“What I would really like to do  would be to walk through towns and villages giving missions. This is my great dream. I have a holy envy of those missionaries who are lucky enough to be able to go from town to town preaching the Holy Gospel”

(Aut 638).

HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THE MESSENGER!

In his vocational path, Claret had identified himself totally with the words of the Apostle Paul when he affirms that the faith comes as fruit of having listened to the preaching of the Word of Christ (cf. Rom 10:14-17). Thus, when the obedience makes him to assume other responsibilities he feels like a caged bird because physically he cannot devote himself to itinerant preaching of other times.

Nevertheless, the spirit remains. The faithful and creative obedience to the decisions of his superiors makes that the apostolate of Claret has an outreach and influence which he never had dreamt of. Retained in Madrid for being Royal Confessor he preached missions and spiritual exercises abundantly, wrote booklets of Christian formation, created institutions multiplying of evangelizers…

There is an important lesson to be taken into account here. Without renouncing his fundamental apostolic vocation, Fr. Claret knew how to respond with evangelical creativity to the different responsibilities which were entrusted to him.  They got changed in external forms but maintained always the evangelical and evangelizing orientation in the life of prayer, poverty etc. and making use of all the means so that the Father might be known, loved and served.

My freedom and personal realization do not consist in doing what comes just to my mind according to my liking but in knowing to discuss in the light of the Word what God asks in every stage of my existence. I have to evaluate positively my family or community, my profession or work, and to know how to draw the best result possible from these circumstances in favor of the evangelization and my own fidelity to the Gospel. Claret took upon himself many responsibilities since he felt himself as son and member of the ecclesial family and he perceived in all of them opportunities for evangelization and to conform oneself personally to Christ.

What are the motivations which really guide the important decisions of my life? Do I know to assess positively my circumstances as opportunities of personal growth and service for others?