OUR BICENTENARY: CLEAR IN HIS MISSIONARY GOALS TO SERVE THOSE WHO ARE MOST IN NEED AND IN A LANGUAGE THEY UNDERSTAND

A close priest friend, Charles Forbin Janson, had invited Eugene to join his group of missionaries, the Missionaries of France who preached in French throughout France. In this brief extract we see the commitment of Eugene and his prospective companions to the necessity of preaching in Provencal for the benefit of the abandoned inhabitants of the countryside of Provence.

What touched the heart of Eugene and made him respond was the plight of people in Provence who were not being adequately catered for by the normal ministry of the local church.

Now, you will perhaps ask why, since I wish to be a missionary, I do not join you as well as the little band I could bring together….
But what must be remembered is that our regions are without any help, that their peoples offer hopeful signs of being converted and must not therefore be abandoned. Yet we would abandon them if we joined you because we alone, and not you, can help them. We have to speak in their own tongue in order to be understood by them. We have to preach in Provençal.

Letter to Father Forbin Janson, 28 October 1814, O.W. VI n 2

The sight of these evils has so touched the hearts of certain priests, zealous for the glory of God, men with an ardent love for the Church, that they are willing to give their lives, if need be, for the salvation of souls.

Preface

“We will always be close to the people with whom we work, taking into account their values and aspirations. To seek out new ways for the Word of God to reach their hearts often calls for daring; to present Gospel demands in all clarity should never intimidate us.”   CC&RR Constitution 8

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2 Responses to OUR BICENTENARY: CLEAR IN HIS MISSIONARY GOALS TO SERVE THOSE WHO ARE MOST IN NEED AND IN A LANGUAGE THEY UNDERSTAND

  1. Eleanor Rabnett, Oblate Associate says:

    I think of those first Oblates who came to North America – to Canada and the US. The north was frigid and the south was like a desert; unlike anything they would have encountered in France, with many new and unknown languages. The sheer size of the countries and virgin lands must have seemed so daunting and yet they dared it all. I don’t know that I could have endured the hardships they met, but then too I don’t know if they could have endured mine. Then as now the Oblates have not been intimidated by the road ahead, the struggles to be born and endured.

    Here in North America where there are not much of the way of new priestly vocations to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate – the congregation has “sought out new ways for the Word of God to reach hearts”. It has called for great daring and we Oblate Associates are witness to that – we are a result of their daring and ongoing efforts to live out their call and to our own personal daring and ongoing efforts live out as we have been called. As it was in Provence it has been a ‘mutual’ thing, a relationship and opening to love and walking with. We have all been called to share in the charism, the spirit of Eugene de Mazenod. It continues to take great daring to walk with and keep our hearts open while honouring each other.

    This morning I continued and read all of Constitution 8 and 8a. It speaks so deeply to me, touches my heart in a new way. I am filled with gratitude while at the same time my heart skips as we journey towards the 25th. Here we are in the Year of Mercy (translate to ‘love’) and a year to celebrate the 200th anniversary of a God-given and inspired community that has been like Abraham’s descendants – growing in numbers and ways of being over time. I praise you God and surrender myself to you once more on this Monday morning. St Eugene pray for us.

  2. Paul M Howard says:

    Eleanor: Back on Frank’s blog. Thanks for pointing the way! Paul

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