This adventure of exploring Eugene’s writings in chronological order began 10 years ago on 1 May 2010. Since then, 2295 entries have been published. I just cannot believe that this has all happened! And, Eleanor Rabnett has faithfully written her own much-appreciated daily response to most of them!!
Its aim has been to accompany people to get to know the wealth of the life and teachings of St Eugene de Mazenod through direct contact with his writings. He dedicated his life to loving the Savior, and to making him known – it is my hope for these daily reflections too.
The second purpose of this service is to make the writings available online. The homepage has a search engine (https://www.eugenedemazenod.net), where you can insert a word or a concept for research and find all the relevant texts connected with that.
There are 2295 entries which are filled with the various themes of Mazenodian family history, spiritualty, and mission. Many themes have been explored at length:
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- “Who is St Eugene for us?” (https://www.eugenedemazenod.net/?p=708 and the entries that follow)
- “The history and spirit of our foundation” (https://www.eugenedemazenod.net/?p=2960 and the entries that follow)
- “Youth ministry” ( https://www.eugenedemazenod.net/?p=121 and the entries that follow)
- “Parish missions” (https://www.eugenedemazenod.net/?p=358 and the entries that follow)
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among many others.
So the invitation continues to use the search facility on the homepage (https://www.eugenedemazenod.net) to explore all this wealth of the Mazenodian Family.
We paused our journey with St Eugene in 1837 to meditate on a more focused response with Eugene to the Covid pandemic, especially at the beginning where there was not much spiritual support material available online. That aim has been accomplished, so tomorrow we pick up the chronological journey with St Eugene again.
Thanks Fr Frank for the faithful sharing, in bite-sized chunks, for the children of de Mazenod who wish to “eat.” Blessing and stay safe, and continue … Duc in Altum.
I am filled with gratitude this morning for all that Frank and Eugene speaks has given us through this difficult time of living with and in a pandemic; it is only just begun, but we have been given new ways to focus. The normalcy of our lives, the return to our ongoing practice is is welcome. That which has carried us through the past months is now rooted within us; to help nourish us moving forward.
One of the things that I experience most deeply with Eugene has been and continues to be how he shares his own experience of God with others; passionately sharing his love of God so that others, particularly the poor would come to know God as he did. And inviting us to join him in walking with Jesus and the apostles as his model.
Perhaps one of the greatest gifts from God has been in calling and introducing me to Eugene de Mazenod, St. Eugene, Founder and father, friend… Through and with him I fell and continue to fall more deeply in love with our crucified Saviour and also his Church. I look at the small green book that sits in front of me each day and during COVID 19 all day; only three letters on its front cover – O.M.I. A Rule of Life that expresses the gift of the Holy Spirit to Eugene and to his sons and now also shared with his sons and daughters. Not a law that controls, but rather a “regularity” that invites and shows us a way of being true and living our own personal charism within the greater one of our Mazenodian Family. The words that come to mind are freedom, wild, passionate, life-giving, love…
Always centered on Jesus and his disciples, they become our models, through and with Eugene and his sons and daughters, with each of us becoming a model to the other and all we meet.
The pandemic is not yet over, but we are beginning to learn and navigate within the new-normal that living with COVID19 demands. These past days have been a focused way of living the Paschal Mystery, guiding us, carrying us and we now recognize once again the gifts of the Holy Spirit given us through Pentecost.
It is with these gifts that we step back onto a main pathway that is forever changed along with us – the same path and yet new in so many deeper ways. There is a new hope, new courage and daring, new depths to be drawn into, new ways focuses to that which has always been. Eugene himself is not yet done with us.