Note on the title [1]
St. Joseph
190. St. Joseph is the Patron Saint of the Church and as such is the Patron of Mission an essential part of the Church. He is also our special protector – after the Consolata there is St. Joseph. The Gospel calls him “a just man” (Matthew 1,19). After Our Lord and Our Lady he was the most “just” of individuals. He was just in his observance of the commandments and the Law; he was just in what he said, thought and did. Let us ask him to help us achieve the same justice which is in fact holiness. We should be devoted to this great saint. However much we honor him it will never be equal to the honor he received from the Lord who was obedient to him for so many years.
After Our Lady it is St. Joseph who will meet our spiritual and temporal needs. St. Therese wrote: I don’t remember ever praying to St. Joseph for a favor that was not granted.” Don Bosco too used to say: “I have never asked St. Joseph for a favor I wasn’t granted.” When I was a boy Don Bosco used to say to me: “For health and intelligence turn to St. Joseph.” He is a powerful advocate with God, so when you are in the missions turn to him for everything you need – even material needs. We must ask first for spiritual favors and he will see to whatever else we need. Let us pray to him for ourselves, our community, the missions and the whole Church.
To honor a saint it is not enough to pray to him; we must follow his example. St. Joseph is an excellent model of fidelity and the interior life. He did not perform miracles; he did not preach and yet he achieved great holiness by being humble and faithful in little things. Faithfulness in little things – this is the secret of community. I have asked St. Joseph to grant you is unshakeable fidelity: be faithful from morning to evening and never let discouragement overwhelm you. St. Joseph’s life was entirely interior and as such he is the special protector of consecrated persons. If you have trouble praying, meditating or cultivating a spirit of recollection go to Joseph. In the missions your life will be extremely busy; imitate St. Joseph who in the midst of all his work remained close to Jesus and Mary. Their ardor ignited a corresponding flame in his own heart.
Follow the example of his humble, hidden and work-filled life. He worked and supported himself with his own labor. The Lord led him on the common way of work, of hiding and of sacrifice. The difference was St. Joseph worked with spirit. He was devoted entirely to taking care of Our Lord and Our Lady. We must be equally devoted to giving honor to God. He did everything he could to please Jesus and Mary and we must do likewise.
St. Joseph will teach us to love Our Lady and the virtue of chastity. Since the Father entrusted Jesus and Mary to Joseph’s care he must have been very chaste indeed. Let us pray with all our heart: O Joseph, grant that we may live a holy and protected life through your patronage.
Thank St. Joseph for the protection he provides – and not just now while I am still alive and my name is Joseph but even later when I am no longer with you. Devotion to St. Joseph must become “incarnate” in you. After Our Lord and Our Lady comes St. Joseph – we need not look for others.
St. John the Baptist
191. St. John the Baptist is the patron of the diocese of Turin and therefore a feast day for us. Joy spread among his relatives and family friends throughout the mountain country of Judea at his birth. His father Zachary had gone dumb because he was reluctant to believe what the angel had told him about the baby’s birth but once the child was born he regained his speech and sang the magnificent canticle: the Benedictus. In this song he describes his son John as a “Prophet of the Most High” and the “Precursor of the Messiah.”
The Baptist’s vocation, preparation and apostolate represent a prototype for all missionaries. He was predestined to prepare the way of the Lord, he was given a mission by God: “Sent by God” (John 1,6). He was not like the other prophets who foretold the coming of the Messiah and pointed out the signs of that coming. He prepared souls to receive the Messiah through repentance. When finally Jesus appeared John pointed Him out saying: “Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1,29) and told his disciples to follow Jesus. After His baptism by John Jesus began His mission on earth.
Through the special grace of God you too have been predestined from all eternity not just to life, not just to Christianity but to the apostolate. For this reason the Lord has given you good health and a heart capable of loving Him and making others love Him too. Thank Him for this predestination! You are not here by accident, the Lord does nothing by chance. He has Himself chosen you to be missionaries and to prepare His way among non-Christian people. You will go before Him with the example of your virtue, with your preaching and with your administration of the sacraments.
How did St. John prepare for his great mission? God sanctified him in the womb of his mother; he was given a special name that means grace; miracles occurred at the moment of his birth. For his part John responded to God’s call and prepared for his mission by retreating to the desert and living a life of penance. Your early education came from your parents and now you are committed to preparing for mission through prayer, study and learning self-control.
St. John practiced four virtues that I would especially recommend – they are absolutely necessary for genuine missionaries: penance, chastity, humility and missionary zeal. Above all, penance: St. John left everyone and everything to go into the desert; dressed in camel skins he lived on locusts and wild honey – the bare necessities. You too must prepare yourselves by learning the spirit of penance – not just external penance, but as I have so often said, internal penance as well. You should practice those small mortifications that will be so helpful in the missions.
John the Baptist was chaste – he was a martyr for chastity. He was beheaded by Herod because he defended the integrity of marriage. You too must be pure and chaste and your example will encourage all who approach you to practice this virtue. The witness of your life will inspire good will and respect – it will accomplish enormous good. The Baptist was also humble. When the Lord came for baptism John only consented to baptize Jesus out of obedience. Before the whole crowd he announced that he was not worthy to fasten the Messiah’s bootstrap. Once Jesus began His public life, John disappeared: “He must increase and I must decrease: (John 3,30). Missionaries too must be humble. They will accomplish good to the extent that they are humble and see that everything comes from God and not themselves. After his preparation in the desert, John went out to preach, to prepare hearts to receive the Lord. He continued his mission with strength and determination up to his death. So you too have not been called to be Trappists or Carthusians but rather missionaries: to spread the Lord’s Kingdom and to sacrifice everything including your serenity for this purpose.
I have on occasion been tempted to stop worrying about you or the priests in the residence and to think only of myself. “No!, No!” the Lord tells me “I want you to make me known through these priests and missionaries. Once you are in heaven you can contemplate Me as you please.” Sometimes I close myself in my room and do not answer the bell when it rings. I do this to avoid exhaustion, to avoid spending all my time outside, all my time with others. In short I do what I can.
By leading a life of sacrifice and zeal John the Baptist became a great saint. And now so many centuries later he is still honored while others who made much noise at the time are completely forgotten. Be inspired by his life and strive to excel in those virtues of which he was so shining an example. It was said of him that he was “a splendid and shining light.” So you too must shine with the love of God and be a light amongst the people.
Sts. Peter and Paul
192. St. Peter. He had a vital faith. When the Lord asked his disciples “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” they answered “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” It is alright for others to say this but “who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered immediately: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” (Cf. Matthew 16,16). What a magnificent profession of faith! Peter proclaimed Him the true Son of God and did it publicly. In return the Lord made Peter the cornerstone of His Church and gave him supreme power to loose and bind on earth.
St. Peter’s faith came to the fore in other circumstances as well. When Jesus promised to give His flesh for food and His blood for drink many were scandalized and abandoned Him. The Lord turned to the apostles and said: “Perhaps you too want to go?” Peter replied: No, Lord. We will stay with You always. “You alone have the words of eternal life!” (Cf. John 6,68). He acted similarly on so many other occasions and showed himself to be among the first if not the very first who possessed so vital a faith. It is true that the Lord predicted Peter’s triple denial but it is also true that Jesus immediately added: “I have prayed for you so that your faith does not fail” (Luke 23,32).
St. Peter was enflamed with love of Jesus. After His resurrection the Lord asked Peter: “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these others?” (John 21,15). Peter remembered his three denials and did not dare to say he loved Jesus more than the others did; all he could say was: “Lord, You know everything. You know that I love you” (John 21,17). Through his own love for Jesus he made others love Him too; this love supported him throughout his apostolic labors up to the day of his martyrdom.
You can see that the defining characteristic of an apostle and a missionary is love for Our Lord. Not a simple, affectionate, sensual love but one that is strong in the midst of suffering. Not the sort of love that lasts only from morning to evening. This was not St. Peter’s love. The Lord demands a strong and constant love from all those who work for the salvation of souls. Each of us ought to be able to say that we love Jesus more than others – or at least we hope to love Him that way. And this is not vanity!
193. St. Paul. St. John Chrysostom wrote “St. Paul’s heart was like the heart of Jesus.” A single flame. St. Paul never tired of repeating the name of Jesus in his letters just as he never tired of the sacrifice and work involved in saving souls. “So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well.” (II Corinthians 12,15). It was this burning love for the Lord that prompted him to become all things to all people – as if he were in everyone’s debt. If you really love you will work. If you are not committed it is because you do not love. Paul had only one motivation for all his work: he loved the Lord and wanted to make others love Him too.
His love was all consuming and led him to exclaim: “Who will separate me from the love of Christ?” (Romans 8,35). No person and no thing could separate him from that love: neither men, nor demons nor angels! And these were not just words: he never lost courage in face of persecution, flogging, stoning, danger on land and sea or the plots of his enemies.
We too do everything to make the Lord glorified and loved by all. This is how our love proves itself – to work and sacrifice for Him; not to allow ourselves to be separated from Him by any temptation, trial or difficulty; to assign all credit to Him and not ourselves. This is the kind of love we should ask of St. Paul: a love that is fervent, active and constant.
Besides his love other of St. Paul’s outstanding traits were his energy, tenacity and fervor. The same tenacity he displayed in persecuting Christians he later showed in proclaiming the Gospel. On the road to Damascus, “suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Who are you, Lord? Saul asked. I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, he replied.” (Acts 9,4-6). Paul replied with the beautiful words: “Lord, what do you want me to do?” It was the same as saying: “Yes, Lord, I recognize you as my God and I give myself totally to you, I am ready to do whatever you want.” Without a thought for flesh and blood he pledged his vibrant personality to the service of the Lord, to spreading the faith. What determination he had! Those who are tenacious do a great deal of good. We need determined people. Be tenacious! Determined people become saints. You can become saints without performing miracles but not without working. Without determination you will accomplish nothing worthwhile in mission. Courage, determination and steely will! To achieve this you have to love the Lord very much indeed and love him with your whole being as Paul did. We should never forget the Apostle of the Gentiles. He is our natural protector and model.
St. Ignatius Loyola
194. At the shrine of St. Ignatius there is a statue and at the foot of the statue an angel bears the saint’s arms with the motto: Ad majorem Dei gloriam. The saint’s whole life and entire mission are summed up in these words. “Everything for the greater glory of God.” St. Ignatius had no other concern but the glory of God.
He was a missionary, the founder and superior of missionaries; he knew what they needed and he protects them from heaven. Shortly after founding the Society of Jesus he vowed to go to the Holy Land with his first followers so they could venerate the sacred places and preach the Gospel. This proved impossible so he went to Rome to place himself at the disposal of the Pope. He included a “vow for Mission” in his constitutions and sent Francis Xavier and so many others to the missions.
St. Ignatius is a great saint who was determined to become a saint in the midst of so many trials and to found a congregation of religious who were equally determined to work for the glory of God. He was one of St. Joseph Cafasso’s special protectors. Although he was pleased by the good the Society accomplished he said that if it pleased the Lord to suppress the Society he would need only fifteen minutes in front of the tabernacle to accept this with serenity.
What should we do to pay him homage? First of all we should pray to him. When you say that beautiful prayer Anima Christi[2] remember that St. Ignatius wrote it. Always say it after Communion. I never forget it. St. Ignatius has written few prayers but the ones he did write are very striking – they are filled with his own fervor.
We must imitate Ignatius: the glory of God, only the glory of God, the greater glory of God. Our only purpose in this world is to know and love God and make others love Him. He created us for Himself; we must seek nothing but Him, His greater glory and the fulfillment of His will. Do everything that pleases the Lord; strive to do not just the good but the better; desire, burn with the desire to see God glorified. St. Ignatius had this fire; the fire of love and the apostolate burned in his heart. Our work must never shame the Lord. St. Ignatius was not a weakling – and I do not want weak people, but cheerful, energetic people that do not burn out. I also expect a will of steel: a readiness to sacrifice oneself; everything we do in the missions must be for the greater glory of God!
St. Francis Xavier
195. St. Francis Xavier is the patron of our Congregation. After St. Paul he is the supreme exemplar for all missionaries. Father Pierre Chaignon synthesizes his life in these words: “Everything for God, everything for one’s neighbor and for oneself.”
Everything for God: he went from Spain to Paris and was so diligent in his studies that he became a Master. St. Ignatius also in Paris repeated continually to him: “Quid prodest? What is it all for?” Francis, what is the point of so much learning and honor if you lose your soul? These words launched the process of Francis’ conversion. His heart was true and upright; he struggled and overcame violent temptations; finally he surrendered himself to St. Ignatius and allowed the saint to teach him the ways of God. “What is it all for?” These words produced a saint for God and the Church; these words converted many who were involved in the affairs of this world; these words filled the desert with holy hermits. Francis gave himself to God totally; he was not the sort of missionary who set off with enormous enthusiasm and then faltered and turned back at the first setback. In the face of extraordinary obstacles he stood firm; these obstacles were so great that any one of them would have stopped a giant in his tracks.
From the moment he consecrated himself to the service of the Lord Francis had but one purpose in life: to love God and make others love Him as well. His one goal was to glorify God and have others do likewise. In obedience to St. Ignatius he traveled to India and then Japan – he hoped to go to China as well. He planned to return to Europe to convert lax Christians and then on to Africa before returning to Asia; the reason for all this travel was to win new kingdoms for Our Lord, Jesus Christ. As St. Ignatius taught Francis did everything for the greater glory of God. This is a question we must also ask ourselves, “what’s it all for?” “why did we come here?” We ought to detach ourselves from everything worldly so we can belong totally to God. Pray to Him for you vocation, for the grace to respond to His call without reserve and without faltering. It is not just on those days you feel the Lord is close to you that you will become saints – whether your days are filled with fervor or aridity you should work ceaselessly for the greater glory of God. This is the model we must follow: love the Lord, seek His glory with all possible enthusiasm; repeat the words of St. Paul over and over: “Christ's love compels us” (II Corinthians 5,14).
Everything for our neighbor: Francis first performed works of charity in hospitals where he performed the lowliest of tasks. He was not ashamed to beg from door to door on behalf of the sick. During his long journey to the missions he distributed the food given him from the captain’s table to the needy. Once he was in the missions he gave himself body and soul to meet the material and spiritual needs of the poor. To accomplish this he endured unheard of deprivations on land and sea, in what he ate and what he wore. He wept when he saw the lengths to which Christians went for the sake of money; he bemoaned the efforts expended in Europe in pursuit of honors and not evangelization.
Everything for himself: that is everything to become a saint. It is so easy to neglect one’s own welfare and spiritual life when overwhelmed with work. In the midst of his countless and pressing apostolic activities he never forgot to pray – he was always faithful to prayer. From time to time he withdrew – as did Jesus – from his outward activities to contemplate his own situation and speak with God. When this was impossible during the day he would spend the night standing in front of the Blessed Sacrament and when fatigue overcame him he would rest on the altar steps. He found the grace to enlighten minds and convert hearts in the Eucharist and the Crucifix. He understood that genuine lasting conversions are the result of God’s grace and not our efforts.
This should be our model! We all admire St. Francis but seldom do more than admire him. Since we have the same religious and missionary vocation why could we not become more like him: saints and men who accomplished good? After the apostles he is considered the greatest missionary. Each of you could become another Francis Xavier; each of you could accomplish the same miraculous conversions. God has not ceased to act in our times – He wants you to be a new Francis Xavier.
Once Francis heard the call to the missions he devoted himself entirely to spiritual preparation for this vocation. One does not acquire virtue in a day. One must persist, resist, struggle and never surrender no matter how great or small the sacrifice.
Francis was so obedient to his superior that at a single word he would have abandoned everything. No matter how lowly if the work is assigned through obedience. Only one thing is important: to do one’s duty. Obedience is the daughter of humility. Not false humility – we lose courage because we discover a shortcoming – but genuine humility that prompts us to seek out our own shortcomings. Not the sort of humility that makes us anxious but the genuine humility that helps us persevere and see things from the proper perspective.
Francis prayed and worked, worked and prayed. Prayer without work provokes the Lord; work without prayer does the same thing. Ordinarily the Lord only uses saints to accomplish good; perhaps this is the reason so many missionaries do not accomplish everything they might. First saints and then missionaries or we will be neither the one nor the other. Therefore like Francis Xavier we must be saints; ours must be a special an heroic holiness that is modeled on his life: everything for God, everything for our neighbor and everything for ourselves.
St. Teresa of Avila
196. St. Teresa is a great saint. She is an example not just for women but for men as well. Her whole personality exuded love. Here I would like to note that we often identify love with warm feelings – this is not genuine love or rather it is not the totality of love that we owe the Lord. What does genuine love involve? “Love makes us bear all things without tiring; love makes us work without interruption; love makes us eager to be useful.” This is St. Thomas’ definition of love. It is not just a question of feelings – one can be absolutely without any feeling whatsoever and still love a great deal. This was the case with St. Teresa. For years she suffered aridity of spirit; she would shake the hourglass hoping to make meditation time pass more quickly. She had the will to love but felt nothing. And yet she was a saint during these periods. It was precisely during these dry spells that the Lord made her a saint. St. Teresa’s love of God displayed the three qualities mentioned above that constitute true and solid love.
Bear all things without tiring: love makes us endure whatever suffering we encounter. When she was only seven years old she ran off with her little brother to convert non-Christians and seek out martyrdom. Her uncle met her on the road and made her go home. But still Teresa never abandoned her desire to be a missionary. She prayed and made sacrifices: she was a missionary of desire – the holiness of her life confirmed this. She was a missionary and martyr by desire.
She entered the Carmelites and was determined to persevere regardless of the setbacks she encountered. Leaving the house of her father where she felt so loved caused her so much anguish that she felt her bones were being crushed. She was a woman of determination. Love made her bear all sufferings to become a holy Carmelite. You too must have this same strength of will – the strength to abandon your family, your country and yourselves because you have been called to be missionaries.
To work without interruption: one author says that St. Teresa’s heart, tongue or hand were always in motion. She wrote enough to be a Father of the Church. Always in motion, always active. She worked ceaselessly to acquire virtue; she made a vow always to choose the more perfect option for the greater glory of God. To please the Lord and to cause Him to rejoice she would not hold back anything – not even shedding her blood. She suffered a great deal, especially in her work of reforming Carmel. She was a woman of strength, a woman of prayer, action and sacrifice. Contemplation did not keep her from working. Bear in mind her oft repeated motto: “Either to suffer or to die!” There was no middle way for her. She saw this as the only way to be close to the Lord. Lest mortification consume the body one must have spirit and strength.
Eager to be useful: filled with the love of God St. Teresa burned like a bonfire. Her only desire was to love the Lord more – everything else was unimportant. “I can tolerate a heaven where others are more highly placed than I am, but I cannot tolerate a heaven where others love the Lord more than I do.” Once the child Jesus appeared to her at the gate of the monastery and asked her graciously: “Who are you?” “I am Teresa of Jesus,” she replied. “And I am Jesus of Teresa,” the child said. This is something we would all like to hear – but it would probably make us vain but if we were at the same stage of perfection as Teresa it would not turn our head. This is the reward given to those who truly love the Lord tirelessly, actively and totally.
You know what sort of religious she was – a cloistered missionary. Since she could not go off to the missions she offered herself as a victim for non-Christians. This was the purpose of all she did and suffered. This is the concept of religious and missionary life you must cultivate: not rest but work, not pleasure but sacrifice, not half-hearted religiosity but total, all-embracing holiness. We should imitate her strength and be strong on the rough days and difficult occasions. Remember that our shortcomings will not preclude the Lord’s Grace. St. Teresa used to say: “Who has more defects than I have?” But she never gave up, she trusted in God and succeeded in all her endeavors. Her motto was: “Let nothing upset you, let nothing frighten you!” After a setback she would say “Nunc coepi” now I get up and start again – sometimes even forty or fifty times a day. She would ask the Lord’s forgiveness and say: “the grass in my garden is not well cared for!” She found humility in her shortcomings but never lost confidence. This is how it should be for us: if we are willing to start again and have the strength to make a new beginning we will succeed. Just renewing our intention is pleasing to the Lord.
May the Lord, through the intercession of St. Teresa give us above all a love of prayer – even when we are going through a dry spell; may he give us the determination needed to succeed as authentic missionaries.
St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen
197. Our Congregation must foster devotion to St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen. Along with St. Francis Xavier and St. Peter Claver he is our special protector. He was the first missionary sent by Propaganda Fide to work in Switzerland and was Propaganda’s first martyr. A missionary must always be ready for martyrdom, ready to be a victim for the Lord, ready to make any sacrifice.
We have another special reason for devotion to St. Fidelis. It was on his feast day, April 24, 1900, I was celebrating Mass in his honor at Rivoli (Turin) and had placed on the altar a letter written to the Archbishop asking for a definitive word on our missionary Congregation. I got that word. Another reason we should be devoted to this saint is the special love I had for him since I was a seminarian. I am sure that God inspired this love in view of future events.
Have recourse to St. Fidelis to help you in your studies and in your efforts to practice virtue. He will help you overcome discouragement; he will help you control your youthful eagerness to start working in the apostolate. Apostles require lengthy and serious preparation; you need the theological and cultural background that the times and the people to whom we are sent demand. We will need more than ordinary virtue and a genuine spirit of self-sacrifice.
Let us pray to him and take him as our model in the area that was his defining characteristic: faithfulness to his vocation. As a young student and as a lawyer he was faithful to his duties as a Christian; he answered God’s call by choosing the humble life of a Capuchin. He was extraordinarily faithful to the rules of his Order – first as a simple friar and then as a superior. When assigned to the difficult mission in Switzerland he was instantly obedient; he was faithful to this assignment to the point of martyrdom.
This is why St. Fidelis is a model of consecrated and apostolic life. Follow his example and be faithful to your present and future obligations. Your faithfulness ought to be total, heart-felt and simple. Be faithful in both big and little things, in your response to God’s grace and let yourself be formed; be faithful to the rule and the other means God provides to make you successful missionaries if you remain faithful in carrying out your resolutions – in short, you must be faithful in everything; as the Church says in the liturgy: “We too have been found faithful, faithful unto death.” In this way you will receive the reward Our Lord promised to his servant: “Well done, good and faithful servant; because you have been faithful in a few things I will set you over many” (Matthew 25,21).
St. Peter Claver
198. The Church has declared Peter Claver the Patron Saint of all people of African descent: he exercised his ministry among the slaves transported from Africa to Cartagena. For more than forty years he was devoted to their spiritual and physical welfare. He did this work with compassion and perseverance up to the time of his death. If you are to succeed as holy missionaries with the necessary charity and patience you must begin your formation now as young people; these virtues must take root in your soul.
St. Peter Claver was a nobleman with delicate sensibilities. He became a religious in the Society of
Jesus and left the family he so loved. After studying theology he asked to become a Brother Coadjutor – giving up the priesthood. His superiors did not grant this request and he became a great apostle. His advisor was St. Alphonsus Rodriguez; St. Alphonsus told him of his future mission.
And how did Peter Claver prepare for this mission? In all the years of his life he never once broke a rule. He said that a good novice must seek God in all things. He must see everything as a stairway that leads to God. The novice must make every effort to practice perfect obedience; he must do everything for the greater glory of God; his only goal should be to save souls until such time he dies on the cross with the Lord Jesus.
St. Francis de Sales
199. The feast of St. Francis de Sales was the solemn date of the official approval of our Missionary Congregation (January 29, 1901).[3] This was no accident. In the plans of Providence and quite possibly in the mind of our Archbishop, Cardinal A. Richelmy, the Congregation was approved on this day to place it under the protection of this great saint, the Apostle of Chablais. He was always considered a Turin saint – his mother came here often. He was devoted to Our Lady, the Consolata. He once stayed here at the Sanctuary for three months. He is one of our protectors.
We should ask ourselves how this man accomplished so much good. He was an apostle, the founder of a religious order, a writer and was later proclaimed a Doctor of the Church. We are accustomed to admiring the virtues and good works of the saints but how often do we investigate the source and origin of their holiness? Francis de Sales was not born a saint – he learned how to become one by responding to God’s grace from the very beginning. He struggled to control his short temper. Certainly we admire his good nature – but this was not natural or infused by God – he learned mildness through practice and self-denial. He struggled for chastity – violent struggles in Paris. But he never succumbed to temptation; he resisted and made a vow of chastity. Later he renewed this vow at Loreto. He struggled to follow his priestly vocation and to go to Chablais. No one else had the courage to undertake this difficult and dangerous work. He offered himself to the Bishop and ignored his mother’s tears and his father’s opposition. He set off with nothing, but he had everything – he had God with him.
He wanted at all costs to be the fourth saint named Francis and he succeeded in this. From the very beginning he worked with steely determination: “I will, I will!” He succeeded and this is a precious lesson for us. God grants each of us the grace we need to reach the degree of holiness to which He calls us. If Francis de Sales and so many others could achieve holiness why can’t I? Why not all of us? Being called to the apostolate is already a sign and a guarantee that the Lord will help us become saints. St. Francis de Sales is a modern saint. He may have had more problems than us but he overcame them and became the greatest saint of his era. What he did we too can do.
The diocese of which he was bishop was very poor; friends suggested that he try for a richer diocese – Paris for example. He responded, “If you marry a poor woman you don’t abandon her because she is poor.” When the Senate threatened him with the expropriation of his property he simply responded, “Good, then I will be more spiritual!”
During his apostolic life he endured so many sacrifices. There were plots, assassination attempts and slander. He left his very comfortable position as Provost and became a missionary; as a missionary he showed extraordinary zeal – a zeal that manifested purity of intention, a spirit of sacrifice and above all, meekness. He was an authentic missionary and will forever be a protector of our Congregation. Ask him to help you achieve the same spirit of detachment, sacrifice and zeal for the glory of God.
He accomplished so much good because he was humble. “He had a very low opinion of himself,” St. Jane Frances de Chantal writes, “he relished his lowliness; he could not ignore the respect he inspired but it made him blush.” In the preface to the Treatise on the Love of God he wrote: “There are many perfect things in this world but do not look for them in my house.” On his return from Milan he said to the sisters, “I am a ghost, the shadow of a bishop, unworthy to kiss the ground the Archbishop of Milan (St. Charles Borromeo) treads.” We must imitate Francis by rooting ourselves firmly in humility. This virtue guarantees zeal – one seeks not his own ends but only the glory of God.
St. Francis de Sales’ zeal was marked by sweetness and mildness. These virtues are required for missionaries and in this he is our exemplar. He had a fiery temper but still managed to display a mildness that was both admirable and admired.
His mildness was accompanied by a strength that matched it. Remember what he said: “If there was one thing in my heart that was not for the Lord I would rip it out mercilessly.” We may think we are totally devoted to the Lord but if we look in our hearts we discover traces of self-love! Traces of envy, traces of intemperance, traces of luke warmness – sometimes there are traces of even greater shortcomings. St. Francis had but one goal: to please God. He gave his sisters the motto: God Alone.
Let us seek the intercession of this great Saint for the grace to love the Lord with our whole heart and our neighbor as ourselves for God’s sake. These two loves are the source of missionary zeal. Whoever id devoted entirely to God will be rewarded a hundredfold – even in this life. Therefore take courage and be cheerful. St. Francis de Sales was always cheerful: “Serve the Lord with joy!” (Psalm 100, 2).
Guardian Angels[4]
200. A healthy devotion to Angels in our Congregation has to be strongly fostered. We are devoted to the Angels for ourselves and for the many others who ignore them. We should be devoted to the angels for the sake of those non-Christians to whom we proclaim the Gospel. We need the help of the angels for this task. The good angels love, care for and watch over us – they promote our welfare.
Holy Scripture has much to say about the angels. We read in the Psalms: “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (Psalm 91,11). In the letter to the Hebrews “To which of the angels did God ever say, Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet? Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1,13-14). After warning us not to scandalize children the Lord said: “Do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18,10). While exercising their work as guardians they remain always in God’s presence. There are other occasions where Holy Scripture speaks about angels: the stories of Lot, Tobias and Daniel in the lions’ den, the three young men in the fiery furnace and St. Peter in prison, etc. (Cf. Genesis 19, Tobias 5; Daniel 3,43; 6,22; Acts 12, 1-11). St. Jerome writes: “How great is human dignity! Every person has his own angel from birth!”
Angels guide and assist us; they offer our prayers and good works to God; they protect us from physical and more especially spiritual danger. Let us thank God for our Guardian Angel who takes such good care of us; let us allow them to guide us. Should we not have recourse to this Angel who is so concerned with our well-being? We need a vibrant faith!
Our duties towards our Guardian Angel involve first of all respect for his continued presence and though we do not see him – we know he is there. We owe him gratitude for his kindness: he does all the good things on our behalf. Trust in his care, turn to him when we are in need and heed his inspiration.
I can never recommend this devotion enough. Some Christians never think of their Guardian Angel. I once urged a sick man to have recourse to his Guardian Angel and he replied “How can I turn to him now when I have always ignored him in the past?” “Do it anyway” I told him. Certainly that unfortunate individual would have been happier had he turned to his Guardian Angel earlier in his life.
Missionaries have special reasons for honoring Guardian Angels. This devotion to the Guardian Angel should be something vital and rooted in their hearts. There are special bonds between missionaries and the angels. Their principal function is to praise the Lord on their own behalf – as His creatures – and for all those who have been entrusted to their protection. Similarly missionaries must live close to God and praise Him continually for themselves and on behalf of others. In the missions you must never forget your duty to praise the Lord on behalf of those entrusted to their care – especially those who do not yet know the Lord. Angels are also the ministers of salvation and this is the whole purpose of your missionary vocation. Your work in the apostolate makes you resemble the angels: your closeness to them prompts them to love and assist you. Therefore you must trust them. You will accomplish great good if you live united in mind and heart with your Guardian Angel.
Devotion to our Guardian Angel must put down deep roots and become a defining characteristic of missionaries. Each of you should say: I have an angel all my own. He is with me always. When the Lord entrusted me to his care He said: “He will go before you and help you always; he is with you, for you and in you; when you struggle he will be there with you struggling and winning; he will be with you inspiring compliance with God’s will; he will be your encouragement and assistance.”
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[1] Because of their commitment to holiness Allamano saw all the saints as examples for his missionaries. Some were more appropriate because of their personal traits and more direct involvement in evangelization made Allamano feel closer to them. In this chapter we will talk about only some of the many saints he spoke about or presented during his formation talks.
St. Joseph Cafasso was one of the principal models he most frequently spoke about. We are not including Cafasso in this chapter however. The reason is that Allamano never made a specific presentation of Cafasso because he had not yet been beatified and there was no liturgical feast. All the same Cafasso’s spirit pervades Allamano’s spiritual teaching – we need only note the many times Cafasso is cited in these pages.
[2] The complete prayer is as follows: “Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me.Water from Christ's side, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O good Jesus, hear me. Within Thy wounds hide me. Suffer me not to be separated from Thee. From the malicious enemy defend me.In the hour of my death call me. And bid me come unto Thee That I may praise Thee with Thy saints and with Thy angels. Forever and ever. Amen” Allamano attributes this prayer to St. Ignatius but it dates from centuries before him.
[3] When Allamano said this the feast of St. Francis de Sales was on January 29 and not on January 24 as it is currently.
[4] We include Guardian Angels at the end of this list since Allamano considered them special protectors and guides for missionaries.