Eugene concludes his letter to the Bishop of Grenoble by telling him that he would be sending Father Vincens to join the new Oblate community at Notre Dame de l’Osier.
The man that I am assigning to increase the little family is excellent in every respect. I am making a great sacrifice by sending him to that community, for I was counting on giving him as Superior of the house that we have in the Canton of Fribourg. He preaches like a true apostle, that means very well, without pretension and with results. He is kind, agreeable and regular, he will be a treasure for the house of l’Osier.
Letter to Bishop Philibert de Bruillard of Grenoble, 18 August 1834, EO XIII n 82
It is good to recall this calibre of Oblate missionary, reminding us with gratitude of many others we have known.
This morning I took time to go to the Historical Dictionary and learn more about Father Vincens. I admit to doing this quite often when Frank invites us to go a little more deeply below the surface and get to know the many who have gone before us. It is a gift which contributes to the growth of my own heart.
Father Vincens who came to Canada for a visit and who died here, not all that far from Ottawa. I was struck by what he wrote in 1853 about his relationship with Eugene de Mazenod, Founder and Superior General of the congregation that became his. “From the depths of my heart I am attached to the Congregation. For it, I would give the last breath of my body, but I do not believe that a person is not attached to the Congregation when one is not devoted heart and soul to the Congregation’s Founder. I feel quite comfortable to tell you this because the frankness with which I sometimes expressed myself in council with regard to things I did not like and the restraint that I show with regard to weak subjects in order not to extinguish the smouldering wick may have led people to believe that my thoughts and feelings are different from this. From the bottom of my heart I love our Father General; I love him as a father. I believe in what he says and I believe more in his decisions than in the decisions of anyone else. Therefore, to consult him is not simply a duty for me; it is a need…”
The last sentence resonating within me, reminding me of why I come here each morning; it is not simply a duty but rather it is a need. Here I am nourished, here the Spirit speaks to me and leads me; inviting me to focus not just on another Oblate and how they lived, but also on what that looks like in my own life.
Getting to know those who have come before us, those whose hearts have been formed in much the same way as ours, and who shared their own personal charism which is now shared with all of us, a part of who we are. Getting to know them – every bit as important as getting to know those we walk with in our own time. I am reminded of what Sandy Prather said about how we need to share our stories.
Indeed this morning I am reminded with much gratitude of the many others who my heart recognize because of how they shared their life in the charism with those of us who follow.