“The greatest gift we can give to others is not material possessions, but the gift of ourselves. It is through our love and service that we can truly make a difference in the world.” – Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini
What does it take to really live and realize your highest vision?
How can we find courage to live our highest purpose now?
Why is having a ‘personal mission’ so important in our lives?
These are powerful questions that have often been raised in my coaching, healing and mentoring sessions with business, organizational and individual clients over the years.
The main reason they are so important is because it’s in the realization of our soul’s potential and quest for a higher purpose that we find our connection to living fully and making a purposeful difference in this world.
And when we find our personal sense of mission, we also discover the focus, clarity and energy to craft a life of greatness. We literally ignite a deep sense of inner meaning that leads the way to our destiny, awakens the soul, and ignites our human potential.
Recently I saw the wonderful film ‘Cabrini’ directed by Alejandro Gomez Monteverde and released by the same distributors behind the provocative film ‘The Sound of Silence’, Angel Studios.
Cabrini is a biographical drama which highlights the journey of Catholic nun Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, a missionary who leaves Italy in the late 1800’s and is sent to New York City to help poor Italian immigrants of the time find dignity, hope and empowerment.
Battling a long-term debilitating lung condition, Cabrini goes to work on ‘building an empire of hope’. Inspired by an inner mission and drive from childhood her quest is to make a purposeful and lasting difference by truly living in alignment with her deep Christian values.
In a world dominated by men and power, Cabrini convinces Pope Leo XIII to support her mission and goes to work building orphanages, transforming hospitals, and creating what would be one of the world’s greatest and most expansive charitable organizations that is still in existence today.
“The measure of a person’s greatness is not in their possessions or their power, but in their compassion and their willingness to serve others.” – Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini
So, as heart-centred and purpose driven creators, leaders, individuals and visionaries, what can we learn from the life of this saint?
1. There is a fine line between ambition and faith.
While many people in this world are driven by ambition, and a desire to accumulate material wealth and success, the heart of the true purpose-driven leader is defined by their desire to serve, contribute and make a greater difference in this world.
Creating anything worthwhile calls us at a deep level to step beyond our comfort zones and encourages us to find new levels of faith, hope, trust and belief in ourselves. So where does this faith and belief come from? From a commitment to a more worthy and greater mission, vision or purpose for our lives.
What most distinguished Frances Xavier Cabrini from her peers was an unrelenting desire to make a difference. A quest to create an ‘Empire of Hope’ that would traverse the world and bring healing, restoration and hope to the many immigrants she had the privilege of caring for. And what allowed her to accomplish this in her short time on Earth was the unwavering faith in her mission and love for God.
2. You can serve your weakness or purpose, but you can’t serve both.
There is a powerful line in this movie where Cabrini who has been summoned to Rome for an audience with Pope Leo VIII is confronted by her own weakness. In attempting to convince the pontiff to allow her to set-up missions in the far east and China, Pope Leo is quick to highlight that Cabrini’s physical constitution and health has been a problem for her at three other religious orders. Therefore, why should he trust that she will be able to fulfill her mission. Cabrini responds, “I suppose you can serve your weakness or your purpose, but you can’t do both”.
It's important because it reflects to us our own battles between choosing fear and courage, doubt and faith, anger or love, weakness or strength in our lives. While this inner dialogue will always be present in our lives, it is entirely up to us to decide where we will give our attention, energy and focus. Because today you can choose to be the master of your life or a victim, but you can’t be both. So, which will you choose?
3. Without a mission there is no real fulfillment in life.
Q. What inspired Frances Cabrini in her desire to see the growth and proliferation of an ‘Empire of Hope’ around the world?
A. A deep sense of Mission.
While most religious orders in the 18th century had a deep sense of mission or calling, often referred to as a ‘charism’, Frances Cabrini used her commitment to an enduring sense of mission which was driven by a deep desire to heal and alleviate the world of suffering, pain and isolation.
As transformational leaders, healers, coaches and change agents we are all being called to bring our own unique blend of light to this world. Because in accessing this deeper level of purpose and energy, our hearts are ignited on visceral level. And when we use our gifts to solve BIG problems in our world, our faith is rewarded and encouraged. As Chinese philosopher and writer Lao Tzu once said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step”.
So, what is the one step that you are being encouraged to take today to take in the pursuit of your most magnificent mission on Earth?
4. We each need to find a deeper level of conviction in our lives.
When was the last time you were challenged in the pursuit of your goals, dreams and visions?
In following the true path of self-realisation we will often be tested on our journey. Nature has an interesting way of testing our true faith, conviction and belief whether that be through obstacles, set-backs and challenges.
However, the true hero or heroine understands that when one is fully committed to the realisation of their dreams there is a synergy and synchronicity that unfolds. No longer do we need to force or strive for success, but instead we can realise we are an essential part of this amazing unfolding universe and that a greater power flows through us and from us.
What was most evident from the life of Saint Frances Cabrini was that she was a woman who had made a commitment to the realisation of her plans for a better, more caring and enriching world.
In the face of great resistance, roadblocks and repression, mainly driven by the male archetypes of her time, she persisted in pursuing her path even in the face of hearing the word ‘No’ many times over. Was this arrogance or subordinance? Some may have questioned her true intentions, yet with faith in her heart and resolve in her gut she remained steadfast and true to the inner calling of her soul which eventually resulted in the establishment of hospitals, orphanages, and missions across most parts of the world.
For Cabrini the word ‘No’ was just an invitation to find a better path forwards.
5. Live everyday as if it were your last.
If there is one powerful message that arises from the Cabrini movie it is to live everyday as though it were your last. From the moment of her near drowning experience as a child, Cabrini developed an inner- resolve to make the most out of every moment of her life. In her later years she was diagnosed with severe respiratory failure and told that she would only have a few years to live. Her reply to the diagnosis? “Well, I guess I better get to work now on my mission”.
To her credit, Cabrini lived till the age of 67, eventually passing from endocarditis. At the time of her passing she had created and founded over 67 missionary organizations around the world which were dedicated to serving and helping the poor, at a time when most structured forms of government assistance were not even available.
So, what can we learn from this entrepreneurial, purpose-driven and heart-centred saint?
We have all are on this Earth to serve a higher purpose and mission.
It's the role of every soul to discover their mission for this lifetime.
You can serve your purpose or your fear, but you can’t serve both.
When our mission and vision is greater than our fears anything is possible.
Never give-up on honouring and valuing the intuitive guidance of your soul.
Conclusion
Despite her lung condition and impoverished health, Cabrini was able to live till the age of 67. Today her ‘Empire of Hope’ spans the globe across many countries, including the far east and China. Cabrini was later canonized as America’s first saint by the Catholic Church on 7th July 1946 where an estimated 120,000 people filled Chicago’s Soldier Field for a mass of thanksgiving.
In attendance at her canonization that day was another servant of faith, who after witnessing the immense impact and mission Mother Cabrini had made over her short life, was so inspired that she later resign from her own order and returned to India to the Missionaries of Charity which would eventually grow to 4,500 nuns in 133 countries. The name of this servant of faith? Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu, better known as Mother Teresa.
As for Mother Cabrini, her order the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus has continued their mission of care around the world and her body now lays in rest at the orphanage that she founded in West Park, Ulster County.
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