Meditations
Leave everything behind
The Rich Young Man
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions… Peter began to say to him, “We have given up everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.
– Mark 10:21-30
Fr. Rale’s Arrival in Canada
Here I am at last, in another hemisphere and in another world. I am at present in the place they call the Antipodes. Finally, by the grace of God, I have arrived in Canada, where I find myself surrounded by the Algonquins, the Abenakis, the Sokokis, the Hurons…It is among them, nevertheless, that I must spend the remainder of my days. It is to them that I must give loving care, whom I must cherish and please. It is their languages that I must learn. In fact I must be everything to them. I can almost imagine that you are feeling sorry for me; however, I am happy because I have, first of all, fulfilled the vow I made even before joining the Company. Secondly, it is God who has sent me here.
Reflection: Will I follow wherever He leads?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, teach me to be generous; teach me to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to seek reward, except that of knowing that I do your will. Amen.
Trust Him
Peter Walks on Water
During the fourth watch of the night,[h] he came toward them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
– Matthew 14:25-31
Fr. Rale is Assigned to the Illinois
I cannot deny that I have no qualms about leaving the mission of the Abenakis, because conditions are not harsh enough. There are some hard times, but never to extremes. Actually there were very few dangers in my life, because the Indians take good care of all those who come to instruct them. Add to this the fact that it is so close to Quebec that the missionary lacks nothing for his comfort…I must now express my infinite gratitude to God for that which he has pleased to send me. Tomorrow I leave by canoe to go to the Ottowas and beyond. The place is seven or eight leagues from Quebec. That is where I shall live with the most primitive of men, most of whom answer to the devil as their god. There I will do what God has ordered me to do. I will publish his gospel as soon as I have learned enough of their language. I will omit nothing to plant and water these plants of the vineyard of the Lord. It will be up to him to make them flourish and make them bear the fruits of life.
Reflection: Jesus loves me. Will I let Him carry me through the storms of my life?
Prayer
Father, I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you: I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures - I wish no more than this, O Lord. Into your hands I commend my soul: I offer it to you with all the love of my heart, for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into your hands without reserve, and with boundless confidence, for you are my Father. Amen.
Feed His sheep
Simon, son of John, do you love me?
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. – John 21:15-17
Fr. Rale’s Daily Schedule in Norridgewock
[After Mass], the remainder of the morning, until noon, is devoted to all those who have anything to tell me. At that time they come in crowds, to reveal to me their griefs and anxieties, or to tell me the causes of complaint which they have against their tribesmen, or to consult me about their marriages or their other private affairs. I must instruct some, and console others; reestablish peace in disunited families, and calm troubled consciences; and correct a few others with reprimands, mingled with gentleness and charity, — in fine, send them all away content, as far as I can.
In the afternoon, I visit the sick and go to the cabins of those who have need of special instruction. If they are holding a council, which often happens among the Savages, they send one of the chiefs of the meeting, who begs me to be present at their deliberations…I am invited even to their feasts. Each guest brings a dish of wood or of bark; I bless the food; then the prepared portion is placed upon each dish. The distribution having been made, I say grace, and each one withdraws, for such is the order and the custom of their feasts. In the midst of these continual occupations you can hardly believe with what rapidity the days pass away. There has been a time when I scarcely had leisure to recite my Office, or to take a little rest during the night.
Reflection: What is the deepest hunger in my own heart? Do I dare to love my neighbor?
Prayer
Dear Jesus, help me to spread Your fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with Your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of Yours. Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Your presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus! Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as You shine, so to shine as to be a light to others; the light, O Jesus, will be all from You; none of it will be mine: it will be You shining on others through me. Let me thus praise You in the way You love best: by shining on those around me. Let me preach You without preaching, not by words, but by my example, by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what I do, the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to You.
Imaginative Prayer
St. Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits, recommends imagining the scene as the first prelude to a meditation on scripture. In order to enter more deeply into the life of Fr. Rale and the events at the Norridgewock mission, it is recommended that a similar exercise be done using the places here in Madison, Maine. Find a quiet spot and reflect on all the things that have happened here. Some suggestions for things to reflect on are included below.
The Monument
Here on this site stood the grand church built by Fr. Rale. Imagine the wax candles, made using berries, burning on the altar. Imagine the Abenakis coming through those doors twice a day for Mass and evening prayer, to be with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Imagine the altar boys racing to the church so that they could there early enough to serve and be able to wear a cassock and surplice.
Not far from here was Fr. Rale’ s cabin. Here he wrote his Abenaki-French dictionary, put together over a whole lifetime of immersion in the language. Imagine him sitting there, writing a catechism in the Abenaki language. Imagine him teaching children outside his cabin. Here was the place where people sought his counsel and advice. Here people came to call him for help in caring for their sick loved ones.
Now imagine the end: Father Rale sitting at his desk writing a letter to his superior then hearing gunshots ring out throughout the village. Imagine him sprinting out towards the church in order to rescue the Blessed Sacrament from desecration. Picture the soldiers rushing out of the woods, guns blazing, women and children running for their lives, braves trying to protect Fr. Rale from the onslaught of gunfire. Imagine the iron cross that stood in front of the church where they all died and the church up in flames.
Below this monument is the approximate location of the church and the approximate location of Father Rale’s burial underneath what had once been the altar.
The Woods
Picture the Maine woods three hundred years ago. There were no cars, there were no factories or machinery running in the background. All was still and quiet except for the sound of crickets and birds chirping.
Much of the area would have been woods. Very little of the land would have been cleared like it is today. Through woods like these, the Abenaki would have hunted moose and elk. Father Rale would have carried his portable chapel to accompany them on these hunting expeditions down to the ocean.
It was also through these woods that Father Rale fled into hiding during one of these attacks. From the village he ran to the chapel, consumed the Blessed Sacrament, then ran into the woods to hide. Imagine him limping off into the trees with a broken leg, hearing British soldiers come. Fr. Rale is not well hidden behind a tree, but he can limp no further in the snow. Soldiers come within ten feet of him, but as if by an invisible hand, turn away. Imagine what was racing through his mind as he held his breath behind the tree. Imagine what went through his mind when he returned to his cabin to find it ransacked and his dictionary and papers gone.
The River
Three hundred years ago, there was no dam either in Madison or Skowhegan: the river was navigable all the way from the Forks to Popham Beach. Imagine fish jumping in the river and the Abenaki going out to catch them. Imagine children swimming in the river.
Imagine birch bark canoes floating down the river. From the north, canoes travelled in from Quebec. This was how Fr. Rale first got to Norridgewock. To the south, canoes travelled to English trading posts at places like Swan Island, Augusta, Falmouth and Boston. There negotiations took place and trade deals were made. Imagine Fr. Rale sitting in one of those birch bark canoes. A rock could easily pierce the bottom and the canoe would be lost. Space in the canoe was tight and you can imagine his legs grew cramped. And their destination to negotiate at the treaty of Georgetown or Arrowsic was a tense and dangerous mission. Imagine what was going through his mind as he knew he was going to advocate for the Abenakis before English settlers who considered him a French spy.
Now look across the river. Across the river was English territory. In 1714, the English claimed the east bank as well. Imagine the river when negotiations failed. Imagine the braves leaving for war and coming back with fewer than they left with. Imagine the French sending down canoes full of supplies to try to support the starving village as it struggled to support itself in wartime. Imagine the river running red as Abenakis tried to escape English gunfire as they swam across the river to the other side and were shot in the process.
A Rosary with Fr. Rale
The Annunciation – When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, she gave an unreserved yes to whatever God had in store for her. When Fr. Rale made his final vows, he gave an unreserved yes to go wherever God should call him. This led him to the missions, all the way from France to the woods of Norridgewock, Maine. Do we dare surrender ourselves completely to God, to let Him do with us whatever He wills?
The Nativity – After Jesus was born, there were thirty years of ordinary life in the home at Nazareth. There Mary delighted in ordinary moments of joy with her son. Most of Fr. Rale’s life was spent loving the Abenaki people and being loved by them in ordinary moments. It was only choosing to love in the ordinary moments of the day that in the end he could love them in extraordinary times of warfare and persecution.
The Proclamation of the Kingdom and the Call to Conversion – When Jesus began His ministry, He preached boldly and called sinners to repentance so that one day they might inherit the kingdom of Heaven. Fr. Rale began his preaching among the Abenaki and it bore great fruit. When the British began encroaching on Abenaki land and cheating them, he was challenged to preach this gospel of repentance to a hostile audience. Jesus did this with the Pharisees and knew what it would cost him. Imagine what went through Fr. Rale’s mind writing letters to the English, knowing what sort of position this put him in.
The Agony in the Garden – From the very beginning, Jesus knew He had been sent by God to die. Still, He agonized over this in the garden until finally He said, “Let this cup pass from me, but not my will, but Thine be done.” So too, Fr. Rale must have thought of leaving the village, but in the end he decided that he could not in good conscience abandon the flock in its time of need. He would stay with them through the bitter end, knowing full well the consequences.
The Crucifixion – The image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus shows His heart burning with love and crowned with thorns. From the cross He cried, “I thirst!” He thirsted for us. He so longs for us that He sacrificed everything for our salvation. Fr. Rale loved the Abenaki people and so sacrificed everything (his home, his family, his comfort, his safety) for their salvation. Now he sacrifices the last thing he had to give: his life.
The Choice to Love Until the End
From a letter by Fr. De la Chasse, S.J. 1724
Three years ago, by order of Monsieur our Governor, I made a tour of Acadia. In conversing with Father Rasles, I represented to him that in case war should be declared against the Savages, he would run a risk of his life; that, as his Village was only fifteen leagues from the English forts, he would be exposed to their first forays; that his preservation was necessary to his flock; and that he must take measures for the safety of his life. My measures are taken, he replied in a firm voice: God has confided to me this flock, and I shall follow its fate, only too happy to be sacrificed for it. He often repeated the same thing to his Neophytes, that he might strengthen their constancy in the Faith. We have realized But too well, they themselves said to me, that that dear Father spoke to us out of the abundance of his heart; we saw him face death with a tranquil and serene countenance, and expose himself unassisted to the fury of the enemy, — hindering their first attempts, so that we might have time to escape from the danger and preserve our lives.
As a price had been set on his head, and various attempts had been made to abduct him, the Savages last spring proposed to take him farther into the interior, toward Quebec, where he would be secure from the dangers with which his life was menaced. What idea, then, have you of me? he replied with an air of indignation, do you take me for a base deserter? Alas! what would become of your Faith if I should abandon you? Your salvation is dearer to me than my life.
Prayer for the Beatification of Fr. Rale
Eternal Father, grant that Sebastian Rale, martyr of the faith among the Abenakis of Maine, will be raised to the altar of the blessed. Through his intercession, we pray that your divine favor will be manifest among us so that we may return praise to your eternal glory. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit One God world without end. Amen.