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).
CC&RR, Constitution 3
From the first moment that Eugene proposed his Missionary vision, two hundred years ago, the fundamental model, or blueprint, that was to be followed would never be changed. Their entire missionary existence was based on that of Jesus and the apostles. The pattern of the relationship of each one with Jesus, their relationships between themselves, and their missionary goals and methods had to be those of Jesus and his disciples as described in the Gospels and in the Acts of the Apostles.
The missionary, being specifically called to the apostolic ministry, should aim at perfection. The Lord destines him to show forth anew, amongst those of his own time, the marvelous things that were done of old by the first preachers of the Gospel.
He ought then to walk in their footsteps while being firmly persuaded that the miracles he must do are not the effect of his eloquence but of the grace of the Almighty who will communicate himself through him with all the more abundance if he is more virtuous, more humble, or, to say it all in one word, more holy
Letter to M. Viguier, 6 January 1819, EO VI n 38
The blueprint continues unchanged until today.
“Our activity is truly apostolic only insofar as we permit Christ to work in us and through us with his power, with his desire, with his love.” Mother Teresa
This morning I ask myself if I permit Christ to work in and through me? How do I permit the power, the desire and his love work though me? There can be a glib response of course, but I find myself wanting to look a little deeper, a little more honestly – not just at some the good things that I might do – but the attitude that produces those actions, at what is behind them.
“He ought then to walk in their footsteps while being firmly persuaded that the miracles he must do are not the effect of his eloquence but of the grace of the Almighty who will communicate himself through him with all the more abundance if he is more virtuous, more humble, or, to say it all in one word, more holy.” It is none of it the product of my own ‘eloquence’ as Eugene wrote, all of it comes from God, from our risen Saviour, through the Holy Spirit.
So what is this blueprint handed down through the years by others who have lived by it – what does it look like in my life? Isn’t it wondrous how we see it when we look through the eyes of our crucified Saviour? When we see and respond to those we see as being the poorest of the poor – the voiceless, unseen, forgotten, discarded, used, abused, not recognized…
The question for me this morning is whether I am exactly where God has sent me to be or have I somehow tried to rewrite the blueprint. Yesterday when asked by another I responded that I wished them to pray that I will be open to the grace of the humility, true humility. I think I know some of the answers to my own questions.