André Bessette (1845-1937) did not seem destined for greatness. Uneducated, untrained, and unsuited for physical labor because of a chronic stomach ailment, he attempted to join a religious order only to have the brothers reject him because of his poor health. When he appealed to the bishop, who gave him permission to stay, the brothers assigned him as the doorkeeper.
But Brother André had the gift of healing. For the next forty years, people came in droves to ask the doorkeeper for healings. Meanwhile, André attributed all of the cures to his patron saint, Joseph, and raised the funds for a chapel dedicated to Joseph. Today, the Oratory of St. Joseph towers over the city of Montreal. Brother André is buried there, and two million pilgrims come every year, still seeking miracles from the “Wonder Man of Mount Royal.”
As the doorkeeper, André Bessette’s status in this world was low, and yet God used him to accomplish so much. I find his life to be a useful lesson in humility. As my current job title is “human Kleenex and pacifier” (um, pregnant stay-at-home mom of two toddlers), I sometimes wonder how God can use me on days when I don’t even leave the house. I hope that on those days I can still “be Christ” to my family in some way, even if it’s only by keeping my cool when I’m trying to get food out of the oven with a howling one-year old wrapped around my legs.
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