THE FOUNDING VISION TODAY: THE WORLD IS CROWDED WITH GOD

The community of the Apostles with Jesus is the model of our life. Our Lord grouped the Twelve around him to be his companions and to be sent out as his messengers (cf. Mk 3:14). The call and the presence of the Lord among us today bind us together in charity and obedience to create anew in our own lives the Apostles’ unity with him and their common mission in his Spirit.

CC&RR, Constitution 3

Apostolic community is not about a group of people living happily with each other but it exists in order to help its members to keep focussed on the Savior. Our Oblate Rule of Life puts it beautifully:

While maintaining within ourselves an atmosphere of silence and inner peace, we seek his presence in the hearts of the people and in the events of daily life as well as in the Word of God, in the sacraments and in prayer. We are pilgrims, walking with Jesus in faith, hope and love.

CC&RR, Constitution 31

This attitude is true as the ideal for all our communities, as religious, as associates, as friends St Eugene – for all the various communities that make up the apostolic missionary Mazenodian Family. We held each other to find the presence of God in everything around us.

Apostles

“We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade the presence of God. The world is crowded with Him. He walks everywhere incognito.”   C. S. Lewis

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2 Responses to THE FOUNDING VISION TODAY: THE WORLD IS CROWDED WITH GOD

  1. Eleanor Rabnett, Oblate Associate says:

    Constitution 31 – beautiful words. I keep returning to it this morning. Is this what I am doing I have asked myself, over and over. If this is apostolic community – do I live it? A small and quiet ‘sometimes’ escapes from within me. I would love to say that it is always but it is not, at least not consciously. Where is it that I look for His presence? I am reminded of the term ‘namaste’ which I have been told means ‘God within me greets the God within you’. Oh! This is what I seek – yes. This is how love works. I see before my minds eye the faces of those who I love – a decision made, not some thing that just magically happens. It comes from something that is much greater than just myself.

    I am reminded of something that was said in the homily of one who I knew and loved and who died. The priest giving the homily could have been speaking of me. It was a homily of how we love, each of us. “We seek his presence in the hearts of the people and in the events of daily life…” My heart wants to weep a little – in gratitude, in understanding, even in the supreme mystery of all of it. An ideal that calls and guides and pulls and pushes and prods – not harshly but only with gentle tenderness, forgiveness and love.

  2. kirk says:

    Thanks Frank for the beautiful insight… you reminded me of the “noyeu” concept you shared with us… that as members of the Oblate family – lay and clergy, OMIs & Friends of St. Eugene – we are invited to together to be yeast like the Early Christian Communities.

    Thanks once again.

    God bless

    Kirk

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