Monthly Archives: March 2012

A PAUSE FOR HOLY WEEK AND EASTER

This service will be interrupted until Monday April 16. Although Eugene will be silent for a few days, all the past entries are online and can be consulted – there are 577 entries thus far. You can use the “search … Continue reading

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HUG AS YOU HAVE BEEN HUGGED

Eugene’s own conversion experience had been the awareness of God’s boundless love and mercy: Blessed, a thousand times blessed, that he, this good Father, notwithstanding my unworthiness, lavished on me all the richness of his mercy Retreat Journal, December 1814, … Continue reading

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FROM WORD TO ACTION

The next section of the Rule of 1818 moves to the logical conclusion of preaching: helping the listener to come to a personal encounter with God as Savior. Preaching should make people aware of their need for conversion, best expressed … Continue reading

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PREACHING: SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL FOR GOD

It goes without saying that it is never permitted to receive even the least recompense for preaching, or the administration of the sacraments, or any other ministry. 1818 Rule Part 1, Chapter 3, §1 Preaching  The Missionary co-operator of the … Continue reading

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PREACHING: WE ARE FILLED WITH WHAT WE TEACH BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO INSTRUCT OTHERS

The central aim of preaching for Eugene was to instruct and to give a message that would lead people into a deeper relationship with God and one another: Experience proves that it is possible to attain this desirable end, the … Continue reading

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PREACHING: THE TEST OF A SUCCESSFUL SERMON

We should see to it that, when our sermons are over, they, instead of presuming to bestow foolish admiration on what they have not understood, will rather return to their homes instructed and well disposed, instructed, and able to repeat … Continue reading

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PREACHING: CHEW THE BREAD OF THE WORD

The Missionaries, who spent a large part of their ministry in preaching the Gospel, needed to be clear about their priorities: we must seek only to instruct the people, to be attentive to the needs of the majority of the … Continue reading

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PREACHING: NOISY GONGS AND CLANGING CYMBALS

As an outstanding preacher himself, Eugene had no patience with the flowery preachers who had style and played with words but had no solid content. His diary entries spare them no criticism, and in his Rule he wanted to ensure … Continue reading

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PREACHING: WHO YOU ARE SPEAKS SO LOUDLY I CAN’T HEAR WHAT YOU’RE SAYING

In our exploration of the 1818 Rule , we have seen how Eugene set out the goals of the Missionaries: preach the Gospel to the most abandoned, make up for the loss of the Orders and to correct the ravages caused by … Continue reading

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NOTA BENE: OBLATION AS A NEW HEART, A NEW SPIRIT, A NEW MISSION

Having enthused about the lofty ideals of the Missionaries and having drawn up the plan of action to achieve them, Eugene now returns to reality. The Nota Bene was written in response to the havoc being caused in the Church … Continue reading

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