In the life of St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, we see a soul aflame with love for Christ and Our Lady, utterly detached from the world and its passing pleasures. His brief but intense journey to holiness echoes the exhortations of St. John in his First Epistle and the words of Our Lord to the rich young man. Both passages call us to renounce attachment to the world and embrace the simplicity of a child, entering the kingdom of God with a heart freed from earthly distractions.
The World Passes Away (1 John 2:14-17)
St. John writes:
“Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world. If any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life, which is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the concupiscence thereof: but he that doth the will of God, abideth forever” (1 John 2:15-17, DRC).
Here, St. John presents us with a stark contrast: the fleeting allure of the world versus the eternal reward of loving and serving God. The “concupiscence of the flesh” refers to sinful desires and excesses; the “concupiscence of the eyes” to greed and covetousness; and the “pride of life” to arrogance and self-reliance apart from God. The Church Fathers unanimously warn against these traps.
St. Augustine, commenting on this passage, writes:
“The love of the world is opposed to the love of God. As a man cannot walk in two different ways at the same time, so neither can he love God and the world. If the world is sweet to you, let the love of God be bitter to you; if the love of God is sweet to you, let the world be bitter to you” (In Epistolam Ioannis ad Parthos, Tract. 2).
St. Gabriel understood this well. Born into a privileged family, he was surrounded by the “pride of life,” yet he renounced it all to embrace the Passionist life. He realized that all the honors and pleasures of the world were but shadows, unable to satisfy the soul. Like St. John, he longed for what would abide forever: the will of God.
Becoming as Little Children (Mark 10:13-21)
In the Gospel of St. Mark, Christ rebukes His disciples for preventing children from coming to Him:
“Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Amen I say to you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall not enter into it” (Mark 10:14-15, DRC).
The childlike heart, filled with humility, trust, and detachment from worldly concerns, is the key to entering the Kingdom. Immediately after this, St. Mark presents the encounter of Our Lord with the rich young man—a striking contrast. The young man desires eternal life but is attached to his possessions. When Christ invites him to perfect renunciation—”sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor… and come, follow me” (v. 21)—he goes away sad.
St. Gregory the Great comments:
“Many desire the Kingdom of Heaven, but they do not seek to walk the road that leads there. They wish to obtain a reward from God, yet they refuse to suffer toil for His sake. The Lord’s command was given to a man prepared to do great things, yet he refused. And he was sad, for he had great riches—not riches in his house, but riches in his heart” (Homiliae in Evangelia, 5, 1).
St. Gabriel, on the other hand, was given the same invitation and responded without hesitation. When Our Lady called him to the Passionist life, he left everything—family, comforts, future plans—to embrace the Cross. He became like a little child, trusting entirely in God, detached from worldly ambition.
Living the Call of St. Gabriel Today
These two passages challenge us to examine our own attachments. Do we cling to the fleeting things of this world—the approval of others, material comforts, the illusions of self-sufficiency? Or do we have the simplicity of a child, trusting in God’s will and ready to renounce everything for His sake?
St. Gabriel shows us that detachment is not about a mere external renunciation but an interior disposition. He did not merely leave behind the world physically—he let go of it in his heart. His joy was found in suffering for Christ, meditating on the Passion, and seeking only the eternal.
May his example inspire us to say with St. Paul:
“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord” (Philippians 3:7-8, DRC).
May Our Lady of Sorrows obtain for us the grace to detach from all that hinders our love for Christ and to embrace the simplicity of the Gospel, following her Son with an undivided heart.
Prayer to St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows
O St. Gabriel, who left all to follow Christ, obtain for us the grace of holy detachment. Help us to renounce the world’s vanities and seek only the treasures of Heaven. Teach us to love Our Lady and meditate on the Passion, that we may become true children of God, entering His Kingdom with the purity and trust of little ones. Amen.