Monthly Archives: April 2011

THE FIRST VOCATIONS TO OBLATE RELIGIOUS LIFE AND PRIESTHOOD

Today I do not have a written text of Eugene, but write about some of the first persons to join him after the initial founding group. Their lives and ministry continued his spirit and actions. The Register of Entries into … Continue reading

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SOME ARE DRAWN TO ANSWER THE CALL OF JESUS CHRIST THROUGH THE JOY AND GENEROSITY OF OUR LIVES

Once Madame Gontier and her girls had vacated the premises, the whole Carmelite convent building was available for the Missionaries. With many rooms available it was now possible to accommodate others. Eugene had begun his Youth Congregation three years earlier, … Continue reading

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THANKS TO THE GRACE OF GOD, THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF THE SMALL GROUP BEGINS TO TAKE A MORE DEFINITE SHAPE

Leflon tells us that on 13 May 1816, “Madame Gontier surrendered the use of the entire Carmelite house to Father de Mazenod, in exchange for a financial consideration, since her boarding school was in bad straits.” (Volume 2, p. 44). … Continue reading

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ALPHONSUS DE LIGUORI: A MODEL FOR THE DISCERNMENT OF THE DEVELOPING MISSIONARY COMMUNITY

The year 1816 was marked by the newly-founded community’s development of the understanding of their vocation and how to live it out in response to the needs of Provence. One of the guiding figures for Eugene in this process was … Continue reading

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AIX AS A PLACE OF DISCERNMENT IN EVERYDAY LIFE

After the Easter break, I take up our family history once again through the writings of St Eugene. The story thus far: we are in the year 1816 and the community of Missionaries of Provence came together in Aix en … Continue reading

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A PAUSE FOR HOLY WEEK AND EASTER

This service will be interrupted until Tuesday April 26. Although Eugene will be silent for a few days, all the entries for the past year are online and can be consulted. You can use the “search engine” on the homepage … Continue reading

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OBLATION: OUR WISHES WERE GRANTED

… and we prayed the divine Master that, if it were his holy will to bless our undertaking, to lead our present companions and those who would be associated with us in the future, to appreciate the full value of … Continue reading

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OBLATION: A PRAYER THAT ALL OF US WOULD UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF OBLATION

So convinced were they of the action of making these vows, that they wanted everyone to share in what they were experiencing. They prayed that their other companions would come to the same appreciation: … and we prayed the divine … Continue reading

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OBLATION: THE JOY OF COMMUNION

… we pronounced our vows with an indescribable joy. We savoured our happiness throughout this beautiful night, in the presence of Our Lord, at the foot of the magnificent throne where we had placed Him for the Mass of the … Continue reading

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OBLATION: WHAT YOU WANT IS WHAT WE WANT

Briefly put. Father Tempier and I felt that we should not delay any longer, and on Holy Thursday (April 11, 1816), when both of us had taken our place under the structure of the beautiful repository we had erected over … Continue reading

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