Claude de la Colombiere was an important part of my life long before Pope John Paul II got around to canonizing him. Kind of like a big brother he was, who could make one proud. Whether in the royal court or preaching to the poor, he was genuine in his devotion to Christ.

We find in his tertianship retreat notes his chiding himself on his propensity toward vainglory. The problem was, of course, he had lots to be vainglorious about: bright, personable, a fine preacher, sophisticated, an easy way of speaking with nobles and less sophisticated, alike.

Therefore, after all the to-do over the beatification of the Opus Dei founder, Msgr. Josemaria Escriva de Balaquer, I was shocked, shocked, to see nothing regarding the canonization of Claude by Pope John Paul II May 31, 1992.

I called the editor for the Jesuit magazine, Company, to inquire:

“How come there was no publicity, aside from yours, about the canonization of your Jesuit, Claude de la Colombiere on May 31st? “ I asked the managing editor.

“Maybe because he’s the home-town-boy-made-good,” he chuckled in reply. “Not many know him here in the States.”

“Didn’t he even have a party?” I asked. “Remember how the Opus Dei crowd rented out all the hotel rooms in Rome, and 200,000 filled St. Peter’s Square for the beatification of Escriva de Balaquer, and millions of us weren’t even on friendly terms with him, certainly not in the way we were with Claude?”

“Yes, he had a party, of sorts. I’ll get something together here. Do you have a fax?”

“No fax, just a second-hand computer.”

“Let me see what I can do. I’ll get back to you.”

A couple of days later, I arrived home from an afternoon of playing pinochle and found an envelope with five dollars’ worth of postage on it, enclosing copies of material on my new saint; ours, of course. (Mustn’t be possessive, even about long-term friendships with saints.)

There wasn’t a big party, friends. Ten Jesuits concelebrated the Papal Mass when Pope John Paul II declared Claude de la Colombiere, the spiritual director for St. Margaret Mary Alocque, a saint. Ten Jesuits around the altar in St. Peter’s? The Pope made eleven. As the Irish would say, “Not a great turnout for our lad.”

Probably that’s just the way Claude wanted it – that vainglory problem and all.

Next week, we’ll delve more into his life and his relationship with Margaret Mary, but just for now, let’s pretend we’re in St. Peter’s May 31, 1992. Everyone’s gone. We’re going to stay behind a bit, happy to be there, watching the candles being extinguished, and the spiritual household chores being completed. Little by little, silence descends, broken only by the sound of retreating footsteps on the cold marble.

We’ve come prepared to spend some time with the Lord, and through one of Claude’s favorite prayers, to lift the veil a little upon the love of friendship between them.

See you back here next week.

Act of Hope and Confidence in God

My God, I believe most firmly
that You watch over all who hope in You,
and that we can want for nothing
when we rely upon You in all things.
Therefore I am resolved for the future...
to cast all my cares upon You...

People may deprive me of worldly goods and status.
Sickness may take from me my strength
and the means of serving You,
I may even jeopardize our relationship by sin,
but my trust shall never leave me.
I will preserve it to the last moment of my life,
and the powers of hell shall seek in vain
to grab it from me.

Let others seek happiness in their wealth
and in their talents.
Let them trust in the purity of their lives,
the severity of their mortifications,
in the number of their good works,
the enthusiasm of their prayers, as for me,
my Rock and my Refuge,
my confidence in you fills me with hope,
For You, my Divine Protector, alone have settled me in hope.

This confidence can never be vain.
No one who has hoped in God,
has ever been confounded.

I am assured, therefore, of my eternal happiness,
for I firmly hope in it and all my hope is in You.

In You, O loving God, have I hoped:
let me never be confounded.

I know too well that I am weak and changeable.
I know the power of temptation against the strongest virtue.
I have seen stars fall and foundations of my world crack;
these things do not alarm me.
While I hope in You,
I am sheltered from all misfortune,
and I am sure that my trust shall endure,
for I rely upon You to sustain this unfailing hope.

Finally, I know that my confidence cannot exceed your generosity,
and that I shall never receive less than I have hoped for from You.
Therefore, I hope that You will sustain me against my evil inclinations,
that You will protect me against the deceitful attacks of the evil one,
and that You will cause my weakness to triumph over every hostile force.
I hope that You will never cease to love me
and that I shall love You unceasingly.

Amen.

(Catholic Internet Mission)

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