Only Jesus, first published in English in 1962, is the last of Luis M. Martínez’s writings, and widely hailed as his magnum opus. Combining robust doctrine and authentic mysticism, Martínez leads his readers through a quadripartite meditation on the person of Jesus Christ. In Part One, he considers the unfolding of revelation through the Incarnation, public ministry, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Parts Two and Three reflect on the union between Jesus and the Christian faithful, which both springs from and resides in the depths of the Sacred Heart. To conclude the volume, Martínez contemplates the “Divine Repose” and the indwelling of God in those who love him.
As noted in the Translator's Preface, Martínez has deservedly received favorable comparisons to spiritual masters such as the Dominican Henri Lacordaire and the Benedictine Dom Columba Marmion. Like the works of his confréres, Martínez’s Only Jesus is marked with a penchant for plumbing the depths of the Divine mysteries and an unquenchable thirst for the salvation of souls.
Luis María Martínez y Rodríguez was the Catholic archbishop of Mexico and a member of the Academia Mexicana de la Lengua ("Mexican Language Academy").
He was born in Molinos de Caballeros, Epitacio Huerta, Michoacán. A philosopher of the scholastic tradition, his focus on the ultimate nature of things led him to theology. He was also a writer of spiritual poetry.
While his traditional values provoked his criticisms of some aspects of Mexico's modernization, he always retained a special relationship with the people. He presided over the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the coronation of Our Lady of Guadalupe, declaring, "I am Zumárraga" in order to draw Mexicans who has "wandered" back to the church. He joined the Academy in 1953, and many of his sermons were translated into French, Italian, and German.
A modern Spiritual Masterpiece. Abp. Martinez was a mystical soul, truly in tune with his Beloved. This is a book I will return to, time and time again.