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To: Quix
Quix,

For some reason, your post above reminded me of Bl. Charles de Foucauld.

Father,
I abandon myself into your hands;
do with me what you will.
 
Whatever you may do,
I thank you.
 
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me,
and in all your creatures.
I wish no more than this, O Lord.
 
Into your hands I commend my soul;
I offer it to you
with all the love of my heart,
for I love you, Lord,
and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into your hands,
without reserve,
and with boundless confidence,
for you are my Father.

Bl. Charles led a very interesting life. His biography says:

CHARLES DE FOUCAULD (Brother Charles of Jesus) was born in Strasbourg, France on September 15th, 1858. Orphaned at the age of six, he and his sister Marie were raised by their grandfather in whose footsteps he followed by taking up a military career.

He lost his faith as an adolescent.His taste for easy living was well known to all and yet he showed that he could be strong willed and constant in difficult situations. He undertook a risky exploration of Morocco (1883-1884). Seeing the way Muslims expressed their faith questioned him and he began repeating, “My God, if you exist, let me come to know you.”

On his return to France, the warm, respectful welcome he received from his deeply Christian family made him continue his search. Under the guidance of Fr. Huvelin he rediscovered God in October 1886.He was then 28 years old. “As soon as I believed in God, I understood that I could not do otherwise than to live for him alone.”

A pilgrimage to the Holy Land revealed his vocation to him: to follow Jesus in his life at Nazareth.He spent 7 years as a Trappist, first in France and then at Akbès in Syria. Later he began to lead a life of prayer and adoration, alone, near a convent of Poor Clares in Nazareth.

Ordained a priest at 43 (1901) he left for the Sahara, living at first in Beni Abbès and later at Tamanrasset among the Tuaregs of the Hoggar. He wanted to be among those who were, “the furthest removed, the most abandoned.” He wanted all who drew close to him to find in him a brother, “a universal brother.” In a great respect for the culture and faith of those among whom he lived, his desire was to “shout the Gospel with his life”. “I would like to be sufficiently good that people would say, “If such is the servant, what must the Master be like?”

On the evening of December 1st 1916, he was killed by a band of marauders who had encircled his house.

He had always dreamed of sharing his vocation with others: after having written several rules for religious life, he came to the conclusion that this “life of Nazareth” could be led by all. Today the “spiritual family of Charles de Foucauld” encompasses several associations of the faithful, religious communities and secular institutes for both lay people and priests.

For more information, you can visit his website.

46 posted on 04/04/2007 2:19:59 PM PDT by markomalley (Extra ecclesiam nulla salus CINO-RINO GRAZIE NO)
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To: markomalley

BEAUTIFUL. [brought yet more tears! LOL]

Thanks tons.

Precious. I’m sure he was easy to love—so full of HIS Love.

Thanks.


49 posted on 04/04/2007 2:25:58 PM PDT by Quix (AN AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE PREVENTS ET ABDUCTIONS, STOPS SAME)
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To: markomalley; Quix

That was lovely, markomalley. Quix, I will try to do as you have pledged. Please don’t hit me with a 2x4 if I fail. A kind admonition could work wonders. :)


52 posted on 04/04/2007 2:55:41 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: markomalley

And another thanks. I have known of this wonderful man, Bl.Charles deFoucauld, in the time of my old age, and his prayer, which you posted, is a bookmark in my Prayers of the Divine Office.

I am so glad he is now Blessed.


58 posted on 04/04/2007 4:50:07 PM PDT by Running On Empty
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To: markomalley

Thank you M.O’M for post #46. Am glad to learn of CHARLES DE FOUCAULD (Brother Charles of Jesus), of his early military career and his later rededication to saving faith. Amen.


167 posted on 04/08/2007 9:45:42 PM PDT by JockoManning (CHRIST IS RISEN, THE LORD IS RISEN INDEED, ALLELUIA!)
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