A Christmas Meditation

  

“I was born, born for you, in a cave, in December, in the cold, homeless, in the middle of a winter’s night, in the unheard-of poverty of the extremely poor, in solitude, in an abandonment unique in this world.”

The Spiritual Autobiography

of Charles de Foucauld

Edited by Jean-Francois Six

An Advent Meditation

The Visitation --- Luke 1:39

"I had scarcely taken taken flesh when I asked my mother to take me to the house where John was to be born, so that I might sanctify him before his birth.  In the Incarnation, I gave myself to the world for its salvation.  Even before my birth I was working at my task, the sanctification of mankind - and I moved my mother to work at it with me.  She is not the only one I have ever moved to work at the sanctification of souls from the first moment of being given to them:  I do the same in every soul to which I give myself.  On one occasion I said to my apostles, 'Preach,' and I gave them their mission and laid down rules for their fulfillment of it.  

"Here and now I am saying to other souls - to all those who have been given me and now lead hidden lives, possessing me without having been gtiven a mission to preach - I tell them to sanctify souls by carrying me among them..  ... 

2012 December 1st Celebration Buffalo

The Buffalo Jesus Caritas Lay Fraternity had a short article published in the diocesan paper, inviting the public to a Mass at 12:10 pm on December 1st at St. Michael's church, downtown, in celebration of the anniversary of the death of Bl. Charles de Foucauld.  

Following the Mass the members will be available in the Social Hall to answer questions and provide brochures on the Fraternity. Light refreshments will be served. 

Little Sisters of Jesus and their circus fraternity: in the USA and Europe

From an email sent by Father Lenny  June 2012.  This is a very interesting account of one Little Sister of Jesus, how she found the Little Sisters and eventually returned to her circus roots.  It is always interesting to hear the stories from the Foucauld family of fraternities/communities.


http://www.vaticahn.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/migrants/pom2005_99-suppl/rc_pc_migrants_pom99-suppl_priscilla-buhlmann.html

Jim McGovern - Philadelphia - 12 steps for all

The following was submitted by Jim McGovern, a member of the Foucauld Lay Fraternity in Philadelphia.  He gave us a presentation in June 2011 on how his participation in fraternity with the fellowship and review of life enhances his work with the 12 step programs.  See below the link to his website and the recent article that he had published. May we pray for all those in recovery and working the steps.

http://12stepsforall.com/

 September 30, 2012

 

Taking the time

 

    “I shoulda got their number and called –then I could have stopped in.” Driving through Mays Landing, on my way to the shore, I don’t know how many times I said that to myself. My dad’s first cousin, Mary and her husband Cy lived in that little town. And like most McGoverns, they loved company and sharing and camaraderie.

 

    Well today I finally did make it down to see them…only it was for Mary’s funeral.

 

    Connectedness.  Familial or Universal. Of course it starts with our family – our clan. And being a McGovern, a clan that took camaraderie and fellowship and banter to almost ridiculous heights, it is easy to see how the fellowship part of the 12-step movement, really grabbed me. Alas as wonderful as was/is that fellowship part of the program, without the soul-searching and work, I ended up relapsing for a strange 5-yr period. Thank God that’s over with now – it’s been over 12 years since I got high. The Universal connect that the 12 steps feature, finally grabbed me into its loving bosom.

 

   And so I still am pushing that magnificent quality of life that anyone, alcoholic or not, can have by working the steps. Alas as I thought about my wonderful Aunt Mary and of ALL the dear relatives and friends I was GOING TO get in touch with but didn’t I realized there should be a place for looking up of old comrades in the 8^th and 9^th  amend steps.

 

Step 8:  We made a list of persons we had harmed or lost touch with and became willing to amend or reconnect with them.

 

Step 9:  We made amends or direct contact with such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

 

  Who knows how many friendships could be rekindled if we just took the time to stay in touch. And perhaps the non-alcoholics among us really do not have much amending to do, but all of us know someone or ones with whom we really wanted to reconnect.

 

  So be in touch – We’d love to hear from you.   

2012 International Conference Bonn Germany

Final message – Bonn 2012

Approximately 60 delegates assembled in Bonn, Germany (August 3-13^th 2012) for the 9^th International Assembly of the Lay Fraternity Charles de Foucauld. The Fraternity is found in 45 countries from 5 continents. Thirty countries were represented at the Assembly.

Through moments of prayer, celebration, reports and sharing of life, the Assembly evaluated the condition of the Fraternities from around the world in order to reach conclusions on its current state.

(1) The reports permitted a better understanding of the social contexts in which Fraternities live.

(2) The current global crisis which the world and Fraternities are experiencing has severely increased the gap between the rich and the poor in our society. This situation has become a source of physical and economic hardship in our society, thus contributing to a climate of social instability and insecurity.

 

(3) It is from this background that the Fraternities, despite their strengths and limitations, would like to pursue the prophetic call of Brother Charles’ message.

(4) The contributions and deliberations of the delegates yielded several compelling revelations such as:

-       The birth of new Fraternities and the aging of established ones.

-       The concern to deepen the charisma and message of Brother Charles and to develop fraternal relations.

-       An important interrogation: does our experience of the message of Brother Charles meet the desires, aspirations and needs of the people of our times?

-       The ethical crisis and neoliberalism reinforce each other.

-        

(5) Our theme for the International Assembly, ‘Daring to Encounter’ emerged from our daily lives: joyful encounters, failed encounters, and missed encounters. This theme was first and foremost the fruit of reflexion of all the Fraternities during the past two years. The contributions of other resource individuals, witnesses and visits to various social projects added enrichment to the theme.

(6) The biblical perspective of our reflexion enabled us to rediscover, on one hand, the experience of an oppressed people, and on the other, how to convert a relationship based on domination to one based on reciprocity.

(7) The various encounters of Brother Charles de Foucauld were marked by the culture of his times, and reveal the different aspects of his character. His abundant correspondence testifies to the fact that his relations were marked by faithfulness, kindness and love of God and humanity.

(8) A description of the state of ecumenism in Germany indicated a possible road to travel in order to live in "unity despite fraternal differences”. On the other hand the testimony of a working priest brought to light that his daily encounters were characterized by his capacity to live in solidarity with others. This example of encounter is the very essence of that proposed by our spirituality. Lastly, visits to a local parish and mosque were the illustration of the desire to create a social link through different activities.

(9) Aspiring to live the love and gentleness of God for all humanity, as Brother Charles did, the continents would like to take up the following challenges:

-       To give ourselves the time and means to revisit and live our spirituality. As laity in the world, we wish to confront it with the signs and events of our times.

-       To deepen the relations between Fraternities of each country within each continent, and respond to the aspirations of today’s youth.

-       To surpass our fears and doubts in the face of extremism and foster relations based on mutual reciprocity, respect and solidarity.

-       The use of modern communication means (Facebook, Twitter etc) will help us achieve these goals.

-        

We thank the German Fraternities for their hospitality during this Assembly.

  

International Bulletin June 2012

http://www.brothercharles.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/CI-87ENG.pdf

Report on 2012 NA Conference in Otto, NY hosted by the Buffalo fraternity

Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Lay Fraternity,

I've been wanting to give you a brief overview of 2 recent events in the life of our Fraternity:  the recent North American Assembly held June 22 to June 24, 2012, hosted by the members of the Buffalo Fraternity and the International Assembly which occurs every 6 yrs and this year was held at Bonn, Germany, August 3 to August 13, 2012.  Let me first describe the Buffalo gathering and then next week I will try to summarize the Bonn Assembly

The North American Assembly took place at the cabin of Michele and Jim Winkelsas in Otto, NY which is about an hour south of Buffalo.  Michele and Jim, together with the members of the Buffalo fraternity were our hosts for a wonderful weekend of sharing the spirituality of Brother Charles and Nazareth, as about 25 of us encountered Jesus, ourselves and one another during times of reflection, song, prayer, silence, listening, singing, walking, in short living Nazareth.   The setting was beautiful, hills covered with trees, plenty of flora and  fauna and trails for hiking.  The weather was perfect, warm and sunny; comfortable at night.  About 15 of us stayed at the cabin, another 5 camped outside "sleeping under the stars", another 5 stayed at a nearby Microtel.  

Little Sister Francisca of Jesus led us in reflection on the theme of God's tremendous love for us and for all creatures, and how our response to that love is reflected in the way we treat others and ourselves. She shared stories from her life as a Little Sister, her encounters with the poor and how these experiences have changed her and made her more aware of God's love.   We spoke about simple living and gospel poverty, and daring to meet the other.  Francisca pointed out that poverty alone does not save.  Only poverty or simple living with love has the power to save and transform.  Fr Lennie and Fr Sammy at Mass shared with us the Word of God and  broke for us  the Bread of Life.   After Mass on Saturday we processed with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament to a tent of adoration set up in the field below the house.   There Jesus "pitched his tent amongst us" until Mass on Sunday and there He received us "in spirit and in truth".  Fr Lennie also bailed me out for Morning and Evening Prayer. 

I am very grateful to Michele and Jim for their hospitality and very warm welcome.  They prepared and provided all the food which consisted of hearty soups, sandwiches, salads and finger foods.  There were homemade chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and peanut butter cookies which were literally out of this world.  We even had popsicles on Saturday night which also featured a campfire. Most of us had to come a distance to get to the Assembly.  The travelers from NYC were delayed by terrific thunderstorms that day at NY, and one felt Jesus inviting us "to come away by yourselves to a lonely place so you can rest".   Although the beautiful vista and scenery of Cattaraugus County did not evoke the Sahara or the Hoggar of Brother Charles' life and travels, the presence of nature, the wonderful night sky, the warm and very simple welcome, the tents all recalled for me the hermit of Beni Abbes and Tamanrasset.  

We had with us in addition to the members of the Buffalo fraternity, representatives from the Mt Vernon, Boston and Philadelphia fraternities.  Joyce, Janet and Mark from NYC graced us with their presence and friendship.   Lon Grassman, a biologist from Texas and most recently Columbus, OH and who has written to Lorraine for a couple of years made it out to Otto and shared in a beautiful way with us some of the spiritual journey he's been on and which has drawn him to Brother Charles.   Sister Marilyn and Sister Joseph of the Little Sisters of Jesus and Mary in Maryland shared their lives and friendship with us.  Brother Jakob Thibeault who is a priest of the Old Catholic Church in Providence, RI was with us.  He has been attempting to live a life of service to and solidarity with the poor in Providence and feels a great kinship with Brother Charles and we were happy to meet him and share fraternity with him.

Next year's one day assembly will take place in Philadelphia on Saturday, June 1, 2013, so save the date. I'm hoping to have a meeting of the Community Representatives at Tabor House in Tarrytown in November but it has not yet been confirmed.  Fernando from Boston who has taken over as webmaster from Joe Conrad has been making some changes to the website. I'm hoping we'll have some pictures from the recent gatherings, as well as documentation available soon.  

In fraternal service,

Frank

No American Responsible

Lay Fraternity of Charles de Foucauld

The Life of Charles de Foucauld by Rene Bazin. 1921

The full text of this biography can be found online at the link below: 
http://archive.org/details/charlesdefoucaul00bazi 
Thank you again Fr. Lenny for sharing all this great information and making the spirituality of Brother Charles more accessible.    

2012 International Conference

Prayer for 2012 Foucauld Lay Fraternity International Conference

Bonn, Germany 2012 – August 3rd through August 13th

Our prayer for Ciro, Frank, Onalis, and Stella

For their well being as they travel and meet 

with our brothers and sisters from around the world.

That we have prepared them well with information

on our experience of "daring to meet others" in our daily encounters.

For a blessed experience of sharing and fellowship.

For many gifts of wisdom that they will bring back to share with us.

That the charisms of Blessed Charles may bless the world we live in.

We surrender these requests to the Father that His will shall be done.

AMEN.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help and Brother Charles

 My good Mother, Mother of Perpetual Help, to whom I confide and consecrate myself to you now as I did some years ago, you have helped me so much by faithfully guarding and leading me. My dearest Mother, keep me always close to you in the presence of Jesus and Joseph. Grant me the constant help of your all-powerful assistance and the grace to ask of it unceasingly...

I give myself, I dedicate myself, I consecrate myself to you; I entrust myself to your care as a helpless little child; make me do whatever pleases you; I abandon myself to you like a baby in your arms; the only thing I ask of you is that I may do the will of your Son at every moment of my life so as to console His Heart as much as possible every moment of my life.

Guard me, guard my heart, and grant that night, day, and always, both myself and those whom Jesus has entrusted to us here, may be with you and Joseph in your little house of Nazareth, consoling the Heart of Jesus as much as possible; and sharing His life and yours as His true little brothers, and sharing unceasingly your love, your contemplation, your adoration in our Lord, by Him and for Him. Amen

Brother Charles of Jesus

from Fr. Lenny

a prayer of Abandonment

At the 2012 NA conference, LS Francisca shared this version of the Prayer of Abandonment with us: 

My Father, I abandon myself to you.   

Do with me as you will,

whatever you may do with me, I thank you.

I am prepared for anything, I accept everything

provided your will is fulfilled in me and in all creatures.

I ask for nothing more my God.

I place my soul in your hands.

I give it to you my God

with all the love of my heart

because I love you

and for me it is a necessity of love,

this gift of myself,

this placing of myself in your hands,

without reserve in boundless confidence

because you are my Father.

Charles de Foucauld, 1858-1916

from NA conference 2012

LS Francisca shared this prayer of John Henry Newman with us in one of her wonderful talks:

God has created me to do some definite service. Some work has been entrusted to me which has not been given another.

I have my mission – I may never know it in this life but I shall be told it in the next … I have a part in a great work. 

I am a link in a chain, a bond of connexion between persons.

He has not created me for naught.  I shall love as Christ has loved.  I shall do His work: I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place while not intending it, if I do but keep His commandments and serve Him in my calling.

Therefore I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away.  If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him. In perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. 

My sickness or perplexity or sorrow may be necessary causes of some great end, which is quite beyond me.  He does nothing in vain.  He may prolong my life.  He may shorten it. He knows what He is about. 

My friends may be taken from me.  I may be thrown among strangers.  I may feel desolate.  My spirits may sink.  The future may be hidden from me.  Still He knows what He is about.    

John Henry Newman

Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O Sacred Heart of Jesus,

   living source of eternal life,

   infinite treasure of the Divinity,

   your heart is a burning furnace of love.

You are my refuge and my sanctuary.

O my beloved Savior,

   consume my heart with that burning fire

   with which yours is ever inflamed.

Pour down on my soul those graces

   which flow from your love.

Let my heart be united with yours.

Let my will be conformed to yours

   in all things.

May your divine will be the standard and rule

   of all my desires and actions.

Amen

St. Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)

Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680)

"Lily of the Mohawks" 

- Feast day July 14 -

 to be canonized on October 21, 2012

"Dare to Meet Others" - a prayer for the encounter

The Encounter & the Charisms of Blessed Brother Charles 

Come Holy Spirit and weave together the Foucauld charisms

and our Encounter with “the other” in our lives.

Who is “the other”? 

those who think differently,  those who look different,

those with a different creed, those who speak a different language,

those come from a different place, those with unfamiliar names,

those with different abilities, those who we are not “like us”?

But is anyone really not “like us”?

Come Holy Spirit with the gift of His word.

Bring us the Good News, the Gospel.

Open our minds and hearts

To the words and example of Jesus

So that we may walk in His footsteps

And bring Him with us to all whom we meet.

           

Come Holy Spirit with the gift of loving unity.

Help us to understand Universal Brotherhood.

May we see each person’s uniqueness as a delight, not a barrier,

May we feel empathy for any brokenness or perceived shortcomings,

May we forgive any wrongs and seek forgiveness for our own.

May the love of Christ bind us together as brothers and sisters.  

Come Holy Spirit with the gift of Hospitality.

May we demonstrate an openness, equality, and generosity

To all whom we encounter for we may be “entertaining angels”.   

           

Come Holy Sprit with the gift of Humility.

It is not our accomplishments, our possessions, our education,

Not our race, sex, or creed, but who we are in Christ that matters.

With a humble heart, may we be and bring Christ to others.

And may we see Christ in others. 

Come Holy Spirit with the gift of Poverty.

May we be focused on what we can give, not on what we can gain.

May we approach others with no expectations other than joy

to be in their company and a desire to know and understand them. 

           

Come Holy Spirit with the spirit of service.

May we be servants to all who have needs in body, mind, or spirit.

May we practice a preferential option for the poor,

Recognizing that the gift we give is also the gift we receive.

Help us to build up the Body of Christ. 

           

Come Holy Spirit with the spirit on Oneness

May our practice of Eucharistic Adoration

help us to understand that we are all one in Christ.

The desert in the church today

http://www.jesuscaritas.info/jcd/en/charles-de-foucauld-mission-desert-today

Another great link from Fr. Lenny.  The websites are so dense that somethings get buried.  And truly, I don't remember the last time I looked at the Foucauld websites. I'm sure they are updated periodically.   I was glad that this was brought to my attention.  Hope you enjoy it too.   

The Visitation

Feast of the Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth -  Thursday May 31, 2012

Join with all the Charles de Foucauld spiritual families on this feast day that joins us all together. The Visitation was chosen as the common feast day that unites the many international communities.

"The best illustration of Bro. Charles' insight is his meditation on the Visitation of the Virgin to her cousin Elizabeth. Inspired by Bossuet's Elévations sur les mystères, he did not dwell on Mary's readiness to help her elderly cousin Elizabeth. In his eyes it was not so much a visit of practical charity to assist her cousin in the last months of her pregnancy and at the birth, although Mary goes to her and this is important.

But something else was far more important: "Mary set out to sanctify St John, to proclaim the Good News, to evangelize him and to sanctify him, not with words but by bringing Jesus to him in his home, in silence . . .".⁸
This point deserves further development: "John the Baptist was sanctified, and with him, the whole of Zechariah's family, not through words or an invitation to conversion that would in any case have been impossible, but simply through the presence of the Son of God within her. From before his birth, therefore, Jesus is Saviour with his presence alone. Continuing along the lines of Bossuet, Bro. Charles extends this form of sanctification to all souls.
"Just as Mary sanctified John by going to his home and bringing Jesus himself, the living Gospel, within her, a soul that is filled with Jesus can bring salvation. With regard to the Visitation, Bossuet notes that as soon as she is filled with the Holy Spirit she is full of love, and that this is what happens to every soul: it possesses love to the extent that it lives on Jesus".⁹

        Bl. Charles de Foucauld  by Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins

En 1955, l'Association Famille Spirituelle Charles de Foucauld comptait 8 groupes :

• Union-Sodalité
• Groupe Charles de Foucauld
• Petites Sœurs du Sacré Coeur
• Petits Frères de Jésus
• Petites Sœurs de Jésus
• Fraternité Sacerdotale
• Fraternité Jesus-Caritas
• Fraternité Séculière Charles de Foucauld

Par la suite, différents groupes ont enrichi la famille spirituelle :

• 1968 : Petits Frères de l'Evangile
• 1971 : Petites sœurs de l'Evangile
• 1974 : Petites sœurs de Nazareth
• 1980 : Comunitat de Jesús
• 1984 : Piccoli Fratelli di Jesus Caritas
• 1985 : Petits Frères de l'Incarnation
• 1986 : Petits Frères de la Croix
• 1987 : Petites sœurs du Coeur de Jésus
• 1992 : Fraternité Charles de Foucauld
• 1994 : Petites sœurs de l'Incarnation
• 1997 : Missionnaires de Jésus-Serviteur
• 2007 : Discepole del Vangelo

Today there are 20 groups of more than 13,000 members in international communities.

Welcome to the Montreal Fraternity website

Bonjour,

La Fraternité séculière de Montréal est heureuse de vous présenter son site web dont le but est de partager la vie de Nazareth avec d’autres d’ici et d’ailleurs. Envoyez-nous vos commentaires!

Hello,

The Montreal Lay Fraternity is pleased to present its website whose goal is to share the life of Nazareth with others here and beyond. Send us your comments!

www.charlesdefoucauld.ca

En Lui, In Him,

Piccolo

Easter 2012 from Piccolo in Montreal

Easter 2012 from Alain in Montreal

Easter Reflection from Ken in New Orleans

Christ loves His Disciples. 

He loves His People. 

He loves the human race; 
each and all personally, and individually.

He loves us as He chose to suffer His Passion:

as He was abandoned in the Garden, 

as He was scourged, crowned with thorns, insulted, 
battered and assaulted for our sake. 

He chose to be made into the sin. 

He loves and forgives us as He was raised up 
on the meanest form of execution: the Cross,

and mocked as He died in love. 

He loves us to this day and every day. 

He uses any and every tiny impetus we might have 
for loving as they arise in us. 

By His Grace we grow from a selfish, self-centered, fear driven, 
worldly person, into an unselfish, loving, God-centered person. 

He is intent on saving us from our sins 
and unconscious neglect.

In each moment of His interactions with us,

both in our present, and when He was on earth,

there is one theme that consistently accompanies His love:

a profound and sensitive humility. 

He was humble to be born in a barren stable. 

He was humble to be obedient to His earthly parents. 

He was humble to live among us poor folk;

sharing all our weakness, all our humanity. 

On the night before His sufferings, after the Mystical Supper,

where He gave His Holy Body and Blood,

He stripped Himself of His outer garments

and patiently, blessedly, and humbly washed their feet. 

He washes our feet too, every day. 

From His personal experience, He understands us intimately. 

He is with us at the moment of our Death

since He experienced that as well;

unimaginably desolate and alone on the Cross.

We see His wonderful example right before us. 

He is as near as our next breath.

How great is that Love?

He showed us how to BE with ourselves and each other:

how we should act, how we should think. 

He is always inviting us into His Sacred Heart 

that embodies love, forgiveness and complete pardon.

Let us live this sweet and blessed life of love and service to God and to all of our brothers and sisters.

Through His Passion and Death on the Cross we have the ability;

all that is needed is our loving, active response

to wholeheartedly try and to persevere.

This reflection above is based on an Orthodox meditation.  

The information on the image below can be found at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isenheim_Altarpiece

 

Eucharist Adoration - For Everyone

Is it okay to call this "really cool"???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ5aYoSr3Hg

Another "find" of Father Lenny's. 

If you can't get to a church just click on the link above.

It will bless your day.

The spirituality of Nazareth

If there is a "theology of the spirituality of Nazareth", here it is. The first section is about Br Charles of Jesus, and the effect he had on Vatican 2 and the Council's regard for the poor. This is a very important and insightful work here, that I am very happy to find. The article is a bit long, and maybe you should print it out, if you want to read and meditate on the contents. It would be ideal to put up on a web site, or blog. Feel free to send it along to others on your email addresses if you think it would be helpful to others.

http://communio-icr.com/articles/PDF/greshake31-1.pdf  

another wonderful contribution from Fr. Lenny...  Thanks again! 

"Seeds of the Desert" - The Life Br Charles video - now on YouTube

The Little Sisters of Jesus have posted on YouTube the life of Br Charles that was on the  DVD

 " Seeds of the Desert".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naK9sDJCHRo&feature=youtu.be

This may be a great way to spread the word about our Blessed Brother Charles ...

Thank you, Fr Lenny, for this information.  

Retreat of Eight Days at Ephraim

Submitted by Fr. Lenny, Boston

Many pages long and not the best translation I was very surprised to find the entire text. Like most of Br Charles it's very much in the style of devotional meditation, but well worth the time.

link to entire text:

  http://www.josephkenny.joyeurs.com/Foucauld.htm 

Excerpts:  

RETREAT OF EIGHT DAYS AT EPHRAIM 

Charles de Foucauld

from
SHOUTING THE GOOD NEWS: RETREATS IN THE HOLY LAND

Translated from the French by Joseph Kenny OP
The original was published by Città Nuova Editrice, Rome 1974

INTRODUCTION

Charles de Foucauld's "retreat at Ephraim", 14-21 March 1898, smarks one of the major turning points of his life, this time to a life of contemplative witness to the Gospel among the poor, which was his characteristic life-style for the remaining years of his life. He made this retreat at the Convent of St. Claire at Nazareth, which he thought was the location of Ephraim.

Charles' meditations let us surmise that he had a room to himself with an image of the crucifix with Mary and Mary Magdalene standing at the foot of the cross. He writes not only as if he were in the real presence of these persons, but also really present at the events of Jesus' life just prior to his crucifixion, so that the crucifixion is put in the future tense. The result is an intense and realistic style enriched by a solid theological background, all serving Charles' clear and orderly mind to map the future direction of his life and the lives of all he would inspire. 

...

Luke 1:38: "I am the Lord's servant," said Mary; "may it happen to me as you ha have said." and the angel left her. I was incarnated; I God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, created a human body and A human soul in the womb of the Virgin Mary and I was united with them in a single person at the same time that I created them... Always remaining what I can never cease to be, a true divine person, I became at the same time a true human person... Always remaining God, I became man,., O my children, what a lesson of humility, of lowliness, of prostration... Who could ever come down so far? You could well come down, but in a finite way; I have come down in an infinite way; infinity separates my divine status from my human status... And why did I want to come down? Because of love... God so loved men that he decided to give them his only Son to same them...(Jn 3:16) to redeem them, to be their way, their truth and their life ... Divine love is one; the love of the Father, the love of the Son and the love of the Holy Spirit for men are one and the same divine love, one and the same God ...