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
Essentially founded with the focus of rebuilding the ravaged French Church through the preaching of parochial missions 200 years ago, we find ourselves responding to very different missionary challenges today. The common thread has always been a daring to seek out new ways for the Word to reach people. The scope of mission was to dare to respond to the needs of the youth, the prisoners, domestic workers, farm laborers of Provence, then they dared to move to shrines as permanent mission centers, and then to dare to cross oceans to reach out to abandoned people in the forests of Canada, the slums of England, the plantations of Ceylon, the desert of Algeria, the valleys of Natal and mountains of Lesotho – always reaching out to people of different languages and cultures and areas of abandonment. Always responding with daring to every missionary challenge.
In the OMI Lacombe newsletter we read about Pope Pius XI’s recognition of Oblate daring in presenting the Gospel:
In 1938 Fr. Prime Girard, OMI was visiting Europe for his vacation. During his stay in Rome he attended the private audience with Holy Father Pius XI. “Curé of the North Pole” reported to the Pope about the Arctic missions, about Inuit and about the harsh reality of the North. Pius XI, who was attentive from the very beginning to the Arctic missions, listened to the stories of Fr. Girard with a great interest. It is then that he called the Oblates the specialists of the most difficult missions. This calling is attributed to the Oblates all over the world till today, but very few remember that it was Fr. Prime Girard, OMI and the pioneers of the Arctic missions who, in heroic way, have deserved this call. (http://www.omilacombe.ca/2016/03/14/specialists-of-the-most-difficult-missions)
“We have seen once again how faithful you are to the beautiful, glorious and holy specialty by which you devote every effort, talent and your life to the most abandoned souls in the most difficult missions, a glorious specialty…” Pope Pius XI to the 1932 Missionary Oblate General Chapter
“Always responding with daring to every missionary challenge.” What does this look like in my small corner of the world, of the city? I look at how some of the Oblates here respond to the missionary challenge they receive with their obedience(s). I notice things that I have not noticed before – how they live with one another in community and I am inspired; to live my own life in a different way, to be more daring, to love more deeply…
I think of the ways that Eugene fit into the lives of the poor he was ministering to; it was in their times he made himself available, it was with their overall needs that he served, he went out to them rather than making them come in to him. I noticed the same thing with Fr. Albert Lacombe who was a missionary in his own country; right here at home and well over a 100 years ago. In some ways I see that it still the case today. It can take great daring to face the challenges that missionaries (those who are called and sent) must cope with today.
And I look at myself, my life and at some of the challenges I myself face today. What do they look like and how do I respond? Is it with resignation or is it with daring and openness to new life?