Born into a family of
some wealth, John Francis was so impressed by his Jesuit educators that he
himself wished to enter the Society of Jesus. He did so at age 18. Despite his
rigorous academic schedule he spent many hours in chapel, often to the dismay of
fellow seminarians who were concerned about his health. Following his
ordination to the priesthood, he undertook missionary work in various French
towns. While the formal sermons of the day tended toward the poetic, his
discourses were plain. But they revealed the fervor within him and attracted
people of all classes. Father Regis especially made himself available to the
poor. Many mornings were spent in the confessional or at the altar celebrating
Mass; afternoons were reserved for visits to prisons and hospitals.
The Bishop of Viviers,
observing the success of Father Regis in communicating with people, sought to
draw on his many gifts, especially needed during the prolonged civil and
religious strife then rampant throughout France. With many prelates absent and
priests negligent, the people had been deprived of the sacraments for 20 years
or more. Various forms of Protestantism were thriving in some cases while a
general indifference toward religion was evident in other instances. For three
years Father Regis traveled throughout the diocese, conducting missions in
advance of a visit by the bishop. He succeeded in converting many people and in
bringing many others back to religious observances.
Though Father Regis
longed to work as a missionary among the North American Indians in Canada, he
was to live out his days working for the Lord in the wildest and most desolate
part of his native France. There he encountered rigorous winters, snowdrifts
and other deprivations. Meanwhile, he continued preaching missions and earned a
reputation as a saint. One man, entering the town of Saint-Andé, came upon a
large crowd in front of a church and was told that people were waiting for
"the saint" who was coming to preach a mission.
The last four years of
his life were spent preaching and in organizing social services, especially for
prisoners, the sick and the poor. In the autumn of 1640, Father Regis sensed
that his days were coming to a conclusion. He settled some of his affairs and
prepared for the end by continuing to do what he did so well: speaking to the
people about the God who loved them. On December 31, he spent most of the day
with his eyes on the crucifix. That evening, he died. His final words were:
"Into thy hands I commend my spirit."
He was canonized in
1737.
COMMENT:
John longed to travel to the New World and become a missionary to the Native Americans, but he was called instead to work among his own compatriots. Unlike many famous preachers, he isn’t remembered for golden-tongued oratory. What people who listened to him heard was his own fervent faith, and it had a powerful effect on them. We can recall homilists who impressed us for the same reason. More importantly for us, we can also remember ordinary people, neighbors and friends, whose faith and goodness touched us and brought us to deeper faith. That is the calling most of us must follow.
John longed to travel to the New World and become a missionary to the Native Americans, but he was called instead to work among his own compatriots. Unlike many famous preachers, he isn’t remembered for golden-tongued oratory. What people who listened to him heard was his own fervent faith, and it had a powerful effect on them. We can recall homilists who impressed us for the same reason. More importantly for us, we can also remember ordinary people, neighbors and friends, whose faith and goodness touched us and brought us to deeper faith. That is the calling most of us must follow.
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