154. Sixth Monday of Easter

Meditations no. 200 (unofficial computer-aided translation)

Proselytism is essential in the life of an apostle.

St Paul arrived in Rome to be judged by Caesar. He was put under house arrest, guarded by a soldier. After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews, and when they had gathered … they appointed a day for him, and came to him at his lodging in great numbers. And he expounded the matter to them from morning to evening, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus, both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. And some were convinced by what he said, while others disbelieved … And he lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ quite openly and unhindered.

Proselytism, the task of winning new apostles, is essential in the life of an apostle. All circumstances, however adverse they may seem, are good ones for fulfilling this task.

You have to be a live ember that sets fire to whatever it touches. And, when your surroundings are incapable of catching fire, you have to raise their spiritual temperature.

If not, you are wasting time miserably, and wasting the time of those around you.

With supernatural zeal and true love for everyone, when we see people, we have to think of souls. Here is a soul, we should tell ourselves, that we have to help; a soul we have to understand, to live with and to save. Here is a soul to attract to Christ’s love. Supernatural prudence will determine exactly how we should do this, by looking at events and people in the light of eternity. In every case, our vocation should inflame us with an eagerness to win new apostles, when we see so many people who could put themselves at God’s command, but instead live their lives heedlessly. Our Father writes: What compassion you feel for them!… You would like to cry out to them that they are wasting their time… Why are they so blind, and why can’t they perceive what you - a miserable creature - have seen? Why don’t they go for the best?

Pray and mortify yourself. Then you have the duty to wake them up, one by one, explaining to them - also one by one - that they, like you, can find a divine way, without leaving the place they occupy in society.

We should always be filled with hope at the thought that the Work has gone forward by means of prayer and mortification. In the beginning, we could not count on any human means. All we had was youth, cheerfulness, determination, and the utter certainty that we were doing God’s will, with a lot of prayer and penance… And now, like another Pentecost, we can hear different languages, a manifestation of the Spirit of God and the catholicity of our spirit.

Self-denying love for souls conquers obstacles.

St Paul’s apostolic zeal knew no limits. His supernatural outlook enabled him to discover a new opportunity to preach the Gospel in every situation. His love for souls urged him continuously to engage in the task of winning new apostles. What difficulty or obstacle could deter an apostle?

I am fully aware of the “obstacles” you will encounter, our Father says. Some of them might seem insurmountable… However, inter medium montium pertransibunt aquae (the waters will pass through the mountains). The supernatural spirit of the Work and your drive and zeal will traverse the mountains, and you will overcome those obstacles. Undoubtedly we will find misunderstandings, hardship, and hostile environments in our work with souls. However, obstacles are part of God’s Providence in order to strengthen those who have a vocation to the Work. Difficulties guarantee the stability of our apostolate.

Rest assured, there are many people there who can understand your way. There are also souls who, whether they know it or not, are looking for Christ and have not found him. But “how can they hear about him, if nobody tells them?”

All effectiveness, all strength comes from sacrifice, from efforts based on faith, hope, love, and self-denial. With this supernatural zeal, all obstacles will be overcome and the fruits will appear. St Paul’s self-sacrificing apostolate as a prisoner, his tenacity and zeal, which the Romans could not enchain, resulted in a multitude of martyrs and saints, and Christian Rome itself, the centre of Christ’s Church.

Perseverance in apostolate brings fruit, though we may not see it.

During the two years of St Paul’s apostolate in Rome, some were convinced by what he said, while others disbelieved, but he pursued his task undaunted.

Sometimes we don’t see the immediate fruits of our work either, but that does not matter. We cannot abandon our apostolate, but should keep at it, without becoming discouraged, in the conviction that prayer is always fruitful, and that sacrifice is never sterile. An indispensable requirement in the apostolate is faith, which is often shown by constancy in speaking about God, even though the fruits are slow to appear.

If we persevere and carry on in the firm conviction that the Lord wills it, signs of a Christian revolution will appear around you, everywhere. Some will follow the call, others will take their interior life seriously, and others - the weakest - will at least be forewarned.

There will always be fruitfulness, even if we do not see it. Others will gather in the harvest, which we will see in heaven. That is why, when discouragement sets in, if our Lord allows this temptation, after seemingly adverse events; if you perceive the ineffectiveness of your apostolic works of formation in some cases; if someone were to ask you, as they asked the father of Tobias, ubi est spes tua? where is your hope?, then, lifting up your eyes above the failures of this life, which is not your end, say like that old man in the Old Testament (who was strong and full of hope quoniam memor fuit Domini in toto corde suo, because he remembered God with all his heart): filii sanctorum sumus, et vitam illam spectamus, quam Deus daturus est his, qui fidem suam numquam mutant ab eo; we are the children of saints, and look for that life which God will give to those who never change their faith from him.

We are convinced that we will find the fruit of our works in our heavenly fatherland.

If we persevere in doing apostolate, in a spirit of faith, hope and charity, with prayer and sacrifice, in spite of all the obstacles that may arise, the fruits will not be wanting. The Lord said: I chose you, and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide.

We should make a generous resolution to apply all the right means in each case. Let us renew our hope, trusting in the powerful intercession of our holy Mother Mary.