OUR LIFE IN ALL ITS DIMENSIONS IS A PRAYER

Eugene concludes his retreat by drawing up a daily program for himself. He does this to be in communion with the Aix Oblate community, but it is the basic program of life and prayer that he followed throughout his life.

I will therefore always live in spirit in the most intimate union with them… so far as I can I will observe the Rule on my own, conforming so far as possible to the very times of the exercises. So I will rise at 5 o’clock in the morning or 5:30 at the latest when I go to bed too late, which I will try to avoid.
According as I rise at 5 or 5:30, I will meditate for three quarters or half an hour. Holy Mass will follow immediately on oraison. After thanksgiving of the Mass, I will read Scripture for half an hour. To be united with my brothers’ time for saying the Office according to what time it is when the half-hour Scripture reading finishes, I will say my small Hours before or after my breakfast. I will not wait until eleven thirty to say Sext and None as I would all too often be exposed to the risk of postponing them, since it is the time for business in the secretariat, that is why I will not separate them from Prime and Tierce which I will be saying at eight o’clock.
After breakfast, I will get down to work which will always begin with an hour’s theology study.
When there is not any very urgent business in the bishopric, I will extend this one hour’s study, otherwise I will get down to the matters pertaining to my office.
During the hours dedicated to office business, I will try to dispatch the letters and move the correspondence forward so far at least as is consistent with the affluence of people who have business with us in those moments.
Immediately before dinner, I will do the exercise of particular examen as it is done in our houses, except that I will not start with reading the New Testament, as this reading is done at the Bishop’s table during dinner.
I will conclude the examen with our customary litanies. If one of our members happens to be in the bishopric at that time it will be in order for him to make the examen at the same time as, and with, me.
After dinner when my uncle does not need me, I will make my escape as soon as possible unless the duties of propriety detain me in the drawing room.
If I have some business outside, I will go out for that purpose. In this case I will bring along my breviary to say Vespers and Compline in the church I go into to make my adoration.

Retreat notes, May 1824, EO XV n. 156

“It is as missionaries that we worship, in the various ways the Spirit suggests to us. We come before him bearing with us the daily pressures of our anxiety for those to whom he sends us (cf. 2 Cor 11:28). Our life in all its dimensions is a prayer that, in us and through us, God’s kingdom come.”

CC&RR, Constitution 32

This entry was posted in RETREAT NOTES and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to OUR LIFE IN ALL ITS DIMENSIONS IS A PRAYER

  1. Eleanor Rabnett, Oblate Associate says:

    I thank God for Eugene and for his prolific writing. I wonder if like me it was in part because that was how he sorted out, realized things in his own life. I know that for myself I will often say or write something, then hear the words, see the words and say yes – this is exactly how it is with me. Things can get lost or muddled if they remain only within my mind. I need sometimes to “claim” them – not sort of but out loud and shared – state this is who I am.

    And I am grateful and happy to be able to learn, of course more about St. Eugene and his prayer life, but also to be able to reflect on it an discover what resonates within me. Within the past few years certainly but even more strongly in the past year I have felt the need and had the desire to pray more, in my own words to become a prayer – so always with God before me and with me in the many forms that can take. It has been a yearning, a hunger within me that I could not (and did not want) to ignore. I have found at times it has confused me as I tried to look at “why” and how I could make this more and more a part of my everyday life. And it has not been something that would/will exclude all of the ordinary everyday things of my life, but rather I find myself wanting to include, to bring into focus, God- as I do whatever I am doing. Prayer – being in and with God – not just in special moments or in some undefined airy way (knowing that God is always with us – but in a semi-detached way).

    And so I dedicate special time for various types of prayer. Early morning when I first get up I begin, usually awaking with a song being sung by my being and that has to be one of the best ways there is to awaken to each day. It continues with a time of reflection and then even the writing of this which is another gift for it is then a time of learning (about Eugene and also about myself) and a time of looking and realizing my focus on God. And throughout the day I will deliberately find time to stop all else and just be with God or look at God – it is quite intentional. I find that I “need” to go to Mass and receive the Eucharist daily when I can. For me at the end of my day I want my last conscious thought to be of God, be with God as I relax and go to sleep. Of course none of this is perfect, and I do miss some pieces from time to time, and in truth when I do a part of me suffers.

    He [God] has put a song on my lips and in my heart. God has first given me the desire and hunger for this way of praying and then shown me how to do it.

    Eugene as he wrote, not boasting or saying how great or holy he was, but rather just explaining and realizing (not as in discovering but incarnating if I can use that word) – this is how I do it he says, this is how I must do it. “It is as missionaries that we worship, in the various ways the Spirit suggests to us. We come before him bearing with us the daily pressures of our anxiety for those to whom he sends us (cf. 2 Cor 11:28). Our life in all its dimensions is a prayer that, in us and through us, God’s kingdom come.” Wow – look at this. I dare to repeat it, but upon reflection this is exactly (and imperfectly) I am doing in so many small ways as I have been called to. Awesome and daunting and may God have mercy on me.

  2. Eleanor Rabnett, Oblate Associate says:

    I felt almost compelled to come here this morning. With Frank away and my readings from Eugene’s diary offering only a list of expenditures during his time in Rome I found myself dwelling on the Gospel of the day where Mary Magdalene arrives at the tomb and does not recognize Jesus, but sees perhaps a gardener. It is only in hearing his voice as it touches her heart that she recognizes him. How often have I missed seeing my God in another until after speaking sharply, speaking with arrogance or some type of intolerance, of turning away so as to pretend that I have not seen the other, to turn away because my sensibilities have been uncomfortable. How does my Risen Lord appear to me? Am I of so little faith and love that I would be thus and not recognize my God? Yes, yes I must admit to such. And yet always He speaks, calls to me, says my name. Always I turn back and my pain, my intolerance, my arrogance, my anger and impatience fall away to be replaced with joy and wonder, with unbelievable and unmatched love and rightness.

    My Easter morning, I recognized and saw my God, out of sheer desperation or magnificent hope – it doesn’t matter which -I recognized him. And meeting with my loved ones saw their waiting and hope and allowed God to move within me and through me. Easter morning, and again today, like Mary Magdalene hearing my name called and then taking that joy and love and going out to share it with those who need to hear their names called, showing them how to recognize their God.

    Today I felt compelled to come and sit with Eugene on the same date from a year ago. I did not know why or what I would find or relate to, but reading through Eugene’s notes I found myself saying yes – I understand why and what you are sharing for it is similar to myself. But the quote from the Constitution and Rules was so very appropriate and consoling – that here I stayed for it expressed above all my heart. I give thanks for the many ways that God feeds me, holds me and consoles me.

    “It is as missionaries that we worship, in the various ways the Spirit suggests to us. We come before him bearing with us the daily pressures of our anxiety for those to whom he sends us (cf. 2 Cor 11:28). Our life in all its dimensions is a prayer that, in us and through us, God’s kingdom come.” CC&RR, Constitution 32

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *