Pope Benedict said earlier today,
“Brother André Bessette, born in Quebec, in Canada, and a
religious of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, knew suffering and poverty
very early in life. This led him to turn to God for prayer and an intense
interior life. Doorman at the Notre Dame College in Montreal, he showed
boundless charity and did everything possible to soothe the despair of those
who confided in him. With little instruction, he nevertheless understood what
was essential to his faith. For him, to believe meant to submit freely and
lovingly to Divine Will. Everything existed through the mystery of Jesus, he
lived the beatitude of the pure of heart, that of personal rectitude. It is
thanks to this simplicity, he showed many God. He had the Saint Joseph Oratory
of Mont Royal built, where he was the faithful guardian until his death in
1937. There, he was the witness of many healings and conversions. “Do not try
to have your trials taken away from you”, he said, “rather, ask for the grace
to endure them well”. For him, everything spoke of God and His presence. May
we, following his example, search for God with simplicity to discover Him
always present in the core of our lives! May the example of Brother André
inspire Canadian Christian life!”