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What in general is the Apostolate? It is the practical form of love of neighbor
by
Gilberte Côté-Mercier The
following article was written by Mrs. Gilberte Cote-Mercier on July 1st,
1960. It replies to those who reproach the apostles of the “Michael”
Journal for mixing religion with politics: Loving
your neighbor
There are people who do not understand or who do not want to understand
how we can have a program of political apostolate. They say that the
apostolate is a religious thing, that we should not mix religion with
politics, that those who want to become apostles should become monks,
etc. My dear friends, we must explain ourselves. We need to explain the
activities of the “White Berets”, the Pilgrims of Saint Michael of
the “Michael” Journal who work in the political field as well as the
religious one, and who wish their work to be an apostolate. What in general is the apostolate? It is the practical form of love of
neighbor. To love your neighbor, is not a vain sentimental formula. It
should mean something effective, and fruitful. The Carmelites in their
convents, really love their neighbors, because they pray and fast for
them. It is rare that the people of the world, who are enjoying life,
reflect on the prayers and mortifications of the cloistered sisters who
bring to others such good and such joys. Isn't this the Communion of
Saints, in which we say we believe in, when we say the Apostles' Creed?
We say before Our Lord, “I believe in the Communion of Saints”. “I
believe in those souls who adore you, Lord, whom You love and who love
me, who make sacrifices for me, they are the reason for my temporal joy
and eternal salvation.” The apostolate of the Carmelites is effective.
It was the apostolate of little Therese of the Child Jesus that aided so
many missionaries, without even leaving her convent. But even if we are not cloistered nuns, we are still Christians, and the
duty of the apostolate is also ours. The commandment of loving our
neighbor was also given to us, the laity, the people of the world, as it
was given to the religious. It is the second great Commandment, which is
similar to the first Commandment of loving God. The first Christians where recognized from the pagans on how they loved
one another: the pagans said, “See how they love one another.” I am
a Christian. I am not a monk or a Carmelite. But I must be recognized as
a Christian; people must be able to identify me as a Christian. The sign
with which they will recognize me, will be this: they will say of me:
“See how he loves his neighbor!” I am a Christian. Therefore, I love my neighbor with an effective love
that is fruitful. I go to my neighbor; I search for him to give him an
offering of truth, of joy, of consolation, of relief and of a bit of
bread. I go to my neighbor. I run to him, even if he does not take any
steps towards me, even if he turns away from me. I pursue him with my
fraternal love, as Christ pursues each one of us with His love. Is not
this an apostle? Love goes, it runs, it searches for souls because it
loves them. I will be an apostle in the midst of where I live, where Providence has
placed me. Around me, I will seek to do good for souls. Prisoners
of politics But, can this apostolate go all the way to politics, this domain that is
reserved for specialists of public affairs? Why not? Its seems that
today more than ever in history, it is on the political field that the
salvation of souls is at stake. My neighbor, the man of the 20th century,
is a prisoner of politics; where “the majesty of the State is degraded”
(Pius XI), which permits the financiers-usurpers the control of all
lives according to their satanic philosophy. Men today are prisoners of
politics. To love your brother, means to go to his political prison to relieve and
console him, to finally break the bars of his prison after many
struggles and sacrifices to rescue him. Today, who can say that he is not a slave of politics, of the laws,
taxes, governments, commissions, functions, and rules? Absolutely nobody.
Not even our deputies and ministers! Are they not the greatest prisoners
of politics? And the citizens, who are more or less chained, are watched
like lunatics who have lost their goods and freedoms. Little by little, nations are falling into the materialistic slavery of
full employment and generalized proletariat. Then the governments,
gradually with their laws, or violently with revolutions, are one after
another chaining people to communist tyranny. Does not working to free your brother from the politics of today, which
is working to assassinate the human person mean that you truly love him?
Does not the Christian of today see in political actions a great field
of apostolate, worthy of the highest Catholic ideal? Yes, we do have a right to be a political apostle. Every citizen,
particularly the Christian citizen, has the duty of being one according
to his strength. This is the role that the Pilgrims of Saint Michael of the “Michael”
Journal want to fulfill: the role of being an apostle. Visiting
the families The “While Berets” go towards their
neighbor, they search for them with a fraternal love. Here is the reason
why they practice the visit to the families. Oh, dear Social Crediters, dear Pilgrims of Saint Michael, if you could
understand that Social Credit, which you love and desire so much, the
Social Credit civilization, cannot be otherwise than a fraternal
civilization. A fraternal civilization is a civilization where fraternity is practiced,
is it not? And the fraternal act of visiting the families isn't this what would be
the most conclusive, and certain of results, as well as the most
dedicated? He who sacrifices his leisure hours and who goes door to door
to teach and consol his brothers, to fortify and relieve them, you can
be sure, can you not, that he really loves his neighbor? He will not
always be well received in the homes but he will continue because he
loves like Christ who does not grow weary of visiting us, despite the
bad welcomes that we sometimes reserve for Him and in spite of our
ingratitude. However, there are also joys in visiting the families, the great joys of
the apostle, indefinable, incomparable and capable of being understood
only by the apostle. Social Crediters, you know that the Social Credit civilization will be a
civilization of fraternity. Begin then right away to live this fraternal
civilization, by going right away to visit your brothers. Why are the
Social Crediters not going from house to house during their weekends?
Why aren't the people who are all convinced of Social Credit starting
immediately to practice love of neighbor, the apostolate? Because their love is still selfish and they believe that they can go on
fishing, hunting and beach trips while their brothers are suffering.
Fraternal love will never come from selfishness, not even in a Social
Credit civilization. And the apostolate will always be the program of a
Christian. When we are Social Crediters, we do not go from door to door only to
hasten the coming of Social Credit, we do it out of love, in a spirit of
apostolate, because this is the life of a Christian. The apostles are blessed with a great reward, that of possessing Social
Credit interiorly, because Social Credit would make life between
brothers more fraternal. Those who live the Social Credit philosophy to
the point of visiting the families, realize that they form a big family
of brothers and sisters, similar to the family of the first Christians,
in which they discover great joys. I address all the Social Crediters without exception, and I ask them to
meditate on the visit to the families, and to decide to put this
practice into their program at all costs. They will not regret it. If
they feel great repulsion for going from door to door at this moment,
they must know that this repulsion is the work of Satan. Going from door to door demands an effort in the beginning, but it brings
us happy surprises. Try, just try, Social Crediters. And next Saturday
or Sunday, form a group of Pilgrims of Saint Michael in your parish to
go visit the families, to pray with them and offer them the
“Michael” Journal, which acts like a missionary in the homes Gilberte Côté-Mercier This article was published in the Oct.-Nov.-December, 2003 issue of “Michael”. |
