Claret formulates one of his objections after his being named as archbishop with this characteristic phrase: “my spirit is for the whole world”. A true disciple of Jesus must have a heart that is open to the world. Jesus Christ, the missionary of the Father, embraced all from the cross and offered salvation free to the whole universe.

Claret had a big heart wishing to offer to all the corners of the earth the full joy of salvation. He wished to run, run and run to everywhere, alerting everyone he met on the way to perdition. This led him to an immense compassion. The heart of the missionary is like this: compassion and all embracing.

The evangelizer following the footsteps of Jesus cannot be simultaneously everywhere, but his spirit is open to the whole universe. This, at the time of Claret was not easy as it is now when news from every corner of the planet gets to us in real time, whether good or bad, to either make us joyful or to cry with those who are happy or those who are crying. Before the media brought down the walls of the world, the immense heart of the evangelizers has already done so.

Possibly one of the means to reach this cosmic communion can be the Oriental style of meditation. When we concentrate on our breathing, avoiding all thoughts, we discover that our conscience is expanded until it embraces the whole cosmos. Then we can send our affective and compassionate vibrations to all nations and races, to all animate and inanimate elements that integrate the created world.

But this rich human experience is even more fruitful with the Christian faith and the apostolic spirit. Our hearts expand according to the example of the heart of Christ and the universal sensibility of Claret. Is your heart also big like this? Are you open to receive each and every person that exists?