St.
Francis Xavier, as all holy souls have done, always asked the
recipients of his letters for "the help of their prayers", because the
apostolate must be based on personal sacrifice, on one's own prayer and
on the prayer of others. At all times, but especially if circumstances
prevent us from carrying out a more direct apostolate, we must keep in
mind the efficacy of our sorrow, of work well done, of prayer.
St. Therese of Lisieux, intercessor of the missions, together with St. Francis Xavier, in spite of not having left the convent, felt strongly the zeal for the salvation of all souls, even the most distant ones. She experienced in her heart the words of Christ on the Cross, I thirst, and it inflamed her heart with the desire to reach the most remote places. "I would like to travel the earth preaching your Name and planting, my Beloved, on unfaithful soil your glorious Cross. But a single mission would not be enough for me, for I would like to be able to proclaim your Gospel at the same time in all parts of the world, even in the most distant islands. I would like to be a missionary, not only for a few years, but to have been one since the creation of the world, and to continue to be one until the consummation of the centuries ". And when she was already very ill and was taking a short walk, and a sister, seeing her fatigue, recommended her to rest, the saint replied: "Do you know what gives me strength? Well, I am going to a missionary. I think that far away there may be one who is almost exhausted of strength in his apostolic excursions, and to lessen his fatigue, I offer mine to God ". And his prayer and sacrifice reached those places.
Zeal for souls must also be manifested on all occasions. Sickness, old age or apparent isolation cannot be an excuse. Through the Communion of Saints we can go very far. As far as our love for Christ is great. Then our whole life, even our last breath here on earth, will have served to bring souls to Heaven, as happened to St. Francis, who died off the coast of China, longing to bring the Good News of Christ to those lands. No prayer, no pain offered with love, is lost: all, in a mysterious but real way, produce their fruit. That fruit that one day, by the mercy of God, we will see in Heaven and will fill us with uncontainable joy.