At a decisive moment in the history of the Order, St. Ezekiel Moreno stands as a shining example of total dedication, pastoral zeal and fidelity to the Augustinian Recollect charism. This article, based on St. Ezekiel Moreno, Augustinian Recollect friar by Fr. Angel Martinez Cuesta, gathers his most significant words and gestures for our spirituality.
The historical context of the Order
The life and mission of St. Ezekiel Moreno (1848-1906) took place in a turbulent time for the Order of Augustinian Recollects, marked by the reduction of communities and the complex political and social situation in the Philippines, Spain and Colombia. In the midst of these difficulties, Ezequiel joyfully took on the most arduous tasks:
“When I was young I came to the missions, and since then I have always tried to do what my superiors told me to do”.
His life was, above all, a generous response to the needs of the Church and the Order, with a docility that turned difficulties into an occasion for holiness.
St. Ezekiel, model of Recollect spirituality
For the Augustinian Recollect family, St. Ezekiel is a living synthesis of our charism. A man of deep interior life, he knew how to unite love for contemplative solitude with an ardent zeal for souls. “The life of the missionary has to be a life hidden with Christ in God, and at the same time given to all for their salvation”.he affirmed.
In him we find that fruitful tension between recollection and mission, between the silence of prayer and the burning word of the pastor.
A sensitive and fraternal heart
St. Ezekiel radiated a concrete and close love for people. He did not see numbers, but faces. He asserted: “It is not enough for me to say that I love them: I want to show it with deeds”. This fraternal spirit was translated into small gestures and a closeness that made the faithful feel him as a true father.
In community life, he lived humility and charity as foundations, convinced that unity was strength for the mission.
Inseparable prayer and apostolate
His life was founded on constant prayer. In his letters he exhorted: “Pray much and pray well … from that will come strength for everything.”. He did not conceive of the apostolate as mere activity: for him, without the root of prayer, pastoral work became sterile.
Even in his illness, when cancer weakened him deeply, he kept the flame of prayer burning:
“I willingly accept whatever God disposes… He knows what is best.”
Legacy for today
To celebrate St. Ezekiel Moreno is not only to look to the past, but to accept his witness as a compass for the present. His life reminds the Augustinian Recollects that fidelity to the charism is expressed in generous service, persevering prayer and concrete love for people.
On this day, his words resonate strongly: “What matters is that in everything the will of God be done and that souls be saved.”. That remains our calling.
You can leave your intentions to St. Ezekiel Moreno here
St. Ezekiel Moreno was, and continues to be, a gift of God for the Order. In a time of challenges, he incarnated evangelical radicalism and the Augustinian Recollect spirit with simplicity and firmness. His example invites us to live our vocation with the same passion, convinced that holiness is built on daily fidelity.