Jesus Caritas
News & Archive of the Spiritual Family of Charles de Foucauld
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contemplative lifeContemplatives at the heart of the worldYou have only one Model: Jesus. Do not look for another. Like Jesus during his life on earth, make yourself all things to all people. The Green Booklet and the Renewal of Religious Life 'The Green booklet'Our political and literary history is criss-crossed by what we call manifestos, that is, writings that give the public a summary of new ideas incarnated in a movement of thoughts and works that mark an era. In 1946, when the text of Little Sister Magdeleine which was to become known as the "Green Booklet" was published, we received it as a manifesto of a new concept of religious life. For my confreres and me, who were seminarians at the time, these pages seemed revolutionary and inflamed our enthusiasm. Our religious life is a response to Jesus callOur religious life is a response to Jesus call to follow him from Bethlehem, to the Cross and the Resurrection. Our life is grafted onto Christ's. It is love that should recollect you in meIt is love that should recollect you in me interiorly and not being far from my children. See me in them, like me at Nazareth live close to them, lost in God. Always see Jesus in every personAbove all, always see Jesus in every person, and consequently treat each one not only as an equal and as a brother or sister, but also with great humility, respect and selfless generosity. We must love people as Jesus loved themWe must love people as Jesus loved them and since that is what his name ‘Jesus Saviour’ means, we like him, must make the salvation of all people the work of our life. It is by loving people that we learn to love God. Seek Jesus and love him in the "little ones"Near the end of his life, Brother Charles said: I think that there is no passage of the Gospel that has made a deeper impression on me or changed my life more than this one: "Whatever you do to one of these little ones, you do it to me." If we think of it, that these are the words of Uncreated Truth, words from the mouth that said, "This is my body... this is my blood..." then how forcefully we are impelled to seek Jesus and love him in the "little ones". See Jesus in every human personSee Jesus in every human person. Live for others more than for myself. Always see Jesus in every personAbove all, always see Jesus in every person, and consequently treat each one not only as an equal and as a brother or sister, but also with great humility, respect and selfless generosity. 
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Inspired by Brother Charles... |
