Thursday, November 9 : Saint Charles de Foucauld

My Lord Jesus you are “with us even to the end of the world.” (Mt:18:20) Not only in the Holy Eucharist but also in your grace. Your grace dwells in the Church, it also dwells in every faithful soul. The Church is your spouse. Your grace works in them, conforming them to yourself. It works without ceasing in the Church to perfect her. She grows more perfect by the increasing number of her saints.. Always new ones are being added to the old ones, and the crown of saints is being completed every day by new jewels. She grows more perfect by the fresh crosses which you lay upon her daily, and the victories she wins daily against the Prince of this world. She grows more perfect by the persecutions that she bears in one century after another, and in her suffering she grows more and more like her Spouse. She grows more perfect through the merits of her members added daily to the merit of past days. A sum of holiness growing unceasingly, a sum which glorifies God anew, adding itself always to the ancient glory which is ever living before the Lord. She is more perfect because the grace of to-day added to the past graces cannot fail to carry the spouse from height to height ever nearer to her Lover. Jesus is the soul of the Church, He gives to her what the soul gives to the body – life! He gives her immortal life so that she may never be destroyed. He works through her and carries on through her the work that he began whilst he lived amongst men. He works for the Glory of God through the sanctifying of man. This is the aim of the Church as it was the aim of Christ, through her Jesus accomplishes it unceasingly , through the centuries.

Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team