8 — THE VARIOUS FORMS OF APOSTOLATE

Presence of God. — O Jesus, teach me to pray, to suffer, to work with You for salvation of souls.

Meditation

1 — When one speaks of apostolate, one thinks almost exclusively of exterior activity. Certainly this is necessary, but it is not only form of apostolate. We must always keep before us that Jesus saved us not only by activity carried out during last three years of his life, dedicated to evangelization of crowds and formation of first nucleus of Church, but also by prayer, by suffering — in sum, by his whole life.

Jesus was always Apostle, always One sent by Father for our salvation. His apostolate begins at Bethlehem in squalor of grotto, where, little Child wrapped in swaddling clothes, He already suffers for us; it continues in thirty years of life spent at Nazareth in prayer, retreat, hiddenness; it takes exterior form in direct contact with souls during public life; and it culminates in agony of garden and death on cross.

Jesus is apostle in stable of Bethlehem, in Joseph’s workshop, in anguishes of Gethsemane and Calvary, no less than when He traverses Palestine teaching crowds or disputing with doctors of law.

Our apostolate consists in associating ourselves with all Jesus did for redemption of humanity. Therefore it is not limited to exterior activity alone, but consists also, and essentially, in prayer and sacrifice. Thus two fundamental forms of apostolate are distinguished: interior apostolate of prayer and immolation, continuation of hidden life and Passion of Jesus; and exterior apostolate of word and works, continuation of his public apostolic life.

Both are participation in saving work of Jesus. Yet there is great difference between them: interior apostolate is indispensable foundation of exterior apostolate. No one can think to save souls by activity not sustained by prayer and sacrifice.

On other hand there are cases in which exterior activity may be lacking without diminishing interior apostolate of prayer and sacrifice, which can still be very intense and fruitful. Every Christian is apostle not only by force of activity he carries out, but principally by force of participation in prayer and sacrifice with which Jesus redeemed world.

2 — Interior apostolate can subsist of itself, and in fact there are forms of life that legitimately exclude exterior apostolate. Such is case of pure contemplative life, always flourishing in Church and maternally supported by her against those who accuse it of absenteeism from field of activity.

Those who, following God’s call, withdraw from works to dedicate themselves to this life are not deserters or runaways. If they leave ranks of external apostolate, they do so precisely to give themselves to deeper apostolate: that of prayer and continual immolation.

“Those who in Church fulfill office of continual prayer and penance contribute to increase of Church and salvation of human race much more than those who cultivate Lord’s field by activity. For if they did not draw from heaven abundance of divine graces to water field, evangelical workers would certainly reap less fruit from their labor” (Pius XI, Umbratilem).

This authoritative statement of great Pope leaves no doubt about high apostolic value of contemplative life. But it is right to note such value is realized only when contemplatives engage with all strength in prayer and continual immolation. In other words, not just any prayer and any sacrifice reach such fecundity, but only prayer and sacrifice proceeding from heart supremely pure and generous, wholly given to God and renewing and living day by day with fresh and ever deeper depth its immolation.

When contemplative life is lived with such intensity, it is in eminent way apostolic life. Precisely in this sense Pius XII defines cloistered vocation as “universal apostolic vocation ... fully apostolic vocation, not circumscribed by limits of place, time, and circumstances, but always and everywhere ready to zeal for all that can in any way concern honor of Spouse and salvation of souls” (Sponsa Christi).

Moreover, contemplative monasteries, by simple example of life of retreat, prayer, and penance, are for all a continual call to detachment from earthly things, search for heavenly ones, union with God, holiness.

Colloquy

“O Jesus, what can I do to save souls? And You answer me with words You once addressed to disciples, showing them fields of ripe grain: ‘Lift up your eyes and see countries, for they are white already to harvest ... truly the harvest is great, but laborers are few. Pray therefore Lord of harvest that He send laborers.’

“What mystery! O Jesus, are You not omnipotent? Do not creatures belong to You who created them? Why then do You say: ‘Ask Lord of harvest to send laborers’? Why?... Ah, Jesus, because You have for us so immense a love that You want us to have part with You in salvation of souls. You will do nothing without us! You, Creator of universe, await prayer of poor little soul to save other souls redeemed like it at price of your Blood.

“My vocation does not consist in going to reap in ripe fields. You do not say to me: ‘Lower your eyes, look at fields, and go reap.’ My mission is still more sublime. You tell me: ‘Lift up your eyes and see. See how in heaven there are empty places. It is your task to fill them ... You must be my Moses praying on mountain. Ask me for laborers and I will send them; I await only a prayer, a sigh of your heart.’

“Behold, O Lord, mission You entrust to me: to contribute by prayer and sacrifice to formation of evangelical workers who will save millions of souls, of whom I shall be mother” (T.B.G. cf. Lt. 114).