The mission of 1820 was aimed at the whole city of Marseille. In practice the twenty Missionaries of France and six Missionaries of Provence concentrated all their efforts on the individual parish units, but there were two major manifestations for the whole city. The first was conducted from the hill of the military fort where there was a tiny old chapel dedicated to Notre Dame de la Garde (Our Lady who guards). Rey described the scene:
A report to the Archbishop of Aix mentions the procession made to Notre Dame de la Garde. It was one of the accomplishments of Father de Janson. “He placed himself near the top of the fortress, close to a Cross raised by the pious people of Marseilles, and he spoke of Mary weeping at the foot of the cross at the death of her lovable son. His powerful voice, carried by a favorable wind, was heard by thousands of Christians, and aroused powerful and loving sentiments in their hearts. Suddenly a signal was given, and fifty thousand people knelt down. Fr. de Forbin-Janson appeared on the highest terrace of the fort, holding the Eucharist in his hands, and blessed in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the crowd kneeling at the feet of the Son of Mary.
Rey I, p. 243-244
Eugene wrote to the Missionaries in Aix describing his experience:
Have Chapuis tell you about the magnificent ceremony that took place today. It seemed to me I was seeing with my eyes of flesh Our Lord Jesus Christ when, from the top of the fort of Notre Dame de la Garde, we presented him to the adoration of the fifty thousand prostrate people covering the mountain. I have never seen a more beautiful scene and have rarely experienced such sweet emotion. I had the happiness to touch the Monstrance at the moment that the Sun of Justice eclipsed the daystar. There cannot have been a finer day in the mission from the point of view of the religious effect.
Letter to Marius Suzanne, 2 February 1820, O.W. VI n.50
To pray is to walk in the full light of God, and to say simply, without holding back, “I am a human being and you are God.” At that moment, conversion occurs, the restoration of the true relationship. Henri J. M. Nouwen
I spent yesterday reflecting on this so much – mostly because of the “sweet emotion” and “happiness” that Eugene wrote about. I do not know how long that emotion lasted but I have the feeling that at that moment in time Eugene may have been completely ‘open’ to everything in life. He had let go of himself for the moment to be available to whatever God wanted of him, to whatever God want to give him.
Henri Nouwen wrote; “To pray is to walk in the full light of God, and to say simply, without holding back, “I am a human being and you are God.” At that moment, conversion occurs, the restoration of the true relationship.” It seems to me that the lead-up to being able to say ‘I am a human being and you are God’ is where the struggle comes in and we need to be able to let go of ourselves. Only then can we experience the truth, the sweet joy and the incredible freedom that comes with such profound forgivenness, such indelible love.