Universal Brother

Universal Brother

I want to accustom all the inhabitants, Christians, Muslims, Jews, and nonbelievers, to look upon me as their brother, the universal brother. Already they're calling this house "the fraternity" -- about which I'm delighted -- and realizing that the poor have a brother here -- not only the poor, though; all men.

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I believe that there is no other Gospel teaching that had a more profound effect upon me and transformed my life more than the following: "All that you do to the least of these, you do to Me." If we believe that these words are the words of the Incarnate Truth, those from the mouth which said "This is My Body, this is My Blood," with what strength we are driven to seek and love Jesus through these lesser ones, these sinners, these poor, by employing every material way as a means to soothe their temporal miseries.

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Everyone in the neighborhood must know that the Fraternity is the house of God where every poor or sick person is always invited, called, wanted, welcomed with joy and gratitude by brothers who love and cherish them and regard their entry as the discovery of a great treasure. They are in fact the greatest treasure of all, Jesus Himself: Insofar as you do this to one of the least of there brothers, you do it to Me.

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There is always work to be done by example, goodness, and prayer. We can enter into closer relationships with souls that are lukewarm or estranged from the faith, so as to lead them gradually, by the power of our patience, gentleness, and goodness, by the influence of virtue rather than advice, back to a more Christian life or to the faith itself.

By entering into friendly relationships with people totally opposed to religion we can, by our goodness and virtue, destroy their prejudices and bring them completely to God. . . . One has to be as much a missionary in France as in a country of unbelievers, and being so is the duty of us all, priests and lay people, men and women.

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We are all children of God: we must therefore see the beloved children of God in all people, and not just in the good, not just in the Christians, not just in the saints, but in all people. They are all children of God and consequently we must show for all of them, in our thoughts, words, and actions, the tender, affectionate, loving behavior that a brother shows for his brother, behavior that always remains loving, even if the brother sins, commits evil, or misbehaves.

Such genuine fraternity among all people, all children of God, leads to tenderness in feelings, sweetness in words, and charity in actions that explain all the precepts of the Gospel concerning charity, peace, and sweetness. Nothing is more natural than these precepts if all people are considered brothers and sisters, the children of the same Father.

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My apostolate must be one of goodness. I must make people say this when they see me: "This man is so good that his religion must be good." If someone asks me why I am gentle and good, I must reply, "Because I serve One who is so much better than I am. If only you knew how good my Master, Jesus, is." I want to be so good that people will say, "If that is the servant, how, then, is the Master?"

On a visit to France, Charles introduced his cousin, Marie de Bondy, to a young Tuareg, Ouksem Ag Chikkat.

The love of Br. Charles extended to all creatures, even the four-legged ones!