Apr 22 Tue
How should be my apostolate?
The whole of Jesus Christ's life, and in particular his sufferings during his Passion and Death, speak to us eloquently of the value that souls have in God's eyes and of his great love for them. God continues to show that love through the miracle of the Resurrection and even after Christ's Ascension into heaven.
The Holy Spirit, the Love of God, is the driving force of the apostolate. How could we love God without at the same time loving those who are his children, the objects of his love and fatherly care?
“Our Christian vocation, this calling which our Lord makes to each of us personally, leads us to become identified with Him. But we should not forget that He came on earth to redeem everyone, because He wishes all men to be saved. There is not a single soul in whom Christ is not interested. Each soul has cost him the price of his Blood."
We must feel strongly urged to bring everyone before our Lord, and place them at his feet: those who are close to us, and the millions of others whom we do not yet know. “Yours is only a small love if you are not zealous for the salvation of all souls. Yours is only a poor love if you are not eager to inflame other apostles with your madness."
We find a good example of this zeal for souls in today's reading from the Acts of the Apostles, which describes how, on the day of Pentecost, Peter and the other Apostles spoke to the crowd without fear or human respect. "Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."
On hearing this, the crowd was cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles. "Brethren, what shall we do?" And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Apostolic zeal is a divine madness I want you to have, and it has these symptoms:
- Hunger to know the Master; it is the love for God within us that attracts souls.
- Constant concern for souls, that will keep us from wasting any opportunity that arises, since the time for souls will not wait. And when the opportunity comes, we have to create an atmosphere of trust straight away, leading to personal and direct apostolate.
- Perseverance that nothing can shake, that leads us to cry out to our Lord again and again: “Jesus, souls... apostolic souls! They are for you, for your glory! You will see how He will end up listening to you."
If we want to ensure that this apostolic zeal is not just a passing sentiment, but remains a constant concern, we have to be closely united to our Lord. “The closer an apostle is to God, the more universal his desires. His heart expands and takes in everybody and everything, in its longing to lay the universe at the feet of Jesus."