Fr. Albert Lagrange is known
world-wide as the pioneer of the biblical revival that profoundly changed the
way we approach Scripture. He founded the “école
biblique” in Jerusalem and the periodical Biblical
Review. The 1986 General Chapter (Avila)
of the Order of Preachers expressed the desire to begin the process of his
canonization. He is considered a master of biblical exegesis and an exemplary
model of religious life. In addition, Fr. Lagrange demonstrated in his daily
life a great devotion to the Rosary. In becoming acquainted with his life our
faith will be strengthened.
The Cause for the
canonization of Fr. Lagrange was introduced by the bishop of Fréjus-Toulon,
Joseph Madec, on December 8, 1987. If you wish any information concerning the
process for the beatification of Fr. Lagrange, please contact Fr. Manuel
Rivero, Vice-postulator, Dominicains, 9 rue Saint-Francois- de-Paule, 06300
Nice, France manuel.rivero@free.fr
Opposite: The cover of
Fr. Bernard Montagnes’ o. p., book Marie-Joseph Lagrange, une biographie
critique, published in May 2005
by éditions du Cerf.
www.editionsducerf.fr
(See the memorial book
which is filled with photographic documentation as well as the bookmark La Prière )
A Passionate Life
Here are some
biographical details to help you to know this great Dominican figure better:
Passion for the Bible
Albert Lagrange was born
in Bourg-en-Bresse on March 7, 1855, the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas. He was a
student at the Minor Seminary of Autun and then went on to obtain his doctorate
in Law. His fellow lawyers elected him secretary of the Paris Lawyers
Conference. He, however, felt called to the priesthood. He entered the Major
Seminary of Saint-Sulpice in Issy-les-Moulineaux. Attracted by the ideals of
St. Dominic, he received the Dominican habit in the Province of Toulouse on
October 5, 1879 at Saint-Maximin, in Provence.
In 1880 when the
religious of France were expelled by decree, Fr. Lagrange went into exile to
the convent of Salamanca in Spain. He remembered his years in Castille as being
both studious and contemplative. In 1883 he was ordained a priest in Zamora. In
1884 he was given the opportunity to return to France, to Toulouse, where he
taught and preached the Gospel.
After completing
Oriental Studies at the University of Vienna, Fr. Lagrange was sent to
Jerusalem with the mission of founding a School of Sacred Scripture. He
dedicated his entire life to the study of Eastern languages (Assyrian,
Egyptian, Arabic, Talmudic Hebrew…) and to teaching exegesis and biblical
research. His writings, “La Méthode
historique” (The Historical
Method) and “L’évangile de Jésus Christ” (The Gospel of Jesus Christ) have been widely disseminated. They are
part of the cultural heritage of both priests and laity. It must be noted that
Fr. Lagrange took up the great challenge: a modernist and rational critique of
the Bible. The observations of Rationalists such as Renan had been very
disturbing to many Christians. He had to take the bull by the horns. Fr.
Lagrange studied textual and literary criticism, archaeology, Palestinian
geography, topography. He valued a practical method of teaching. He also moved
to the land where the People of God had experienced the great events of
salvation history.
Like all Dominicans, our
brother was possessed by a passion for the Truth. He knew that the truth sets a
person free and that a believer need have no fears of scientific discoveries.
Despite his vast studies Fr. Lagrange’s studies were never dry or off-putting.
He always insisted upon the “humble literal sense” of the Scriptures in
contrast with the fantastic interpretations of some. His biblical studies were
characterized by their freshness and clarity. His research blossomed into
knowledge of God, which was personal and invigorating.
His love for the Church
Fr. Lagrange came up
against both mistrust and condemnation. His methods were not always understood.
His discoveries worried certain members of the Roman hierarchy. Nothing,
however, could stop him from living his passion for biblical studies. He never
wavered in his thought. Fr. Lagrange always gave proof of his love and humble
obedience regarding “Holy Mother Church” as he loved to call her. His
attachment to the Church was not without suffering. He also exclaimed that the
one who has not suffered for the Church does not know what it is to love the
Church. He continued to study in order to serve the Church. Work and prayer,
these two things alone he asked of God. He respected the authority of the
Church as is demonstrated in his spiritual journal:
“I declare before God
that I intend to die in the Holy Catholic Church, in which I have always
belonged, heart and soul, since my baptism, and to die faithful to my vows of
poverty, chastity and obedience within the Order of
St. Dominic. I recommend myself to my Savior Jesus and to the prayers
of the Blessed Mary, who have always been so good to me. I also declare, most
forcefully, that I submit to the Apostolic See all that I have written. I
believe that I can also add that I have always intended, through my studies, to
work for the Reign of Christ, the honour of the Church, and for the good of
souls.”
His devotion to Mary
Fr. Lagrange was fervent
in his prayer. He committed all of his works to the prayers of the Virgin
Mary. Mary truly was his spiritual mother. He meditated on the Gospels with
her. Thanks to the Rosary, his work became his prayer. It is therefore not
astonishing to see this beautiful text of Origen quoted in the introduction to
his “Commentary on the Gospel of St John”: “The Gospels are the best part. No one can glean the spirit of them
if they have not rested on the breast of Jesus and if they have not received,
from Jesus, Mary as his Mother. The name of Mary stirs up our confidence. It
is through her that we beg for supernatural light to be given to our learning,
whatever it is, that we find in this book so filled with the sense of the
Divine.”
Concerning the influence
of Mary on Jesus’ education as a child, he wrote: “If it is possible to go so
far as to analyze Jesus’ human development, we could say that Jesus, like other
people, reflected in his personality some of his mother’s influence. His
graciousness, his exquisite finesse, his indulgent gentleness were not his alone.
It is here that one can distinguish those whose hearts have been filled to
overflowing with maternal tenderness, their senses refined by the
encouragement of the esteemed and loved woman in their lives who has taught
them so much about the finest, most delicate aspects of living.”
Fr. Lagrange also
insisted upon including Mary’s role in the salvation brought about by her Son:
“Our piety toward Mary recognizes in the attitude of she who stood at the foot
of the cross, an indication of the role she takes in our redemption. She
showed compassion for the sufferings of her
Son, and for our
difficulties, she suffered with Him, without adding anything to his infinite
merits, but she joined her merits with his, by associating herself with the
work of the Son that she gave as Savior of the world, participating no less in
his salvific death than at his birth.”
Addressing the Dominican
laity, Fr. Lagrange taught that: “The Rosary is a summary of the Gospels, which
leads us toward the end which we hope for because of the Incarnation and the
Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Does the Rosary then supplant the Gospels,
rendering them useless? Rather we should say that it makes us desire, that is,
makes the Gospel necessary, if we truly want to have a clear picture of the
mysteries upon which we are meditating.” Yes, his Marian devotion was founded
on the Scriptures. His study of the Bible led him to the contemplation of the
Rosary.
Throughout his entire
life until the moment of his death, at Saint-Maximin on March 10, 1938, Fr.
Lagrange held in his mind the image of Mary as his Queen.
Those who were close to
him witness to the respect and affection they felt when they were in his
presence. Mary had touched the heart of this modest and affable wise man.
Today Christians are
well aware of the prime importance of Scripture as the foundation of the faith.
Can we also follow Fr. Lagrange’s example and welcome Mary as the Mother of the
Word made flesh? Remember as well, that Fr. Lagrange intercedes for us along
with the Virgin Mary and all the saints.
(Fr. Manuel Rivero, o. p.)
Testimony of Jean Guitton
Fr. Albert Lagrange is
internationally recognized as a pioneer in the biblical renewal which has had a
profound effect on our approach to Scripture. He founded the “école biblique of Jerusalem” and “Revue Biblique” (Biblical Review).
Jean Guitton, a student
and friend of Fr. Lagrange, willingly gave this personal interview to Fr.
Manuel Rivero o. p. in April of 1988.
Fr. Manuel Rivero: Jean
Guitton, you have heard of the process of canonization which has begun for Fr.
Lagrange. What are your thoughts on this development?
Jean Guitton: I would
like to make this testimony regarding Fr. Lagrange. I knew him through his
writings, through a personal correspondence with him over five years, and also
because of the three months that I spent at the école biblique in Jerusalem in 1935. Fr. Lagrange visited me
in Montpellier. I was also present at his funeral at Saint-Maximin.
I have known the
interior presence of Fr. Lagrange in my spirit, mind and heart.
Today humanity is in a
profound crisis. Human beings are being tempted by atheism, an intellectual
atheism based on technology.
The 21st
century will undergo a dramatic confrontation between atheism and
Christianity. Before Christ, humanity was not atheist, but theist, polytheist
even. Humanity of the 19th century was not atheist but antitheist
that is to say, against faith. Now we are seeing a conflict between faith and
science. Given these conditions how are we to react ? There is a way which
strikes the intellectual. It is about recognizing, exalting and placing upon
the altar the one who reconciled faith and science.
The exaltation of Fr.
Lagrange prepares theology for the future. In the time of St. Thomas Aquinas,
theology was the queen of the sciences. Theology stood in the way of exegesis.
The conflict with Galileo is an historical example of this. Now, approaching
the 21st century, the problem is the reverse. Exegesis stands in the
way of theology. Under these conditions it is essential to have exegetes who
are competent scholars. That is why I have decided to do everything I can do to
aid in the process of Fr. Lagrange’s beatification.
Fr. M. R.: What signs
of holiness did you see in Fr. Lagrange ?
Jean Guitton: I like
the Islamic thought which compares the ink of the writer with the blood of the
martyrs. If Stendhal had thought of that it would have given a different
meaning to his book, “The Red and the Black” (Le Rouge et le Noir).
Fr. Lagrange’s sixty-year
sacrifice is precious in the eyes of God. He was devoted to his work. His
assiduousness in study was edifying. When I was in Jerusalem I knocked on his
door one morning. I was snubbed. Fr. Lagrange worked without ceasing.
I can also speak of his premonitory
genius. He understood early on the importance of archaeology in the
understanding of Scripture. His studies on the historical method turned out to
be truly prophetic. At that time we thought that Moses wrote the Pentateuch by
dictating it to his secretary.
The Pentateuch was not a
Mosaic document but rather a mosaic of documents. For Fr. Lagrange historical
criticism helped as a foundation for the faith; much critical study
strengthened the faith.
Fr. Lagrange’s life has
a prophetic character. Saints change things. St. Francis announced a
spirituality which had really never existed before: love of nature and the
cosmos. Fr. Lagrange also fit into this category of those who bring about
change.
Fr. Lagrange was a
humble man. It is difficult to define humility. There are many who are falsely
humble and only a few truly humble people. Humility consists in accepting
humiliations with a light and joyful heart. Fr. Lagrange, under the pontificate
of Pius X, was very unjustly accused. He was forbidden to teach. He had to
leave Jerusalem. In Rome there were bad reports about him. He was considered a
destroyer of the faith and not an apostle. Fr. Lagrange never said anything.
He made no diatribes against the authorities. When the heavens reopened he went
back to Jerusalem.
Fr. Lagrange spoke
charitably about Loisy. He condemned his ideas but not the man himself. Like
Loisy, Fr. Lagrange knew about using his conscience in the interpretation of
the Bible.
In his family the story
is told of how his mother, a devotee of St. Jean-Marie Vianney, who already had
a reputation as a prophet, took him, as a puny infant, to present him in Ars.
The Curé of Ars said, “This child will give glory to the Church.” It was Fr.
Lagrange himself who asked that I might verify these sayings with his sister on
my return to France from Jerusalem.
Fr. Lagrange and the
Rosary
While Pope John-Paul II
is proposing that we meditate also on the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, it
is interesting to discover the theological and spiritual thoughts of Fr.
Lagrange which he shared during a conference in 1936 of Dominican laity called
in those days ‘tertiaries’, that is the Third Order of Preachers.
“The Rosary as a
reflection on the life of Jesus is incomplete. There is a major gap, for there
really is nothing about the teachings of Jesus, the real Gospel. One can’t
avoid the gap, since it is a prayer which goes through Mary.
In His wisdom God did
not want Mary to take just an ordinary part in the ministry of her Son. She appeared
from the beginning. She sought the first miracle. She stood at the foot of the
Cross to be given to us as our Mother by her dying Son. Most of the time,
especially in the course of his teaching, Mary was absent. She had no need to
be instructed in the truths of the Gospel that Jesus was bluntly (gently)
teaching his listeners, in a manner which corresponded to their needs. It was
enough that Jesus was talked about, unrecognized by a recalcitrant people: the
virginity of his Mother shouldn’t also be thrown into the den with these lions.
Mary was absent, the Rosary was interrupted. He said enough about it, though,
that a legitimate curiosity was aroused.
One cannot attend to the
mysteries of the Infancy and the Passion without being brought back to consider
the work of the mature man, his childhood, and that which led him to the
Passion. This results in the soul of a Dominican, formed by the Rosary, being
more inclined to look to the Gospel in order to better understand what Jesus
expects and to understand in the facts of his life and in his attitude toward
others, that he came to save, in his words “radiating light,” and especially in
this revelation that God is Father, and that God is Love: Deus caritas est.
Once on this path the
Dominican tertiary, according to his abilities and desires, will be prepared to
follow it in the Epistles of the Apostles and especially in St. Paul, in the
Acts, which lead the Church from Jerusalem to Rome where will be founded the
Chair of Peter, and also to the New Jerusalem whose splendour St. John gives us
a glimpse in the revelations of the Apocalypse. Having learned of St. Paul’s
firm conviction that the value of the Old Testament is in preparing souls for
Christ, the devotee of the Rosary will want to know the prophesies to which the
evangelists and apostles allude. He will be transported back in time to
Jeremiah, who speaks of the suffering and misunderstood Messiah, to Isaiah who
wanted the heavens to open and for Emmanuel to come down, to David, the king
who received the divine anointing, to Moses the lawgiver whose work is nothing
more than a foreshadowing of what is to come. He will go out to meet Abraham
whose desert tent contained the whole Church, and finally the first Adam whose
sin, Christ, the second Adam in history, but the first in his divine origin,
will mend and expiate. Then God will appear whose plans know of no failure, and
who announced to the guilty couple the coming of the son, born of the woman
who triumphed over the serpent. The Church taught him this since his youth,
but his contact with the inspired Word, which is a contact with the Spirit of
God, will make him more and more alive. The Rosary will have brought forth all
of its fruits.”
The Dominican vocation
of Brother Marie-Joseph Lagrange, founder of the ècole biblique of Jerusalem.
When he was in the
seminary at Autun, Albert Lagrange already dreamed about becoming a son of St.
Dominic. Following the conferences of Fr. Lacordaire, and having seen the
fresco of Fra Angelico, “The Coronation of the Virgin”, Albert Lagrange
thrilled to the idea of putting on the habit of light of the founder of the
Preachers.
“Ever since I read the Conferences of Notre-Dame and the Life of St. Dominic by Fr. Lacordaire, the Dominican ideal has dominated my thinking. I was
less drawn to St. Dominic by having read Lacordaire’s work on his life, than I
was seduced by the radiant image of the saint as shown present at the “The
Coronation of the Virgin” by Blessed Angelico of Fiesole. I never doubted the
accuracy of this portrait; and it was good in fact to be able to imagine some
of the loving vision of this pure soul. For a long time before I entered his
Order, I was already his son, I prayed to him everyday.” (Personal Memories,
p. 254-255, Souvenirs personels)
Prayer for the
glorification of the Servant of God Marie-Joseph Lagrange.
Holy Father, you granted
to your servant Marie-Joseph Lagrange the desire for the truth. He dedicated
his life to the scientific study of the Bible. His heart burned in
contemplating the mystery of Jesus Christ in the light of the Law of Moses, the
Prophets and the Psalms. With the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Rosary, he
meditated on the Gospels. He witnessed to his faith in the Resurrection of the
Lord through the example of his obedience and the fervour of his preaching.
We pray, Father, that
you will hasten the day when the Church will publicly recognize the sanctity of
his life, to the end that his helpful example will draw our brothers and
sisters to believe in the Word of
God.
May the intercession of
Brother Marie-Joseph obtain for us all of the graces we need and especially
(here mention the particular intention). We ask you this, Father, in the name
of your Son, Jesus Christ, and in communion with the Holy Spirit, One Living
God forever and ever. Amen.
Translated from French
by Brother Brian Bricker O.P.
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