Monthly Archives: January 2013

AN UNFAILING SOURCE OF SUPPORT

Posted on January 19, 2013 by franksantucci

Eugene concludes his letter to Jourdan by urging him to pray each day and especially to take the Eucharist as his source of support. Beware of staying a single day away from the holy altar; it is there you must … Continue reading →

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LISTEN TO YOUR OBLATE COMMUNITY

Posted on January 18, 2013 by franksantucci

Having encouraged Jourdan in his suffering and invited him to place his confidence in God, Eugene now resorts to two further approaches to help him. The first is linked with the authority of the superior of a community of religious. … Continue reading →

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YOU SADDEN GOD’S PATERNAL HEART ONLY BY LACKING CONFIDENCE IN HIS GOODNESS

Posted on January 17, 2013 by franksantucci

The 23 year-old Jacques Antoine Jourdan had been ordained a priest in 1822 and immediately joined the Missionaries by entering the novitiate at Notre Dame du Laus. In February 1823 he made his oblation in Aix and joined the missionary … Continue reading →

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THAT MISSIONARY COMMUNITY THAT TRULY RESEMBLES THE CENACLE

Posted on January 16, 2013 by franksantucci

The Oblate community was Eugene’s constant point of reference, whenever he was separated from it. His model for our religious missionary life was that of Jesus and the apostles. For him our communities were meant to be “cenacles” – just … Continue reading →

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NOTHING OF THIS SPECTACLE IN THE PALACE OF THE EARTHLY KING SPOKE TO MY HEART

Posted on January 15, 2013 by franksantucci

At the Royal Palace in Paris, Eugene describes the Holy Thursday service where a prince washed the feet of a group of children during the liturgy I have just returned from accompanying my uncle to the Last Supper at the … Continue reading →

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IN THE PRESENCE OF THE SAME LORD

Posted on January 14, 2013 by franksantucci

Despite all their ministry engagements, Eugene always insisted that the Missionaries come together to celebrate the Easter mysteries as a family in their communities. Being in Paris, this was the first time in 7 years that he was not with … Continue reading →

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WHERE RULES HIS LOVING HEART, THERE LET US MEET

Posted on January 12, 2013 by franksantucci

Eugene was a “heart” person who was intuitive and expressed and acted on his intuitions. As soon as he had met Joseph Guibert, he reflected that “it seemed to me to have found again something of myself” – he recognized … Continue reading →

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SO LET US ALWAYS BE UNITED IN THE SAME CHARISM

Posted on January 11, 2013 by franksantucci

Joseph-Hippolyte Guibert, a young man from Aix en Provence, had joined the novitiate but, soon after, had been pressurized by his father to leave. A few weeks later he had returned and Eugene wrote about this to express his happiness … Continue reading →

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OUR HOUSE IS A TRUE HEAVEN ON EARTH

Posted on January 10, 2013 by franksantucci

As Eugene charges the scholastics to live always in communion with one another, one can recognize echoes of John 17,21: “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one–as you are in me, Father, … Continue reading →

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FILLED WITH THE CHARISM THAT GIVES LIFE TO EVERYTHING

Posted on January 9, 2013 by franksantucci

A few months earlier, Eugene had written to Henri Tempier: ”First companion of mine, you have from the first day we came together grasped the spirit which must animate us and which we must communicate to others” (Letter to Henri … Continue reading →

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