Some people might think that a saint is a perfect person, who never made a mistake in his or her life and that from childhood to the end of his or her life was fully devoted to God. If such a person ever existed, surely he was not Charles de Foucauld.
Charles (1858-1916) had many phases in his life. He was a military officer, an explorer, a writer, an atheist, a monk, a priest and a martyr. As a young man he lived a life of pleasure and leisure, but ended his life living as a hermit in the Sahara with the Tuareg nomads where he was killed.
Today many people all around the world continue to follow the way of life of this man who made many mistakes in his life and was not an example of perfection, but surely was a saint. Charles’ entire life was a mixture of vanity, leisure and doubts not until his yearning to know God was realised at the age of 28. “My God, if you exist, allow me to know you,” he said. He was ordained priest at the age of 42 and spent the rest of his life serving the people in Sahara desert with all his love and humility. He was violently killed on 1 December 1916 at the age of 58.
As we can see in Charles’ life, making mistakes and having failures are a sign of sanctity because saints are regular people just like you and I. In spite of his shortcomings, his mistakes, and even his failures, Charles never gave up and always continued his commitment even when he couldn’t see the result of his labour.
Even from the time of his youth, Charles was open to change in order to improve himself. That openness led him to numerous experiences in his life. His life teaches us that mistakes and failures, rather than being something that hampers our journey through life, are opportunities to improve and always do better.
In God, Charles found the motivation to move forward with his work in spite of everything. He trusted God that his life and work had meaning even though he never saw any evidence of it. One hundred years after his death, Charles continues to spread the gospel with his life and writings which inspire many people around the world.
• Ruth Lacaran
DPCM Sto. Niño Group
