June 28th, 1940: "I thought what would be of me, if I abandoned the vocation received from God"

St. Josemaria  had finished preaching a monthly recollection to a group of St. Raphael guys from Valladolid (among them, don Jesus Urteaga). Valladolid was the third city where there was a centre after the war. (1: Jenner in Madrid; 2: The Lair, in Valencia; 3: El Rincon). Strolling through the orchard of the school, st. Josemaria saw a cage where there was an old eagle. The founder commented years after: “I’ve told you before the sad impression I got from seeing an eagle inside an iron cage, with a piece of carrion in its claws. That animal, which high up is all majesty, owner of the heights, and looking at the sun face to face- locked in that cage produced disgust and shame (...). I thought what would be of me, if I abandoned the vocation received from God”.