31st May: Anniversary of Nicolas Barré’s death

The death of Nicolas Barré is closely associated with the feast of Pentecost which we have just celebrated. A few days before his death, he was asked if he’d be still there with the community for Pentecost and receive the Holy Spirit. ‘I do not think so, he said’ but ‘I will go to meet Him’  (Account of his death TM 9)

He went on to say: ‘the Institute is a little cell in the church. I shall tell the Holy Spirit that  He must always be its source of life and to be at its head to lead it’.

We are inspired daily by his words and his approach to death:

• ’Choose, Lord, what you want of me, order all things in the way that pleases you. I will try to make my desires and actions yours. Finally, Lord, I want to belong totally to you’. letter 12

• ‘My desire, Lord, is that when it pleases you to call me to yourself, you may find in me a perfectly humbled spirit and a truly contrite heart’ TM 12

Nicolas had great regard for these words of St. Thomas: ‘My Lord and my God’ and often repeated them.

Among his final words were: ‘I believe, I hope,  I want to love always’     TM8

Let us pray with these words of Nicolas Barré and feel the presence of God