Reflecting on the practice of praying with his people, Eugene writes as bishop, conscious of the important position which the bishop has as first pastor of a diocese.
It is something beautiful in the eyes of religion to see the first pastor himself coming again and again into the middle of every part of his flock to invoke God’s mercies and to give an example of the duties which he has to fill in regard to Jesus Christ when Jesus shows Himself to His people to receive its adoration and to listen to its requests.
The next sentence of his diary entry, “The bishop, before whom all people should bow respectfully” may startle us today, but we need to remember that Eugene is speaking about the role of the bishop – whom he understood as the representative of Jesus Christ in the diocese and as successor to the apostles.
The bishop, before whom all people should bow respectfully comes to prostrate himself again and again his forehead to the ground to humble himself before the sovereign Master of all things, and offers Him incense as a sign of adoration.
Then, recollecting himself in His presence, in a most humble attitude, prays especially for the people around him and for all those whom he represents. When the attending Canon gives the signal, all genuflect again and retire quietly, heart filled with inexpressible happiness.
Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 7 February 1839, EO XX
” Every high priest is taken from among people and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins” Letter to the Hebrews 5:1
Eugene writes of his role as bishop and how he approaches God and gives his blessing to those who are with him. He does not hold himself up as “better than others” but rather before God this is his way of praying, his way of carrying himself in the role which Frank suggested as the representative of Jesus Christ , as a successor to the apostles.
I take heart as I think of the video that I was watching yesterday about the Mazenodian Family. It spoke of how with Vatican II the Church literally changed its way of thinking about the people of God – the roles are just roles and we each have our place. There is a suggestion of equality and flexibility. There is hope for all who may feel they are treated as lesser beings for any number of reasons.
It is in this light that I hear Eugene’s heart expressing itself in the wording of his time. This is a man who is sharing his experience of who God has called him to be. This is his private conversation with God. “When the attending Canon gives the signal, all genuflect again and retire quietly, heart filled with inexpressible happiness.” He is reflecting on the state of his heart, with his Beloved and of the joy which God fills his being.
Today we are used to those who would boast about being powerful and God’s chosen, about their own imagined greatness; Eugene brings us back to He who is the centre of our beings, our lives and our universe. Eugene leads us by example and sharing who he is in the light of our crucified Saviour.
This morning as we look at Eugene in this new light we are invited to stop and reflect on how God has called each of us from within our Mazenodian Family; we are invited to look at our given role and how we live that out among our many Mazenodian brothers and sisters and indeed with all of God’s people. Living out this love then becomes our own offering of gifts and sacrifices to God.
This is our Oblation.