Too Small a World: The Life of Mother Frances Cabrini

Flávia Ghelardi introduces a biography of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini by Theodore Maynard, sharing what she has learned from the life of this dynamic saint.

I always love to read biographies of saints because I find it very interesting to learn how God acted in that soul, transforming a regular person into one that loved in extraordinary ways. I get to know the life of someone I can later call my friend in Heaven and ask for his or her intercession.

I usually read books about saints I already know something about in order to learn more and get more familiar with that friend. However, this time I got the opportunity to read about a saint I barely knew existed: Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, in the book Too Small a World: The Life of Mother Frances Cabrini by Theodore Maynard (Ignatius Press).

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The first thing about this book that caught my attention was the way it’s written: it’s a kind of narrative, with many dialogues. Usually, the saints' biographies that I've read are more like a timeline, describing the most significant events of that holy life. This book, however, allows readers to immerse themselves in history, with many interesting details about the geography, historical events, politics, backgrounds, and dialogues so we feel we are there, witnessing everything that was happening. This way of writing helped me better understand the circumstances of Mother Cabrini’s life and how extraordinary it was.

Mother Cabrini had a missionary heart and soul since she was a young girl. She wanted to spread the love of Jesus to the whole world, even saying that the world was too small for her wishes (that's the reason for the book's title). She lived a holy life from a young age, but it was a common life: she didn’t have special gifts like other saints we know, such as visions, bilocation, stigmata, ecstasies or great miracles performed during her lifetime.

There were some events that can be called supernatural, such as the “bank of Heaven,” when money appeared out of nowhere when the Congregation needed it most. She also had special dreams where she knew how to act, and sometimes her face seemed to glow after receiving Holy Communion. She was a regular nun with an extraordinary love for Jesus and for the spreading the Gospel.

When we read about the saints, we learn how we could be, and this give me hope. Everybody, no matter their state of life (religious or laity), is called to be a saint. God placed us in our circumstances, and it is there that we should live in a way that pleases Him, searching to fulfill His will for our lives. The saints, with their temper, their natural gifts and their struggles, learnt how to love God above all things and that made them saints.

Mother Cabrini can teach us how to love God in the ordinary circumstances of our lives, during our daily work, since she was a very active woman and didn’t have much time to spend in contemplation. So, she transformed her daily duties in a form of prayer and stayed united with God the whole day, in her heart and soul, but working very actively.

I was glad to know she spent some time in Brazil, founding schools and sowing seeds of love in my beloved country. Probably that’s the reason I've heard about her before.

Another interesting thing is that her process of beatification was opened only 10 years after her death. At that time, 50 years were required to elapse before opening the cause for canonization. Her beatification took place only 29 years after her death, which can be considered extraordinary, too. What brought tears to my eyes was to learn that at her canonization ceremony, there were 10 Chinese postulants for her congregation and her childhood dream was to be a missionary in China, a place she never had the opportunity to go while still living on this Earth.

It is important to take a personal message from the saint biographies that we read. There is no coincidence, only Divine Providence. After finishing this book, I think God is calling me to be more apostolic. The apostolic zeal of Mother Cabrini is very impressive. All she can think about is how to open a new mission to help more people in their temporary needs, but providing spiritual guidance, focusing on the salvation of souls.

I know I am not called to open missions around the world, but maybe I could spread the word of God among those He puts in my way, especially in my family. We can be an apostle by not only talking about God, but mostly living as a good Catholic. Our good example can speak louder than the words we might say.

I strongly recommend this book. It’s a wonderful story, very well written, and maybe you can also learn something from the life of Mother Cabrini. Saint Francesca Xavier Cabrini, pray for us!

Ask for Too Small a World at your local Catholic bookseller, or order online from Amazon.com or the publisher, Ignatius Press.

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