Holy Eccentric

Most people we call saints were in some way a little eccentric. I do not believe that quality is necessary for holiness, but it is for getting the attention of other folks.

Last Sunday a French priest was beatified at the Vatican. His name is Charles de Foucauld. He led an interesting life and I consider him "eccentric" because it seemed that nearly everything he did, he did to extremes. He lived during the last half of the 19th century and spent most of his adult life as a hermit among Muslim tribes in the desert of Algeria. I suppose he is a saint partly because of his particular brand of spirituality through which he welcomed all people - those of all religions, and no matter what side of any war they were fighting for. He was also "martyred" somewhat accidentally by a young Muslim lad who was spooked by the appearance of two German soldiers coming for a simple visit. (You can read more about the specifics of his life by clicking on the link of his name above.)

There are a number of thoughts from his writings that I find intriguing to contemplate. They come from a book called 15 Days of Prayer with Charles de Foucauld. It is written by Michel Lafon and published by Liguori Publications. Liguori actually has a whole set of books in this 15 Days of Prayer... line. Here are a few of de Foucauld's inspiring quotes from the book.

"The eyes which I found to be the greatest, the smiles which consoled me the most, the people who captivated me the most, all of this was only but a small part of your beauty that you let me see, so that by seeing these things, I could say: that comes from God." (The Last Place)

My spiritual director is very Ignatian in her approach. One of her favorite expressions is "you know that comes from God." I like how de Foucauld describes smiles and interesting people, and sees them as gifts in his life. We tend to take those kinds of gifts for granted, even to expect them. I was just now interrupted by a phone call from a dear friend in Seattle. That was another gift -- unexpected in the middle of my workday. Without being overly pietistic (which I don't think I am), I still feel a certain warmth when I can recognize such simple gestures as little gifts intended to boost my spirits.

"Everytime I open a window or a door, I am ecstatic when I see the mountain peaks that surround me and which I oversee. It is a marvelous sight and a scene of truly beautiful solitude. How good it makes me feel in this great calm and beautiful, yet tormented and strange scene, to lift up my heart toward the Creater..." (Letters to Madame de Bondy)

I lived in Seattle for three years and from my bedroom window I could see the Olympic Mountains across Puget Sound. It was the first place I looked each morning and every time I entered the room throughout the day. It was always a special sight about this time of year when I could see those mountains newly blanketed in white snow -- we seldom got snow in the city. As I drove past the Grand Teton Mountains in Wyoming while moving back from Seattle, I happened to have a CD of the Psalms playing. Magnificent would describe those natural giants and ecstatic would describe my own feelings at the moment. Then the first year I lived in my current apartment back here in the Midwest, it lightly snowed as I was decorating my Christmas tree. That could not have been more perfect.

The beauty of nature has such an affect on me.

"We do good, not by what we say and do, but by what we are, by the grace which accompanies our actions." (Rules and Directory)

My high school creative-writing teacher repeatedly told us that in our writing we had to "show the reader, don't just tell the reader." I think that's true in everything. So many people come across as phony or hypocritical. What we say is not as important as the effect our actions have on others. St. Francis of Assisi is credited with telling his brothers, "Preach the gospel at all times; use words if necessary." By that he meant that we have to live love and goodness. Those are the ways (the grace, if you will) that will touch people most deeply and will change their lives and attitudes. We like to think we have all the answers, when in reality we have very few of the answers - especially for others.

"A single soul is worth more than the entire Holy Land, and more than all material creation combined. We must not go to a place where the land is the holiest but to a place where the souls are in the greatest of need..."

This quote makes me think of the city of New Orleans and cities all along the Gulf coast of Mississippi where so many people have been left in desparate need as a result of the hurricanes this past summer. I think of the comfort I have in my own little "holy land" versus the thousands of people whose homes have been demolished (or have to be demolished) because they were submerged in water for several weeks. Like Charles de Foucauld, my own heart reaches out to those poor souls in their tremendous need.