Preface
How I convince myself to print this book
Two
things were there, and being honest: i) a call to guide some who could follow
this examples of life, and who I ask to do the same type of little book to the
people in your home area, for tourists, pilgrims, travelers, and, for example,
using the toponymy of California or Texas lands you can fill out a book of
resumed bios of many saints, around you, there, and give another point of view
to people who lives in San Diego, San Francisco, Corpus Christi, San Antonio,
etc. ii) the thing that give me strength enough to try to publish something
like this, outside a science paper on biology (which I have started with 3
papers and counting, in next 60 years...), have been the fate or good luck of
knowing Ana Urrutia, the librarian of Huarte (Island in basque,
of the Arga river you come descending from Pyrenees), the Ville where I happily
live right now and in the next years, and where I have found peace and serenity
to write some thesis, projects, and this little book!; if you are in Huarte's
Shelter you could see the first window where I used to sit behind in a calm
library ambient. Why Ana helped me and how: she gave me as a gift, for our
mutual empathy, a master piece of Whitman, in Spanish, translated by Borges! in
which, in the first page stays ...
"Mi lengua, cada molécula de mi sangre formada por esta
tierra y este aire.
Nacido
aquí de padres cuyos padres nacieron aquí y
cuyos
padres también aquí nacieron.
A
los treinta y siete años de edad, gozando de perfecta salud,
Comienzo
y espero no detenerme hasta morir."
The mention of his age, 37, and the
intention of never stop, as I have chosen, lead me to gain enough confidence to
communicate with you, dear Pilgrim, now, than I am 37 and begins to publish my
passion on life, on people, on love.
Mikel Alberto
de Elguezabal Méndez
Index
Preface: iii
Introduction: ........................................................1
Santiago:.............................................................16
San Fermin: .......................................................23
San Miguel: .........................................................31
San Roque: .........................................................36
San Ignacio: .......................................................40
San Francisco Javier: ...........................................47
Juan Bonal: .......................................................53
Virgin at Lourdes:
..............................................58
San José María:
................................................62
Virgin at Fátima:
..............................................65
Ignacio Larrañaga:
............................................71
Iñaki Berecibar: .................................................73
Epilogue: .........................................................75
Corollary: .......................................................82
Introduction
Welcome to my first public
work, a synthesis of some characters and spirits who touch my soul in various
ways. I am a biologist, I study life, and life in these historical days is
changing in every level; I have 3 kids, I have to do something to protect them
but also I want to help the World, in some way.
By own thinking, one have
"discovered" what others persons first have saw more easily: that
every human being is formed of 3 "stuffs", the famous concepts of
Mind, Body and Spirit! Yes, but I just realized that short before, maybe after
a mortal accident in which anyone can measure the significance of life and its
philosophical battles. I have proven in flesh the fragility of my organs but,
at the same time the miraculous and perfection of cells, self repairing nature,
of each creature. So, like that, I imagine an analogy to explain this to my
teenage university students from every social origin at Cumaná,
Venezuela, the oldest European
city in South America.
I begins to share, orally,
"my theory of Trinitarian conformation, and confirmation, of the Being in
each one of us, like this: as "à la mode" technologies, screening us
today, we use a Hardware, a device, a Body, and, its functions
are governed by Software, the artificial intelligence, the Mind,
both of these are nothing without a plug to power line or a battery, the
Energy! the Spirit! So, I resumed this view at the back cover;
please improve it, add your concepts in every circle after your opinions and
believes, and discuss it among friends you march right now...
Because, you are near here
now walking, no?, you have come travelling skies, trails, seas, and now,
walking. Have you stopped to think why you started to walk or move? to know
people? to know yourself? to talk with God? to discover life and nature? to
think in positive things?, seeking answers we are since kids until mature
ages...Thanks God you choose to walk this roads and path, because if less aggressive
than run it, I mean aggressive to your cartilages, bones, in the actual running
era...
Walking is more natural,
sprint to avoid dangers also, but jogging I am not so sure. Well, natural
things are made of wise decisions of Nature and Creature. I am a biologist, of the
few that teaches on Big Bang theory, Oparin & Miller coincidences in first
organic molecules random fixing, and Darwin or Wallace dogmas of Evolution, but
at the same time I give freedom to my students to answer using the Creationism
Believe, if they Believe of course. So, many Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's
Witness and Muslim students that I have had, used this option, and I am sure
that if I have had Jewish, Mormon, Orthodox, Copt, Buddhist, Hindu or Shinto
students, also.
I use to mention all
religions too in my talks, because these belong to the red circle of the cover
back, as a part of Culture of our biological species. Faith is another thing,
is another level when you discover the Spirit inside you and your friends and
family.
I like to chat, in 3D, in
live and touching hands, feeling, smelling, smiling, and having a good
Venezuelan coffee, with my Muslim and Jewish brothers. They borrow me their
religion's texts; I read it the better I can in this urgency life we live these
days. I, happy on the "coincidences" of our religions, mention that
many prophets in the Old Testament explain how the Messiah would come and
suffer, and, in the Arab written Book of Muslims, it is mentioned Issa, the Arabic
name of Jesus, more than 50 times. Check it out.
I am aware of actual
separation among our views, culturally based, but the task must remain in try
and try, always, of understanding each other, mutually recognizing us. Details
as if some does not eat or drink such things and we do, or, that Jesus had
brothers if Mary had children later His Immaculate Conception, (or from a
widower Joseph alone before) are, as our Jesuits priest Iñaki Berecibar Aramburu
used to said my wife and me: "secondary truths".
Also, the positives values
and thoughts of "eastern" religions and native religions of new and
old "worlds" are capable of being concatenated one by one with our
monotheist branches of Faith.
Once I have visited the Moroccan Kingdom, I use to stands what I have
seen and felt in its Souks and "ruelles" and newspapers
there: with the 3 official dates for Muslims, Jewish and Christians in the same
front page of every day Journals! and with the peaceful, future like, sentiment
of mutual respect in the air, a wise behave of its citizens, and to know or
read the slogan of their King, "Defenseur des Croyants",
meaning, Defender of Believers! All of us!
Believe! that is all. Not in
magical, supernatural goods to serve, as many could want to profit on. No. Seek
the Inner Force and Energy of Love, from Faith, from God. You will feel like a
modern hero of movies, understanding the environment surrounding us every
second since we were born and after that too...
Why I have thought in write
these resumed bios? I have been close to die in 2002, in a terrible
accident, and the sole moment my life was in peril and getting sad everyone
around. God send messengers to my room, and I am miraculously healthy in mind (I
hope) and body, but discovering the force of my Spirit. I just want to help
people since I am a 6 year old boy and chatted with mom every night before
sleep. I am not perfect, never, I am sinner, often, but, still that, I will want
always to try to help the World, the humankind, my favorite biological species!
Homo sapiens sapiens and our culture, biology and Spirit.
................
Epilogue
Why I gather these examples
of saints, from many out there in all religions? well, since I do not want to
enter into other cultures, different of my Christian knowledge to not fall in
mistakes or misunderstandings with our fellows of other religions, I have
chosen these from my Christian Catholic experiences during my existence:
i) Santiago,
due to a casualty with my Basque grand father Jaime Jacobo (or Luciano?)
Santiago de Elguezabal Olabarrieta! look that his 3 (or at least 2 of 3) names
means the same! while his two last names are clearly Basques. That always took
my attention: what his parents wanted to mean with these 3 names?
ii) Fermin, cause being one of Navarran patronus, and my grandmother was
born and raise here, and in her home at Caracas during each Christmas, when her
husband (nire Aitite, my grandpa) celebrated his birthday, the family
used to talk on the war that obliged them to move to Venezuela, or the family
left here, or the costumes and foods and believes and fests of Navarra...so,
Fermin and his power to gather so many of you every month of July means that
some one has to meet his life in 2 minutes at least with this little
abstract... research more, and rethink your own role in these times in the
World...
iii) Michael, cause I always was fier of my name and its meaning.
Mikel is the Basque voice as transformed 200 years ago of several Christians
names into Basque phonetics. I have been told of one anecdote that want to
share shortly: when I was baptized at Caracas San Juan Bosco Church, with a pro
Franquism priest directing the ceremony, this person insisted in calling me
Miguel, again, and again, with my Aitite interrupting him each time to correct
"Mikel"...as the priest continued several times more, my grandpa exploded
and said "Michel in French, Mijail in Russian, Michael in English, Michele
in Italian, and, Mikel in basque!!" So, the ceremony ends shortly...
So, Miguel means Mikel,
well, and my name I received from my other grandpa, the maternal one, Miguel
Méndez, still working and loving God at 91 years old at Maturin,
and oil city in eastern Venezuela.
Like me, several of his grandchildren's names Miguel, but in my case, my
father, nire Aita, negotiates with my mom the basque form...San Miguel
is the soldier of God against evil, I like that!
iv) Roque, because I was born in Montpellier in 1977, then departed in
1978 to Venezuela and raised there; when I lived during a year (2003-2004) in
this southern France old city, I had the opportunity of participate in the festivities
of Saint Roque and to know its chants, the life of the man who spread Faith and
cured ill people...
v) Ignacio, because I am a partisan of Jesus Company since teenaged, and
the force of this name is within my family at least in 9 relatives, brother,
son, cousin, uncle, etc., etc. Saint Ignacio built a web of
"soldiers" of Faith, of Jesus, of God. For example, in Latin America,
Africa and Asia there is Fe y Alegría
(Faith and Joy), a network of Schools, Workshops, Colleges and educational
radios that give the best education to the people, free or almost free in many
cases.
vi) Javier, because of his role in the Jesus Company from the
beginnings, and his role in spreading the Faith in Asia.
His decision of changing his life style is almost remarkable, intriguing for
many.
vii) Juan Bonal, because of chance, fate, or good luck simply. When I
came to Navarra to live with my family for some years to do my post-graduates
studies, in 2013, just landed, a good friend invited us to a show of
photography of a Foundation named Juan Bonal, from which a I have never
listened. We went, and the first images took our attention were of those
Sisters caring on the poorest in Perijá mountains, between the imaginary border
traced on Wayú people by Venezuela and Colombia republics; that touched our fibers,
and immediately took contact to them to help in anyway my land over
there....and everywhere in the World too...
viii) Mary, because of her sublime role being the one and only chosen
girl to carry Jesus as embryo, fetus, newborn, baby, child, teenager, young
man, adult...Because of the devotion of my Mother (another Dr. in Biology, who
believes) as she did some promise at Fatima with me as a newborn, and because the
many followers who respect this Example of Life, of Mother, of Woman. Also, I
remember when a submerged in the cold waters of Lourdes, and the things I asked God then.
ix) José María Escrivá, because his book likes me very much and the
examples of life of some friends at the Opus Dei, and the rational explanations
of my brother Paul on Liberty, Free Will, le libre arbitre, and the
moral decisions one has to make every second in life.
x) Ignacio Larrañaga, because his Workshop "Pray & Life",
which I did with my wife for 10 weeks in 2012 in Cumaná, leaded by a
virtuous family Morgado. Theses courses on techniques to pray, as Jesus used
to, delight me and my wife, and improved our relation to God. He just departed
to heaven in 2013. Ask in your city when you go back if you got interested in
his techniques.
xi) Iñaki Berecibar Aramburu, because he directed the ceremony of our
marriage, in a tough dissertation on sex problems among couples!, with our
guests wondering why telling that in the Mass? Well, this man is a modern
Priest, who knows our society from his 4 university careers and his contact all
his life with young students and friends. Now, even with advanced Parkinson he
continues to help people in a very modern way...
Corollary
The 10 % of the profits by
selling this book to you will go to Caritas in Sucre, and Caritas in Navarra, to help
many people in trouble, that you might have seen seated in some places and
buildings. Another 10% will go to UNICEF tangible projects in neuralgic regions
around our virtuous Earth. Also, the rest of profit will be used in funding: i)
Human Rights Education & Integration Programs and ii) Bio production to
culture seas and lands Projects, of our Foundation LEA, at Cumaná, Sucre state,
Venezuela.
The next public ideas and projects Fundación LEA will
be publishing are:
Egura: to generate energies
and goods in tropical coasts.
Arura: meeting fossil
toponymy and understanding humankind.
Virtuous Bonds: new ideas to
cope with CO2 and profit the poor.
OikoEtxea: designs of homes
to use better space to live, gaining independence and liberty for young
families.
Euskerize yourself!: a
primary guide to learn basic Euskera language.
Author: Mikel de Elguezabal
Méndez, born in Montpellier,
6th May 1977. Biologist, University Professor in Venezuela
since 2004 (Actually in Universidad Pública de Navarra, postgraduate's studies,
Spain).
Entrepreneur at A6-solutions.com. President of Fundación Luís Elguezabal
Aristizabal (LEA). Father of Nerea, Julen Ignacio and Maitena and married with
Yaile Acosta Núñez since 2003. Believer.
Illustrateur
(portraits): María Eglée Pérez Rojas, born in en Caracas in 1968.
A Plastic Artist of innate talent,
with studies in drawing and painting since 6 years old. She has participated in
expositions and contests during her teenage. Once graduated from high school,
she entered the “Arte Final” Academy, obtaining an art & design
specialization. She continued studying illustration and animated drawings in
the Caracas Creative Block Project with outstanding results that permit
her entrance, with 19 years old, at Leo Burnett international agency, where she
develop a dense career until becoming director of artistic production for
television and cinema with Oscar Montauti or Ariel Toledano producers.
In the 1990's she departed to an amazing adventure to the
Venezuelan Amazon's Forrest looking and studying the light, colours, shapes of
Nature, its natives peoples, cultures and beauty. There she paints frenetically
by 7 years, inside the jungle, living with a Yanomani community.
Then,
she drains all his creativity in the artistic patisserie and until 2009, when
destiny take her, and her (art gifted too) daughter, Linda, to Galicia, where, witched
by its Celtic ambient, returned to Art with more passion still. She applies
especially in faces, with several hyperrealist portraits, producing a
collection intituled "Mujeres del Mundo", World's Women, as a remerciment
to the activities of Casa de la Mujer
(Home of the Women) in Galicia an institution that struggle against gender
violence... Now, María continues with
the pencil and the brush in hand, and the soul in the creative experience... as
a way of life...
.............
Cover
San Miguel Route
Saint Roque
Back cover
