447. Thirty-first Saturday of Ordinary Time

Meditations no. 395 (unofficial computer-aided translation)

Taking the initiative in our apostolic struggle.

He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in very little is dishonest also in much. Our Lord’s words in today’s Gospel remind us that God created us free, and he expects us to put interest and effort into responding loyally to his requests. We must not remain passive. Our every step should fall within the plans of our heavenly Father, who called us to the Work as a sign of special love. God asks us for total and trusting abandonment in his hands, while cooperating with his grace by bringing into play all our God-given faculties in a constant struggle.

Our Father wrote: Let’s listen to our Lord: He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in very little is dishonest also in much. It is as if he were saying to us: “Fight continuously in the apparently unimportant things which are to my mind important; fulfil your duty punctually; smile at whoever needs cheering up, even though there is sorrow in your soul; devote the necessary time to prayer, without haggling; go to the help of anyone who looks for you; practise justice and go beyond it with the grace of charity.”

These and many others are the inspirations we feel inside us every day, little silent reminders encouraging us to outdo ourselves in the supernatural sport of overcoming our self. May the light of God show us the way to understand his directions. May he help us to fight and be with us in victory. May he not leave us when we fall but always help us to get up and return to the struggle.

Ever since we were called to the Work, we have been well aware of what God expects from us at every moment; and if there is ever any doubt, we have opportune advice. But we cannot confuse trusting abandonment in the hands of the Directors with comfortable passivity, or a lack of initiative and responsibility. Our daily struggle to attain holiness must always be guided by the virtue of prudence. In the chat, when we speak about our interior life, there should be initiative, the fruit of our prayer and deep examination. Afterwards, we try to put into practice the advice we receive, and thus are assured of fulfilling God’s will. But even then, we have to exercise supernatural prudence, bringing into play our intelligence in obeying, since we have the primary responsibility for our own holiness.

Being responsible in the apostolate.

Recall often, as a spur to your conscience, our Lord’s lament: filii huius saeculi prudentiores filiis lucis in generatione sua sunt; the children of this world are wiser than the children of light. These are hard words but true, since unfortunately they are borne out every day.

Meanwhile, the enemies of God and his Church organize and move forward. With “exemplary” constancy, they form their groups, they run schools to train leaders and agitators, and with their covert but effective action, they spread their ideas and bring to the home and workplace the seed that destroys all religious ideology.

If the enemies of the Church so organize and expend such effort for the sake of twisted ends, what should we Christians do in the service of God? Love always finds the way, awakening the slumbering energies of the intellect, to serve the beloved. If we truly seek to work for our Lord, we will find ways to be effective. Then our Father’s words will not apply to us: If the things they do to keep up appearances, were done with a purified intention for God… what saints some men and women would be!

Our initiative and responsibility have to lead us to be present at all the world’s cross-roads. It fits in very well with your vocation that you get involved prudently - and when I say “prudently” I don’t mean timidly -in an active and discreet manner, like that of the angels, who act invisibly but most effectively, in all sorts of associations and corporations - be they public or not - at local, national or international level. Love should make us daring and courageous in our apostolate. Quite naturally, we will find ways to transform all worthy human activities into means for spreading the Kingdom of God. Be present fearlessly in every human activity and organization, so that Christ may be present there. I’ve used words from Scripture to describe our way of acting: ubicumque fuerit corpus, illic congregabuntur et aquilae (wherever the body is, there will the eagles be gathered together). For God our Lord will ask of us a strict account if, out of carelessness or comfort-seeking, each one of you, freely, doesn’t try to get involved in the human projects and decisions upon which society’s present and future hinge.

We have to be convinced of the far-reaching effects that a holy life has on the entire world. Our Father wrote: If you respond to the call the Lord has made to you, your life - your poor life - will leave a deep and wide furrow in the history of the human race, a shining and fertile furrow, eternal and godly.

Responsibility in carrying out the specific tasks entrusted to us.

We need to mobilize all our natural talents to carry out the large and small tasks the Work entrusts to us. Therefore we need to be mature, with a strong sense of responsibility. Our Father wanted us to have the measure, serenity, fortitude and sense of responsibility that many acquire only with the passing of years.

Our vocation, the growth of the apostolate, and the effectiveness of the whole Work require this of us. The longer we are in the Work, the greater should be the load we can carry on our shoulders. We should become more responsible in our decisions, more careful in finishing work, more mature in our judgement, taking all relevant factors into account, remembering our own and others’ experience, so that at each moment we can make sensible, intelligent and supernatural decisions. As St Thomas wrote: the more one participates in the task of government, the more important it is to judge prudently.

St Paul tells us: Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

We need responsibility so that we don’t have to be pressed or reminded to fulfil our duties, and so that our work is always given fresh impetus by our initiatives. We need responsibility, since God wants us, now and always, to spread his seed, a divine sowing in all surroundings. But he also wants it to maintain its quality while it gains in quantity.

You, very clearly, have a supernatural mission of helping to ensure that this quality is not lost.

We need responsibility, so that the Directors can trust us to finish our assignments, renewing as often as necessary our original enthusiasm; and so that we always keep the needs of the whole Work in view.

St Ignatius of Antioch wrote: But let me charge you to press on even more strenuously in your course, in all the grace with which you are clothed, and to call all your people to salvation. You must do justice to your position, by showing the greatest diligence both in temporal and in spiritual duties. Give thought especially to unity, for there is nothing more important than this. Make yourself the support of all and sundry, as the Lord is a support to you, and continue to bear lovingly with all, as you are doing at present. Spend your time in constant prayer, and beg for ever larger gifts of wisdom. Be watchful and unsleeping in spirit. Carry the infirmities of all on your own shoulders, as a good champion of Christ ought to do. The heavier the labour, the richer the reward.

You’ll have all this while still young, our Father promised, if you don’t lose the supernatural outlook of a child of God. For he will give you, more than to the aged, the conditions required to carry out your work as an apostle.

We will attain the sense of responsibility we need, the prudence that comes from being both humanly and supernaturally mature, if we have recourse to our Lady as small children, ever in need of her help.