Bl. Charles de Foucauld, c. 1907

Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916) has fascinated us for a long time. He was from a rich French family and had been a cavalry officer and famous explorer. He lived an indulgent, dissipated lifestyle but returned to the Faith in 1886 and soon after became a Trappist.

In 1901 he went to live as a hermit in the middle of the Sahara Desert. There he faced years of mortifications, sleeping on rocks, living in utter poverty. Even by the standards of the local Tuareg people—for whom he translated the Gospel into their language—it was a severe life. He did it because he believed God had called him to do it. He thought he would gain brothers to make a monastery and gain converts among the Muslims. He was in the desert, with his Order’s approval, for 15 years. His total number of monks joining him in the hermitage: Zero. His total number of converts: Zero

Most of us look for God’s confirming signs, and the fruitlessness of the mission might have lead us to believe we had erred in discerning God’s will. And if it had been us in the desert, we might have been right. Yet he stayed there mostly alone for years. I had an aunt who often said, “God has a plan for my life, even if I can’t always see it.” Charles de Foucauld was martyred in his hermitage. He had faithfully lived as he believed God wanted him to. Faithful and obedient. Trusting in the God. That’s why he’s a saint. He is a beacon for all of us who wish to live our lives for God. By some firsthand accounts, he was ‘luminous,’ ‘peaceful,’ and ‘pure.’ Numerous religious orders have since been founded based on his life. (source:www.franciscanmedia.org)

8.5 x 11 acid-free archival paper, with about an inch-and-a-third of white space around the picture. Cardboard backer. Enclosed in a tight-fitting, crystal clear bag.

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