Saint Claude La Colombiere
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Claude de la Colombiere SJ (1641-1682), promoted the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He was born of French noble parents in 1641. His young years were apparently happy ones, as he was close to his family and friends, leading an active social life. He entered the Jesuit novitiate at 17 and commenced a life of study and teaching. After his ordination he taught at the Jesuit college in Lyons, preached, and served as moderator for several Marian congregations.
In 1674, after 15 years of Jesuit life, Colombiere took a personal vow to observe the Rule and Constitutions of the Society of Jesus. He discovered in this program of sanctity an experience of inner liberation and a greater ability to open his heart to others in ministry.In 1676 Claude became the appointed preacher for the Duchess of York (later Queen of England). He moved to London, where he worked to reconcile former Catholics with the Church. In 1678 he was caught in the web of lies spun by Titus Oates about an alleged plot by Jesuits to kill Charles II. Claude, in spite of failing health, was first thrown into prison and later exiled to France. In 1682 Colombiere died in Paray-le-Monial. |
Quotes
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“May the Heart of Jesus Christ be our school! Let us make our abode there. Let us study its movements and attempt to conform ours to them. Yes, O Divine Jesus, I want to live there.”
-Claude de la Colombiere “Lord, I am in this world to show Your mercy to others...For my part I will glorify You by making known how good You are to sinners, that Your mercy is boundless.” -Claude de la Colombiere "Above all things I am resigned to be sanctified by the way that God shall please, by the absence of all sensible delight, if He wishes it so to be, by interior trials, by continual combat with my passions." -Claude de la Colombiere It is an error to think that faith is so entirely a gift of God that it is not in our power to increase and strengthen it. Some… admire faith in the saints as a purely gratuitous grace; they persuade themselves that they can do nothing to increase their own faith and that the only thing to do is to remain passive until God grants them that favor; they will make no effort to grow in faith, saying that to do so is quite useless… We must get rid of these ideas, see why it is our faith is so weak, and acknowledge that it is our own fault and that, whatever we may say, the truth is that we do not believe because we do not wish to believe. –Saint Claude de la Colombiere (1641-1682) God is in the midst of us, or rather we are in the midst of him; wherever we are he sees us and touches us: at prayer, at work, at table, at recreation. –Saint Claude de la Colombiere (1641-1682) God sought me out when I fled from him; he will not abandon me now that I seek him, or at least do not flee from him anymore. –Saint Claude de la Colombiere (1641-1682) |
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Public Domain Image.
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