Charles de Foucauld (1858–1916) was a French soldier and explorer who, after years away from the faith, experienced a profound conversion and became a priest and hermit. He lived among the Tuareg people in the Sahara desert at Tamanrasset, offering quiet friendship and prayer rather than preaching, and was killed there on December 1, 1916. He was canonized by Pope Francis in 2022, and his witness inspired the Little Brothers and Little Sisters of Jesus.
Charles called himself a 'universal brother,' believing that a hidden life of love and presence could speak louder than words. He teaches us that no life offered quietly to God is ever wasted, and that trust can grow even in the desert seasons of the heart. His famous Prayer of Abandonment places everything — even what we cannot understand — into the Father's hands.
Father, into your hands we commend all we love, as Saint Charles de Foucauld taught us; give us his quiet trust, and keep those we miss close to your heart. Amen.