Charity and humility: two essential virtues so that pride and selfishness do not have chance to lodge themselves in our hearts. And, to serve our fellow beings, as the Gospel of Jesus recommends to us, it is necessary that we do to them all the good that is within our reach, all the good that we would like to be done to us.
Happy are those who cultivate in their interior the desire to serve. These carry with themselves the roots of love, germinating without ceasing in their hearts, thus supporting the needy and the forgotten.
Since the beginnings, the planet has been visited by enlightened Entities and of great beauty, sent by our Planetary Governor to enrich us with their teachings, their virtues and their examples of life.
We want to remember one of these characters who once lived among us, an angelic being who, during his earthly existence, lived practicing these sublime virtues in the broadest sense of the word.
He was considered the most holy priest and the greatest example of humility and charity of the century in which he lived. He had as primordial base of conduct the examples of the Master Jesus, for, as he himself said:
“To die with Jesus Christ it is necessary to live like Jesus Christ.”
Our simple reverence and special gratitude to this wonderful Spirit who left us countless examples of how we can also practice these sweet virtues that bring us closer to the Divinity. His life was entirely devoted to the poor.
Even when still young, being captured and sold as a slave, he did not cease to advise the brothers in captivity about the necessity of having compassion for the oppressors. Then, through examples of submission, patience and benevolence toward his executioner, he ended up, with time, convincing him to redeem himself from his mistakes and to turn himself to religion.
Always devoted to Most Holy Mary, it was to Her that he resorted and to whom he prayed without ceasing to be freed and be able to return to his homeland.
Born in a small village in the south of France, in the 16th century, since childhood he already carried in himself this desire to help the less favored.
He became a priest at nineteen years of age, his humility and intelligence always being noticed, drawing the attention of the ecclesiastical authorities of his time.
He was appointed chaplain of the queen in 1608 by the king of France.
In this time, he studied Canon Law, becoming responsible for the distribution of resources destined to the poor.
Further ahead, he received another charge as counselor of a noble family, but he refused to live in the palace and to enjoy the privileges that he considered unnecessary.
Even working as instructor and counselor of this family, he gave to the servants of the castle the same importance and the same treatment given to the nobles, without making distinction between them.
He rebuilt an abandoned church and helped the faithful in the return to the liturgy.
He instituted shelters for orphans and a hospital to help the disinherited of society, counting with the help of the Ladies of Charity.
He organized, further ahead, the Congregation of the Daughters of Charity, which multiplied itself and today is spread throughout the whole planet, besides other institutions turned to the exercise of charity.
So much did this servant of the poor, of the sick and of the destitute during his passage on Earth that it would be difficult to describe all his actions.
This being of spiritual greatness continues to instruct us and warn us about our behavior in face of sufferings, disappointments and our weaknesses, by means of the wise messages that we can find in The Gospel According to Spiritism.
Yes, it was this Spirit of Light and Wisdom, among so many others, one of the helpers in the codification of the Doctrine of Spirits, together with professor Allan Kardec.
We know that it is not possible, in a single existence, to absorb all the wisdom contained in the teachings and in the examples of these enlightened envoys of the Heavens and, thus, become better human beings, better companions of journey and better children of the Most High.
But we can begin now. The path to follow has already been traced to us; we can no longer say that we know nothing. Now it is to move forward, having the humility to hide from the right hand what the left hand is doing. And, mainly, having charity as the lever of our spiritual ascent, for, outside it, there will be no salvation!
Wonderful Spirit of the Lord, help the misguided on my path!