Charles belonged to a minor French noble family who prided themselves that they were descended from crusaders. He became a cavalry officer. But he was always drawn to deep prayer and eventually left everything behind to be ordained a priest and become a hermit in the Sahara Desert. He lived among a Muslim population, the Berbers.

At first, he had a notion of bringing them the benefits of what he thought was a superior French Christian culture, but his total lack of success led him to listen deeply to God. It was then that he became more and more to experience God’s determination to perfect humanity, and that this required faith, intercession and patience from members of the Church.

He eventually saw his vocation as a simple witness living out his Christianity faithfully within the dominant Muslim culture. He lived a life of prayer, self-denial and love of neighbour. He continued to seek aid from his French connections to support the impoverished people he lived among. Whenever that was not forthcoming, he suffered with them giving away food that he needed himself. They called him ‘little father’, but as a missionary, he was a failure.

His supreme accomplishment was a growing faith that our eternal Father has clear plans for the salvation of the people he lived among, and Charles was content to await the divine timing only wishing to be faithful to the will of God as it manifested itself in his daily life. He offered his life every day for the conversion of his neighbours. That simple offering in a far-off spot deep in the Sahara seems obscure, and to some it will appear futile, but he knew his prayer and the offering of his life would be effective – in God’s good time.

He was killed but not martyred; it was an act of violence by thieves. His martyrdom was his life not his death.

Tales of his life have spread like bushfires and inspired many. He was canonised in 2022. He has become a flame of Christian hope - hope and faith in the divine design, which God revealed to Jeremiah, at a time of deep distress for Israel, as ‘plans for peace, not disaster, reserving a future full of hope for you’ (Jeremiah 29: 11).

Contemplative intercession will demand more and more trust in God’s plan. We will be attacked by the Evil One, who hates this sharpest weapon in the armoury of God’s children. But, with the support of other members of the Church and Mary and the saints, we will take our part at the forefront of Christ’s driving out the works of Satan whom he vanquished on the cross. Satan does not give up easily; Christ generously calls fellow warriors who will never give up the spiritual fight.