200 YEARS AGO: RESTORING AND MAINTAINING UNITY

The annual retreat of the whole group lasted several days more after the General Chapter meeting, and became a preparation for the step of making their oblation on 1 November 1818.

The retreat conferences, given by the Superior-General himself, completed this rapprochement of minds and hearts. His appeals for total self-sacrifice were stirring and effective. He begged the retreatants to make the same decisions they would favor were they at the hour of death and about to appear before the Supreme Judge. Maunier and Mie then decided to follow the majority and pronounce their perpetual vows. Aubert asked to be allowed to take only temporary vows; Deblieu no longer refused outright but requested a year’s grace to give himself time to reflect; in 1819, he, too, made his religious profession like the others…

This clever apportioning of positions meant at one and the same time approving Eugene de Mazenod’s firm determination to make his plan for the religious life prevail and proving to those who had opposed it that they still enjoyed everyone’s esteem. Certainly they must have been deeply affected by such delicate thoughtfulness.

Leflon 2, p. 168 – 169

This entry was posted in WRITINGS. Bookmark the permalink.

1 Response to 200 YEARS AGO: RESTORING AND MAINTAINING UNITY

  1. Eleanor Rabnett, Oblate Associate says:

    For some reason this morning as I read Leflon’s loving account of how Eugene restored and maintained the unity and harmony, within the small society of missionaries I think about the Church in today’s world.

    It seems endemic throughout the world that our Church is being decimated from more than just abuse scandals, but also from a hardening of some hearts and the very human desire to rationalize; to put one’s own desires ahead of all else; to love only those who are the same in thoughts, words and deeds; to grow very comfortable with a false sense of power and entitlement – there is an endless list of so-called reasons and an even longer list of blaming and turning away. To know the sadness and sorrow that Eugene experienced as he came out of the seminary to witness the darkness that the revolution had unleashed upon his beloved Church.

    Many years ago when I returned to the Church, when I met Jesus in the most personal of ways, I can remember that my heart felt free – that it had been softened and made new again, filled as I was at that point with love and forgiveness. I would ask God daily to smooth out my heart’s rough edges, to soften all the places within me that were hard.

    I think of Pope Francis’s repeated call for mercy and forgiveness and those who would attack him, of those who would try tear apart our beloved Mother. And I think of Eugene’s ‘delicate thoughtfulness’ as he went about ‘restoring and maintaining unity’.

    O that today we would listen to the Beloved’s voice!
    Harden not your hearts, as in the days of old,
    That you be not separated from love. (Psalm 95)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *