“…He who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire’” (Luke 3:13).
Saint Frances Cabrini was an Italian nun, who – with seven other sisters – founded an order called the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In the late 19th century, Saint Frances Cabrini approached Pope Leo XIII asking for the sisters to be granted permission to go to China as missionaries. Instead, the Pontiff asked them to go to America and look after the Italian emigrants there. Saint Frances Cabrini did not really like the idea, but decided to obey the Pope and follow his instructions instead.
The mission was plagued from the start. Upon their arrival in New York, the Saint was informed that the patrons of the mission and school had retracted their offer, and the Archbishop Corrigan of New York – who had originally requested their presence of the Pope – was so discouraged that he told Saint Frances and the sisters to return to Italy.
Saint Frances replied, “No, your Excellency, the Pope sent us here, we came… and we stay!”
And I have been reflecting on that decision – on that commitment of the Saint as I have been reflecting on my own life of prayer. You see, for Saint Frances, it was not enough to have a vocation, which is a calling to do great good, she knew that she must also have correspondence as well.
Correspondence is the determination to see that vocation through – to actually get the job done in a practical way.
And I have been reflecting on that correspondence as it is evident in the lives of the Saints.
Saint John the Baptist is one Saint who comes to mind…
Saint John the Baptist was the MOST important prophet of the Old Testament. And unlike his father Zechariah – who was incredulous when the angel appeared to announce Saint John’s impending birth – Saint John had great correspondence to his vocation!
“When the messengers of John had gone, He began to speak to the crowds concerning John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? … A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.’ I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (Luke 7:24-28).
You see, it was not only Saint John the Baptist’s vocation to serve God that made him important in God’s eyes, it was his CORRESPONDENCE to that vocation – his determination to DO WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE – even to the point of death
He put everything in to his mission and his vocation for God.
And when I think about that today, I have to stop and wonder if I could ever say with the same CORRESPONDENCE as Saint John the Baptist once did when “John answered them all, saying, ‘I baptize you with water, but He who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire’” (Luke 3:13).
For only great correspondence could guarantee a response like that…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.