A meditation for priests involved in Catholic Action, preached in 1941

The apostolic task is one of greatness. The apostolate can be defined as the illumination of souls. God needs no one to do the task, yet He chooses to avail Himself of us as collaborators. The Good News of the Gospel that Jesus brought to the world is the reconciling of souls to his Father. The preaching and application of this Good News is in fact the apostolate.

The doctrine of St. Paul is very clear: Jesus died for all men, for Jews and for gentiles. He paid all their debts and redeemed all without exception. Moreover, from this principle we must derive yet another that supposes apostolic solidarity. Salvation has become possible through Christ, the superabundant, infinite ransom is paid but this is not enough to achieve salvation: salvation is not automatically realized. Christ gives us the possibility of salvation, he won for us the right to incorporate ourselves into his death and resurrection but in order for this incorporation to be realized in fact, the collaboration of other men is normally required: that is to say, the cooperation of apostles. This human collaboration, the cooperation of the apostle in the plan of God which St. Paul alluded to as “God’s fellow-workers” (1 Cor 3,9), is the foundation of the apostolic life.

The mission of the apostle can be compared to that of a man in a city under siege by an enemy, and whose citizens are at the point of dying of thirst. The man finds himself to be in control of the life and death of the inhabitants because he knows of a subterranean source of water that could save his brothers but which requires much effort to unearth. If he refuses to make the effort, his companions will perish; could he refuse to make the sacrifice?

We can compare his mission to that of one who sees a wide torrent, deep and muddy, flowing toward him. The avalanche resounds, the depths roar, the waves are agitated. On the waves thousands of unfortunates cry out for help, they swim in desperation but are tossed high then thrown under by the waves, soon disappearing. They are our brothers. Others cry out to us: Save me! Who among us could continue to walk indifferently along the shore? No, we would cry out for life boats and oarsmen to save these lives in mortal danger. And we would call to those in danger to hang on for we are on the way. What great joy a man must have who consecrates his life to such a humanitarian mission! The most humanitarian, the most beautiful, the most urgent.

What an immense responsibility that of Christians, how little it is considered and yet how formidable it is. Christianity can be summarized in the law of charity, to God and to one’s neighbor, the rest is accessory or already contained in these two precepts. Nonetheless, these fundamental precepts are the most easily forgotten. The life of innumerable souls depends upon the Christian, on his preaching but above all on his life. Whatever he is, so shall be all those confided to his care by God. The courageous comparison of the saintly Curé of Ars remains timely: “A saintly priest, a good parish; a good priest, a mediocre parish; a mediocre priest, what can be expected of the parish?” And in speaking to those who loudly lamented the corruption of the times, St Augustine said: “You say the times are evil, then improve yourselves and the times will be better: you are the times.” More than anyone else the apostles can say: We are the times. What we are will constitute the Christianity of our epoch.

A terrible responsibility! The apostle’s task is to reveal in his mortal flesh the life of his Master for the salvation of souls… How many destinies with projections for eternity are left hanging on this revelation!

Much depends upon the apostles: that the war against sin be carried out with intensity; that where today there is vice, tomorrow virtue may reign; that youth immersed in impurity today may be reborn to a new life of dignity; that broken homes be united once more and that the rich treat the poor with justice and charity.

In the company of the apostle good works seem to blossom forth. Tears are dried and many sufferings are consoled. Even humanly speaking, what life could be more beautiful than the life of an apostle! What deep and pure consolations, are those he experiences.

The projections of the apostolate are immensely greater if we consider the perspective of eternity. The souls that grow excited and cry out in the streets and plazas have an eternal destiny. They are like trains without brakes running headlong towards eternity. It may depend on me whether these trains find a clear track leading to heaven or whether, on the contrary, they swerve off on some side track that leads to hell. Can I remain inert when my action or lack of it has an eternal consequence for so many souls?

“The charity of Christ urges us”, says St. Paul (2 Cor 5,14). To the extent that we can infer, salvation depends, in its last concrete application, upon the action of the apostle. It depends upon us then whether the Blood of Christ will be beneficial for those for whom it was shed. The Redeemer can work directly in the depths of human consciousness through paths unknown to us but to the extent that we have been able to penetrate in the divine secrets, instructed by the words of Sacred Scripture, Tradition and the liturgy of the Church, God has imposed upon Himself the path of collaboration with us and of conditioning the generous distribution of His gifts on our human help. If we refuse Him the bread, Christ does not descend to the Eucharist; if we refuse to give Him our lips there will be no transubstantiation nor pardon for sin; if we refuse Him water, he does not descend into the breast of the child called to be a tabernacle; if we refuse Him our work, sinners do not become just; and the dying, will they die in their sin because there was no one to show them the path to heaven?

If we desire then that the love of Jesus should not remain sterile, let us not live for ourselves, but for him (cf. 2 Cor 5,15). In this way we will fulfill the fundamental desire of the Heart of Christ: we will obey his commandment of love.

Let us not live for ourselves but for him. This is the meaning of radical abnegation, so often preached by St. Ignatius. He who now lives, lives not for himself; that is precisely it, let us make our own in every way possible, by means of purity of heart, prayer and work, the sentiments of Jesus: his patience, his zeal, his love, his concern for souls. “I live now, not I but Christ lives in me”(Gal 2,20).

In this way we will fulfill the fundamental desire of the Heart of Christ: Thy Kingdom come… “This is eternal life, that they might know thee O Father, and him whom you have sent, Jesus Christ” (Jn 17,3). “I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly” (Jn 10, 10).

The apostle is called to give this life, to make Christ known, to accelerate the coming of his Kingdom. Queen of Apostles, intercede for us that all the members of Catholic Action be true apostles!