a can
It is very hard to be the Father. His love for the Pope
Entertaining the Father
The Father comes to dinner
A big announcement and general mobilization
The Father’s arrival at our house
In the dining room
An after-dinner chat
With Our Lady, after the Father
Some interesting comments
«Operazione Cremates»
Hippies at the airport
Spending time with the Father
More and more grateful to God
The two young pigeons
The Brafa film
A priest in the family
Consommé with a cassock
Thirty years getting a present ready
Everything is ready… and the great day arrives
A saint at my feet
Another boiling consommé
Goodbye kisses, before going to Heaven
The engineer is ordained a priest
A Tale Without End
The author
The beginning of the introduction states:
“My name is Javier and I was born in Zaragoza, Spain, at the end of the first half of the twentieth century, in 1946. I am now enjoying my senior years. I have always considered myself honored to have been baptized, a week after I was born, in the basilica of Our Lady of Pilar. I am the fourth of ten siblings, five boys and five girls, the children of a wonderful couple: Pilar and Juan Antonio Cremades.
Both of my parents came from deeply Christian families and tried to be strong in their faith and their love for Jesus Christ and the Church for the whole of their lives. They were, and are – because now, from Heaven, they still keep helping us – the makers and the strength of this happy, funny family.”
And in the chapter on ‘The Reason For This Book’ he states:
“In everyday life, the Father was very, very grateful. Those who lived with him confirm this. He said graphically that if Saint Teresa of Avila – as she said of herself – could be won over with a sardine, I can be won over with a sardine-bone! In our frequent meetings with him, he regularly recalled what had happened in Lerida, and his gratitude to my father extended to my mother and each of their ten children too.”
This book in many ways read like a gratitude journal. With stories of gratitude from Joesemaria Escriva, from the author, and from his whole family. The book also contains many photos and replicas of letters and documents. As mentioned it is entertaining. The author is often self-deprecating, not holding back from telling stories that put him in a bad light.
This is an easy book to pick up and read. But it will be hard to put down. It is amazing to read about this family, their faith, and their interactions with Saint Josemaria. A wonderful read that I highly recommend.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2021 Catholic Reading Plan!
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