Saint Anthony Mary Claret - Catholic Apologetics Information

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devil, so I resolved to give up exorcisms and try another approach, which was as follows. 185. Whenever people came to me claiming to be possessed, I asked them whether they really wanted to be cured and whether they believed that, by doing what I said, they would be cured. If they assured me that they did, I demanded three things of them: First, that they bear all things patiently and never lose their temper. For I had noticed that some people become hysterical as a result of their bad dispositions and temper tantrums and that patience tends to calm them down. 186. Secondly, I forbade them to drink wine or any other liquor, and I told them that this was indispensable in casting out their sort of demon. For I had also noticed that a number of people who drank too much tried to put the blame for their condition on the devil. 187. Thirdly, I made them say seven Our Fathers and Hail <strong>Mary</strong>s every day to the Blessed Virgin in honor of her Seven Sorrows. Moreover, I insisted that they make a good general confession of their whole life and receive Communion with great devotion. Whatever their trouble, they would come back after a few days to thank me and tell me that they were free and cured. I'm not saying that there are no possessed persons. There are, indeed, and I have encountered some--but very few. 188. In the course of missions I have met people, converted by the sermons, who have frankly admitted to me that they had never been possessed or even physically ill but had fabricated the whole thing for various reasons, such as to attract attention or to be coddled, pitied, helped, or a thousand other things. 189. One woman of this sort told me that everything she had done had been done with full knowledge and willful malice, but that some of the things she did were so striking and bizarre that she began to wonder about them herself. Doubtless the devil was at work with her. Not through diabolical possession, but through the malice in her heart, for she knew that in the natural course of things she couldn't do some of the things she did. 190. Another lady, who lived in a large city, told me that she was so adept at faking possession that she had been having exorcisms performed over a long period of time, during which she had deceived twenty of the wisest, most virtuous, and most zealous priests in that city. 191. These cases, and other cases of truly repentant sinners who were moved by grace to humbly confess their trickeries and diabolical fictions, taught me to move very cautiously in such matters. This is why I finally came to adopt the approach I have outlined above. My God, how many thanks I owe you for helping me understand the tricks of the devil and of deceivers. This understanding is a gift from your divine hand. Lord, enlighten me so that I may never err in giving spiritual direction. I am well aware, Lord, that if anyone needs wisdom, all he has to do is ask you for it and you will give it to him abundantly, and you will grant it without reminding him of his unworthiness. But sometimes out of pride or laziness we neglect to ask for wisdom and so we lose it, and this happens even to those who pass for wise and eminent theologians. Chapter X 192. THE CARE I TOOK TO SEE THAT THE SUPERIOR SENT ME TO PREACH SINCE I WAS WELL CONVINCED THAT TO BE EFFECTIVE, A MISSIONARY 38
MUST BE SENT 115 193. In mid-January of 1841, after eight months as regent in Viladrau, where I had been ministering to the parish, leaving it from time to time to preach in various other towns to which my bishop sent me, I finally left it for good, so as to be permanently free to preach wherever he might send me, without any fixed residence. 116 My address, during the few days I stayed there, was at Vich. From this city I would set out with a list of the towns I had to preach in. 194. Other bishops often asked my own bishop to let me preach missions in their dioceses. As long as he granted their requests I would go, for it was my inflexible rule never to preach in any church or diocese except at the express command of my bishop, and this, for two weighty reasons. First, because it meant that I would be acting out of holy obedience, a virtue that is so pleasing to God that He rewards it instantly. In acting thus I was assured of doing God's will and of being sent by Him, not by my whim. Besides, I could see God's blessing in the results that were forthcoming. The second reason was one of convenience. Because there were so many demands for my services from far and near, I could satisfy them all by saying, "I'll be very happy to go if my bishop sends me." Thus they would leave me in peace and arrange things through him, so that it was up to him to send me. 195. I had come to realize that a missionary must never thrust himself into an assignment. He should offer his services to the bishop, saying, "Here I am, send me." But he should not go until his bishop sends him, because when he is sent, it will be by God's sending. All the Old Testament prophets were sent by God. Jesus Christ himself was sent from God, and Jesus in turn sent his Apostles. 196. In the two miraculous draughts of fish--which were symbolic of the missionary apostolate--we can see the need for a mission both as to the time and to the place we should preach, if we are to catch souls. The first catch, narrated by St. Luke (chap. 5), shows us that a mission is so necessary that without it nothing can be accomplished. The evangelist tells us that Jesus ordered his Apostles, "Lower your nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we have toiled all night long and have caught nothing; but if you say so, I will lower the nets." Upon doing this they caught such a great number of fish that their nets were at the breaking point. They signaled to their mates in the other boat to come and help them. St. Peter was amazed and Jesus told him, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will be catching men." Here we can see that the catch was a symbol not only of the Apostles' mission but also of their need to be sent and of the right moment for them to preach. 197. The second miraculous catch took place after the Resurrection of Jesus, as St. John narrates in chapter 21 of his Gospel. The Apostles had been fishing but had caught nothing. Jesus appeared to them without their recognizing Him. When He asked them whether they had anything to eat they answered, "Not a thing." Then Jesus told them, "Cast your net off to the starboard side, and you will find something." So they made a cast and took so many fish they could not haul the net in. They counted the fish, and there were a hundred fifty-three large ones. In this second catch we can see not only the need to be sent but also the need to preach at the right time, in the right place, and with the right intention if the souls of big sinners are to be caught--and not just a hundred fifty-three but vast numbers--since 100, 50, and 3 are mystical numbers. 198. This need for being sent to a particular place by a bishop was something that God himself helped me understand from the very beginning. Thus, no matter how evil and demoralized the towns I was sent to, great fruits were always obtained, because it was God who sent me to them and prepared them and predisposed them for me. Missionaries may rest assured, then, that they should go to no town, however good, unless they go under obedience; but that under obedience they should not hesitate to go to any town, however bad. As far as any possible difficulties or persecutions are concerned, let them 115 In chapters I to 10 the <strong>Saint</strong> has dealt with his vocation to, and formation for, the apostolic ministry. He now turns to treat of the ideal missionary's life and activities. These are the most formative chapters in the whole Autobiography. To be a missionary requires a canonical mission (chapter 10). To be an effective missionary calls for an upright intention (chapter 11). Next follows a consideration of: the examples of some of the saints (chapters 12 to 15); the use of apostolic means and methods (chapters 16 to 22); the acquisition of apostolic virtues (chapters 23 to 30); an evangelical mode of travel (chapter 31). Chapter 32 complements chapters 19 ff. 116 He left Viladrau on January 23 to dedicate himself completely to the apostolate of evangelization. He was then 33 years old. 39
Page 1 and 2: Saint Anthony Mary Claret AUTOBIOGR
Page 3 and 4: I N T R O D U C T I O N St. Anthony
Page 5 and 6: In addition to these essential char
Page 7 and 8: BIOGRAPHY O F ARCHBISHOP ANTHONY MA
Page 9 and 10: Vich. Chapter II EARLY CHILDHOOD 7.
Page 11 and 12: the exemplary punishment meted out
Page 13 and 14: 35. My God, you have been so good t
Page 15 and 16: line at that time, I had imagined h
Page 17 and 18: 65. My life at this time was an emb
Page 19 and 20: 77. Disenchanted, weary, and bored
Page 21 and 22: 89. Quite content, I undertook the
Page 23 and 24: he was well-advanced in the course.
Page 25 and 26: where there were sick people. I vis
Page 27 and 28: warn them in my Name. If I say to a
Page 29 and 30: or drink because at mealtime he wou
Page 31 and 32: applied to the Cardinal Prefect of
Page 33 and 34: was it returned to me. 99 152. The
Page 35 and 36: Mother, my relief, my consolation,
Page 37: 177. A young boy of eighteen was al
Page 41 and 42: goes, "talis vita, finis ita--your
Page 43 and 44: zeal they rushed from one kingdom t
Page 45 and 46: was heard to pray for the conversio
Page 47 and 48: of the fact that I saw that they wo
Page 49 and 50: 259. From the Life of St. Mary Magd
Page 51 and 52: Long live the Blessed Sacrament of
Page 53 and 54: as he had done. 282. St. Ignatius,
Page 55 and 56: epeat them still more poorly, and i
Page 57 and 58: Fifth Means 306. As I have already
Page 59 and 60: have taken my place in the confessi
Page 61 and 62: 331. Through the offices of the Rel
Page 63 and 64: have." 210 344. I have recognized q
Page 65 and 66: 357. Seeing that the Lord, out of s
Page 67 and 68: 372. I knew that the virtue an apos
Page 69 and 70: quarters laughingly call "shadow-bo
Page 71 and 72: and would say that I preferred read
Page 73 and 74: 414. I know that in a single act of
Page 75 and 76: 432. 5. Travels. He always went on
Page 77 and 78: 449. Here I seem to hear a voice th
Page 79 and 80: than once. Anyone who has traveled
Page 81 and 82: mission or retreat more lasting. It
Page 83 and 84: 487. My God, how good you are! What
Page 85 and 86: Nuncio, Monsignor Brunelli, 320 as
Page 87 and 88: 505. At last we set sail under fair
Page 89 and 90:
eing converted to the Lord. Moreove
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advance of this we had instructed a
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538. During the first two years, de
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552. Curates were earning a mere pi
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eligion, and a trade of some sort.
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darkness.'' 383 I might well have s
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in the seminary as professor of mor
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he was writing these lines, and so
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629. I have never wanted to get mix
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can't go to sleep and am never in b
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We should hold the post God has ass
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Turn toward me and have pity on me;
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strive always to walk joyfully in t
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project of the Escorial. The burden
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until October 2. On the third we re
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716. I also told bishops and commun
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difference to them: something of wh
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748. 9. I will always walk in the p
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also grants me many graces during m
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Chapter IX RETREAT RESOLUTIONS 780.
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know in practice that I am nothing
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explaining that she had said it bec
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the queen's recognition of the so-c
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“Given at the Vatican on the fift
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General of Catalonia, and the Marqu
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1831, when he was 24 years old. Nar
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through Him. What I find unpleasant
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Propagation of the Faith, for servi
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safekeeping, so as not to lose them
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to eat or sleep. And so I say, "Lor
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emember what I wrote in my book, No
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3. To visit hospitals for the poor
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admit all the children in town, but
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sacraments. When he was told that t
Page 157 and 158:
godparents, 5; joy of administering
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for the conversion of souls, 752; C
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631; asks God for h., 657; asks Ble
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should be exemplary, 817. -motives
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ordination day, 701; assistant at S
Page 167 and 168:
imitation of Jesus, Mary, and Josep
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