THE GATEWAY TO LIFE

WHENEVER an election is held in one of our American cities the candidates for the various offices make many speeches and write endless articles in the newspapers, all telling the dear public the wonderful things they will do if the people have the good sense and the good taste to elect them. The candidates make it very plain that they want the offices, that they are ready to do almost anything in order to be elected. The professional politician doubtless has virtues of his own, but modesty is not one of them. His favorite flower is not the blushing violet.

The saint is in this respect utterly the reverse of the politician. The saint does not put himself forward. He does not seek posts of honor and responsibility. He fears positions of power and trust, for he knows so much about human nature, in himself and in others, that he dreads the very real dangers inherent in the exercise of authority. He heartily agrees with one of the kings in Shakespeare's plays that, “uneasy lies the head that wears a crown”.

Several times during the course of his life, St. de la Salle had tried to relieve himself of the responsibility of being the superior of the Institute of the Christian Schools. But he was so successful in guiding the teachers and in conducting the schools that his Brothers felt that nobody could take his place. In 1717, however, when once more he pleaded to abandon the office, the Brothers reluctantly acceded to his desire. He was now an old man, his arduous life had told on his health, he was suffering most of the time from the sore on his knee and from severe attacks of rheumatism. He felt that he had not much longer to live, and he wanted to spend his declining days in preparation for death. Besides, it was time that the Institute he had established should, so to say, learn to stand on its own feet, that the Brothers themselves might conduct its affairs, and carry on the work of the schools without the aid of the experienced man who had already done so much for them.

All these motives impelled the Brothers to accept the resignation of the holy founder and to elect one of their number, Brother Bartholomew, in his place. This event occurred at the second general chapter of the Brothers, held in Rouen in 1717. It was the second conclave of the torch-bearers; and the bright and unfailing guiding torch, which the saint had held aloft for nearly forty years, was passed into other hands. Brother Bartholomew was one of the dearest friends of the saint, and one of the most fervent and self-sacrificing of the Brothers.

Freed from the cares of office and the numerous distractions and annoyances incidental to it, St. John Baptist de la Salle turned all his attention to prayer and meditation, and to revising the books he had written for the Brothers and their pupils. He was not a writer in the sense that he had devoted any considerable part of his life to the composition of books; but he had found it necessary to write several volumes bearing on the life led by the Brothers and on the work of the schools. This is a good time to consider his written work.

First of all were the Rules or Constitution of the Brothers. Every religious congregation has its rules, that is, the laws and directions furnished the members for their guidance. No organization can exist without rules. That is why we must have rules for a debating society, rules for playing baseball, rules for conducting a school. The Rules of the Brothers were written by St. de la Salle after much reflection and much prayer and after numerous consultations with his disciples. All the rules had been carefully tried in practice before being set down in writing; and now, after years of experiment, they were embodied in permanent form.

Besides the Rules, St. de la Salle wrote a number of meditations on the Sunday Gospels, in which he applied Our Lord’s teachings to the school and community life of the Brothers, and also a book called, "Explanation of the Method of Mental Prayer. We have seen how highly the saint esteemed the practice of mental prayer. In his book he tries to make meditation easy and fruitful for his disciples; and he shows not only his deep piety but his remarkable knowledge of what today is called psychology, that is, the workings of the human mind. Other writings of the saint, dealing with various aspects of the religious life, are gathered together in a book called, “Collection of Short Treatises”

All the books just mentioned are concerned chiefly with the religious side of the life of the Brothers. On the educational side he wrote a book which has been the admiration of educators for more than two centuries, a book to which the English writer, Matthew Arnold—whose father was the eminent Dr. Arnold of Rugby—has paid a glowing tribute. That book is “The Management of the Christian Schools”. In it the saint outlined his simultaneous method of teaching, and set down a large number of practical hints for maintaining discipline and for teaching the several school subjects.

For the pupils of the Brothers, St. de la Salle wrote several little works, including a set of “Rules of Politeness”. The saint always maintained that the schools of the Brothers should be schools of good manners, and in this volume he brings together a number of precepts concerning daily actions which will help young men to form gentlemanly habits. In it he urges them to seek to imitate Our Lord, Who was the world’s perfect Gentleman. He also wrote a book on Christian Doctrine called, “The Duties of a Christian”. In an interesting and agreeable style he discusses the sacraments and the commandments and the virtues which Catholics ought to practice.

In 1719 the illness of St. de la Salle increased. He developed an acute case of asthma, and he suffered much from an abscess in the head. Far from complaining, he accepted his pains joyfully, reminding himself of what Our Lord had suffered on the cross and rejoicing in sharing his Saviour’s heavy burden. When the doctor told him that he had but a short time to live, the saint calmly said: “I hope that I shall soon be delivered out of Egypt, and be admitted into the true Land of Promise”.

That is the way with all the saints. They were glad to die. And why? Because death was no death for them. Worldly people find the thought of death a disagreeable thought; they try to banish it from their minds. But the saints like to dwell on the thought of death, for to them death is not the end of everything, but the beginning of everything. The day of their death is their real birthday. To them death is the gateway to life.

On the feast of St. Joseph, one of the patrons of the Institute, St. de la Salle, who had been for many days confined to his bed, was able to arise and offer the holy sacrifice of the Mass—a consolation which he highly prized. But a relapse came almost immediately. In Holy Week he was so ill that the Holy Viaticum was brought to him. In order to welcome his Lord with every outward mark of respect and devotion, the saint had himself dressed in soutane and surplice, and he received the Holy Communion kneeling on the floor of his room.

That was on Wednesday in Holy Week, April 5. The following day, Holy Thursday, he received the sacrament of Extreme Unction. On Holy Thursday evening the Brothers gathered about his bed, and the new superior. Brother Bartholomew, begged the dying saint to give them a last word of counsel and advice. The holy founder spoke briefly, urging them to be faithful to their holy vocation, and to avoid the evil influence of the world. A little later they all said together the beautiful hymn which begins the Brothers’ evening prayer, “Maria, mater gratiae”, “Mary, Mother of Grace, sweet Mother of Mercy”.

It was an impressive moment. Here were the faithful disciples, the men who had vowed their lives to the glory of God and the education of youth, kneeling about the bed of the man who had guided them in their lives and in their work. He was their Father in God, their model and their inspiration. And though tears of honorable human grief filled their eyes and choked their voices, they did not sorrow as those who have no hope. For the spirit of faith, the soul of their Institute, told them that death was coming to their saintly founder as a crown of glory and a surpassing great reward, that he was entering the portals of heavenly happiness, that in his case truly death was the gateway to life.

A little later, in response to a question put by Brother Bartholomew, the saint uttered the last words he ever spoke this side of the eternal gateway. Those words were: “I adore in all things the will of God in my regard”. Such were the sentiments that had guided him through all the labors and trials of his well-filled life.

At four o'clock in the morning, the saint’s face suddenly brightened and his habitual smile glowed upon his countenance. He looked fixedly and joyously for a moment into space, made an attempt to rise, joined his hands and lifted his eyes to heaven. In that posture he calmly breathed his last. It was Good Friday, April, 1719.

The news of his death spread quickly through Rouen and through France, and the words that came spontaneously to thousands of lips were these: “The saint is dead! The saint is dead!” Members of the aristocracy jostled with tradesmen and beggars in order to be present at his funeral; and as his body was borne through the streets of Rouen on the shoulders of his Brothers, the prayers and tears of the people whom he had so deeply benefited and for whose education he had so valiantly labored followed after like a cloud of incense. His remains, first interred at Rouen, now repose in the mother house of the Institute at Lembecq-lez-Hal, in Belgium.

St. John Baptist de la Salle was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1900, and his feast day. May 15, is observed throughout the entire Catholic world. In the formal decree of canonization, the illustrious pontiff uttered a sentiment with which this little story of St. John Baptist de la Salle may most fittingly close:

“Benediction, glory, and thanksgiving to Jesus Christ, God and Redeemer of the human race, who hath clothed His faithful servant, John Baptist de la Salle, with the splendor of His glory, and who, knowing our needs, has proposed him to us as a model, in order that we may the better know the supereminent charity of Jesus Christ which surpasses all knowledge, and be filled unto the fullness of God”.

THE PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Each year, on the fifteenth of May, the Catholic Church keeps the feast day of St. John Baptist de la Salle, and during the Mass, priests everywhere throughout the world read the following beautiful prayer:

“O God, who didst raise up St. John Baptist, Confessor, to give a Christian education to the needy, to guide young men in the pathway of truth and to form anew a family in Thy Church, graciously grant unto us that through his prayers and example we may be fervent in zeal for Thy glory in saving souls and grow worthy to share his crown in heaven”.


The Story of St. John Baptist de la Salle CHAPTER XVII THE GATEWAY TO LIFE WHENEVER an election is held in one of our American cities the candidates for the various offices make many speeches and write endless articles in the newspapers, all telling the dear public the wonderful things they will do if the people have the good sense and the good taste to elect them. The candidates make it very plain that they want the offices, that they are ready to do almost anything in order to be elected. The professional politician doubtless has virtues of his own, but modesty is not one of them. His favorite flower is not the blushing violet. The saint is in this respect utterly the reverse of the politician. The saint does not put himself forward. He does not seek posts of honor and responsibility. He fears positions of power and trust, for he knows so much about human nature, in himself and in others, that he dreads the very real dangers inherent in the exercise of authority. He heartily agrees with one of the kings in Shakespeare's plays that, “uneasy lies the head that wears a crown”. Several times during the course of his life, St. de la Salle had tried to relieve himself of the responsibility of being the superior of the Institute of the Christian Schools. But he was so successful in guiding the teachers and in conducting the schools that his Brothers felt that nobody could take his place. In 1717, however, when once more he pleaded to abandon the office, the Brothers reluctantly acceded to his desire. He was now an old man, his arduous life had told on his health, he was suffering most of the time from the sore on his knee and from severe attacks of rheumatism. He felt that he had not much longer to live, and he wanted to spend his declining days in preparation for death. Besides, it was time that the Institute he had established should, so to say, learn to stand on its own feet, that the Brothers themselves might conduct its affairs, and carry on the work of the schools without the aid of the experienced man who had already done so much for them. All these motives impelled the Brothers to accept the resignation of the holy founder and to elect one of their number, Brother Bartholomew, in his place. This event occurred at the second general chapter of the Brothers, held in Rouen in 1717. It was the second conclave of the torch-bearers; and the bright and unfailing guiding torch, which the saint had held aloft for nearly forty years, was passed into other hands. Brother Bartholomew was one of the dearest friends of the saint, and one of the most fervent and self-sacrificing of the Brothers. Freed from the cares of office and the numerous distractions and annoyances incidental to it, St. John Baptist de la Salle turned all his attention to prayer and meditation, and to revising the books he had written for the Brothers and their pupils. He was not a writer in the sense that he had devoted any considerable part of his life to the composition of books; but he had found it necessary to write several volumes bearing on the life led by the Brothers and on the work of the schools. This is a good time to consider his written work. First of all were the Rules or Constitution of the Brothers. Every religious congregation has its rules, that is, the laws and directions furnished the members for their guidance. No organization can exist without rules. That is why we must have rules for a debating society, rules for playing baseball, rules for conducting a school. The Rules of the Brothers were written by St. de la Salle after much reflection and much prayer and after numerous consultations with his disciples. All the rules had been carefully tried in practice before being set down in writing; and now, after years of experiment, they were embodied in permanent form. Besides the Rules, St. de la Salle wrote a number of meditations on the Sunday Gospels, in which he applied Our Lord’s teachings to the school and community life of the Brothers, and also a book called, "Explanation of the Method of Mental Prayer. We have seen how highly the saint esteemed the practice of mental prayer. In his book he tries to make meditation easy and fruitful for his disciples; and he shows not only his deep piety but his remarkable knowledge of what today is called psychology, that is, the workings of the human mind. Other writings of the saint, dealing with various aspects of the religious life, are gathered together in a book called, “Collection of Short Treatises” All the books just mentioned are concerned chiefly with the religious side of the life of the Brothers. On the educational side he wrote a book which has been the admiration of educators for more than two centuries, a book to which the English writer, Matthew Arnold—whose father was the eminent Dr. Arnold of Rugby—has paid a glowing tribute. That book is “The Management of the Christian Schools”. In it the saint outlined his simultaneous method of teaching, and set down a large number of practical hints for maintaining discipline and for teaching the several school subjects. For the pupils of the Brothers, St. de la Salle wrote several little works, including a set of “Rules of Politeness”. The saint always maintained that the schools of the Brothers should be schools of good manners, and in this volume he brings together a number of precepts concerning daily actions which will help young men to form gentlemanly habits. In it he urges them to seek to imitate Our Lord, Who was the world’s perfect Gentleman. He also wrote a book on Christian Doctrine called, “The Duties of a Christian”. In an interesting and agreeable style he discusses the sacraments and the commandments and the virtues which Catholics ought to practice. In 1719 the illness of St. de la Salle increased. He developed an acute case of asthma, and he suffered much from an abscess in the head. Far from complaining, he accepted his pains joyfully, reminding himself of what Our Lord had suffered on the cross and rejoicing in sharing his Saviour’s heavy burden. When the doctor told him that he had but a short time to live, the saint calmly said: “I hope that I shall soon be delivered out of Egypt, and be admitted into the true Land of Promise”. That is the way with all the saints. They were glad to die. And why? Because death was no death for them. Worldly people find the thought of death a disagreeable thought; they try to banish it from their minds. But the saints like to dwell on the thought of death, for to them death is not the end of everything, but the beginning of everything. The day of their death is their real birthday. To them death is the gateway to life. On the feast of St. Joseph, one of the patrons of the Institute, St. de la Salle, who had been for many days confined to his bed, was able to arise and offer the holy sacrifice of the Mass—a consolation which he highly prized. But a relapse came almost immediately. In Holy Week he was so ill that the Holy Viaticum was brought to him. In order to welcome his Lord with every outward mark of respect and devotion, the saint had himself dressed in soutane and surplice, and he received the Holy Communion kneeling on the floor of his room. That was on Wednesday in Holy Week, April 5. The following day, Holy Thursday, he received the sacrament of Extreme Unction. On Holy Thursday evening the Brothers gathered about his bed, and the new superior. Brother Bartholomew, begged the dying saint to give them a last word of counsel and advice. The holy founder spoke briefly, urging them to be faithful to their holy vocation, and to avoid the evil influence of the world. A little later they all said together the beautiful hymn which begins the Brothers’ evening prayer, “Maria, mater gratiae”, “Mary, Mother of Grace, sweet Mother of Mercy”. It was an impressive moment. Here were the faithful disciples, the men who had vowed their lives to the glory of God and the education of youth, kneeling about the bed of the man who had guided them in their lives and in their work. He was their Father in God, their model and their inspiration. And though tears of honorable human grief filled their eyes and choked their voices, they did not sorrow as those who have no hope. For the spirit of faith, the soul of their Institute, told them that death was coming to their saintly founder as a crown of glory and a surpassing great reward, that he was entering the portals of heavenly happiness, that in his case truly death was the gateway to life. A little later, in response to a question put by Brother Bartholomew, the saint uttered the last words he ever spoke this side of the eternal gateway. Those words were: “I adore in all things the will of God in my regard”. Such were the sentiments that had guided him through all the labors and trials of his well-filled life. At four o'clock in the morning, the saint’s face suddenly brightened and his habitual smile glowed upon his countenance. He looked fixedly and joyously for a moment into space, made an attempt to rise, joined his hands and lifted his eyes to heaven. In that posture he calmly breathed his last. It was Good Friday, April, 1719. The news of his death spread quickly through Rouen and through France, and the words that came spontaneously to thousands of lips were these: “The saint is dead! The saint is dead!” Members of the aristocracy jostled with tradesmen and beggars in order to be present at his funeral; and as his body was borne through the streets of Rouen on the shoulders of his Brothers, the prayers and tears of the people whom he had so deeply benefited and for whose education he had so valiantly labored followed after like a cloud of incense. His remains, first interred at Rouen, now repose in the mother house of the Institute at Lembecq-lez-Hal, in Belgium. St. John Baptist de la Salle was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1900, and his feast day. May 15, is observed throughout the entire Catholic world. In the formal decree of canonization, the illustrious pontiff uttered a sentiment with which this little story of St. John Baptist de la Salle may most fittingly close: “Benediction, glory, and thanksgiving to Jesus Christ, God and Redeemer of the human race, who hath clothed His faithful servant, John Baptist de la Salle, with the splendor of His glory, and who, knowing our needs, has proposed him to us as a model, in order that we may the better know the supereminent charity of Jesus Christ which surpasses all knowledge, and be filled unto the fullness of God”. THE PRAYER OF THE CHURCH Each year, on the fifteenth of May, the Catholic Church keeps the feast day of St. John Baptist de la Salle, and during the Mass, priests everywhere throughout the world read the following beautiful prayer: “O God, who didst raise up St. John Baptist, Confessor, to give a Christian education to the needy, to guide young men in the pathway of truth and to form anew a family in Thy Church, graciously grant unto us that through his prayers and example we may be fervent in zeal for Thy glory in saving souls and grow worthy to share his crown in heaven”.