Eugene rejoices in the wonderful spiritual results of the missions that the Oblates were preaching in several towns. He reminds the members of his missionary family of the importance of being in communion with the local bishop, whose people they are ministering to.
I wanted you to know that I find it quite opportune that you give some details of the blessings the Lord is showering on your mission to His Grace the Archbishop. I do not doubt that you have done so in a good manner, that is, modestly, rightly attributing to God alone all the good that is being accomplished. It is normal to presume that a chief Pastor should insist much on knowing what is being accomplished by the ones he has sent, the ones to whom he has entrusted a special mission to bring a portion of his sheep to the knowledge of the faith, to the practice of virtue.
Letter to Jean Baptiste Mille, 20 January 1837, EO IX n 603
That spirit of communion continues today, as Constitution 6 stresses. All the service to the local church which the Mazenodian Family accomplishes must always be one of collaboration with all who are working for the Kingdom of God in the Church.
Our love for the Church inspires us to fulfil our mission in communion with the pastors whom the Lord has given to his people; we accept loyally, with an enlightened faith, the guidance and teachings of the successors of Peter and the Apostles.
We coordinate our missionary activity with the overall pastoral plan of the local Churches where we work, and we collaborate in a spirit of brotherhood with others who work for the Gospel. (OMI Rule of Life, C 6)
Since beginning here this morning the idea of those ‘evangelical counsels’ keeps coming to mind. Yes they are for the religious and yet I see how we are all called to look at them, the very spirit and essence of them as we strive to live as members of this Mazenodian Family.
“Thus we become a living cell in the Church in which we strive together to bring the grace of our Baptism to its fullness.”
“Mary Immaculate, in her faith response and total openness to the call of the Spirit, is the model and guardian of our [consecrated] life.”
It is never just about ourselves, but rather about being in communion with others. So yes we are a part of our community even as it grows wider and we are part of the community of the Church and the kingdom of God.
I have never really thought about how those evangelical counsels (as the ‘vows’ are called) – how completely they fit with and are in ‘communion with’ the first Ten Constitutions and Rules.
This coming weekend some of us will be reminded of Constitution 6 as the Archbishop comes to our parish for the installation of our new pastor, reminding each of us that we are called to be in communion with Church as well as our Mazenodian Family.