Blessed Charles de Foucauld

Dearest Ones,

I love the saints, because they give me courage and hope. I've loved them for as long as I can remember. I can't imagine life without them. I especially get inspiration from those who were not always saints, but changed drastically. They remind me that if they can do it, so can I. Too often, we think of the saints as always being Goody Two-Shoes, who did nothing but pray. Not always true.

Charles de Foucald, also known as Little Brother Charles of Jesus, as a child was baptized Christian, but later in life he lost his faith and lived an impure, sinful life. His mother died when he was six, but his older sister grieved over her brother and never stopped praying for him to come back to the faith. Charles joined the military and was stationed in North Africa. Curiously, it was the Muslims, kneeling to pray seven times a day, that brought him back to the faith of his childhood. Seeing the Muslims praying, got him thinking about whether there was a God or not, until one day he prayed, "My God, if you exist, let me come to know you."

He was empty inside and was always searching for something. He left his sinful life and friends, went back to France and began attending Mass again. With the kindness and encouragement of a priest, he went to confession and became a devout Catholic. He wanted to give his life completely over to God, saying these words, "As soon as I believed in God, I understood that I could not do otherwise than to live for Him alone."

He was ordained a priest in France in 1901. He felt called to go back to the Sahara Desert in Africa, where he lived the "hidden life of Jesus." He wanted to imitate Jesus, who lived for thirty years a hidden life and spent only three years teaching and healing. Most of us can relate to the hidden life of Jesus, because we are not famous or in the spotlight. We spend most of our lives doing ordinary things - not being in the spotlight. Charles lived alone as a hermit, although he welcomed others to join him. He helped his neighbors, Muslims, in every way and became great friends with them. In order to show that he loved them, he learned their difficult language, then translated the entire New Testament into their language, so they could read the Word of God.

He is remembered for all he did to bring about peace between Christians and Muslims. He welcomed Muslims to come into his home and they ate meals together. However, through false rumors, the Muslims mistakenly heard that Charles was planning to kill them, so they went to his peaceful home in the desert and shot him to death at the age of 58. Like Jesus, he was killed by those he loved.

Although he invited others to join him, not one person joined him in his desert life while he was alive, but after his death the Order of Little Brothers began to grow. Today there are several hundred Little Brothers living in the Sahara and other parts of the world, praying and working with the poor. They are now known as the Little Brothers of Jesus Christ, who consecrate their lives to God and all men. They are in continuous prayer for all the world, especially the poor and those who do not yet know Christ.

The life of Brother Charles illustrates the great lengths, both spiritual and physical, that a man must sometimes travel to follow Christ. These are words written by Charles shortly before his death:

"We must respect the least of our brothers...let us mingle with them. Let us be one of them and treat them well in order to be accepted as one of them." Charles showed us the way to win hearts and minds. He could say with Paul:
"I have fought the good fight, I have accomplished the course, I have kept the faith." -11 Timothy 4:7.

PRAYER of ABANDONMENT by Brother Charles

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 creatures.

I surrender myself completely

For you are my Father.


In His love,
Sister Francelle