Charles Eugene de Foucauld was born in September 1858 in Strasbourg, France, of a noble family steeped in military but also “saintly” traditions. His great-grand-uncle Jean-Marie du Lau, the archbishop of Arles, was martyred along with his cousin and vicar-general, the blessed Armand de Foucauld, during the French Revolution. Orphaned at an early age, Charles grew up restless and took to drinking. He joined the French Legion and was stationed in Africa, but his behavior as an officer was far from exemplary. Going on adventure without leave and taking a mistress later led to his resignation from active service.
At 28 years, he experienced conversion. He asked for instructions in the Christian faith, received the sacrament of baptism, and decided to spend the rest of his life in solitude, preparing for heaven. He was ordained a priest, but his longing to be a monk led him to Morocco. He eventually settled in Tamanrasset and lived among the Touaregs of the Sahara where he sought the “life of Nazareth”: solitary, hidden, lost among people of “no account.” He died without having attracted any follower.
For at least another 15 years, it seemed that his life and death had been pointless and barren. But his writings were rediscovered, and today people from all walks of life draw from his spirituality. Close to two thousand Little Brothers and Little Sisters of Jesus now live in small communities around the world, deriving inspiration from “Brother Charles of Jesus” who was Charles de Foucauld. On November 13, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI declared him blessed.
Jesus declares: “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” Spoken in a time of distress, this is the Johannine equivalent of the “agony in the garden,” which is not recorded in the Fourth Gospel. Jesus is greatly “troubled” at the coming of the “hour” which will culminate in his death on the cross. But he is determined to go through it because this is how he will glorify the Father. Moreover, it is by dying that he will give life—much life (“much fruit”) as his death and resurrection will draw all peoples (Jews and Gentiles) to him in faith, and in “believing, have life in his name” (Jn 20:31).
The coming of the Greeks to Jesus does not just show the curiosity of the Greeks over the Rabbi of Nazareth. For the evangelist, it anticipates and fulfills the very words of Jesus: “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” The “lifting up” is the glorification of Jesus which entails his dying on the cross and his return to the Father from whom he came, bringing along many other children. In his death and resurrection, the Father of the Son becomes the Father of the disciples, his God is their God (Jn 20:17).
Jesus’ word about the grain falling to the ground is one of Charles de Foucauld’s favorite texts. De Foucauld would die “without seeing the dawn,” as Filipino national hero Jose Rizal puts it. But a mystic and a man of deep faith, Charles was convinced that his hidden life would not be useless in the hands of God. In Charles de Foucauld, the message that life springs forth from death rings loud and clear.