PRAY AS THOUGH EVERYTHING DEPENDED ON GOD – WORK AS THOUGH EVERYTHING DEPENDED ON YOU.

Writing to Henri Tempier, from Rome:

The Cardinal Secretary of State having said he would receive me at nine o’clock, I was at the stroke of this hour in his salon where he did not delay in receiving me with his customary politeness. He does not remember ever having seen me but was nonetheless very amiable towards me… Before leaving the Vatican, I went up to the apartments of the Pope to learn if Bishop Barberini had asked for an audience for me; he had indeed forgotten…
For the rest, I do my best to leave it to God. I have resolved to say holy Mass every day of the octave of the Holy Virgin for the intention of the grace that we seek. I do not neglect on the other hand the human means that must be used. If after that I do not succeed, I will have nothing to reproach myself with.

Letter to Henri Tempier, 11 December 1825, EO VI n. 211

 

“Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” Saint Augustine

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1 Response to PRAY AS THOUGH EVERYTHING DEPENDED ON GOD – WORK AS THOUGH EVERYTHING DEPENDED ON YOU.

  1. Eleanor Rabnett, Oblate Associate says:

    “For the rest, I do my best to leave it to God.” What does this mean? Eugene had to have felt just a little disappointed that the Cardinal did not remember him, for it played largely enough in his memory, he remembered it clearly enough to remind the Cardinal of what he had done and what had been said. But he did not let that disappointment and embitter him or give him cause to ‘give up’. And I would dare to say that with Bishop Barberini such was also the case. Eugene had been told that Barberini would set up an appointment with the Pope, and it had not been done. This was huge for Eugene, what he had come all the way from France for, it was of the utmost, the greatest of importance to him, to his community. However in his disappointments he appears not to have allowed himself to become overly frustrated or embittered. He did not try to ‘force’ the situation or manipulate it. It sounds like he pretty calmly did what he could and then carried on as he waited to hear back.

    Did he stop and question the Lord about ‘what was possibly going on’, about ‘what he [God] might really want’? He tells us he then went to pray holy Mass. And to continue with what he had to do (human means). This also wasn’t a case of telling God to ‘fix it’, to ‘make it so’. To me I see trust, great trust and great oblation, ‘let it be done unto me as you will it’. He recognized God’s part and place in all of it, as well as his own and he went about it as he saw fit.

    I have never thought much of this part of Eugene’s life in this way, but I find myself thinking about partnership and ‘working with’ God. Here was Eugene praying to God for it all while at the same time doing what was his to do. The spirit of who he was, loud and clear, the spirit that he left to us all right there. Cooperating with the Savior comes to mind and my thoughts turn to the Cross.

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