What in general is the Apostolate?

Written by Gilberte Côté-Mercier on Friday, 01 July 1960. Posted in Pilgrims of St. Michael

It is the practical form of love of neighbor

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

About the Author

Gilberte Côté-Mercier

Gilberte Côté-Mercier

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