It is probable that Fr. Noailles meant by that what the French School called the virtue of religion, that is to say, the determination to see God above all else, in everything, to make everything depend absolutely on Him,
A Spirit of Radicality - Pierre Bienvenu Noailles
It is probable that Fr. Noailles meant by that what the French School called the virtue of religion, that is to say, the determination to see God above all else, in everything, to make everything depend absolutely on Him, to situate human beings and action in dependence on Him, a doctrine which is found expressed, in his own way, by Boudon. But nothing could be more erroneous than to see here a doctrine which was simply learned and reproduced. It was a profound, personal, fundamental experience which gave direction to his life.1 Fr. Noailles was a convert, in the broad meaning of the word. In his personal journey, he made an absolute choice of God, and he saw that only He could satisfy the longings of his heart. From then on all else became, not useless, but secondary. He expressed this very well in his personal notes: “I sought among creatures what can only be found in You alone; it is in You, in You alone that one finds this life of the soul which is immortality, this life of the heart which is an immense love... You are the Way; you alone are the Truth. You alone are Life and happiness.
“O abyss of love!... O Jesus, how could I fail to love you. Take my heart since you want it. Make of it what you will... may it beat only for you. Be everything for me.” “I propose with the grace of God, to renounce everything on this earth so as to love only my adorable Saviour or to love nothing except in Him”... “May I no longer see anything but you, may I no longer live except in you, O my Lord, my King, only joy of my soul.”
This attitude of total gift is perfectly clear and explicit in an article of the Rule of 1844 which we would like to cite here in its entirety: “Following the example of these perfect models (the Holy Family) and to conform themselves to these words of the Gospel, ‘Seek first the Kingdom of God and his justice and all these things will be added unto you’, they will seek above all, to establish in themselves the reign of Jesus Christ; and not only will they always prefer supernatural gifts to temporal advantages, the salvation of their souls to the wellbeing of their bodies, and the glory of their divine master to the esteem of creatures, but they will be firmly resolved to bear all the privations of poverty, all injustices, all persecutions and even death itself, if need be, rather than separate themselves from their divine spouse, the sole treasure of their hearts, the only object of their thoughts. To establish and maintain themselves in these holy dispositions, they will strive daily to detach themselves from all creatures and particularly from themselves; they will accustom themselves to refer all things to God alone and to have only Him in mind in all that relates to their works or to themselves”.
This total detachment from themselves is paradoxically the source of great freedom. “In detaching themselves from all that is transient, they will appreciate more the freedom of the children of God and the unalterable peace experienced by those who are attached to Him alone”.
And this freedom renders them available, dynamic for the Kingdom of God:
“Good Master, inspire me with this absolute detachment from all things so that I may put myself entirely into your hands. It is then I shall be happy because my happiness will rest in You alone, and nothing on earth will separate me from You. It is then I shall do much good and that I shall save these souls you have redeemed at the price of your blood, because You will their salvation, and that I shall put no obstacle to this holy will”.
Later, he will again insist on this radical choice necessary for admission into the Association. In the beginning of the chapter, The spirit proper to the Association of the Holy Family, in the 1851 Rules, he takes up again the text already found in the 1844 Rules7 but here it is preceded by some new words which are particularly emphatic: “What should be especially characteristic of the vocation, not only of the Daughters of God Alone, but of all the Associates or Sisters of the Holy Family is a spirit of zeal and detachment verging on heroism – it is the spirit of God Alone”.
Raymond Darricau
Bernard Peyrous
Father Noailles and the Association of the Holy Family
The Story of a Charism
A Spirit of Radicality - Pierre Bienvenu Noailles
