April
Newsletter
Abbaye Saint-Joseph de Clairval, France
April 8, 2001
Holy Week
Dear Friend of Saint Joseph Abbey,
³Technological society has increased our opportunities for pleasure,
but has not succeeded in bringing about joy. Joy comes from elsewhere.
It is spiritual. Often, money, comfort, health, or material security are
not lacking; and yet boredom, pessimism and sadness unfortunately remain
the lot of manyŠ One may speak of the sadness of non-believers, when
the human spirit, created in the image and likeness of God, and thus instinctively
oriented towards Him as towards its supreme, unique good, remains without
knowing Him clearly, without loving Him, and consequently without experiencing
the joy that the knowledge of God brings‹even when this knowledge
is imperfect‹, and the certitude of having with Him a bond that even
death cannot break² (Paul VI, Exhortation Gaudete in Domino, GD,
on Christian Joy, May 9, 1975).
Knowledge and love of God gladden the heart of man, and can lead him to
joyfully give his life for the salvation of his brothers, as is shown
by the example of Saint Just de Bretenières.
³I see the Chinese²
Just de Bretenières was born in Chalon-sur-Saône, in the
Burgundy region of France, at the home of his maternal grandparents, on
February 28, 1838. Several months later, his parents returned to the de
Bretenières¹ chateau, the familial estate close to Dijon where
they summered, spending the winters in Dijon. Anxious about her son¹s
future, Madame de Bretenières placed him in the hands of the Blessed
Virgin: ³Queen of Angels, remember that you are the Mother of this
childŠ I consecrate him to you forever!² At the age of six,
Just was playing with his brother Christian, two years younger than him,
in the park of the chateau. They were digging in the ground with their
little shovels. ³Quiet!² Just suddenly said to his brother.
He bent over the hole that they had just made, and stood up, shouting,
³I see the Chinese!Š Oh, I hear themŠ They are calling
me!Š I have to go save them!² This episode left in Just¹s
mind a profound mark which would never be erased. Some years later, when
his brother remarked, ³You are going to have the chateau someday,
because you are the oldest,² he replied, ³Oh, no, I won¹t
have it; it will be for you, because I will be a priest.² Just found
his greatest happiness in serving Mass, or censing the Most Blessed Sacrament.
He zealously vied with his brother to give the most beauty possible to
Mary¹s month, the month of May.
In the de Bretenières family, the children amply had the necessities
of life, though there was no luxury or laxity. In October 1851, the two
boys were placed into the hands of a 28-year-old tutor, Father Gautrelet.
He had observed in Just a tendency to judge according to a somewhat exaggerated
logic, which did not permit him to acknowledge moderate opinions; when
it was a question of the practice of the virtues, in Just¹s mind,
no imperfections or degrees should exist. His disposition was charming
and habitually even-tempered. He gladly played, but rather to please others
than to satisfy himself. However, one evening, Just complained because
a card game that he liked very much couldn¹t be held. To punish him
for his impatience, there were no games in the days that followed.
Nervous and sensitive, Just indicated from his earliest years an excessive
fear of pain. But the desire for missionary life spurred him to endure
exhaustion, heat and thirst cheerfully, to become used to burdens and
to be content with little during hikes in the mountains during summer
vacation. In 1856, he passed his high school exit exam in Lyon, then began
a bachelor¹s degree in liberal arts, for his parents thought him
too young to fulfill his vocation. In his plan to give himself to God,
he thought of the Dominicans who ran missions in the Far East, though
the monastic life likewise attracted him. But finally, on the advice of
his confessor and his parents, he entered the Issy Seminary, in Paris.
God¹s call to the missions was there confirmed: ³We were speaking
about the Most Blessed Sacrament one day,² one of his classmates
would later say, ³and we were full of regret when we saw how little
room the memory of this benefit occupies in the lives of Christians.²‹³To
look at the consecrated Host,² Just said, ³to hear His divine
call which invites us to the distant conquest of souls, and to shrug it
off‹is it possible?² The young seminarian spent two years at
Issy. He was given the tasks of organist and nurse. His liveliness made
him liked among his fellow students. From time to time, he visited his
parents, who had an apartment in Paris.
In May 1861, he decided to enter the Foreign Missions Seminary in Paris.
Mr. and Mrs. de Bretenières accepted, but not without sorrow. On
June 28, Just wrote, ³I sense quite well that the road I am taking
is rough and difficult. I am not deluding myself as to its obstacles,
nor to its sufferings, nor to the dangers that I will meet there; but,
again, I place myself entirely in God¹s hands.²
At the Missions Seminary, in the fall of 1861, Just was greeted like a
long-awaited brother: ³Last night, while leaving the refectory,²
he wrote, ³everyone embraced me. Our Lord spreads extraordinary charity
here. We are more than brothers, we form one being, with just one heart,
just one soul.² The year began with a retreat according to Saint
Ignatius¹ Exercises. Just completed it, filled with fervor. He wrote
to his brother: ³The most important thing I have to tell you is and
will always be what Saint Ignatius said and repeated to Saint Francis
Xavier working hard to acquire knowledge in Paris: What profit would there
be for one to gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul (Mt.
16:26)Š To arrive as soon as possible to find the place Providence
has destined you for, remember this and never lose sight of it: everything
that you think capable of satisfying you, outside of God, will never satisfy
you. Everything is vanity, except to love Our Lord.²
A proverbial cheerfulness
At the end of the year, Just was expecting to receive minor orders, but
he was not among those called. He did not know that the seminary rules
required a full year before receiving orders. Believing then that the
superiors considered him unfit for the missions, he felt a deep sense
of bitterness: ³The past two days,² he wrote to his brother,
³I have been living with the result of this decision which seems
inexplicable to me, for, in examining my heart, I have not been able to
doubt of my vocation. Yet, before asking my director and entrusting my
sorrow to him, I want to sacrifice my aspirations entirely to God, if
needs be, and place myself again in service to His will. At night, I can¹t
sleep; but when I feel too upset, I begin to gently sing some hymn or
another to the Blessed Virgin, into whose hands I have surrendered my
interests. This has done me good and has given me courage.² Soon,
his superior, Father Albrand, reassured him that he was indeed called
to missionary life.
The years passed in prayer, study, and the work of sanctification: ³There
are some points that concern me more than the prospect of missionary life,²
he wrote, ³and they are the self-perfection that is necessary to
every priest. This is what I have to work most towards and to put a great
deal of effort into.² The assiduous study of the works of Saint John
of the Cross showed him the path to follow. Each morning, he devoted a
lengthy amount of time to prayer. Through the day, he strengthened his
faith by prolonged periods of adoration before the Tabernacle; indeed,
his devotion to the Eucharist would sustain him throughout his life. So
as to imitate the poverty of Jesus Christ, he applied himself to living
as the poor‹ in his clothes, in the fixtures in his room, etc. He
fervently devoted himself to the service of the poor in his area, to whom
the seminarians were sent. His preferences ran towards the most humble
tasks, and he seized every opportunity to humble himself in the eyes of
others. Out of obedience, he submitted everything he did to the approbation
of his Superior. Despite his austere practices, his cheerfulness was proverbial‹he
made his fellow students laugh in class. He loved to joke and delightfully
imitated a rooster¹s crow. More than once, he put the courtyard in
a commotion, simulating the daybreak ³cock-a-doodle-doo² in
the middle of the night. His exterior joy was the fruit of an intense
spiritual life.
He knows he is loved
³For the Christian, as for Jesus,² wrote Pope Paul VI, ³it
is a question of living, in thanksgiving to the Father, the human joys
that the Creator has given usŠ Because Christ experienced our human
condition in everything but sin, He welcomed and suffered the emotional
and spiritual joys as a gift from GodŠ But it is important here to
grasp well the secret of the immense joy which Jesus had as something
proper to HimŠ If He spread such peace, such cheerfulness, such availability,
it is because of the inexpressible love with which He knew He was loved
by His FatherŠ The disciples, and all those who believe in Christ,
are called to participate in this joy (Š ), the fruit of the Holy
Spirit, which consists of the human spirit¹s finding rest and an
intimate satisfaction in the possession of the Triune God, known through
faith and loved with the charity that comes from Him² (GD).
However, continues the Pope, ³spiritual joy in this life will always
include, to some degree, the painful trial of the woman in labor, and
a certain apparent abandonment similar to that of the orphan‹tears
and lamenting, while the world displays a bitter satisfaction. But the
sadness of the disciples, which is in accordance with God and not in accordance
with the world, will promptly be changed into a spiritual joy that no
one may take away from them (cf. Jn. 16:20-22)² (GD). At times, Just
suffered profound sorrow. He sometimes felt dispirited at the thought
of the virtues the missionary must have and of the sufferings his predecessors
had endured. One day, unable to take any more, he went to the Father Superior.
³I can¹t stay here any longer. My conscience is forcing me to
go back to my family,² he said with sadness. Father Albrand listened
to him, smiling: ³Is that all you have to tell me?²‹³Yes,
my Father.²‹³Well, go back to your room and don¹t
think about it any more!² Immediately, the temptation was dispelled.
On May 21, 1864, Just was ordained a priest. ³Ask for the grace of
martyrdom for me,² he wrote to a friend. Now he had only to wait
for the order to leave on mission. The aspirants to the missions did not
know the place of their destination until the last minute. They had to
be ready to accept from the hand of God the mission to which they would
be sent, no matter what it might be. Having made a total sacrifice of
himself, Just remained perfectly indifferent. On Monday, June 13, his
Superior called him: ³Which mission would you prefer?²‹³I
don¹t prefer any.² ‹³All right, I¹m sending you
to Tibet. Are you happy?² ‹³Very happy, my Father.²
‹³No, you are going to Tonkin.² ‹³As you wish.²
‹³Are you really so indifferent?² ‹³Yes, my Father.²
‹³Now, let¹s speak seriouslyŠ You are going to Korea.²
Just immediately wrote to his former tutor: ³I believe that Our Lord
has given me the best portionŠ Three cheers for Korea, the land of
Martyrs!² Indeed, the blood of Christians had flowed abundantly on
Korean soil for a century.
On Tuesday, July 19, 1864, Just and nine of his confreres embarked in
Marseilles for the Far East. They succeeded in entering Korea, secretly,
on May 29, 1865. Just lived in Seoul, the capital, close to Bishop Berneux:
³Here I am, a citizen of Seoul, the Œcity of delights.¹
But do not let yourself be dazzled by this magnificent name. Imagine an
immense area built up with earthen huts, pressed up one against the other,
not allowing by way of streets between them anything but little alleys
where two people can scarcely meet. These alleyways serve as sewers at
the same timeŠ I am leaving you to think what you are obliged to
step in!²
Under his hat
He stayed in a Christian home, in a very poor room‹for a chair, he
had the ground; for a table, he also had the ground; for a bed, he had
but a simple bit of wood under his head. When he left, only at night,
because of the persecution, he put on his mourning clothes, with ³a
hat like a dovecote¹s roof, such that it envelops you and goes down
to the knees, a good way not to be seen by anyone and not to see anything
yourself‹you can pray under your hat like this!² Prayer and
study of the Korean language filled his days. At the end of six months,
thanks to the help of a young Christian, the missionary was able to make
himself sufficiently understood in Korean to preach and hear confessions.
The catechumens came from far away (150 km and farther) to be baptized
or to receive Holy Communion. ³I¹ve seen,² wrote Just,
³women in their seventies come 240 km to receive Communion. Poor
souls who see a priest but one day a year, and who are so thirsty for
the Word of God! And to think that in Europe, the faithful have these
riches in abundance and they don¹t always benefit from them as they
should!² Under the name Father Païk, Just was happy to be able
to begin to help his fellow missionaries. In the last months of 1865,
he heard confessions, prepared and baptized at least 40 adults, blessed
numerous marriages, sometimes gave Confirmation, and often administered
last rites. The conversions were many.
But the storm was on its way. After a period of calm, the persecution
against Europeans and against Christians was renewed with vigor. Betrayal
by one of the Bishop¹s servants brought with it many priests¹
arrests. Bishop Berneux was captured on February 23, 1866. On the morning
of the 26th, soldiers burst into Just¹s room just as he was preparing
to celebrate Mass, and took him away, tied with a red rope, the distinguishing
symbol of serious criminals. Upon his arrival in court, he was overjoyed
to see his Bishop‹with profound humility and great respect, he prostrated
himself before him, before going to take his seat at the chair that had
been prepared for him. To every question asked, Just ceaselessly replied,
³I came to Korea to save your souls. I will happily die for God.²
He then submitted to the ³shien-noum² torture, in which the
victim, who is tied to a chair, receives blows on the shins and feet with
a triangular-shaped stick. For four successive days, the missionary appeared
before various authorities. After each interrogation, his body was lacerated
with a pointed stake the size of an arm. In his sufferings, the martyr
prayed silently. Every evening, he was returned, exhausted, to his prison,
where his wounds were dressed with oily paper. Just, Bishop Berneux, and
Fathers Beaulieu and Dorie were tortured, then condemned to death.
Jumping for joy
Their love for souls had led them to the point of the ultimate gift of
themselves. In 1862, Just had written to his former tutor, who, although
zealous for the salvation of souls, feared the renunciations that the
missionary vocation would impose on him: ³Oh! He who knows the price
of a soul, and who values nothing more than working to save it, does not
even consider how much one is obliged to do for it; he would laugh in
amazement if someone came to tell him: ŒBut think that you have your
regular habits of drinking, eating, getting up, going to bed, and that
you must abandon these habits.¹ Would it even occur to the missionary
that in leaving all that, he is leaving something?Š The love of the
welfare of souls takes these thoughts away; he crosses the seas without
thinking of the dangers he runs; he will jump for joy if God leads him
to a place where everything threatens his life; he will not be able to
hold in his songs of joy if he finds himself in danger of persecutions,
threatened by the sword, constantly on the verge of dying of hunger, of
exhaustion, of destitution, of fear; and with all that, he will believe
that he is not suffering enough, because there are souls before him, still
deaf to grace.²
March 8, 1866. Incapable of standing up, the condemned were carried to
the place of execution, each tied to a chair. As criminals of the State,
they were to be executed on one of the large sand beaches about 5 km from
Seoul. Four hundred armed soldiers kept the crowd at bay. To several onlookers
who insulted them, the holy Bishop firmly replied, ³Do not mock and
do not laugh; you should rather weep. We came to teach you the way to
Heaven, and now we can no longer do so. You are to be pitied!² During
the trip, the carriers stopped many times. Bishop Berneux made the most
of it, talking with his companion martyrs. Joy, this gift from God to
those who forget themselves and sacrifice themselves for Him, shone on
their faces and amazed the pagans. ³Dying is sweet!² Just said,
turning towards them, his face glowing with peace. ³The world‹which
is not fit to receive the Spirit of Truth‹perceives only the surface
of things. It considers only the disciple¹s affliction and poverty,
while the disciple always remains joyful in the depths of his being, because
he is in communion with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ²
(Paul VI, GD).
Just was called second, after his Bishop. Set on the ground, he was stripped
of his garments. Each of his ears, folded down on itself, was pierced
with an arrow. Under his arms, tied behind his back, they passed a long,
thick stick. Two soldiers raised him and, holding him up in this painful
position, began a long, spiraling march to show him to the assembled crowd.
He was then set on the ground, kneeling, his head bent before him. Upon
the signal from the mandarin, six executioners performed a dance, circling
around the martyr while brandishing their sabers and letting out savage
cries: ³To death! To death!² Finally, they released their blows,
and the head fell on the fourth. For the spectators, everything was finished;
but Just¹s soul was already in endless joy in Heaven. He had lived
28 years on our earth of trials. At the news of his son¹s death,
the father¹s profound sorrow made him shed copious tears. The mother,
however, did not cry, but her face expressed intense suffering. They both
fell to their knees, and thanked God, for their son was in Heaven.
Fallen to the ground
From a human perspective, Just¹s death, interrupting such a short
apostolate, appears to be a failure. But faith assures us that if the
grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it bears much fruit (cf.
Jn. 12:24). During the canonization of 103 martyrs of Korea‹among
whom were Just de Bretenières and his companions‹on May 6,
1984, Pope John Paul II said, ³The death of martyrs is like Christ¹s
death on the Cross, in that, as with His, theirs becomes the beginning
of a new life. This new life is manifested not only in those who have
endured death for Christ, but it has also been extended to others. It
has become the ferment of the Church as a living community of disciples
and witnesses to Jesus Christ. ŒThe blood of martyrs is the seed
of Christians¹‹this expression from the first centuries of Christianity
is confirmed in our sight.²
Indeed, the Catholic Church in Korea has experienced astonishing growth,
and is still experiencing it today. Every year, more than 100,000 catechumens
receive Baptism. From 1990 to 1996, the number of Catholics in Korea increased
from 2.7 million to 3.5 million, representing 7.7% of the population.
Korean priests number more than a thousand, and are led by 18 bishops.
The President of South Korea, elected on December 18, 1997, is a practicing
Catholic. On October 18, 2000, he received the Nobel Peace Prize. Korea¹s
evangelistic drive is shown in its sending more than 200 missionaries
(priests and men and women religious) abroad; in addition, 60 priests
have volunteered to go evangelize communist North Korea, as soon as circumstances
allow.
The martyrs have not shed their blood in vain. They ³have entered
into the joy of Mary who, at the foot of the Cross, joined in the passion
and death of her Son and Savior. The Queen of Martyrs rejoices with us!²
(John Paul II, Ibid.). ³After Mary,² wrote Paul VI, ³we
find the purest, most burning expression of joy, where Jesus¹ Cross
is embraced with the most faithful love, among the martyrs, whom the Holy
Spirit inspires, in the midst of trial, with a passionate expectation
of the Spouse¹s coming² (GD). Let us ask Saint Just de Bretenières
to obtain for us the joy of the Holy Spirit, even during the most painful
trials of our lives.
May this joy be given to you and to all those dear to you.
Dom Antoine Marie osb
P. S. This monthly letter is free of charge, and is also published in
French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Italian. We gratefully accept the addresses
of other persons who may enjoy receiving it.
Also available free of charge are: tract about the Truths of the
Catholic Religion; scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, with explanatory
notice; the promises of the Sacred Heart; the mysteries of the Rosary.
Contributions may be sent to this address in France (Abbaye Saint-Joseph
de Clairval, F-21150 Flavigny sur Ozerain, France) :
From U. S. A., U. K. or Canada: by ordinary cheques payable to ³Abbaye
Saint Joseph,² (no need to have special international cheques) in
U. S. $, Pounds Sterling or Can. $.
From Irish Republic: by ordinary cheques in Irish Pounds. No formality
up to 100 Irish Pounds; for more, ask your bank.
From other countries: by postal order, or bank drafts in French
Francs.
Permission is required for publishing our newsletter in a magazine, newspaperŠ or for putting it on a web-site or on a home page. Request permission from:
englishspoken@clairval.com
For more information about our abbey, you may contact:
http://clairval.com/
or
http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~vlaisney/
The monks pray for your intentions.