Ave Maria Meditations
As soon as I believed there was a God, I understood I could do nothing else but live for him, my religious vocation dates from the same moment as my faith: God is so great. There is such a difference between God and everything that is not.
Blessed Charles prayed to be a martyr: To prepare oneself constantly for martyrdom, and accept it without a shadow of reluctance, like the Divine Lamb-in Jesus, through Jesus, for Jesus- I must try and live as if I were to die a martyr today. Every minute I must imagine I am going to be martyred this very evening.
OUR LORD TO BL. CHARLES IN PRAYER ON HIS WISH TO BE A MARTYR:
“This life will be followed by death. You wish for a martyr’s death. You know how cowardly you are, but you know too that you can do all things in Him who gives you strength, that I am all powerful in My creatures. Ask day and night for it but always with this condition, that it be My will, and for My glory and my pleasure which I know you desire and pray for above all things. And have confidence; I will grant what you ask, that which is for My greater glory. It is good to ask for this, for ‘there is no greater love than to give your life for the beloved,’ and it is right to wish to give Me this greatest love of all“’
Blessed Charles was martyred on December 1, 1916 in Algeria where he had gone to live in order to bring the Presence of Christ to be amongst the people there.
Today, in a Catholic bookstore in Coventry, I dropped a medal on the floor and when I stooped to pick it up, I found myself looking into the face of Bl Charles de Foucauld. A book of his writings was there on the shelf in a spot I would not have noticed had I not dropped the medal. I had never heard of him before that moment. His gaze transfixed me. I picked up the book and examined it for a minute, or so, and thought “one day I ‘ll have to read this one”, thinking that I might like to pick up the book at some point in the future. I put the book back and went about my business. A woman who works at the store approached me and asked me if I wanted to see the chapel. “Chapel?” I thought… and was led to an adoration chapel right behind the store (affiliated with the nearby church). I was able to spend 15 unexpected minutes with the Lord this afternoon. Tonight, I fire up the internet and the AirMaria home page put his gaze upon me for the second time in one day. I think someone is trying to tell me something. I guess now, in retrospect, I should have bought the book. It would have saved me a trip to Coventry.
I have three books on Bl. Charles and also a video. There is a biography by Jean-Jacques Antier and a smaller biography and writings from Robert Ellsberg but, as I recall, that one has commentary that I did not like so much. And then there is a little treasure of a small booklet called “Come let us sing a song unknown” which is prayers of Bl. Charles.
Bl. Charles is one of the great saintly conversion stories. And his love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is so wonderfully and beautifully expressed. It was the reading of these particular expressions that captured my heart.
You will enjoy learning more of Bl. Charles and his prayers and meditations will touch your heart as well. All that happened seems rather providential…
Tremendous. Thank you for your opinions… I’ll seek the first biography and the pamphlet.